Do you associate technology with youth? Picture this woman doing an automated telephone assessment and think again. Modern gadgets stand poised to transform dementia research and care. Researchers are harnessing the power of computers, digital cameras, and cell phones to improve diagnostic tests and collect better data on disease progression. Can technology also relieve overwhelmed caregivers? Some scientists are building robots to guide patients through simple tasks and give caregivers a breather. Others are designing interventions to bolster cognitive skills, without much success thus far. What research is underway, and which new technologies might come to a consumer electronics store near you in the next few years? Madolyn Rogers' four-part series tells you. Image © TRIL Centre