A new headset reads users' brainwaves to create a stress-relieving playlist
That we live in a stressful age has become a well-worn truism. Technology has made us constantly connected, both to our benefit and to our detriment.  Somewhat paradoxically, however, many solutions to this onslaught of tech-stress have come from technology itself.  

We’ve already seen how technology can aid in meditation through numerous mindfulness apps, (Rohan Gunatillake’sBuddhify is just one example), but biofeedback, a method of receiving information about your body through sensors, can be just as therapeutic.  

Melomind is a wearable headset that uses EEG data from sensors to measure users’ brainwaves.  This data is then sent to a smartphone app via Bluetooth which in turn plays music that will adjust with your changing brainwaves, all with the aim of helping you to relax.  The hope is that users will learn how to calm their brain through their response to the music.

Due to be released in September of this year, Melomind is part of a larger trend of gadgets that are improving our capability to cope with stress. Olive works along similar lines to the Melomind. A smart bracelet equipped with several sensors that measures indicators of anxiety, such as heart rate and body temperature, Olive helps users understand their lifestyle and manage stress.