The article, entitled "Now That's Using Your Brain," discussed a research project at the BCI Group at New York State Public Health Department's Wadsworth Center, which is exploring using brain waves to control a cursor on a laptop, enabling communication for disabled individuals. It is hoped the technology will enable people disabled by such things as ALS, cerebral palsy or spinal-cord injuries to communicate with loved ones and caregivers.

Professor Irazoqui, who consults with BCI companies and designs brain-computer interfaces and neural prosthetics, cautions that these are just exploratory steps. Although he feels that the slowness of the process (2-4 words a minute) will limit its effectiveness, and that the best success will most likely come from products that use brain implants, "giving (people with conditions like ALS) any kind of means to connect with the outside world is a big step forward."

The entire article can be found at Wired News online