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Tech Updates: News about the latest inventions and gadgets 科技新知: 来看看有关最新发明和科技利器的消息

 

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A free gadget for your PC could save energy and money  可下载到个人电脑使用的免费小机件，既节约能源又省钱

 

I shaved 0.86 pounds of emissions from my carbon footprint and saved 0.646 kilowatt hours yesterday, and if the little widget on my PC can be believed, more than 22,000 people in 128 countries did roughly the same.

我昨天把我的碳足迹（译注：即一个人进行各式各样的活动所产生的二氧化碳排放量）减少了零点八六磅的排放量，同时还节省了零点六四六千瓦小时（译注：电力计量单位，或称千瓦时、度[KWh]）的电力，而如果我个人电脑的桌面小工具的数据可信的话，那么如今已经有一百二十八个国家的超过两万两千人，也和我有志一同喔！

 

We’re using a little software gadget developed by Hewlett-Packard as part of a campaign called Power to Change that the computer maker hopes will increase awareness of its environmental program.

因为我们大家都在使用惠普公司所研发的小软件组件（译注：即惠普提供的桌面小工具，只要下载并安装到个人电脑的桌面上，就可以计算出随手关闭闲置电脑能节约多少能源），隶属于改变世界（译注：为该活动官方翻译，直译为改变的力量）活动的一部份，电脑厂商惠普希望能藉此提高各界对其环保计划的认知。

 

The energy widget is the latest of several ideas from HP, Google, Microsoft, Verdiem and others for cutting down on unnecessary power consumption.

包括惠普、谷歌、微软、Verdiem和一些其他公司，近来都不约而同推出了节能桌面小工具的创意点子，希望能减少不必要的能源消耗。

 

Google got the ball rolling a year and a half ago with a widget that sets a PC’s power profile to maximum energy savings. It shuts down monitors and turns off idle computers after a user-selected interval, using features of the Windows operating system.

谷歌在一年半前首创先河，推出了一个桌面小工具，能把个人电脑的能源消耗改成最节能的模式；它能透过窗口操作系统中的功能，依照用户所设定的时间间隔，来按时关掉监视器和闲置的电脑。

 

HP’s program “was designed to show the power of individuals coming together,” said John Frey, HP sustainability manager. There’s no reason to leave your computer on all the time, he said, because “the many reasons people didn’t turn off their PCs have been addressed by better operating systems and hardware.”

惠普该项计划的「设计理念，是希望能展现出结合众人的力量，众志成城，」惠普的永续性经理约翰．福雷透露。他指出，根本没有理由让电脑一直保持开机状态，因为「人们之所以不愿关上个人电脑的一大堆理由，其实都可以透过更好的操作系统和硬件来改善。」

 

“The widget by HP is a good start,” Greenpeace spokesman Daniel Keeeler said in an e-mail. “If used, it should generate energy savings. The challenge is to show that it is actually being used.”

「惠普的桌面小工具，让大家能有个好的开始，」绿色和平组织发言人丹尼尔．凯斯勒透过电子邮件指出，「如果人们使用这种小工具，就能节约能源，而其中的挑战在于，如何才能显示出大家真正有在用它。」

 

Shutting down the planet’s 1 billion PCs when they aren’t in use would save about 200 billion kilowatt hours, or enough electricity to power 16.7 million single-family homes for a year, according to Verdiem’s calculations.

根据Verdiem所计算出来的数据显示，如果能关掉地球上十亿台闲置的个人电脑，就能省下两千亿千瓦小时的电量，相当于一千六百七十万户小家庭住宅一年的用电量。

 

“Every PC comes enabled with power management, but a lot of people don’t use it,” according to Pat Tiernan, executive director of a consortium called Climate Savers Computing Initiative. “Maybe 10 to 15 percent of businesses do.”

「每台个人电脑都配备有能源管理的功能，可惜很多人都不去使用这种功能，」电脑节能拯救气候行动执行总监帕特．提尔南表示，「可能有百分之十至十五的企业有使用。」

 

−by Pete Carey

 

 

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gadget [ˋgædʒɪt] n. 小机件；（小巧的）器具；小玩意儿

shave [ʃev] v.【口】削减；略减（价格等）

emission [ɪˋmɪʃən] n. 排放物; 排放; 发出 substances, especially pollutions, that are released into the atmosphere

kilowatt [ˋkɪlo͵wɑt] n.【物】千瓦（电力单位）

widget [ˋwɪdʒɪt] n. 桌面小工具; 小器具；小装置 an application which can be added to your computer that performs some simple function or offers users additional interactive features

awareness [əˋwɛrnɪs] n. 意识

profile [ˋprofaɪl] n. 数据图表，量变曲线

interval [ˋɪntɚv!] n. 间隔；距离

sustainability [sə͵stenəˋbɪlɪtɪ] n. 持续性；能维持性；永续性

address [əˋdrɛs] v. 对付；处理；设法了解并解决

consortium [kənˋsɔrʃɪəm] n. 联盟；财团 an organization of several businesses joining together as a group for a shared purpose

initiative [ɪˋnɪʃətɪv] n. 积极的行动; 倡议

 

 

 

 

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The Multimedia Bed  多媒体床

 

In this age of multitasking, it seemed a little retrograde to New Zealand-based designer Grier Govorko that a bed should be just a place to sleep. Govorko, who is best known for his concert sets, wondered whether a bed could be as productive as a home office or offer a multimedia experience to rival a home theater. “It’s an underutilized space that hadn’t really been looked at,” he explains. And so he developed the Somnus-Neu (Somnus is the Roman god of sleep, and neu is German for “new”) which he calls “the world’s most advanced bed.”

在目前这个多任务处理的时代里，纽西兰设计师葛里尔．哥沃可认为，如果只把床用来睡觉，似乎有点落伍。以音乐会舞台布景最为出名的哥沃可，想知道床是不是也能像个家庭办公室一样地能提高产能，或是让人享受到不输家庭剧院的多媒体体验。他解释说，床可说是「未被善加利用的空间，从没被人正视过，」于是他就研发出Somnus-Neu（新睡神）床（Somnus是古罗马的睡眠之神，而neu则是德文的「新」的意思），他称之为「全世界最先进的床」。

 

Working with Auckland University of Technology’s Business Innovation Centre, Govorko created the Somnus-Neu to be a media-rich oasis. A freestanding unit with motorized curtains and a retractable video screen, the bed has Wi-Fi, a docking station for electronics, a five-point audio system, and three zones of LED lighting – reading, ambient, and floor – all of which can be controlled by dual 17-inch touch-screen panels on either side of the bed.

哥沃可和奥克兰科技大学企业创新中心携手合作，把新睡神床打造成多媒体的安乐窝（译注：直译为绿洲）。这款独立式床组，不但有电动床帘，以及可伸缩的显示屏幕（译注：或译视频屏幕），床上还能Wi-Fi无线上网，也有电子器材的扩充基座，还有五点音响系统（译注：指有五个喇叭以提供环绕音效的音响，喇叭放在五个不同的点，故称五点），以及三种不同的发光二极管照明模式──包括阅读（译注：如图中床头上方的照明，可供阅读书报）、周围环绕照明（译注：指灯光可以广泛地照亮四周环境的照明）和地面照明（译注：如图中从床下往上打亮的灯光）──而这些全都可以透过床两侧的双面十七吋触控屏幕板来操控。

 

The bed can be equipped with an RFID card reader. Govorko envisions a global network of Somnus-Neu beds in airport lounges and hotels that will offer a personalized experience for repeat customers, no matter where they travel. When a card-carrying member encounters one of the beds, it will immediately recognize that person and load a stored set of preferences, from favorite audio and video channels to light levels.

这款床还可以配备有无线射频辨识卡片阅读机。哥沃可预期，未来机场候机楼和饭店都可以采用新睡神床，俨然形成一个遍及全球的网络，能为爱用这款床的老顾客提供量身定做的安眠经验，让他们无论旅行到任何地方，总是能安睡在这款很熟悉的床上。当一位持有无线射频辨识卡的会员走近这款床时，床就会立刻辨识出使用者，并下载使用者的特殊喜好，从最喜爱的音乐和影音频道，乃至于照明模式都包括在内。

 

Govorko says he’s in discussions with Yotel, the U.K.-based pod hotel chain, and expects the first beds will welcome weary travelers by the second half of 2010. Once production is under way, he also plans to target less conventional markets, such as hospitals. “The hospital experience is lacking,” he says. “Staring at the ceiling is not the greatest way to spend your time.”

哥沃可表示，目前正在和英国的Yotel豆荚连锁旅馆（译注：豆荚旅馆和胶囊[capsule]旅馆一样，房间非常窄小）进行洽商，预期该旅馆所进的第一批新睡神床，可望在二０一０年下半年迎接舟车劳顿的旅客。一旦生产线开始运作之后，他还计划锁定比较不传统的市场，例如医院。「住院的体验好像还缺少了点什么，」他透露，「眼巴巴地望着天花板，可不是消磨时间的最好方式。」

 

−by Tim McKeough

 

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retrograde [ˋrɛtrə͵gred] adj. 向后的；退化的  returning to older and worse conditions, methods or ideas

set [sɛt] n.（舞台）布景

rival [ˋraɪv!] v. 与……匹敌；比得上

freestanding [ˋfriˋstændɪŋ] adj. 独立式的，非附属的

motorized [ˋmotəraɪzd] adj. 装上发动机的

retractable [rɪˋtræktəb!] adj. 可缩回的；可取消的

docking station 扩充座; 基座 a platform, usually containing disk drives and ports, into which a laptop may be inserted and connected

docking [ˋdɑkɪŋ] n. 对接; （航天器在轨道上的）对接

zone [zon] n. 范围；区域

LED (light-emitting-diode) 发光二极体 a device which produces a light, especially on electronic equipment

dual [ˋdjuəl] adj. 双重的

RFID (radio-frequency identification) 无线射频辨识 small radio transponders that typically include a chip that stores and processes data which can later be retrieved

envision [ɪnˋvɪʒən] v. 想象

lounge [laʊndʒ] n.（机场的）候机楼; （饭店，旅馆等的）休息室，会客厅

encounter [ɪnˋkaʊntɚ] v. 意外地遇见（朋友等）

pod [pɑd] n. 荚；豆荚

 

 

 

 

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Tiny flash drive is also durable  迷你随身碟变强壮了

 

Flash drives are ideal for anyone wanting to carry along any kind of data without having to lug around a laptop. They store gigabytes of data and require no power to maintain all of it. The cost of flash drives has come way down as well. Typical capacities range from a gigabyte on up, the average usually are 2, 4 and 8 gigabytes.

随身碟最适合那些希望随身携带任何所需资料，却又不想吃力地拖着笔记本电脑到处跑的人，因为它们可以储存数千兆位组的资料，却又完全不需要电力来维持运作，而且价格如今也大幅降低。一般的储存容量从千兆位组起跳，曾通款式的容量通常都是2G、4G和8G。

 

Until now, the one flash drive weakness was their fragility. But Verbatim has come up with their new line of TUFF-‘N’-TINY USB drives that address the problem.

以往随身碟的缺点就是很脆弱，容易损坏，但威宝推出的最新系列「强韧又迷你」随身碟（译注：tuff与tough同音，指此款随身碟很强韧），就解决了这个问题。

 

The actual dimensions of the TUFF-‘N’-TINY are about 1 inch long, a half inch wide and about the thickness of a penny. But although its physical size may be small, the storage capacities offered are keeping pace with the fatter versions.

「强壮又迷你」随身碟实际尺寸约一吋长，半吋宽，厚度约和一枚价值一美分的硬币一样。不过，它的尺寸虽小，储存容量却和更大型的随身碟并驾齐驱。

 

The other amazing thing about the TUFF-‘N’-TINY is how tough it actually is. For starters, it’s completely sealed and doesn’t sport the typical metal USB plug used by other flash drives. The USB plug is one of the weakest points on a flash drive. The drive is open to damage at the vulnerable point where the body of the flash drives meets with the metal USB plug. The TUFF-‘N’-TINY makes its connection on its underside which has its electronic connections exposed. When you insert it into a USB port, the connection is made directly.

「强韧又迷你」随身碟另一个绝佳特点，就是果真韧性十足。首先，它是完全密封的，不像其他随身碟一般都会秀出典型的金属USB界面插头，而后者就是随身碟的弱点之一。随身碟主体和金属USB插头衔接之处，就是最容易损坏的弱点。但「强韧又迷你」随身碟和USB槽的连接是透过它的下方，有电子链接露出来，把它插入USB槽时，就会直接连上USB界面了。

 

Being seals leaves it impervious to water and dirt damage as well. You can drop the TUFF-‘N’-TINY into a glass of water, dry it off and it’s ready to be used. Drop it on the beach, keep it in your dusty pocket, it doesn’t matter. It’s sealed so nothing gets in or out except your computer data when you need it.

随身碟完全密封，也代表不会渗水，也不会因沾染灰尘而受损。即使把「强韧又迷你」随身碟放到一杯水里，只要拿出来擦干，就又可以使用了。无论是掉在海滩上，或是放到沾满尘沙的口袋里，也都不会有大碍。由于它是密封的，所以除了在需要时会存进或下载电脑数据之外，不会有其他东西跑进去或出来，可说是滴水不漏。

 

−by Craig Crossman

 

 

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way down 下降; 大幅降低 very low; extremely low (price)

capacity [kəˋpæsətɪ] n. 容量，容积  the amount that can be held by something

come up with (针对问题等)想出; 提供

dimension [dɪˋmɛnʃən] n.（长，宽，厚，高等的）尺寸

for starters【口】首先 as a beginning

sport [sport] v. 引人注目地穿戴; 炫耀

plug [plʌg] n. 插头

underside [ˋʌndɚ͵saɪd] n. 下侧

 

 

 

单词发音

 

Vocabulary Focus

get the ball rolling 开个头, 使开始, 使展开 to do something which starts an activity, or to start doing something in order to encourage other people to do the same

idle [ˋaɪd!] adj. 不工作的；闲置的；空闲的 not working, not active, or doing nothing effectively than it should be used

underutilized [ˌʌndəˋjut!͵aɪz] adj. 未充分利用的 using something less effectively than it should be used

oasis [oˋesɪs] n.【喻】（困境中的）令人宽慰的事物或处所 a calm, pleasant place in the middle of somewhere unpleasant

ambient [ˋæmbɪənt] adj. 周遭的；环绕的 existing in the surrounding area; enveloping

conventional [kənˋvɛnʃən!] adj. 传统的 traditional and ordinary

lug [lʌg] v. 使劲拉；吃力地携带 to carry or pull something with effort or difficulty because it is heavy

fragility [frəˋdʒɪlətɪ] n. 脆弱；易碎性 the quality of being easily damaged or broken

keep pace 齐步并进；并驾齐驱 to go at the same speed or rate as something similar

vulnerable [ˋvʌlnərəb!] adj. 脆弱的; 易受伤的 easily hurt or damaged

impervious [ɪmˋpɝvɪəs] adj. 不受影响的；不能渗透的 not able to be influenced or damaged

 

 

Power To Change | HP - Eco-friendly: Help make the world a greener place

 

 

 

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Verbatim Tuff 'n Tiny Flash drive review