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This S.F. engineer wants to make it easier to park in the city, with a free app

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This S.F. engineer wants to make it easier to park in the city, with a free app


Parking can be difficult in San Francisco neighborhoods like the Excelsior. But an engineer who lives in the city wants to make it easier with an app to help people park.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle

Anyone who has parked in San Francisco knows that each street presents myriad possible ways to get a ticket.

There are loading zones. Two- and four-hour restrictions. Scheduled street cleanings. Sprawling construction sites. Red “daylit” curbs to make crosswalks more visible. Hills where curbing wheels is mandatory.

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Frustrated by the whole complex puzzle of rules and hard-to-read signs, a software engineer is cobbling an app to make them more legible. His invention, called “Ticketless,” would automatically detect when and where people have parked, and send notifications if they risk receiving a citation.

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“I feel like a lot of people need this,” engineer Abdullah Zahid said of the app, which he hopes to unveil within the next few weeks. A resident of the Outer Richmond, Zahid has learned to navigate all the landmines of parking in San Francisco, including the regular 9 a.m. cleanings on his block. He knows the agony of circling for 20 minutes to find that one elusive parking spot at 6 p.m. in the Mission District, only to walk half a block and see a sign warning not to park there.

Abdullah Zahid has created an app called “Ticketless” which would automatically detect when and where people have parked in San Francisco.

Abdullah Zahid has created an app called “Ticketless” which would automatically detect when and where people have parked in San Francisco.

Courtesy Abdullah Zahid

When Zahid advertised the concept on Reddit, his post went viral. As of Monday, Ticketless had roughly 1,000 people on a waiting list. 

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He is among a group of tech-savvy do-gooders — and pranksters — who are mining data from San Francisco’s public websites and trying to make it more accessible to regular people. Another such innovator, Patrick McCabe, developed an app called SolveSF, which uses artificial intelligence to ease the process of filing reports to the city’s 311 system. 

City leaders do not always welcome these creations. When North Beach software engineer Riley Walz rolled out an app to track city parking officers in real time, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency quickly cut off the data source. 

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But Zahid’s mission seems to align with that of the SFMTA, in that he wants to help people park legally and safely, perhaps saving them from a colossally expensive mistake, or the headache of retrieving a car from a tow yard.

“Our ultimate goal for parking enforcement is compliance, and we welcome creative ideas if it means bringing safe and helpful reminders on how to properly park,” a spokesperson for SFMTA said in a statement, which included the agency’s own guide on legal parking. SFMTA declined to comment on the app specifically, without knowing precisely how it uses public data.

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Abdullah Zahid’s app “Ticketless” would send notifications to people if their parked cars risk receiving a citation.

Abdullah Zahid’s app “Ticketless” would send notifications to people if their parked cars risk receiving a citation.

Courtesy Abdullah Zahid

Zahid’s model largely relies on the city portal DataSF, combined with smart algorithms to decipher when and where people have parked, once they share their location. The app then cross-checks the parking spot with local regulations, determines when the driver has to move, and provides push alerts two hours in advance.

“There are no user accounts, no premium features, no in-app purchases,” Zahid said. “I’m not trying to monetize this. I think it should be free for everyone.”

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At present, he has the app configured to find hourly restrictions, tow-away zones and commercial loading. He’d still like to make it more granular, possibly reminding people to turn their wheels on a sloped street, or recognizing the exact point where a red zone ends. 

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Maybe he’ll add those features in the next version.



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George Kittle used bottle of tequila to deal with devastating Achilles injury

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George Kittle used bottle of tequila to deal with devastating Achilles injury


San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle finished a bottle of top-shelf tequila after tearing his Achilles in the 49ers’ eventual 23-19 wild-card victory in Philadelphia Sunday night, according to The Athletic.

Kittle, who popped his Achilles in the second quarter, requested it after the injury, and a San Francisco employee was seen delivering a bottle of Patron to the 49ers’ locker room.

The bottle reportedly was sent from the owners’ suite at Lincoln Financial Field.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is carted off the field after an injury during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, January 11, 2026, in Philadelphia. AP

49ers owner Jed York personally visited Kittle in the locker room and asked if he could get him anything — and that’s when the bottle of tequila was delivered a few minutes later, according to The San Francisco Standard.

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Kittle was pushed out of bounds on a 6-yard reception and immediately grabbed his leg.

The All-Pro tight end was carted off the field and hobbled on one leg into the locker room, as seen in videos online.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) looks on during warmups prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

He was ruled out for the rest of the game.

York and Kittle’s wife, Claire Kittle, both appeared visibly somber as they entered the locker room, according to The Athletic.

The Niners were the underdogs heading into the wild-card clash with the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles.

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San Francisco was already down two key players in defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) and linebacker Fred Warner (ankle).

The Eagles’ offense was a mess.

They committed four drops on third down, the most in a playoff game since 2006, per ESPN stats.

The 49ers visit the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in an NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday.

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49ers Show ‘Resiliency’ in Upset Victory, Thanks to LFG Winner Demarcus Robinson

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49ers Show ‘Resiliency’ in Upset Victory, Thanks to LFG Winner Demarcus Robinson


The San Francisco 49ers suffered another devastating injury on Sunday. But, thanks to a strong supporting cast, they found a way to prevail once again.

San Francisco pulled off the biggest playoff upset so far in what’s been a wild wild-card round, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19, on the road. Unheralded wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was a major reason behind Sunday’s upset as he hauled in six receptions for a game-high 111 yards and a touchdown en route to winning Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game.

When Robinson spoke with Brady after the game, it didn’t take long for him to find the one word to describe the 49ers. 

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“If it was one word, I’d say resiliency. Resilient,” Robinson said of his team. “These guys play with resiliency. We’ve got a lot of injuries throughout the year. Even tonight, like you said, losing Kittle, guys stepped up and knew they had to make plays. That’s what we were able to do today, go out and make plays.”

Sunday’s victory also came in comeback fashion for the Niners, who rallied from a 16-10 fourth-quarter deficit despite losing tight end George Kittle in the first half to a torn Achilles.

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: 49ers WR Demarcus Robinson 🏆

Robinson’s resiliency was on full display on the 49ers’ opening possession. He turned an intermediate pass from Brock Purdy over the middle into a 61-yard gain, zigzagging through the Eagles’ secondary on his way to Philly’s 16-yard line. He then caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to end the drive.

There was possibly no greater sign of the team’s resiliency, however, than the play that gave them a 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. After their offense seemed stuck in the mud for most of the game, the 49ers found the end zone when wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey on a trick play.

Robinson was just one of a few supporting characters who contributed to the 49ers’ win. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk had a season-high four receptions for 49 yards, making a pair of big grabs that helped set up touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Defensively, linebacker Garret Wallow had a game-high 11 total tackles after recording just nine total tackles in the regular season. 

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The 49ers’ top player in McCaffrey also showed his resilience in the win. McCaffrey turned 21 touches into 114 yards and two touchdowns, with the second TD coming via a 4-yard grab with 2:54 remaining to give the 49ers a decisive 23-19 lead.

“I think the guys are just playing with resiliency, man,” Robinson said of his team. “Everybody knew what we had at stake. Everybody came out there and did their part. So, that helped us get the dub.”

The injury to Kittle was his second serious injury of the season after he missed time earlier in the year due to a hamstring tear. San Francisco has also seen some of its other stars get sidelined for the majority of the year, such as edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.

Warner could potentially return later in the postseason, but another key piece in wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who missed Sunday’s game, remains in limbo as he battles a knee injury. Of course, Purdy missed time this year due to shoulder and toe injuries that cost him eight games.

Despite all of that, the 49ers will now move on to play for a spot in the NFC Championship Game when they take on the Seahawks in Seattle next weekend. They nearly hosted the divisional round game, but lost to the Seahawks at home, 13-3, in the regular-season finale to give Seattle the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed. 

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Robinson is optimistic, however, that there will be a different result this time around. 

“Hopefully, we get the dub, obviously,” Robinson said. “We’ve just got to lock in, man. We’ve got to lock in and put more points on the board than we did last week at home. Just put more points on the board. The defense played lights out tonight. Hopefully, we keep playing that same way, man, and it leads to more dubs.”

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Philadelphia Eagles-San Francisco 49ers: Picks, odds for NFC Wild Card

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Philadelphia Eagles-San Francisco 49ers: Picks, odds for NFC Wild Card


The San Francisco 49ers (12-5) visit the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for a Wild Card round showdown as the NFL playoffs get underway. USA TODAY’s panel of NFL experts have locked in their picks and predictions for the action. Here’s everything you need to know before kickoff on Sunday, January 11, including live updated odds and injury report news.

Name Week 18 2025 Season
Blake Schuster 11-5 141-111-7
Jon Hoefling 11-5 137-128-7
Tyler Dragon 6-10 128-137-7
Chris Bumbaca 7-9 115-121-6
Lorenzo Reyes 8-8 119-131-6
Jordan Mendoza 8-8 113-123-6
Richard Morin N/A 47-34-3

Eagles vs. 49ers live odds, moneyline, over/under

Opening Lines

  • Spread: Eagles (-3.5)
  • Moneyline: Eagles (-190), 49ers (+155)
  • Over/Under: 46.5

Get the edge with our exclusive NFL betting picks

Eagles vs. 49ers picks against the spread

Jon Hoefling: San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

The Eagles feel like a lesser version of the Seattle Seahawks, and SF had several opportunities to win against Seattle in Week 18.

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Tyler Dragon: Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

San Francisco has too many injuries. The 49ers will compete, but the Eagles are the best team in the tournament.

Lorenzo Reyes: San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

This season, it was San Francisco’s defense that let it down. The lack of a pass rush and lack of turnovers kept games closer. The thing is, Philadelphia’s offense was also underwhelming, which was surprising given the talent on the roster. I think this is a case where the Niner offense carries the day, though injuries on defense are a concern. Either way, this line feels too big.

Christopher Bumbaca: Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

This is a “go with the best unit on the field” play. The one I’m talking about? The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. Kyle Shanahan vs. Vic Fangio should be a treat though.

Jordan Mendoza: San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

The defending champions have been up-and-down this season, and that gives San Francisco to catch the Eagles off guard. Brock Purdy finds his form to deliver a stunner.

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Blake Schuster: Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

All San Francisco had to do was beat Seattle in Week 18 and it wouldn’t have had to leave home once during the postseason. Now the Niners have to go to Philly and face an Eagles team that’s probably furious after their season finale letdown. The Bay is about to experience some intense whiplash.

Eagles vs. 49ers updated injury report

NFL Playoffs Wild Card picks, predictions, odds

Super Bowl 60 updated odds



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