#most popular food delivery app

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The Most Popular Food Delivery App: An In-Depth Guide

Introduction

Food delivery apps have revolutionized the way we order and consume food. These apps offer a convenient solution for busy lifestyles, making it easier to enjoy a wide variety of cuisines from the comfort of home. This guide will explore the Most Popular Food Delivery App, its features, benefits, challenges, and future prospects, providing a comprehensive understanding of its impact on our daily lives.

The Evolution of Food Delivery Services

Early Beginnings

Food delivery has a long history, dating back to ancient Rome where orders for cooked meals were made via messengers. Fast forward to the 20th century, telephone orders became popular, setting the stage for modern food delivery services.

The Digital Transformation

The advent of the internet and smartphones ushered in a new era for food delivery. Online platforms started to emerge, allowing users to place orders through websites and later, mobile apps. This digital transformation streamlined the process, making it more efficient and accessible.

Rise of Mobile Apps

Mobile apps have become the cornerstone of food delivery services. The ability to browse menus, place orders, and track deliveries in real-time has significantly enhanced user experience. Apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub have become household names, offering a vast selection of restaurants and cuisines.

Features of the Most Popular Food Delivery App

User-Friendly Interface

A key feature of any successful app is its user interface. The most popular food delivery app boasts an intuitive design that makes navigation simple and enjoyable. Users can easily search for restaurants, browse menus, and place orders with just a few taps.

Real-Time Tracking

One of the standout features is real-time order tracking. Customers can monitor the status of their order from preparation to delivery, providing transparency and peace of mind.

Diverse Payment Options

To cater to a wide range of users, the app offers multiple payment options including credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and cash on delivery. This flexibility ensures a seamless transaction process.

Customizable Orders

The ability to customize orders according to personal preferences is a major advantage. Users can modify dishes, add special instructions, and choose from a variety of add-ons, ensuring their meal is prepared exactly to their liking.

Loyalty Programs and Discounts

To retain customers, the app offers loyalty programs and regular discounts. Users can earn points on every order, which can be redeemed for free meals or exclusive offers.

Benefits of Using the App

Convenience

The primary benefit is convenience. Users can order food anytime, anywhere, without the need to call or visit the restaurant. This is particularly beneficial for busy professionals and families.

Variety of Choices

The app provides access to a wide range of restaurants and cuisines, catering to diverse tastes and dietary requirements. Whether it's fast food, gourmet meals, or vegan options, there's something for everyone.

Time-Saving

With food delivery apps, there's no need to spend time cooking or commuting to restaurants. This time-saving aspect is a significant advantage for those with hectic schedules.

Safety and Hygiene

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the app has implemented stringent safety and hygiene protocols. Contactless delivery options and regular health checks for delivery personnel ensure the safety of both customers and staff.

Challenges and Limitations

Delivery Delays

One of the common challenges is delivery delays, especially during peak hours or bad weather conditions. These delays can impact customer satisfaction and the overall experience.

Service Fees

While the convenience of food delivery apps is undeniable, service fees can be a deterrent for some users. These additional charges, including delivery fees and service taxes, can make meals more expensive.

Food Quality

Maintaining food quality during transit is another challenge. There's a risk of food getting cold or damaged, which can negatively affect the customer experience.

Dependence on Technology

The reliance on smartphones and the internet can be a limitation. Technical glitches or internet outages can disrupt the ordering process, leading to frustration among users.

Latest Innovations in Food Delivery

Drone Deliveries

Innovations like drone deliveries are being explored to enhance delivery speed and efficiency. While still in the experimental stage, this technology holds promise for the future of food delivery.

AI and Machine Learning

AI and machine learning are being integrated to personalize user experience. These technologies can recommend restaurants and dishes based on previous orders and preferences.

Sustainable Practices

There's a growing emphasis on sustainability in the food delivery industry. Apps are adopting eco-friendly packaging and partnering with restaurants that follow sustainable practices.

Future Prospects

Expansion to New Markets

The future looks bright with potential expansion into new markets. Emerging economies present a significant opportunity for growth, with increasing smartphone penetration and internet access.

Integration with Smart Home Devices

Integration with smart home devices like Alexa and Google Home can further simplify the ordering process. Voice-activated orders could become the norm, enhancing convenience.

Enhanced Personalization

Future advancements will likely focus on enhanced personalization. From tailored meal plans to health and wellness recommendations, the app will cater to individual needs more effectively.

User Guides and Tutorials

How to Place an Order

Placing an order is simple. Users can search for their preferred restaurant, select dishes, customize their order, and choose a payment method. The app provides step-by-step guidance to ensure a smooth process.

Tracking Your Delivery

Tracking your delivery is easy with real-time updates. Users can see the estimated delivery time, track the delivery person's location, and receive notifications at each stage.

Using Discounts and Promotions

The app regularly offers discounts and promotions. Users can find these offers in the 'Deals' section and apply relevant promo codes at checkout to avail of discounts.

Conclusion

Food delivery apps have transformed the dining experience, offering unprecedented convenience and variety. While there are challenges, ongoing innovations and future prospects promise to enhance the user experience further. Whether it's for a quick meal on a busy day or exploring new cuisines, the Most Popular Food Delivery App is a testament to the evolution of the food industry.

[iqlancecaus]

Top Australian Food delivery Apps: Deliveroo EASI Menulog DoorDash Order Up

[food-ordering-apps]

Top 3 Ways Ordering Through a Food Delivery App Can Be Super-exciting For you!

Wondering what���s the fuss about food delivery apps in recent times? Well, you won’t know what a blessing these are unless you use them yourself. And reading this you’ll be all the more encouraged to order food online through these thoughtfully designed application platforms. Download a famous food delivery app in Kolkata to order your favorite dishes from popular restaurants in the city.

Fulfil Your Cravings Quickly

In the mood to have warm pasta or Chinese on a cold winter afternoon? Keen on having fried chicken or pizza for snacks? Or, is it is an appetizing Continental meal you’re seeking for dinner? Well, all your food wishes can come true if you’ve got a trusted food delivery app installed on your phone. A smoothly functional app where maximum number of eateries are likely to be registered is the one-stop place for you to add to cart your desired recipes to get them promptly delivered to your door without excess waiting. Sounds yum and awesome, right?

Give you Access to Tasty Food by Availing Fantastic Offers

A user-friendly food app is sure to provide sizzling discounts, offers and rewards to make your experience of ordering through it simply amazing. You can conveniently utilize these discounts, cashbacks and free delivery schemes to get your preferred culinary items delivered to you. You may even find special offers such as buy one get one free and loyalty points that can definitely make your day!

Perfect Means to Quench your Hunger or that of Others on Special Occasions

Planning to have something nice for Christmas or New Year to echo the festive mood? Want to arrange a mouth-watering feast for your birthday, anniversary or family get-together party? For all kinds of celebrations and special events, you can use a reliable food app to order yummy delicacies and appease the appetite of your guests and close ones. After all, good food elevates the mood and magnifies the cheery feel that’ll be perfect for these purposes. Plus, the special offers and discounts provided exclusively for festivities by a customer-friendly food app will allow you to relish scrumptious meals with your loved ones to celebrate with them in joyous and delightful manner!

Remember to install the best among food ordering apps to smoothly order, track and receive your favorite dishes anytime and anywhere without any hassle!

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Reverse engineers bust sleazy gig work platform

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/23/hack-the-class-war/#robo-boss

A COMPUTER CAN NEVER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

THEREFORE A COMPUTER MUST NEVER MAKE A MANAGEMENT DECISION

Supposedly, these lines were included in a 1979 internal presentation at IBM; screenshots of them routinely go viral:

https://twitter.com/SwiftOnSecurity/status/1385565737167724545?lang=en

The reason for their newfound popularity is obvious: the rise and rise of algorithmic management tools, in which your boss is an app. That IBM slide is right: turning an app into your boss allows your actual boss to create an "accountability sink" in which there is no obvious way to blame a human or even a company for your maltreatment:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

App-based management-by-bossware treats the bug identified by the unknown author of that IBM slide into a feature. When an app is your boss, it can force you to scab:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork

Or it can steal your wages:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But tech giveth and tech taketh away. Digital technology is infinitely flexible: the program that spies on you can be defeated by another program that defeats spying. Every time your algorithmic boss hacks you, you can hack your boss back:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/02/not-what-it-does/#who-it-does-it-to

Technologists and labor organizers need one another. Even the most precarious and abused workers can team up with hackers to disenshittify their robo-bosses:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek

For every abuse technology brings to the workplace, there is a liberating use of technology that workers unleash by seizing the means of computation:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/13/solidarity-forever/#tech-unions

One tech-savvy group on the cutting edge of dismantling the Torment Nexus is Algorithms Exposed, a tiny, scrappy group of EU hacker/academics who recruit volunteers to reverse engineer and modify the algorithms that rule our lives as workers and as customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen

Algorithms Exposed have an admirable supply of seemingly boundless energy. Every time I check in with them, I learn that they've spun out yet another special-purpose subgroup. Today, I learned about Reversing Works, a hacking team that reverse engineers gig work apps, revealing corporate wrongdoing that leads to multimillion euro fines for especially sleazy companies.

One such company is Foodinho, an Italian subsidiary of the Spanish food delivery company Glovo. Foodinho/Glovo has been in the crosshairs of Italian labor enforcers since before the pandemic, racking up millions in fines – first for failing to file the proper privacy paperwork disclosing the nature of the data processing in the app that Foodinho riders use to book jobs. Then, after the Italian data commission investigated Foodinho, the company attracted new, much larger fines for its out-of-control surveillance conduct.

As all of this was underway, Reversing Works was conducting its own research into Glovo/Foodinho's app, running it on a simulated Android handset inside a PC so they could peer into app's data collection and processing. They discovered a nightmarish world of pervasive, illegal worker surveillance, and published their findings a year ago in November, 2023:

https://www.etui.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/Exercising%20workers%20rights%20in%20algorithmic%20management%20systems_Lessons%20learned%20from%20the%20Glovo-Foodinho%20digital%20labour%20platform%20case_2023.pdf

That report reveals all kinds of extremely illegal behavior. Glovo/Foodinho makes its riders' data accessible across national borders, so Glovo managers outside of Italy can access fine-grained surveillance information and sensitive personal information – a major data protection no-no.

Worse, Glovo's app embeds trackers from a huge number of other tech platforms (for chat, analytics, and more), making it impossible for the company to account for all the ways that its riders' data is collected – again, a requirement under Italian and EU data protection law.

All this data collection continues even when riders have clocked out for the day – its as though your boss followed you home after quitting time and spied on you.

The research also revealed evidence of a secretive worker scoring system that ranked workers based on undisclosed criteria and reserved the best jobs for workers with high scores. This kind of thing is pervasive in algorithmic management, from gig work to Youtube and Tiktok, where performers' videos are routinely suppressed because they crossed some undisclosed line. When an app is your boss, your every paycheck is docked because you violated a policy you're not allowed to know about, because if you knew why your boss was giving you shitty jobs, or refusing to show the video you spent thousands of dollars making to the subscribers who asked to see it, then maybe you could figure out how to keep your boss from detecting your rulebreaking next time.

All this data-collection and processing is bad enough, but what makes it all a thousand times worse is Glovo's data retention policy – they're storing this data on their workers for four years after the worker leaves their employ. That means that mountains of sensitive, potentially ruinous data on gig workers is just lying around, waiting to be stolen by the next hacker that breaks into the company's servers.

Reversing Works's report made quite a splash. A year after its publication, the Italian data protection agency fined Glovo another 5 million euros and ordered them to cut this shit out:

https://reversing.works/posts/2024/11/press-release-reversing.works-investigation-exposes-glovos-data-privacy-violations-marking-a-milestone-for-worker-rights-and-technology-accountability/

As the report points out, Italy is extremely well set up to defend workers' rights from this kind of bossware abuse. Not only do Italian enforcers have all the privacy tools created by the GDPR, the EU's flagship privacy regulation – they also have the benefit of Italy's 1970 Workers' Statute. The Workers Statute is a visionary piece of legislation that protects workers from automated management practices. Combined with later privacy regulation, it gave Italy's data regulators sweeping powers to defend Italian workers, like Glovo's riders.

Italy is also a leader in recognizing gig workers as de facto employees, despite the tissue-thin pretense that adding an app to your employment means that you aren't entitled to any labor protections. In the case of Glovo, the fine-grained surveillance and reputation scoring were deemed proof that Glovo was employer to its riders.

Reversing Works' report is a fascinating read, especially the sections detailing how the researchers recruited a Glovo rider who allowed them to log in to Glovo's platform on their account.

As Reversing Works points out, this bottom-up approach – where apps are subjected to technical analysis – has real potential for labor organizations seeking to protect workers. Their report established multiple grounds on which a union could seek to hold an abusive employer to account.

But this bottom-up approach also holds out the potential for developing direct-action tools that let workers flex their power, by modifying apps, or coordinating their actions to wring concessions out of their bosses.

After all, the whole reason for the gig economy is to slash wage-bills, by transforming workers into contractors, and by eliminating managers in favor of algorithms. This leaves companies extremely vulnerable, because when workers come together to exercise power, their employer can't rely on middle managers to pressure workers, deal with irate customers, or step in to fill the gap themselves:

https://projects.itforchange.net/state-of-big-tech/changing-dynamics-of-labor-and-capital/

Only by seizing the means of computation, workers and organized labor can turn the tables on bossware – both by directly altering the conditions of their employment, and by producing the evidence and tools that regulators can use to force employers to make those alterations permanent.

Image: EFF (modified) https://www.eff.org/files/issues/eu-flag-11_1.png

CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

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# I HEART PUBLIC RELATIONS (2)

in order to your boost your popularity as a lifestyle influencer, your manager decides to partner up with anri teieri and jinpachi ego, for a pr stunt with a man from one of japan's most famous content houses: BLUE LOCK.

the rules are simple: choose a man, post three videos together a week, post an (undisclosed) ad weekly, and interact with each other on social media. ooh! don't forget! the more chemistry between you two, the better.

STARRING . . . reo mikage, nagi seishiro, tabito karasu, yo hiori. fem reader!

CANDIDATE 5 — REO MIKAGE

USER: MIKAGE FOLLOWERS: 1.1M (100k were bought) CATEGORY: LIFESTYLE/FOOD

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

you knew you were in for a wild ride once you stepped into the house and saw none other than the heir of mikage corp standing there, pointing his finger at you and stating "she looks pretty! i'd like to work with her." as if he was the one who got to choose. nonetheless, you agreed to work with reo as he seemed like a pretty loaded interesting guy.

turns out, reo is very sweet. the first tiktok you filmed with him was for his account, in which he offered to take you on a shopping spree, with him and you making silly outfits for one another (just casually picking the ugliest clothes in gucci??) and then trying them on in the dressing room. you were filming a vlog for your account too, and you were surprised when reo surprised you with a very stylish outfit for you and him, to "go catch some dinner tomorrow." wow mikage, very smooth. comments went insane because 1. who are you? new friend? untold lore? 2. you are drop dead gorgeous even in the trash outfits that reo picked for you? and 3. please be in more of reo's videos!!

the second tiktok was a dance trend, the da' dip dance. it was done in very uncomfortable clothes, which were the ones reo bought the day before. it was funny to see reo dancing in a suit and tie, and you with a floor-length gown, in the content house. nagi appeared in the background as he was in the kitchen, which caught the attention of viewers. you posted the same dance, except it was filmed inside the restaurant, because with reo mikage, there is no such thing as shame. he cleared the restaurant out anyway because he wanted privacy, though, so the only preying eyes were those of the servers. reo was visibly flushed in the video, and his excuse was the poor lighting of the restaurant. girl that restaurant had better lighting than a photography studio you are not fooling anyone.

the last tiktok you filmed with him was... a food review! reo's comments are always flooded with "oh my god when does this guy ever eat peasant food", so you listened and brought him some of your favorite fast foods for him to try. wingstop is the biggest hit as of now, so you ordered some wings and tenders through a delivery app for him to give an honest review. people loved your video, as they felt they could connect with you and reo over something so mundane. viewers commented on the fact that you and reo looked like and acted like a married couple, which ended up boosting both your accounts even more.

(UN)DISCLOSED AD . . . HELLO FRESH!

we know that reo's meals since he joined the content house were all takeout from fancy restaurants. so when he got approached by hello fresh for a partnership, he agreed in a heartbeat. he made a video with you, the two of you preparing a nice, healthy dinner with the package from hello fresh, captioning the video "date night at home!" with clips of him behind you helping you cut some vegetables, making juice standing next to one another, and hands brushing every so often. fans were amused that reo finally opted for something other than takeout, instead preferring to spend quality time with you by cooking.

"Baya doesn't cook for me anymore, so me and bae always count on @.hellofresh #hellofreshpartner #ad"

THE VIEWS SKYROCKETED! BECAUSE . . .

because reo's lifestyle is extremely lavish, and you were one of the few who got to experience it to the fullest. reo looked like a lovesick puppy around you, and it wasn't hard to notice. he spoiled you rotten, and people could tell due to how your room slowly became flooded with designer after the first week of filming with reo. lovebombing much? the stunt was marvelous, with each of you gaining around 500k followers from it. to celebrate, reo booked a villa in marbella for the two of you to unwind and relax, wanting time for the two of you to get to know one another. plus, more content for the socials!

CANDIDATE 6 — SEISHIRO NAGI

USER: NAGI (reo bought it for him) FOLLOWERS: 940k CATEGORY: GAMING/LIFESTYLE(?)

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

the reason nagi actually went viral is interesting, which is why your management team chose him for you. he went viral because he was in reo's video in the background, and people began to fawn over the shy giant on their screen. he started streaming on twitch and also posting a few tiktoks, which gave him a boost on his overall social media presence. his management came into contact with yours for the stunt because they desperately wanted him to reach 1 million followers.

the first tiktok you filmed on his account was entirely on accident. you were going to film a vlog with him at the house as he didn't want to leave the house at all that day. he pressed record on his phone, and accidentally cut the video way too short. in the frame were you and him, with him saying "um, is this thing on?" and you trying to fix the framing of the camera, "nagi, can you move the cam—" and the video got posted instead of being saved as a funny draft. people were confused as to why that was posted, but it got around 10 million views. fans wanted to know who you were, and they were going to find out soon.

the second tiktok you filmed was for your account, with you preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner as the "private chef of a famous lazy influencer", it didn't take long for people to put two and two together, seeing nagi in the background and making the video go viral. fans were happy that nagi was finally eating something healthy, and they loved the way in which you laughed at his sleepy self wandering around the kitchen, and also adoring his cute reactions to your food.

for the last tiktok, you gathered clips from nagi's stream, in which you and him played dress to impress. he had bought the two of you vip before filming, which made the competition between you two even funnier. nagi's outfits were absolutely horrendous, with the comments begging you to help him out. he agreed, saying that "i mean, y/n's beautiful and she's got great taste, so she needs to help me out." people did not know what your beauty had to do with your taste in fashion, and came to the conclusion that nagi was beginning to harvest feelings for you. he was way too blunt for his own good.

(UN)DISCLOSED AD . . . CELSIUS!

nagi got reached out to by celsius, as his brand as a gamer required him to constantly be sipping on energy drinks. he filmed the ad with you, as the video focused on you and him sitting next to one another, his head on top of yours. nagi took a sip of the celsius can and then passed on to you, with you doing the same. nagi was too lazy to come up with his own caption, so he copied and pasted one of the many which celsius sent him as an idea. people noticed right away because 1. seishiro nagi does not use caps. 2. seishiro nagi does not use emojis. 3. seishiro nagi does not add captions to his tiktoks. people laughed at his laziness, and saw how he genuinely smiled in the ad by sharing his drink with you. there was a ship name created, and the tag started trending...

You KNOW it's serious when you share a Celsius... 😘❤️👀 @.celsiusuk #Celsiuspartner

THE VIEWS SKYROCKETED! BECAUSE . . .

because nagi smiled whenever he was with you. he started being less aloof in his videos and streams, which caught the attention of the public. they started to wonder what kind of drug you were, because you had nagi HOOKED. he was looking only at you on every video you filmed with him, and he looked for every excuse possible for him to be close to you. it was like watching a little kid fall in love, and you both gained 300k followers from it. when he hit one million followers, you decided to throw a mini surprise for him in his room, and when the video was posted, people saw that for the first time, seishiro nagi willingly threw himself at someone with a biiiig bear hug.

CANDIDATE 7 — TABITO KARASU

USER: OSAKASSASSIN FOLLOWERS: 760k CATEGORY: PSYCHOLOGY/LIFESTYLE

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

when you entered the house and saw none other than tiktok's clown psychologist tabito karasu, you held in your laugh. yes, he loved to analyze people, but that ended up combining with thirst traps and becoming his social media personality. once you got to know him when planning, you realized he wasn't that bad at all.

of course, the first thing karasu suggested you do was a mini series of "advice on how to get a girl" in which he explains the most basic advice on how to ask someone on a date. i wouldn't be surprised if his fanbase were children aspiring to be him, but anywho. he starts off by filming a "so you know how i'm always preaching about how to treat a woman right? we're gonna put it to the test" and proceeds to take you on the best date of your life. he surprises you with flowers, drives you to a nice restaurant, pays for your dinner, takes you for ice cream, and the high and mighty tabito karasu lets you win at every game in the arcade he drags you to. the end of the tiktok contains a screenshot of your text saying "i'd go out with you again :)" and the fans went off in the comments. he didn't show your face, but he did mention that he helped take pictures of you with the plushie he won for you at the arcade.

the second tiktok was on your account, which was an aesthetic video of "come to the arcade with me!" and included clips of the date without seeing karasu. except for the fact that there was a clip of you and the plushie, to which people asked "who took the picture???" your response? "the worker! :)" and all of a sudden people were commenting on karasu's tiktok "yo you working in an arcade now???" and "did you take @.yn out on a date???" yeahhh. you posted on your instagram with the plushie, and also a pic of two ice cream cones, with the caption "late nights" and karasu was tagged at the very end. there were more than 100k comments on your post, gushing about how the two of you seemed like a cute couple.

the final tiktok was a dance trend, filmed at your home (karasu insisted, because "the house is too crowded, and it would ruin the tiktok" ok pretty boy). it was the dumb dick dance, and what karasu didn't expect was for you to not do the dance and hit him straight in the nutsack instead. karasu fell to the floor and people thought it was so funny that the king of rizz got absolutely owned by his date. some people strted commenting "deserved omg i can't stand the guy" to which you replied "well now he can't stand either!!!" you became an icon in the eyes of the public. congratulations.

(UN)DISCLOSED AD . . . POPPI!

another drink guy! karasu partnered up with poppi's healthy sodas because sodas magically cure depression. don't ask me! ask dr karasu. his ad for poppi included a fridge restock, with the whole upper shelf of the fridge being different poppi flavors, as "my girl likes sodas, so i wanna make sure she gets the best of the best. stay healthy, choose poppi." queue the montage of you and him being happy drinking doc pop and the comments saying "for fucks sake just buy regular dr pepper.... cute tiktok i suppose." people were divided, as some said to buy regular coke, and some said the lovesick look you had while filming made them accidentally buy 500 poppi cans.

cleanse your gut, cleanse your mind ✨ @.poppi #poppipartner

THE VIEWS SKYROCKETED! BECAUSE . . .

because karasu is one flirty hoe. he was constantly referring to you as the 'baddie' on his videos, and always having his arm around you. people pointed out that since being with you online, he stopped posting thirst traps, and when asked why, he simply answered "those are for my girl now :)" this man was in too deep he cleared the roster. he cleared his online bench. for a stunt? mhhhmm. you both gained around 100k followers, as your fanbases already knew one another. it was bound to happen. karasu asked you to be his girlfriend around a month after the stunt, and you knew it was coming due to the change in his content from "how to get every girl" to "how to get THE girl". the internet knew something was up when he suddenly started posting "how to be a good boyfriend" cheers to the newlyweds!

CANDIDATE 8 — YO HIORI

USER: HIORIYOOH FOLLOWERS: 1.3M CATEGORY: GAMING/TECH

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

you didn't even have to go inside the house, as hiori had sent you a dm about a potential collab due to his management team and yours coming to contact with one another. you did a stream playing dress to impress, in which hiori commented "let's play together sometime! check your dm :-)" (written by karasu, sent by karasu) and you agreed to his invite to play roblox together.

hiori isn't on tiktok much, so the first tiktok you did was a promo for his livestream, in which you and him decided to play chained together. it was funny to see hiori and you yell and struggle, eventually giving up on the game and ordering takeout while on live, and just becoming a regular hangout. hiori showed a side of himself no one expected him to have—a sociable, extroverted side of himself, as you were so easy to talk to according to him. he was all giggles and smiles with you, which is why he ordered takeout as an excuse to spend more time with you. hiori ended the live and continued getting to know you, with his social media being confused as to why he decided to stop the live so suddenly, with the words "HIORI", "LIVE", "Y/N", "SIMP", and "STOP" trending on x.

the second tiktok filmed was on your account, which was a comic con vlog. hiori was invited as he was a streamer, and he took you with him as his plus one. he asked to cosplay with you, with him being link and asking you to be zelda. cosplay was actually a big word, as you did inspired outfits, but they were obvious enough for everyone to know who you were. which inspired lots of fan pictures, with hiori fan accounts posting them and being like "the couple is at comic con!!!" and starting huge threads on every interaction you two had. the pictures fans took all focused on one thing: hiori's reactions when speaking with you. all smiles by the way. who is this man???

the final tiktok was for your account, and you planned this along with nanase and isagi. you went to the house as hiori had invited you to film both of you playing league of legends before the second part of arcane came out. you and the boys stood outside of hiori's room, knocking the door. once hiori opened it, isagi threw a bouquet towards hiori, with you catching it before it hit him. you couldn't even ask if he was alright, as you got so lost in his eyes. so did he. it went viral. hiori was a whole tomato umemiya could have easily planted in his garden. hiori was definitely shocked and flustered while you filmed content for his socials, causing the internet to make youtube compilations of every time hiori smiled or blushed at the sight of you. millions of views.... millions.

(UN)DISCLOSED AD . . . RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!

there's no surprised he partnered up with raid, as most youtubers do. in order to do the ad, though, he made a SKIT. those typical, drew gooden-esque skits in order to introduce the ad in his video with you, with you participating with him, and even playing raid shadow legends alongside him. since it was a video, there was a clear indication that this was an ad, and people noticed how. again. you were the first person who brought him out of his shell to do a small skit for an ad. fans adored how you and him held in your laughs while filming, and even showed the bloopers for the ad at the end. in the bloopers, though, while you were in frame playing raid, hiori whispered that "you look real pretty here, y/n." he didn't edit his videos because he has an editing team, so when the video was published he noticed that fans could hear his off-screen commentary loud and clear. oops! someone fire the editing team real quick.

"you look real pretty here, y/n—anyway um, okay—look at the screen on your phone, then at the camera and say 'this video is sponsored by raid shadow legends" "this video is sponsored by raid shadow LEGENDS 💜" "how did you do that—"

THE VIEWS SKYROCKETED! BECAUSE . . .

hiori is an absolute sweetheart, whose face went beet red whenever you complimented him in every video. like isagi, mans is shy, give him a break, okay? whether it was your hands brushing against one another, or shoulders bumping while filming, you could see hiori tense up and have his face on fire from how hot it was. his eyes never left your figure if they weren't on the screen in front of him, which said a lot to his og fans. they witnessed a change in hiori, for the better! thanks to you, hiori started to bloom. due to this stunt, both of you gained almost 1 million followers, as the slow-burn was that interesting. hiori gained the balls to ask you out after that. people suspected that perhaps you were dating, but you always said you were really good friends. around five months later, the cat came out of the bag as there were pictures of you two leaving the same apartment, to which you had to clear the air. you had moved into hiori's apartment two months ago.

taglist (open, yippee!): @kaiser1ns @stunies @ryescapades @nyxypoo @littleplantfreak @heartkaji @maruflix @phinbie @vinomino @kunitsyn

[circlique]

As someone whos been following you since back in the og hetalia days and followed your north korea ask blog, i do remember you mentioned you got to live in south korea! As someone who really wants to go, can you tell me what it was like? What did you enjoy about it? Have a good rest of your day!! 😊

Yes, I did! I lived there for two years (during covid, so my experience is probably quite different from many others).

Things I liked: I lived in a high rise apartment, with basically everything I needed within walking distance. For anything that wasn't within walking distance, public transport was amazing (and cheap!). I had a couple bus routes I liked to take to bigger department stores like E-mart (which are basically a whole mall in one store) and a public park with hiking trails. There are tons of cool historical landmarks. More than once I had been out hiking on a trail and stumbled upon temples I had no idea were there. I distinctly remember hiking Jirisan at like 4 in the morning to catch the sunrise and heard a gong in the distance on the way up. Then out of the fog emerged this temple where the monks were doing their early morning ceremonies. Felt like I was in a ghibli movie or something. The spring bloom and fall colors are AMAZING and one of the few things I could consistently enjoy during covid. Also, if you're an uber eats person, Korea has an app which I can't remember the name of, but nearly every restaurant was on the app and offered delivery. And everything was delicious. BAKERIES everywhere. Little farmers/street markets. I had no shortage of Korean, Japanese, Turkish, Indian, American, basically any nationality of food. I think the only thing I didn't see a lot of that I kind of missed was Mexican. I can read hangul but only speak a little Korean (about enough to introduce myself and order at a restaurant), but most people speak at least a little english. Most street signs are also in english, but if you end up somewhere where they aren't, being able to read hangul would come in handy. Most people are very friendly. I had a random guy, English name David, decide he was my tour guide and show me and my partner the best way up a very popular mountain. Also got adopted by more than one Korean ajumma who would give me fruit and homemade goodies and ask me when I was gonna have kids. Random people helped me unload the massive cat tree i bought at a pet store off the bus, which was very kind of them and much appreciated.

Things I didnt like: covid obviously, and covid probably informed a lot of the policies I didn't like while I was there. There were some places closed to foreigners, and some things I just couldn't do as a foreigner. Some tickets (for like trains and ferries and campgrounds and stuff) could only be purchased in person, while Koreans are able to purchase them online. I don't know if this was just a covid thing. The smog got really bad sometimes. Once the summer monsoon starts, it rains for days, and can get really hot and humid.

Idk if that really helps but I hope that at least gives you a sense of the vibes! I hope you have a great time in this wonderful country!

[mariacallous]

Last week, Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as “X.” New CEO Linda Yaccarino tweeted that X would be “centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking,” a step toward Musk’s vision of creating the “everything app” for the Western world. Musk has been focused on this vision for Twitter since before he even bought it, repeatedly praising the Chinese app WeChat in a June 2022 town hall at Twitter. WeChat is known for doing virtually anything an app can do—messaging, audio/video, meetings, translation, social networking, shopping, payments, ride sharing, food delivery, and more. It’s an indispensable app in China, and Musk wants to build X into that app in the United States.

Musk has been laser-focused on his vision of the everything app for longer than most realize. He’s also long been obsessed with the letter X—he named his original online bank X.com, founded SpaceX, and even named his son “X Æ A-12.” His X-ray vision, if you’ll forgive the pun, dates back to his founding of the original X.com. Musk described that firm, which would eventually merge with Confinity to form PayPal, as a “global financial nexus” that could handle bank accounts, mortgages, credit, insurance, stocks—anything and everything financial.

On the face of it, none of this seems unreasonable. Such an app would be one of the most valuable companies in the world if it succeeded. It’s a tall task, but Musk has been involved in the founding of three separate multibillion-dollar companies. WeChat (along with competitors such as AliPay) has proven that such apps can reach scale and be wildly successful. And WeChat was initially built on the back of parent company Tencent’s popular social network, QQ. If it can be done, why not Musk? And why not start with Twitter?

Unfortunately for Musk, his vision of creating a Western WeChat is doomed to failure. Companies like Meta and Alphabet have made attempts before. These companies have every advantage—more cash available than Musk, larger pools of technical talent, better public reputation, and more successful lines of business in the app ecosystem. Nevertheless, none have succeeded in building an everything app. WeChat exists in a very specific Chinese context, and attempts to brute force it in a very different context will crash and burn.

The most important function of an aspiring everything app is payments, which unlock enormous value for the app and convenience for the user. But mobile payments in China are an outlier—87 percent of Chinese people used mobile payments in 2021, almost double the next highest nation. And that outlier status comes from the unique way that China’s payment economy developed.

China’s explosive economic growth over the 2000s saw the country transition from being a mostly unbanked, cash-based economy to a phone-based, app-payment economy without ever having a middle phase of adopting credit cards. As China’s new middle class grew, credit cards were available to a limited upper class—but never became a commonplace part of national financial infrastructure.

What China did have was a lot of cheap smartphones. By the early 2010s, most people there still didn’t have a PC, but they had a mobile phone, and increasingly they were switching to cheap smartphones. But those smartphones were mostly low-end products, with limited processing power and storage space. A high number of bloated apps wasn’t going to cut it for an average user, so many basic functionalities began to cluster inside a small number of super-apps. With the public hungry to abandon cash, apps like WeChat were the natural and widespread solution. Most vendors didn’t have existing relationships with payment companies. But they were happy to jump all the way to taking mobile payments—especially since all they needed to do so was a cheap smartphone, not an expensive terminal. China essentially leapfrogged credit cards all the way to mobile payment.

The United States in 2023 is not in that same position. Americans, for the most part, are not newly middle class and unbanked. Americans love credit cards, have deep experience with them, and use them regularly. And the country is filled with an enormous number of financial firms competing at every level—banking services, credit services, payment apps, stock brokerages, and more. Musk’s X will be entering a far more crowded and competitive market for customers who are already using far better and more developed alternatives.

Competitive is the key word there, because there are many Western companies that would have loved to compete with apps such as WeChat. But China’s government long ago banned nearly every non-Chinese alternative to native Chinese apps in areas including social media, video sharing, messaging, news, search, finance, and more. The list of apps banned in China is so extensive that it’s likely faster to point out the few that aren’t banned.

With so much of the competition absent, it was much easier for Chinese apps to dominate many fields at once as Chinese internet adoption skyrocketed. The Chinese government mostly didn’t pick favorites domestically at first—but it kept out foreign competition and let domestic products thrive. Twitter/X doesn’t live in that same world. The U.S. government won’t protect Musk from competition.

One of the ironies in all this is that the window to develop an everything app may be over in China as well, as the Chinese government’s approach to the tech sector has changed. During China’s boom years, the state often took a laissez-faire approach to tech regulation. The Hu Jintao government and even the early Xi Jinping years saw a booming economy, where tech companies were allowed to grow rapidly and dominate markets as long as they cooperated with censorship, handed over information to the government, and paid off the right people. Analyst XiaoFeng Wang explicitly links this flexible environment with WeChat’s growth, saying, “The more flexible regulatory environment in China at the time gave internet companies like Tencent and Alibaba more room to extend to a wide range of businesses. WeChat benefited from that and grew into a super-app.”

But the Chinese government has grown deeply worried about the power of the super-apps, for both good and bad reasons. Any power that does not reside directly in the party’s hands is distrusted at a time when Xi has demanded total party leadership of everything—and the influence and reach of tech companies has been sharply curtailed in the last few years, wiping billions off their value. Chinese regulators were also genuinely worried about the sheer degree of anti-competitive practices. It had become common, for instance, for firms to block links to their competitors’ products. Breaking down those “walled gardens” has become a major part of regulation since 2021.

Building a super-app would be hard in China today—and even harder in the United States or Europe, with their anti-monopoly legislation and political skepticism toward powerful tech companies. Even if Musk’s X could theoretically succeed, it probably wouldn’t be allowed to do so legally.

Yet paradoxically, while regulators raised eyebrows, elements of the Chinese government also welcomed the opportunities that WeChat and other ubiquitous apps offered. Chinese firms exist at the pleasure of the state and are always subordinate partners to it. WeChat’s parent company, Tencent, is well known for collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party in areas large and small, producing sycophantic patriotic games and engaging in widespread censorship and espionage. Foreign Policy has reported that Tencent was even partially funded by the Ministry of State Security in its early days.

These incidents highlight why an app such asWeChat would be permitted to thrive—because it’s useful to the party. In the James C. Scott sense, WeChat increases the legibility of Chinese society. You can’t control what you can’t see, so make sure you can easily see everything. If all of Chinese daily life is funneled through a single portal, it’s that much easier for the party to observe and control lives. Monitoring a single WeChat account could allow police to see an individual’s travel patterns, spending, and social contacts, which is why many dissidents or activists avoid using the app when possible.

Chinese consumers have become more privacy-conscious about the data they hand over to companies—but are hopeless or unaware of the amount of information the government can get from them. Western companies hoping to emulate WeChat not only don’t have the government on their side, but also face a much tougher and more skeptical audience. And in Musk’s case, who—apart from the most ardent of fans—is going to trust him with their money at this point?

WeChat and its counterparts in China grew up in unique, nonrepeatable circumstances. They faced a massive middle class with plenty of cheap smartphones but no traditional banking or credit cards. They were protected from Western competition by the Chinese government. That same government applied a very light regulatory touch as the companies grew, and also encouraged centralization as a way to maintain greater control.

None of those factors exist in the United States today, and Musk’s dream of building the X app for everything is essentially impossible without them. American consumers already have dozens of easy payment choices through credit cards, debit cards, and existing mobile apps. Musk won’t be protected from competition by the government. Instead, he’ll be treated in a more hostile manner by regulators concerned about privacy, monopoly power, and his general history with flouting the law.

Larger and more important tech firms than Twitter—or, as Musk now insists, X—have tried and failed in this area. Meta owns several social networks and several messaging apps, and has tried expanding into areas like marketplaces, video, payments and more. But most of these experiments have failed to reach any sort of scale, and Meta’s successes have come from disaggregating and breaking things apart rather than bundling them together. Google’s Alphabet parent company has succeeded in a wide variety of areas such as search, video, email, payments, and more. But its attempts to build a social network flamed out spectacularly, and like Meta, their biggest successes have come from separated apps and brands, not a singular everything app.

For all its cultural importance and for all that the chattering class is addicted to it, Twitter’s just never been that large. Meta has nearly 4 billion monthly active users across its family of apps. Twitter/X, even if you believe Musk’s suspiciously cropped data, is a bit more than a 10th of that. Meta and Alphabet are orders of magnitude larger and more important than Twitter/X. If they’ve tried and failed to create the everything app, there’s no reason to believe that Musk can succeed.

Musk’s vision for the original X.com impressed Silicon Valley. By 2000, X.com had merged with Confinity, and Musk took over as CEO of the new company. He focused his vision on the global financial nexus, the proto-everything app, despite investor and board skepticism. He pursued that idea maniacally, to the detriment of PayPal/X’s core product of payment by email. He also insisted on branding the company as “X,” despite PayPal’s strong existing brand.

And in less than a year, he was coup’d out of the company and replaced as CEO by Peter Thiel. PayPal was saved as a company because its board ejected Musk. This time around there’s no board that matters except Elon, and there’s no one to save him from himself.

[rx-review]

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[thepastisalreadywritten]

SEOUL, South Korea — In fried-chicken-obsessed South Korea, restaurants serving the nation's favourite fast-food dish dot every street corner.

But Kang Ji-young's establishment brings something a little different to the table: a robot is cooking the chicken.

Eaten at everything from tiny family gatherings to a 10-million-viewer live-streamed "mukbang" -- eating broadcast -- by K-pop star Jungkook of BTS fame, fried chicken is deeply embedded in South Korean culture.

Paired with cold lager and known as "chimaek" -- a portmanteau of the Korean words for chicken and beer -- it is a staple of Seoul's famed baseball-watching experience.

The domestic market -- the world's third largest, after the United States and China -- is worth about seven trillion won ($5.3 billion).

However, labour shortages are starting to bite as South Korea faces a looming demographic disaster due to having the world's lowest birth rate.

Around 54 percent of business owners in the food service sector report problems finding employees, a government survey last year found, with long hours and stressful conditions the likely culprit, according to industry research.

Korean fried chicken is brined and double-fried, which gives it its signature crispy exterior, but the process -- more elaborate than what is typically used by US fast food chains -- creates additional labour and requires extended worker proximity to hot oil.

Enter Kang, a 38-year-old entrepreneur who saw an opportunity to improve the South Korean fried chicken business model and the dish itself.

"The market is huge," Kang told AFP at her Robert Chicken franchise.

Chicken and pork cutlets are the most popular delivery orders in South Korea, and the industry could clearly benefit from more automation "to effectively address labour costs and workforce shortages," she said.

Kang's robot, composed of a simple, flexible mechanical arm, is capable of frying 100 chickens in two hours -- a task that would require around five people and several deep fryers.

But not only does the robot make chicken more efficiently -- it makes it more delicious, says Kang.

"We can now say with confidence that our robot fries better than human beings do," she said.

Investing in 'foodtech'

Already a global cultural powerhouse and major semiconductor exporter, South Korea last year announced plans to plough millions of dollars into a "foodtech" fund to help startups working on high-tech food industry solutions.

Seoul says such innovations could become a "new growth engine," arguing there is huge potential if the country's prowess in advanced robotics and AI technology could be combined with the competitiveness of Korean food classics like kimchi.

South Korea's existing foodtech industry -- including everything from next-day grocery delivery app Market Kurly to AI smart kitchens to a "vegan egg" startup -- is already worth millions, said food science professor Lee Ki-won at Seoul National University.

Even South Korea's Samsung Electronics -- one of the world's biggest tech companies -- is trying to get in on the action, recently launching Samsung Food, an AI-personalised recipe and meal-planning platform, available in eight languages.

Lee predicted South Korea's other major conglomerates are likely to follow Samsung into foodtech.

"Delivering food using electric vehicles or having robots directly provide deliveries within apartment complexes, known as 'metamobility,' could become a part of our daily lives," he said.

"I am confident that within the next 10 years, the food tech industry will transform into the leading sector in South Korea."

'Initially struggled'

Entrepreneur Kang now has 15 robot-made chicken restaurants in South Korea and one branch in Singapore.

During AFP's visit to a Seoul branch, a robot meticulously handled the frying process -- from immersing chicken in oil, flipping it for even cooking, to retrieving it at the perfect level of crispiness, as the irresistible scent of crunchy chicken wafted through the shop.

Many customers remained oblivious to the hard-working robotic cook behind their meal.

Kim Moon-jung, a 54-year-old insurance worker, said she was not sure how a robot would make the chicken differently from a human "but one thing is certain -- it tastes delicious."

The robot can monitor oil temperature and oxidation levels in real time while it fries chicken, ensuring consistent taste and superior hygiene.

When Kang first started her business, she "initially struggled" to see why anyone would use robots rather than human chefs.

"But after developing these technologies, I've come to realise that from a customer's perspective, they're able to enjoy food that is not only cleaner but also tastier," she told AFP.

Her next venture is a tip-free bar in Koreatown in New York City, where the cocktails will feature Korea's soju rice wine and will be made by robots.

Entrepreneur aims to improve South Korea's dish using robot

11 September 2023

[earlblog]

"Collective Empowerment: Engaging with Community Validation in my Blogging Journey"

Before seeking validation from the community, my team formulated three questions for use in the validation process. The three questions are as follows:

1. Would you want a food delivery service here in CMU?

2. Do you like it if your store will be one of our featured shops in our delivery app?

3. Would you give a priority or separate lane for our delivery riders? Hypothesis: My team would like to see if the stores in the market will agree on the questions we ask before continuing with our validation procedure. If not, we would like to find a solution to convince the shops to agree.

Kape Barato was the first shop which my team validated. Ken was the one who asked the survey questions. According to the shop owner, they would agree on a food delivery service for CMU. She also agreed to feature their shop on our website and offered a priority lane for our delivery riders.

Next is i interviewed the owner of Karenderia for up to five minutes. The owner has answered all of my questions in a positive approach. The owner believes that having an online food delivery service allows them to reach more customers and sell more food or products, which significantly boosts sales.

Kenneth Abellar conducted the following interview in Sungkab, a karenderia. Popular in the industry for its unique plating—in which people eat directly from the pot—Sungkab is a well-known restaurant. Also, the owner said she completely agree with the survey's questions.

Also i am starting making website for this project so that i have more time to think on what to put or what design should i use to make the website more attractive, Also to finish the website or application on time. CONCLUSION: Henceforth, we affirm our progression to the next stage of the validation process, involving a more thorough exploration. The team has opted for a commission-based approach for our venture. Drawing inspiration from the local delivery service, Food Panda, our decision aligns with this model. Negotiations for commission rates with the shops will be a key aspect, and our priority is to ensure equitable compensation for our riders.

The insight gained from the validation process emphasizes the importance of allocating more time for thorough validation. The questions posed seemed somewhat incomplete, with only three questions being asked. I am optimistic that our team will improve in subsequent attempts. Most importantly, I appreciate the unity within our team and hope we can successfully navigate and pass this subject. Looking forward to the next opportunity!

[camillasgirl]

Queen Camilla’s Patronages

Royal Voluntary Service (President from 26.11.2012)

We inspire and enable people to give the gift of voluntary service to meet the needs of the day. Through the power of volunteering, we provide one-to-one, group and online services that improve health and wellbeing, resilience, confidence and connections.

No need has been greater since wartime than the COVID-19 pandemic, and Royal Voluntary Service has been the largest single mobiliser of volunteers to support the COVID response. During the pandemic, our volunteers and staff have made a vital contribution, making hundreds of thousands of welfare and companionship phone calls, essential grocery and prescription deliveries, distributed emergency food packs, delivered activity packs to people living with dementia, made garden gate visits, delivered library books and accompanied clients on walks. They have assisted the NHS with medical equipment supply, patient transport and vaccination services.

We also built a new volunteer army for NHS England, the NHS Volunteer Responders, to shield the NHS and provide practical help to the 2.5 million people most at-risk from COVID-19. The programme represents a volunteering revolution, using technology to register, alert and deploy volunteers quickly, wherever needed. Enabled by the GoodSAM app, the programme has created a safety net of on-call support across England. To date, volunteers have responded to over 2 million help requests. High demand continues and the programme has expanded to support the vaccination programme.

Online, we have established the Virtual Village Hall, a popular activity hub and community that connects people and helps them stay active.

Volunteers will play an important role in the COVID recovery and beyond, and we will continue to support people and communities in need, particularly where there are health inequalities and social deprivation. We will also assist NHS hospitals during seasonal pressures.

To support our volunteers we run a full range of fundraising activities that enable them to continue their vital work.

[schrood]

Enjoy the Best Food Delivery App in Australia - Schrood

In a fast-paced world where convenience is king and culinary cravings know no bounds, finding the perfect food delivery app can make all the difference. Enter Schrood - your ultimate gateway to a world of gastronomic delights delivered straight to your doorstep. Join us as we uncover what makes Schrood the Best Food Delivery App in Australia, revolutionizing the way Aussies dine in the comfort of their homes.

The Rise of Food Delivery Apps in Australia

With the advent of technology and the changing landscape of the food industry, food delivery apps have become a staple in the lives of Australians. From busy professionals looking for a quick and easy meal to families craving restaurant-quality fare without the hassle of dining out, Top Food Delivery Apps offer a convenient solution for all.

Introducing Schrood: Redefining Food Delivery in Australia

At the forefront of this culinary revolution is Schrood - a cutting-edge food delivery app that goes beyond just delivering food; it delivers an experience. With a user-friendly interface, a vast selection of restaurants and cuisines, and top-notch customer service, Schrood has quickly earned its reputation as the Best Food Delivery App in Australia.

What Sets Schrood Apart?

Extensive Restaurant Network: Schrood boasts an extensive network of partner restaurants, ranging from local favourites to renowned eateries, ensuring that there's something to satisfy every craving.

Curated Cuisine Selection: Whether you're in the mood for Italian pasta, Japanese sushi, or Australian barbeque, Schrood offers a diverse selection of cuisines curated to cater to every tastebud.

Advanced Search and Filtering Options: With Schrood's advanced search and filtering options, finding the perfect meal is a breeze. Filter by cuisine, dietary preferences, price range, and more to discover exactly what you're looking for.

Real-Time Order Tracking: Say goodbye to uncertainty with Schrood's real-time order tracking feature, allowing you to track your delivery every step of the way and know exactly when your food will arrive.

Secure Payment Options: Schrood prioritizes the safety and security of its users' information, offering secure payment options and encryption protocols to ensure a worry-free ordering experience.

How Schrood Works

Using Schrood is as easy as pie. Simply download the Food Delivery App, browse through the list of restaurants, select your desired meal, customize your order if needed, and proceed to checkout. With just a few taps on your smartphone, you can have restaurant-quality food delivered to your doorstep in no time.

Join the Schrood Revolution Today

Ready to elevate your dining experience with the Best Food Delivery App in Australia? Download Schrood today and embark on a culinary journey like no other. Whether you're craving comfort food, exploring new flavors, or simply looking for a hassle-free dining experience, Schrood has you covered. With Schrood, every meal is an opportunity to savor the flavor and indulge in the best that Australian cuisine has to offer.

[ardhra2000]

What is Zomato & how does it work?

Zomato is one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly apps for finding nearby restaurants and cafés to dine in or to order food online. It also gives menus, reviews, and ratings to acquire factual information on eateries. 

Users can use this information to place orders and enjoy delectable food in the comfort of their own homes. Zomato offers timely delivery to customer's doorstep, a joy for foodies. Customers no longer have to wait in restaurants for hours. 

Zomato is one of the most popular online food delivery systems, with users in nearly 22 countries. On the other hand, Restaurant owners can boost their internet presence by registering with the Zomato app. 

[aventurasdeunatortuga]

Xi’an

It’s already time for my last post from China for this trip.

I’ve been in Xi’an the last few days, in the province of Shaanxi in central China. Xi’an is an enormous city, nowhere near the size of Beijing or Shanghai but definitely a huge city. It is very very hot and dry here. For whatever reason the UV rays are also extremely intense here, every day the weather app has had a warning for extreme UV rays. It really feels like the sun is like a laser whenever you stand directly in it. Definitely missing the coolness of Lijiang now.

Xi’an is hot, fast paced, and very crowded. Everyone is constantly on the move and there are always way more people or vehicles than you ever would have thought possible in any given space. Even to cross the street you had to go into an enormous system of underground tunnels to avoid the traffic in the road, because the traffic never stops.

I think I’ve really been coming to grips with the fact that lack of personal space is a cultural thing here. People have no qualms about pushing, shoving, cutting in line, elbowing, etc. It’s nothing personal, it’s just how things are done here. You really have to stand firm and be assertive when you move or you’re never gonna get anywhere.

The hotel I’m at is a nice oasis from all of this. It’s very serene and my room has Japanese style tatami mats with all the furniture directly on the floor and a Japanese smart toilet which is super fancy. I spent Monday evening and most of Tuesday in my room because traveling at the end of a long trip is exhausting, especially in the heat, and I’ve still got about a week to go. The staff at my hotel is really nice and they even helped me order delivery food Monday night because I wasn’t up to going out to look for something to eat.

On Tuesday evening I ventured out a bit in the evening after it had cooled off. I’ve noticed in general in China things tend to stay open pretty late and the liveliest time of day is between 7pm-11pm, the streets will be very busy and lots will be going on. Even families and young kids will be out and about. I walked by a giant shopping mall and the bell tower and drum tower and ended up on the street referred to here as “Muslim Street”. Xi’an was for a long time a stopover on the Silk Road and there is a large population of Chinese Muslims in Xi’an which in turn has influenced a lot of their typical dishes. There is a large concentration of restaurants run by Chinese Muslims on this street and it has become a very popular walking street and a place for street food. I knew about this street but didn’t realize I had stumbled upon it on Tuesday and was blown away by the sheer size of the crowds there. Almost equivalent to the density of the crowds in Fenghuang but the street itself was enormous and yet still very crowded. I went in a few shops and noticed that every time I went in a shop I was surreptitiously followed the entire time by an employee who was pretending not to be following me around. This happened several times in several different shops so I don’t know if it was because they thought I was stealing or because as the only foreigner they thought I wouldn’t understand what to do and would have questions but it was a weird experience.

I ate a gigantic spiral cut potato on a stick and pomegranate juice and then hid in the dairy aisle of the 7/11 to escape the heat and humidity.

On Wednesday I geared up to go see the Terracotta Warriors. These were made for the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, upon his death in 209 BCE. He believed that if he constructed terracotta versions of his army and horses to keep in his mausoleum he could bring them with him to protect him after death. They were only recently uncovered in the 70s and are still in the process of being excavated because there are so many thousands of them.

I took a shuttle bus from Xi’an about 86 kilometers outside the city to the archeological site. The site sells 3,000 tickets per hour, so you can imagine how crowded it gets. The site is organized into 3 areas called pits. Pit 1 is the largest area. The crowd there was one of the largest I have ever experienced. I’ve only been afraid of being trampled once before, at a music festival in Guanajuato, Mexico. This crowd felt similar to that. I couldn’t control where my body was going, the crowd just kind of pushed me wherever I ended up going. It was all I could do to stay on my feet, let alone see anything. I ended up going out the emergency exit in a panic and then sat on the curb for about 40 minutes to recover. Then I pulled myself together and went to the smaller pits to try and see some things. It did somehow get slightly less crowded throughout the day, but it was still very packed. I managed to see all three pits and even went back to the first one again because I really did want to see everything.

It was very complicated to get back to Xi’an afterwards and so hot. I couldn’t figure out where the shuttle bus was so I had to take public transportation which took about 2.5 hours total to get back to town. Long story short, I was glad to see the terracotta warriors but my goodness was it exhausting.

I found a Starbucks inside a giant mall back in Xi’an to try and recuperate once I got back to town before walking back to my hotel. One thing I love about Asia is the malls. They are generally enormous and have just about everything you can possibly think of, like a small city, but its all air conditioned. I was at the mall for a while and was going to look for something to eat but I was so exhausted and didn’t have the brainpower to figure out how to look for somewhere to eat and translate the menu and order in Chinese; so I went to the McDonald’s purely because they have computerized ordering systems in English where you just click on what you want and scan a QR code to pay and you don’t have to talk to anyone.

Thursday was my last full day in China. I am definitely noticing how exhausted I am. I stayed in bed for most of the morning and ventured out briefly to visit a park at Wild Goose Pagoda and the Xi’an Museum. It ended up being way too hot and crowded and the museum itself was kind of underwhelming, I’m not much of a museum person to begin with and since I couldn’t read any of the signs and don’t know much about the local history it didn’t mean much to me although I’m sure if I knew more it would be really interesting.

I sat on the ground in the museum lobby for 45 minutes to recover from the heat and crowds and went back to my hotel until the evening. I wanted to end my time in China on a positive note despite how cranky I’ve been lately, I had to tried to book a walking tour but couldn’t because I was only one person and there weren’t any other foreigners signing up for tours. I eventually found a place that was offering dinner and a show at a hotel nearby and signed up for it just to get out a bit.

I didn’t understand anything that was going on in the show but it was showing the life of a famous Empress of the Tang Dynasty that was based in Xi’an and had a lot of traditional dancing and music. Xi’an is well known for its dumplings and I got to try a sampler of a dozen different kinds of dumplings which were really good. I ended up being seated next to the only other foreigner, a guy named Stefano from Italy who had just arrived in China that day. He was equally as confused about everything as I was but it was nice to have someone to talk to. He said that apparently this dinner show thing used to only offer shows for foreigners, then they opened it up for Chinese residents as well and it was about 40% foreigners and 60% Chinese people. Post-covid it is now less than 1% foreigners who attend tourist geared things.

Afterwards since it was cooler out I went and saw the old city wall and walked around in the park for a while, then I went back to Muslim street and got some 肉加缪 (roujiamou) a lamb based Chinese version of a hamburger that is a famous street food in Xi’an. I walked back to my hotel and made it just before a huge lightning storm that caused a power outage. It was literally like lightning multiple times a minute for over an hour, it was wild. I ate my food in the dark and reflected on this wild trip.

China has been fascinating. Traveling China mostly alone post-covid has been another level of travel. It has been at once very humbling and very empowering. While it was very difficult to figure out how things worked and to communicate, China is incredibly safe, well organized, and people are incredibly kind. I never once felt in danger during this trip which says a lot. It’s been a real shock feeling like such an outsider all the time for the last month. I have such a deep newfound respect for anyone who immigrates somewhere completely different from their home country, without knowing anyone and without knowing the language or culture. Being on vacation here has been hard enough as an outsider even with all the privilege I have as a white English speaking American.

Going several days at a time not talking to anyone while simultaneously being constantly surrounded by crowds and being stared and pointed at everywhere I go has been such a strange experience, but very eye opening. I’m glad to have had this experience and even though this entire trip was traveling on “hard mode” I feel sad to be leaving right when I feel like I’m starting to figure things out. China has been unlike anywhere else I’ve been before and despite being here a month I’ve barely scratched the surface. I’ll definitely be back.

I’m doing a quick 2.5 day stop in Seoul before heading home, will update again before leaving.

Until then,

[bulksmsbymsgclub]

Verified WhatsApp For Restaurants, Hotels & Cafe’s

WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp Business API, Verified WhatsApp

In the restaurant business, it’s all about convenience, speed, and quality. You have already won half the battle if you can find a customer support avenue that guarantees these three. This is the rationale behind the creation of a brand-new WhatsApp meal ordering and delivery system.

It’s a wise move for your F&B business to try to reach out on platforms that your customers already frequently use. It facilitates relationships and creates a channel that serves as both a marketing tool and a channel for customer assistance. One such tool that can assist you in achieving all these without significantly depleting your money is WhatsApp Business for restaurants.

On your Android or iPhone, you can download WhatsApp Business without charge. To reach your intended customers, just register a business account and fill it out with pertinent information (such as contact information, your company’s name, and logo, opening hours, etc.). This service can be very helpful to small Businesses.

The opportunity: How WhatsApp Business can revolutionize your restaurant operations through AI

An app like WhatsApp has limitless market potential. WhatsApp is used by more than two billion people worldwide. Within a year of its 2018 launch, WhatsApp Business had amassed more than five million subscribers. 

This is a very well-liked method of accessing services, scheduling appointments, ordering home delivery, and other things in the current market. Restaurants may make good use of these related traits. You can guarantee quicker customer service and more reach by allowing WhatsApp ordering at your restaurant.

You provide clients with a simple way to contact you with WhatsApp Business for restaurants so they can place orders, reserve tables, plan events, and contact you with any questions or issues. This can greatly benefit your local business and expand your customer base.

The issue WhatsApp Business can address

Due to rising competition, business owners of restaurants and home delivery services are seeking strategies to expand their customer base without spending a lot of money on advertising. Given that more users now prefer to order takeaway, this is now more crucial. 

Research by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association found that 24% of Gen-Z and 21% of millennials each order home delivery three to four times each week. The post-pandemic world is, to put it mildly, much more on-demand friendly.

Additionally, because they run on-demand or with a tiny staff, small businesses cannot afford to invest in advertising, billboards, or even outside food delivery services.

Such enterprises require a low-cost avenue to:

Promote their goods

Performing service deliveries

Actively interact with consumers

broadcasting offers and availability

The tools that WhatsApp for small businesses offers enable users to perform all these tasks and more. 

Conversational AI is the solution.

A platform that provides the following can help restaurant businesses with their reachability issue:

automated customer service and problem solving

Lead generation and conversion

interaction with customers using their preferred medium

CSAT (customer satisfaction) and NPS (net promoter score) improvement

Personalized and prompt customer service

Affordable and widely accessible service

Learn more about why: Why is Everyone Talking about WhatsApp Chatbots for Food Tech?

One of the most popular apps in the world is WhatsApp. WhatsApp is used by 96% of all smartphone users in India alone. For a sizable portion of people in nations like the US, UAE, etc., WhatsApp is the main platform for online communication. As a result, it is a fantastic marketing tool for restaurant owners.

If a customer can get food and drinks through WhatsApp, they are more likely to do so than if they had to call a business and deal with waiting times or network problems.

Restaurants’ WhatsApp Business use cases

In just a few seconds, WhatsApp Business links companies with potential clients. It moves customer service beyond making an online purchase and has effectively supplanted antiquated methods like calling in orders.

This is the best route a company can offer its clients for tailored responses, requests, and query resolutions.

We will trace a customer’s path through a restaurant company’ sales funnel using the use cases that follow. 

1. Generate, evaluate, and qualify leads quickly for smoother online-ordering 

Lead generation is the first stage in every sales funnel. In the online restaurant sector, conversion cycles are frequently brief and quick. As a result, it’s critical for restaurants to review and validate leads as soon as possible customers present themselves.

Once a client messages your company on WhatsApp, you can get their name and phone number. additional information, including location, preferences, and email ID. You can also direct customers to WhatsApp and increase your lead generation by including a “click to chat” link on your website or in your ads.

After the initial message, you can chat with the client via the WhatsApp API for 24 hours. After that, you’ll need the customer’s opt-in consent to continue talking to them. 

2. Quickly respond to inquiries during the ordering process or afterward

People who are hungry want answers now, please!

That is what an AI chatbot for WhatsApp can achieve! They could inquire about the location of your restaurant, the menu, the services, the return procedures, and the customization possibilities.

While assisting customers with placing food orders on WhatsApp, you can instantly respond to these questions.

3. Immediately acknowledge and validate placed orders

After addressing the FAQs, placing orders is the next step. The procedure for placing an order should be straightforward and comprise as few stages as feasible. This keeps the customer’s interaction light and enjoyable.

If this stage has too many obstacles, the customer can decide not to place an order from your restaurant.

Making an order also involves submitting requests for things like event and table reservations. There must be a customized response for each request.

4. Enable quick payment for orders from your users.

Recently, WhatsApp unveiled its payment tool, which your users can also use for companies. As an alternative, you can address any problems customers might be having paying for the order while simultaneously pointing them to additional payment alternatives over WhatsApp. For streamlined checkouts, you can link a variety of payment gateways with your chatbot.

Here’s how to seamlessly accept payments by integrating Platform with MsgClub.

5. Provide them with order tracking in real-time to ease their minds.

The importance of delivery updates in ensuring a good customer experience cannot be overstated. When the food is ready for delivery, providing an estimated time of arrival, and communicating the delivery person’s contact information are all necessary steps. You may also use a WhatsApp chatbot and the WhatsApp API to send automatic push alerts for the same.

6. Bad food? Inaccurate items? Refunds and returns that have been validated

Refunds and returns play a significant role in the restaurant business as well. The customer must have a platform to ask for returns or refunds if they decide they don’t like the food or run into other issues.

You may arrange returns, start refunds, and take additional actions to help a dissatisfied customer using WhatsApp Business.

7. Your user loved a dish or a restaurant? Let them place repeat orders

Your customers can order their preferred items from their preferred eateries. Giving your users discounts and vouchers is one way to thank them for their loyalty. This may encourage them to make more frequent orders from you.

By allowing users to gain discounts through a slot machine game each time they finish placing an order from one location, for instance, Swiggy recently made food ordering much more involved and exciting. Users are drawn back to their service to place more orders thanks to a sizable 30% discount on the following order.

8. “How did your order go?” Gather comments and ratings

The gathering of client feedback improves the customer experience. As soon as a sale is over, make sure to quickly gather feedback over WhatsApp so that your customers are more inclined to submit their most recent feedback. Your customers are more likely to reply to requests for feedback on WhatsApp than on SMS or emails because more people use chat apps.

9. How did the food delivery go? Encourage your users to recommend their friends

Having a satisfied stomach encourages positive word of mouth.

You can urge clients to tell their friends and family about your company. According to research, if a friend recommends a new restaurant, consumers are four times more likely to try it.

10. Discover what your users enjoy by gathering customer information.

The meal delivery option for WhatsApp Business makes long-term customer information collection simpler. This also holds true for clients who may have recently changed their phone number or other contact information.

Only from MsgClub, your all-in-one WhatsApp chatbot for your restaurant business

So it turns out there are a tonne of things a WhatsApp chatbot can do for your restaurant! A capable WhatsApp chatbot delivers a wide range of functions that can automate and expedite the majority of your customer communication, from accepting orders to making payments.

At MsgClub, we work hard to maintain a high standard when it comes to providing your clients with positive support experiences. We are an authorized WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, therefore we know exactly what it takes to launch your company on WhatsApp successfully. We’d like to provide you access to our free in-depth guide to WhatsApp customer support to give you a head start.

[mariacallous]

A small group of protesters stand on the side of a roundabout opposite Brussels’ oak-framed Europa building, which is glowing in the dark. Despite the heavy rain, the group is here to direct their anger at the politicians, who are inside, deciding the future of Europe’s gig economy. In case their chants can’t be heard over the noise of passing traffic, the demonstrators have also printed their message onto a banner. It reads: “Don’t Let Uber Make the Law.”

Among the crowd are Camille Peeters, Marcus Haunold, and Felipe Corredor. The three men work for different companies and live in different countries—in Belgium, Austria, and Spain, respectively. But their experiences working as couriers for some of Europe’s most popular food delivery platforms have led them to the same conclusion. Platforms are taking advantage of their workers, they claim, and now those same companies are attempting to sabotage new rules that were supposed to fix the gig economy’s problems.

“Something has to change, because the current situation is really bad for most platform workers,” says Haunold, who has spent the past five years working for Foodora in Vienna, a food delivery app owned by Berlin-based Delivery Hero. As a “free employee,” a special category of worker in Austria, he is entitled to paid sick leave only after three days of being ill, and he does not receive holiday allowance. He says he’s finding it increasingly difficult to make a living in the gig economy, and in the past year he has started working for a second platform, a delivery service called Wolt, to make ends meet. (Alexander Gaied, chief operating officer at Foodora Austria, disputes the claim that conditions on the platform are getting worse and says riders’ pay per hour has increased 10 percent since January.)

When EU officials first suggested new rules to regulate the gig economy two years ago, Haunold was hopeful that his job was about to change for the better. Negotiations between EU officials over what exactly those rules, known as the Platform Work Directive, should include have been beset by infighting. Trade unionists and labor activists say that’s because the debate has been heavily influenced by Uber.

“I'm very worried,” says Leïla Chaibi, a French member of the European Parliament representing the Left group, who attended the protest. “Uber is using all the tools they can use in order to destroy the directive.”

Uber spokesperson Casper Nixon did not directly address allegations the company is trying to sabotage the rules, which are still being finalized. “The Platform Work Directive as drafted might cost genuine independent [workers] their protections, jobs and flexibility,” he says. “Like any company, we regularly engage with European policymakers to share our experiences and position on regulation that impacts our business, drivers, couriers, and consumers.”

By 2025, the EU predicts more than 40 million of its residents will work for digital platforms, carrying out tasks such as food delivery, taxi driving, babysitting, caring for the elderly, or data entry. That will make the number of people in the platform labor force larger than the population of Poland, the EU’s fifth-largest country. The new EU platform work rules were intended to better balance the interests of platforms and workers by setting clear guidelines on the use of algorithmic managers, as well as the gig economy’s most contentious issue: workers’ employment status. Right now, millions of platform workers exist in a legal gray area, where it is unclear if they are employees, who are entitled to sick pay and pensions, or if they’re self-employed free agents, who are not.

But recently, any optimism that the new rules could offer more certainty has soured. Unions and activist groups representing platform workers are wary of Uber’s influence because the company’s lobbying has been successful before. In California, voters endorsed a 2020 ballot measure that maintained ride-hailing drivers’ status as independent contractors, after a coalition of companies, including Uber, ran a $200 million campaign in support of the measure. Last year, The Guardian and Le Monde reported that Uber forged close ties with French president Emmanuel Macron while he was economy minister, in order to navigate the strong resistance by local taxi drivers and break into the French market. Nixon, Uber’s spokesperson, claims the company’s “engagement” with Macron was not followed by more favorable regulations.

Now platform workers are concerned that Uber is about to repeat past lobbying success in the EU by shaping the new platform work rules. “The lobby has been mega-intense, especially Uber,” says Kim Van Sparrentak, a Dutch Green member of the European Parliament (MEP), who is responsible for monitoring the new platform work rules for her party. “They have lobbied as much as they could to try to avoid this legislation being useful,” says Van Sparrentak, who has been in the room during the negotiations. “Sometimes it feels like you’re negotiating with tech companies rather than member states.”

Both Van Sparrentak and Chaibi say that arguments put forward by Uber—particularly that a directive that automatically classifies platform workers as employees would threaten jobs—have been repeated by other MEPs and representatives of the European Council.

Under EU transparency rules, companies need to declare their lobbying budget. In 2022, Uber’s budget was between €700,000 and €799,999 ($760,300 to $869,300). Since 2019, the company has declared 10 meetings with the EU Commission about the directive and another 10 with MEPs, according to data shared with WIRED by Transparency International EU (TIEU).

WIRED and TIEU analysis found another 30 meetings focused on platform work since 2019, which had taken place between MEPs or Commission officials and organizations that are allowed to lobby on Uber’s behalf. Like many companies, Uber is a member of several lobbying groups, including BusinessEurope and MoveEU. Information in the French lobby register also showed that Uber has been discussing the directive with the highest level of the French government. Representatives of France in the EU did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

“Uber is the 404th-biggest spender in Brussels, and it pales in comparison to other organizations involved in the [Platform Work Directive] debate,” Nixon says.

It’s true that the Transparency Register does not make it seem like Uber is doing huge amounts of lobbying, says Chaibi, the French MEP. “They're doing a lot of lobbying but using other tools.”

This includes funding research and advertising. Chaibi points to a 2021 study on platform work by the consulting firm Accenture, which states it was commissioned by Uber. Another study by consultancy Copenhagen Economics was commissioned the same year by Delivery Platforms Europe, a lobbying group that counts UberEats among its members. Uber was also among a group of five companies that signed a letter published by the Financial Times in June that argued the EU’s platform regulation was taking the wrong approach.

Uber has also been funneling money into online ads. In September, the platform started running a series of Instagram adverts in Belgium, promoting the company’s positive impact on Europe’s economy, according to Meta’s ad library. “Uber provides benefits—parental leave, sick pay, injury cover and more—to all eligible European drivers and couriers,” one ad read, glossing over the debate about who exactly is eligible. “Myths fuel misunderstandings about Uber’s mission and business practices, so it’s time we shared the facts,” read another.

“Our advertising campaign simply puts certified facts about the company in the public domain,” says Uber spokesperson Nixon. “Uber supports a strong and enforceable directive that ensures platform workers maintain the independence they want and receive the protections they deserve, such as minimum wage, holiday and sick pay.”

What’s at stake for Uber with the new rules is the employment classification of its Uber drivers and UberEats couriers. “Classification is the entry point into the whole range of protections, everything from protection against unfair dismissal, through to sick leave, through to parental or maternity leave, through to discrimination protection,” says Jeremias Adams-Prassl, a law professor at the University of Oxford. “That's why you can also see the attraction of misclassifying workers. If you misclassify individuals, you can try to avoid all of those obligations.”

Officials are divided about how platform workers should be classified. Many MEPs favor rules that would presume all platform workers are employees—unless the platforms can prove otherwise. But some representatives of EU member states, sitting in the European Council, prefer a system where workers first have to prove they meet a number of criteria before they can challenge their employment status. That’s because member states worry that if the rules are too strict, platforms would respond by shrinking their platform workforce, says Ludovic Voet, confederal secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation. “Some of these countries don't want to confront a business model that might push people out of employment statistics.” Four months after Spain introduced its rider’s law, which mandated that delivery couriers should be considered staff, Deliveroo closed its operations in the country entirely.

Platform workers worry that member states would struggle to enforce whatever new rules the EU passes. Standing in the rain in Brussels, Peeters explains he has worked for UberEats in the city for the past six years. In January, new rules took effect in Belgium that were meant to make it easier for platform workers to be classified as employees. “You know what’s changed? Nothing,” says Peeters. “The price I pay for rent is going up. The price I pay for food is going up. But my [employment] status has stayed the same.” Nixon says Uber complies with all applicable laws wherever it operates. “In Belgium we provide all independent drivers and couriers with free injury, sickness and paternity cover.”

In Spain, the “riders law” has been criticized in some quarters for being ineffective. “The biggest company there, Glovo, is not fulfilling this law for years and years with total impunity,” claims Corredor, who worked as a Deliveroo courier in Spain between 2016 and 2017 and is now an activist for the platform workers group Riders x Derechos. The point of Spain’s riders law was also to force platforms to classify more of their workers as employees. Instead of doing that, Glovo tweaked many of their couriers’ work terms so they could still be classified as independent, according to Corredor. “We are confident that our operating model in Spain, launched in August 2021, meets all regulatory requirements,” says Felix Eggert, spokesperson for Glovo.

For Corredor, this is all part of a bigger battle, where platform workers are battling to fight for the basic rights—minimum wage and maximum working hours—that exist in the rest of the economy. “This is [the platforms’] strategy, using the discourse of innovation and technology to take out these rights,” he claims. “I think this is very problematic.”