Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

swivelcard.info

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–58 of 58 posts

Re: SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

#51

Post by Joe_iP »

saroshk wrote: post #34

This idea would have been more intriguing 5-10 years ago when people were more used to plugging stuff in and out and cloud based services weren't so ubiquitous. It appears that they took a long time to develop the USB part and missed the boat on that. Even the card's NFC chip, which seems to have been an afterthought in development for this product, is a more compelling feature that its main selling point. I simply d…

saroshk, great points. However, I feel you don't understand our solution completely. First off, their is an inherent need for print-to-web solutions. This has been an obvious demand with technologies such as augmented reality, quick response codes and near field communication. This demand has been created mostly by marketers. The advancements in the algorithms that effect both Search Engine Optimization and Email is making marketing online a difficult thing.

This has created a push back over to direct marketing and self-promotion.

Our swivelCard platform isn't a solution for a USB drive. If that was the case, I'd agree completely with your comment. Our swivelCard platform is closing the gap on print-to-web compatibility issues. Globally only 1 in 5 people own a smart phone. Things like QR, NFC, AR, Evernote only provide a solution for a very small part of the problem. USB "PORTS" on the other hand are in abundance. This fact makes swivelCard the most universal solution for anyone looking to reach a large audience/demographic with a print-to-web solution.

I also wanted to touch on your point regarding "getting an email address". I agree, I doubt anyone would plug in a swivelCard to get someones email. To be honest, swivelCard makes an email address a moot point. I can take one swivelCard and assign it to you and give you direct access to my laptop via a screen share. Or I can take one swivelCard, attach it to a dropbox shared folder and share information with you that way. Yes, we could do that via an email, but I'm sure you and I both can agree in the world of sales (business) some people don't share their personal information (email).

You also mentioned "cloud based services". The idea behind cloud based platforms is to keep people connected to an experience. Almost all cloud based platforms can be shared through a simple URL. swivelCard lets you exploit this feature by simply copying and pasting that URL into any point of communication on the card. Meaning, I can take 200 swivelCards and attach them to 200 separate dropbox folders.

You are correct in regard to some of our existing customers like photographers and videographers. And they do use it to share their portfolios, but the more interesting use-case you haven't imagined. A photographer can actually use swivelCard as a cross-sell. Instead of including a CD with digital versions of client photos they can sell their personal business cards as a part of the photo packages.

When you stop thinking of swivelCard as a thumb drive and start thinking about what it really is, you'll understand it has limitless potential for sharing digital/cloud based solutions that are accessible by everyone.

Re: SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

#52

Post by Joe_iP »

jahewson wrote: post #45
kevin_iP wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apendleton- Kevin from intelliPaper here. SwivelCard has bee a very good fit for many of our customers. One use has been to focus conversations. Consider a situation where you manage a portfolio that is constantly changing, and you want to draw attention to aspects of it and personalize your pitch to a client. How cool would it be to have a face-to-face conversation focusing on real issues, and end with "I've made a…

But you can already do that with a USB stick? It's not like they're expensive.

jahewson, I can carry 50 swivelCard with me to a networking event. I'd need a bag to do the same with a USB. Even if I had the plastic credit card versions of the same.

Beyond carrying them around, my swivelCard has access to every discount offered by the USPS for bulkrate and EDDM campaigns.

Re: SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

#53

Post by Joe_iP »

apendleton wrote: post #18

There probably was some point at which technologists still exchanged physical business cards but wanted people to access their digital content, but I get the sense that the physical card is decidedly on the way out, in favor of people directly connecting on Twitter or Github. It seems like, at least in the tech sector, the period when this would have been useful is already over.

apendleton, interesting thought. I'm on the marketing and sales team for swivelCard. I wanted to share with you my experience in the field of technology. I previously worked for a technology solution company. Their solution is a 100% greenification to very LARGE events & trade shows. The platform offered every exhibitor to trade & distribute information digitally. My last event with them was 14 months ago. My number one take-away was, even with the most advanced technology available people still use business cards.

Beyond that, I attend an average of three networking meeting a month that typically have 100+ professionals in attendance all of which use business cards.

I'll agree with you partially, standard physical cards might be on the way out. However, I personally believe they will be replaced with a technology that carry a little more value.

Re: SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

#54

Post by jahewson »

Joe_iP wrote: post #52
jahewson wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you can already do that with a USB stick? It's not like they're expensive.

jahewson, I can carry 50 swivelCard with me to a networking event. I'd need a bag to do the same with a USB. Even if I had the plastic credit card versions of the same. Beyond carrying them around, my swivelCard has access to every discount offered by the USPS for bulkrate and EDDM campaigns.

> Consider a situation where you manage a portfolio that is constantly changing, and you want to draw attention to aspects of it and personalize your pitch to a client.

Handing out 50 cards at a networking event isn't a personalized pitch, you've not really backed up your argument. Not sure what USPS has to do with that discussion either, I hope you're not advocating sending these as junk mail, we have enough waste as it is, are they recyclable?

Re: SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

#56

Post by Someone »

dangrossman wrote: post #38
Someone wrote: post #12

"Are there privacy issues since the cards use analytics and tracking? No, swivelCard uses the same sort of analytics and tracking that you would encounter with virtually any website." I would replace that "No" by a "Yes". Also, educate me: does "virtually any website" do tracking?

> Also, educate me: does "virtually any website" do tracking? Yes. All web hosting comes with web stats as part of the standard service. Web servers come with logging enabled by default. To have a website with no tracking of its traffic, you'd have to build your own server/instance, and edit the web server software configuration to disable the logging. Third-party tracking like Google Analytics also has more than 50%…

I thought tracking wasn't logging ("we remember what you look at") per se, but "we remember where you are whenever you use our stuff", but I agree, the difference isn't that larg for desktop use, given that most web servers log IP addresses.

I also reread the web site, and couldn't find a privacy statement. I think there should be one, and hope the product will come with one.

Re: SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

#57

Post by cix »

Joe_iP wrote: post #50
cix wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't keeping that "sniffing" make the system fundamentally insecure. Considering someone could bring a NFC chip nearby your device that redirects to a url extension that pulls a malicious script?

Cix, it is possible, but keep in mind in order for the NFC to transmit you literally have to be on top of the device and positioned just right. NFC is the most secure and convenient way to transmit information without an application. A good example of NFC in real world point-of-sale applications is Mastercard/Visa Paypass solutions.

Alright well, good luck guys. Hacker news guys are going to rip you apart even if it's a good idea, the general public may find a greater use for this. That being said I would create a more approachable video for Kickstarter, like the ones used in "Solar Fricken' Roadways" and "Coin". Basically the video will sell it more than anything else.

Re: SwivelCard uses regular paper and has a USB drive embedded

#58

Post by bravo22 »

kevin_iP wrote: post #40
bravo22 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given that at the end of the day even their USB link is basically a unique code that goes to a website -- thus you can change the content whenever you want -- I don't see why this couldn't be done with a $0.05 NFC sticker and a QR code? Why the USB part?

bravo22, Kevin from intelliPaper here. GREAT point. (and if you have a link the 5 cent NFC tags, I'd love to see it...) "Why the USB part?" Because it is ubiquitous, and easy to use. While there are aspects of what SwivelCard offers that does do not rely on USB - Consider if an audience does not have a QR or NFC reader. Sure, you can print a unique URL on the artwork and encourage them to type it in... Conversations…

Here is one for NFC: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/nfc-tags-and-labels_60...
Post reply on HN