1. Qwitter- This is a great Twitter tool to use (and one that I personally adore). Signing up is free, and once you’re Twitter account is linked, Qwitter sends you an email notification when someone stops following you
2. TwitBlocker- This is a nifty little tool that helps you manage the tweets of those folks you follow who are a little “chatty” (to put it nicely). You don’t want to delete them from your Twitter list, but you also don’t want to be receiving updates from them every two seconds. TwitBlocker to the rescue.
3. My Tweeple-This tool allows you to check stats on the people who you follow and/or who follow you. You can review other peoples latest tweets as well as see the date of their last tweet (which may help you decide whether or not they are follow worthy).
4. Twitterholic (aka: Twitaholic)- As the name may suggest, this tool allows you to search the most popular Twitter users out there. You can also obtain stats about your own Twitter account.
5. Friend or Follow- A clever play on words, this tool allows you to find out who is not following you back on Twitter. You can also find out who you share friends with.
6. MrTweet- A great tool that helps you find relevant followers by offering up recommendations. You can also check stats on your account as well as see who else is out there that might be worth following.

Check out the screen shots for each below:

What is a Poken?

A Poken is a small USB device that allows you to store your social networking info and share it with other Poken users. Essentially, it is akin to having a social business card because it makes sharing your contact details and online social networking info incredibly easy (not to mention paper-free).

How do you Poken?

To activate your Poken, you have to pull apart the body and hand (yes, they look like little people) and pull out the plastic tab. If you see a flashing red light, then this means that your activated and read to go. When you meet up with your boss for lunch or with other business prospects, instead of handing them your business card, simply connect your Poken to theirs. You can choose what sort of information you would like to share with other people before hand. Remember, your poken card only shows whatever information you want to share with people.

Where Do I Get One?

Pokens can be purchased in packages or individually from official resellers found here. Pokens can come in sleek and sophisticated designs (for those of you who like to keep things super simple) or you can purchase them in one of the many characters that they are popular for. Most of them average between $20-$35 depending on the style that you get. To get an even better idea of what Poken is all about, check out the following video:

David Williams with his Poken

Tiny futuristic techno creatures, some with oversized eyes and cartoon-like disguises, have entered the US at strategic points.  They have been identified as Poken.  Their point of entry two years ago was Switzerland.  They transmit short range wireless code to accomplish their mission of interpersonal information gathering. They are reported to be proliferating in Europe, and now seem to be multiplying quickly in the U.S., having been observed in increasing numbers, especially at networking gatherings around the Triangle, NC area.

Success coach Martin Brossman says not to be afraid.  He advises: “This is the wave of the future.  It’s time to be prepared.  The Poken™ come in peace, bringing a new electronic form of networking communication.  I see a day in the not-too-distant future when everyone who wants to expedite and improve their human connections will own and carry a Poken™ on their keychain.”

For those who are eager to early-adoopt a Poken™, Brossman has been authorized to reveal the inner workings , as follows:

How information is transferred and stored via the Poken™

The Poken™ is a fun way to share your social media and contact information with someone you meet who also has a Poken™.  When two Poken are touched together, they give off a green glow which indicates the information has been successfully transferred.  Information can include your photo, all your social media sites, your websites, phone, address–whatever you want to add.

The Poken HUB is the website you use to maintain and keep all your contact data. Since it is web-based you can view and update it remotely. To see more about the HUB: http://www.poken.com/website

A Poken™ is essentially a dynamic electronic business card.  There are two different models.

* PokenSPARK™: Humorously designed little characters with a big hand, plus key chain hook.; they have no extra memory. Cost about $20.00 + shipping.  To see the SPARK: http://www.poken.com/spark
* PokenPULSE™:  Looks like a USB memory stick and had 2Gig of re-usable memory as well as the Poken™ electronics and storage for the Poken data. To see the PULSE: http://www.poken.com/pulse

Poken™ have the following benefits
* You don’t have to type in a person’s contact information or re-check scanned information like you do with business cards.
* If your contact changes their content information, their information is automatically updated on your Hub site.
* Your Hub storage includes the time / date when you met them on a timeline.
* Their photo is included.
* You can easily export the data to other electronic devices.

You can find Poken™ to order on-line, or it is available locally at events related to www.inside919.com and www.LinkingRaleighNC.com or contact the Martin Brossman to find out where to pickup one in the Raleigh NC area.

More information:
Martin Brossman  – Pro Networking On-Line: http://www.ProNetworkingOnLine.com (919) 847-4757