Tag Archive: science & technology – expert

Vocabulary: merger [MUR-jer] (noun) an arrangement in which two or more companies or organizations join together The merger of the Cranberry Co. with Apples Co. surprised everybody. monopolize [muh-NOP-uh-lahyz] (verb) a business obtains exclusive control of an industry The company has monopolized the market. ride-hailing [RAHYD heyl-ing] (adjective) transportation from a taxi service usually booked through an app Ride-hailing services have improved our daily commute. formidable [FAWR-mi-duh-buh-l] (adjective) inspiring fear or respect by being impressively large, powerful or excellent Cranberry Co. has built a formidable reputation for quality products. war chest [WAWR ches] (noun) a fund for a specific purpose such as acquisition McDonald’s is known to have a huge…
Read more

Vocabulary: electioneering [verb] – activities that candidates and supporters do to persuade people to vote for them The free concert was a part of Mr. Smith’s electioneering. transparency [noun] – a full view of a media plan It’s good that some companies are promoting transparency. demographics [noun] – particular feature of a population such as age, gender, race etc. The town’s demographic suggest that the new restaurant will be a success. misinformation [noun] – information that is not true Misinformation can lead to a bigger conflict. disclosure [noun] – act of making something known The court demanded a full disclosure of the facts. Twitter is launching an Advertising Transparency Center…
Read more

Vocabulary: information – facts about something or someone The teacher will give us some information about the new project. include – a part of something They included me in the dance club. consumer – a person who purchases goods and services for personal use Consumers prefer quality over quantity. advertisement – a paid notice that tells people about a product or service I like the new advertisement of Samsung. user – someone who uses a product or service Internet users like Asahi Net’s fast connection. Google keeps a record of the things that people search for on the internet. The site collects information on searches, browsing history including YouTube videos….
Read more

Vocabulary: streaming – transmitting data from internet directly to a TV/computer Streaming has become more popular in the past three years. subscription – a payment made to receive a service The amount of our magazine subscription only reached $250,000 this year. ultra high definition – ultra HD, display is sharper than 1080p The new Samsung TV has an ultra HD feature. pricing scheme – a pricing plan We discussed the new pricing scheme for our products during the meeting. programming– practice of organizing media programs in a daily schedule The new programming will feature some rising stars.   Netflix is raising its prices for its streaming services. The standard plan, which allows…
Read more

Vocabulary: unconventional – out of the ordinary; not based on what is generally done or believed This is an unconventional school as teachers don’t give students homework. utilize – use; make use of I would like to utilize my time doing more productive things. gadget – a small device or machine with a particular purpose Before, I used different gadgets to listen to music, watch movies and call someone. Now, I can do all of those with just one. noteworthy – deserving attention because of being important or interesting It is noteworthy that nobody in this room is interested in taking a day off. Unconventional forms of learning and instruction…
Read more

  Facebook is on a hot seat for fake news circulating on the site. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed his disappointment in the issue as the management too is a victim. It is also speculated that these kinds of news are passed off as fake just because some people disagree with them. Facebook is careful on handling the situation. Mark said that an important part of democracy is to share things that other people might disagree with. Facebook is not going to delete or ban posts just because other people felt offended.   Vocabulary: hot seat – bad situation circulating – to be distributed over against – opposed to;…
Read more

A team from Stanford University developed an image-scanning software that can identify skin cancers with an accuracy that’s comparable to that of a licensed specialist’s. The software’s technology uses an algorithm, which tells objects apart based on images. This software has over 130,000 images in its database. The algorithm used for this software has been further refined by computer scientists to combine visual processing with a type of artificial intelligence called deep learning. The results are amazing! The software was pitted against licensed dermatologists to check 370 images. Dermatologists can tell malignant lesions based on school training and clinical experience. Armed with their respective training and technology, the software and…
Read more

How long do Americans hold onto their smartphones? That’s the question that Kantar Worldpanel’s 2016 report answered. On average, Americans keep their phones for 22.7 months, while Europeans do so for 21.6 months. The data show an increase by almost two months from when Kantar Worldpanel did a similar report back in 2014. There is a stark difference between the data gathered among American smartphone users and Chinese smartphone users. The Chinese upgrade their phones faster at an average of 20.2 months. The report attributes this trend to the fact that the smartphone market in China is liquid. Moreover, online shopping is more extensive in the country. Vocabulary: stark –…
Read more

Sony has recently announced that its fitness app called Lifelog has been upgraded with new features. With the new and improved Lifelog, a user just has to take a picture of his food and the app will give him a comprehensive analysis and calorie count of the food. It can also give nutritional advice tailored to a particular user’s needs. The app is available for download on Google Play. The app uses the technology from Sony Mobile’s Meal Image Analysis software to recognize food. It is compatible with smartphones and wearable devices like Sony’s SmartWatch 3. The software will be launched in Japan to encourage employees to stay fit and…
Read more

Nokia launches a revamped version of 3310. It will be available in four different colors – red and yellow glossy finish, andblue and gray matte finish. It has text messaging, internet browsing, MP3 player, camera, and 2 sim slots, which are main features of a daily phone. It also has the new version of the classic Snake game. The phone will be sold at a bargain price of €49.99. The release of Nokia 3310 aims to encourage people to try out other Nokia devices. It may fall short on some exciting applications, but it exceeds when it comes to battery life. It has 25.3 days standby time and 22.1 hours…
Read more