At the big Cebit bun toss in Hanover, Germany recently, researchers revealed a freaky example of mind over matter.  Users wear a cap of electrodes and visualize playing Pong, or typing on a QWERTY keyboard.   When they visualize moving their right or left arm, the sensors pick up the brain wave patterns and  the movement is artificially enacted.  Possible applications include controling prosthetics for people with amputated limbs.

 http://www.newscientist.com/channel/info-tech/dn8826.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCSSBEXBCbY

Nora's always complaining about "Trojan Horse" devices that are promoted as being a way for old people to stay in their home.  She thinks it's a motherhood issue that no one would object to, but doesn't address the myriad other uses for the technology.  Now, a new class of robots researchers say 'will let old people stay in their homes'. Gah!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060314/lf_afp/afplifestylejapan