This smart table listens and records your meeting conversations

Part transcriptionist, part smart table, a whole lot of awesome.

The New York Times R&D Lab was first launched in 2006 as a way to forecast game-changing trends and technologies that will arise in the next three to five years, and then build prototypes to envision how those ideas will impact media’s future. Their latest invention, the aptly-dubbed Listening Table is a four-foot-wide table covered in 14 capacitive strips. Under its hood lies an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) with a custom board, a Mac Mini that runs the server, an Android tablet and some simple cabling.

Let’s face it, meetings and workshops can be dreadful. Beyond lengthy presentations and constant bickering, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to follow along amid all the chaos — a problem the Listening Table hopes to alleviate. As Gizmodo reports, the smart table merges both pervasive data collection and the Internet of Things into a brand-spanking new concept.

As its name suggests, the office accessory listens to you and your colleagues…