Weird Wide Web: Google Glass, Twitter torture and a beer-dispensing arcade game

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.

Google contest of the week

This week, Google launched a contest to let regular Joe Soaps like you lot try out their fancy Google Glass. All you have to do is tell them what you would do with the gadget, using just 50 words, pictures and some video if you like.

Some of their suggestions include:

Taking a slightly terrifying photo of a child like this one…

Doing your grocery shopping in a foreign language…

Or let your friends see what you see. Tip: Don’t wear them in the loo.

(All images: Google)

Twitter torture method of the week

This week Twitter implemented its plan to reduce the number of characters available in each tweet by two when users include a link, the Telegraph reported. Twitter said this new link wrapper system allows it to protect the service from malicious websites. So next time you use a link, keep it snappy.

Beer-dispensing arcade game of the week

No, we’re not joking. Someone has finally made it happen. Beercade is the first beer-dispensing arcade game. Two players battle to the death and the winner has their cup filled with the sweet barley filled nectar. Unfortunately, for now, only one of them has been made with Big Boss Brewing intending to take it along to charity and fund-raising events and use it as a promotional tool so people can try their beer in a more creative way, Gizmag reported.

So close, yet so far away. Enjoy their excellent promotional video anyway, the ‘butt slap’ made us giggle.

(Video: McKinneyDurham/Youtube)

Chinese hacker invasion of the week

A new report from Mandiant has shown that China’s most prolific cyber espionage group is likely government-sponsored. It also found that it has systematically stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organisations and focuses on compromising organisations across a range of industries in English-speaking countries.

This video shows an attacker “conducting computer network espionage activities”. It’s strangely captivating, even if most of the jargon goes over your head.

(Video: MandiantCorp/YouTube)

Self driving car of the week

“Look Mom, no hands!”

The smarties in Oxford have created a car that can drive itself. The robo-car is controlled by an iPad on the dashboard and the car acts just like a plane on auto-pilot, Euronews reported. We’re going to be honest – it makes us nervous.

(Video: MobileRoboticsOxford/Youtube)