Netflix, AT&T, Target, and Walmart. What do they have in common? These four behemoths, and countless others, regularly embrace and host Hackathons events that encourage outsiders to come together, all in the name of creating, building, and prototyping new ideas. What’s the common bond that links these people together? The art of experimentation. Within the seemingly endless options to explore, hackers at a recent Netflix Hack Day cracked Mattel’s MindFlex technology (which measures brainwave activity and allows you to circuit those impulses to an electrical toy through a series of computer processes). By rewiring the technology, they created a way for users to navigate and control selections on Netflix, through the power of their minds. The team affectionately labeled this technology, MindFlix.
These innovative breakthroughs signal the exciting possibilities of the future. Though the technology is in its infancy, just imagine the possibilities. Could advertisers eventually preemptively send ads, samples, or a personalized engagement based on the what we’re thinking? That reality may not be so far-fetched. What are the potential pitfalls of a technology like this? Are we on the verge of a Big Brother-esque reality? Only time will tell.
Image Source: Netflix: Stranger Things
