Current computer technology allows users to think about making physical movements to control a cursor on a screen. Instead, the new technology Intel is working on will be capable of directly interpreting words as they are thought. This new technology could allow people to dictate letters and search the Internet simply by thinking.
Scientists at Intel are creating detailed maps of the activity in the brain for individual words that can then be matched against the brain activity of someone using the computer, allowing the machine to determine the word they are thinking.
Much like the childhood game of 20 questions, the technology uses a form of 20 questions to narrow down what the word the user is thinking of. Some projected capabilities will allow users to write letters, open emails or do Internet searches just by thinking. This will undoubtedly change user interfaces to allow people to interact with computers faster and more efficiently than ever.