Monday, June 8, 2015

Thync – A Wearable Device That Alters Your Mood

Well, hey there! Thanks for clicking by today. WASSUP? Nah...same here. Another day, another 38 cents...the rest being taxed out of us. But we don't have to get all moody about it. Fill your coffee mug and munch on a virtual doughnut or muffin while I tell you how you can change your mood whenever you want to.

‘Thync’ is a new wearable device that makes use of electroencephalography to measure the brain’s electrical activity, and modify neuron activity. Simply put, it has the ability to change your mood!

All you need to do is attach the device to your forehead and it will instantly shift your state of mind. A corresponding iPhone app lets you pick the type of mood you want to experience, and even adjust the intensity. 

You could choose to become happy, relaxed, focused, or energised. And the best part is, you get to do it without using drugs, energy drinks, or alcohol.

The device is based on neuro-signalling, a process in which ultrasound waves are used to communicate with neuron connections in the brain, causing a person’s mood to alter. The device will send electrical signals or ultrasound waves to the specific areas of the brain that are centres of energy, concentration, and relaxation. 

The immediate effects of Thync last 30 minutes to an hour, with carry-over effects of the “vibe” lasting several hours, depending on the intensity of the stimulation. The Thync settings can be tweaked via an accompanying smartphone application.

The company that developed Thync was founded by engineering and neuroscience experts from Stanford, MIT, and Harvard. They spent $15 million on research and development, with the sole aim of coming up with a device that taps into the brain and modify its activity. The first ever Thync device was officially launched last Tuesday, mostly receiving good reviews.

Boston Business Journal editor David Harris, who got an opportunity to try out Thync even before it hit the market, selected the ‘rest’ mode on the app. “I was told I would feel an itchiness sensation and even some pain at first,” he wrote. “I felt a little like Frankenstein, except I was already alive. I felt the itchiness, like a pressure building in my temple and then some sort of zing – a result of the zapping going on between my nerves and the device.”

Although Harris admitted that he did feel a little tired, he also hadn’t slept very well the night before, so he couldn’t be sure if the mood was actually induced by Thync. “I started zoning out, focusing on the skyline outside the office’s window,” he added.

Jamie Tyler, the company’s co-founder and chief scientific officer, told Harris that the device has been tested on 3,700 people, both in the lab and in the real world. “We think of this as a new category of wearables that operates in synergy with your body,” said Tyler. “Instead of reading what you’re doing, we’re acting in synergy… it primes your body to be in a more relaxed state.”

Since 2011, the company has raised several millions of dollars from investors, and hopes to take up a sizeable chunk of the wearable technology market.

I  thync that one specifically for drivers would be a good idea, don't you? Since alcohol has also been noted to change people's moods, I am now waiting for someone to come out with a new red wine called 'Thwymm' so you can have your choice...to 'thync' or 'thwymm'! (Groan...)

See ya, eh!

Bob

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