The Brain Mouse Goes on Sale

[Broni]

HERE

Have you ever wanted to be able to play a computer game by just thinking what you wanted the computer to do next, without having to lift a finger - ala Star Trek, or Neuromancer?

Well, now you can, with the release for sale of the OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator, or, as some are referring to it, the Brain Mouse.

The Neural Impulse Actuator, which hits stores this month, works by your strapping it around your head, like a headband, then using the software that comes with it to fine tune it to respond to your own brain impulses. It can, according to OCZ, be used with any existing computer game.

In a recent press release, OCZ said of its brainchild:

“OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and components for enthusiasts and gamers, is pleased to announced the Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA) has begun mass production and launch into channel is imminent. A prototype was debuted last year at CeBIT 2007 which generated a newfound excitement in the global gaming community.

OCZ saw an exciting opportunity to enhance the gaming experience and take PC gameplay to new heights. The NIA is not a replacement for a mouse but rather a pioneering new peripheral designed to provide an immersive experience for gamers. The NIA is the first commercially available BCI (brain-computer interface) specifically for PC gamers.

“Advances in hardware and software allow today’s games to offer consumers an exceptional entertainment experience, and we wanted to take the next step by immersing gamers into these environments with the innovative new NIA,” stated Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. “The NIA radically changes the ways that gamers can interact and control elements within games, and can be configured in a matter of minutes for any game that is already published or will be released.”

The commands are easily assigned with the NIA’s user-friendly software and are calibrated based on the individual’s physiology and personal preferences. Each of the Actuator’s signals can be assigned to a specific keystroke on the keyboard or a mouse button; consequentially, gamers can run, jump, and fire faster all without “lifting a finger.” Because the NIA converts EEG (electroencephalograph) signals into specified keystrokes, the device can be used with any software. Upon proper configuration, the NIA will allow users to control PC games without the use of a keyboard and minimal use of a mouse.

The final version of the NIA uses a sleek metal housing, a USB 2.0 interface, and streamlined headband with carbon “dry” interface sensors.”

You can order an OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator here: http://www.cometsupply.com/pm/OCZOCZMSNIA/r/gg/

[Aegis]

If I only had a brain...   

It would be cool if it was a full-duplex feed.  Then we could get Microsoft updates directly to our brains.  Life will be so much better....

[patio]

There's no way i would let an MS update anywhere near my brain....it's bad enough where they land now.

 

[Computer Hope Admin]

I'd like to try this out, but there is no way I'm paying 189 for it unless it's revolutionary and easy to use, which I have a hard time believing it is.

[Broni]

There's no way i would let an MS update anywhere near my brain

LOOOOOOOOL

[BC_Programmer]

Thank goodness, now not only can I sit on my but all day and play games, I can do it without moving one of my muscles and expending precious energy!



I recently had a Microsoft DirectStem(r) installed in my medulla oblongata, and a CerebrumXP(tm) core. Life is so much better. I am no longer pestered by that darn Free will, and Microsoft gives me something to do all the time! For example, just yesterday, they instilled the happy thoughts of DRM into my mind. Now I can never share my thoughts with others without permission from the original thinker, which is microsoft, because they think for me. OK, so there were a few issues with my breathing stopping when I didn't move for about 5 minutes (apparently they based this on the windows core, and forgot to remove the Screensaver timing mechanism), and I keep having these recurring dreams, where I'm skiing down an infinitely tall mountain, and am inevitably eaten by a monster. But generally, I enjoy the freedom to not think, which really is what we are all after with computers. Every day, I wake up, and I contact the microsoft server. I have one question:

Where do you want me to go today?

[Aegis]

Very nice, BC!   

I really don't know if we're all after the "not thinking" part.  I'm sure there are elements of our society which would like to see that happen.

I do believe using a computer should be as painless as possible, especially for the people who don't have computers as their vocation or avocation.

[BC_Programmer]

gotta love the skifree reference. Have no idea how I came up with that- a bit obscure...

But generally, I enjoy the freedom to not think, which really is what we are all after with computers.

Oops- I kind of meant that as a stab at what some companies think of everybody that uses computers. Or something- I was running out of comedic steam by that point, so I had to get the punchline off soon...

[Aegis]

No, I was just the audience that makes a guy say, "Tough room!"

I get your point, and you're EXACTLY correct, BC.

My apologies.

[squall_01]

Wondered what would happen if you feel asleep with it on?

[quaxo]

If all I did was sit here and think and not use my mouse, my health would just go down the drain. That's all the exercise I get!

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

If all I did was sit here and think and not use my mouse, my health would just go down the drain. That's all the exercise I get!

You can exercise your brain... 

[quaxo]

I get enough of that without having to think to use my computer! 

[squall_01]

I agree, most of what we do is stuff we already done so we done have to put alot of effert into.

[Aegis]

I agree, most of what we do is stuff we already done so we done have to put alot of effert into.

Sure, in a lot of ways, technology has made our lives simpler, but we have to put a lot of effort into running all the extra stuff we have -- computers, DVD's, DVR's, VCR's, cell phones, PDA's, iPods -- the list goes on...

You're right in the sense that once you learn a product, it's easier (and there are commonalities across platforms) but we spend a lot of time tending our technologies, and I sometimes wonder if it's really worth it.