I'm in iMood for a melody, I'm in iMood for a melody, I'm in iMoooooood

October 24, 2006 7:27 AM

Using a physiological sensor called the SenseWear by BodyMedia, researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have created the XPod. The XPod "learns" a user's preferences, activities and even emotions, and then selects the most appropriate music to accompany any given situation. The mood ring for the new millennium.
posted by terrapin (14 comments total)

Apple may have a problem with the name.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:41 AM on October 24, 2006

awesome.
posted by darkripper at 7:43 AM on October 24, 2006

iBod. There.
posted by hal9k at 7:44 AM on October 24, 2006

Are humans becoming so lazy that we can't even be bothered to select and play our own music?
posted by brain_drain at 7:44 AM on October 24, 2006

(Setting aside radio, shuffle, and various other existing technologies that if acknowledged would undermine my argument.)
posted by brain_drain at 7:46 AM on October 24, 2006

I guess we've answered his question.
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:57 AM on October 24, 2006

Apple may have a problem with the name.

Ironically enough, from what I read about the XPod (in Electronic Musician), it currently only works with Windows.
posted by terrapin at 8:16 AM on October 24, 2006

I can select my own fucking music.
posted by NationalKato at 8:51 AM on October 24, 2006

Yes, but the XPod can help one select music for fucking.
posted by terrapin at 8:54 AM on October 24, 2006

Are humans becoming so lazy that we can't even be bothered to select and play our own music?

I can select my own fucking music.

I probably shouldn't respond since you are posting using the beta version of OldSkoolGeezerBot but I have to point out it doesn't work with wax platters on hand cranked grammophones so it isn't really meant for you.
posted by srboisvert at 9:14 AM on October 24, 2006

I wonder what the price is on that? I just bought the iDog for my son, which he loves. I can see him going nuts over this as well. (He's 6)
posted by PetBoogaloo at 11:22 AM on October 24, 2006

I’m approaching geezerhood myself, and have seldom used any personal music device, but I would be interested in the reasons for using such a device.
Why automate the interaction between the music player and the user? (Other than ‘Because I can’- I think it’s a great electronics/programming project)
What kind of music do I choose when I am surprised (to a 70% degree of confidence)?
posted by MtDewd at 11:51 AM on October 24, 2006

I think the "coolness" factor in this is not necessarily the XPod, but the SenseWear. Read the link. It mentions all sorts of "possible applications" above and well beyond mood music. I just happened to have learned about this via Electronic Musician magazine and their article highlighted the musical side of things that UMBC was doing. EM doesn't seem to publish articles from their most recent issues though.

I'd be interested to see what other sorts of things can be dreamed up and created.
posted by terrapin at 12:06 PM on October 24, 2006

The research team at UMBC saw enough traffic coming from this post that they not only mentioned it on their blog, but they even answered a few of the questions posed in this thread. Including the questions about Apple and the "pod" issue and whether humans are becoming too lazy to pick their own music. They also mention that they are moving away from using the BodyMedia device, possibly in favor of the Nokia 5500 Sport.
posted by terrapin at 6:37 AM on October 26, 2006