WELCOME TO THE Weird Wide Web – where we take a look at the week’s best offerings in tech and social media news.

Earthquake predicting app of the week

Scientists in California have created an app that can help to predict earthquakes using an accelerometer that acts as a basic seismometer to detect vibrations from the quakes, The Telegraph reports. The one kink in the plan is figuring out how to make the smartphone differentiate between these vibrations and normal movement.

Dog translator of the week

Researchers have been looking at ways to design a wearable computer for dogs to help them communicate with their handlers,MIT Technology Review reported. It would mainly be aimed at guide dogs or police dogs – ‘dogs with jobs’ as we like to call them – allowing them to activate sensors on a vest they wear to send a verbal message to their human.

“Oh hai, how may I transfer your call?” (Image: Shutterstock)

Vision gadget of the week

(Image: Seeing With Sound)

This James Bond-like piece of hardware translates video information into sound representations enabling blind people to see through sonar, Gizmodo reports. While the gadget currently uses spy glasses, users can also download the software to their smartphone and use its camera instead.

New Google app of the week

On Wednesday, Google launched its new Google Maps app, which aims to make it easier for you to find places to eat, drink, sleep and shop in your area as well as having new features to help you navigate around traffic. The company launched it with this snazzy video to show you how much better and more exciting your life will be if you use it:

(Google Maps/YouTube)

Procrastination of the week

We all love a bit of Brickbreaker, but as Buzzfeed put it this week, this version is like it “did a whole bunch of drugs and is fun again”. There are games within the bricks within the game you’re playing. Mindblowing. Go on, give it a shot.