From a dog translation kit to a comedy club charging per laugh, technology took us in some strange directions during 2014. In this brave new world of toilet renting apps, hacked smart fridges and emailed NASA wrenches, we celebrate the weirdest news of the year.

NASA emails astronaut a wrench for Christmas

Astronauts on the International Space Station have used a 3D printer to create a new wrench, after Nasa emailed them instructions.

The power of a bad review: Couple fined for TripAdvisor comments

The owners of the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool are reportedly about to refund a £100 “fine” issued to a couple who described it on TripAdvisor as a “stinking hovel”.

Digital Doctor Doolittle: Talk to your dog with wearable tech

Ever wanted to talk to the animals? A new wearable harness has brought man’s best friend even closer, letting dogs communicate with humans via digital technology.

No joke: Comedy club charges per laugh via facial recognition

Forget pay per click, how about pay per cackle? In a new digital take on admission fees, a comedy club in Barcelona is using facial recognition software to charge per laugh, rather than per show.
Watch this case study here:

Microsoft creates room-based gaming technology

Microsoft has revealed a prototype gaming system that turns any room into an interactive, augmented reality display.
Watch a demo video showing Room Alive here:

Robot brain ‘learns from the internet’

Artificial intelligence took another step forward this week, with the unveileing of a robot brain that learns to deal with new problems by accessing the cloud.
Watch this presentation, demonstrating how the robo brain works:

“Give us your dough”: Hackers hold Dominos Pizza to ransom

Dominos Pizza has become the latest victim of a hack attack for their French and Belgian sites, with the perpetrators demanding a ransom of €30,000 or they will expose their customers address (and their favourite toppings).

Lavatory logistics: ‘Rent your toilet’ app goes live for Mardi Gras

A new app making a splash at this years New Orleans Mardi Gras lets people rent out their bathrooms to local party-goers- in a bid to tackle to problem of public urination at the festival.

Lush mocks Amazon with cosmetics range named after boss

Ethical cosmetics range Lush has used a new shower gel to mock Amazon UK boss Christopher North after winning a High Court battle to stop the online giant selling “misleading” products that were made to look like Lush items.

Smart fridge and gadgets hacked for first time

A fridge has been discovered sending out spam, following a web attack that compromised a vast array of compromise smart gadgets, marking a new threat to the much-hyped ‘Internet of Things’.

Can money buy love? Tinder lets users pay to ‘undo’ mistaken rejections

Tinder is introducing a new feature that lets its users undo any mistakes they make when swiping through the popular dating app… provided they pay.