IBM unveils human memory booster

IBM researchers have created new memory-recognition software

Researchers at IBM have developed a new set of software applications designed to improve human memory.

The Pensieve software is designed to run on a smartphone or mobile handset, and analyses collected pieces of data.

The data is then used to help the user better remember faces and other information such as conversations.

Pensieve is designed to function in a manner that complements the function of the human brain.

"This is like having a personal assistant for your memory," said Dr Yaakov Navon, lead researcher on the project at IBM's Haifa research centre.

"Instead of going home and using a general web search to find that information, Pensieve helps the brain recall those everyday things you might normally forget."

The software is also able to connect events, allowing the user to link collected data to create a timeline and connect events and people through a series of 'hooks'.

"You can recall the name of the person you met right before you entered a meeting by traversing a timeline of your experiences," said Eran Belinsky, research team leader on the project.

"Or you can share a business trip with colleagues by creating a mashup that shows a map with an animation of your trail and the pictures you took in every location."