The word Poken is out there and the more i read about it, the more i felt something was wrong. But, that could be my first, apprehensive response. I do not intend to Poken bashing. I could be mistaken and missing out on a whole new hype. And so it seems, i was. But not Poken will emerge from the hype as the leader. They are just the ones starting it.
So what is it anyway?
I hope i don’t have to explain. But if you strip away all design and marketing it really is nothing more (or less) than a ‘wireless file transfer and storage device with added service’. You would say that it is something like a Nearby People Connector, but it is not. It will just swap files through a wireless technology (RF) and then the proces of connecting is done in the website itself. It is simple gadget with a service.
Is it new?
No. Seriously, it isn’t. Social networking tags for dogs (yes, dogs…) were first. That could tell you something. The Nabaztag wireless Rabbit made you friends. But, animals aside, there are wristbands for kids at beaches and themeparks for years too and you can even lose weight with a tag. And there is more that can make friends based on rfid tags…
And when you look at technology, it really is a cost-optimized RF/USB stick with a funny design.
So the Poken as a gadget is far from new and the service has some lookalikes too.
Gadget vs Service
So the main advantage from Poken and the sorts should come from it service. On a positive note, let’s say there is room for improvement and i bet they are fully aware of that and working on it.
It should easily connect you virtually to a person as you would in real life. That is not easy in every social network and not every network is open enough yet. But, we can imagine that will improve. Is this a unique service then? When it comes to connecting you to many networks there are lots of services out there like plaxo and friendfeed that can connect you to many other services and they are far more complete. So if this is a highly competitive field, we tend to take a look at the gadget again to see if we miss something very unique. We are not getting there yet, are we? Let’s turn in around then and see what we need.
What do we really want?
We want Ambient Social Networking. Could be defined as a ubiquitous always-on augmented reality in which we can connect anytime, anyplace, anyhow. In short: The Social network all around us. It is like love.
And of course we want more functions in it then exchanging id’s or business cards. Maybe we want to be introduced to new people based on information in our social networks, based on mutual friends maybe of more intelligent profiles. Induced introductions, these are called. Let us see a Poken do that.
A Poken is just the funny yet most simple, standalone piece of hard- and software in this field and will probably kickstart the competition. But who will win it?
Who en what else is there?
Many strange and many practical things are there. Social networking based on light: Sparks. Also from MIT, came Social Serendipity, a bluetooth-mobile-phone-social-network piece of software. And of course Japan has thought of this all 10 years ago: Lovegetty. Of course, we didn”t have social networks 10 years ago. And does anyone remember the hoax called Toothing?
And last but not least, i should definitely mention my fellow countrymen from startup E (hellomynameise.com). Although they are in the process of adding some more networks, there method is already far more integrated than the Poken.
What to expect then?
One can wonder why nobody else did what Poken did. I think there is good reason for that. It is really not necessary. What do we need? A device we always bring with us, a wireless near-field protocol and a social networks intermediary.
Poken chose the ´keycord approach´. so now we need to bring an extra device with us. For as long as it is cool, we will. We could opt for a watch of course, but that is too fashion sensitive i think.
Of course it is the mobile phone. We all know it and they know it. It has everything we need. We just need to wait while the good people at plaxo, linkedin or facebook or preferably any independent social intermediary provide us with a java/iphone app with bluetooth/rf/wifi scanning and we are good to go. We only need a good intermediary service for exchanging all types of social networks. And that is maybe where Poken can win.
Can Poken take and keep the lead
This little document published by the company who actually facilitated the development of the Poken, mentions something the Poken sites doesn’t: “Open-API-based Poken technology will become the standard for connecting people in the real world and enhancing their interactions online.”. The only reference for this on their website is in the career section: API development as part of a required skill set.
I can imagine that this is there true direction. They know of course that the Poken will go out of use faster than soccer/football cards, Tazo’s (from Mexico, called flippo’s in dutch), key cords and the likes. That is why they charge money for it now. And they are smart to do so. The next ones, i expect, will be paid for by large consumer oriented companies and will be free for you and me. Then the market will be flooded with copies. That is when a solid and free open api comes in handy and they will live for another year or so, as long as they are able to service all this connection building.
After the dust clears, the current big media players will come in play and create a more steady model. And remember, as we read earlier, it is not only about connecting it is about matching too (induced connections). It feels this whole process could only take just months instead of years. And that is a good thing.
The Rise and Fall
Poken can be succesful, at least for while, as long as they get a position as a social network intermediary. The gadget will not contribute much in the long term. So, the smart people at Poken aim at making money from a short-lived but massive distribution of a cheap produced gadget. But as an admirer of bleeding edge technology, that just doesn’t spark my real interest.
What next then?
When Poken and the likes leave the stage, i hope to see some things emerge that are truly inspiring.
I had some thoughts on a what i jokingly called a Reaper (in a non-sinistre way). A service on your mobile that is continuously scanning for kindred souls…er…i mean contacts in your immediate area. Dog-eat-dog: it is reap or being reaped. Reaped contacts will be something like a 2nd degree contact. You know the face, but not the person. But you can easily get in touch, because you shared the same event: “Sorry we didn’t have the chance to really talk, but…”. Of course it would nice to notice that someone you would like to talk to is actually in the room now. But i also think is it is nice that you build a history of whom you met where when. Your 1st ànd 2nd degree contacts. We could name it Harvester too, but that seems to much to focus on money making in some way.
And maybe we have more options with facial recognition. Would all these devices or wireless tech be needed if we could scan each other. And of course it should be done in a sweep, taking a picture takes too long. Ok, to do this instantly is maybe years away, so maybe we should start using QR codes first to scan with our mobile cam. Or even now we can use service like MyFaceId, Picasa or even Viewdle to check who was who at party photo’s. You wouldn’t need a device at all if you ’stay in the picture’.
Jokes aside, scanning, visibly or unvisibly, will be a nice way to go.
Am i wrong?
Will Poken be the next wave after social networking as a social intermediary? I conclude the gadget will be shortlived, but if they built a good social intermediary API fast, they can gain a position in Ambient Social Networking. But i believe they will be overrun by other players. The main role will be played by the mobile phone.
Let me know in the comments what you think.
