When someone calls to ask what's on your mind, you may not have to open your mouth to tell them, someday. NewScientist reports on a device called the Audeo, a neckband that taps into nerve impulses and translates them to computerized speech.

In the video above, Ambient Corp. CEO Michael Callahan demos the device on stage at a Texas Instruments conference. His cohort calls him on a cell phone, and Callahan "thinks" his replies; there's a delay of several seconds before the computer voice answer is heard, which Callahan likens to the delay of original voice-recognition systems.

If you're worried that the device would articulate all your scary stream-of-consciousness thoughts, don't be. The Ambeo won't speak unless you mentally direct it to.

OK, it would be fun to try this out on a phone. But more exciting than enabling ultra-private cell phone chats (at least to me) are the possibilities this holds for disabled people. Imagine what a relief it would be for ALS victims or otherwise speechless folk to be able to communicate this way.

Currently the Ambeo can recognize and speak around 150 words and phrases. By the end of this year, Callahan hopes to have a version that can speak phonemes (building-block language sounds) and thus be virtually unlimited in what it can say for you.

The Ambeo is available for pre-order at the company's site (I saw no pricing info); a developer's kit is also available.