old news...

they've been able to read thoughts for a while, i recall seeing a TV program where thought was used to control a robotic arm (badly admittedly) years ago

while the use in the article is slightly different, the general principle is the same but this is actually a much better use of the technology, to assist paralysed people/artificial libs/etc

and once we've dealt with all the cripples we can then turn our attention to the really important part - controlling a computer through thought, think how quickly you could type if you didn't have to move your fingers and press keys! and the increased working speed might mean it stops being considered acceptable for so-called programmers to release the sort of bloatware crap that most software is these days

What took them so long?

I recall seeing a TV program, it must have been at least 20 years ago, in which electrodes inserted into a cat's brain were shown being triggered by straight lines in the cat's visual field. I've never forgotten that cat - it was sitting up, staring blankly ahead at a whiteboard, motionless, unblinking, (unyawning), like an Egptian mummy guardian wotsit. The neuroscience was par for the course, but the cat's catatonia was truly awesome.

I don't think the spooks will be investing in the neuroscience any time soon.