This post brought to you by HP Matter. The content and opinions expressed below are that of WebProNews.

These days, massive technological shifts – driven by big data, mobility, security and cloud computing – are rapidly transforming business and society. Entire industries are being completely transformed, and healthcare is one of them. These trends are unlocking new possibilities for hospitals, researchers, doctors and patients.

I don’t know if you’re aware that HP has a digital magazine in partnership with Fast Company called HP Matter, but it provides some pretty fascinating content about such trends, and the latest issue looks at the healthcare industry specifically.

One particularly interesting area at the crossroads of technology and healthcare is on our increasing understanding of the brain. There’s a piece on San Francisco startup Emotiv and how it’s harnessing brain power to translate thoughts into action. It looks at a girl who was left in a semi-vegetative state by a car accident for nearly ten years, and a device called a neuro-headset (one of the latest advancements in wearable technology), which has helped her to convey emotions.

The device reads the mind, and uses sensors to translates brain activities into actions. It’s applications go beyond healthcare, however. It actually lets the user manipulate objects with their mind like a science fiction movie. You can use the device to control a home-automated system, and turn on the lights or the television, for example, just by thinking about it.

Take a look:

As the narrator in the video notes, this opens up a whole new world for quadriplegics.

This is just one example of the kinds of interesting stories you’ll find in the Healthcare Issue. You’ll find pieces on 3D-printed prosthetics, disease surveillance systems, and a biomechanics technology that’s preventing pitching injuries, to name a few.

We’d encourage you to check out the latest issue of HP Matter. You can Register for HP Matter for a chance to win an HP SlateBook x2, which is an Ultrabook and tablet in one. There will be weekly drawings taking place throughout the rest of January and February.

What current technological advancement in healthcare interests you?