英语听力入门 step by step 2000 第三册Unit 8 Communications (II)
Unit 8 Communications (II)
Part I Warming up
A.
Tapescript:
The question today is no longer whether to get a cellular phone, but where. And since every place, from your local lumberyard to the corner drugstore, is selling them, it can seem like a difficult decision. Phil DePalma's Cellular Mobile Communications, an authorized Cellular One agent, is the choice. Phil's people don't sell TVs or two-by-fours, but they can give you both the low price you're looking for and the reassurance of knowing you'll be on Cellular One, New England's leading network.
An off-the-shelf bargain-basement phone won't look like much of a bargain when you're in need of service and you can't get it. So keep it simple and call Phil DePalma at 1- 800- 695- 5400. Right now, get a unit and transportable phone complete with antenna, carrying case, and cigarette lighter adapter for only $29.99, a savings of $50 off Phil's everyday price. For only about $30 you can now enjoy the safety and convenience of a cellular phone. Great phone. Excellent service. Great price. Phil DePalma's Cellular Mobile Communications at 1 - 800 - 695 - 5400.
Statements:
1. It is difficult to find a place to buy a cellular phone today in the United States.
2. Phil DePalma doesn't sell TV sets.
3. Phil's sale price for the cellular phone is about 30 dollars.
4. Phil usually sells cellular phones for about 50 dollars.
5. If you buy the phone now at Phil DePalma's, you'll also get a free cigarette lighter adapter.
6. The telephone number for Phil DePlma is 1 - 800- 695- 4500.
B.
Siemens' video telephone:
Siemens' cordless video telephone, which includes a tiny camera and a high-resolution pixel color display, can transmit at around 64 kilobits.
Callwave's IAM:
Callwave's Internet Answering Machine is a kind of free software that will answer calls even when the user is on the Internet using the same telephone line.
Philips Genie:
The Philips Genie is a lightweight mobile phone that can be operated by uttering a single word.
Ericsson's iPulse:
Ericsson's iPulse is a software solution that promises realtime messaging with family, friends and colleagues over any type of mobile communications device.
Palm Computing's Palm VII.
Pall VII enables you to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades.
Motorola's iRadio:
Motorola's iRadio is a device that can integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device.
Nokia's 9110:
Nokia's 9110 Communicator is a combination of phone and personal digital assistant.
Nokia's 7110:
Nokia's 7110 mobile phone has a larger screen and is operated by a tracking ball in addition to a keyboard.
Tapescript:
1. Siemens is developing a cordless video telephone that includes a tiny camera and a high-resolution pixel color display. It can transmit at around 64 kilobits --more than six times faster than current data transmission rates for mobile phones.
Using an earpiece, callers hold the phones at arm's length to maintain visual contact. Alternatively, the phone can be pointed at something else to allow the person on the other end to view it.
2. Callwave, a start-up Internet telephone company based in Santa Barbara, California, has launched an Internet Answering Machine (IAM), free software that will answer calls even when the user is on the Internet using the same telephone line. IAM, available at www. call-wave. com, takes massages and forwards them to the user, who can choose to listen instantly or save them for later.
3. The Philips Genie, a lightweight mobile phone, can be operated by uttering a single word. When you type a name into the Genie's keypad, the system asks whether you would like to assign a voice-dial tag to that name. Through "yes" or "no" prompts, the Genie compiles a list of up to 10 voice tags. The next time you want to call a person listed as one of these tags, just say that person's name or a relevant code word.
4. Ericsson's iPulse software solution promises realtime messaging with family, friends and colleagues over any type of mobile communications device. Through the use of a flexible opt-in, opt-out system to protect privacy, users can see whether people who have agreed to be on a personal buddy list are currently online -- and where they are physically located. And as yet unnamed European phone company will be the first to launch the service in the next few weeks.
5. American firm Palm Computing, part of 3Com, has released its Palm VII. Palm Computing has created a fast Internet messaging service for the Palm VII by building the Personal Query Assistant, a service allowing access to specially cut-down Internet sites which provide data such as flight schedules, sports scores, weather forecasts and news headlines. The device will be able to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades.
6. Motorola is working on a concept called the iRadio that will integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device. The iRadio could be programmed with the listening preferences of various family members, for example, so that it automatically finds the station that plays the desired music --regardless of the car's location. It could also alert the driver when the car is running low on fuel and then provide directions to the nearest gas station belonging to the driver's preferred chain. The iRadio could also monitor selected stock prices and provide early warnings on the latest traffic jams, plus convenient escape routes.
7. New devices, such as Nokia's 9110 Communicator, a combination of phone and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), are Pall VII enables you to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades. Motorola's iRadio:
Motorola's iRadio is a device that can integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device. Nokia's 9110:
Nokia's 9110 Communicator is a combination of phone and personal digital assistant. Nokia's 7110:
Nokia's 7110 mobile phone has a larger screen and is operated by a tracking ball in addition to a keyboard.
Tapescript:
1. Siemens is developing a cordless video telephone that includes a tiny camera and a high-resolution pixel color display. It can transmit at around 64 kilobits --more than six times faster than current data transmission rates for mobile phones.
Using an earpiece, callers hold the phones at arm's length to maintain visual contact. Alternatively, the phone can be pointed at something else to allow the person on the other end to view it.
2. Callwave, a start-up Internet telephone company based in Santa Barbara, California, has launched an Internet Answering Machine (IAM), free software that will answer calls even when the user is on the Internet using the same telephone line. IAM, available at www. callwave. com, takes massages and forwards them to the user, who can choose to listen instantly or save them for later.
3. The Philips Genie, a lightweight mobile phone, can be operated by uttering a single word. When you type a name into the Genie's keypad, the system asks whether you would like to assign a voice-dial tag to that name. Through "yes" or "no" prompts, the Genie compiles a list of up to 10 voice tags. The next time you want to call a person listed as one of these tags, just say that person's name or a relevant code word.
4. Ericsson's iPulse software solution promises realtime messaging with family, friends and colleagues over any type of mobile communications device. Through the use of a flexible opt-in, opt-out system to protect privacy, users can see whether people who have agreed to be on a personal buddy list are currently online -- and where they are physically located. And as yet unnamed European phone company will be the first to launch the service in the next few weeks.
5. American firm Palm Computing, part of 3Com, has released its Palm VII. Palm Computing has created a fast Internet messaging service for the Palm VII by building the Personal Query Assistant, a service allowing access to specially cut-down Internet sites which provide data such as flight schedules, sports scores, weather forecasts and news headlines. The device will be able to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades.
6. Motorola is working on a concept called the iRadio that will integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device. The iRadio could be programmed with the listening preferences of various family members, for example, so that it automatically finds the station that plays the desired music --regardless of the car's location. It could also alert the driver when the car is running low on fuel and then provide directions to the nearest gas station belonging to the driver's preferred chain. The iRadio could also monitor selected stock prices and provide early warnings on the latest traffic jams, plus convenient escape routes.
7. New devices, such as Nokia's 9110 Communicator, a combination of phone and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), are almost ready on the market. But some customers feel the keyboard and screen are too small and too complex for comfort. To get around these problems, Nokia's 7110 mobile phone has a larger screen and is operated by a tracking ball in addition to a keyboard. The phone has a market among young people, who tend to send more text messages than they make mobile phone calls because text is less expensive.
Part II Experience with telephones
A
Outline
I Estimated popularity of cellular phones among teenagers
A. 5% of teenagers owning a cellular phone
B. 28% of parents with teenagers planning to buy a cell phone for their child within a year
II. Different answers to the question of why this new teen accessory is needed
A. Parents: an expansion of their protective eye
B. Teenagers: a gift of freedom
III. Impact of cellular phones on teenager habits
A. Spending more time on the phone
B. Being out of the house more often
C. Staying in car when picking someone up
IV. Price and calling plans
A. Price: between $90 and $250
B. Calling plans:
1. Typical: $30 for 300 minutes
2. Prepaid calling cards: $25, $50 or $75
3. Family calling plan: $50 a month for two lines of service and 200 minutes, and free calls between family members
Tapescript:
Cellular phones, once the toy of the rich business executive, are becoming a standard amenity for many teenagers and even preteens. The phones are marketed aggressively to a young audience, with gizmos such as alien holograms and toy kittens that hang off antennas and light up with each ring.
Industry experts estimate that 5 percent of teenagers own a 'cellular phone, and one recent survey by a market research group found that 28 percent of parents with teenagers plan to buy a cell phone for their child within a year.
But on the question of why this new teen accessory is needed, the two generations are at opposite ends. Parents envision it as an expansion of their protective eye. Can't locate the wandering teen? Just dial. Teenagers, on the other hand, see the cell phone as a gift of freedom, a device that instantly connects them to their friends, to every party and to the very latest piece of gossip.
Many teenagers agreed that wearing cell phones has changed several of their habits. In addition to spending more time on the phone, they're also out of the house more often. They find out from friends about last-minute get-togethers they otherwise would miss. Some said they no longer step out of their cars when picking someone up. Why bother ringing the doorbell when you can dial?
Beepers became popular about a decade ago and raised some of the same issues between parents and their children. But teenagers find the cell phones much more convenient. They're also becoming particular about what kind of phone they have. Small and sleek is preferred, and the phone with a keypad that flips open is very cool.
Most parents said these side effects are a price they're willing to pay.
Most cellular phones cost between $90 and $250, and the typical calling plan is $30 for 300 minutes. To tap into the teenager market, companies are selling prepaid calling cards for $25, $50 or $75. Most companies also have introduced family calling plans where teenagers and their parents pay about $50 a month for two lines of service and 200 minutes, and the calls between family members are free.
Girls are getting the phones more than boys, mostly because parents tend to worry more about their daughters' safety. But the trend is spreading to boys as well.
B.
1. What is the most annoying thing according to Mr. Rooney?
People always call to make a sale when he's busy doing something else.
2. What is his suggestion to deal with the sales calls?
Every time someone calls to sell something, the telephone company will automatically break in with its own announcement: "Mr. Rooney has a one-dollar charge for a sales call. If you wish to accept this charge, press star. If you don't wish to pay, please hang up."
Tapescript:
I make my living being annoyed by things, so I suppose I ought to thank those people who call to make a sale when I'm busy doing something else because nothing is more annoying. You know what I mean.
"Yeah, OK. Hello!" "Hello, Mr. Rooney." "What?"
"This is a courtesy call. I'm not going to sell you anything."
"I was trying to call you today on behalf of Miracle Flakes for Kids, good day to you!"
"There's absolutely no application fees or anything like that, so you start saving money the first day. '
"And no, I'm not trying to sell you any vocations."
The other day I had an idea that might be a solution to this problem we all have. It's been a huge change in the last few years in our whole telephone system. Telephones have changed, companies have changed, and they're all competing with each other and offering all sorts of new services.
Here's a telephone company brochure. It lists all these things that a phone company can do for you. Call Block, Call Trace, Anonymous Call Rejection, Identa Ring Service (whatever that is). They can do anything. So here is my idea: The phone company can do all those things, why don't they do this: they know who the companies are, that are in the business of calling the whole world to sell us something, so every time one of them calls, to sell something, the telephone company will automatically break in with its own announcement: "Mr. Rooney has a one-dollar charge for a sales call. If you wish to accept this charge, press star. If you don't wish to pay, please hang up."
Part III The future of the phone
Outline
I The new era of personal communications -- a multi-functional communicator
Main feature: capable of transmitting and receiving sound, video, images, data and text
II. The functions of phones in the future
A. Talking
B. Sending and receiving emails
C. Taking part in video conferences anytime, anywhere
D. Absorbing many of the key functions of the desktop computer
E. New personalized services
1. Trading stocks
2. Gambling
3. Shopping
4. Buying theater and airline tickets
III. Telecommunications revolution
A. Developing mobile banking services
B. Receiving all forms of electronic communication through a single device
C. Receiving incoming TV images and other messages while on the move
D. Mobile videophones overtaking TV as the major source of visual information
Tapescript:
The mobile phone is set to become one of the central technologies of the 21st century. Within a few years, the mobile phone will evolve into a multi-functional communicator capable of transmitting and receiving not only sound, but also video, still images, data and text. A whole new era of personal communications is on the way.
Thanks in part to the growth of wireless networks, the telephone is converging with the personal computer and the television. Soon lightweight phones outfitted with high-resolution screens will be connected to satellites enabling people to talk, send and receive email, or take part in video conferences anytime, anywhere. These phones might also absorb many of the key functions of the desktop computer. Mobile devices are expected to be ideal for some of the new personalized services that are becoming available via the Internet, such as trading stocks, gambling, shopping and buying theater and airline tickets.
The telecommunications revolution is already taking shape around the globe. In Europe, mobile phones are already being used for electronic commerce. Most phones contain a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card to identify a user to the phone network. But the card could also facilitate limited financial transactions. Deutsche Bank and Nokia, for example, are working together to develop mobile banking services. Some manufacturers plan to upgrade the SIM card to an all-in-one personal identification credit card.
Another approach is to add a slot to mobile phones for a second smart card designed for mobile e-commerce. These cards could be used to make payments over the Internet or to pay for things like public transportation, movie tickets or drinks at a bar.
It will soon be possible to receive almost all forms of electronic communication through a single device, most likely in a three-in-one phone that serves as a cordless at home, a cell phone on the road and an intercom at work. "The mobile phone will become increasingly multi-functional," says Brughardt Scha-llenberger, vice president for technology and innovation at Siemens Information and Consumer Products in Munich. "Fingerprint technology and advanced speech recognition will ensure that only one or two authorized users will be able to operate it."
Images will be just as important as sound to the future of mobile communications. At British Tele-com's research laboratories near Ipswich, England, engineers are evaluating how a tiny screen fitted to the side-frame of a pair of ordinary glasses can be linked to the human eye. The micro-PC is carried in a shoulder bag and connected to a tiny screen in the glass frame. The PC accepts incoming data in standard TV format via an aerial and converts it into PC format images. The image on the screen is reflected onto the human eye via a prism fitted onto the lens. A person wearing such glasses could be on the move while staying tuned in to incoming TV images, websites, video conferencing links or email messages.
Some even suggest that mobile videophones could overtake television as the major source of visual information, giving the phrase "something to phone home about" a whole new meaning.
Part I Warming up
A.
Tapescript:
The question today is no longer whether to get a cellular phone, but where. And since every place, from your local lumberyard to the corner drugstore, is selling them, it can seem like a difficult decision. Phil DePalma's Cellular Mobile Communications, an authorized Cellular One agent, is the choice. Phil's people don't sell TVs or two-by-fours, but they can give you both the low price you're looking for and the reassurance of knowing you'll be on Cellular One, New England's leading network.
An off-the-shelf bargain-basement phone won't look like much of a bargain when you're in need of service and you can't get it. So keep it simple and call Phil DePalma at 1- 800- 695- 5400. Right now, get a unit and transportable phone complete with antenna, carrying case, and cigarette lighter adapter for only $29.99, a savings of $50 off Phil's everyday price. For only about $30 you can now enjoy the safety and convenience of a cellular phone. Great phone. Excellent service. Great price. Phil DePalma's Cellular Mobile Communications at 1 - 800 - 695 - 5400.
Statements:
1. It is difficult to find a place to buy a cellular phone today in the United States.
2. Phil DePalma doesn't sell TV sets.
3. Phil's sale price for the cellular phone is about 30 dollars.
4. Phil usually sells cellular phones for about 50 dollars.
5. If you buy the phone now at Phil DePalma's, you'll also get a free cigarette lighter adapter.
6. The telephone number for Phil DePlma is 1 - 800- 695- 4500.
B.
Siemens' video telephone:
Siemens' cordless video telephone, which includes a tiny camera and a high-resolution pixel color display, can transmit at around 64 kilobits.
Callwave's IAM:
Callwave's Internet Answering Machine is a kind of free software that will answer calls even when the user is on the Internet using the same telephone line.
Philips Genie:
The Philips Genie is a lightweight mobile phone that can be operated by uttering a single word.
Ericsson's iPulse:
Ericsson's iPulse is a software solution that promises realtime messaging with family, friends and colleagues over any type of mobile communications device.
Palm Computing's Palm VII.
Pall VII enables you to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades.
Motorola's iRadio:
Motorola's iRadio is a device that can integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device.
Nokia's 9110:
Nokia's 9110 Communicator is a combination of phone and personal digital assistant.
Nokia's 7110:
Nokia's 7110 mobile phone has a larger screen and is operated by a tracking ball in addition to a keyboard.
Tapescript:
1. Siemens is developing a cordless video telephone that includes a tiny camera and a high-resolution pixel color display. It can transmit at around 64 kilobits --more than six times faster than current data transmission rates for mobile phones.
Using an earpiece, callers hold the phones at arm's length to maintain visual contact. Alternatively, the phone can be pointed at something else to allow the person on the other end to view it.
2. Callwave, a start-up Internet telephone company based in Santa Barbara, California, has launched an Internet Answering Machine (IAM), free software that will answer calls even when the user is on the Internet using the same telephone line. IAM, available at www. call-wave. com, takes massages and forwards them to the user, who can choose to listen instantly or save them for later.
3. The Philips Genie, a lightweight mobile phone, can be operated by uttering a single word. When you type a name into the Genie's keypad, the system asks whether you would like to assign a voice-dial tag to that name. Through "yes" or "no" prompts, the Genie compiles a list of up to 10 voice tags. The next time you want to call a person listed as one of these tags, just say that person's name or a relevant code word.
4. Ericsson's iPulse software solution promises realtime messaging with family, friends and colleagues over any type of mobile communications device. Through the use of a flexible opt-in, opt-out system to protect privacy, users can see whether people who have agreed to be on a personal buddy list are currently online -- and where they are physically located. And as yet unnamed European phone company will be the first to launch the service in the next few weeks.
5. American firm Palm Computing, part of 3Com, has released its Palm VII. Palm Computing has created a fast Internet messaging service for the Palm VII by building the Personal Query Assistant, a service allowing access to specially cut-down Internet sites which provide data such as flight schedules, sports scores, weather forecasts and news headlines. The device will be able to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades.
6. Motorola is working on a concept called the iRadio that will integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device. The iRadio could be programmed with the listening preferences of various family members, for example, so that it automatically finds the station that plays the desired music --regardless of the car's location. It could also alert the driver when the car is running low on fuel and then provide directions to the nearest gas station belonging to the driver's preferred chain. The iRadio could also monitor selected stock prices and provide early warnings on the latest traffic jams, plus convenient escape routes.
7. New devices, such as Nokia's 9110 Communicator, a combination of phone and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), are Pall VII enables you to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades. Motorola's iRadio:
Motorola's iRadio is a device that can integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device. Nokia's 9110:
Nokia's 9110 Communicator is a combination of phone and personal digital assistant. Nokia's 7110:
Nokia's 7110 mobile phone has a larger screen and is operated by a tracking ball in addition to a keyboard.
Tapescript:
1. Siemens is developing a cordless video telephone that includes a tiny camera and a high-resolution pixel color display. It can transmit at around 64 kilobits --more than six times faster than current data transmission rates for mobile phones.
Using an earpiece, callers hold the phones at arm's length to maintain visual contact. Alternatively, the phone can be pointed at something else to allow the person on the other end to view it.
2. Callwave, a start-up Internet telephone company based in Santa Barbara, California, has launched an Internet Answering Machine (IAM), free software that will answer calls even when the user is on the Internet using the same telephone line. IAM, available at www. callwave. com, takes massages and forwards them to the user, who can choose to listen instantly or save them for later.
3. The Philips Genie, a lightweight mobile phone, can be operated by uttering a single word. When you type a name into the Genie's keypad, the system asks whether you would like to assign a voice-dial tag to that name. Through "yes" or "no" prompts, the Genie compiles a list of up to 10 voice tags. The next time you want to call a person listed as one of these tags, just say that person's name or a relevant code word.
4. Ericsson's iPulse software solution promises realtime messaging with family, friends and colleagues over any type of mobile communications device. Through the use of a flexible opt-in, opt-out system to protect privacy, users can see whether people who have agreed to be on a personal buddy list are currently online -- and where they are physically located. And as yet unnamed European phone company will be the first to launch the service in the next few weeks.
5. American firm Palm Computing, part of 3Com, has released its Palm VII. Palm Computing has created a fast Internet messaging service for the Palm VII by building the Personal Query Assistant, a service allowing access to specially cut-down Internet sites which provide data such as flight schedules, sports scores, weather forecasts and news headlines. The device will be able to handle transactions like booking cinema tickets or making online stock trades.
6. Motorola is working on a concept called the iRadio that will integrate music and personalized Internet services on a dashboard device. The iRadio could be programmed with the listening preferences of various family members, for example, so that it automatically finds the station that plays the desired music --regardless of the car's location. It could also alert the driver when the car is running low on fuel and then provide directions to the nearest gas station belonging to the driver's preferred chain. The iRadio could also monitor selected stock prices and provide early warnings on the latest traffic jams, plus convenient escape routes.
7. New devices, such as Nokia's 9110 Communicator, a combination of phone and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), are almost ready on the market. But some customers feel the keyboard and screen are too small and too complex for comfort. To get around these problems, Nokia's 7110 mobile phone has a larger screen and is operated by a tracking ball in addition to a keyboard. The phone has a market among young people, who tend to send more text messages than they make mobile phone calls because text is less expensive.
Part II Experience with telephones
A
Outline
I Estimated popularity of cellular phones among teenagers
A. 5% of teenagers owning a cellular phone
B. 28% of parents with teenagers planning to buy a cell phone for their child within a year
II. Different answers to the question of why this new teen accessory is needed
A. Parents: an expansion of their protective eye
B. Teenagers: a gift of freedom
III. Impact of cellular phones on teenager habits
A. Spending more time on the phone
B. Being out of the house more often
C. Staying in car when picking someone up
IV. Price and calling plans
A. Price: between $90 and $250
B. Calling plans:
1. Typical: $30 for 300 minutes
2. Prepaid calling cards: $25, $50 or $75
3. Family calling plan: $50 a month for two lines of service and 200 minutes, and free calls between family members
Tapescript:
Cellular phones, once the toy of the rich business executive, are becoming a standard amenity for many teenagers and even preteens. The phones are marketed aggressively to a young audience, with gizmos such as alien holograms and toy kittens that hang off antennas and light up with each ring.
Industry experts estimate that 5 percent of teenagers own a 'cellular phone, and one recent survey by a market research group found that 28 percent of parents with teenagers plan to buy a cell phone for their child within a year.
But on the question of why this new teen accessory is needed, the two generations are at opposite ends. Parents envision it as an expansion of their protective eye. Can't locate the wandering teen? Just dial. Teenagers, on the other hand, see the cell phone as a gift of freedom, a device that instantly connects them to their friends, to every party and to the very latest piece of gossip.
Many teenagers agreed that wearing cell phones has changed several of their habits. In addition to spending more time on the phone, they're also out of the house more often. They find out from friends about last-minute get-togethers they otherwise would miss. Some said they no longer step out of their cars when picking someone up. Why bother ringing the doorbell when you can dial?
Beepers became popular about a decade ago and raised some of the same issues between parents and their children. But teenagers find the cell phones much more convenient. They're also becoming particular about what kind of phone they have. Small and sleek is preferred, and the phone with a keypad that flips open is very cool.
Most parents said these side effects are a price they're willing to pay.
Most cellular phones cost between $90 and $250, and the typical calling plan is $30 for 300 minutes. To tap into the teenager market, companies are selling prepaid calling cards for $25, $50 or $75. Most companies also have introduced family calling plans where teenagers and their parents pay about $50 a month for two lines of service and 200 minutes, and the calls between family members are free.
Girls are getting the phones more than boys, mostly because parents tend to worry more about their daughters' safety. But the trend is spreading to boys as well.
B.
1. What is the most annoying thing according to Mr. Rooney?
People always call to make a sale when he's busy doing something else.
2. What is his suggestion to deal with the sales calls?
Every time someone calls to sell something, the telephone company will automatically break in with its own announcement: "Mr. Rooney has a one-dollar charge for a sales call. If you wish to accept this charge, press star. If you don't wish to pay, please hang up."
Tapescript:
I make my living being annoyed by things, so I suppose I ought to thank those people who call to make a sale when I'm busy doing something else because nothing is more annoying. You know what I mean.
"Yeah, OK. Hello!" "Hello, Mr. Rooney." "What?"
"This is a courtesy call. I'm not going to sell you anything."
"I was trying to call you today on behalf of Miracle Flakes for Kids, good day to you!"
"There's absolutely no application fees or anything like that, so you start saving money the first day. '
"And no, I'm not trying to sell you any vocations."
The other day I had an idea that might be a solution to this problem we all have. It's been a huge change in the last few years in our whole telephone system. Telephones have changed, companies have changed, and they're all competing with each other and offering all sorts of new services.
Here's a telephone company brochure. It lists all these things that a phone company can do for you. Call Block, Call Trace, Anonymous Call Rejection, Identa Ring Service (whatever that is). They can do anything. So here is my idea: The phone company can do all those things, why don't they do this: they know who the companies are, that are in the business of calling the whole world to sell us something, so every time one of them calls, to sell something, the telephone company will automatically break in with its own announcement: "Mr. Rooney has a one-dollar charge for a sales call. If you wish to accept this charge, press star. If you don't wish to pay, please hang up."
Part III The future of the phone
Outline
I The new era of personal communications -- a multi-functional communicator
Main feature: capable of transmitting and receiving sound, video, images, data and text
II. The functions of phones in the future
A. Talking
B. Sending and receiving emails
C. Taking part in video conferences anytime, anywhere
D. Absorbing many of the key functions of the desktop computer
E. New personalized services
1. Trading stocks
2. Gambling
3. Shopping
4. Buying theater and airline tickets
III. Telecommunications revolution
A. Developing mobile banking services
B. Receiving all forms of electronic communication through a single device
C. Receiving incoming TV images and other messages while on the move
D. Mobile videophones overtaking TV as the major source of visual information
Tapescript:
The mobile phone is set to become one of the central technologies of the 21st century. Within a few years, the mobile phone will evolve into a multi-functional communicator capable of transmitting and receiving not only sound, but also video, still images, data and text. A whole new era of personal communications is on the way.
Thanks in part to the growth of wireless networks, the telephone is converging with the personal computer and the television. Soon lightweight phones outfitted with high-resolution screens will be connected to satellites enabling people to talk, send and receive email, or take part in video conferences anytime, anywhere. These phones might also absorb many of the key functions of the desktop computer. Mobile devices are expected to be ideal for some of the new personalized services that are becoming available via the Internet, such as trading stocks, gambling, shopping and buying theater and airline tickets.
The telecommunications revolution is already taking shape around the globe. In Europe, mobile phones are already being used for electronic commerce. Most phones contain a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card to identify a user to the phone network. But the card could also facilitate limited financial transactions. Deutsche Bank and Nokia, for example, are working together to develop mobile banking services. Some manufacturers plan to upgrade the SIM card to an all-in-one personal identification credit card.
Another approach is to add a slot to mobile phones for a second smart card designed for mobile e-commerce. These cards could be used to make payments over the Internet or to pay for things like public transportation, movie tickets or drinks at a bar.
It will soon be possible to receive almost all forms of electronic communication through a single device, most likely in a three-in-one phone that serves as a cordless at home, a cell phone on the road and an intercom at work. "The mobile phone will become increasingly multi-functional," says Brughardt Scha-llenberger, vice president for technology and innovation at Siemens Information and Consumer Products in Munich. "Fingerprint technology and advanced speech recognition will ensure that only one or two authorized users will be able to operate it."
Images will be just as important as sound to the future of mobile communications. At British Tele-com's research laboratories near Ipswich, England, engineers are evaluating how a tiny screen fitted to the side-frame of a pair of ordinary glasses can be linked to the human eye. The micro-PC is carried in a shoulder bag and connected to a tiny screen in the glass frame. The PC accepts incoming data in standard TV format via an aerial and converts it into PC format images. The image on the screen is reflected onto the human eye via a prism fitted onto the lens. A person wearing such glasses could be on the move while staying tuned in to incoming TV images, websites, video conferencing links or email messages.
Some even suggest that mobile videophones could overtake television as the major source of visual information, giving the phrase "something to phone home about" a whole new meaning.
