Unit 2 Computer Hardware

Part 1 Reading and Translating

Section A Wearable Technology

Wearables, or wearable technology, consist of clothing and accessories worn close to the body that incorporate computer and advanced electronic technologies.“Wearable gizmos are the next frontier in the world of technology,”some observers think, although most take a wait-and-see attitude.

A wearable device or wearable is a small, mobile computing device designed to be worn by a consumer (Figure 2-1). These devices often communicate with a mobile device or computer using Bluetooth. Three popular types of wearable devices are activity trackers, smartwatches, and smartglasses.

An activity tracker is a wearable device that monitors fitness-related activities such as distance walked, heart rate, pulse, calories consumed, and sleep patterns. These devices typically sync, usually wirelessly, with a Web or a mobile app on your computer or mobile device to extend the capability of the wearable device.

A smartwatch is a wearable device that, in addition to keeping time, can communicate wirelessly with a smartphone to make and answer phone calls, read and send messages, access the Web, play music, work with apps such as fitness trackers and GPS, and more. Most include a touch screen.

Smartglasses, also called smart eyewear, are wearable head-mounted eyeglass-type devices that enable the user to view information or take photos and videos that are projected to a miniature screen in the user’s field of vision. For example, the device wearer could run an app while wearing smartglasses that display flight status information when he or she walks through voice commands or by touching controls on its frame. Some smartglasses also include mobile apps, such as fitness trackers and GPS.

While most displays are designed to be looked at from at least several inches away, some displays are designed to be wearable. A wearable display usually projects the image from a mobile device (such as a smartphone or media tablet) to a display screen built into the glasses via a wireless connection. Typically, the technology allows the user to see the image as if it is on a distant large screen display, and many wearable displays overlay the projected image on top of what the user is seeing in real time to provide augmented reality. For example, the Google Glass eyeglasses-based display has a tiny display located where the right lens would be and users can see content projected on that screen in front of what they are seeing normally. Google Glass is typically connected (via Bluetooth) to a smartphone and then content (such as text messages, maps and directions, video calls，and Web pages) is streamed from that phone to the Google Glass display. Google Glass also has a built-in Web browser and can connect directly to a Wi-Fi hotspot when needed, has a touch-sensitive pad on the right side of the frame for input, and a bone-conductive audio output system so that audio output is heard only by the user. In addition to consumer wearable displays that have entertainment and productivity applications (such as being able to access GPS directions as needed or to monitor your E-mail during a meeting), there are also wearable displays designed for soldiers and other mobile workers.

Words

wearable ['weərəbl] n. 可穿戴技术，衣服

accessory [æk'sesəri] n. （衣服的）配饰

gizmo ['gizməu] n. 小发明

fitness ['fitnis] n. 健康，适当

sync [siŋk] v. 同步（= synchronize）

app [æp] n. 计算机应用程序 （application的缩写）

eyewear ['aiweə(r)] n. 眼镜，太阳镜

project [prə'ʤekt] v. 投射，放映

control [kən'trəul] n. 控件

frame [freim] n. 眼镜框

display [di'splei] n. 显示器

overlay ['əuvəˌlei] v. 覆盖

built-in ['bilt'in] adj. 内置的

Phrases

walk through 敷衍了事地做完，[非正]轻而易举地通过（考试等）

Abbreviations

GPS Global Position System 全球定位系统

Exercises

Ⅰ. Read the following statements carefully, and decide whether they are true (T) or false (F) according to the text.

___1. Google Glass is usually connected (via Wi-Fi) to a smartphone.

___2. Most smartwatches include a touch screen.

___3. Wearable technology is an old technology.

___4. Smartcars, smartwatches, and smartglasses are three popular types of wearable devices.

___5. Wearable devices often communicate with a mobile device or computer using Wi-Fi.

Ⅱ. Choose the best answer to each of the following questions according to the text.

1. Which of the following is the popular type of wearable device?

A. Smartwatches

B. Smartglasses

C. Activity trackers

D. All of the above

2. Which of the following is typically used by Google Glass to connect to a smartphone?

A. Wi-Fi

B. Bluetooth

C. Ethernet

D. WiMax

3. Which of the following is wrong regarding the smartwatch?

A. It can access the Web

B. It can communicate wirelessly with a smartphone to make and answer phone calls

C. It can read and send messages

D. None of the above

Ⅲ. Match each numbered item with the most closely related lettered item. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

A. ASCII

B. byte

C. parallel processing

D. RAM (random access memory)

E. Universal Serial Bus (USB)

___1. A processing technique that uses multiple processors or processing cores simultaneously, usually to process a single job as fast as possible.

___2. A fixed-length, binary coding system used to represent text-based data for computer processing on many types of computers.

___3. A group of 8 bits.

___4. A universal bus used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices to a computer without requiring the use of additional expansion cards.

___5. Chips connected to the motherboard that provide a temporary location for the computer to hold data and program instructions while they are needed.

Ⅳ. Fill in the blanks with the words or phrases chosen from the box. Change the forms if necessary.

Loren Brichter，Popularizer of“Pull to Refresh”& the“Cell Swipe”

Who developed or helped 1 such touch-screen interactions as“pull to refresh”(dragging and releasing your finger on a screen to display the latest 2 version of the page), the“cell swipe”(swiping a screen to uncover a list of 3 buttons), and sliding panels (pressing tabs that activate panels that slide out from the side of a screen)?

That would be a 28-year-old Philadelphia developer 4 Loren Brichter, a 2006 electrical engineering graduate of Tufts University, who operates from a small home office with a dog bed under his desk. The various apps just described are used by millions of people 4 with such familiar software as Facebook, Linkedln, and Pinterest.

6 by information theorists like Edward Tufte, who believes graphic designs should have minimal extraneous information, Brichter“says he thinks up new features for apps 7 on how people move objects in the real world，”according to one account. He got his start working for Apple in a group making the iPhone’s graphics hardware and software communicate and then 8 to go out on his own. His innovations have been 9 up not only by Twitter but also by the makers of the new BlackBerry operating system, among 10 .“It’s hard to understate the impact his ideas have had，”says another developer.

Ⅴ. Translate the following passage into Chinese.

Why does a smartphone need a dual-core processor?

Dual core processors allow smartphones to deliver increased performance, while delivering better battery life. The reason for this is that the tasks that run on a smartphone have widely different performance needs; for instance, compare writing an SMS text message with playing a 3D game.

To provide this scalability of performance and power in today’s advanced chip manufacturing processes such as 28 nm (1 nm 1 billionth of a meter), it is better to have multiple smaller cores versus one large monolithic core. With dual-core processors, you can switch one core off for tasks such as SMS (to save power), and then you can switch both cores on when maximum performance is needed.

Section B 3-D Printing

3-D printers, also known as additive manufacturing, create three-dimensional shapes by adding very thin layer after layer of material until the final shape is fully formed. There are a variety of different processes and materials that can be used to create each layer. One of the most common sprays a liquid plastic or plastic-like substance through a nozzle similar to an inkjet printer.

3-D printers are controlled by data describing the shape of the object to be created. This data typically comes from a file created by a 3-D modeling program or from scanning a physical model using a 3-D scanner. Specialized programs then take this data and further process it to create data describing hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers that when placed one on top of another form the shape of the intended object. The printer uses this data by extruding or cutting the first layer to very exact specifications. Successive layers are then created and attached to the layer below it until the product is finalized. The layers are so thin and so precise that they blend together, making a final product that shows no sign of the individual layers.

Commercial 3-D printers have been used for decades. Their cost, however, limited them to specialized manufacturing and research applications. Recently, however, their cost has dropped to as low as $400, making them available to individuals.

What is there that cannot be done with a three-dimensional printer? The appearance of 3-D printing holds out the promise of revitalizing industry, making many small businesses possible, and putting a factory in any home that wants one.

The possibilities seem endless. New products output from these devices have ranged from plastic guitars to Barbie dolls, airplane parts, custom prostheses, and computer“chipsets”no larger than a grain of sand (Figure 2-2). A 25-year-old law student has printed out, and then successfully fired, a 3-D plastic gun (something that worries law-enforcement officials). Even clothing is being printed out.

Surgeons use 3-D-printed replicas of patients’organs to practise on before operations, and researchers are using the technology to produce living tissues, hoping someday to be able to print personalized body parts. Doctors have even used a 3-D printer to custom-design a special windpipe implant to save a dying baby. Scottish researchers have used human embryonic stem cells—which can transform into any cell type in the body—in a 3-D printer, printing them out in precise shapes while keeping the cells alive.

One mechanical engineer envisions the end of food waste when every kitchen has a 3-D printer that would synthesize nutritionally appropriate meals one layer at a time from cartridges of powder and oils consumers buy at the grocery store.

Where else will 3-D printing lead?

3D printable models may be created with a computer aided design (CAD) package or via a 3D scanner or via a plain digital camera and photogrammetry software. The manual modeling process of preparing geometric data for 3D computer graphics is similar to plastic arts such as sculpting. 3D scanning is a process of analysing and collecting digital data on the shape and appearance of a real object. Based on this data, three-dimensional models of the scanned object can then be produced.

Regardless of the 3D modelling software used, the 3D model (often in .skp, .dae, .3ds or some other format) then needs to be converted to either a .STL or a .OBJ format, to allow the printing (a.k.a.“CAM”) software to be able to read it.

Words

additive ['ædətiv] adj. 附加的

nozzle ['nɔzl] n. 喷嘴

extrude [eks'truːd] v. 挤压成，压制

specification [ˌspesifi'kei∫ən] n. 规格，详述，说明书

successive [sək'sesiv] adj. 连续的，相继的

finalize [ˌfainə'laiz] v. 完成，使结束，使落实

revitalize [ˌriː'vaitəlaiz] v. 使复兴，使新生，使恢复元气

part [pɑːt] n. 零件

prosthesis ['prɔsWisis] n. 假体（如假肢、假眼或假牙等）（复数为prostheses）

chipset ['t∫ipset] n. 芯片组，芯片集

fire ['faiə] v. 开火，射击

law-enforcement ['lɔːenf'ɔːsmənt] n. 执法（机构或官员）

embryonic [ˌembriː'ɔnik] adj. 胚芽的，胎儿的，初期的

envision [en'viʒən] v. 想象，预见，展望

cartridge ['kɑːtriʤ] n. 盒

powder ['paudə] n. 粉，粉末，粉状物质

lead [liːd,led] n. 引领，领导

plain [plein] adj. 相貌平平的

photogrammetry [fəutə'græmətri] n. 摄影制图法 [测量术]，照相测量法

sculpt [skʌlpt] v. 雕刻，雕塑

Phrases

hold out 拿出，呈现

a grain of 粒，一点点，一些

practise on 在……上练习

custom-design 定制设计

windpipe implant 气管移植

stem cell 干细胞

Abbreviations

3-D Three Dimentional 三维

a.k.a. also known as 又名……，也叫作……

Exercises

I. Read the following statements carefully, and decide whether they are true (T) or false (F) according to the text.

___1. Commercial 3-D printers have been used for just a few years.

___2. Now the cost of commercial 3-D printers is so high that individuals can’t afford it.

___3. Using a 2-D scanner can scan a physical model.

___4. 3-D-printed replicas of patients’organs can be used by surgeons to practise on before operations.

___5. Commercial 3-D printers limited them to specialized manufacturing and research applications due to their cost before.

Ⅱ. Choose the best answer to each of the following questions according to the text.

1. Which of the following is wrong about the 3-D printer?

A. 3-D printers are controlled by data describing the shape of the object to be created

B. Commercial 3-D printers have been used for decades

C. Researchers are using the technology to produce living tissues, hoping someday to be able to print personalized body parts

D. 3-D printers can print everything

2. Which of the following is not mentioned about 3-D printer?

A. Space exploration

B. Plastic gun

C. Replicas of patients’organs

D. Living tissues

3. Making commercial 3-D printers available to individuals, which cost of them has been reached?

A. $1000

B. $400

C. $2000

D. $3000

Ⅲ. Match each numbered item with the most closely related lettered item. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

A. binary numbering system

B. central processing unit (CPU)

C. control unit

D. motherboard

E. nanotechnology

___1. The chip located on the motherboard of a computer that performs most of the processing for a computer.

___2. The main circuit board of a computer, located inside the system unit, to which all computer system components connect.

___3. The numbering system that represents all numbers using just two symbols (0 and 1).

___4. The part of the CPU that coordinates its operations.

___5. The science of creating tiny computers and components by working at the individual atomic and molecular levels.

Ⅳ. Fill in the blanks with the words or phrases chosen from the box. Change the forms if necessary.

3D Printers

When 3D output is 1 , such as to print a 3D model of a new building or prototype of a new product, 3D printers can be used. Instead of printing on paper, these printers typically form output in 2 using molten plastic during a series of passes to build a 3D version of the 3 output—a process 4 to as additive manufacturing because material is added instead of being 5 away as in traditional subtractive manufacturing. Some printers can produce multicolor output; others print in only one color and need to be 6 by hand if color output is desired. 3D printers are becoming available in a variety of sizes, from personal printers for printing smartphone cases, toys, jewelry, and other personal objects to professional printers for printing working product prototypes or custom manufacturing parts. They have even begun to be used to print medical implants using FDA- approved 3D material. Another area with great potential is 7 exploration. NASA is preparing to launch a 3D printer into space in 2014 in order to enable astronauts to print tools, spare parts, rocket pieces, and even small satellites 8 spools of plastic strands. One issue with the increased availability of 3D printers is the risk of them being used to print dangerous or illegal items, such as working plastic 9 . In fact, after a 3D-printed gun was recently demonstrated firing standard bullets, lawmakers are considering 10 legislation to ban 3D printers from making weapons.

Ⅴ. Translate the following passage into Chinese.

What’s the best way to find out if more memory can be added to my computer?

The best way to upgrade memory is to go to a memory manufacturer’s website (such as Kingston.com) and look up your PC to see which memory upgrade options are available. In general, Windows Vista and basic Windows 7 users typically use 2 GB to 4 GB of memory. For 32-bit Windows 7 users, we recommend 3 GB to 4 GB of RAM; advanced users with 64-bit Windows 7 see advantages by using 4 GB to 8 GB of RAM. Windows 8 users should install a minimum of 4 GB. Power users who create or manipulate content such as large photos, stitching panoramic images, or processing video content will benefit from using 8 GB to 16 GB of system memory.