Hasta La Gadget!

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from yours truly, who managed to destroy his Freetalk Everyman during a rough battle within a piece of carry-on luggage. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I previously owned a Freetalk Everyman, also known as a low-end, $30 USB headset that was ultra handy for making Skype calls and even podcasting in a quiet room. It traveled well, but not well enough. Recently, one of the ear cups were demolished during a turbulent flight back from NYC, and now I need a replacement. I’m too rough on these things to spend more than $40 or $50, so outside of replacing it in kind, what are my options for a USB headset that travels easily? You’ll be hearing a lot of me in the months to come, so don’t lead me astray. My life, as it were, is in your ever-so-capable hands.”

Ain’t much more to say when the question’s not coming from a third-party, so… have fun in comments!

Ask Engadget: best USB headset for Skype calls and on-the-go podcasting? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s well known that advertisers track our web-surfing habits to tailor the ads we see, but they’d prefer to know exactly what’s going on inside of that brain of yours. NeuroFocus’ aptly named Mynd, a full-brain wireless EEG sensor headset, serves as a stylish and easy way to record your thoughts whilst gazing at logos and lusting after products. In addition to neuromarketing applications, the European Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction consortium (TOBI) see it as a tool to help develop new technology for those with neurological disabilities. Sporting looks straight off the Game Grid, the Mynd is made of medical-grade EEG sensors to capture brain activity 2,000 times per second and a Bluetooth radio to shoot your thoughts to the smartphone, tablet, or PC of your choice. The wireless bit represents a huge upgrade over traditional EEG caps because it makes the headset’s mind-reading powers available in shopping malls and living rooms instead of just hospitals. All so the sellers of things can know just how effective a spokesperson the ETrade baby really is. PR’s after the break.

Continue reading NeuroFocus makes first wireless EEG sensor headset, don’t call it a thinking cap

NeuroFocus makes first wireless EEG sensor headset, don’t call it a thinking cap originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen some pretty interesting and insanely unique watches in our time, and just when we thought we’d seen it all, artist Olivier Demange whips up this timepiece concept — dubbed Konect — that packs a wide range of features and looks futuristic while doing so. Embedded in this Tron-esque gadget watch is a Bluetooth radio that’ll act as a receiver — yes, you can finally fulfill your lifelong dream of using your watch to communicate (only if you’ve strapped a paired BT headset to your skull). You’ll also find proper controls for music playback, a button to answer and end calls, a removable USB stick, and well, a way to tell the time. Judging by the renders, we’d say finding out when it is might take more than a second or two, but you can be sure that we hope to see this thing on our wrists sometime. Check out the concept in video form below the fold — and yes, we know, House!

Continue reading Konect USB watch concept is awe-inspiring, hard to tell time on (video)

Konect USB watch concept is awe-inspiring, hard to tell time on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would you pay $100 to control the outcome of a movie with the power of your mind? That’s what NeuroSky and Triete Labs are banking on with MyndPlay. Simply put, it uses NeuroSky’s $99 Mindwave headset with a custom video player that monitors your mental activity during critical points in specially designed films, and offers multiple outcomes depending on your focus and relaxation levels. For instance, in Paranormal Mynd (above), you play an exorcist who must drive a evil spirit away — if you don’t focus intently, this woman will choke to death. Another gangster film has you dodging bullets and sports multiple endings; depending on how relaxed and concentrated you are, you could come away clean, take a bullet to the head, or dodge poorly and have the projectile strike your friend dead instead. MyndPlay plans to produce a raft of such short-form content for $0.49 to $1.99 per episode, and also let you shoot and share your own, scripting sequences with a tool to be released next month called MyndPlay Pro.

We gave Paranormal Mynd a try at GDC 2011, and came away somewhat impressed — you definitely can control the outcome of a scene, but it doesn’t work quite like you’d expect. Since NeuroSky’s technology is still limited to detecting the mental states of concentration and relaxation, you can’t “will” the movie to go the way you’d like with your thoughts — in fact, thinking about anything rather than what you’re seeing on screen seemed to register as a form of distraction, and lowered our scores. Instead, the ticket to success seemed to be focusing intently on processing the images on screen and clearing our head of all thought or emotion, making us feel totally brain-dead even as we aced the scene. If that sort of zombification sounds like fun, watch a couple video teasers after the break!

Continue reading NeuroSky shows off MyndPlay, we control movies with our brainwaves (video)

NeuroSky shows off MyndPlay, we control movies with our brainwaves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Simon, who seems to be not-so-secretly hoping to drown out his entire office. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I need a headset which can block out the background from a busy office. I’m talking repetitive noises such as drilling, background chatter, keyboard clattering, computer fan whirring and the endless static from our building’s air conditioner. I would love if this headset had a fair to good quality of sound for MP3s, and it would of course have to have a good microphone for IP phone telephony and Skype. If it didn’t look like something from Radio Shack that would be a bonus, and if the microphone was a bit discreet for street and airplane use that would be an added benefit. Lastly the connection to a workstation could be both USB and Bluetooth, with a preference for wireless. Thanks!”

Bluetooth headsets have evolved quite a bit since the last time we had this discussion, so we’re curious what you’re currently using to make work a wee bit more bearable? No need in keeping secrets, right? Speak out in comments below!

Ask Engadget: best (non-ugly) noise-cancelling Bluetooth headset for drowning out office noise? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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