Technologies for Reading Minds and Expressions

News from the rapidly growing area of user research technology:

• MIT Technology Review reports that Omron, a Japanese electronics company, recently demonstrated software that can detect and measure smiles.  Applications may include smile detection sensors in digital cameras.  I see a clear connection to potential emotion measurement systems for user and market research.
• New Scientist reports on Microsoft's patent for  "Using electroencephalograph signals for task classification and activity recognition" aka mind reading.  Actually, the patent is for a method to filter EEG signal readings.  The solution can be applied during usability testing as a non-obtrusive method to measure user reactions.  There's a link to the patent itself for those interested in the legal and technical details.