So, for those of you unaware, there is a new product out called the EPOC, by Emotiv, which is a high-res neurosignal acquisition headset - it reads your brain signals very accurately - now available to the consumer masses, for only $299. For comparison, older brainwave acquisition games sold for between $600-$900 a few years ago. This is brand new technology and software - including an algorithm that maps the cortex of the brain more accurately than any other method previously employed - that is within the reasonable reach of the average consumer, if they are so inclined.

Now, the technology is a principle advancement, but the software may still need development - in other words, the headset is unlikely to become obsolete very quickly, whereas the software may be continually updated over time to become more flexible and accurate.

What does it do? Well, it lets you direct the interfaced supported electronics (computers, and by proxy, anything that can be run through your computer) with your brain. So far the demonstrations are promising, the reviews are par, but the main problem people seem to have is not that the tech doesn't work, but that they have a hard time grasping exactly what you are supposed to do with your brain. Thinking "push" or "go" is not enough - you have to develop the sense of interacting with a physical object using your mind rather than just telling the object what to do. Additionally the tech reads emotional states, brainwaves, etc., to create an interface that is entirely intuitive rather than purely intellectual.

Besides the consumer package there is a software development package and a research package as well. Because my partner and I will want to both work with this new tech, we're starting with the consumer package and then, if it goes well, getting the research package later on. However, the consumer version is already on the way.

there's a video here that talks about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwUyOmtxh-U

There's also a demo vid by the emotiv company which is also informative but not as in depth as this one. The emotiv website is, predictably, www.emotiv.com

I'll post my actual product 'review' here later on once I've gotten the headset delivered and figured out how well it really works. But, I think that a lot of the people on this forum would likely be able to master this tech very quickly - we train focus, concentration, visualization and mental flexibility all the time - so, prerequisites met. This kind of tech may enable the average individual to start thinking and operating, mentally, differently as well. And who knows what kind of deeply rooted barriers may be weakened using tech like this to get used to causing visible changes with the mind so easily. Hmmmm....

peace