Controlling(1) a device(2) with your mind(3). Powering(4) your home with the energy of your own activities(5).
These are two of the developments(6) that experts(7) at IBM think will become(8) reality within(9) the next five years. The technology company has released(10) its latest “5 in 5″ report(11).
The experts think people will soon be able(12) to control many electronic devices simply by using(13) their minds.
Scientists at IBM and other companies(14) are researching ways(15) to do this in a field(16) of science known as(17) bioinformatics.
They say people will soon have a way to just think about(18) calling or e-mailing someone in order to(19) make it happen(20).
Bernie Meyerson is IBM’s vice president of innovation. He says the idea is for “something with really deep capability(21) so that(22) a person, for instance(23), a quadriplegic(24), a paraplegic can actually(25) utilize brainwaves(26) to make things happen and basically run their own lives(27) independently.”
Another prediction(28) is a way for people to power their homes and offices(29) using energy from activities like(30) walking or running. Still(31) another(32) prediction: passwords(33) could soon become a thing of the past(34).
IBM says developments in biometric technology could soon make passwords unnecessary(35). Some of the most common biometrics used to identify(36) people are fingerprints(37), face and voice recognition(38), and iris scans.
The iris is the colored(39) part of the eye. Bernie Meyerson says this technology will soon be more widely used(40) by money machines and other devices.
Another prediction from the experts at International Business Machines: better technology to prevent(41) unwanted(42) e-mail. The fifth(43) prediction on IBM’s 5 in 5 list is an end to the “digital divide” between(44) those who have technology and those who do not.
Bernie Meyerson says: “We anticipate(45) within five years, better than eighty percent coverage(46) of the world’s population by cellular to smartphones. At that point, imagine having, for instance, the ability to speak openly(47) with anybody anywhere(48), anytime and any language — real time translation.
Literally, the old ‘Star Trek’ idea of the universal translator(49) coming to be, and how the world would change if there were(50) that kind of(51) communication and openness(52).”And
that’s the VOA Special English Technology Report. For VOA Special
English, I’m Carolyn Presutti. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast
23Jan2012)
- Controlling = controlar
- Device = mecanismo
- Mind = mente
- Powering = energizar
- own activities = próprias atividades
- developments = desenvolvimentos
- experts = especialistas
- become = tornar-se
- within = dentro de
- has released = lançou
- report = relatório
- will soon be able = serão em breve capazes
- simply by using = simplesmente usando
- companies = empresas
- researching ways = pesquisando maneiras
- field = campo
- known as = conhecido como
- just think about = simplesmente pensar sobre
- in order to = a fim de
- happen = acontecer
- deep capability = capacidade profunda
- so that = de forma que
- for instance = por exemplo
- quadriplegic = tetraplegico
- actually = na verdade
- brainwaves = ondas cerebrais
- lives = vidas
- prediction = previsão
- offices = escritórios
- like = como
- Still = ainda
- Another = uma outra
- Passwords = senhas
- thing of the past = coisa do passado
- unnecessary = desnecessário
- identify = identificar
- fingerprints = impressões digitais
- voice recognition = reconhecimento de voz
- colored = colorido(a)
- widely used = amplamente utilizado
- prevent = impeder
- unwanted = indesejado
- fifth = quinta
- between = entre
- anticipate = prever
- coverage = cobertura
- openly = abertamente
- anybody anywhere = qualquer um em qualquer lugar
- translator = tradutor
- if there were = se houvesse
- kind of = tipos de
- openness = abertura