Jesse Schell delivers a hilariously insightful talk at DICE 2010. Jesse discusses gaming and how creative-companies have used psychological principals to innovate conventional products.

Around minute 20, @Jesseschell begins a rant about a future, when behavior-tracking products become part of every aspect of our lives: brushing your teeth [wifi toothbrushes reporting to colgate/crest], reading a book [eye-movement tracking sensors in your iPad’s camera reporting to amazon], exercise [heart rate monitors and 4G-shoes reporting statistics to your health insurance company], product consumption [CPUs on a box of corn flakes reporting to Kellogg’s], a child practicing the piano [CPUs in the piano reporting scores to the arts council - funding the child’s scholarship fund]. Pepsi is already giving away free product to people who tag their commercials (mashable article).

As scary as all of these behavior-tracking ideas are, Jesse makes an amazing point about the history of human culture:  I never knew all of the books that my grandparents read, I never knew all the places they went, what they ate, who their friends were or how they influenced them.  But because of these behavior-tracking products, I know that my grandchildren will be able to see how I lived - kinda makes you want to be a better person, right? maybe it’s not so bad after all.