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Weird Wide Web: Transparent computer, one night stands and a terrifying dog robot

All of your essential tech and social media news for the week in one byte-sized portion.

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

Futuristic computer of the week

This week, TED fellow Jihna Lee unveiled a transparent 3D computer called SpaceTop, that allows you to reach inside to manipulate the content, BBC reports. Users type and control the content on the screen from behind it with cameras tracking hand movement and facial movement. Behold, the future.

(Video: Jinha Lee/Youtube)

App of the week

Here’s a new idea. Forget your traditional alarm clock. This new dating app will allow you to wake up every day with a new person. The cleverly named App Night Stand lets you arrange a virtual one night stand with another person, it sets an alarm and wakes you both up at the same time, Buzzfeed reports. When you wake up, it shows a little picture of your two faces together in bed and then you have the choice of talking or just doing a runner. Charming.

(Images: App Night Stand)

Terrifying robot of the week

The army research laboratory Boston Dynamics have built a very unnerving, dog-like robot that can fling cinder blocks across a room while marching, Gizmodo reports. At first it was just designed to walk across uneven terrain but now it has an extra arm to pick things up and throw them at you.

(Video: BostonDynamics/Youtube)

Emoji gadget of the week


(Video: TeleSound/Vimeo)

Here’s another nifty way to annoy your friends and family. TeleSound is a cute little device that connects to your smartphone or tablet and plays the sounds of emojis when people send them to each other. Send kissy sounds to a lover, fart sounds to your friends and dog noises to freak out everyone’s cats. The possibilities are endless…

(Image: TeleSound)

Read all previous Weird Wide Webs>

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7 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe O' Connor
    Favourite Joe O' Connor
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    Mar 3rd 2013, 11:39 AM

    What if you get virtual pregnant?

    50
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    Mute Gaa Nut
    Favourite Gaa Nut
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    Mar 3rd 2013, 11:48 AM

    Virtual child support and children’s allowance. Although I hear they’re lookin at cutting it

    55
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute 242 Dollars
    Favourite 242 Dollars
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    Mar 3rd 2013, 12:30 PM

    As scary as a robotic dog throwing a brick is, I’m still a bit more freaked out by the thousands of flying robots that are currently blowing up cars and buildings. But that’s just me.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Burke
    Favourite Michael Burke
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    Mar 3rd 2013, 12:02 PM

    Big Dog by Boston Dynamics is the scariest possibility in AI technology. Those who think the film ‘Terminator’ was a fantasy story are in for a rude awakening.

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Foskin
    Favourite Seamus Foskin
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    Mar 3rd 2013, 5:22 PM

    Big dog is simply designed to carry stuff, its not really that big of a deal. you might as well be afraid of you own car as be afraid of big dog. both have operates and are incapable of being ran without them

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute pagan
    Favourite pagan
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    Mar 3rd 2013, 2:57 PM

    That robot is cool.Maybe its a prototype for an airport baggage handler.

    13
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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
    Favourite Mary Kavanagh
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    Mar 3rd 2013, 2:13 PM

    That robot looks more like a horse. It even sounds like a horse, mo.
    Lol, the pedictive text on my phone came up with the word Bramley as an alternative for horse! Go figure!

    5
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