Get the appA free app developed through University of Tasmania research is aiming to help people prepare for bushfires. Most natural-hazard apps focus on what is happening during an emergency, while fewer than one in five help people get ready beforehand.
JustWatch Group has launched its own streaming service, JustWatch TV, which its executives say will help viewers find films and series across platforms. JustWatch SVP Quentin Carbonell said the service has a few hundred titles across its tiers, and 30 content partners, including Paramount and New Regency, with more planned. The group says the service will also feed its advertising business by providing deeper audience data for its film marketing campaigns. JustWatch TV aims to reach 100 million monthly users in the years to come, Carbonell said.
A new food delivery app called Olo has launched on Android and iOS, promising to avoid the menu markups common on larger platforms. Founder and CEO Noah Glass says restaurants pay commissions of 20 to 30 percent to marketplaces and often raise prices to cover them. On Olo, restaurants charge the same menu price posted in store, and the app charges a flat 5 percent service fee. Users still pay a delivery fee. The app launches with 250 brands and shows no sponsored listings. Olo also operates behind the scenes, processing orders for restaurants through their digital menus.
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Get the appTruganina social worker Ya Ker Pa has launched Hatsch Life Simulator, a free app that lets young adults aged 18 and over explore everyday situations and see the results of their choices. The app grew from his work in youth mental health counselling and mentoring across Melbourne's west. He has also written a workbook called 100 Situations Nobody Prepared You For. Ya Ker says the resources are educational rather than therapy and remain anonymous. A free ten-situation sample of the workbook is available online.
An anonymous group of five Newcastle entrepreneurs has launched Rangr Dangr, a website that lets users warn each other about parking rangers. The platform launched on 7 October and thousands have signed up within 10 days. An app is due to be available to download this weekend. Users pin where they have parked and can report rangers nearby, receiving an alert with the approximate street and their distance from their car. One founder, Jane, said a parking fine that cost $144 prompted the idea.
Canberrans are invited to test their knowledge on local trivia, including emergency codes at the Canberra Hospital and the duration of the bogong moth season. The interactive quiz, featuring 10 questions, covers a range of topics from natural phenomena to geographical queries. Participants can challenge themselves and share their results online. The initiative aims to engage the community while providing local news and information. It also acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and commits to reconciliation efforts.
Meta has launched its Muse assistant as a dedicated iPad app, just a month after its mobile debut. The app, which has topped 6.6 million installs, allows users to connect accounts for tasks like booking reservations and ordering groceries. New connectors for small businesses and retail partners have also been added, though the technology can still face issues with websites blocking access.