IBM: We'll Have Mind-reading Smartphones in 5 Years

Imagine a day when you can control your smartphone and laptop with your mind, and facial recognition on ATMs and computers is advanced enough to make passwords obsolete.

That reality may not be too far away, according to researchers at IBM. The company’s annual “5 in 5” report explores five futuristic technologies that have the potential to change the world in the next half-decade.

Topping the list are mind-reading gadgets. IBM is among several companies that are developing devices that are controlled with the user’s mind. Mind-reading tech, called bioinformatics, enables the user to call a friend by picturing him or scroll through a document without using a mouse, for example.

"Within five years, we will begin to see early applications of this technology in the gaming and entertainment industry," IBM said. "Doctors could use the technology to test brain patterns, possibly even assist in rehabilitation from strokes and to help in understanding brain disorders, such as autism."

Also awesome is IBM’s prediction that passwords will be left behind as devices instead grant you access by recognizing who you are.

"Your biological makeup is the key to your individual identity, and soon it will become the key to safeguarding it," IBM said. "Imagine you will be able to walk up to an ATM machine to securely withdraw money by simply speaking your name or looking into a tiny sensor that can recognize the unique patterns in the retina of your eye. Or by doing the same, you can check your account balance on your mobile phone or tablet."

Sure, this type of technology is already rampant in smartphones, timeclocks and the like. But one day it will be secure enough to be used in banking applications and for computer security.

My favorite five-year prediction, though, is “people-powered homes.” I’ve often thought about this while running uselessly on the treadmill: Why aren’t we capturing the kinetic energy created by humans and their homes? Apparently, IBM is setting out to do just that.

"Anything that moves or produces heat has the potential to create energy that can be captured," IBM said. "Walking. Jogging. Bicycling. The heat from your computer. Even the water flowing through your pipes."

Want to check out the other few ideas? Keep reading here.

Comments

[Daren Jackson]

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