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Weird Wide Web: Emotional robots, attractive video chats and online dating for the elderly

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.

Emotional robot of the week

This ‘human-like’ robot can read people’s emotions and understand their feelings. Pepper uses voice and emotion recognition and then uploads the data to a cloud system to help it learn to act more naturally.

ソフトバンク(SoftBank) / YouTube

Attractive video chat of the week

This app photoshops your face and then lets you appear that way in video chats with others, TechCrunch reports. You have the option of slimming down, making your eyes pop or showing up like a skeleton, if that’s what you’re into.

Looksery Looksery

Selfie phone of the week

dog selfie image dog selfie image

It was reported by @evleaks this week that HTC is planning to launch the ultimate selfie phone which is likely to have a high quality front-facing camera.

Dating site for the elderly of the week

Don’t grimace – old people need love too. Stitch is a new dating service that ams to provide ‘companionship’ rather then quick hook-ups like some other dating apps, Mashable reports. The site says it’s on a mission to “eradicate social isolation for mature adults” and we think that’s very noble.

elderly couple image elderly couple image

Read previous Weird Wide Webs>

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9 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan
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    May 1st 2025, 6:08 PM

    Is that so Ted.

    182
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    Mute Jack Dermody
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    May 1st 2025, 10:59 PM

    @Alan: This will cause havoc at u14s this year

    30
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    Mute ben wu
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    May 1st 2025, 6:18 PM

    Not like honesty, morals, ethics, facts or anything resembling being legal is needed for the role. If anything, those are detrimental.

    137
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    Mute Athena
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    May 2nd 2025, 5:37 AM

    @ben wu: Oh no, he’ll have to return 12 months of pension payment received so ..

    12
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    Mute RP McGuinness
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    May 1st 2025, 6:10 PM

    He sounds perfect for the gig.

    107
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    Mute Sickof thisshit
    Favourite Sickof thisshit
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    May 1st 2025, 6:59 PM

    Sounds like he needs to go to confession.

    90
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    Mute Mary.E.
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    May 1st 2025, 11:29 PM

    @Sickof thisshit:
    He could even apply for a job in the W.H.Got the right credentials.

    7
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    Mute Kjg
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    May 1st 2025, 6:52 PM

    Perfect fit. They love to fabricate

    68
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    Mute Trevor Hoyden
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    May 1st 2025, 6:25 PM

    Sounds dodgy, considering the Catholic church’s past

    74
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    Mute Me Me
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    May 1st 2025, 6:30 PM

    When Brian Kerr was youth manager of Ireland he came across this scenario, where in certain countries the birth date is virtually forgotten and all documents give the date on which the birth was REGISTERED! So it wasn’t uncommon for 3 or 4 people on a team to have the same ‘birth date’ as that was the day the government official passed through the area to register recent births.

    42
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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    May 1st 2025, 7:03 PM

    @Me Me: I heard that no Kerry young fella back in the day ,the Girleens now I’m sure ,but none ever born on January 1st ,amazing must be the air ,ah they consoled themselves with an extra year minor.

    8
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    Mute Chx8mYUb
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    May 1st 2025, 8:09 PM

    It’s a little white lie , not a cardinal sin .

    55
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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    May 1st 2025, 7:41 PM

    it’s mad ted !

    48
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    Mute Frank Foley
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    May 1st 2025, 6:17 PM

    I hope RTE show the conclave on live TV, it’s very exciting to see what colour of smoke comes out, and when the white smoke comes out it brings so much happiness to all that we have a new Pope.

    35
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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    May 2nd 2025, 10:35 AM

    @Frank Foley: I’m extremely concerned whoever gets it will be younger than me ,that will take some dealing with …

    2
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    Mute Johnny King
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    May 1st 2025, 8:15 PM

    Burkino Faso really rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? Might as well call your country midi operati suplex or something

    19
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    Mute Minnie Mouse
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    May 1st 2025, 10:48 PM

    @Johnny King: What a truly supercilious comment. Did your brain overheat when thinking it up?

    12
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    Mute John Duggan
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    May 1st 2025, 10:35 PM

    sure i might have a go myself
    21 again and err… actually no,
    i think ill stay where i’m at.

    7
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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    May 2nd 2025, 7:02 AM

    And yet the ffg entitled wasters bend the everything to facilitate , the vile behaviour of the perverted

    7
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    Mute Hunt Ley
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    May 2nd 2025, 5:59 AM

    I’m not surprised.

    4
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