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10 ways to manage the post-Thanksgiving madness
Ahhh, the holidays. What a lovely time of year to catch up with the extended family and do a quick bit of shopping at enormous discounts. The truth of the situation, however, is often less relaxing than it sounds. Family get-togethers can be taxing, especially when you factor in the state of politics today and the obligatory "drunk uncle." Black Friday (which apparently starts on Thursday now) has become a frantic shopping battle, with everyday folks emboldened by insanely low-priced waffle makers. That's OK, technology is here to help you regain your inner zen. Breathe deeply, try to find a quiet corner and join us in the gallery below for some helpful gadgets to bring you serenity when you need it most: Now!
Control Google Glass with your mind... and a second headset
Up until now, you can only navigate Google Glass by touching or talking to it, but London-based firm This Place just made it possible to control the device using something else: your brainwaves. The company just released an open source application called MindRDR that gives you something akin to very, very limited telekinetic abilities -- so long as you have both Google Glass and Neurosky's EEG biosensor headset. See, MindRDR serves as the bridge that connects the two, translating the brain activity from the EEG biosensor into executable commands for the high-tech eyewear. At the moment, the software can only take pictures and upload them to either Facebook or Twitter, but This Place released the app for free on GitHub in hopes that other developers will use it for more advanced projects.
Neurowear wants to read your mind, geotag your feelings (video)
Geotagging your photos? Old hat -- Neurowear wants to geotag your mood. The folks that brought animated cat ears to the human race is now using NeuroSky's brainwave-reading headgear to suss out your emotional state and share it with your friends. We dropped in on the group at Tokyo Game Show to take a look at an early prototype. After strapping a familiar Mindwave mobile headset to this editor's skull, a companion iPhone app sprung to life, reading off relaxation levels and assigning cartoon faces to the user's mood. The reading could then be recorded on a map, tagging how the user felt at a given location and time and allowing them to share that information with their friends. Had a great time at a new coffee shop? Now you can prove it, and encourage your social contacts to join you. It's an interesting idea, but its still a long way from hitting the app store -- the demo we were given was only a concept app, and the geotagging portion of the demonstration was simulated. It may be awhile before you can tweet your feelings directly. Need another way to express yourself? Don't worry -- Nerosky is adding a brainwave controlled tail, dubbed Shippo, to its line of cranium controlled animal parts. Check it out (as well as our quick neurotagging demo) after the break. %Gallery-166239%
Sharp FanLabs goes inside soccer fans' minds, measures loyalty with brainwaves (video)
No matter what country you're in, you'll find at least one body-painted sports nut willing to act a fool in the name of fandom. To figure out what makes these hooligans tick, Sharp's setting up trucks outside EuroCup 2012 matches to measure fans' brainwaves using biometric technology. Once inside these mobile FanLabs, volunteers will watch the game while wearing the company's NeuroSky headsets -- a super sensitive EEG that uses dry electrodes to measure cerebral activity. By looking at brainwaves, along with heart rate and vocal excitement, scientists hope to reveal what levels of attention, stress, relaxation and excitement a fan goes through while supporting a specific team. Even if you're not lending your melon to science, you can still join in the fun online, and see how you stack up against fans from around the world. So, bust out the body paint, grab your foam fingers and check out the video after the break.
KDDI's mind-reading Android app monitors your brainstorms, or lack thereof... (video)
Ready for an epic brainwave dance-off between Jobs' Jets and Rubin's Sharks? Well, put down your shivs and get back to that alpha state because it's gonna take a little while. Developed by KDDI's R&D labs, this prototype mind-monitoring, sensor-laden headband connects wirelessly to your Android device to let you know just how stressed out you are. All it takes is a simple 30-second game of "mash mash mash the little green robot" (amongst others) to translate your focused and relaxed states into an easily readable brain pattern chart. The tech's nothing we haven't already seen the ominously named NeuroSky do for the iOS platform, but it should help to get those fanboy flames a-blazing. Of course, if mobile OS turf wars don't get your neurons in a tizzy, you could always spend half a minute thinking of your honey -- or actual honey. Whatever floats your neural boat. Video demonstration after the break.
NeuroSky shows off MyndPlay, we control movies with our brainwaves (video)
Would you pay $100 to control the outcome of a movie with the power of your mind? That's what NeuroSky and Triete Labs are banking on with MyndPlay. Simply put, it uses NeuroSky's $99 Mindwave headset with a custom video player that monitors your mental activity during critical points in specially designed films, and offers multiple outcomes depending on your focus and relaxation levels. For instance, in Paranormal Mynd (above), you play an exorcist who must drive a evil spirit away -- if you don't focus intently, this woman will choke to death. Another gangster film has you dodging bullets and sports multiple endings; depending on how relaxed and concentrated you are, you could come away clean, take a bullet to the head, or dodge poorly and have the projectile strike your friend dead instead. MyndPlay plans to produce a raft of such short-form content for $0.49 to $1.99 per episode, and also let you shoot and share your own, scripting sequences with a tool to be released next month called MyndPlay Pro. We gave Paranormal Mynd a try at GDC 2011, and came away somewhat impressed -- you definitely can control the outcome of a scene, but it doesn't work quite like you'd expect. Since NeuroSky's technology is still limited to detecting the mental states of concentration and relaxation, you can't "will" the movie to go the way you'd like with your thoughts -- in fact, thinking about anything rather than what you're seeing on screen seemed to register as a form of distraction, and lowered our scores. Instead, the ticket to success seemed to be focusing intently on processing the images on screen and clearing our head of all thought or emotion, making us feel totally brain-dead even as we aced the scene. If that sort of zombification sounds like fun, watch a couple video teasers after the break!
NeuroSky sticks EEG sensors in a golf visor, sells it to Japanese athletes (video)
NeuroSky's mind-reading headsets haven't exactly revolutionized modern user input -- they just measure midichlorian count and control an app or three -- but the company's definitely moving towards products that the general public can take seriously. This BrainAthlete system, for instance, first graced Tokyo Game Show 2010 as an ugly sweatband, but has since graduated to this handsome golf visor cap, which merely measures an athlete's brainwaves as they play rather than promise brain control. The idea is that trainers can analyze the data in real time, and potentially find strengths and weaknesses in their charges' state of mind. The 40,000 yen (about $483) went on sale in Japan early this month, and promises to find stateside availability in the first quarter of next year. Plenty of time for you to figure out how you're going to get one onto your opponent's head. Video after the break.
NeuroSky shows off upcoming Mindwave headset, other new chip applications
We've seen plenty of applications for NeuroSky's brainwave-sensing chip already, but it looks like we're going to be seeing... more. Luckily, some of these are pretty neat. A sweat-band embedded "Thket Brain Athlete" product will allow athletes and trainers to track concentration levels through a workout or through a particular activity (a golf swing, for instance) and analyze that performance later. An iPad app (for the Japanese market, we're assured) allows you to concentrate on a girl avatar until she kisses you. Just like real life! NeuroSky itself will be selling its own Mindwave headset (a PC version of the iOS-compatible XWave) starting as soon as next month, which will be packed with a few games. Of course, the technology is still a little rough and one dimensional -- it can track attention, meditation, and blinks -- and NeuroSky is still on the lookout for the "killer app," but as it gets cheaper and more ubiquitous, we're sure to see some good come out of this nascent market. The Brain Athlete band and software should be out next month for $350, while NeuroSky's headset will retail for a much more palatable $80-$100. Check out video of both after the break. %Gallery-102931%
XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you're lucky
In the early, chaotic, primordial years of the mobile phone era, you had to press real, actual "buttons" to get things done. Almost barbaric to think about now, isn't it? As society advanced and we gradually became a more civilized species, buttons gave way to touchscreens and voice control, mercifully giving the atrophied sausages we call "arms" and "fingers" a bit of respite every time we needed to surf through cyberspace, place a phone call, or send a text message. Now, it seems the evolution of Homo sapiens is reaching its inevitable final stage with the release of the PLX XWave, headgear that plugs into your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and -- after a bit of training -- lets you control the device with your mind alone. As you might expect, the headset makes use of the NeuroSky technology that we've seen several times through the years and will be made available with a number of apps upon its release next month including a game, dedicated training app, a music controller (which will let you compare brainwaves with other XWave users, interestingly), and an "Om Meditation Timer." If none of those titles have captured your imagination, you'll be able to write your own apps with the device's SDK; needless to say, we'll be patiently waiting for the levitation app depicted here. Orders are online now for $100 with delivery in October.
GDC10: The expo in pictures
We have a saying around the Massively offices -- "When we go to a show, our readers go to the show." We hope you guys have really enjoyed our crazy coverage of GDC10 as much as we enjoyed running around the show like crazy people grabbing all of that information. But, while we were running around, we got some great photos from the show for you! Now you too can live the experience of running from booth to booth, passing legions upon legions of companies explaining their newest technologies and how they can improve your gaming experience. So come along with us for a whirlwind trip through GDC! Trust us, it's exciting. %Gallery-88462%
Nokia N97's Brain Maze requires steady hand, typical mind-control equipment
Not everyone has one of NeuroSky's MindSet brainwave interface headsets lying around, but in the off chance you do -- and you've got an N97 handy -- this could finally be your ticket to a sharper wit, improved hand-eye coordination, better-smelling breath, and frankly, a whole new you. Forum Nokia regular Paul Coulton has recently thrown together the appropriately-titled Brain Maze for Nokia's flagship S60 5th Edition set, reinterpreting the staple Labyrinth game for accelerometer-equipped handsets by adding in checkpoints controlled by the MindSet's input -- in other words, you've got to (gulp) think to advance through the course. It looks like it could be a blast, we admit -- but considering how talented we are at completely disabling and unplugging our brains when we sit down in front of a video game, we could be spending months making it past level one. Follow the break for a little video of Brain Maze in thought-controlled action.
Star Wars Force Trainer teaches children to kill... with their minds
Toy maker Uncle Milton has introduced Force Trainer, a game that utilizes NeuroSky's brainwave-controlled gaming technology. In a manner similar to the Mindflex we got our heads on at CES, the young Jedi dons a wireless headset that communicates with a simplified EEG. If you focus well enough, the "training sphere" rises in a 10-inch tube. Seems pretty harmless, no? At least until your humble child starts lifting rocks and choking people by simply furrowing their brow and gesturing menacingly. If you find this an acceptable risk (or you feel the need to work on your own mental prowess) the thing should be available this fall for just under $100.
Brains-on with NeuroSky and Square Enix's Judecca mind-control game
We already know that NeuroSky is bringing us the mind-reading Mindset for your gaming pleasures, but we got a first-hand look at the device here at TGS. At first glance, the headset may appear to be just another white set of over-the-ear headphones, but a little boom that gets all cuddly with your forehead measures how well you are concentrating on in-game objects. While this may sound like a bunch of hoopla, keep in mind that mega-developer Square Enix is already on board with "Judecca," a zombie thriller that forces you to concentrate your way into seeing your enemies. After holding up your hand, you then concentrate on a glyph that glows in direct relation to your ability to concentrate, opening up what's called your Devil's Eye. Once you're in a zen-like state, you can see Judecca's zombies and unleash some kill. You can also show your concentration skills enough to walk through walls, naturally. In our limited time trying the tech with Judecca, we were indeed able to induce some sort of concentrative state, even with the distractions of a giant Japanese gaming convention. As for how long we'd want to play something like this before switching to something involving, say, just pushing buttons and killing enemies, we're not so sure. NeuroSky promises the device in Spring 2009 for a price somewhere between $50 and $80. Hit the break for a couple shots of the device and a very tense gamer.
NeuroSky and Square Enix set to demo mind-controlled gaming
The last time we saw NeuroSky's MindSet brainwave-controlled gaming headset, the company was partnering with Sega -- now the peripheral-maker has teamed with Square Enix to produce what we hope will be a "mind-blowing" (groan) demo at this year's Tokyo Game Show. If you'll recall, NeuroSky has been pushing its unique brand of mind-controlled gaming since way back in 2005, but it appears the technology has become increasingly attractive to notable game-makers as of late. On Thursday, the two companies plan a demonstration of the in-game powers of relaxation at TGS in what appears to be a perfect example of Neo-like godliness. The whole thing goes down October 9th, so be there or be Square. Enix.
NeuroSky one-ups NTT DoCoMo, demos mind control for phones
Oh, what's this, NTT DoCoMo? Your eye movement control for phones -- which isn't even commercialized, may we add -- is so 2050 compared to NeuroSky's mind control system. The company has already shown non-mobile applications for its seriously sci-fi tech, but it used CTIA recently as a venue to demonstrate how it can be used to do cool things on phones, too, bringing along a mental relaxation app, a math quiz where your brainpower is actually measured (no pressure), and a simple game. There aren't any shipping products yet, but the company says that it has nine development partners working on integrating its goods, and meanwhile it's slaving away on repackaging the discrete components translating brainwaves into commands into a single chip that's more easily soldiered onto something consumers would actually want to wear and use.[Via The Earth Times, thanks Bob]
GDC08: Wii Remote 2.0? Probably not!
But it was pretty startling to walk by the NeuroSky biosensor headset controller booth and see Takao Sawano, designer of the Wii Balance Board, going over the booth with a video camera. It seems that, along with trying to sell Western developers on the Balance Board, Sawano is using his time at GDC to keep abreast of new control methods. We say "probably not," but don't be too surprised if Nintendo announces WarioWare: Thought About!! next year. There's a controller for your hands and a controller for your feet; why not put one on your head?
Sega Toys, NeuroSky team up for "mind-controlled" toys
Details are still light on this one, but Sega Toys (makers of freaky robots) and the brain-reading folks at NeuroSky have announced that they've teamed up in an effort to develop what they're only describing as "mind-controlled tech toys," which they say will "take 'play' to the next level." Those unspecified toys will apparently make use of NeuroSky's ThinkGear bio-sensor technology which, according to the company, uses "dry active sensors" that eliminate the need for contact gels while also maintaining a small form factor. Given the vagaries of the announcement, however, we wouldn't expect the toys to be hitting store shelves anytime soon, but you can be sure that there'll be plenty of attempts to "repurpose" them whenever they do.[Via Gadget Lab]
Brain-reading biofeedback caps on the rise, NeuroSky returns
Pushing the envelope is what it's all about, and for companies cranking out Wiimote-like devices to make gaming and PC experiences more eventful, even that's not enough to satisfy a bevy of outfits with their eyes set on getting biofeedback into games. Companies such as Emotiv Systems, CyberLearning, and our old friend NeuroSky are all looking to take advantage of the public's current curiosity about thought-controlled (and influenced) gaming by offering up electrode-laced headsets that read a variety of brain impulses to effect gameplay. Essentially, these gel-free caps rely on technology such as electromyography (EMG), which records twitches and other muscular movements, and electrooculography (EOG), which measures changes in the retina, in order to change the way games are experienced. For instance, a nervous, uneasy GTA player would barely be able to aim at his / her enemies, while a daydreamer would have a hard time staying on course and reaching full speed while playing Gran Turismo. Unsurprisingly, said companies have noted that "finding their target markets" have been the most difficult aspect, and certain analysts rightfully question whether gamers would actually enjoy such "mentally taxing restrictions" on their games, but if all goes as planned, we should start seeing a few more options in the commercial brain-interface market before too long.
