What happened to the last few business cards you wanted to keep? Can you put your hands on these right now?

Fast forward yourself six months. Can you still instantly access details you’re looking for? If you’re anything like me, you’re likely to be rifling through your rolodex, organizer, or a stack of business cards in your bottom drawer, trying to remember the details of that interesting guy you met a few months back.

I’m really buzzing about an invention I’ve just found out about that’s had me thinking a lot about such mundane matters. I’ve also been pondering about technology and how it can shape society, rather than the other way around.

So why the deep and somewhat abstract thoughts? Bottom line is that this invention could have the potential to change the way people interact. And that’s pretty big stuff!

We’re not necessarily talking world domination overnight, but the potential could quite easily be there. Once this technology has some critical mass, many people are likely to start doing some old things in a brand new way. We’ve already seen how this can happen with the rise and rise of social networking.

And being in on at the start of something that has the potential to change people’s actual behavior patterns is very exciting.

Here’s why I’m thinking this just might be the next big thing in business technology, and also create some social behavior changes as well.

What if you could just press a button to get someone’s contact details – and they simply did the same to get yours?

Well, now there’s a cool little tool that does just that! And it’s making swapping business cards look positively antiquated in our wired world.

It’s a revolutionary device that’s been named the MingleStick, and it’s making a lot of people sit up and take notice.
 
It really is “Beam me up, Scotty” type of stuff.  For example, when you use this technology, there’s no more constantly hunting around for business cards. No fumbling around for a pen and piece of paper to write down someone’s details, or lugging a stack of cards around with you.  And no more time-consuming transferring of peoples’ card details into your database system.

Think “electronic business card” with benefits! A small keychain device that enables you to swap identity info with others with a simple click of a button, this could have the potential to supersede the business card.
There’s no software to download, and you don’t have to learn anything. (An added bonus if you’re a bit of a technophobe!)

Here’s what it looks like:



And here’s how it works!

Let’s say you and I point our MingleSticks at each other, and press the single button. (It has only one button for you to press, so you can’t mess it up!)

In this instant of “mingling”, we collect each other’s contact details, including:

•    Name
•    Photo (great to have as a memory aid to your conversation with me)
•    Mailing address
•    Email address
•    Landline number
•    Cell number
•    Social networking viewing profile details, for popular sites such as
-    Facebook
-    Twitter
-    LinkedIn
-    MySpace

All with one little press of a button.

Once the red flashing light on your MingleStick turns green, you’ve completed a successful connection. Both people don’t have to press their buttons at the same time. If I press my button, and then you press your button a second later, a connection is still made.

Here’s what a connection looks like:



A USB device that gets plugged into a laptop, the Minglestick uses infrared technology to communicate with other devices.
You simply upload the info to your computer for later download. (And if you decide you’d rather not provide all your details to a contact you’ve met, this is easily changed as well.)

The good news here is that you’re not having to scan cards into Outlook or other programs, which can save you a heap of admin time if you need to retain a number of contacts. This device can store up to 500 different contacts at one time, so you can easily carry a whole heap of electronic “business cards” around with you on something that fits on to your keying. (You can also wear it attached to a lanyard around your neck.)

Not having to dish out expensive business cards, or collect them, also helps save you money. (Not to mention all the trees that no longer have to be cut down for everybody’s business cards!)

I can see why networkers from many different walks of life are now embracing this easy to use product in huge numbers. For just twenty bucks a MingleStick, this is both a useful and different tool that helps make connections easily - both in terms of technology, and as a conversation starter.

Best of all for affiliate marketers, this new and unique product also has an affiliate program that’s only just been launched. And right now, that means very little competition.

For this program, you don’t need a website - you simply refer people to MingleStick, or the phone number provided. Lifetime cookies and phone promo codes mean easy tracking of any sales you provide.

The company website already has a Page Rank of 5, which suggests some serious interest is already being generated in what this new technology has to offer.  That’s no small feat for the site of a relatively new concept to market. It’s easy to see there are large numbers of people who are finding this new invention a real advantage.

In fact, the MingleStick technology can become a great time-saver for anyone who’s into, or associated with:

Social Networking: The MingleStick interfaces with Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other popular social networking websites. A fun, easy and social way to connect for those who spend time online.

Conferences: Who do you know who holds large gatherings or annual meetings? Think of some events where employees and industry suppliers meet together. The MingleStick is a great networking tool for all conference or seminar, or workshop attendees. As an affiliate, you’ve got the opportunity to sell hundreds - if not thousands - of MingleSticks in a single sale.

Trade Shows and Conventions: The MingleStick is a superb conversation starter on the trade show floor. It’s also a powerful networking tool when distributed to many attendees, who are often there solely to make contacts. Forget business cards here! Instead, people “click to connect” using their MingleSticks. MingleSticks can be sold to event organizers, exhibitors, attendees, and sponsors. This is a great target market for affiliates, because significant revenue can be made. For example, if the event organizer purchases 1,000 MingleSticks for their upcoming event, you as an affiliate will earn 10% commission on the sale of 1,000 sticks.

The MingleStick can also be customized with a company logo and colors. This means that companies wanting greater marketing exposure at events can distribute branded MingleSticks to put in the hands of thousands of people.

Colleges: Students are some of the best early adopters of new technologies. And the MingleStick is a really handy tool that creates lots of buzz on a college campus! Students can meet a new friend in a class, or out on a Friday night. They can click with their MingleStick, and then view the new connection on Facebook or other favorite networking sites.

Nightclubs and Bars: In the hospitality industry, it’s important to create a point of difference. Here’s a unique way owners can differentiate themselves from their competition! They can create a new buzz on their Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with MingleSticks at their events.

Social, Dating, and Business Events: The MingleStick is a wonderful conversation starter for you, friends and colleagues. Whether it’s a social event or business meeting, the MingleStick is an easy way to meet lots of new people. Business cards can be awkward and cumbersome, but with MingleStick, you simply both “click to connect.”

The great thing about MingleStick is that you don’t have to return home after an event with a stack of business cards that need to be scanned or typed into Outlook! Which is great news, considering that after attending a decent-sized event with a MingleStick, you could easily return home with 200+ mingle connections.

After the event you’ve attended, you return home and plug the MingleStick into your computer. Assuming your MingleStick is registered to your online account, you simply login to view the mingle connections you have made on the company’s MingleManager website and social networking sites.

This means that along with contact details, you’re able to also view a person’s favorite social networking website(s) and contact information on MingleManager. Each person’s profile information is displayed online like a digital business card. Profile pics are also displayed with each contact, which is a powerful memory jogger of your conversation. Now you’re all set to start social networking on Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter!

You can see why this product works particularly well for both event attendees and event organizers. The value of a just one event can be extended online for weeks and months to come. An event organizer can build an entire online community around their offline events, and enjoy viral marketing benefits.

Networking becomes easier, as the MingleStick itself is a conversation starter or ice-breaker. In fact, it helps create a social environment for business professionals. You can check out some of the latest events that provided MingleSticks for their attendees, and hear these new users’ reactions here .

From where I sit, I can see that the MingleStick has some similarities to the cell phone when it came out in the '80s. While the cell was originally designed and used as simply a business tool, it wasn’t long before ease of use and convenience soon captured other markets as well.

Currently, the MingleStick too has first been embraced by mainly business circles. However, it can also be useful in other situations where networking is essential, like family events, social gatherings, speed dating sessions, and charity events. Social networking is an ever increasing phenomenon, and is a large part of rapid cultural change.

For these reasons, I would not be surprised if this technology will also cross markets the same way as the cell phone did.

You can see that MingleStick is a simple yet powerful networking tool that takes a person’s real world connections and extends them online. I think this product has a long way to go in terms of market potential, and it could be a VERY interesting ride.

Here’s a summary of what the affiliate program offers:

MingleStick Affiliate Program Benefits At A Glance:

•    10% commissions for all products and programs
•    Unlimited cookie life
•    Affiliate phone order tracking
•    High conversions
•    Free to join
•    Real-time commissions
•    Paid monthly via company check or PayPal
•    Real-time statistical reporting
•    Unlimited affiliate support
•    Large target market

One of the things that impresses me about this program is the high level of assistance the company offers its affiliates. 

In fact, it’s one of the first programs I’ve seen that even offers to help write professional content for affiliates! You ask for assistance, and they’ll also suggest which ads to use or help you build your own personal ads that are customized just for your website.

This is certainly a company that understands the importance of good site content, and also helping those who build their product’s brand.

You can find out more about MingleStick and its affiliate program by clicking here .

Watch out for an upcoming video of the MingleStick from meet-click-connect action through to download!

In the meantime - let’s get out there and “Mingle”!