VOA标准英语2014--Hot Tech Ideas Seek Investors at San Francisco Expo

 

Hot Tech Ideas Seek Investors¹ at San Francisco Expo

The TechCrunch exposition in San Francisco is a place where tech start-up companies can meet  potential backers for their new products. Under the banner ‘Disrupt,’ inventors tried to convince investors their gadgets³ may be the next big thing.

Most of the gadgets showcased at this year’s annual exhibition are designed to keep people connected and help manage everyday chores.

A headband, created by the company named Melon, captures and graphically⁴ displays brain activity, to help the wearer improve their concentration skills.

Arye Barnehama, the co-founder and CEO of Melon, said, “We're also showing off our mobile app which is brain-training games to help you train yourself to focus better and learn to focus better in day-to-day life.”

Another start-up called SmartPen tried to interest attendees to invest in its device, which replicates⁵ whatever you write or draw on paper and sends a copy to a computer or a tablet PC.

Marketing⁶ director Kathryn Hunt said it just takes putting a receiver on the top of the paper. “As you put the pen down, it sends out ultrasounds and infrared⁷ to the receiver which then calculates distance and position and so it always knows where you are,” she said.

A simple webcam may be fine for monitoring your pet when you are away from home, but the gadget² called PetCube allows you to interact with your cat or dog when you're not there.

PetCube's CEO Yaroslav Azhnyuk explained that, “Besides the camera, it also has a laser pointer inside. So you can actually play with your pet with the laser from your smartphone. This is crazy fun. It also has a speaker and microphone so you can actually communicate with your pet two ways.”

MovPack co-founder Ivo Machado said students could look very cool moving around college campus on a personal transportation device that fits into a backpack.

“It's the world's first backpack and electric vehicle. You can wear it on your back," said Machado. "You can wheel it. With one movement, you're ready to go. Fifteen miles per hour, nine mile range. It's great for commuters, great for students.”

TechCrunch is a website focused on news about high-tech⁸ companies. Its annual exhibition attracts not only inventors, according to East Coast editor John Biggs, but also potential customers.

“This is San Francisco, so everybody wants to try new stuff. It's sort of like a big science fair for these guys,” said Biggs.

Biggs said in spite of fierce competition, as much as 90 percent of the displayed gadgets eventually will find their way to the market.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 gadget   

n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿

参考例句：

• This gadget isn't much good.这小机械没什么用处。
• She has invented a nifty little gadget for undoing stubborn nuts and bolts.她发明了一种灵巧的小工具用来松开紧固的螺母和螺栓。

3 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

4 graphically   

adv.通过图表；生动地，轮廓分明地

参考例句：

• This data is shown graphically on the opposite page. 对页以图表显示这些数据。
• The data can be represented graphically in a line diagram. 这些数据可以用单线图表现出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 replicates   

复制( replicate的第三人称单数 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• The bluetongue virus replicates in the insect. 蓝舌病病毒在这种昆虫体内繁殖。
• The chameleon's skin replicates the pattern of its surroundings. 变色龙的皮肤可随环境的模式而改变颜色。

6 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

7 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

8 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。