Category Archives: Awesomeness

New Skout Release – Push to Talk!

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Sometimes in today’s world of texting, emailing and chatting I find myself missing the sound of someone’s voice. There are just certain things that get lost when you type them. You know like sarcasm, and irony, or just pure happiness. Sure you can put it in italics or add a lot of exclamation points but it’s not the same as hearing the tone and inflection of a person’s voice.

Here at Skout we thought you might feel the same way, somethings are just better spoken. So today we are super excited to announce our newest feature Push to Talk!

When you’re in a chat with someone and only voice will do, click on the microphone at the bottom right…

Then, just hold your finger on the Hold to Talk button and record away, 10 seconds, 20 seconds up to 30 seconds. Leave a message for someone you’ve been chatting with. When you’re finished and want to go back to typing just click the keyboard and you’re set!

Upgrade Skout today in the Google Play and iTunes stores!

The Shake Continues at Skout

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Are you curious about what goes on in the Skout offices? Do you often find yourself wondering – how in the world do they dream up all the cool features the Skout App has? Well we have it on good authority that a little friendly rivalry goes a long way to stoking the creative juices, which is why we have our very own Harlem Shake Off happening right now.

Skout Chile threw down the gauntlet on Valentine’s Day with their video.

Not to be out done, Skout HQ rallied to the challenge and this week filmed a response.

Harlem Shake – Skout HQ from Rachel Tan | Reel Street Love on Vimeo.

Now comes the fun part (well, actually filming the video was pretty fun-we admit it) we have to decide which office shakes it better and that’s where you come in! It’s up to you to decide which Skout office is the Harlem Shake Champions. Leave a comment here, or chat to SkoutWingGirl in the Skout App and tell us A (for Chile) or B (for HQ).

The Day After – Valentine’s Day at Skout

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Wondering what Skout did to celebrate Valentine’s Day yesterday? Well wonder no more because we are going to let you peek in at the inner workings, (or not working) of Skout.

So here at Skout HQ we spent the day spreading the love. Not many people know the legend of the Valentine’s Day heart who each year chooses an office to spread love through. This year Skout HQ was the lucky recipient of the heart’s love and roses!

While in the Chile office…well, we’ll just let you see how they spent Valentine’s Day.

Game on Chile.

Skout Appoints VP of Trust, Safety & Community

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Skout recently named community safety expert Karen Barker vice president of trust, safety and community.

 

“As Skout’s community safety leader, Karen will ensure that trust and safety is built into everything we do,” said CEO and founder Christian Wiklund.

Barker will direct a global team of community managers, lead privacy and safety policy initiatives, collaborate with product, engineering and design teams, and oversee the enforcement of trust and safety policies.

“Our community is highly engaged and active because we create fun, positive experiences and have zero tolerance for bad behavior,” said Wiklund. “Karen will help us strengthen this commitment and guide us as we continue to implement some of the most advanced safety policies and technologies in the industry.”

Offering two separate and distinct communities for teens and adults, Skout is committed to cultivating peace of mind as community members easily and safely make new friends and enjoy features like chatting, virtual gift-giving and photo sharing.

Skout deploys advanced, proprietary technology that continuously monitors activity on the network to identify users whose behavior appears unusual, inappropriate or suspicious.  Under its zero-tolerance policy, Skout immediately bans users for inappropriate or suspicious behavior.

 

Barker is a customer safety expert who has designed and managed community care, fraud and risk programs for companies including Sprint, The Walt Disney Company, Restoration Hardware, and eHarmony.

Starting in 1990 as vice president of operations for SuperShuttle International, Barker worked with transportation associations and public utilities commissions to develop programs for the safety of passengers and drivers. She was instrumental in testing onboard safety technology including the first GPS-based vehicle tracking and dispatching system.

In her new role, Barker will be instrumental in actualizing Skout’s mission of connecting people around the world through a platform that is fun, engaging and secure.

“The opportunity to work with a community as dynamic and thriving as Skout’s is tremendous.  I look forward to building on the strong systems, tools and processes that reflect Skout’s top commitment, which is the safety of its community,” said Barker. “The Skout team has set the safety bar high and we will continue to work diligently to implement the best tools, systems and educational methods.”

 

 

Survey Says: We’re Ready for Something NEW!

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Just like technology has changed the way we shop, travel, and date, it is rewriting the rules of friendship. And while tools like Facebook are helping us keep up with our current friends, a new survey by Harris Interactive, commissioned by Skout, shows that the majority of us are either currently pursuing or interested in pursuing NEW friendships.

But you knew that already, didn’t you? Millions of you use Skout to make new friends—whether you’re looking for a pub trivia partner, a hiking companion, or someone to commiserate with after Friday night’s dating disaster.

Well Skouters, you are not alone!

More than one-third of adults surveyed say they have met a good friend through mobile apps or social media, and a quarter say they have a good friend they have never met in person. Texts and mobile chatting are starting to replace phone calls as means for staying in touch with friends.

According to our survey, creating friendships through social networking is easier than making new friends through sports affiliations, owning a dog, or having a baby, and meeting online is only going to get more accepted. Almost half of those aged 18 through 34 think it’s easier to make friends online and via mobile social networks than in-person.

The survey also shows that 85 percent of Americans feel that men and women can truly be “just friends”. Inspired to add some NEW into your life? Get started by connecting with interesting people on Skout, and tell us about your new friend.

 

Shake to Chat in iOS update – 3.2

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Get the newest Skout update for iPhone, iPod, and iPad now!

NEW FEATURE:

Shake shake shake!  Get an instant conversation with Skout’s new Shake to Chat feature.

Download this newest version of Skout for iPhone, iPod, and iPad to get Shake to Chat and meet lots of new people!  Just tap Shake to Chat on the side menu and get shakin’!  Try not to get mesmerized by the pretty stars…………..OH, below is a screenshot of Shake to Chat!

Shake to Chat!

When you enter Shake to Chat and shake (not stir) your phone, you’ll be put into a conversation with another person who is shaking too.  Your profiles will be anonymous for the first 40 seconds – A chance to meet someone completely new!  Be a social butterfly or just pass the time by chatting with new people on Skout.

This is a drawing I did of you, being a social butterfly as you’re using Skout’s Shake to Chat.
Holy crap, look how happy you are! You’re even wearing a bow tie. Classy as…

WARNING: Always Shake with caution…We all remember when the Wii came out and there were game-related injuries! We recommend giving yourself a 3-foot safety radius when using Shake to Chat!  Skout is not legally responsible for any phones which “take flight” whilst being shaken.

Shake to Chat is available on Skout, BoyAhoy, and Flurv on iOS devices.

This release is also iPhone 5 and iOS 6 compatible, and as always, includes bug fixes and performance enhancements.  Onward and upward, no matter how big your screen!

 

Get the Brand New Skout!

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Skout has undergone a complete makeover! We have updated our appearance and added new features and functions.

Get in on these exciting changes!  Update Skout on your Android or iOS device now.

 

See the New Look
The Skout icon has changed from a heart to the Skout target to better represent Skout’s aim to make it fun and easy to meet new people and make friends. From our icon down to our toes, we’ve changed our appearance to be sleeker, smoother, and more intuitive.

 

Socialize
Skout is all about connecting and friendship, you can now add your friends from Facebook or contact list.  Show your social circle and Skout with your Friends.

 

Quickly Navigate Anywhere
Moving around the new Skout is super easy with swipe action – swipe to the left to access your chat inbox and swipe right to access the navigation menu.  You’ll be zipping around and chatting up a storm in no time!

Requested by You – Block List
You can now manage your own block list. Block and unblock users at your own choosing. On the left navigation menu (remember, swipe right to reveal it!), tap Settings, then Blocked Users to access your block list.

 

Comment and Share
A picture is worth a thousand words, so we’ve enhanced the photo viewing and commenting experience with pinch and zoom capability, a photo gallery, and smoother browsing.

 

Speaking Your Language
Skout now supports 13 languages, including French, Italian, Swedish, Thai, and Indonesian.

The Heat Is On!

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It’s June, and everywhere we look there are telltale signs that summer is steadily approaching. Skirts are getting shorter, and the lines at the ice-cream parlor are getting longer. Popular chain stores have bikinis and barbecue grills on the forefront of their displays, amusement parks are back in business, the gym is busy, and of course – it’s HOT.

 

Temperatures are rising, and so are people’s interests in outdoor activities. No one wants to stay cuddled up at home, they want to be out and about enjoying what the weather has to offer. It’s the season of social solstice. Time to join in on the fun, and perhaps try something new!

Instead of being cooped up in a movie theater, watch one at the park! Learn how to paddle, and test out your new skills at a beach party. Skip the treadmill, and run your favorite scenic trail. Put the cards down, stop being an Old Maid, and Go Fish at your nearest lake. Whatever you do, bring Skout with you to see who else is partaking in the fun in your area, or how people around the world are celebrating the sun.

It’s an exciting time of the year, and we’re excited to celebrate alongside you with amazing contests, more blog posts, and bigger and better ways to make new friends. This summer Skout’s bringing the heat, while still keeping you cool.

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