Come and Get Me

Austin's newest delivery service combines everything you love about Favor and Uber

Get Me, a brand-new app blending delivery and ride-sharing services, in Austin.

There are a plethora of delivery and ride-sharing apps available in Austin, but a new Texas-based startup offers the best of both services in one simple app.

Get Me, which launched in Austin on Thursday, is a multipurpose app that acts as a one-stop shop for a variety of offerings. A cross between Favor and Uber, Get Me not only connects you to "Go-Getters" who deliver items, but also picks you up at in-town locations.

"Rather than having all of those different apps, you have one app that's a personal concierge at the touch of a button," says Derek Dunlop, Get Me board advisor and senior product director. "We can basically do anything."

"You can do everything from one location," echoes Co-founder Jonathan Laramy.

The app is divided in two sections: "something" or "somewhere" (which also happens to be the company's slogan). "Something" can be as simple as coffee or as complicated as a grocery run. Users choose from pre-loaded stores or customize their order depending on the need. If you'd like to get "somewhere," you can specify the size of vehicle needed and a Go-Getter will pick you up.

Get Me rates reflect time of day and distance, and are outlined by zones centered around your location. The charge for a delivery or ride might be a little higher than competitors' price tags, but the company promises there are no hidden fees or surge pricing.

Get Me services are available in the greater Austin area, including the majority of Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties. The app is already operating in Dallas, where the company is based. "[In Dallas] it's about 60 percent deliveries and 40 percent rides. And it's not specifically food items," notes Laramy.

In addition to providing Austinites with much-needed services, the company also aims to promote the local economy. A Go-Getter job with Get Me is above minimum wage and boasts insurance coverage, and participating stores and restaurants are paid upon purchase.

"We want the consumer, the merchant, and the driver to have the best experience," says Laramy.

With a defined focus, Get Me is poised for major success. It's the only app of its kind operating in the United States and is rolling out to new markets in record time. In addition to Dallas and Austin, Get Me will launch in Houston this month. An introduction to Las Vegas is scheduled for November, and the company already has its eyes on the international market for next year.

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Ahead of ACL Music Fest, Get Me is hosting several hiring pop-ups for drivers at Aussie's Grill & Beach Bar. For more information on how to be a "Go-Getter," visit the company's Facebook page.

transportation apps

SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts

Come and Get Me

Austin's newest delivery service combines everything you love about Favor and Uber

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Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

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