attention span
Latest
Microsoft patents recording device to curb shortened attention spans
Time was, secretaries executive assistants were tasked with the chore of summing up a meeting's minutes so the less focused suits could play catch-up afterwards. Not so with this vision of the automated boardroom as put forth by a newly awarded Microsoft patent. Filed back in February of 2006, the doc outlines a computer-based method for recording live audio and video (including presentation slides), a system of monitoring a user's computer activity and tracking moments of attention loss. Sounds like Redmond's crafting an enterprise version of "gotcha!," but it's not so sinister. The proposed recorder would actually make recommendations based on the moments your focus drifted off, replete with full A/V playback and even the ability to hone in and amplify an individual speaker's voice. It's easy to see how this theoretic tech could wind up worming its way out of concrete towers and integrating into classrooms of the future (and even homes). For now, content yourself with the full-on legalese available at the source link below.
The Soapbox: You have an hour to grab my attention
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. We're at an interesting time in the progression of the MMO genre. Development studios and publishers are beginning to realize that there's much more to the "MMO" buzzword than meets the eye. You can't simply tack "Online" to the end of a successful single-player IP and get a multi-million-player hit. A few years ago, this wasn't the case. Even as late as 2009, this formula was still thought to work. MMO gamers were still excited by the runaway success of World of Warcraft, with fresh memories of the "good ole" EverQuest and Ultima Online days fueling their optimism. When you have some of the best times of your gaming life in something as unique as those early MMOs, you hold on to that, wishing for an improved version to come along any day now. But with recent game closings, developer layoffs, and a general burn-out on the same features in mostly every game, that optimism is decaying. We can only take so many faction grinds and escort quests before we just start throwing our hands up and turning to other hobbies.
