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Microsoft Research Adds 'Mood Detection' To Smartphones

angry tapir writes "Researchers at Microsoft Research have produced a prototype software system that can be used on smartphones to infer a user's mood. The 'MoodScope' system produced by researchers uses smartphone usage patterns to determine whether someone is happy, calm, excited, bored or stressed and could potentially add a new dimension to to mobile apps (as well as, as the researchers note, open up a Pandora's Box of privacy issues). The researchers created a low-power background service for iPhones and Android handsets that (with training) can offer reasonable detection of mood and offers and API that app developers could hook into."

110 comments

  1. Advertising by invid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When I'm sad will I suddenly see lots of adds for antidepressant?

    --
    The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
    1. Re:Advertising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, but Clippy will pop up and ask you if you'd like help talking about it.

    2. Re:Advertising by ArcadeMan · · Score: 5, Funny

      When I'm sad...

      ...Clippy will pop up...

      Endless loop.

    3. Re:Advertising by StripedCow · · Score: 1

      Nope. When you see lots of ads, you will turn sad.

      That's basically how it works.

      --
      If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.
    4. Re:Advertising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just wait till Clippy thinks the phone ownder is frightened and calls 911 and cops start flooding to places like roller coasters, haunted houses, movie theaters, wedding chapels,,,etc. Or maybe Clippy will make the call that its owner is 5150.

    5. Re:Advertising by t4ng* · · Score: 1

      More "metadata" for the NSA to play with. Mix well with big data mining and they can pick people up and water board them for pre-crime!

    6. Re:Advertising by NotBorg · · Score: 1

      No, when you're sad, the NSA will have cause to spy on you.

      --
      I want this account deleted.
    7. Re:Advertising by Golddess · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, 5150?

      --
      "I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
    8. Re:Advertising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Used to be fairly well known as being both a Police Code for someone needing to be put on a psychiatric hold/person behaving in insane/crazy/unhinged manner and being a potential danger to themselves or others (originating in California) as well as the original IBM PC model number.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5150_(Involuntary_psychiatric_hold)

      http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=5150

      http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-20090728-92/how-ibms-5150-pc-shaped-the-computer-industry/

    9. Re:Advertising by Golddess · · Score: 1

      Ahh, thanks.

      --
      "I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
    10. Re:Advertising by RabidReindeer · · Score: 1

      No, when you're sad, the NSA will have cause to spy on you.

      Or angry.

    11. Re:Advertising by bonehead · · Score: 1

      Also the title of a Van Halen album, which is the reason the meaning became widely known.

    12. Re:Advertising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, reference number 5.2 under the Urban Dictionary link in the GP post. See #7 at that same link for more info on the number's relationship to Vah Halen.

      5. 5150

      1. California police code used to denote an escaped criminally insane person.
      2. An album that hit in 1986 by Van Halen. It's the first album by the "Van Hagar" lineup. Also, the album's name comes from the studio it (and 1984) were recorded.
      1. Positive. This is Sgt. Pepper reporting a pursuit of a 5150. Do you copy?

      2. This is dialog from a VH concert I went to.

      Sammy Hagar: And just does "5150" mean?

      Mike Anthony: It means that you're a crazy motherfucker!

    13. Re:Advertising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When I'm sad will I suddenly see lots of adds for antidepressant?

      You won't, but you can be sure that law enforcement will get a red flag when they run your plates.

  2. Coming soon courtesy of MADD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    Automatic text to law enforcement if intoxicated and in motion greater than 10 MPH, complete with location coordinates and picture from phone camera. You will have to agree to this when you get your phone. Having a phone is a privilege, not a right.

  3. Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Piata · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dear Microsoft, I don't want my phone to know what I eat for breakfast, how I'm feeling or how I choose to spend my time. I just need it to make phone calls and check my email. That's it. That's all.

    Can you please stop being such a creepy digital stalker? It's gone well past disturbing at this point.

    1. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Should we just play Chop Sticks?

    2. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by digitalchinky · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Whenever I approach society, particularly women, I'm very quickly enlightened about my emotional state : ) I don't think hearing it again from my phone would add any useful data to that stack of baggage. One thing that would be extremely cool would be a sensor for smell, I was born completely without this so I'd love to know if I smell bad, gas is leaking, burning and so on. I never actually even knew smell existed until I was in my teens, it took another year or so after that for me to believe people weren't just faking it.

    3. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by mumblestheclown · · Score: 0

      were you the guy complaining 10 years ago that all you want your phone to do is make phone calls and that you have a perfectly good computer to check your email?

      time moves on, get over it. There are potential legitimate uses for the technology in question and if there aren't, the market will ignore it.

    4. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by BasilBrush · · Score: 0

      The return of Clippy: "You look like you are in a bad mood. Would you like me to help you with that?"

    5. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dear Piata,
      If you just want a phone that makes calls and checks your email, why are you looking at ours? Go buy yourself a Blackberry or something.

    6. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by rodrigoandrade · · Score: 1

      Then maybe you should avoid buying a phone that includes such features.

      +4 Insightful?? Really??

    7. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dear Microsoft, I don't want my phone to know what I eat for breakfast, how I'm feeling or how I choose to spend my time.

      "I just want to tell it all of that, take pictures of all of that using my phone, post all about it publicly on the internet using my phone, and use my phone to help decide what to do with my spare time, but I don't actually want my phone knowing any of that."

      And before you say you're one of the magical super-duper-intelligent elite who doesn't do that... you're not lucrative enough for a business making business decisions to do more business, so they care very little about what you have to say. Hell, you probably go out of your way to avoid giving them money, so why should they care in the first place?

    8. Re: Get out of my personal space Microsoft by JeffChappell · · Score: 1

      The problem is the potential uses are intrusive to consumers but valuable to MS, Google, and Apple. Market forces are not on our side here that's why its worth discussion.

    9. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft (and its lack of mobile "marketshare") doesnt bother me on mood detection.
      Ask any Greek what they think of Moodies and it would go haywire!
      If the big boys (gewgle android) implement this tech, there would most certainly be a built-in bug;
      From a poll in the UK, 73 percent of respondents took a negative feeling from the questions regarding opinion of israel.
      If this were to rolled out en-masse, the spin-doctors and speechwriters of washington dc and tel-aviv would be thrown out in the spam bin.

    10. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by rogueippacket · · Score: 2

      I cannot agree more with this. Every new version of Android/iOS/Windows Phone seems to be all about more integration with various advertising platforms (Google, Facebook, Twitter, the list goes on) - with Samsung even calling their phones a "Life Companion" now. I'm sorry, but I put a ring (not a ringtone) on my life companion, and I don't give a shit about tweeting or "checking in" when I'm on the crapper. Making phone calls and responding to emails are my killer apps, and that's it.

    11. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      dual-purpose-features of the new Galaxy Tab running Windows CE 2013 include; 1.gps-precision-guidance/"i hope nobody is tracking me"
      2. a microphone jack/(what happens if i plug speakers into this?)

      3. a microphone/ "ok, love you. bye."----"click"-----"friggin beatch"/ I heard that you phoney!

      4. multi-tasking capabilities* (*user competence may effect performance of this function)

      5. windows media player/ "dammit beatch, i told you to curtail your calls!"

      6. autodestruct autoscheduler/ wtf???

      7. HELP!

    12. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by NotBorg · · Score: 1

      Out with Dr. Watson, in with Dr. Freud.

      --
      I want this account deleted.
    13. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Dear Microsoft, I don't want my phone to know what I eat for breakfast

      You mean you don't want your phone to snitch to your boss and tell him that you're not sufficiently grateful to have a job?

      I can't wait until they get the Holy Grail and your Kinect can be used to tell if you're telling the truth, or if your discontent makes you unfit for the workplace.

      Snitchware is the next killer app for the workplace. For law enforcement, too. We know that tyrants have used "security" as an excuse before, but this may be the first time that "convenience" and "entertainment" have been used.

      Do we have any evidence that Microsoft has ever had the consumers' interest at heart? Do we have any reason to believe their intentions are benign?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    14. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NSA demands it.

    15. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by RabidReindeer · · Score: 1

      Dear Microsoft, I don't want my phone to know what I eat for breakfast, how I'm feeling or how I choose to spend my time. I just need it to make phone calls and check my email. That's it. That's all.

      Can you please stop being such a creepy digital stalker? It's gone well past disturbing at this point.

      Welcome! To the Microsoft Help Line. All of our agents are currently busy helping other customers. Please stay on the line. Your call is VERY important to us! Oh dear...

    16. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I zee that this call from your mother makes you feel happy... or perhaps even excited, ja?

    17. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      switch to android then, i'm sure google is much better about this sort of thing....

    18. Re:Get out of my personal space Microsoft by PuZZleDucK · · Score: 1

      I'm not as bad as you, but I thought people were exagerating smells (and they thought I was exagerating how little I could smell)... I too would love an olfactory addon.

      --
      Can a person program a new solution to a problem? Why should anyone be able to stop such a thing? -Richard Stallman
  4. This is moronic. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Nothing else left to say.

    1. Re:This is moronic. by sirber · · Score: 2

      More and more crap that makes the phone slow.

      --
      Be or ben't
  5. But can it discern this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Resting bitch face. If it's unable to determine that someone just has resting bitch face, then this is useless for a growing number of women! It could even cause them to become bitch's, if the phone decides to give attitude based on the presumed mood... Quick! Let us make the white house petition and get all the signatures! This must NOT be allowed to go on our phones! As I for one, don't want to deal with bitchy caused by artificial attitude based on resting bitch face...

  6. Terrorist detector by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The newest app from your friends at Microsoft.

  7. Hmmm by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The researchers created a low-power background service for iPhones and Android handsets

    I currently own both an iPad and and Nexus tablet ... and if Microsoft thinks I'd be willing to install any of their shit on them, they're sadly mistaken.

    WTF would I want my phone to know anything about my mood for? And why should I trust Microsoft with the data? They'll just roll over and hand it to the NSA anyway.

    Microsoft Research has specialized in making shit nobody has wanted for years. Pity they couldn't focus on making products people actually want.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:Hmmm by mumblestheclown · · Score: 0, Funny

      welcome to slashdot, where you basic contentless anti-ms rant gets modded as "insightful." here we have a guy with an ipad - as closed a system as there ever was by a company which puts ms's sins to shame by any objective stanandard, but his blind anti-ms zealotry still peeks through and gets upvotes.

      / no, i do not work or have anything to do with MS. MS research opened a shiny new building not far from me though, though this affects my life only in that I had to sit through traffic more during the construction.

    2. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Imagine how much more efficient Big Brother would have been if the vid screens in everyone's apartments could have actually read thoughts and moods...

      Microsoft + Kinect + NSA = 3936256

      (bonus points if you get the reference...)

    3. Re:Hmmm by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Informative

      but his blind anti-ms zealotry still peeks through and gets upvotes.

      Oh, it's not blind, I assure you.

      Microsoft drove me to Linux in the early 90's by producing a crap operating system.

      I've got an XBox 360 and I run Vista at home (yes, really, and I actually like it), I'm not some knee-jerk Microsoft hater -- I hate them on reasoned principle, and I don't trust them more than I need to. But I do own and use some of their products.

      But, again I ask, WTF would I want my phone to know my mood for, and why would I trust Microsoft with the information? Should I be willing to provide even more personal information to make them money and for them to hand over to the first government agency who asks?

      I stand by my assertion that Microsoft Research is a big gaping money pit that spends billions every year on stuff people don't want -- how much has been spent on the Microsoft Home of the Future?

      I'm sure they'll incorporate it into the new XBone so they can report back to the mothership -- but I sure as heck wouldn't voluntarily install this. I can see no benefit whatsoever in having my phone know if I'm in a bad mood. It just sounds like fetishizing technology.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    4. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      iPads aren't trying to figure out what frame of mind we're in and then telling the NSA.

      Although admitedly probably only because Apple didn't think of it yet...

      Depressing...

    5. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      here we have a guy with an ipad - as closed a system as there ever was by a company which puts ms's sins to shame by any objective stanandard

      No, no, please, DO go on about your "objective stanandard" about the concept of sin. I'm certain there's philosophers and religious experts around the world who would be very interested in how you've managed to finally figure out this whole "right and wrong" malarkey in an absolutely objective fashion. Even more, you figured it out entirely based on the actions of a gadget maker and a software company! Who knew that this problem that had been plaguing history's greatest thinkers since the dawn of mankind — a problem that spawned countless discussions, wars, and killings, mind you — was simply waiting thousands of years for someone to invent something called an "iPhone" to finally answer it once and for all?

    6. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft Research made one of the best multiplayer games of all time just to prove that federated identity works. I still miss playing Allegiance to this day.

    7. Re:Hmmm by bondsbw · · Score: 2
      --
      All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
    8. Re:Hmmm by st3v · · Score: 1

      You think Google is any better? They breach people's privacy horrendously. I actually trust Microsoft more. Google tracks everything you do and uses that to target advertise to you. If you have an android device and take it with you, they track all routes you drive, places you've been to, and save that to their database. This is enabled by default, and you need to dig deep to find out how to disable these privacy breaches. This is just the tip of the iceberg with Google. Wake up.

    9. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So what you are saying is that, if you don't use that app, you are a target for the NSA, because you will for sure be hiding something!

    10. Re:Hmmm by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      You think Google is any better?

      Absolutely not, which is why Google Analytics and other such crap is blocked at my firewall or my browser. At every step I block as much information getting to them as possible

      I don't trust any multinational company, but I also know I'm not going to live in a cave either.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  8. Mood detection was to be added to phone trees by fredrated · · Score: 1

    and you would be connected to a person if it detected you were angry. What happened to that? I get angry when I need to talk to a person and the phone tree doesn't offer that option, but I have never been connected to a person as a result. That's what I want, when you detect I am swearing, connect me to a person damnit!

    1. Re:Mood detection was to be added to phone trees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Part of US culture is giving the appearance of being pissed and ready to go off on someone. This gets you listened to above people who are not as loud and in-your face.

      If a phone had this option, I'd hack it so it would always read "PISSED" [1]. That way, if it communicated with a call center the emotional status, usually people who are ready to rip the head off an agent get listened to, while the polite people are disconnected or put on hold until they join the angry ranks.

      [1]: American definition of pissed. Not the English definition. Big difference.

    2. Re:Mood detection was to be added to phone trees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, sign me up for that "person that people get forwarded to when they're angry" position. That sounds like a swell job.

    3. Re:Mood detection was to be added to phone trees by fredrated · · Score: 1

      I guess you're right, I wouldn't want that job. So I guess I will just have to accept the fact that when companies want to save money and thus don't want to take your call, they won't.

    4. Re:Mood detection was to be added to phone trees by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 2

      If a phone had this option, I'd hack it so it would always read "PISSED"

      If your phone is running windows 8 you probably won't need to hack it.

    5. Re:Mood detection was to be added to phone trees by L.+J.+Beauregard · · Score: 1

      Most likely, everyone figured out that they could yell and swear and raise holy hell and finally get a human being on the line; and since nobody wants to talk to those stupid computers[1], they started yelling and swearing and raising holy hell and getting through to a human being. And we can't have that, now, can we?

      [1] Hey, you out there! Mr. Customer "Service" Guy, where "service" is the way that a hog services a sow! (Not necessarily the parent to this post, of course.) NOBODY WANTS TO TALK TO THOSE STUPID COMPUTERS, and when I am king of the world that is the first thing that will be banned, on penalty of public hanging with your rotting bodies being left to the crows.

      --
      Ooh, moderator points! Five more idjits go to Minus One Hell!
      Delendae sunt RIAA, MPAA et Windoze
  9. Microsoft detect mood? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    I can detect the mood without even having to write software: If you are using a microsoft product, you are feeling like you've given in an just decided to use what works as the least common denominator instead of something that works in the way you need it to.

  10. Microsoft mood detection source code!! by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 0, Troll

    #!/bin/bash

    echo "User is having trouble with Microsoft product and is FUCKING PISSED!!"

    --

    that was easy...

    1. Re:Microsoft mood detection source code!! by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 0

      Not even CLOSE to a troll.

      Microsoft shills out in force on slashdot...

    2. Re:Microsoft mood detection source code!! by zlives · · Score: 1

      come on now, its a reasonable application of tech.
      If I may...

      if (user_sex==male)
            $mood = "HORNY"
      else $mood=$mgic8ball(rnd)

      echo "User is having trouble with Microsoft product and is FUCKING PISSED!! and" $mood

      Also if it can detect other people's mood... i can finally know when to ask my wife certain questions

  11. Facebook is going to become hyper annoying now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Automated mood detection could be used to enhance recommendation systems employed by services such as Netflix and to add an extra dimension to social networking and communications."
    Can you imagine how annoying teenagers will become on FB now? As if it were not bad enough. My wife is friends with some on FB and I need to be restrained so I dont scream at their FB for constantly putting stupid status messages about breakups etc.

  12. Obvious... by Skiron · · Score: 1

    ... I bet it defaults to 'pretty angry' and 'fucking windows' moods.

    1. Re:Obvious... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... I bet it defaults to 'pretty angry' and 'fucking windows' moods.

      Envy actually! Wish I had an android phone....

  13. Smoke and Mirrors by Antipater · · Score: 3, Informative

    Pshaw. We know all it's doing is changing color based on our body temperature! Chris Petrila fooled me with this in the first grade, and I won't let Microsoft fool me with it now!

    --
    Everything is better with chainsaws.
    1. Re:Smoke and Mirrors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Intended as "Funny", not "Informative"...

  14. GPS? by TheNinjaroach · · Score: 1

    This could be useful if the robot lady in Google Maps understood to STFU when I started yelling at her.

    --
    I went to eat some animal crackers and the box said, "Do not eat if seal is broken." I opened the box and sure enough..
  15. Windows phone??? by Toshito · · Score: 2

    They don't make a version for their own phone OS?

    --
    Try it! Library of Babel
    1. Re:Windows phone??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's probably embeded in their OS already.. *puts tinfoil hat back on*

    2. Re:Windows phone??? by guttentag · · Score: 3, Interesting

      They don't make a version for their own phone OS?

      Because hardly anyone buys phones with their phone OS. True story... not a troll:

      I have a friend who has been anti-smartphone for years. She absolutely refused to buy a smartphone because she knew she'd end up playing with it all the time. Every time her cheap "dumb" phone died, she'd go get another cheap dumb phone. A couple months ago she told me she got a Lumia. I was shocked. She said she only got it because the salesperson was offering it for free because they weren't selling. That and he said it was so bad she figured she wouldn't get sucked into playing with it. Her review after a few weeks: "It's pretty, but I hate using it. Which is exactly what I wanted." Reminds me of Domino in Thunderball (the novel), telling the tobacconist she wants a carton of cigarettes that is so terrible it will make her stop smoking.

      I'm not saying no one uses Windows phones. There are people who have them specifically because they hate them and they were free.

    3. Re:Windows phone??? by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      There are people who have them specifically because they hate them and they were free.

      Wow, that's technology masochism ... do these people also wear enormous butt plugs and itchy clothes?

      I'm afraid I don't follow the logic behind something you hate but that was free ... ghonorea is free too.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    4. Re:Windows phone??? by Toshito · · Score: 1

      That's funny because I have a Lumia 920, and I love it. I had an Android phone before and it was a complete mess of an interface. And there are more apps than on windows phone, but 90% of them are pure crap.

      I hate windows 8 with a passion, but the metro interface on a touch phone is very good.

      The Lumia is fast, reliable, has a better screen than the iphone, and the camera is great. The navigation and maps are fantastic, I have access to maps for almost every country of the world, and I can choose to download some of them so the navigation works without network access (which I did for Canada and the US).

      Add to that the great Nokia Music streaming application (also completely free) with a lot of Canadian, indy and francophone content, and I don't regret my decision of going to the dark side one bit.

      And 8bg of space on my skydrive, and the ability to view AND edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint files...

      All of that for free.

      I don't need 200 applications on my phone, I have the ones I really use and I don't miss anything.

      --
      Try it! Library of Babel
    5. Re:Windows phone??? by PuZZleDucK · · Score: 1

      I'm afraid I don't follow the logic behind something you hate but that was free ... ghonorea is free too.

      So, you've been monitoring my breeding program (paragraph 3) have you?

      --
      Can a person program a new solution to a problem? Why should anyone be able to stop such a thing? -Richard Stallman
  16. The New Clippy by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 1

    Microsoft's version of Seri.

    --
    Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
  17. In other news.. Married Men Go Crazy for new App. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All men in a relationships would pay ££ for this if the phone detected said wife / spouse / GF's mood and sent them alerts.

    Call it "You Gettin' Some Alert Tech." :)

  18. We're sorry, by froth-bite · · Score: 2

    We sense that re-arranging your icons made you angry...we will find them again, trust us :)

    --
    In NSA America social networks join you!
    1. Re:We're sorry, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      would have come in handy for the win8 launch...

  19. Don't get too excited. by jd2112 · · Score: 1

    It's just a smartphone version of the mood rings that were popular in the '70s.

    --
    Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
  20. Datamining by jones_supa · · Score: 1

    If this feature catches wind, they can develop some "cool app" which uses the mood information, and which, surprise surprise, does the processing on the server side, giving yet another data point for sucking all data from my personal life.

  21. Missing something? by MiniMike · · Score: 5, Funny

    The researchers created a low-power background service for iPhones and Android handsets

    I guess they had to drop the Windows phone variant, as the moods only varied between 'disappointed' and 'highly annoyed'.

    1. Re:Missing something? by Smivs · · Score: 1

      The researchers created a low-power background service for iPhones and Android handsets

      I guess they had to drop the Windows phone variant, as the moods only varied between 'disappointed' and 'highly annoyed'.

      maybe it just wasn't worth the effort for such a small niche market.

    2. Re:Missing something? by hraponssi · · Score: 2

      Yes, as a WP user, I find it comforting to know even MS research does not believe it to be something worth using.. :)

    3. Re:Missing something? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The data collection for the research was done in China two years ago. Windows phone hadn't been formally launched in China at that point.

  22. Bleh by Starteck81 · · Score: 1

    Can it detect my apathy?

    --
    "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed H
    1. Re:Bleh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would have if anyone had cared enough to code that in, but nobody could be bothered to.

    2. Re:Bleh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually that's detected by Microsoft's sales division.

  23. Accuracy by poofmeisterp · · Score: 1

    From Article:

    Using a "hybrid" model that incorporated data from other users, after 10 days 72 per cent accuracy could be achieved.

    So I'm reading this as "The new mood detection system is about as accurate as the Human 'reading of minds' or search engine optimization."

  24. Windows 11^H^HMood by poofmeisterp · · Score: 1

    Windows 10 is flopping. Surface is too expensive. MS Bob didn't turn out so well.

    This will sell to the tune of billions. Fer Sher.
     
    /snark

    1. Re:Windows 11^H^HMood by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Snark or not, what the shit are you talking about?

    2. Re: Windows 11^H^HMood by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you read?

  25. Where they really should add this is Windows 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They should then collect and analyze the data.

  26. Source of Sadness by Servercide · · Score: 1

    "MoodScope detects that you are sad because you are using Windows". "MoodScope will attempt to Bing for remedies...."

  27. Android? iOS? by daboochmeister · · Score: 1

    What mood are you in when you're not eating your own dogfood, MS?

    --
    "Ahh! I see you're in that indeterminate Schrodinger state where - oh, uh ... never mind." Dave Bucci
  28. Subtle Difference by HtR · · Score: 1

    I can see a subtle difference in my expectations, depending on my mood.
    When I'm in a good mood, I just want my smart phone to do what I tell it to do.
    When I'm in a bad mood, my phone damn well better do exactly what I tell it to do, if it knows what's good for it.

    --
    Have you tried turning it off and on again?
  29. Easy to do. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's Windows 8+? The mood is "stressed".

  30. How far by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How far are they going to take this? Will it pipe my phone calls off to live-mobile.microsucks.com so it can be analysed for the tone of my voice?

    This kind of crap is sure to sell more windows phones. /sarcasm off

  31. Ob Monty Python by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 1

    Consumer: I feel happy! I feel happy!
    Windows Phone: You're not fooling anyone you know.

  32. for protecting their few phones on the market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you see, they are working on a shielding system which when activated in flight, it will protect the Windows Phone phones from distruction on impact. You see, they must first sense the mood of the user to know a toss in frustration was imminent before deploying the protection shield.

    Because when you have so little market share, you can't afford to lose even one system.

    1. Re:for protecting their few phones on the market by MiniMike · · Score: 1

      you see, they are working on a shielding system which when activated in flight...

      They will probably call it 'Airplane mode', to reduce confusion.

      ... deploying the protection shield

      What would a Windows phone use as a protection shield? A fake Android start-up screen?

  33. Detect this mood by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I had a mood ring once. They were really cool when they first came out. What ever happened to them?

    So long Microsoft, and thanks for all the fish.

  34. A prediction by ChrisC1234 · · Score: 1

    I can see it now. My phone displays a message stating something to the effect of "It seems like you're having a bad day. Why don't you take a break and relax", shortly before I throw it at the wall as hard as possible. Then I quickly get a new phone without the new "feature".

  35. Leaked source code by RoboJ1M · · Score: 2

    [Flags]
    public enum Moods
    {
        FeckedOffWithWindows,
        WishingTheydBoughtAnIPhone,
        WishingTheydBoughtAnAndroid,
    }

  36. Should work as designed by AegisPrime · · Score: 1

    Fortunately, all they were able to get working correctly was the 'Frustrated' mood detection. So it should work flawlessly.

  37. this is really going annoy the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    5 people who have windows phones :-)

  38. Damned easy to code... for a MS device by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    IF using MS OS
                THEN IF blue_screen_of_death THEN
                                  mood = 'STRESSED'
                ELSE
                                  mood = 'DEPRESSED'
    ELSE -- Anything but MS
                mood = 'HAPPY'
    END IF;

  39. We all know how this'll come out... by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

    It'll be all sorts of weird colors for a few months, and then it'll turn black and stay that way.

  40. Simple on a Windows Phone by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    The 'MoodScope' system produced by researchers uses smartphone usage patterns to determine whether someone is happy, calm, excited, bored or stressed ...

    This should be easy to implement on a Windows Phone because whenever I use a Microsoft product, I generally end up "angry". To be fair, I had the same emotional result when I tried using Unity...

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  41. BBecause I want M$ to have a record of my moods by WOOFYGOOFY · · Score: 1

    Oh hell yeah sign me up I want M$ to have a detailed records of my moods over a span of years so it can

    1) be used against me in a court of law somehow (are you prone to anger? are you moody ? Mr. Maykabuck , are you an expert in mood disorders and what can you tell us about the defendant from this record? )

    2) be used to deny me a job, without me ever knowing !

      3) used to compromise me in some other way I am not creative enough to think of..

    Naww.. what am I worry about....M$ would never do that....

    1. Re:BBecause I want M$ to have a record of my moods by Nyder · · Score: 1

      Oh hell yeah sign me up I want M$ to have a detailed records of my moods over a span of years so it can

      1) be used against me in a court of law somehow (are you prone to anger? are you moody ? Mr. Maykabuck , are you an expert in mood disorders and what can you tell us about the defendant from this record? )

      2) be used to deny me a job, without me ever knowing !

        3) used to compromise me in some other way I am not creative enough to think of..

      Naww.. what am I worry about....M$ would never do that....

      You are right M$ would never do it, but the Government who has direct access to their data would. Or even better, whom ever M$ decides to sell the data to.

      --
      Be seeing you...
  42. funding MS funds tyranny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    this revision is probably just an early prototype but it funds future versions that rat you out to local federalized "authorities".
    this is the kind of shit they have been working on. just like the nypd surveillence grid. just remember you paid for it when the brownshirts haul your kids and/or grandkids off you %^&*$#@ dumbass.

  43. Tracking and diagnose by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    I forsee that in ten years, computers tracking my behavior will be able to tell me I have some disease, but the doctor will not be able to spot it. Except perhaps if the cloud will spam him with targeted pharma advertisements.