Software measures people’s emotions online

Technology scientists claim they have created world-first software that can measure how people express a wide range of emotions online.

The Belfast-based experts say their internet gauge can detect 24 specific emotions, from trust and admiration to rage and terror, conveyed through 60,000 news and blog sources, including social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

The technology has been designed to enable companies to assess exactly what the public think about their brands and, significantly, benchmark that against competitors.