Private Reply to Michael Lemm

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

See Lamar. ... He's the neighbourhood Whiz Kid on Poken    More ...

Bestest.

Teddy Towncrier CPP Towncrier-Media.com Supercharging Your Visions.

Michael,

The technology behind Poken is going to one day replace the traditional business card - especially at business mixers. What is it you have to do after you exchange business cards at a mixer? A lot of folks place them into business card folders or take time to input the contact information into a computer. Well, Pokens are a better idea. You simply touch your Poken device to another Poken device - shake hands you might say - and you have automatically exchanged contact information. Now, all you have to do is insert your Poken into your computer and upload that information to your cyber Poken account.

This is the smart way to manage contact information. And, why is that? Because it is not just your name, address, phone number and email address. It's also all your social networks - including Skype. Now, you have the ability to Poken and not really share your information. There's a special way to do that. You also have the ability to have up to three Poken accounts. So, you can actually share different information with different groups of people.

However, once you get into the habit of using a Poken, you can get out of the habit of keeping track of such things as address and phone number changes of your contacts. So long as each Poken contact takes care of his own information, your information will ALWAYS be correct. Why? Because through the Poken system you're virtually connected.

As most folks will tell you who are familiar with Pokens, these little devices have not reached "critical mass." They are still a few years away from being a household name. Perhaps that is because they were created in the Swiss version of Silicon Valley. Pokens are a lot more popular in Europe than they are in the USA. However, savvy tech people - including IBM - are jumping onto the Poken bandwagon. Want proof? Visit my Squidoo lens, Pokenize.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Michael Lemm

Mike,

I understand where you are coming from. But, did you watch the video? We all tend to get trapped into the physical appearance of things. It something looks silly and childish, it must be silly and childish. These silly-looking funny-face gadgets serve a very real and important purpose - the gathering of contact information at the touch of two devices. Why get all twisted up in how something looks? Perhaps that is why Poken came out with the Poken Pulse. It does pretty much the same thing as the standard Poken, but has more memory and can function as a regular flash drive for the transfer of files. But, it has a distinctly professional appearance. It looks more like your standard flash drive than anything else...although perhaps a bit more attractive.

However, please keep in mind that the REAL value on the Poken is not so much found in the transfer of information from one Poken to another, but in its maintenance once the information is uploaded to your Poken cloud in cyberspace. The Poken is compatible with more than 30 Social Media sites and computer programs like Microsoft Outlook. The real value of Pokens is that it can forever alter the way in which you gather and maintain information.

Mark my words, you will soon start seing third party applications for Pokens just as you do Twitter. As Scott Wolpott puts out, there are cell phones which can do similar feats of transfer with Bluetooth technology. But, I have yet to see any cell phone that can equal - let alone surpass the number of Social Media sites associated with Pokens. Also, I have yet to see a cell phone that collects such data set up to store this information in a cyber cloud.

If you find the funny face Poken a little embarrassing, get yourself instead a Poken Pulse. No one laughs when they see that level of class and distinction.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Lamar. ... Am I hearing you say   "If you aren't part of the Steamroller;   You'll soon be part of the road"?

Speaking of roads;    Here's an interactive movie of   my first real job.

Bestest.

Teddy Towncrier CPP Towncrier-Media.com Supercharging Your Visions.

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Exactly, Scott.

Lamar is one of the most innovative and fearless characters I encounter on a daily basis. ... He is Mr Steamroller.

I shudder at the amount of flack he attracts.     The arrows keep coming and he keeps coming.

Lamar will still be here when many of us have folded our tent and are now working for the municipality. .... (There's a reason they call him "Mr Unstoppable" in Chicago).

Bestest.

Teddy Towncrier CPP Towncrier-Media.com Supercharging Your Visions.

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

I don't do "Yes but"s, Scott.  ( When I can't see the opposing viewpoint;   "Tell me more" seems to work best for me).

I certainly wouldn't use a steamroller to iron my shirts. ..... However;    In the days when I had heavy equipment; ... I was seeking an appropriate job (and pay), for it.

Bestest.

Teddy Towncrier CPP Towncrier-Media.com Supercharging Your Visions.

I am glad you folks are asking questions. It shows you have an active interest. Even though I own two Pokens and a Nokia N810, I still have questions about those devices. I thought I pretty much understood Twitter. After all, I not only use the service in two different accounts, but many of its third-party apps. Nevertheless, I am reading a book by Mark Aaron Murnahan called Twitter for Business: Twitter for Friends. What I am discovering is that there is a world of things about Twitter I did not know - even with many of the third-party apps I currently use.

I had a friend in Toronto not long ago exchange pleasantries with me on Skype and sign off with "ttyl." What the heck does that mean? I had no clue. So, I asked. She replied, "Talk To You Later."

My point is simply this - you can always learn new things. Whether it happens to be about Pokens, carrotmobs or Foursquare badges is really not what is most important. What's most important is that you have a means to effectively connect with other folks that works.

A Poken is not going to work any magic for your business unless you know how to work the Poken so that the benefits are indeed achieved. If you don't watch the videos and you don't own the product, you can kiss those benefits of being a Poken owner good-bye. This is really the way it is with just about any device. If you do not really understand how to use it, you are not going to reap any benefits from owning it. Of course, if you happen to be one among many folks who own the device, chances are you can tap the collective intelligence and get your questions answered. That is one reason why I am such a big proponent of Aardvark.com. It has skillfully implemented the benefits of collective intelligence without feeding into SPAM.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

Critical mass is what any product hopes to achieve. Granted, Pokens have not achieved critical mass status in the USA. But, they are quickly approaching that status in Europe. Can the USA be too far behind? Do you think IBM would give Pokens even a consideration if they did not see the technology as viable? IBM did not choose Poken under my recommendation.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

Did Pepsi attached a coupon for on anything to Pepsi bottles or cans promoting NYLUG? I don't think so. They just promoted themselves. What IBM did with Poken was quite different. IBM used Pokens to promote their own agenda. That's quite different from offering a soft drink for people to consume at a conference.

Why is it that folks attending your conference had even heard about Pokens? After all, it's a product of a company based in Switzerland. I will tell you why they heard about it. They heard about it because people they know are using it. If you have yet to see an ad in the newspaper or even online for Pokens, how are people finding out about it? Answer - personal referrals. Face it, people in the USA are using Pokens. For better or worse, Pokens may be relatively unknown. But, that is slowly changing. And, this may not be a coincidence...but part of their marketing strategy for longevity.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

I did not say nor can I show you that IBM uses Pokens on a day-to-day basis. Can you should me that your group uses Pepsi on a day-to-day basis? What I did say is that IBM used Pokens at a conference they put together to meet their specific needs. In fact, you can go to Pokenize and see the slide show yourself.

However, I did say that the signal that Poken uses is proprietary and not your standard RFID signal. The only reason I would say that is because the inventor of the product said it. Argue with the creator, not with me. I'm just the messenger.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

Pokens are not for everyone. Cell phones are not for everyone. Twitter is not for everyone. We all have to pick and choose what best suits our needs. I personally believe folks who attend business mixers will stand out simply by wearing two Pokens around the neck - whether there is someone else at the event or not. You still have an opportunity to demonstrate how it is and what it does. It's a conversation starter, an ice-breaker. In it's own unique way wearing two Pokens around your neck creates a "memory maker" for your audience. Had I been to your club meeting, I would have been the only person there wearing a Poken. And, you know what? They will remember me. Why? Because I will be the person who puts them ON THE PATH to Poken enlightenment:)

I suspect at some point in 2010 you will meet someone in person who will show you a Poken. New York City is a big place. But, I believe the Poken people of NYC will find you.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

The head of the Chamber of Commerce here holds monthly meetings on Social Media to help bring the membership up-to-speed on tools for Internet use. But, she herself refuses to take the time to learn how to use those tools. So, while she is having her audience taught useful information, she remains uninformed and ignorant. This is the equivalent of the conductor asking the passengers to drive the train.

I know you have no use for Pokens. That's rather obvious. But, you know what, I believe there is a better chance that you will one day become a Poken user than there is a chance this Chamber of Commerce CEO will ever learn how to use Skype...even though it is freely available.

So, what's the difference between her and you? The Chamber CEO is content in her ignorance. She does not know what she's missing. At least, you know what your options are and have made a choice. Imagine being in the position of not knowing you actually have a choice. I want folks to know they have a choice and encourage them to check those choices out for themselves. Put them to the test. How much does it cost to put a Poken to the test? If you purchase two, $40.00. How much does it cost to put a Droid Phone to the test?

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

IBM put their own content onto the Pokens which were handed out. Did Pepsi put anything in its cans or bottles about your meeting? I seriously doubt it. Pepsi did not brand your meeting to your audience. However, that is exactly what Pokens did for IBM. And, that is why IBM used Pokens. It did not simply give them out as tokens. It gave them out to help brand their conference to their audience.

I agree with your comment about the Pokens needing to reach critical mass. If Pokens reach critical mass, I have no doubt you will come on board. Until that time, I encourage you to download Google Goggles to your Droid cell phone and see it that does a good job with getting your business cards into your cell phone.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

You are helping me make my point. There is no connection between what your meeting engaged in and the fact that Pepsi cans were handed out. However, the fact that you passed out flash drives with Joomla stuff on them is similar to passing out Pokens with an IBM slide show on them at an IBM conference. In both cases, branding the sponsor to his audience is happening. And, that is why smart folks who do conferences are buying Pokens in bulk and passing them out with special data pre-flashed on them. It's not simply to help Poken sell more Pokens. It's to brand the sponsor to his audience.

Why did you pass out T-shirts at your conference? Was it to help the T-shirt company? No, it was to brand Joomla to the audience that was there. You want your audience to spread the Joomla message(whatever that is). What better way than to have your audience wear the advertising on their body wherever they go? Talk about a clever third-party referral - Wow!

How does Poken handle the taking of notes about people you meet? So glad you asked. Well, the first step is similar to yours. You write the information down on a piece of paper. However, I don't need a scanner. I simply go to my Poken cloud, look up the individual and type in the information. Simple.

I want you to understand the real Power to the Poken is in the cloud - not the funny-looking plastic flash drive. That is just a little novelty to entice the public. I can understand why it turns you off. But, I want you to look at the bigger picture. You need to make use of a cloud - whether that cloud comes from Poken, Apple, Nokia or Verizon Wireless is really irrelevant. You need to get your contacts organized via a cloud. By having them in a cloud, your audience there can actually update your Social Media contact information for you...which is the whole point of having it there. What is this all about, really? It's about putting the power of collective intelligence to work for you. This is a form of Web 2.0 innovation, wikinomics at work, and my favorite phrase "mutual collaboration." I cannot help but believe you are already doing this in certain areas. I just predict you will be doing it moreso in the future. Will you be doing it with Pokens? It's too early to tell. Like you said, and I admittedly concur, Pokens have yet to achieve "critical mass."

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

Wearing two Pokens around my neck at a business mixer simply starts conversation - especially when I show folks that touching them together makes them glow. What I do is I take a person's business card and write this on the back - "www.squidoo.com/Pokenize." Then, I hand that card back to the person who gave it to me and ask for a second card to keep (much in the same manner you might do).

I have already had a professional speaker who lives in Palm Spring, CA contact me about Pokens. I have had a professional speaker who spends 200 days out of the year order two Poken Pulses to demonstrate at NYC conferences he does there. And, this guy lives in Southern California.

News about Pokens is spreading. Yes, it has not reached critical mass, but it definitely is not disappearing from the radar screen. Remember, it's not the little funny looking device that is the most important. It's the Poken cloud and the use of "colective intelligence" that is most important here.

Scott, if someone you have on your Microsoft Outlook list updates their records, are your records automatically updated, too? No. Why? Because you are not making use of the collective intelligence made possible by a cloud. Poken is not the only service that makes this possible. But, so far on this thread, no one has bothered to mention another one. If you have a good reason for not wanting to take advantage of cloud intelligence, if you have a reason for preferring to do things the hard way, I am open to hearing it.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Private Reply to Kurt Schweitzer

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

What happens to your data on this guy who just transferred it to you should he change his residence? Does he need to contact you so you can MANUALLY UPDATE your records on him because you DO NOT have those records in a cloud through which he can update your records simply by updating his own?

Once again, it's not so much about the RF signal from the funny-face device that is the REAL enticement here. It's about what you can do in the cloud. Until you and your contacts share in the same cloud system, you simply cannot do what a Poken does...period.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Kurt,

Yes, I can go to your personal Ryze network and find out about you. But, what your Ryze page tells me about you only applies to Ryze. It does not include other networks you belong to. We might both be members of the same networks besides Ryze and never even realize it. By owning a Poken and simply touching mine, you could instantly know all that information and have it updated in a cloud by me each time I updated my own information. The cloud helps your records up-to-date so you do not have to do the manual work yourself.

The attraction here is not so much the funny-face plastic flash drive, but the Poken cloud. Watch the video at Pokenize.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

You keep referring to the Poken's transmission as RFID and I have told you repeatedly it is not your standard RFID signal. It's a unique proprietary signal. But, even if it was standard RFID, you should know by now that you never put the device up to your head like you would to a cell phone on a regular basis. So, even if there are some kind of radio waves radiating from the device, it is not going to have the impact on your brain a cell phone would have.

Plaxo and Facebook do you connect you up with 30+ other networks. But, the Polken cloud does just that. More importantly, it keeps your data up-to-date so you do not have to manually do the work. Do Plaxo and Facebook provide such a service? Of course not.

When you think about owning a Poken, I am going to recommend you pass over the regular Poken and go for the Poken Pulse. I don't think the funny-face Poken would suit your personality. However, a Poken Pulse would fit right in with your tech-savvy persona.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

What is quantacs? Is this an RFID app which includes cloud computing in some fashion? Is it designed to compete with the Poken audience BEFORE it reaches the tipping point?

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

You can go out there and re-invent the wheel. But, why go to all that trouble when it is already available?

The Poken and its amazing cloud is already available. Why not check it out and see if there is an app vacancy you can fill? You don't even have to buy it. Just see if you can borrow it from one of your astute friends. That way you can do your due diligence and see if what I have been telling you in this long thread is actually true.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Scott,

How do you put your Microsoft Outlook contacts in a "cloud" where other people who are your contacts can keep their contact information updated for you? Therefore, there is no manual effort for maintenance required on your part other than updating your own personal data. Who do you know has a system in place to do that? I only know of one - Poken.

Now, if you know of someone else who does it - and does it better than Poken - tells us all about it. If not, here's your assignment - get yourself a Poken and play with it. You just might discover a wonderful opportunity to become a third-party developer for this Swiss Company. You have the talent. Why not "ride the wave" before it hits the American shore?

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

Yes, Plaxo, LinkedIn, Zimbla and many others all have "clouds." And, that's a good thing. The problem is those none of those clouds are connected. What Poken has done is connected the folks in all those networks in their cloud.

If I were to Poken with you, I would likely have more than your immediate contact information. I would also know the 30+ networks you were connected to and be connected with you there. That is awesome knowledge to have. And, I could easily have it just by touching your Poken to mine. I would not have to transcribe or scan any of it. That information would be readily available to me in my Poken cloud. The only way for me to not have it once you Pokened with me would be for you to make special arrangements (which you could easily do at the touch of a button) for me NOT to have it.

I predict by this time next year you will have likely met a lot of Poken people and personally witnessed a carrotmob.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

I think you are missing the point here about Pokens. It's not all about YOU...and what YOU want. It is also about what the OTHER FOLKS want. If you don't want to Poken with someone else, by all means don't do it. However, folks who have Pokens are obviously going to want to Poken with other folks who have Pokens. That's why they touch those Poken hands. If Person A is on 30+ networks and he wants to share that information with Person B, all they have to do is touch Pokens. The transfer of all that information is done instantaneously. Put the USB flash drive into the computer's USB port and upload the information into the Poken cloud. That's it. All information is secure, organized and you did not have to type in anything.

Honestly Scott, you are one of the few people I have come across who thinks Twitter is a fad that will soon die out. I doubt that will ever happen for no other reason that there are so many third-party developers associated with it. I think Twitter is here to stay. I think you will see an increase in the popularity of Pokens in the coming year. After all, Pokens represent a form of wireless power. And, wireless power is the way the world seems to be traveling. I predict you will see more and more of it.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

I confess I have not gotten the word out that well about Pokens. So, perhaps I am to blame about Pokens not being used here in my community. I have been talking about Ryze here for nearly FIVE YEARS, had a Ryze network gifted to the community by Althea Garner, and still you could likely count the number of residents actively using Ryze on one hand. To say my community out here in Northern California is NOT very tech savvy is a gross understatement. The problem here is not Pokens, in particular. It's technology in general.

However, you're in a very different environment there in New York City. You live where Foursquare and most of the nation's broadcasting media are headquartered. If anyone in America is going to witness a groundswell of activity with regard to Poken use, I believe it is going to be folks living in New York City.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow