Snapchat’s latest update wants to make it harder for you to close the app once you’ve started Snapping.

A new addition, called “Context Cards,” integrates several platforms — like OpenTable, TripAdvisor, FourSquare, Michelin, and Goop — to allow users to coordinate their day directly through Snapchat.

If you’re friend posts a pic of some taco noshing, you can click the geotag and, if the restaurant has a Context Card, get information on the spot: its hours, reviews, phone number and location. Instead of jumping out of Snapchat, users can secure a ride — using Uber or Lyft — to the restaurant, or save a reservation for later. If another friend posts a Story from Thailand and you’re feeling like you’ve missed out, TripAdvisor will let you book directly from Snapchat.

Also Read: You Can Now Watch Instagram Stories on Your Desktop Computer

As Snap’s blog puts it: “With Context Cards, Snaps have become the visual starting point for learning more about the world, empowering our community to get more information about anything that catches their eye.”

From a user experience, the update makes it easier for Snapchatters to toggle back and forth between apps (first world problem). And from a business perspective, it’s another cunning move by Snap. The Venice, Calif.-based company has been working to increase user engagement on its app while it builds out its advertising arm. Snap Maps, which lets users scope out their friends and news based on location, has upped engagement by 40 percent since it was introduced this summer, according to Axios. And I can’t forget the dancing hot dog, which CEO Evan Spiegel called the world’s “first augmented reality superstar.” It’s been viewed more than 1.5 billion times (and that’s no typo).

Now, by adding several functions directly to its app, it incentivizes Snapchatters to stay in the app — and interact with its ads more. Check out the new feature in the quick video below.

Also Read: Snapchat to Push Original Scripted Content by 2018

6 Tech Giants Shaking Up News, From Jeff Bezos to Laurene Powell Jobs (Photos)

Tech leaders are increasingly intertwined with the news business. While some want to support old properties, one set out to destroy a new one. Here they are.
Jeff Bezos – Washington Post

The Amazon founder purchased the Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million in cash. President Trump has called the paper the “Amazon Washington Post.”

Also Read: Important Update: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Isn’t World’s Richest Person Anymore
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Chris Hughes - The New Republic

The Facebook co-founder purchased The New Republic in 2012, becoming executive chairman and publisher. However, he sold the venerable political magazine to Win McCormack in 2016, saying he "underestimated the difficulty of transitioning an old and traditional institution into a digital media company in today’s quickly evolving climate."

Also Read: NY Post Roasts Trump White House With Epic Cover, Evokes CBS’ ‘Survivor’ (Photo)
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Pierre Omidyar - The Intercept

The eBay founder is a well-known philanthropist who created First Look Media, a journalism venture behind The Intercept. Inspired by Edward Snowden's leaks. Omidyar teamed up with journalists Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill and Laura Poitras to launch the website “dedicated to the kind of reporting those disclosures required: fearless, adversarial journalism.”

Also Read: Former Intercept Journalist Arrested for Bomb Threats on Jewish Sites
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Peter Thiel

The PayPal co-founder doesn’t own a news organization, but he makes this list because he essentially ended one -- Gawker -- proving once again the power of an angry billionaire. Thiel secretly bankrolled Hulk Hogan’s sex-tape lawsuit against Gawker Media because he was upset that the website once outed him as gay. Hogan won the defamation lawsuit against the site that sent its parent company into bankruptcy, and Gawker.com is no longer operating.

Also Read: Gawker Media to Sell Flagship Site, Hulk Hogan to Receive 45 Percent of Proceeds
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Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook

OK, so Facebook isn’t technically a news organization… yet. However, the company is preparing to launch its much-anticipated lineup of original content later this summer, and there are also signs that it's on the verge of becoming an even bigger media platform.

Campbell Brown, Head of News Partnerships at Facebook, confirmed last week it’s developing a subscription service for publishers willing to post articles directly to Facebook Instant Articles, rather than their native websites.

Also Read: 3 Ways Facebook Can Jump Into the News Business
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Tech is increasingly intertwined with news, for better or worse

Tech leaders are increasingly intertwined with the news business. While some want to support old properties, one set out to destroy a new one. Here they are.

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