Morning, friends, hope you had a nice weekend. A few things happened in techland, so let’s get up to speed.
1. Providoor is back, baby
It’s been a rough year for grocery delivery apps in Australia, with MilkRun announcing it was closing down, online marketplace for high-end restaurants and food, Providoor, closing its doors, and Boozebud also shuttering its alcohol delivery service. Before this, lesser-known competitors, like Voly, Quicko and Send all folded. But now, the AFR is reporting Providoor will return in a new incarnation as a celebrity chef meal home-delivery business after a serial entrepreneur bought the assets off administrators. The report said the brand will re-emerge on Monday after Sam Benjamin, who runs Sydney-based Seventh Street Ventures, scooped up the concept’s name and customer roster.
2. Holder of the first U.S. software patent passes
The New York Times delivered a kind eulogy to Martin Goetz, the holder of the first U.S. software patent, who died at 93. Per The Verge, Goetz was awarded a patent for data-sorting software in 1968, after a three-year fight with the U.S. Patent Office over whether software could even be patented.
3. Discord tries to create a safer places for kids to hang
Discord has revealed Teen Safety Assist, a new safety initiative to promote a safer environment for younger users to hang out in. The initiative includes default enabled safety features for teenagers on the app, such as proactive filters and alerts. “As great as all of these amazing updates to Discord are, none of this matters if you don’t feel safe on Discord,” the company said in a blog post. Teen Safety Assist will officially roll out this week. Read more here.
4. The Vision Pro is close
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is planning to bring some retail store employees to its home in Cupertino, California, in early 2024 to learn about the Vision Pro headset ahead of the device’s launch. MacRumors has the details of the internal memo that reads, “Selected team members will travel and participate in an event in Cupertino, California, at some point in the first months of 2024. Upon returning to their home store, they’ll deliver training and ongoing support to store team members. This is a group opportunity for those who have a deep passion for demonstrating Apple products and teaching others“. Seems like a launch is imminent.
5. A new plane for Australia Post
Australia Post has this morning announced adding a new freighter to its fleet. Operated in partnership with Qantas Freight, the newly converted A330-200P2F aircraft, AusPost said, doubles the volume of its largest current freighter. Providing 130 tonnes of capacity each night, initially the new freighter will operate between the east coast and Perth, carrying StarTrack and Express Post parcels. Australia Post said the new freighter will reduce its aircraft emissions by replacing a B737F and producing 42 per cent less carbon emissions per kilogram of cargo than the B737F.
BONUS ITEM: How good is software gore.
Have a fabulous day.
Image: Australia Post