Some 10 billion business cards are printed in the U.S. every year, and yet 88% of them are discarded one week after they're handed to a business contact, according to StatisticBrain. In response, developers have released apps, like Bump, that enable users to exchange information more seamlessly by tapping their phones. Still others have sought to make traditional business cards more effective by making them more engaging, emblazoning them with QR codes and embedding them with NFC chips to achieve a number of effects, such as smartphone-activated augmented reality displays.
One of the latest additions to the novelty category is CallingCube, a 3D business card that comes in the shape of a six-sided die. The hollow cube is just shy of 1" x 1" x 1", and five of the six sides can be inscribed with text and/or simple graphics in a variety of basic colors. The cards are made using 3D Systems' ZPrinter 650, a spokesperson for Ohio-based CallingCube tells us, and cost $299 for a set of 80. The company is planning to introduce additional forms, including the house-shaped one below, in the coming months:
The CallingCube cards are sure conversation starters, but there's no guarantee, of course, that they won't be discarded as quickly as traditional business cards. There's also the difficulty of transporting them. Beyond a messenger bag or purse, CallingCard suggests keeping a few in a front pant pocket, or in the interior pocket of a sports coat.
Is this something you would consider using to share your contact information at a networking event? Would you be more likely to hold on to one if it was handed to you in lieu of a traditional business card?
[via VentureBeat]