If you’ve been following the BlogHer buzz on Twitter you may have noticed several people mentioning their Pokens. I had never heard of the things before a couple of weeks ago, and in spite of the suggestive name it seems Pokens are actually a cute little alternative to the traditional paper-based business card. And they look something like this:
No, the Poken is not a miniscule tribute to Michael Jackson. The white hand is actually a very small USB drive on which is stored information about you and your social networks. So say you’re at a big geek conference like BlogHer, SXSW or ComiCon and you spot someone with a Poken dangling from their lanyard. All you need to do is approach with your Poken, give a Vulcan salute and have your Polken high-five the other Poken. Okay, the Vulcan salute is optional, but the point is once the two little Poken hands touch, your contact information is transferred to the other person’s Poken and vice versa.
While the Pokens are adorable, they do have their limitations. They will only hold a maximum of 64 contacts, which means you will have to regularly offload those contacts to the Poken website if you find yourself in a venue with many other Poken-toters. The other drawback is the price. These things are selling for upwards of $20 a pop (though you can get discounts on multiples), and if you’ve ordered one and received it and opened it you may have thought, as I did, that the price seems a little steep for something that looks like it may have been purchased from the gumball machine at Denny’s
Nevertheless, I’m going to reserve my final judgment on the Poken until after BlogHer. Speaking of BlogHer, if you are going and would like to get your hands on a Poken, I actually have one Ninja Poken and one Geisha Poken to give away. But you HAVE to be going to BlogHer so I can meet you face-to-face and place the Poken in your hot little hand.
To enter your chance to win, simply leave a comment telling me when you’re arriving in Chicago, how you’re getting there (bus, train, car) and who you can’t wait to meet at the conference. Me? I can’t wait to meet my bestest blogging buddy Meg. I’ve known her for three years and have yet to actually give her a hug.
So there you have it. Feel free to submit your entry, but please only comment once. The winners will be picked by random number generator Tuesday evening the 21st around 9-ish EST. I’ll announce the winners here on Wednesday, after which we can make arrangements to hook up at the big event.
And if you have a Poken preference (Ninja vs. Geisha) you’ll just have to be the first one to get to me at BlogHer. I’ll be arriving Thursday afternoon via automobile.
{ 6 comments }
I’ve wanted a Poken since first seeing them, but don’t have the $20+ to spare to buy one!
There are so many people I can’t wait to meet at BlogHer, but really, the one I want to meet the most is the Queen of Spain (http://www.queenofspainblog.com) because she’s the one who gave me my ticket! Without her, I wouldn’t be going at all!
.-= Gwynne´s last blog ..BlogHer and miracles and what the heck am I supposed to take with me… =-.
I just learned about them last night, and I think it is too late to purchase. I’d love to get one there.
I’m looking forward to meeting you, and seeing Christina (@amommystory) again, and meeting the Rookie Moms too.
I’m flying in Thursday late, then no clue how I will get to the hotel and back to the airport. I was thinking limo if I can get someone to share.
.-= Amelia Sprout´s last blog ..Because nothing says panic like a handbag. =-.
Am I ineligible since I’m going by car…YOUR car?
I can’t wait to meet Meg either! We’ll be the Fantastic Trio! Or the Nerdy Girls! Or maybe the boring people in a corner. Whatever. I just hope we’re all dressed.
Amy
.-= Amy @ Thoughts of THAT Mom´s last blog ..Men Receive 23 Quadrillion Dollar Surprise! =-.
Hm. Poken sounds interesting. I would love to try it. I’m arriving via car to Melisa’s house on Thursday, and we’re taking the train in to hang out until our sleepover back at Melisa’s that night. Who I most look forward to meeting, huh? I guess that would be MomoFali-she cracks me up! There are so many more who I wish were going, but I guess that’ll have to wait.
I need to know; what is sad about coming home to a clean house?! Oh…are you talking about the guilt thing? Will your hubs show you how “easy” it is to play with a kid and keep the house clean for three days?
.-= Mrs4444´s last blog ..Friday Fragments =-.
All this time, I thought Poken was some kind of application for the iPhone or iTouch, but that’s something different.
ANYWAY! I will be arriving at BlogHer on Friday morning, with my friend Kathy, via train. I live in Skokie, so it’s a short commute. Kathy is flying in from Pennsylvania and staying near me.
I suppose I am most looking forward to meeting Maggie Dammit at Okay. Fine. Dammit. And you of course!
Can’t wait!!!
.-= JD at I Do Things´s last blog ..I Met My Creepy Neighbor so you don’t have to =-.
I’ve been a little skeptical about the whole Poken thing, but I’d be willing to give it a try if I won one!
And I can’t wait to hug you, too! I’m so, so excited!
.-= Meg´s last blog ..The Bag =-.
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