Jerk-O-Meter calls out your boredom on the phone
Alright, jerkface, the next time your attention starts to flag when we talk on the phone, we're siccing the Jerk-O-Meter on ya. Researchers at MIT are developing software for cellphones that analyzes speech patterns and voice tones and rates how engaged you are in the conversation. It measures the levels of stress and empathy in a person's voice and, when your attention starts to drift, pops up warning messages to the effect of "Don't be a jerk!" or "Be a little nicer now." For now it's monitoring the user's end of the conversation, but the final version will allow you to monitor the voice on the other end and finally prove once and for all that your spouse never really listens to you.
[Thanks, Mike]
