The Wonder of Tech: What's your business?
Here are three apps that help you get the information from those stacks of business cards into your phone.
Missing your Rolodex but don't want to look old school? Or perhaps your wallet need to go on a diet because there are so many business cards stuffed into it that you can't close it.
When you're handed a business card, you usually start tapping away on your phone or computer. Mistakes are made, and the artistry of the card is lost in translation. If you try to remember someone as "the guy with the logo that looks like a Lady Gaga outfit," you're lost.
The good news is that technology can help you transfer that information swiftly seamlessly -- and it can even be fun. Remember this the next time you're at a conference, convention or business meeting and end up with a fistful of cards.
WorldCard Mobile
Features include the ability to customize how information is saved so it integrates seamlessly with your contact lists; the language; the order in which names are displayed; and the locations where your contacts and images will be saved. You can also extract contact information from an email signature.
MobileCard provides a Card Holder section where the images of scanned business cards are stored. The cards are organized alphabetically and you can organize these images into groups if you have a lot of cards.
The developer provided me with the iPhone app to test. There also is an Android version. I tested it with an iPhone 4S.
The app guides you through each step and includes on-screen lines to help you align your card. After scanning, you can crop the image.
I scanned cards with complex designs, international contact information, dark backgrounds and low contrast text. Most of the information was converted with 100% accuracy. Occasionally, the app stumbled on a digit in a phone number, so carefully review the information before you dispose of the card. The app excelled at inserting the information in the proper category: contact name, work phone, email, etc.
This app is available in the iTunes App Store for $6.99 and in the Android Market for $5.99.
CardMunch
CardMunch takes a picture of the business card with your iPhone camera and sends the image to LinkedIn, which processes it and returns it to the app within a few minutes. CardMunch retains an image of the card on your phone and transfers the information to your contact list.
In addition to the business card information, it also retrieves the person's LinkedIn profile. You can use the app to connect with that person on LinkedIn and see any connections you have in common. CardMunch retrieves the person's profile picture from LinkedIn and stores it on the app, though it doesn't send it to the contact list.
CardMunch is free in the iTunes App Store. There isn't a version yet for Android phones.
Bump
The app is free in the iTunes App Store and the Android Market.
Note: If you happen to receive a $1,500 diamond business card from a contact, you may want to skip the apps and keep the business card in your wallet.
Carolyn Nicander Mohr is a Chester County resident and the creator of a website, the Wonder of Tech. Contact her at wonderoftech@gmail.com.