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Software Backs Up Human Memory

Posted by timothy on from the where'd-I-put-my-pda dept.

CWmike writes "Ever try to remember who you bumped into at the store a few days back? Well, you're not alone. And IBM researchers are working on software that just may help you better recollect all the forgotten pieces of your life. This week, the company unveiled Pensieve, software that stores images, sounds, and text on everyday mobile devices, then allows the user extract them later on, to help them recall names, faces, conversations and events. IBM's project is akin to one that Gordon Bell and other scientists at Microsoft Research have been working on for the past nine years."

11 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Hah by QuoteMstr · · Score: 5, Funny

    If only that were the case at the bar. This happens far, far too often. I'd love some kind of memory aid.

    [talking to hot woman]
    Me: "Hey. So, you're a biology nut and read Neal Stephanson in your spare time? Hey, what's your name?"
    Her: "Alice, and you are?"
    Me: "Dan. So, can you hold on a minute? I've got to run to the bathroom."

    [thinking]
    "Must remember name is Alice"
    "Must remember name is Alice"
    "Must remember name is Alice"
    "Must remember name is Alice" ...
    "Must remember name is Alice"

    [comes back]
    Me: "So, Emily how are you doing?"
    Her: "Uhm, I'm Alice."

    *crap*

  2. Order of operations by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 5, Funny

    You want to take the crap before you come back from the bathroom.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
    1. Re:Order of operations by QuoteMstr · · Score: 5, Funny

      So, all this time, my dating problems have been a race condition?

    2. Re:Order of operations by MadKeithV · · Score: 5, Funny

      { insert lame joke about racism here }

  3. Exactly what we don't need by MeditationSensation · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I feel like with the advent of Google, Wikipedia, searching my old Gmail messages... it's been easier than ever for me to not remember things. Remember how ancient people used to memorize huge poems and religious texts? Granted, a lot of this relied on mnemonics and repetitive passages, but I can't help but feel modern human memory is poor compared to the way it used to be.

  4. Re:Pensieve? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Far be it from the summary to include a useful link: http://www.haifa.ibm.com/projects/imt/pensieve/

  5. No thanks by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'll stick to my system of polaroids and tattoos

    1. Re:No thanks by gregbot9000 · · Score: 5, Funny

      How do you keep someone with no memory busy? Refresh for answer.

  6. Re:Pensieve? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The adjective "pensive" has the meaning you stated.

    "Pensieve," I believe, is a portmanteau of "pensive" and "sieve" or filter.

  7. Sounds like something I did by MarkByers · · Score: 5, Funny

    I worked on a very similar project but now I can't remember what it's called.

    --
    I'll probably be modded down for this...
  8. Re:Pensieve? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    and a Pen Sieve is a device for sorting your big pens from your little pens.