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NYC's app-based delivery workers can finally use restaurant bathrooms
Why this was not already the case is a total mystery.
Food delivery apps, the pandemic and finding a new normal
Like the rest of the world, because of the coronavirus outbreak, the restaurant industry is in the midst of a serious reckoning. As of writing, 23 American states have shut down restaurants except for takeout and delivery. In the UK, McDonald's has completely closed every location, including takeout and delivery. Despite campaigns like Tuesday's nationwide hashtag #thegreatamericantakeout, urging consumers to order takeout from local restaurants, many are shuttering for good. Even delivery logistics are proving a challenge, as illustrated by the large, non-socially distanced crowds assembled outside of Carbone in New York City, waiting for comfort food to go.
GrubHub launches Perks tab for food discounts
GrubHub's most frugal consumers will have to look no further than the food delivery app's new "Perks" tab. The company announced today that it is combining two features -- coupons and discounts on meals and restaurant-specific loyalty programs -- all under one tab. In short, diners will no longer have to keep track of point cards and other restaurant discounts. Instead, GrubHub will do the coupon clipping for them. "Restaurants have always used free food as a perk for their VIP diners -- to keep them happy and coming back. We have now extended this practice to Grubhub diners by building loyalty tools so our restaurant partners can promote their restaurants more aggressively on our marketplace and reward their best digital diners as well," said Matt Maloney, Grubhub founder and CEO.
Grubhub and Seamless will deliver Shake Shack across the US
Sometime soon, you won't necessarily need to wait until the buzzer in your hand goes off to know when your food is ready at Shake Shack. The popular burger chain is teaming up with Grubhub for nationwide delivery across the US.
GrubHub is buying web domains for the restaurants it lists (updated)
GrubHub's bid to conquer app-based food delivery may be hurting the web presences of the restaurants themselves. New Food Economy has discovered that GrubHub and its Seamless sub-brand have been acquiring "thousands" of web domains linked to restaurants, over 23,000 of which belong directly to GrubHub. Most of them are close or identical to the eateries' actual names, effectively preventing the locations from buying an address they might want to use.
Grubhub is delivering Dunkin' donuts in New York City
If you're craving donuts but can't step outside to get them, some extra relief might be at hand. Grubhub is rolling out the option to order from Dunkin' through its apps, starting with Seamless customers in New York City. It'll reach other markets in the months ahead, including Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. Deliveries will be free between June 24th and June 30th to sweeten the deal (beyond the sugar in your orders, that is) for early adopters.
TripAdvisor adds GrubHub food delivery to its travel tools
GrubHub makes it pretty easy to scrounge up food when you don't feel like picking it up yourself, and now the food-delivery company wants to extend that to how you eat when traveling. Travel site TripAdvisor has announced that starting today, when you're planning your next vacation and mulling options for dining and entertainment in some 1,100 cities, GrubHub's network of restaurants will be in the mix. The companies say that if you see the "order online" button next to a listing, clicking it will redirect to GrubHub's website.
Groupon's food delivery service brings discounts with every order
You're about to get a fresh alternative to internet-based restaurant delivery services like GrubHub and Seamless. Groupon has just launched the simply-titled Groupon To Go, an order-in service that focuses on (what else?) discounts for your food. The company promises that you'll get at least 10 percent cash back on every order, which could add up if you're ordering pizza every week. The offering is only available in Chicago right now, but there are over 500 included restaurants ranging from big chains like Subway to local eateries like Al's Beef and Ditka's Restaurant. And don't worry about waiting long to give it a shot -- Groupon is expanding the service later this year, with Austin and Boston among the early highlights. It'll eventually be available nationwide.
Google finds a way to make ordering delivery food even lazier
You know the delivery drill. When you're feeling peckish, the first thing you do is search for open restaurants in your area, but then you have to close search, open a separate food delivery app, find the restaurant again there, and finally place your order. That's a lot of work just to order a pizza (but clearly still not enough to make you pick up the phone). Google, however, has announced an easier, more integrated means of ordering your next meal. According to the official Google Blog, the search engine now recognizes when you're looking for something to eat and will offer a "Place an order" option within the search results. Click on that and Google Search will prompt you to select one of six applicable delivery apps -- Seamless, Grubhub, Eat24, Delivery.com, BeyondMenu and MyPizza.com -- which immediately launches and loads the restaurant's menu for your perusal. Sure, you'll still have to wait 45 minutes for your food to actually get there, but at least this new system saves a couple of clicks.
Order a donut from your phone faster than ever with Google Wallet
Mobile payment system Google Wallet now works with the Dunkin' Donuts and Seamless apps, once again shortening the amount of time in the day that your mouth isn't filled with delicious, fried dough. The Dunkin' Donuts app allows customers to order and pay before entering an actual store, and Seamless is a local food-delivery service available in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Houston and a few other cities. Google Wallet gets rid of the credit card entry process for these apps, and it already works with a slew of other services, including Panda Express, Papa John's, Domino's, Hotel Tonight and Newegg. It's so nice when major corporations make it even easier for us to order a plate of fried noodles, dessert, a hotel room and a brand new Bluetooth speaker system. You know, the essentials.
Ask Massively: What happened to open-world MMOs?
A reader named Gabe emailed Massively last year with two questions (I'm getting through all the emails -- I am!). I'll address the second one eventually, but let's do the first one today because it's something I love to talk about: open-world MMOs. What happened to "open world" MMOs? I grew up with giant world MMOs where you would almost never see a load screen. I remember spending countless hours running from end to end of continents exploring and trying to see what I could find. You would run into a city instead of loading a city. I don't feel I am a part of a "world" anymore. After World of Warcraft, I played The Secret World, Star Trek Online, Neverwinter, and a few other closed-world MMOs, and it just pisses me off because I feel as if I am playing a single-player game with multiplayer options instead of a world I am a part of. I think we've got two separate issues here: One's about the literal meaning of open world, and the other's about the feel.
The Outerra seamless planet rendering engine will blow your mind
How would you like to play an MMO where realistically sized planets are rendered in real-time, starting from outer space and going all the way down to a blade of grass? Sounds impossible, right? It may not be, thanks to a Slovakian dev team that's putting together a 3-D engine dubbed Outerra. Gamasutra has an interview with the principals as well as a spectacular tech demo vid which shows off the engine's ability to accurately render the earth using GPS data. The piece notes that a third-party dev team is already using Outerra to recreate Tolkien's Middle-earth. Click past the cut for the demo. [Thanks Roger!]
Forget check-ins: Foursquare now lets you order in from local restaurants
It's easy to think of Foursquare as an app you use on the go: it's what you use to check in places, get a mayor's crown, let your friends know you're about to eat a taco. That sort of thing. Now, though, Foursquare is teaming up with GrubHub Seamless, allowing you to order delivery from local restaurants -- without ever actually setting foot there or checking in. (Foursquare already lets you check into restaurants after you order on Delivery.com, but that's not quite the same thing.) All told, the screenshot above explains it all: if you're browsing Foursquare for local eateries and find one with either the GrubHub or Seamless icon, just hit "order delivery" and you'll be redirected to the GrubHub or Seamless website (depending on which of the two delivery services the restaurant uses). You can try it out today on iOS, Android or Foursquare's web app. As for all you Microsoft fans, it's unclear when or if the Windows 8 app will be updated to support this -- not that anything can stand between you and a good burrito.
Seamless and GrubHub are merging to form a giant food delivery service
Seamless and GrubHub, two of the biggest food delivery services in the US, have just announced they'll be merging into a combined company, with the name of the new operation to be decided at a later date. (SeamHub? Grubless?) Unlike some other transactions we cover around here, this does seem to be a merger in the truest sense of the word, with GrubHub founder Matt Maloney stepping up to the role of chief executive officer and Seamless CEO Jonathan Zabusky staying on as president. Though we don't yet know what the new service will be called, the companies are already saying it will serve 500-plus US cities, with more than 20,000 restaurants taking orders. Also, as hinted in that press release below, the merger will give the new mega-company more financial flexibility when it comes to further growth opportunities. Next up: Delivery.com?
Samsung patent uses tiny, bright pixels to create seamless folding displays
Creating a seamless display in a foldable device can go a long way towards selling customers on the notion that two screens are better than one: otherwise, you end up with a disjointed effect. Samsung has been trying to solve that problem for years, but a newly-granted US patent could represent one of its more direct answers. The technique would put smaller yet bright pixels right at the joints between two displays, letting Samsung push the screen borders closer together while ramping up the brightness to have those edge pixels blend in with the rest. As Samsung would rely on self-lit display technologies like OLED, it could tune the brightness of those tiny pixels relatively easily, without having to lean on complex backlighting. Given that the patent was originally filed in South Korea back in 2006, there's no indication that Samsung is in a rush to start producing foldable phones and tablets. Having a US patent under its belt right as larger mobile OLED screens become viable, however, could come in handy.
Seamless brings food ordering to the iPad
I've been a big fan of Grubhub for years -- it's a website (and an iPhone app) that allows you to search through delivery menus from your area, and then order food right there online (or just call up any places you find, and order your food up over the phone). When I lived in Chicago, I found so many great delivery places that I never would have known existed otherwise. And even out here in Los Angeles, while there are plenty of places right around me to try already, I've found Grubhub helpful. I've never actually used Seamless, which appears to be the same kind of thing. But Seamless now does have one thing that Grubhub doesn't, and that's an iPad app. The new Seamless iPad app features all of the restaurants and services that the standard website offers, all wrapped up in a pretty solid iPad app experience. It's not really anything new, especially if you've already used the website (and as with all of these services, you need to live in an area that they cover, which means a larger metropolitan region), but it's free, and if you're a user of services like this already, it might be more convenient. Plus (and perhaps this says a little too much about me, my laziness, and the fact that I should probably cook for myself more), I just think it's awesome to be able to order up dinner straight from your iPad while sitting on the couch. We're living in the future here, people! Show full PR text "Show me the menus!" Seamless transforms the world of delivery and takeout with the launch of its iPad App The Seamless iPad App makes it even easier to order from local restaurants, anytime, anywhere New York, NY – February 28, 2012 – Seamless (www.seamless.com), the leading mobile and online service for ordering delivery and takeout food from more than 8,000 top restaurants in the US and UK, today announced the release of its iPad App. Now available free on the App Store, the Seamless iPad App allows existing and new members to tap and swipe their way to ordering delicious delivery and takeout, anytime and anywhere. The iPad App is a groundbreaking addition to Seamless' suite of mobile apps for restaurant delivery and takeout, currently available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry users. The apps and company website provide a closed-loop experience, allowing Seamless' more than one million members the ability to access local restaurant information and place orders. Showcasing an enhanced set of features exclusive to iPad, Seamless' iPad App makes it easy for members to find and order exactly what they're looking for. After opening the app, members choose between "I'll have the usual" and "Show me the menus," two pathways that were designed specifically around the most common iPad use cases. "I'll have the usual" gives members the ability to browse their unified order history (from iPad, mobile, and web) and quickly re-order the same items or visit a favorite restaurant to try a different dish. "Show me the menus" allows members to explore restaurant choices and decide where and what to eat, utilizing features like cuisine filters, estimated delivery times, order minimums, ratings, reviews, discounts, and more. "Mobile is a key business driver for Seamless, with more than 25 percent of orders already being placed through our iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps," said Jonathan Zabusky, CEO of Seamless. "We expect that the launch of our iPad App will further accelerate mobile order growth and extend our leadership position as the nation's largest and most innovative food ordering company. The Seamless iPad App enhances our robust mobile offering and enables us to continue to deliver on our mission to bring food happiness to our members, and drive new customer and sales growth to our more than 8,000 restaurant partners." Developed from the ground up to take advantage of the most sophisticated features within iOS 5, the Seamless iPad App offers graphically rich animations and a convenient sliding panel interface that utilizes the enhanced speed and capabilities of the platform, facilitating smooth transitions and flow. Core data utilization furthers the user experience, allowing people to manipulate and filter local restaurant menus quickly and easily. Also maximizing speed and usability, the app takes advantage of the iPad 2's dual core ARM7 Processor. Seamless iPad App users can customize their experience with search and sort options - including filters by restaurant name, cuisine type, estimated delivery time, delivery minimum, rating, discounts, and even new restaurants with a few quick swipes and taps. The app makes it easy to view ratings, reviews, and restaurant and menu item photos, or add ratings in real time, leveraging the power of Seamless' more than one million users. A Chef's plate, which is displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, shows members their order total as they flip between the restaurant menu and their shopping bag. Should an order fall below the delivery minimum for the selected restaurant, the app lets members know the additional dollar amount required for the order. "With the Seamless iPad App, members can enjoy desirable benefits like easy re-ordering, and they can explore, share, and contribute content, making it the perfect app for individuals, students, couples, and families, whenever and wherever they are," said Zabusky. To promote the app and thank both new and loyal members, Seamless is offering users a 10% discount on a mobile order on Monday, March 5. The Seamless iPad App is available for free on the App Store. For more information on Seamless, visit www.seamless.com, @Seamless on Twitter or view the Seamless iPad video.
Samsung's foldable AMOLED display: no creases, even after 100,000 tries
Samsung demoed some fascinating AMOLEDs at this year's CES, including 4.5-inch flexible and 19-inch transparent displays -- neither of which, sadly, will reach the market any time soon. But the innovation train keeps on rolling, and Sammy's Advanced Institute of Technology now has a prototype foldable display, which may or may not be the same reference design spotted at FPD 2008. Its two panels have a closing radius of only 1mm, meaning they practically touch when closed, yet show no visible crease when opened. In fact, the developers performed 100,000 folding-unfolding cycles to test the junction; the negligible 6% decrease in brightness was invisible to the human eye. They used commercially-available silicone rubber to achieve that seamless look, and the prototype featured a protective glass cover which could also function as a touchscreen. Obviously there's a market for touchscreens you can fold up and put in your pocket; here's hoping Samsung can make them available sooner rather than later.
App review: Seamless for iOS and Mac (video)
If you're the kind of person who's always listening to music and wouldn't be caught dead headphone-less, pause that song for a quick second and check out Seamless. This lightweight app links your iPhone's Music player to iTunes on your Mac in a pretty clever -- not to mention Cupertino-esque -- fashion. The whole crux of it is the "transition," which simultaneously fades out a song on one end while bringing it to full blast on the other. All it takes to get started is a quick $1.99 download for your i-device and free Mac-centric companion app. Does it work as advertised, or is it really just a gimmick? Head past the break for a quick rundown of just how seamless this utility really is.
The Daily Grind: Do zones kill immersion?
One of the complaints we hear rather frequently of Age of Conan is that the game's scattered zones have the effect of discouraging exploration amongst players. Those accustomed to traversing World of Warcraft's (mostly) seamless world have levied their displeasure at the fact that Age of Conan feels like a series of disparate maps instead of a single unified world.The explanation in terms of lore is rather obvious -- the universe created by Robert E. Howard's fiction is simply too large to contain within a single MMO world. But is that just hiding behind a convenient excuse? What would you rather have, a zoned game that fits more closely with the game's lore, or a seamless world that allows you to explore from one area to the next?
S-XGen folding UMPC goes legit
We've seen a good bit of Seamless' S-XGen "next generation" UMPC already, but now the little palmtop computer is a growed up, with a press release and launch deets to call its very own. The specs are right on with what we've been reporting, with that 520MHz Xscale proc, 20GB HDD, 256MB of SDRAM, MMC card slot, 4-inch 480 x 270 screen, "280 pixel" webcam, 802.11b WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth and tri-band GSM connectivity. With Windows CE 5.0 and Microsoft Office Mobile Suite, the S-XGen isn't quite a full fledged UMPC, but that fold out keyboard and abundance of connectivity should give the device a certain edge over some of its Windows-based counterparts. If you can swallow the price, that is: that all-inclusive spec sheet demands a hefty $1,400 pricetag. If you're still interested, you should be able to pick up one of these things right about now. Check more pictures after the break.
