There have been a billion different Star Wars toys that have come out over the last 30 years, but none of them have been more creepy than the new toy George Lucas has slated to come out next fall.
The Force Trainer (expected to be priced at $90 to $100) comes with a headset that uses brain waves to allow players to manipulate a sphere within a clear 10-inch-tall training tower, analogous to Yoda and Luke Skywalker's abilities in the Star Wars films.
No, you're not tapping into some "all-powerful force controlling everything," as Han Solo said in the movies. But you are reaching out with mind power via one of the first mass-market brain-to-computer products.
Yes, you read that right, brain-to-computer products.
In the Force Trainer, a wireless headset reads your brain activity, in a simplified version of EEG medical tests, and the circuitry translates it to physical action. If you focus well enough, the training sphere, which looks like a ping-pong ball, will rise in the tower.
The day George Lucas starts putting out toys that can read my brain waves is the day I may finally have to become a hermit and move deep into the woods to live out the rest of my days in a tiny cabin and lamenting how civilization has become a mass of mind controlled consumers who are forever under the control of giant corporations through brain interfacing devices that they willingly installed in their heads. Am I the only one slightly frightened by this? Sure, this is just a simple toy that is meant to be fun, but what kinds of things will this lead to? Just look at the creepy stare the kid in the photo has. It's mind control I tell ya!
It's evil, evil I say!!!
Although, I can't help but wonder how much fun this thing would be to try while drunk. I would totally want to run home experiments with this. While sober I'd use it and record how long it takes me to get the ball to certain heights. Then I'd get roaringly, stumbling drunk and try it again and see how the alcohol affects my scores.
God, I'm such a nerd.
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