Thursday Buzz: The New Uber Button

Uber wants to make it easier to hitch a ride—and both you and your event attendees could benefit.

The ride-requesting application is now looking to expand its mobile footprint  (opens in a new tab) with the launch of a new Uber button for app developers.

“By adding the button next to every address or ‘intent to ride’ in your app, your users will be able to tap to instantly get a ride to the hotel, restaurant, movie theater or any other destination you specify,” wrote Chris Saad, product manager for Uber API and strategic partnerships, in a blog post  (opens in a new tab).

The new approach expands on Uber’s existing API strategy  (opens in a new tab), which already links with Google Maps  (opens in a new tab), among others. Its primary competitor, Lyft, uses a similar strategy—and sports support from from Slack  (opens in a new tab) and PayPal  (opens in a new tab).

The integration could also prove to be a revenue stream for developers, as Uber offers $5 for each new rider received. (Hey, they’re going to the hotel anyway, right?)

“This will help you offer a differentiated feature for your users, provide a magical experience for riders and even earn additional revenue [for] your business,” Saad said.

Could this be an option for event, meeting, or association apps? It’s a possibility.

Travel on

After the recent Paris attacks, the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) found itself locking horns with legislators over potential changes to the visa waiver program. Legislators say that stronger terrorism defenses need to take precedence. USTA says the efforts are too rash and could hurt a program that is extremely beneficial for the U.S. economy.

While USTA largely has shied away from backing more aggressive legislation on the issue, it did this week find a White House plan to reform visa waivers  (opens in a new tab) more palatable.

“The American travel community continues to be amenable to enhancements to the visa waiver program,” USTA President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement  (opens in a new tab). “Travel cannot thrive without security, and even the most successful programs should be continually evaluated and updated to reflect the ever-evolving security landscape.”

Dow added that USTA is supportive of a bill proposed by Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI)  (opens in a new tab) that would remove a country’s visa-waiver status based on information-sharing concerns.

A Few More Links

Time’s going by so fast! But there are ways to slow things down … Kristin Wong at Lifehacker shares  (opens in a new tab) a strategy that allows you to do just that.

Learn from Slack. The messaging platform is Inc.’s Company of the Year—and it doesn’t even have a salesperson. Read Jeff Bercovici’s feature  (opens in a new tab) on the rising company.

Things can get a bit hectic. Are there a million things going on in your workplace? Elizabeth Grace Saunders at Fast Company offers seven ways  (opens in a new tab) to focus in a crazy busy space.

(Handout photo)