When Google first showed off its robot phone-calling technology, Duplex, back at its annual software conference in May, it not only riveted the crowd at the event but raised the eyebrows of privacy advocates who wanted to know more about robot disclosure and Google’s plans to record phone calls. So this week, Google tried for a do-over: it gave media outlets (including WIRED) a closer look at the Duplex technology, how it works, and how the company believes it will help small businesses. Turns out, Mike has some strong feelings about Duplex. Lauren also got to try duping the Duplex robot; results were mixed.

And if you’re not into using phone-calling robots to handle your awkward conversations for you, but you do love the idea of hiding behind emoji, you’re in luck: On this week’s Gadget Lab podcast, Arielle talks about how researchers are looking at the deeper meaning behind our usage of emoji.

Some notes: You can read WIRED’s latest story on Google Duplex here, which is a dispatch from a hummus shop right in the heart of the Uncanny Valley, er, Silicon Valley. Also, check out Arielle’s report from the International Workshop on Emoji Understanding. It was [fire emoji].

Recommendations this week: Arielle recommends this riveting New York Times interactive on how to survive in Venezuela when your money is worthless. Mike recommends Dronecast, a podcast that is not about drones – well, not the unmanned aerial vehicle kind. It’s a podcast that consists of hour-long, monotonous sounds, like “blank cassette played at half speeds.” Lauren recommends “This Week in Nope”, a smart, funny, and irreverent podcast about the news each week.

Send the Gadget Lab hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes is @pardesoteric. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys.

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