The USPS just received a little boost, thanks to Facebook.
The social network is going old school to combat fake advertisements, with Facebook planning on sending postcards to verify the U.S. location of users who want to advertise for the upcoming midterm elections.
According to Reuters, each postcard will have a specific code tied to certain candidates running for federal office. However, these mailers won’t be sent for issue-based political ads.
Facebook’s decision comes after the company has been criticized for moving slowly to combat the spread of disinformation during the 2016 election. On Friday, special counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment showed the disinformation campaign started in 2014, with Kremlin-tied Russian agents using fake identities to set up Facebook pages like “Secured Borders” and “Army of Jesus” to reach users. Russian trolls leveraged the platform to hit 126 million Americans with fake content, Colin Stretch, Facebook’s general counsel, told Congress last fall.
After Stretch’s testimony, CEO Mark Zuckerberg vowed that he and the company were “dead serious” about curbing the issue. The postcard maneuver follows the company’s other new measures, including adding a “paid for by” tag on election ads to give users background info on who is funding the content.
8 Eye-Popping Gadgets at CES 2018, From Storytelling Robots to Augmented Reality Glasses (Photos)
Tech companies have gathered at CES in Las Vegas to show off their newest gadgets for 2018. From Samsung's massive 146' TV to the first fingerprint sensor smartphone, check out what has caught our eye so far.
Vivo
Samsung has taken the big screen to a whole new level. "The Wall" is literally bigger than most walls, coming in at 146' wide. The picture is just as eye-catching, with its MicroLED display representing a major step up from the LED screens found on most TVs. If you're looking to cover your living room wall with "The Wall," it's coming out sometime in 2018, although the company hasn't put even a ballpark price tag on it yet.
TheWrap
Rokid's AR Glasses highlight the main reason TheWrap continues to be bullish on AR compared to VR. In short: functionality. Throw on a pair of these wi-fi enabled glasses, look someone in the face, and you'll be hit with their social media profiles and contact information. It's a bit Terminator-esque. The glasses, manufactured out of San Diego, will be arriving later in 2018. Rokid wouldn't put a price on it, yet, but said it'll be "competitive" with VR headsets like Oculus, which run for roughly $400.
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Dolls are out, robots are in. That's what AvatarMind wants parents to believe, at least. The China-based company was showing off its three-foot robot, aimed as a 21st century educational toy for kids. The bot will sing lullabies and read stories, among other features. They'll cost around $1,600 to $2,000 when they come out in the U.S. later this year.
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Samsung and Apple lost the race to fingerprint sensors to Vivo. The Chinese smartphone maker has put th scanner right on the front of its unnamed phone. Similar to signing in at the gym, simply place your finger on a blue dot at the bottom of your locked screen, and it'll open up. It's the first smartphone to integrate the tech.
VIvo
XYZ's 3D Da Vinci printer shows you can make nearly anything in minutes... even a bust of President Trump, if you want.
Getty Images
Sony is showing off its three new "extra bass" SRS speakers, running between $100 and $250. The Bluetooth-enabled speakers have 24-hours of battery life.
Sony
Japan-based Omron's electronic censors can mirror human movement by building an artificial intelligence-powered ping-pong partner. Unfortunately, you can't buy this for practicing in your basement. But the global company's tech is being used at U.S. companies like Tesla, where it helps assemble its cars.
TheWrap
Saving the adult content for last. Mashable recently pointed out porn accounts for 60 percent of the top virtual reality sites, and the industry is now betting on augmented reality as well. Naughty America, a San Diego-based studio, is displaying an upcoming AR app that'll allow fans to superimpose themselves right next to their favorites adult performers.
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The first fingerprint sensor-enabled smartphone is also on display
Tech companies have gathered at CES in Las Vegas to show off their newest gadgets for 2018. From Samsung's massive 146' TV to the first fingerprint sensor smartphone, check out what has caught our eye so far.
Vivo
TheWrap
