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Post by Patrick on Sept 23, 2008 11:30:46 GMT
Names, phone numbers, directions - it can be a struggle to remember. Digital technology could soon make forgetfulness a thing of the past, but do we really want that?
Just as glasses and hearing aids are now commonplace, scientists are working on day-to-day digital devices to help us remember, with some taking inspiration from ancient times.
"We think that quite soon we'll be able to develop a technology, like some combination of hearing aid and glasses, that will actually enable you to remember.
We really think within the next five to 10 years you'll be able to be helped by memory aids."
Most of us already outsource our memories to electronic devices. Our mobiles remember phone numbers for us, and satnavs and GPS systems do the same for directions.
Relaxation
Engineer Lyndsay Williams decided to try and take things further when she started to regularly find a forgetful family member's missing mobile phone in the washing machine.
At the time she was working for Microsoft Research in Cambridge, where she developed the SenseCam - a small digital camera to be worn around the neck. It takes pictures every 30 seconds, or when it detects a change in light or heat. At the end of the day you can review all the pictures - perhaps 2,000 shots - in a few minutes.
While reviewing the photos taken after a short walk around a science park in Cambridge, I remembered everything I'd thought about during the stroll - thoughts I might have forgotten if I'd never checked back.
Microsoft isn't planning to market the SenseCam, but researchers say it can provide real help for people who suffer from Alzheimer's or severe memory loss.
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