ion glasses, helpful to anyone addressing an audience. People in the audience would don a pair of these expression glasses, which could monitor the individual's physical state. The speaker would have, at the podium, a display showing whether the audience members are feeling confused, whether they are bored, whether they are under- standing the presentation, or whether they are interested and excited. A speaker could adjust his or her presentation in real-time to meet the needs of the audience. Brain-Computer Interfaces Another exciting new frontier is in the area of brain-computer interfaces, which allow computers to be controlled by the power of thought. A user wears a hood that contains more than 100 electrodes that measure the flow of electrical waves ICT Trends Driving the Broadband Evolution xlvii through the brain. The EEG signals are amplified, and noise pulses are filtered out. The signals are then transmitted to a computer, which converts them online control commands, with the assistance of specially developed learning and signal- processing algorithms. Such devices are currently undergoing trials. Much of this research started in the health care arena, with people injured or paralyzed through stroke or spinal cord damage from accidents. There is, in fact, a microelectrode array that can be implanted into the motion cortex of the brain to allow a paralyzed person to think a cursor into motion. This device was designed to allow those who have lost their mobility to interact with computers. Such developments or inventions are quickly captured for commercial use. A company is preparing to release the first brain-controlled videogame. As a game player, you wear special headgear and, through the power of thought, move the character in the game. If you want the character to go to the left, you simply think about it, and he does. Software Agents Software agents will perform routine tasks and act proactively. These advanced agents will be configured with a profile made of the user's wishes. They will be automati