Review: Force Trainer

I know, I know, I'm a bit late to do a review of the Force Trainer since it came out around late 2009 (Gizmodo review).  However, only now did the price come down enough for me to try it out as I put it into the category: "interesting but is it really useful?"

If you're even later to the party than I am, the Force Trainer is one of the first generation of consumer-grade Mind Machine Interface, and like many other technologies is somewhat expensive (Amazon price is at ~35 USD instead of the original 129), somewhat difficult to set up (initial calibration is frusterating) and somewhat unreliable (or maybe I'm just not the Jedi I used to be).  In case you missed the subtext, yes, IT READS YOUR MIND (or more correctly reads your brain waves).

I've had it (so far) for about two days now and find it a much better concentration aid so far than guided meditation CDs or simple silence (without feedback, how will I know if I'm concentrating correctly?)

All in all, a decent buy at $35, just to have something that reads your mind (this technology will only get better and more prevalent as time goes on, so you may as well get used to it now).

Also, if electronics is your thing, there's a hack to link the input into a serial port.  You could technically adjust your dimmer lights with your thoughts via consumer technology.


I'm really starting to dig the 21st century!