节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-08-30
难易度:Medium
关键字:device, trendy, app, circular, wireless, microchip, headset
Hi, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
And my name is Carolyn.
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson - Bluetooth Fashion.
Well, Bluetooth is becoming more and more popular in the technology world.
Lots of people are using things with Bluetooth technology.
What kinds of things do you use that have Bluetooth technology?
Carolyn, do you use anything with Bluetooth?
Well, I do know a lot of people who use Bluetooth with their phones.
Yeah.
So their phones have Bluetooth in it.
And they also have headset or a set in their car so that they can answer their
phone without using their phone.
They just push a button on the headset or a button in their car, and they can
use their cell phone.
I love that, Carolyn.
I love watching people walking around with their little Bluetooth in their ear.
Sometimes it looks like they're just talking to themselves, and then you see
that thing in their ear.
Bluetooth can be quite fun.
Of course, I use Bluetooth with my iPhone.
I have to have a hot spot sometimes, and I need to turn on the Bluetooth.
Well, it's time for us to learn about Bluetooth Fashion now.
What is this all about?
Let's get started.
Bluetooth Fashion.
Technology is getting a new look.
Bluetooth is a leader in wireless technology.
It is built into cars, phones, computers and more.
It allows you to share information between two devices.
But with a focus on function, Bluetooth-enabled devices haven't always looked
"cool." That's changing, though, thanks to some creative designers.
Here are a few cool, trendy gadgets you may see on the market soon.
Bluetooth clothing.
Clothing designer Asher Levine has released a line of clothing that contains
Bluetooth microchips.
These chips connect to your iPhone.
Wow, Bluetooth clothing.
Now that is an interesting idea.
But first, let's get started at the top of the article: Technology is getting a
new look.
And if Bluetooth is getting into fashion, I can see why technology would be
getting a new look.
Right, Gabe?
I think so, too.
A new look - that means there's a new kind of style to something.
So technology is now getting a new look.
Well, let's begin.
Bluetooth is a leader in wireless technology.
Well, there are many companies out there that deal with technology, but
Bluetooth is among the leaders, maybe the top in wireless technology.
What is... what is wireless?
Well, it means that there aren't any wires.
So signals are sent through the air instead of through cables like traditional
electricity or signals.
This is wireless, kind of like the Wi-Fi that you might use on your computer.
That's right.
So you might talk about having wireless Internet.
You don't have to use a cable to connect to the Internet.
Well, it is built into cars.
We're talking about Bluetooth technology.
It's built into cars, phones, computers and more... and lots more.
That's very true.
And it allows you to share information between two devices.
So you can share information.
It's not just one way.
You can share it between two different devices.
And let's look at that word from our Word Bank - device.
What is a device, Gabe?
Well, it's a kind of another word for tool, something that you use to help you
in your life, a device.
And often I think of this word when I think of electronic devices.
Of course you might have some different devices to help you, your phone, your
computer, these different electronic devices.
That's right.
So you can call your phone a device.
Your computer is a device.
Even your TV is a device, and maybe even something as simple as your hair dryer.
Usually things that are electric, that use electricity, those can be called
devices.
And they are things that help you to do something or allow you to enjoy
something.
And so Bluetooth does this - it allows two or more things to kind of share
information.
But with a focus on function, Bluetooth-enabled devices haven't always looked
"cool." I couldn't agree more.
Yeah, it's true.
This doesn't always look "cool," and so now they're thinking about fashion.
That's very true.
Sometimes the headsets that were used before were very large or didn't look very
good.
And maybe the set in the car, it... it worked but it was kind of hard to install
or it took up too much space.
But it might not look cool.
But we see that that's changing, though, thanks to some creative designers.
And here are a few cool, trendy gadgets you may see on the market soon.
Well hey, let's take a look at some of those words from that sentence.
trendy.
I like this word.
If something is trendy, that means many people are doing it recently.
Or lately, lots of people are wearing something, doing something, it's trendy to
do something.
That's right.
You might also call it fashionable.
Something that is very popular right now, it is trending.
If you add I-N-G, you can make that into a verb.
It can be trendy.
Or right now something is trending.
It's very popular at the moment.
So here are a few cool, trendy gadgets that you might see on the market soon.
Now there's another great phrase in this sentence, Gabe, isn't there?
Yes, there is - something is on the market.
If something is on the market, that's kind of an idiom.
That means that you can see it in many places where you shop.
All right, so it's on the market, they're selling it.
And this is an idiom.
So it's... it's a little bit different from saying "it's in a market." Of course
it might be in a market or a supermarket.
But if it's on the market, that means many places are selling it.
That's right.
So it is available for purchase - you can buy it.
And it's not just in a store.
If it's on the market, then maybe it is on the global market.
You can buy it anywhere in the world.
Or it could be on the Internet.
It could be on the market there as well, so.
These things could be on the market very soon.
It's true.
And right now I think it's time for Steve and Ken to tell us a little bit
something about this "R" we see next to the Bluetooth in the Information Cloud.
A trademark is something that distinguishes a product or service of one
particular business from that of another.
More than just a logo, a trademark can be a word, a design, a smell or even a
sound, like the sound your computer makes when you turn it on.
The trademark letters TM on a product's package mean the trademark's owner is
alerting the public of his or her claim on that trademark,
and his or her intent to defend the trademark against infringement.
The capital R with a circle around it, as we see scattered throughout this
month's FASHION feature,
means the trademark, in this case, the word Bluetooth, has been officially
registered with the national patent office.
Registered trademarks have a higher level of legal protection than unregistered
trademarks.
A trademark can theoretically last forever if the owner maintains it by 1.
continually using it,
2. properly using it, and 3. regularly filing the necessary renewal applications
with the government.
OK. The words escalator, aspirin, zipper and trampoline all began as trademarks.
However, due to poor maintenance by their owners, the trademarks became generic.
Now any company can legally use these words to describe their products.
(Chinese).
Thank you, guys.
OK. Now let's start talking about Bluetooth clothing, a very interesting idea.
Clothing designer Asher Levine has released a line of clothing that contains
Bluetooth microchips.
OK, a line of clothing.
That's kind of a series or maybe a set of clothing, lots of different clothes,
not just one shirt but a line of clothing.
And usually a line of clothing all have a similar theme.
The clothes in that line have similar themes.
And this particular line of clothing has the theme of containing Bluetooth
microchips.
So a small chip that you might find in a computer or in a phone - but this is in
the clothing.
That's right.
It's actually kind of cool.
So a microchip can sometimes just be called a chip. OK.
These chips connect to your iPhone.
And we're going to learn more about this later.
But first, let's go and see Michelle in the Language Lab.
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.