Monday, August 4, 2008

Yawn, and your laptop goes to sleep

What if you could simply think about an action, and the computer would respond?

Emotiv is currently fine-tuning a mind-reading headset called the Epoc, which should ship late this year. The $299 device purports to eavesdrop on your thoughts and translate them into computer instructions, so you can play a game or arrange photos without using your hands or speaking words.

Epoc "neuroheadset" has 16 sensors embedded in its crossbars that communicate wirelessly with your PC. There are no messy smears or tangles of wires. But in order to get correct readings, the sensors must make just the right contact with your scalp, which can take a fair amount of fiddling. And once the headset is in place, you have to be careful not to move around too much or the sensors will slip, preventing the computer from getting a clear signal. (more)
...and you were self-conscious about wearing your Bluetooth earpiece.
Seriously, you are witnessing the future of eavesdropping. Near-term... physical motion replacement, a boon to the seriously handicapped. Mid-term... Doors that auto-lock if the person approaching is of the wrong frame of mind. Far-term... TiVO your life whenever you want. I can't wait.