Comments on: One Hand Clapping

By: Karl

Karl — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:50:50 +0000

Chuck –
I, too, would like to see this take off.
Apparently, many people have a low threshold for tech-learning pain. VCRs taught us that in the 80s, and it’s still true. So, the simpler, the better (as poken is described). I’m amazed how few people seem to know that their cell phone can scan and be scanned for blue tooth identification, for example, yet I’ve sat on a bus and learned someone’s name (or screen name) before ever saying a word.

By: Chuck Musciano

Chuck Musciano — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:20:42 +0000

I know about Bump, and many people that I show my Poken to say “It’s like Bump!” The upside of Bump is that it requires no extra hardware, provided you own the right phone (in particular, one with a G-sensor) and it only works when you have coverage. (Bump is a very clever example of simulating data movement between two devices that, in fact, never connect).

That said, Poken has some advantages. I like the “ghost card” idea, and I also like that my online card holds all my social media contact info, allowing people to easily connect through other platforms after we connect on Poken. Finally, as I update my info on Poken, the new data is presented to everyone who is connected to me. Bump is a “point in time” connection, like a real business card.

Ideally, these worlds will blend, with the abstraction and security of Poken and the ubiquity of Bump. Integrating Poken readers into phones would help, and a Poken app that worked on iPhones without requiring hardware would boost acceptance as well.

I also remember the days of beaming with my Palm. But in that case, it wasn’t that people didn’t have Palms (lots of people did) but that no one knew how to set up or use beaming. At least with Poken, a simple touch makes it work.

It is good to see experimentation in this space, that’s for sure.

By: Dave Martinez

Dave Martinez — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:59:25 +0000

I have to agree with John that I think Bump does something very similar. Based on what I read about Poken, it’s much better, however in order to work, everyone needs one. Bump, or any similar app, just requires Android or iPhone which many people already have. I think the hardware requirement will make all of the difference.

By: John Baker

John Baker — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:06:38 +0000

Chuck,
You have hit on the big issue of an emerging technology that requires a critical mass of users to be successful. Back in the days of the PDA I had a Palm Pilot and loved to beam contact info but would exchange contact into in less then 5% of my interactions this way. Eventually I gave up asking people. I suspect that the Poken will have a similar fate.
Instead I expect solutions like Bump ( http://www.bumptechnologies.com/ )
to be the wave of the future. Bump is now on the iPhone and Android platforms, it is easy to use, and immediately feeds info to your contacts system.
As Near Field Communication ( http://www.nfc-forum.org/home ) takes off we will see this type of electronic exchange become standardized on cell phones.

Oh. And that whole one hand clapping thing?

By: casey

casey — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:23:45 +0000

need to get companies to start giving these away at trade shows and corporate events