Have we really gotten so lazy...

... that it's too much to just ask? Sure, I understand not wanting to get up and turn off the light yourself. And yeah, occasionally clapping can take a lot out of you, but have we really come to this?

FTA: Light switches, TV remote controls and even house keys could become a thing of the past thanks to brain-computer interface (BCI) technology being developed in Europe that lets users perform everyday tasks with thoughts alone.

Yes, thank you, Science, because these are the parts of my life that need to be simplified. Also, no one's going to wear that (I'd say the pictures worth the click... what's that? You have to operate your mouse with your hand?! Savage!)

You left the oven on, Dave.

Geriatric care is going to rapidly become remarkable. The above show's why. People are living longer and having fewer children. This means that whole populations are aging. Now Japan happens to be one of the most extreme examples but its true of all industrialized nations (for the most part). Well with that in mind we can expect more of this...

Headline: "Smart" devices may help dementia sufferers remember to shut off stove, live at home longer

FTA: In addition to reminding people to switch off potentially dangerous appliances (and actually shutting them off and contacting help if need be), the system is designed to help people avoid other hazards, such as nighttime wandering and incontinence issues. The system, for instance, senses when someone gets out of bed in the middle of the night and automatically turns on the bathroom light to help them find their way. Or, if the bed senses a prolonged nocturnal absence, the system will play voice recordings that gently remind people that, "it's awfully late, perhaps you should be getting back to bed," says Carey-Smith.

Man, it’s speeding up…

I had read about this concept being discussed in serious practical terms for the first time just last week… FTA: A room with 85 microphones and eight cameras that act as the eyes and ears of a projected talking head that is capable of recognizing speakers and turning towards their position. The project by these UPC researchers brings the vision of interacting with machines in a human way one step closer.

… To me this was obviously an early attempt at a smart house, but as the research team behind it admitted, ‘the room "can do the same thing that any other computer can do; that is, it can not do anything physical, but it can provide information. The room", says Josep Ramón Casas, "does not act as a servant, rather it provides answers similar to those we would obtain from a computer."’

I flagged this article with the intent of talking about it… but before I could, I saw this one, FTA: Shimizu Corp and Yaskawa Electric Corp opened the "Smart Showroom" demonstration space as the first step of the "Smart Robotics Building" project, which involves the use of robot technologies in intelligent buildings.

And more: The project is aimed at providing various services and comfortable living environment through combination of building infrastructure technologies and robot technologies. Robots will play the roles of receptionist, guide, delivery personnel, cleaners, guards, etc in place of humans. For example, they will approach visitors, attend to and take them to their destinations in the building.

What this says to me is that even now we’re able to jerry-rig together a handful of systems and tricks to create an approximation of something far greater. Before we have actual AI we’ll have integrated systems that can perform with the approximate sophistication of low level AI. These systems may not seem impressive once you know their tricks, but like a skilled cold reader, they'll be able to blow away a lay person.