Hasta La Gadget!

Facebook is launching a new advertising test feature that will allow advertisers and marketers to bring ads straight to your Facebook newsfeed. The new test feature is part of Facebook Exchange, Facebook’s way of allowing businesses to cater there ads to people based on their online browsing history. The test feature will be rolled out to a small alpha group at first, and will expand over the next few weeks.

The new service will be an add-on to Facebook’s current Page post link ads. Facebook has clarified that while it will be introducing ads directly to users’ newsfeeds, it won’t increase the total number of ads that appear on their page. As of right now, the new newsfeed ads will only appear on the desktop version of Facebook, and the mobile version should be seeing the changes sometime in the near future.

There are only a small set of Demand Side Platforms (DSPs) that Facebook will be working with at first. They include TellApart, MediaMath, and Nanigans, however more DSPs and advertisers will get their chance to take a shot at the service in the near future. While this new service will be an annoyance to many Facebook users, it will be extremely beneficial to both Facebook and businesses.

Facebook users aren’t going to be left out in the cold however. Facebook users should be receiving Facebook’s new newsfeed and timeline (a love/hate relationship) that should bring a nice, cleaner user interface to the social network. Facebook has also implemented conversation threads onto Facebook Pages so that people can carry out much more organized conversations and debates. There are a lot of new changes coming to Facebook soon, and we may probably hear about more new Facebook features soon. Stay tuned.

[via Facebook]

Facebook brings ads straight to your newsfeed is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week the 2014 Buick LaCrosse has been shown for the first time at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, complete with a suite of design and technology innovations you’ll do well to adore. This vehicle has been designed from start to finish to be a luxurious ride, starting with a new interior design that continues the success of this long-lasting sedan line and bringing with it a set of advanced safety and in-car connectivity technologies. There’s also a special Ultra Luxury Interior Package you’ll want to take a look at if you want to go above the fold.

With this full-size LaCrosse you’ll be working with Buick’s next-generation integration of IntelliLink, their infotainment system for entertainment and voice-activated control of your vehicle. You’ll have a newly upgraded, even more intuitive than in past iterations, user interface and control, complete with natural voice recognition – speak as you normally would! This vehicle also works with a collection of camera-based safety features including:

• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Lane Change Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Forward Collision Alert
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Automatic Collision Preparation

These features each work with GM’s patented Safety Alert Seat – that’s a vibration from the seat from the direction of a potential crash threat. Quite helpful when you need more than a half-moment’s notice of impending doom.

This vehicle has been enhanced with some fabulous new design cues both inside and out, starting with new front and rear styling – signature wing-shaped LED daytime running lamps as well as LED wraparound tail lamps are in place to, as they say, “complement [the 2014 LaCrosse’] sculpted exterior design.” Inside you’ll find new seats, a redesigned central instrument panel and console, and enhanced materials used throughout.

The Ultra Luxury Interior Package is one you may be lusting after. Included is a sangria seating color, ebony accents, all work semi-aniline leather (both seats and trim), with Shadow Tamo Ash wood decor. This package’s semi-aniline leather covers the seats, console armrest, door armrests, and is complemented with a bit of synthetic suede in both the headliner and door pillars. This color and material combination is exclusive to the LaCrosse and this Ultra Luxury package.

The Buick 2014 LaCrosse is being offered in front-wheel-drive as well as all-wheel-drive models and will have two powertrain options available. The first is a 2.4L engine with eAssist light electrification technology. The second is a 3.6L engine with direct-injected V-6. Both models are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and both will have Adaptive Cruise Control available as well. With Adaptive Cruise Control, the system is able to sense traffic in front of the vehicle and adjust vehicle speed in real time, stopping the vehicle when traffic is especially heavy, and accelerating when traffic becomes light once again.

The details will continue here on SlashGear as we see more of the 2014 Buick LaCrosse at the New York International Auto Show 2013. We’ll be seeing more IntelliLink, more of the innards and surroundings of this and other Buick vehicles – and whatever else you’d like us to check out! Have a peek at our Car Hub for more information, and stick to the New York Auto Show 2013 tag portal as well!

Buick 2014 LaCrosse official with IntelliLink and Ultra Luxury options is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This life-size replica of James Bond’s remote mine from GoldenEye 007 was made by Thingiverse member Quiche, ComradeQuiche. The mine has blinking LEDs that you can toggle on and off as well as magnets so you can mount it just like its counterpart, fictional counterpart.

In his original guide, which he posted on Instructables a couple of years ago, Comradequiche used the base of an old joystick as the mine’s case. He did that to make his replica more accurate – the remote mine prop used in the movie GoldenEye was also partly made of an old PC joystick. But because the joystick is no longer in production, Comradequiche decided to make a 3D template for the mine’s housing.

Here’s a quick demo of the replica:

Head to ComradeQuiche’s Thingiverse page for his updated guide as well as the files you need to print the case. If you don’t have access to a 3D printer, you can also buy the 3D printed components from ComradeQuiche. He’s not selling a fully assembled unit though.

[via Geekologie]

These sand sculptures were prepared as part of this year’s Hollywood-themed Weston-Super-Mare Sand Sculpture festival on March 26, 2013 in Weston-Super-Mare, England. All week, 20 award-winning sand sculptors from across the globe are working to create sand sculptures that include odes to Harry Potter, Marilyn Monroe and characters from the Star Wars films as part of the town’s very own movie themed festival on the beach. More »

We’ve been hearing a lot about motion tracking as of late, the Leap Motion being the most popular device that is making its way to the public. However, a new mechanism is looking to gain some ground and has popped up on Kickstarter. The DUO 3D sensor claims to be the “world’s first and only DIY 3D sensing solution.”

The DUO 3D sensor is open source, meaning that you can do anything with it that you please. It comes with open hardware plans, and you can get it in kit form where you assemble it or you can get fully assembled devices. The drivers and SDK are also open source, so there’s quite a bit that you can do with it right off the bat.

The company even claims that the sensor is practically plug-in-play, where you just plug it in, download the necessary software, and start playing around with it “within minutes.” From the video itself, the DUO looks to be extremely accurate, tracking fingers with every slight move. From the looks of it so far, it’ll definitely give the Leap Motion a run for its money.

The “DIY” portion comes into play with the open source hardware blueprints that you can purchase (or “back” in this case). The hardware plans will provide you with everything you need, but it’ll be up to you to get the parts and assemble it. However, you can modify the plans however you wish and truly make it your own.

Pledging $10 gets you the SDK, while $20 will get you the hardware plans, as well as the SDK. $40 will get you everything previously, as well as a custom-molded case for your 3D sensor. $140 will get you a fully-assembled kit, while $110 will score you all the parts you need to assemble it yourself.

DUO 3D sensor shows up on Kickstarter, claims that “anyone can build” it is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.