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    App Delivers Almost Everything

    New innovative app service delivers just about anything you want to your front door

    Nikki Ndukwe
    Nikki Ndukwe
    Jan 31, 2015 | 1:08 pm

    Hey Houston, your life is about to get easier with a new service that will bring you just anything you want, because now, there’s an app for that.

    The Austin-based delivery app Favor and its personable runners have arrived in Houston. Favor is a service that allows users to order a host of items for delivery through a shiny, user-friendly app.

    “The app features the most popular places around you, but, unlike most services, you can request anything you need,” co-founder Zac Maurais tells CultureMap.

    While trendy foodies will love this new app, Favor is not only for the hungry Houstonians. If you need someone to pick up your dry cleaning, just enter it in and it will be delivered to you by a friendly blue tuxedo-shirted runner.

    If you're in need of something other than food delivered to you, simply tap the "Essentials" tab and options like CVS, Petco, and even the Apple store pop up. If those stores aren't to your liking, simply type in the name and Favor will bring it right to you. Sorry, though, alcohol can't be delivered at this time.

    “The app is as simple as possible. It features the most popular places around you, but, unlike most services, you can request anything you need. Your options aren't limited to just the places that we partner with,” Favor co-founder Zac Maurais tells CultureMap.

    College buddies and former pizza delivery guys Maurais and Ben Doherty launched the service in Austin in 2013 and have expanded it to three cities. “We wanted to create something where you could order, pay for the transaction, and have someone else pick it up for you, all done through an app,” Maurais says.

    Favor thrives on the unique rapport created between the runners and the app’s users. Runners are like personal assistants who keep up constant communication, making the experience a positive and memorable one, Maurais says.

    Favor boasts a cashless and simple payment method, with a $6 delivery fee plus 5 percent of the total cost of the item and tip to the runner, all done through the app. For your first time, the $6 fee will be waived with the code “CLUTCH.”

    The average delivery time is 35 minutes, but times can vary depending on demand, traffic and restaurant wait times. We always keep you posted on the status of your order, via push notifications and texts from your runner.

    For now, the service is limited to Rice Village, Midtown, Downtown, River Oaks, Galleria and Medical Center areas from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. As the app continues to grow, the owners plan to expand to more areas of Houston.

    Maurais says the vibrant millennial population is what attracted Favor to expand to cities like Austin, Boston, Dallas, and now Houston. “We’re excited to be in Houston. It's a service that people are really going to value here because nothing like this has ever existed before," he says.

    New Favor app brings innovative delivery service to Houston.

    Favor app brings new delivery service to Houston.
    Photo courtesy of Favor
    New Favor app brings innovative delivery service to Houston.
    unspecified
    news/innovation

    flexible learning

    4 Houston-area universities have the best online degree programs in U.S.

    Amber Heckler
    Jan 28, 2026 | 3:00 pm
    Rice University
    Rice University/Facebook
    Getting your degree doesn't mean having to go to class in-person.

    Four Houston-area universities have earned well-deserved recognition in U.S. News & World Report's just-released rankings of the Best Online Programs for 2026.

    The annual rankings offer insight into the best American universities for students seeking a flexible and affordable way to attain a higher education. In the 2026 edition, U.S. News analyzed nearly 1,850 online programs for bachelor's degrees and seven master's degree disciplines: MBA, business (non-MBA), criminal justice, education, engineering, information technology, and nursing.

    Many of these local schools are also high achievers in U.S. News' separate rankings of the best grad schools.

    Rice University tied with Texas A&M University in College Station for the No. 3 best online master's in information technology program in the U.S., and its online MBA program ranked No. 21 nationally.

    The online master's in nursing program at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston was the highest performing master's nursing degree in Texas, and it ranked No. 19 nationally.

    Three different programs at The University of Houston were ranked among the top 100 nationwide:
    • No. 18 – Best online master's in education
    • No. 59 – Best online master's in business (non-MBA)
    • No. 89 – Best online bachelor's program
    The University of Houston's Clear Lake campus ranked No. 65 nationally for its online master's in education program.

    "Online education continues to be a vital path for professionals, parents, and service members seeking to advance their careers and broaden their knowledge with necessary flexibility," said U.S. News education managing editor LaMont Jones in a press release. "The 2026 Best Online Programs rankings are an essential tool for prospective students, providing rigorous, independent analysis to help them choose a high-quality program that aligns with their personal and professional goals."

    A little farther outside Houston, two more universities – Sam Houston State University in Huntsville and Texas A&M University in College Station – stood out for their online degree programs.

    Sam Houston State University

    • No. 5 – Best online master's in criminal justice
    • No. 30 – Best online master's in information technology
    • No. 36 – Best online master's in education
    • No. 77 – Best online bachelor's program
    • No. 96 – Best online master's in business (non-MBA)
    Texas A&M University
    • No. 3 – Best online master's in information technology (tied with Rice)
    • No. 3 – Best online master's in business (non-MBA)
    • No. 8 – Best online master's in education
    • No. 9 – Best online master's in engineering
    • No. 11 – Best online bachelor's program
    universitiesus news & world reportrankingshoustonrice universityuniversity of houston
    news/innovation
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