Brain sensing technology is definitely one of the most futuristic and long-awaited technology ever. People have been fantasizing of a time where you can control computers and robots with your mind, or police having the ability to read minds for a long time. These times are still yet to come, but with technology moving so fast, it can’t be too long. For now, we have minor brain sensing products, including Muse, a brain sensing stress tamer.
The Headband
Muse, shown off at the CES 2014, is a headband. But not a normal headband, obviously. On the underside of the band, there are sensors that can take in your brainwaves, sort them out, and then diagnose whether you are relaxed, stressed focused and more. Just with this data, you can help yourself. But Muse wanted to make this a full experience, not just a data collector. So they paired their device with an app.
To start, the Muse app takes in your data and allows you to look at it in charts and other helpful ways. But, in a way you couldn’t do by yourself, it gives you mini-games, utilizing your Muse, that help strengthen your focus and relax you when you’re stressed. If you use these games, over time, you could work more efficiently and hopefully make your life better.
A Sample App Screenshot
That is just a hope, though. Many products, especially new ones, don’t deliver like they’re supposed to. The software is too slow, it breaks, it’s ugly (in Pebbles case) or another problem like that. I know it’s not ugly, since we can see the close-to-final product, but the if the software or the sensibility is off, the whole thing could come crashing down. Still, it has worked at the demos and it worked at the CES, so I have high hopes for this one. We’ll just have to wait and see. Or think, for that matter. Wait and think.
2013 was a great year for technological breakthroughs. New iPhones, new iPads, curved screens and more are just some of the things that were developed in 2013. But there is one question that is still being asked: what does the new year hold for us? There have been many promises, leaks and hints throughout the end of last year, and we can only wait and see if they become true. But we can predict.
There are many things that are very likely to happen in 2014. One of which is the highly awaited public release of Google Glass. When Project Glass was released as a concept to developers back in Google I/O, the frenzy of publicity began. Everyone was completely memorized by the possibility of a computer on your glasses, and apps soon began popping up everywhere for every usage. These glasses and almost certainly being released on the early 2014 Google I/O. Of course, millions and billions of people will learn about these glasses and become intrigued enough to buy one, and Google Glasses will soon be seen everywhere. This will certainly cause some controversy, but will probably blow over soon enough.
We can’t forget Apple, though. At the 2014 WWDC, we can reasonably expect a new iPhone 6, which will probably be 50% percent lighter and 30% thinner. The retina will be better, and all the other stats will be much improved. The new Macbooks and iPads will most likely come at the later Apple conference, since at the last conference they were updated. After the release of the iPhone 5C, there is a chance that Apple will go down the color path with their other devices, especially the iPad Minis, which would definitely be a big surprise and a hit with the younger generation.
iPad Mini “C” Concept Webpage
There has been one Apple product that I have been skirting around, but will now address. The iWatch. Samsung have already released their smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, but the early version was slightly disappointing. First of all, it is not a stand-alone product, but only works if paired to a Galaxy smartphone. The functions of the watch itself is limited to answering call, which you then have to get you phone out to answer, checking social and SMS notifications, and using Samsungs 70 third-party app like Path, Evernote, Runkeeper and more. The design is not fantastic and somewhat slow if you are used to Apple products, so we can hope that Apple improves on that. What Apple would do to make the iWatch significantly better is (1) make it faster and more reactive and (2) make it stand-alone from Apple’s other devices. If they do that, then it might justify Samsungs price of $300.
A quite, may I say, interesting concept of what an iWatch may look like.
Smartglass will certainly take a leap in the new year. Transparent phones are already being prototyped without any software (so it’s useless for now), but it still has a few noticeable spots of chips, cameras and such visible. Since, as in Corning’s brilliant video, A Day Made Of Glass 1 and 2, smartglass will be everywhere in every shape and size in the future, we cannot hope too much for this coming trip around the sun. Although, significant progress will be made, and curved or curving glass will definitely be upgraded, almost to the point of public release.
A Day Made Of Glass 2, paused and explained by Corning
All in all 2014 is certainly going to be an interesting year. Breakthroughs will be made in not only technology, but science, physics, and almost any other field you can think of. The big events to look out for this year is the Google I/O, the Apple WWDC, the 2014 CES, Macworld/iWorld Expo, and more. Just as in 2013, at just these events thousands of products and concepts will be released and showcased, its amazing that all this could be accomplished in one year. But for now, all we have to do is wait and let the scientists and engineers work their magic.
TOTW: Google's Project Ara Modular Phone May Be The Future Of SmartphonesOctober 30, 2014
