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Uber will use Foursquare data so you can type in location names

You'll no longer have to know the addresses of restaurants and other destinations, thanks to a new partnership between the companies.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
Shara Tibken
Uber logo on a smartphone.

Uber will now use Foursquare data to make it easier for riders and drivers to find the names of destinations.

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The days of looking up addresses for destinations before entering them in Uber may be over.

Foursquare on Wednesday said it's supplying "Points of Interest" data to Uber in a global, multiyear agreement, letting the ride-share company know the names and locations of restaurants, local businesses and other destinations. What that means is you won't have to look up the addresses of places you want to go but instead can simply type the name in the destination box.

Emil Michael, Uber's chief business officer, called the "breadth and accuracy" of Foursquare's location data "impressive" and said in the Foursquare post that "with the ability to customize location data, we can make the user experience even better for Uber riders and drivers around the globe."

Uber said in a post on its own site that Foursquare's data also will help with products like its food delivery service, UberEats, and its delivery service, UberRush. "For example, if you're a driver picking up food for delivery, you might naturally go to the front of the business, but the order might be waiting for you at the back door," Uber said. "By customizing Foursquare's POI data, it will be easier for Uber drivers to identify the right pickup and drop-off locations in many different situations."