About a month ago, the university granted me access to the Emotiv, a special helmet that allows users to interact with the computer using your thoughts and facial expressions. Yes, this technology does exist and as a matter of fact, you can go to their website and purchase it right now. However, the Emotiv helmet is for research and development purposes, therefore eliminating the chance of you hooking this up to your Wii or XBOX360. But that’s what it’s for. The helmet is a prototype design for us to research, implement, test and come up with something- and that’s what I’ll be doing.

The helmet comes with a software and it contains a few “mini-games” for testing purposes. The first one has a cartoon face on the screen that simulates your every facial expressions. You can wink, blink, look left, look right, smile, move your eyebrows and the cartoon character will simulate your expressions quite accurately. The second one is the mood meter where it displays a graph filled with different line colours. Each line represents different mood and it ranges from being happy, sad, stress, and so forth. For some reason my stress level was higher than the other lines :p.

The third test is what I like to call the box game. The screen will display a 3D box floating in the air and you can move it by using your thoughts. You can make the box go towards you, away from you, above the screen and many more. It does sound easy at first but really, it’s not. Pushing the box with your mind does take quite a lot of energy from you and after only toiling with the box for a few minutes, my head starts to feel weak. You really need to have a clear mind to play this game. Guess this is when yoga comes in handy.

I’ve only tested it once and I’m planning to try it out again sometime after Christmas. For those of you who are interested with the Emotiv helmet, I recommend checking the videos from YouTube to see how it works.

motivul

Ca supernovele scânteietoare, dramatici si înflacarati, lumineaza orice încapere cu prezenta lor plina de energie. Alaturi de el totul devine o aventura. El e regele dramei, înclinat spre exagerare (întotdeauna a avut cea mai cumplita zi, cea mai grozava calatorie, cea mai superba petrecere).

Indicii dupa care recunosti un emotiv
- are emotii puternice si le exprima vehement;
- plânge si/sau tipa des;
- creeaza drame relationale;
- îi place sa traiasca drame exacerbate;
- cred ca ceilalti nu-si exprima îndeajuns emotiile;
- în relatia de cuplu, exprima sentimentele ambilor parteneri.

Trasaturi distinctive ale emotivilor
- emotivii sunt excesiv de emotionali – în termeni psihologici sunt isterici;
- totul îi afecteaza emotional si au nevoie de ceilalti ca sa afle ca au fost afectati;
- simt nevoia sa faca o scena, sa ameninte sau sa arunce cu farfurii – în cazuri extreme recurg la abuzuri fizice;
- fiecare tinde sa devina specialist într-o emotie anume – unii se tânguiesc, altii plâng usor – altii simt nevoia de agresiune verbala – altii tipa si trântesc;
- emotivii cred ca doar sentimentele lor conteaza- “asa simt eu!” “Tu chiar nu simti nimic!”;
- emotivilor le place sa creeze drame;
- emotivul se hraneste din pierderea controlului – pentru ei sentimentele sunt antiteza ratiunii.

La radiografie aflam ca:
- emotivii au crescut într-un mediu caracterizat de o forma oarecare de isterie;
- sentimentele extreme exprimate extrem sunt tot ce recunosc drept dragoste.

Rana emotionala a emotivului e consecinta traiului în haos emotional, iar reactia sa este teama – constienta sau nu.
Cei mai multi emotivi au trait într-un mediu de permanenta teroare în care frica este singura reactie emotionala adecvata. Emotivii au fost conditionati de mici fie s-o rupa la fuga, fie sa lupte (sa tipe, sa urle, sa trânteasca usa, sa azvârle lucruri). Tot ce li se întâmpla este privit prin prisma acestei frici si nevoi de supravietuire. Nu cunosc diferenta dintre o papadie si un trasnet. Înapoia excesului de emotii este o cautare de siguranta si pace.

Pentru a se echilibra trebuie:
- sa identifice forma de isterie din casa în care a crescut – cum uneori propria sa isterie o imita pe cea a parintilor;
- sa respire adânc sau sa mediteze;
– sa introduca o componenta de ratiune si observare;
- sa întrebe: de ce oare ma tem?;
- sa-l întrebe pe partener ce se întâmpla si nu sa-si închipuie grozavii;
- sa-si doreasca o viata calma: elibereaza endorfine când îsi ridica tensiunea emotionala, cu o stare asemanatoare celei date de droguri;
- sa realizeze ce fac si sa-si ceara scuze – scuzele nu fac ca purtarea nepotrivita sa dispara, dar formeaza cu timpul constiinta distinctiei între un comportament emotional adecvat si isterie.

That’s it! A keyboard you can control with your brain.
This is my new little project using the emotiv epoc. The idea is born from a request on the emotiv forum, when someone asked if a paralized child would have been able to type using the epoc. I thought I could give myself a try with this.

The layout of the keyboard is “stolen” from a psp keyboard appeared for the first time in Gran Turismo, if I’m not wrong and then brought to popularity by the psp homebrew comunity.
My application, called mindKeyboard allows you to select one of 9 quares each with 4 letters in the four sides; once you select the desired square you can select the desired letter in that square.

You can get a video of it in action here
The source code is available from git or in zipped package
The binary distribution is on sourceforge too.

Hope someone will enjoy the application =)

Generaţia emo este o generaţie neînţeleasă, o generaţie ce suferă de propriul mister şi de o apariţie neaşteptată. Copiii emo se confruntă adeseori cu societatea, care-i marginalizează şi îi dispreţuieşte. Aceştia sunt copii sensibili care au probleme în familie şi la şcoală, singurul lor refugiu fiind stilul de viaţă emo.

In România se vorbeşte de câţiva ani de curentul emo. Acesta a apărut în America şi Marea Britanie anilor `80, printre nişte adolescenţi ce ascultau un anumit gen de punk/hardcore, se pare mai melodic şi cu versuri profunde. Paradoxal este că deşi toată lumea ştie sa deosebească un emo de un rocker prin prisma vestimentaţiei şi frizurii, este greu de clasat în ce tipare se încadrează muzica emo. Despre copiii emo se fac frecvent bancuri, sunt batjocoriţi, luaţi în derâdere etc. dar psihologii avertizează că aceşti copii au probleme reale care în timp pot duce la automutilări sau chiar sinucideri (vezi cazul fetiţei de 12 ani din Bucureşti care s-a aruncat de la balcon sau băiatul de 17 ani din Bihor care s-a spânzurat, amândoi adepţii curentului emo). De vină, spun psihologii, sunt mai mulţi factori, printre care implicarea superficială a părinţilor în educaţie şi „socializarea” doar cu ajutorul mediilor virtuale. Se pune adesea întrebarea dacă cei care aderă la curentul emo o fac din teribilism, pentru că li se pare „cool”, sau o fac pentru că părinţii ii neglijează şi simt nevoia apartenenţei la un grup care îi inţelege, îi consolează, împărtaşeşte aceleaşi drame cu ei.

După cum ştim cu toţii, teribilismul apare frecvent la adolescenţi, care suferă schimbări psihologice si biologice importante, indiferent dacă sunt emo sau nu. Copiii emo sunt copii cu grave probleme familiale, de obicei cu părinţi despărţiţi, care nu-i ajută, nu-i inţeleg şi nu comunică deloc cu ei. Nu este de mirare deci că aceştia ajung să aibă un comportament deviant, aşa cum se susţine în societate: copiii emo sunt blamaţi însă nimeni nu ia atitudine în ce priveşte problemele lor, sunt arătaţi cu degetul şi atât. „Să fii emo înseamnă să fii tipul de persoană emotivă, sensibilă dar şi timidă şi introvertită, asta din punct de vedere al personalităţii, din punct de vedere fizic un emo are părul în ochi şi puţin ciufulit la spate, se imbracă în culori închise, de preferat negru, umblă cu alţi emo şi fac poze în locuri inaccesibile. Eu unul nu fac parte din categoria celor care se automutilează, chiar dacă sunt mai introvertit, mai sensibil decât restul persoanelor si am stări de depresie, nu recurg la asemenea gesturi pentru a trece mai uşor de probleme. Copiii care se automutilează ar trebui în primul rând să înţeleagă că a fi emo nu înseamnă a-ţi tăia venele. Mulţi puşti emo o fac doar din teribilism, pentru că aşa se simt ei cu adevărat emo. Cei care o fac pentru că aşa simt ei, nu ca să pară emo, ar trebui să discute cu părintii iar mai apoi să fie îndrumaţi către un psiholog care să-i facă ulterior să inţeleagă că prin automutilare nu rezolvă nimic, ba îşi creează şi mai multe probleme”, afirmă D., un emo din Slobozia.

Ce spun însă psihologii despre automutilarea tinerilor emo? Psihologul Zizi Dima explică acest lucru prin „nevoia de a simţi emoţie, senzaţie, la fel ca cei care se droghează. Fiind tineri, au dorinţa de a trăi senzaţii tari, de a-şi testa capacităţile de a îndura durerea, toate acestea fiind urmate de o descărcare de adrenalină. Această dorinţă de adrenalină se concretizează la alţii în practicarea de sporturi extreme sau este ţinută sub control prin exerciţiu fizic”.

Copiii emo nu trebuie priviţi ca niste ciudaţi de către societate doar pentru că adoptă un stil vestimentar diferit şi frizuri bizare, în spatele acestor elemente de camuflaj se ascund copii sensibili ce strigă neîncetat după ajutor, căci au nevoie de dragoste părintească, o educaţie adecvată, înţelegere şi comunicare. Cei care chiar au luat-o pe un drum greşit şi se automutilează sau au tendinţe de suicid trebuie ajutaţi prin şedinţe repetate la psiholog şi o grijă nemăsurată din partea părinţilor.

PS:Asta e un articol scris de mine pentru un ziar local(adica din Slobozia pentru cei din afara orasului)

By: Aaron Franz
transalchemy.com

Brain Machine Interface (BMI) is now being introduced to the consumer market. The potential use of BMI is staggering, and no doubt we will see its broader use in the near future, but for now we can get accustomed to it by way of a friendly introduction. There is a wave of games being released that feature BMIs. These games represent the first contact that most people have with BMI technology. First impressions are crucial, and that is why BMIs are being released in a fun, carefree, gaming context.  This technique actually allows you, the user, to bond with the technology.  Once this bond is created the relationship can develop further.  New uses can be developed with your unconscious approval.  When BMI is seen as just another fact of life then no one will question it.   

Don’t take these powerful technologies for granted. They are being developed for purposes far greater than your amusement. Although, amusement is an interesting point to consider. Musing away on the fun side of this is easy to do, but we must look at the serious implications as well.

Don’t get lost in chasing fantasies, stand up for what is right within your own reality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p_beOiI-t8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqJDfkuNNok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMiQx4Mhh_U

Consider this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J48vuoO2PQY

Evolusi gaming pada saat ini sedang melaju ke arah interaktivitas atau yang biasa di kenal dengan Virtual Reality. Pada game modern, masukan data data untuk pengendalian permainan dapat berupa pengenalan gerak atau analisa melaui citra video. Ada inovasi baru yang di kembangkan oleh Emotiv Systems Inc., yaitu kendali permainan melalui transmisi elektronis langsung dari otak manuisa.

Bersama-sama dengan IBM, Emotiv mengembangkan sebuah headset dengan banyka sensor yang dapat menangkap sinyal kerja otak manusia dan menerjemahkannya menjadi data digital. Selain untuk peripheral game, teknologi ini juga di kembangkan untuk keperluan industri. Alat tersebut bernama Emotiv Headset. Versi Alpha dari headset ini terlihat seperti sebuah helm yang terdiri dari banyak sensor yang menangkap sinyal dari otak yang dikonversi menjadi data digital melalui sinyal wireless 2.4GHz.

Emotiv dapat menangkap sinyal motorik dan kognitif. Pergerakan bibir, raut muka, perasaan senang, sedih atau kaget dapat di tangkap. Perusahaan kecil lainnnya yang menggunakan teknologi ini kebanyakan ditujukan untuk penyandang cacat. Tapi Emotiv merupakan yang pertama kali membuat teknologi ini dengan fungsi yang lebih luas. Kerjasama IBM dan Emotiv sudah berlangsung sekitar satu setengah tahun, tetapi sudah menunjukkan perkembangan yang baik.

Penggunaan Emotiv headset di kalangan korporat ternyata juga cukup di minati, dan IBM bekerjasama dengan Activeworlds Corp. membuat sistem yang memungkinkan konsumer korporat untuk mengadakan virtual meeting ataupun demo teknis melalui teknologi Virtual Reality baru yang mereka kembangkan ini. Sedangkan untuk pasar konsumen umum, headset yang layaknya digunakan untuk gaming atau hiburan interaktif ini akan dijual seharga 200 hingga 300 US dolar. Apakah Emotiv headset bisa menjadi inovasi baru di dalam dunia gaming?

In my previous blog MQIT on Speech Technology, IVR, CTI, VoiceXML, Web, SaaS, I wrote the following.

(I wonder what input technology the future has to offer. I think it will be in a form of a wave energy. We had sound, speech, microwave, radio, infrared, light, electro, sub-atomic rays. Brainwave is next.

I once asked IBM Research on Ask IBM session in a conference, questions similar to these:
- Do IBM know of existing technology that can access our brain wireslessly?
- Do IBM know of existing technology that can network with our brain wirelessly?
- Is IBM working on such technology?

I still yet to hear from IBM.

I am sure someone already working on it, if not done it. The brain is just another computer to hack or network with, depending on the context of the access.)

For physical brain interface, we all know that brain trauma victims or paralysis patient are helped by electronics for speech, muscle movement, prosthetic arm, and computer interface which is called cyberkinetics.

For wireless brain interface, ESP is all what we get from available resources but cannot be proven substantially and not taken as fact.

I came about a documentary about Extrasensory Perception (ESP) where two person were able to communicate limitedly while in two different rooms. The first person,  the sender, is watching something. The second person, the receiver, is saying what the other is watching. Wikepedia has ESP under Parapsychology which include the topics Remote viewing, Clairvoyance, Cold Reading, Extrasensory Perception, Near-Death Experience, Precognition, Psychic, Psychokinesis, Psychometry, Telepathy, Ganzfeld Experiment, and Apparitional Experience. Wikipedia also mentioned that

ESP is is the apparent ability to acquire information by paranormal means independent of any known physical senses or deduction from previous experience. The term was coined by Duke University researcher J. B. Rhine to denote psychic abilities such as telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance. ESP is also sometimes casually referred to as a sixth sense, gut instinct, hunch, or intuition. The term implies sources of information currently unexplained by science.

Other ESP documentaries I watched include FBI and CIA employing psychics.

Today, I came about this photo while watching P.W. Swinger on Military Robots and the Future of War at TED.com which prompted this blog. “P.W. Swinger Robotics” has a lot of Google and YouTube hits too.

Googling “Brain Interface Programs Turning Thought Into Action” results to many hits on physical brain interface known as cyberkinetics but only allusion to wireless brain interface. Apparently the term “Brain Interface” and “Turning Thought Into Action” are the buzzwords for this subject matter.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the most prestigious entity I can find on this matter on their search but non-confidential materials only points to physical brain interface. DARPA is funding a project called Brain Machine Interface, this could be a long time ago and there could be a lot more confidential projects nobody knows about.

Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT) has a Turning Thought into Action: Exploring Brain-Body Interfaces forum topic on physical brain interface.

Chipped in the Forehead — in the Brain at mindcontrolforums.com got the following pages which I took with grain of salt for its contents.

D.A.R.P.A. IS FUNDING AN IMPLANTABLE CHIP FAR MORE ADVANCED THAN”DIGITAL ANGEL”!
M.M.E.A. – MULTIPLE MICRO ELECTRODE ARRAY IS SO ADVANCED IT CAN FULFILL REV 13:16-18!
Subtitle: We explain the actual science of MMEA in this article so you can see how all humans on earth can be completely controlled by this implantable chip! Emotions – fear, euphoria, depression — plus pleasure and pain, can be controlled and even caused, by R.F. (Radio-Frequency signal)! Silent, large funding is occurring that soon will be ready for “The Christ” to use once he arises. RFID is just the “tip of the iceberg”.[For full details of D.A.R.P.A., read NEWS1739]

Part 1 — The Science of MMEA and of Brain Machine Interface (BMI)
Part 2 — DARPA Funding
Part 3 — Possible Prophecy Implications — Blending religion with science, spiritual applications already being discussed
Part 4 — MMEA – Is The Mark of the Beast Just Another “Satanic Insert” So Commonly Used In Covens For Centuries?
Part 5 — M.M.E.A. – Multiple Micro Electrode Array Implantable Chip: Buying And Selling Is Easier Than You Might Think!

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) article Cognitive radio: brain-empowered wireless communications is the closest I got from the title match but I did not bother to get the premium content. It might detail totally different matter and not wireless brain interface that I coined in the this blog together with physical brain interface.

BrainGate is an implant that may turn intent into action.

The following four photos are from Brain Tap and Brain Power – Advanced Electronic Security Company about physical brain interface. This is the closest wireless brain interface article I found and it quoted brain waves.

Emotiv Systems got EPOC. Based on the latest developments in neuro-technology, Emotiv has developed a new personal interface for human computer interaction. The Emotiv EPOC uses a set of sensors to tune into electric signals naturally produced by the brain to detect player thoughts, feelings and expression and connects wirelessly to most PCs. The Emotiv neuroheadset now makes it possible for games to be controlled and influenced by the player’s mind.

EPOC employs sensors similar to electrode caps thus not truly wireless more a contact or close-proximity sensor.

I am still in search of detail about wireless brain interface meaning natural brain no cyberknietics. The Brain is Just Another Computer to Hack or Network With. I am looking and thinking that it should be like two-way radio or a wireless internet, no need for electrode cap or an implant.

It has been more than a year, and I have closed that book because I know that there is no way I can do something about it anymore.  However, Nyaw showed me this Honda video that claims to have developed the first brain-machine interface (BMI) that can interpret what the brain is ‘thinking of’ in almost real time… and control a robot (the popular ASIMO).

In the experiment, it showed that ASIMO can identify what body part the person saw in the picture by simply analyzing EEG and blood flow.  It is amazing how without machine training, ASIMO is able to ‘answer’ it correctly.  Breakthrough research!

However, I have seen such brain-machine interface technology before, which enticed me to do something with it for my supposed PhD research.  Inspired by our meeting with the Psychology department and Sir Greg’s video teaser of Emotiv’s new product, I came up with a proposal that involves brain analysis during multitasking, and being able to determine which level of multitasking and environmental conditions can improve a certain individual’s performance.  (What are the factors?  How much improvement can be done by automatically changing these factors using machines, if able?  How can performance be measured?  How can feelings of frustration or encouragement affect one’s way of dealing with things?  Can music really get you into ‘the mood’ that’s necessary for doing better?  And the list goes on…)  Imagine a person being helped by his or her computer or home appliances to achieve his or her full potential in daily life!  I actually submitted it and it was approved!  But, as I’ve said, this book has been closed for long, because I went to a different laboratory that deals with computer brains rather than human ones.

Well, going back to Emotiv, since I’ve seen the Honda video, I’ve searched for Emotiv again, just to check how much they’ve done since 2007.  And my!  Just look at this video:

Not only are they able to analyze simple movements for the game like lifting and moving left and right!  Emotiv’s BMI is also able to interpret feelings and facial expressions… and not just show these through an avatar, but also change certain conditions in the game (like BGM and color schemes) to satisfy the gamer (shift back to appreciation) and, yeah, get addicted to it more.  Hahaha!  Crazy idea!  And something that’s worth doing too.

However, Mao and I discussed about this before.  If machines can be trained to read human minds, and these minds are used to control certain things in machines, like game characters, there is a great possibility that machines too will be able to control the human mind.  Just like in computer gaming, even without controlling it with just the brain, certain events trigger brain activity that sometimes become some sort of an instinct, especially to those who do it all the time.  When the enemy appears, the fingers automatically click certain keys… which is a way of the machine to control a human’s mind!  This is why MMORPG’s are so addictive!  These new worlds, new fantasies of being able to fly or just anything that we cannot do in real life, the ability to get lots of money and materials and show off to the online world special abilities and skills that only you have—all these can definitely hook you into thinking that this virtual world is no less than the real world… and even live it more than the real one!  (Oh, I’ve seen this with my own eyes!  Hahaha!!! )  And so, with direct brain-machine interface, there is more possibility of feeding controls to the brain from the machine.  The brain will start to work differently.  The machine can be more powerful, if the human is not careful enough.  Guys, guys… the more you teach the machine to read your mind, the more it will be able to think like US.

Perhaps, BMI’s are helpful in terms of measurement and understanding how the brain emits those waves in different conditions (pressure, focus, relaxation, etc.)… Perhaps, it is currently necessary to use these waves to control things around us (because this has been one of man’s greatest dreams… to move ‘things’ through telepathy!).  Perhaps, it is also timely to be able to interpret feelings and expressions and do something about them through machines.  But,  I think some boundaries and limitations should be set in order to preserve personal privacy… and the element of surprise.  What if one day, you can just use your cellphone and point it to a person to know if he/she is in love with you?  What the hell???  

Sometimes, not knowing everything has its advantages.  Even Clark Kent was advised by his mom to learn to close his eyes, for sometimes, being able to see everything can be painful… even frustrating… and deadly (check the early Smallville episodes).  Man, what would they think of next?  Predicting the future?  :P

Let’s wait… and see.

Há anos utilizamos nosso corpo para interagir com ferramentas e com o mundo ao nosso redor. Através de gestos, fala e movimentos alteramos nosso meio, evoluindo-o para melhor se adequar às nossas necessidades.

A revolução mais evidente dos últimos tempos se deu através da microeletrônica e o conseqüente desenvolvimento da tecnologia da informação. É desnecessário apontar os avanços obtidos pelo uso de computação programável. Sua aplicação nos diversos ramos de conhecimento da atualidade evidencia um desenvolvimento não experimentado desde a criação da máquina a vapor e a revolução industrial. A internet, filha desta revolução e que se constitui uma revolução por si só, vem se transformando em um corpo de informações e conhecimento altamente interconectado que possibilita interações nunca antes imaginadas, possibilitando geração de valor de forma inédita.

Apesar de a microeletrônica estar cada vez mais próxima de seus limites, a tecnologia da informação em conjunto com a internet ainda possui alto potencial de desenvolvimento. Nossa interface com este novo mundo, por exemplo, ainda está vinculada primitivamente a dispositivos ultrapassados, como teclados, mouses e monitores. Nossos músculos continuam sendo peça fundamental para nossa vida, ainda que sejam utilizados para digitar um texto como este ou mesmo chamar o mordomo. Mas segundo a empresa Emotiv, isto está prestes a mudar.

A Emotiv desenvolveu um controlador revolucionário que utiliza pensamentos, emoções e expressões faciais como entrada para controlar computadores. Na forma de um headset com sensores, basicamente ele analisa os sinais elétricos que trafegam pelo cérebro, identificando padrões como sentimentos e intuições e traduzindo-os em ações no computador.

No site da empresa há o seguinte texto:

Comunicação entre seres humanos e máquinas tem sido limitada a interação consciente, sendo a comunicação não consciente – expressão, intuição, percepção – reservada somente para o mundo humano. Na Emotiv,  acreditamos que a comunicação homem-máquina não será limitada como atualmente. Usuários demandarão que a comunicação não consciente realize uma parte maior deste contexto.

Nossa missão é criar a interface para a próxima geração de interação homem-máquina, evoluindo a interação entre homem e dispositivos eletrônicos além das limitações da interface consciente. Emotiv criou tecnologias que possibilitam máquinas aproveitarem entradas tanto conscientes quanto não conscientes diretamente da sua mente.

Aplicações para esta tecnologia abrangem numerosos ramos, todavia nosso alvo imediato é o entretenimento, com o foco na indústria de jogos eletrônicos.

Este controle já está no mercado por $300 dólares e foi desenvolvido para uso em jogos. No entanto a empresa disponibiliza pacotes de desenvolmento (SDK) que possibilita o desenvolvimento de qualquer tipo de aplicação utilizando nossa mente.

Esta tecnologia representa uma enorme quebra de paradigma. Sua utilização em conjunto com outras tecnologias também em desenvolvimento, como a augmented reality e a robótica, permitirá que nossa interação com este mundo seja elevada a um nível superior. Programas para diversas finalidades se aproveitarão desta tecnologia para coletar todo tipo de pensamento que transitar em nosso cérebro, de forma instantânea. As possibilidades são inúmeras, e a Emotiv está na frente.

Post originalmente escrito dia 20 de Fevereiro de 2008.

My involvement: Editor

Damn. Where to start, I guess just from the beginning. The title screen looked really bad and wasn’t even properly centered. The lower thirds looked really bad. I liked the use of green and orange in the text, no one would notice, but green and orange were heavily featured in the game they are playing throughout the interview. The sparkle effect always looks bad, and the way the lower thirds comes in is pretty lame too. I should have just had it fade in and out and got rid of the sparkles.

The cut aways would have been a lot better without the tints. I liked the use of green and orange in the text, but the tents are just too obvious and distracting. I hate wipes. I always have. Even as a kid they annoyed me throughout the Star Wars movies. I don’t know why I used them, it was a mistake. If that wasn’t enough, I put in blooms AND there’s that cube effect again (1:23, 1:34). I really don’t know what I was thinking. I really should have picked a theme with the transitions and stuck with it, the variations just made it way to busy, not to mention I picked some of the worst transitions possible (Actually, I kind of like the bloom effect when used in moderation).

The one thing I really did like was the earthquake edit at 1:05. This turned out very smooth and I liked the motivation behind it. Its cool in a “I Love the 80’s” way. Not very cinematic, but certainly fun.

Vi hoje, rapidamente, um slideshow online da revista americana INC, sobre o que faz um grande vendedor. A lista é simples e muito interessante. Um bom lembrete do que é fundamental para vender bem, muito e sempre.

1. Paixão pelo produto
2. Saber escutar o cliente
3. Entender seus primeiros clientes
4. Execução perfeita, ou entregar exatamente o que promete
5. Ser respeitado pelo cliente, ou ter uma ótima reputação
6. Conseguir tirar o pedido (simples assim)

Para elaborar esse material, a revista ouviu empreendedores de sucesso e muito inovadores, como:

• Tan Le, da Emotiv, empresa que está criando um aparelho que “lê” a mente, para ser usado em diversos produtos, inclusive video-games.
• Jake Nickell e Jeffrey Kalmikoff, da Threadless, empresa que faz camisetas com designs enviados por usuários, que foi a inspiração da empresa brasileira Camiseteria.

Last week I was in San Francisco with colleagues visiting a few high tech companies in Silicon Valley, in order to prepare a trip next year during the Easter holidays.
Among them Sun, Cisco, Apple which did not reveal a lot in preparing our trip, so more on that later.

Adobe was very open and we can have practically a whole day  for our students from Multimedia and communication technology departement. There will be demos on the flash platform, thermo and more, but also the students will get their moment as well, show their coolest work developed and designed in Adobe software, to show to the different product managers of Adobe. What more can you dream of! This is so cool for them!!!

A separate session will be provided for the companies who will join the Easter trip in 2009.

Another company we discovered while there, was Emotiv. Emotiv develops headsets which are controlling the human neurologic system, to send functionalities towards the computer, and to handle activities to other devices. Needless to say this is an enormous work of developing intelligence in the machine. More info on Emotiv.

emotiv headsets

Persuasive technology by BJ Fogg

BJ fogg, directs research and design at Stanford University’s Persuasive Technology Lab. The purpose is to create insight into how computing products–from websites to mobile phone software–can be designed to change people’s beliefs and behaviors. BJ Fogg started investigating computers and persuasion in 1993 and later realized this topic had no name, so he gave it one: captology.

His lab’s major projects include mobile persuasion, the psychology of Facebook, and peace innovation.  A new focus is using online video to persuade people. Other projects include online credibility, ethics of persuasion, and operant conditioning via computing systems.

You find more on these topics on his blog.

During our meeting we had an interesting discussion on the social networks, focussed marketing. The use of online video. The more info we get based on profiling, the more focused info it will be. On the other hand, we will miss info, which is maybe not in our profile, but in our interest anyway. See how this will evolves. And will we still read off line news and marketing, or will we narrow our mind, instead of broaden it.

A very interesting person to listen to and to talk with on the subject! To be followed!

Last but not least we visited Expression college, this college specializes in Digital Art and entertainment. A complete private initiative, with support from the industry. They mainly work on animation 2D and 3D, film and audio. They have huge studios, very professional equipped, really worthwhile a visit!

This Silicon Valley trip is always an eye opener. The industry there is so much bigger then in our little Belgium. They also have a huge market to deliver to, and it is really the mekka for new creative innovation, which we can bring to our local market.

The US pioneers are more risk taker then we are, I think, well that’s my opnion. I guess we are to attached to our money. Or don’t see the potental that they do. Either way, much to learn in a very inspiring area.

The future is upon us! Looking through the latest Wired magazine, I found a short article about a headset for PC gaming that literally reads your mind. No need for a keyboard, mouse, or joystick – this $300 piece of equipment will control whatever game you’re playing just by reading your brain’s electrical signals. You want to move a box? Imagine it being moved in your head, and it will move accordingly. In a bad mood? The background and lighting will change to darker colors. See some enemies ahead of you? Scare them off with intimidating facial expressions. This has all been accomplished in the official Emovtiv game.

This thing sounds too good to be true, but reading about IGN.com’s “minds-on” demo of the Emotiv game using the Emotiv EPOC gave me the impression that it really works. On the official Emotiv website, there’s still talk of pre-ordering the headset, so it’s not out yet. However, it is expected to be released by the end of 2008. Also of note is a video on the website of someone controlling a motorized wheelchair with the device. Needless to say, this is one headset to keep your eye on.

Emotiv website

IGN demo of Emotiv game

By Josh60502

I have a problem. My thought moves faster than my hands, and ideas are often ephermal and lost almost forever in the storm of neurons. I’m often beating my brain by the time I finally reach a keyboard or grab a pencil. But there’s hope. For me at least.

The tantalizing prospect of totally discarding the ubiquitous keyboard and mouse has taunted me for a long time, and turns out, with Emotiv, it is a reality now… at least I hope. I have not seen it in action and am not sure of its complete capabilities. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement.

To kick off, in my own way, the debut of the first commercial thought manipulated device, I have written a small prediction—an euphemism for “science-fiction story”—suggesting its possibilities and dangers.

Mickey and Jacks are flipping through the brain channels.

But first, a history. ItsAllYou was established in the first decade of the third millennium and is based on its predecessor, the friendship networks popular at the turn of the century. ItsAllYou, if you choose, puts your life into the spotlight and allows you to share your inner landscape with friends and more!

ItsAllYou consists of personal pages that the user freely customizes with visualizations, sound, and text. The majority of subscribers use stream of consciousness text and digital voice. The more immersed individuals are connected 24 hours a day and their page boasts dramatic and expensive add-ons such as

The Mood Meter (reflecting the user’s moods using user-defined parameters. Ex: simpler models would exhibit basic color changes, red for angry, or green for peaceful, and the more complex models would have avatars, cartoonish or realistic. Inanimate objects could be used as well),

Digital Larynx (a digital reconstruction of the user’s voice box, thus allowing subscribers to the user’s page to hear the stream of consciousness digitally spoken in the user’s voice. Also useful in transcribing text to sound, an application certain disabled demographics found useful), and the

SeeAll Application (entire aspects of the user’s life displayed as is, spatially, temporally, and emotionally through real time digital representation, or if the user preferred, via a limitless selection of user-customizable avatars. This applictaion requires GPS chipping, extensive user definition of each variable: home, environs, city, etc).

Generally called BrainTV, ItsAllYou is only the tip of the iceberg. Privacy is a thing of the past as more and more people choose to become immersed, quickly blurring the line between real and network life.

Now, Mickey and Jacks are channeling BrainTV and watching the many lives of friends and strangers on the multiple monitor set up at their console.

Mickey, his cap on, changed the channels with slow, steady thought. Jacks played with a rubber ball, throwing it against the wall, ignoring the occasional angry expletive from the neighbor. Mickey channeled a brainbaby, infants who were hooked up by their parents to interact with other children and as a means of monitoring their child’s mental activity.

—grass green ba ba ba sing funny pretty televy tubby yellow bright white sky funny soft toy people candy head purple blue po po po yay po— “Geez, just what are their parents thinking?” Mickey complained. Jacks shrugged, banged the ball against the wall.

—bursts of colors pain stars look how I rip it redly until it drips and torrents a soft iron smell a sharp metallic tang o how she writhes skin strips like dress frills splashing salt sweet face this one is better than the others taking so long to live in that pain sweet pain I give so dearly and benevolently with the sweat on my brow—

—the merest suggestion contributing to social suction turning the situation into a miniature vacuum and historical incidents accounting for variables one and two and four reveal a forthco— “Jacks, look at this!” Mickey said, switching to the previous channel.

—her cries are songs to my ears her blessing of my sacrament and her sacrifice lies redly in my hand shh shh girl it’s almost over you’ll be freed from the cage of flesh—

The display screen streamed little black devils ejaculating blood on a gravestone (Death lies here…He died real good) under a green moon. “Jesus. What a nut.” A pale Jacks slipped on his cap and changed the channel. For all his energy, he was soft of stomach.

—go go go fragdoll bang pow yow girl power keep that gun oiled like rhythm in the game strafe that fucker shooting rails and rocket launchers sssboom! zap out the electric gun gotcha KthaiByeBoy your friend going down reeeeeel soon psshhhhhzow eat rocket #V@p0r# yer outta the game! and I’m the queen bee once more nobo— Heavy Metal tunes filtering through the larynxed stream of consciousness and a real-time display of the multiplayer stadium from any angle the observer chooses. Jack idly followed the queen bee before throwing his attention back to his ball.

—za zoo zoo zoolerooni loo roo roo lootooroolerotoo o-o-rooni— Rhythmic jungle syncopation bulging and jangling. Jazz jungle avatar, zoot suited tribal mask prowling dark smog streets lighted with slow oil flames. Mickey surfed on.

—run run run run run run don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop run don’t stop keep the beat don’t stop run run run gotta get ready gotta get ready run run only tomorrow so soon keep fit don’t stop ten kilometers run run almost there don’t stop run run your last marathon don’t blow it run run run don’t stop run—

“Man, I like the bassline in this one. Like an entire stadium stomping their feet ba ba pow!”
“Shit, Jacks. Flashbulb moment!”
“Oh do so tell me, your idea must be so fab!” Jacks in falsetto, camping around the console with an invisible boa.
“Jacks… could we re-route feedback into these caps?” Mickey giggled, eyes flashing. “Think about what we could do!”
“Turn ‘em into our zombie slaves?” Jacks was getting excited too.
“Yes, and even better! We could get Sasha upstairs to take off her clothes!” Sasha was this tight number enigmatic in her dark shades and confident strut. Pale blonde hair framed her face and from it she would jag a cruel grin at Mickey and Jacks whenever they passed her on one of their rare forays into sunlight. They had tried to access her, but she was heavily guarded with the intraweb equivalent of junkyard dogs and automatic machine guns. High-tech security systems. Mickey brooded on this. Sasha was rarely on the intraweb, but she sometimes pinged them on ItsAllYou. “That’d be crazy!”
“Yeah, she would kill us! See the laigggs on her!? Swishpow!” Jacks air karated, leaping and roundhousing. Something crashed. Jacks grinned from the floor. “Let’s go for it!”

Mickey and Jacks were chipheads. They had transistor thoughts and code streamed in their dreams. They plied the intraweb at age one, and were writing their own sub-routines at five years old. They were of a different generation, but even then they were unique among their own. They dove into the project with a focus that found them blinking blearily five days later at their completed construction lying on the table, looking very much like a B-movie prop.

Crushing the remnants of a Crash Cola down his gullet Jacks said, “Let’s fire it up! You test it out.”
“No way. You’d make me drop my pants and run outside wanking.”
“It’s not like you never did it before! Pansy. I’ll guinea pig.”
“I had too much Crash Cola… but never mind that.” Mickey sat at the console. “I’m not gonna argue.”

Jacks fitted the cap on his skull, strapping it around his chin with a piece of shortened belt. He sniggered. He had carefully removed it from Mickey’s pants while he napped. As far as he knew, Mickey was still oblivious to the fact. He gave the component plugs to Mickey and waited as Mickey set up the programming. Hardware was his specialty, and Mickey played with code like it was clay. They had their strengths.

“Here we go,” Mickey said, eagerly adjusting his own cap.
“Don’t make me do anything stupid,” Jacks grinned. “On a count of one.”
“Of course not, my friend. Who do you take me for?” said Mickey through lying teeth. “One!”

At first nothing happened then Jacks’ face slackened slowly, a tic overtaking his left eyebrow. A tremor filled the right side of his face, and Mickey felt panic lurking in his stomach. A caustic shudder seeped through Jacks’ body and spittle began to trace glinting saliva down his chin. Mickey had watched an old-style video of an electric chair execution and this was so much alike that he opened the dams of panic and thought ABORT ABORT ABORT in great wide emotion-red lettershapes. Mickey hadn’t realized he was screaming the words too.

“Ha ha ha ha!” Jacks was bent over with mirth, clutching his stomach. “Should have seen your face! It doesn’t work. I guess it’s back to the drawing bo—”

Mickey bowled Jacks over with a tackle. He pulled himself up slowly and faced a wall, fisting the tears from his eyes. He said between sobs, “Oh, you fuck! You fucking fuck…”

“The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different.”
Peter Drucker

Look what I stumbled on yesterday evening.

Be excited, but be scared. A world of mind-blowing possibilities is suddenly being thrust upon the world of video gaming.

 

Detecting your thoughts: the EPOC headset is a breakthrough in brain – computer interfaces. The era of thought controlled games has arrived, and soon you could be required only to ‘think’ to operate a video game. Maybe you’ll even have the chance to be completely immersed in a video game ‘world’.The Emotiv EPOC headset – the first Brain Computer Interface (BCI) device for the gaming market is the technology behind the revolution — and the company claims to have already mastered thought control.The EPOC detects and processes real time brain activity patterns (small voltage changes in the brain caused by the firing of neurons) using a device that measures electric activity in the brain.

In total, it picks up over 30 different expressions, emotions and actions.

Click here to read more: The future of gaming is all in the mind – CNN.com

Awesome. Not that I’m a big videogamer, but, without wanting to sound like my Grandmother, it’s absolutely AMAZING what the kids are doing these days

I mean, doesn’t this just seem like the ultimate form technology pertaining to the evergrowing lazyness of the human race? (Listen, it’s not that I’m not impressed, holy hell, it’s amazing, BUT one has to look at it another way too).

Imagine, you don’t even need to move your fingers, just think it and it does it. Though the technology is not QUITE there yet, if you look up some vids on YouTube you’ll see the people are actually making the movements, and the thing is not as reactive as it should be. But they’re working on it, don’t worry, in a few years time all you gaming junkies can just sit there looking at the screen and thinking about what you want done.

This probably opens a whole new topic about how the human mind has dumbed down…

Oh, and here’s the link to the site of the people that designed this thing: emotivEPOC

SPAM-PAM direct din CREER