IBM unveils memory boosting software

IBM shows off new software-based memory aid

Technology giant IBM has showcased technology it claims can help humans improve their memory.

The new software, codenamed Pensieve, will enhance memories by connecting related pieces of data recorded on mobile devices.

“This is like having a personal assistant for your memory,” said Yaakov Navon, lead researcher at IBM’s Israel-based research lab in a statement.

The technology uses so-called associative recall to make connections between pieces of data such as images, sounds, and text to help people recall information, said the firm.

Techniques used by the software include: indexing, tagging, smart clustering and image processing.

“If you meet someone at a conference and use your phone to take a picture of him or her and another picture of that person’s business card, the new technology will associate the two pieces of data because they were taken at the same time and location,” explained Navon.

“It then creates a virtual briefcase of data that includes the person’s image, the name of the conference where you met, the date and time and any other relevant data.”