2010年ESL之餐饮娱乐 14 Using a Smartphone

14 Using a Smartphone

GLOSSARY 1

to unbox – to take something out of its box for the first time; to open a newproduct* When you unbox the microwave, be sure to save the packaging so we canreuse it when we move.

smartphone – a cell phone that can access email and other information on theInternet* If we had a smartphone, we wouldn’t need to stop to ask for directions whiledriving.

every (something) under the sun – having many different types of something;having a lot of something or all of something* This kitchen has every upgrade under the sun: stainless 2 steel appliances,granite countertops, an eight-burner gas stove, and more!

feature – characteristic; something special that a product offers* This printer has a lot of features, including high-speed printing, wirelessconnections, and a built-in fax machine.

camera – a device used to take photographs* Do you need to buy film for your camera, or is it a digital camera?

video camera – a device used to record videos* They bring their video camera to all their kids’ sports games and dance recitals 4.

videophone – a telephone that has a small screen that allows the callers to seeeach other while they are speaking* Sharon uses a videophone when she calls her grandchildren so that she cansee how much they are growing and changing even though she lives far away.

GPS – global positioning system; technology that uses satellites to know exactlywhere a device or person is at all times* When they got lost in the woods, they were able to use the GPS on their cellphone to find the way back home.

touch-screen – a flat panel on an electronic device that can sense where onetouches it, allowing the user to select things on the screen with one’s finger* This is a touch-screen map, so if you want to zoom 5 closer, just touch the partyou’re interested in with your finger.

keyboard – small keys marked with numbers, letters, and punctuation 6, used toenter information into a computer or other electronic device* Are you able to touch-type, or do you have to look at the keyboard?

intuitive – easy to understand; making sense to a person so that one does notneed to read the instructions in order to use or do something* Graphic 7 computer programs that use icons 8 are more intuitive than computerprograms where the user has to type commands in a programming language.

price tag – the sales price; how much something costs* We dreamed of buying a new home until we started looking at the price tagsand realized we didn’t have enough savings 9.

true enough – a phrase used to show that one agrees with what another personhas said* - This special milk is too expensive!

* - True enough, but it’s better for your health.

SIM card – a subscriber 10 identity module 11 card; a small card that containselectronic information used for a telephone* If you store all your friends’ phone numbers on a SIM card, you can just usethat same SIM card when you get a new phone, and you won’t have to enter allthe numbers again.

Bluetooth compatible – able to work with the technology that allows devices tocommunicate with each other without wires, especially when referring to cellphones, headsets, and car radios* This car is Bluetooth compatible, so when your cell phone rings, a voice on yourcar’s radio will announce who is calling you.

e-book reader – a small, portable electronic device that can download the text ofbooks or newspapers from the Internet and display it on a screen* This e-book reader is great, because it’s easier to carry than a big, heavy novel,but sometimes I miss the feeling of holding an actual book in my hands.

app – application; a program that can be installed on a smartphone or otherelectronic device to make it do something else* Our bank offers an app that lets customers check their account balance andpay bills on a smartphone.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Jason mean when he says, “it has every feature under the sun”?

a) The smartphone is solar-powered.

b) You can see the smartphone’s screen in full sunshine.

c) The smartphone does a lot of different things.

2. Which smartphone feature could help you if you got lost?

a) A video camera.

b) A GPS program.

c) A SIM card.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

cameraThe word “camera,” in this podcast, means a device used to take photographs:

“Don’t forget to bring your camera when you go on vacation.” A person who is“camera-shy” is someone who doesn’t like to be in photographs, so he or shehides from the camera: “Please don’t be camera-shy. Your grandmother reallyenjoys seeing pictures of you.” The phrase “on camera” means while a videowas being recorded: “The police watched tapes of the man stealing stereos oncamera.” The phrase “off camera” means without being recorded by a videocamera: “They say their dog can bark ‘I love you,’ but that it only ever happensoff camera, so they can’t prove it.” Finally, when talking about printing andgraphic design, “camera-ready” describes a document that is ready to be printed:

“This is a camera-ready version, so please don’t make any revisions unlessthey’re absolutely necessary.”

touchIn this podcast, a “touch-screen” is a flat panel on an electronic device that cansense where one touches it, allowing the user to select things on the screen withone’s finger: “Please tap the map on the touch-screen to indicate which stateyou’re in.” The phrase “in touch” means communicating with another person:

“While they were physically 12 apart, they stayed in touch with letters, emails, andphone calls.” The phrase “to lose touch” means to stop being aware ofsomething, or to not have current, accurate information about something: “Thepolitician promised to help the middle class, but after he won the election, heseemed to lose touch with their concerns.” Finally, the phrase “to put thefinishing touches on (something)” means to do the final steps or to address thelast details: “We just need to put the finishing touches around the windows andthen we’ll be done painting.”

CULTURE NOTE

Whenever an American “consumer” (customer) makes a telephone call, “data”

(information) about that call is added to the consumer proprietary 13 networkinformation (CPNI). All the “telecommunications companies” (companies thatprovide services for communication) keep track of when calls occur, which“parties” (people or organizations) participate in the call, and the “duration” (howlong something lasts) of the call.

Telecommunications companies would like to use that information to “market”

(increase sales through promotion) their services to consumers who might“benefit” (receive advantages) from them. Americans can choose to “opt in”

(choose to participate in) or “opt out of” (choose not to participate in) programswhere their CPNI data is used for marketing 14.

Although many people are uncomfortable with the idea that businesses and otherindividuals can have detailed 15 information about all the phone calls they make,telecommunications companies need to have and “retain” (keep) the informationso that they can “bill” (charge) consumers correctly.

The Telecommunications “Act” (Law) of 1996 “limits” (puts restrictions 16 on) howthe CPNI data can be shared. For example, telecommunications companiescannot share the data with “third parties” (other people or organizations) withoutthe consumer’s “consent” (agreement).

When a consumer “requests” (asks for) information about his or her own callinghistory, the telecommunications company normally asks for the consumer’spassword before sharing any data. This protects the consumer from havingother people “pose as” (pretend to be) the person who made the calls.

Americans who think their calling information has been used “inappropriately” (inbad or wrong ways) can “file a complaint” (submit a statement that something isbad or wrong) with the government’s Federal Communications Commission.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – b

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 17

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 647: Using aSmartphone.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 647. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide, an 8- to 10-page guide we provide for all of our current episodes that gives you the completetranscript of this episode, as well as cultural notes, vocabulary, definitions,sample sentences – well, just about everything you want in a Learning Guide!

This dialogue is between Hitomi and Jason. They’re talking about using asmartphone. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Hitomi: What are you unboxing?

Jason: This is my new smartphone. It has every feature under the sun!

Hitomi: Every feature?

Jason: It has a high quality camera and video camera, and it’s a videophone. Ithas a great GPS program, too. The touch-screen and the keyboard are easy touse and everything is so intuitive. Even a child could use it.

Hitomi: Yeah, but a child couldn’t afford the expensive price tag, right?

Jason: True enough, but it has a removable SIM card and is Bluetoothcompatible. I can even use it as an e-book reader, and download apps for justabout anything I want to do. No child’s toy could do all of those things.

Hitomi: Yes, that’s true, but I have just one question.

Jason: What?

Hitomi: Can you make a telephone call on it?

Jason: A telephone call? You mean a regular phone call? Yes, I think so.

[end of dialogue]

Hitomi begins by asking Jason, “What are you unboxing?” “To unbox” (unbox) isto take something that you bought out of the box that it came in, to opensomething that is brand new. This verb is relatively 18 new, I think. It becamepopular when people started filming the unboxing and putting the video onYouTube, so you could see what was like to buy a new iPhone or to buy a newAndroid phone, whatever the thing that you were buying.

Well, Jason is unboxing his new smartphone. The term “smartphone” (one word)is a cell phone – a mobile or cellular 19 phone – that can also do email, usually hasan Internet connection, and often other things as well. The Android is anexample of a smartphone; Blackberry makes a number of smartphones. Themost popular smartphone, or least the most well known, is probably the iPhoneby Apple. All of these are smartphones.

Jason says that his smartphone has every feature under the sun. A “feature” is acharacteristic, something special about that product. Our Learning Guides haveseveral features: vocabulary, definitions, sample sentences. All of those arethings that are special, that are included. Software, a new car, a television – justabout anything can have different features – different characteristics. Thissmartphone has every feature under the sun. To say that it “has every(something) under the sun” means it has many different types of that thing; in thiscase, it has many different features.

So, Jason thinks his smartphone has every feature under the sun, all of thosethat you could possibly want. Hitomi says, “Every feature?” Jason says, “It has ahigh quality camera and video camera.” A “camera” is a device that you use, amachine, that takes pictures – that takes photographs. There are many different,however, uses of that word “camera.” Take a look at the Learning Guide forsome more of those. One use is a “video camera,” this is a camera that recordsvideo, obviously. Jason says that his smartphone is also a videophone. A“videophone” is a telephone that allows you to see the person that you arecalling. That is something that, for example, you can do, I know, on the iPhonewith other people who have iPhones. That’s a videophone. Jason says hisphone also has a great GPS program. “GPS” stands for global positioningsystem. It’s a technology that allows you to use typically a satellite to knowexactly where you are, and you can look at a map and see where you are. Manycars nowadays have a GPS system in them that will help you find your way towherever you’re going. This is especially useful if you are in a place that you arenot familiar with. Jason says that the phone has a touch-screen and keyboard that are easy to use. A “touch-screen” is a flat panel of an electronic device thatcan tell – that senses when you touch it, and allows you to do different things.

Again, many of the Android phones and the iPhone allow you to use your fingerto move something from one side of the screen to the other for example, or to“tap” on the screen, to place your finger quickly once or twice on the screen inorder to perform some action. A “keyboard” is what you use for typing – whatyou use for putting letters, numbers, punctuation. It’s what you use on yourcomputer all the time. I should also mention that “touch” can be used in anumber of different ways, and those can be found in our Learning Guide as well.

Jason says that the touch-screen and keyboard are easy to use and everything isso intuitive. When we say something is “intuitive” (intuitive) we mean it’s veryeasy for you to understand; you can make sense of it even though you may nothave used it before. Usually when we say “intuitive,” we mean that it is similar tosomething else that we do know how to use. Jason says it is so easy, it is sointuitive to use even a child could use it. Hitomi says, “Yeah, but a child couldn’tafford the expensive price tag, right?” “To afford” means to have enough money.

The “price tag” (tag) is how much something costs. Often when you go into astore, you are looking at for example a new chair or some other object, you lookfor the price tag. You look for the little piece of paper that says how much itcosts. It can sometimes be used to mean more generally the price. “So, what’sthe price tag on that new car?” You’re not talking about the actual piece of paper– which would probably be called the sticker price, anyway, for a car – you’retalking about what the price is.

Hitomi says that a child would not have enough money – couldn’t afford theexpensive price tag of the smartphone. Jason says, “True enough.” We use thisphrase “true enough” to show that you agree with what another person has said.

Often you are agreeing with some sort of perhaps critical or negative comment,although not always. Jason says, “True enough, but it has a removable SIM cardand is Bluetooth compatible.” A “SIM (SIM) card” is a subscriber identity modulecard. Basically it’s the small card that has your electronic information that youput into a phone to use it. Many phones have SIM cards you can remove andput in a different phone, and sometimes people who travel to different countriesare getting different SIM cards to use in their phone. “Bluetooth” is a technologythat allows two electronic devices to communicate, to send signals from one tothe other. Bluetooth is a technology that only works for small distances. Forexample, I have a Bluetooth mouse and a Bluetooth keyboard for my computer.

There are no wires that connect the keyboard to the computer; it is wireless 3 –without wires – because it is a Bluetooth keyboard. And we take the keyboard,and we – we use the verb “pair it” with the computer. Bluetooth devices arepaired to each other; they’re connected. “To be compatible” means that it can use that thing. So, Bluetooth compatible is a phone that can be used withBluetooth microphones or Bluetooth keyboards, etc.

Jason says, “I can even use (my smartphone) as an e-book reader, anddownload apps for just about anything I want to do.” “E-book” stands forelectronic book; an “E-book reader” is a small portable electronic device that youcan use to read text – to read books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, that sort ofthing. There are lots e-book of readers out there. The Kindle 20 by Amazon is apopular one. Now, the iPad by Apple also has an e-book reader on it. An “app”

(app) is an application; it’s a software program that you use, in this case on yoursmartphone, that allows you to do different things. There are apps for many,many different functions. There are ones that you can play games on; there areapps that you can use as a map; there are apps that allow you to translate fromone language to another; apps that have the entire dictionary on them. So, lotsof things you can do with apps.

Jason says, “No child’s toy could do all of those things.” Hitomi says, “Yes, that’strue, but I have just one question.” Jason says, “What?” Hitomi says, “Can youmake a telephone call on it?” Jason says, “A telephone call? You mean aregular phone call? Yes, I think so.” He’s not sure. Of course, we think of cellphones first as being phones, and second as being these other things. ButJason is so excited about the things that his smartphone can do he doesn’t eventalk about the fact that it is also a regular phone.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Hitomi: What are you unboxing?

Jason: This is my new smartphone. It has every feature under the sun!

Hitomi: Every feature?

Jason: It has a high quality camera and video camera, and it’s a videophone. Ithas a great GPS program, too. The touch-screen and the keyboard are easy touse and everything is so intuitive. Even a child could use it.

Hitomi: Yeah, but a child couldn’t afford the expensive price tag, right?

Jason: True enough, but it has a removable SIM card and is Bluetoothcompatible. I can even use it as an e-book reader, and download apps for justabout anything I want to do. No child’s toy could do all of those things.

Hitomi: Yes, that’s true, but I have just one question.

Jason: What?

Hitomi: Can you make a telephone call on it?

Jason: A telephone call? You mean a regular phone call? Yes, I think so.

[end of dialogue]

We have scripts on almost every topic under the sun, brought to you by our ownDr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2010 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.