Do You Wanna Poken Me?

Do You Wanna Poken Me?

Posted on 02. Oct, 2009 by Tammy Camp in Gadgets, Technology

Before you read too much into the title of this post, let’s get one thing straight. No, I’m not propositioning you with a double entendre. So get your mind out of the gutter! What I am here to do is to tell you about a new piece of computer technology that is poised to become the next big social media craze. If you haven’t heard of a poken yet, you soon will (@WarrenCorpus popped my Poken cherry). That’s because this thumb-size device is on the verge of taking the uber-popular social media world by storm.

What’s all the fuss about?
Well, first off, it eliminates the printing of business cards, personal cards or scraps of paper with your contact information on it. Just give someone a “high four” with their poken and your contact information including social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Myspace, etc.) are synced. No more printing and data entry of contact information again! Also, one can’t overlook the cuteness factor. Currently available in panda, alien, bee, ninja, pig, voodoo and fire varieties, pokens are just so darn cute that they’re almost irresistible. But rest assured, they’re not the 21st century’s Furbie. Oh no, these cutie pies actually serve a genuine and useful purpose.

Pokens

It’s what’s on the inside that counts!
But a poken is more than just a pretty face. Inside lies a hand-shaped appendage. When you pull out the hidden hand, you reveal a USB connector. Plug that bad boy into your Internet-connected computer and the way you Facebook, Twitter, etc. will never be the same. As the poken site explains, pokens “instantly bridge the gap between the people you meet in the real world and those you stay connected to online.”

So how does it work?
When you purchase a poken, you’ll be set up with a “Poken Card.” Think of it kind of like a business card but without all the personal information. Your privacy is ensured because a Poken Card reveals only your most basic information.

Now, you load your Poken Card with the social network profiles of your choosing. Want to share your Facebook profile with new people when you meet them in the offline world? Then add Facebook to your card. Want to keep your Twitter profile private? Then leave it off your card. The nice thing about a poken is that it’s all up to you.

The networks you choose to display will be shown as a link on your Poken Card. And that’s where the real fun begins. Your new contacts log onto DoYouPoken.com to view your Poken Card. When they do, they can click on your logo to see your full profile on the social networking sites you’ve elected to share with them.

The social networking fun doesn’t stop there though. DoYouPoken.com points out, “You can also send messages, group contacts with a label, write notes for yourself about each contact, and so much more.”

Poken Account Interface

Poken Account Interface

Where can I get my hands on my very own poken?
Visit DoYouPoken.com. Click on the “Buy a Poken” link. From there, you can choose to either find a retailer or webshop selling individual pokens or buy a 12-pack on the spot.

Do you have any questions that weren’t answered in this post? Are you a poken enthusiast who wants to come out of the closet and share it with the world? Shout it out in the comments section!

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  • Jeremy
    This sounded kind of cool so I went and checked it out. I was honestly expecting them to cost around $5 or so. Boy was I shocked when I saw the $20 price. And the Pulse is $34.95?

    I wish these folks the best, but I honestly don't see catching on. Even if the devices were free, it would be an uphill battle to replace business cards. With them costing as much as they do, I just don't think it'll catch on anywhere outside of the early adopter geek communities.

    My $.02 worth.
  • COME AND RING MY BELL? I LOVE TO SEE YOUR FACE! I'D LIKE TO R I N G YOUR BELL...?.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶
  • Awesome!
  • John Barber
    What do you think of Mingle360?

    Think they introduced this same technology in their MingleStick.
  • Interesting, how do these little guys work? Are you automatically loggeed into your social networks once you plug it in?
  • Hi Alyssa-

    Once you meet someone with a Poken and give them a "high four", the contact information is stored in the device. Once you insert the Poken into your computer, the Poken interface will allow you connect via social networks and/or by email.
  • Hugh Wish
    This post just made me angry. It doesn't tell me why I need this little thing or what the device actually does. As far as I can tell the same purpose would be served by having a USB key with the URLs of my profiles on different networks. These people are headed for bankruptcy and when the site goes down it will stop working. No one needs this and it doesn't seem to do anything cool.
  • @Hugh - Perhaps you overlooked this while you were reading the post.

    "Well, first off, it eliminates the printing of business cards, personal cards or scraps of paper with your contact information on it. Just give someone a “high four” with their poken and your contact information including social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Myspace, etc.) are synced. No more printing and data entry of contact information again!"
  • There is also the new Poken PULSE: New Poken for Business! The Poken Pulse combines the Poken system for exchanging contacts with the utility of a USB thumb drive. The Business Poken can carry up to 1000 contacts before uploading, and has a 2gb capacity for data.

    http://shop.pokenu.com/Poken-PULSE-PKNPLS.htm;j...
  • @Poken U - Thanks for the additional information! I think these will be great for business because some people feel the Poken looks a bit too child-like for them to carry around to business conferences.
  • Great post, Tammy! Hopefully our paths will cross very soon in South Florida so we can high four!
  • @Poken Girl - I'm sure our paths will cross soon. Are you a member of SFIMA?
  • Hi Tammy!
    I am not a member yet, but have attended some of the recent events (the W, Gulfstream). Am working on getting to the Nautical Networking Event! Would love to chat with you then.
    Best,
    Vanessa
    @PokenGirl
  • @Travis - Thanks for the compliment and "popping my post cherry."

    Taking your advice on the ice breaker for the hot VP scenario is an excellent idea. Believe it or not, I always have a loss of words when I'm in that situation.

    @WarrenCorpus - Thank you for the shout out on Facebook and Twitter! You are the best.
  • Great post! As usual Tammy, you have managed to blend your humor in with education. Now if you don't mind I am going to take the liberty of "popping your post cherry"!

    Pokens are funny little things that open up a world of networking. Ever wanted to meet that hot VP of Marketing from that Fortune 500 company you have been drooling over? Not sure what opening line to use? Try saying this in a whisper... "Hey wanna Poken"? As you slowly reach for your Poken, hold it up and press it against your new friend giving a "high four", it's almost impossible not to moan with pleasure as your contact information swaps information. Later when you are back at work, feel free to relive the moment while you undress the USB drive and insert it into your driver.

    You see ... it's hard not to get caught in the moment. Just let it happen! Now if you will excuse me I have to get to Poken :)
  • The only problem is you're going to have to give the VP a Poken since he (or she) won't have one. The question then is, will he register it and use it after you give it to him (or her). Giving him a Pulse with a Powerpoint on it might get it looked at but it's a chancy proposition.
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