This afternoon at DEMO 09, mobile dating / location-based social network Skout will debut a product aimed to complement its web services by bringing the concept of online dating offline, straight to thousands of bars and clubs across America.
The project was dubbed Skout OUT and essentially wants to blurs the line between online dating in the virtual and the real world by installing an interactive touch screen at 10,000 social venues (clubs, bars, etc.) all over the U.S. – starting Q2 2009 – that should help singles connect with other singles around them.
This comes right off the heels of Skout’s introduction of an iPhone application that was billed as one of the devices’ first location-based dating services.
Skout OUT will bring the startup’s LBS services to 42″ touch-screen plasma displays so people can virtually flirt with and send messages, gifts and dedicated songs to singles in their immediate vicinity that they take an interest in (including nearby venues).
I’m left wondering whatever happened to walking up to someone and offer them a drink.
Anyway, the startup will be presenting at the DEMO conference at 2:30 PM, but we got our hands on a video that shows the works:
So how exactly is this going to work? We’ll have enormous screens which enable everyone and their dog present to see who you are flirting with?
Don’t get me wrong – I think it’s a great idea for iPhones, but I’m not certain that people would be comfortable announcing their online dating interests for everyone present to see.
I Agree.
Agreed. Plus, I’ve had experience with retail – easy to penetrate, hard to scale. When they learn the ropes, the retail part deadpools.
There are somethings better to be done in the real world!!
And I suppose this ‘real world’ is an existence defined by the parameters of your singular and tiny cubicle?
Please realize that your definition of ‘real world’ is entirely unrelated to the content of this article.
um, I think he meant: “Get your ass off the couch and meet women in the real world. Parties, bars, whatever.”
In any case, I dont see this scaling. Unless this technology hits critical mass and “everyone’s using it”, I foresee resistance to adoption. People don’t want to make their personal lives public.
kunal,
Bars are exactly where this will be most useful.
Unmmmmm, have you heard of Facebook?
Skout rocks! I’ll have to start using it when I’m the US
There’s a company here in New York (i think it’s called Cupid’s Love or Cupid’s Lab) that does something similar, but their technology is a lot simpler and has a lot less overhead then creating touch screen devices to be installed at bars.
They seem to be working with a few different venues, but they have an interactive application that lets people flirt and connect with one another on their mobile phones.
Phone and location based social nets are really interesting. Another company (Four Squares) seems really promising. They are demoing tonight in NY and getting ready for SXSW.
The touch screens aren’t really needed, but they’re a good advert for the Skout network and getting critical mass is what it’s all about.
i thought the reason why we visit bars is to meet people. who the f@ck wants to look into touchscreen crap when there are drunk chicks all over the place? i think porn on those 42″ would work out better, instead of paying $2.99 for a ringtone, get 10 minute porn clip.
3G Video Dating lets you do this all already…
Just get a touch screen 3G Video Phone (like the new LG Arena or the Nokia 5500) and you can do all this AND 3G Video Call other members using just your phone and from anywhere.
It also avoids the need to go to that retail place where everyone can shoulder surf and see your email address and the flirty messages you are sending.
This is an interesting concept. It seems like a way to erase stereotypes associated with online dating and also a way to blur the line between technology and real life. I don’t know if I can see it taking off, but the theory behind it is intriguing.
Guys we can all be narrow minded at times but the comments here scale from the sublime to the ridiculous. Retail deadpooling I am guessing that is an assumption. I come from the dating world and am an Exec in Whitelabeldating who are currently undergoing a growth of 800% in the last 6 months. Financially dating online is not suffering from the credit crunch as it saves you the time and money taking someone out you may be incompatible with. What the guys at Skout have managed to do and done very well is take us to the next step, not only that, with the location engine they have it has more uses than I care to name. As for the comment about flirting for all and sundry to see, am I missing the point here but don’t we do that already, Skout have just increased the distance that we can flirt from. Well done Skout and we will definitely be in touch!
This looks to be a little bit ahead of its time.
Nevertheless, it will solve one problem – know the girl is likely to be available if she’s tapping on one of these chick magnet screens.
Now if only people learned how to take good photos for their online profiles…
Location based internet dating is a bad idea, most women are nervous to meet that guy they have been talking with for a few weeks on a more traditional dating site. An application or site like this that informs the users where you are is not going to get the vote of many already nervous ladies.
Also, if I am already at a bar, tell me why I want to use a jumbotron to find people in the area??
Think bigger – you can only be at ONE bar at a time but now you have the opportunity to flirt with other singles in other bars close to you as well! I like it!
Oh, well then, there’s a motivation for me, the bar owner to stick this thing in my bar. It’ll get people to go to other bars?
Are you thinking straight?
Who wouldn’t want to have a giant photo of themselves displayed in bars that says “hey look at me I’m desperate”.
I think they’ll probably lose out on the “married man looking to cheat on his wife” demographic. But on the upside it could prove to be a useful tool for sexual predators and stalkers.
The current demographic for dating online is 28-44 females and 24-53 for men. we are not talking a schoolyard mentality here, most people dating online put up a profile picture. They post it on the internet where it can be seen by anyone. Most profiles have a location too. All that is happening is that the app these guys are using is extending an already growing shop window. Locating it in a place of safety and encouraging you to date in a public place. Now how many people do you know who go internet dating in a public place with friends. Effectively this method is safer, quicker and in the right environment.
seem good on paper and you know the rest
this is god awful. We can’t have REAL interaction with REAL people any more, we have to use a giant computer screen when we go to a bar to flirt? The world is becoming too unreal.
This is a catalyst to real interaction it will promote it surely ?
OK, this is a joke, right?
Did anyone see their DEMO? Were they drunk?
For a moment, forget about the complete unrealistic nature of a 10,000 screen digital signage network at the cost of $4K each (oh, plus install and maintenance and internet and electric and oh yeah, the revenue model?).
Oh wait, I cant’ forget about that.
As a member of the digital signage industry, I can tell you that Skout’s plans of deploying interactive touchscreens in thousands of bars across the country is very short-sighted. The capital required is very large and the logistics of managing such a network is extensive, to say the least. But, that really is just a small part of the problem.
Building a network of that size across independent bars, nightclubs, and restaurants is an enormous undertaking. Skout’s plans are just another pie-in-the-sky approach to the digital out-of-home media marketplace. The Company is better off partnering with an existing out-of-home network like ECast or TouchTunes with existing interactive screens in bars and nightclubs.
My recommendation is that the Company focus on its core competencies – building out is mobile social network – and leave the digital signage piece to a well-entrenched partner in the industry. They should look toward the aforementioned network owners, as well as SeeSaw Networks, a digital signage network aggregator with access to over 25,000 locations.
Dave, I think you have looked a little too deep into it! Skout are not deploying the signage or buying it. The screens are already there. Owned by ecast. They are focusing on their core competencies too to enhance and build there app and web presence. Its the interactive app that they are using from their social dating network that is being demo’d on the ecast sign. So in response to your blog they are in actual fact doing what you have suggested!
Actually, ecast does NOT own the screens – they are owned by vending companies. Ecast pumps content out to the screens for a revenue share but the vending companies can toggle on or off features/advertising. The vast majority of the screens currently out there (99.99%) would not be able to offer this application, regardless. That’s because they are 15″ touchscreens, not 42″ as rendered in the photograph. Further, ecast is 4 letter word in the valley, having burned through over $100m in VC money throwing shit up on a wall and hoping it sticks. As someone pointed out above, they bought the market giving away hardware over the years (10k x $4k and then some!). They would have to do it again (or Skout would) with these new screens. And yes, perhaps some of the hip bars in SF, NY, LA, Chicago, etc might be interested, but what about the meat of the market: dive bars in working class towns? I don’t think so. And then who is going to service these units? The existing vending companies? Not unless they are cut in on the action in a big way and there is revenue there TODAY – ie. not some future percentage of ad dollars. Good luck with this steaming pile of dog shit, though…
Peter that was a little off topic don’t you think? We were talking about Skout not ecast!
Gus: Not off topic at all. Skout is using ecast’s platform.
Check out the photo from ecast website:
http://www.ecastcentral.com/
those girls and the hardware look pretty familiar, no?
I think it’s very relevant…and if you were skout’s investors you might want to call ecast’s investors and ask them about their wonderful experience building a network in bars.
OMG, these total ass-clowns stole the photo, photoshopped it and then pawned it as their own?
DUMBASSES.
And, BTW, they have NO investors (other than bootstrapping) and with insights and goals as they’re describing, they won’t get any.
FAIL.
Mmm someone not using their own name and using appalling language with an insight into Skout funding. Who goes to those lengths? A competitor methinks! For the simple reason anyone involved in the process of startup would be a little more professional than to slander another startup …its etiquette!
Dear Fred,
A few things, we do have funding (Demo cost as does mobile development of a year and a half). The photo was photo shopped, but you can see us at the Demo’ing the actual product. (soon on 10,200 screens)
Sad thing is, I am pretty sure I know who you are. I remember actually reaching out to you a few times to find ways we could partner and win in this vast fertile space. It’s a shame that in these tough times startups like ours can’t reach out to help lift each other up and learn together in honest coopetition. (we are both still learning aren’t we?)
I’ll give it to you…I can be about 30% dumbass..no seriously I’ve seen it. However As far as the impugning of the rest of the team… I’d invite you to look at them more closely (sourceforge, VMware, Sun), or peek at our very active advisory board (founder of match, cso amazon, IDG). You would be hard pressed to find dumbasses there. I am sorry that the startup life has made your passion seem like seething petty bitterness.
As all Startups now is the time for us at Skout to either make it happen, or make our way toward the little dip which we call the Deadpool. It is the way of life we proudly chose when we insanely made our way towards the religion of Entrepreneurialism.
However, as I proudly look at the talented engineers hard at work late at night sitting across from me as I write to you, I consider our present traction, the positive metrics, and our ability to begin monetizing. I think we might just make it. If not I am proud of the effort of all those around me.
Either way, give me a call and let’s chat about your concerns sometime, and let’s let the pundits, politicians, and bloggers call each other names.
Hiding behind pseudonyms and pelting verbal jabs because your traction is null is…well its not indicative of having even the slightest bit of respect for yourself or your teams ability to figure this shit out and survive.
I think for start ups like “us” Skout and “You Guys” our energy should be focused on product, people, and perseverance, not pettyness.
respectfully
redg-