The Real Doll (@realdoll) Instagram account exposed the inner workings of a sex robot factory showing a woman surrounded by the busty unfinished dolls to their 46k followers.

A brothel is set to open in Toronto’s north end, but the sex workers won’t be real women but instead high-tech sex dolls made of silicone.

Last year, CNET traveled to San Marcos, California, for an early, behind-the-scenes look at a new generation of artificially intelligent sex robots from Abyss Creations, maker of the popular "RealDolls" line of customizable sex dolls. Now, customers can expect to start receiving those same sexbots within the next month.

Paris councillors have rejected a motion targeting a business where clients are charged €89 ($109; £78) to spend an hour with a silicone sex doll. Communist councillors and feminist groups had called on the Council of Paris - the body responsible for governing the city - to study the possibilities of closing Xdolls. They argued it was demeaning to women - and effectively a brothel.

Losing any loved one is a heartbreaking experience, but for someone who loses their lifelong spouse, it can be particularly devastating. There are a million ways to cope with such a loss, but only one way for each of us to heal from them. While some just want rest from thinking about their lost spouse, others cherish their memories of them. For widows who prefer the latter, designer Mark Sturkenboom has created a product that...