Finn: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Finn and with me is Neil.
Neil: Hello.
Finn: And, we have a technology theme today – Neil, you carry a smartphone, don't you?
Neil: Yes – my phone can take photos and search the internet, I can watch videos, send
messages and even… hang on (phone rings)
Finn: Even make phone calls?
Neil: Sorry about that.
Finn: Very good. And – I can see that you are wearing a very fine pair of glasses.
Neil: Why thank you. They do make me quite… handsome, don't you think?
Finn: Of course. But how would you like to combine the two things – put them together?
Neil: Combine my smartphone and glasses?
Finn: That's what Google hope people will do. Their new product Google Glass is a kind of
small computer you wear on your face.
Neil: Yes, several companies are now developing wearable tech – that's technology you
can wear – just like my glasses. With Google Glass, when you wear them you can
see the real world, as normal, but also a small kind of computer screen, hanging in
space…
Finn: Interesting, isn't it? And it makes me think of an action movie. Neil, which action
movie character had special eyes that were like computers – giving information
about the world around him?
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Neil: That's a difficult question. I'm not sure, science-fiction is not my favourite type of
movie. I will say, though, Terminator.
Finn: Ok, you're not a science fiction fan. We'll find out at the end of the programme if that
was right. First, let's take a closer look at these specs – or glasses - themselves.
Neil: We don't have a pair, but our BBC colleague Rory Cellan-Jones went to Google to try
a pair out. Listen carefully - which three different things does he do with them?
BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:
Ok Glass. Take a picture! There, I've got a picture of the cameraman. I'm going to go back. OK
Glass. Let's record a video. I'm now recording everybody that's in this room. And I'm going to stop
that. How do I say 'thank you for the flowers' in Japanese? Hana arigatou gozaimashita. Excellent,
so I can now speak Japanese via these glasses.
Finn: So, which different things did Rory Cellan-Jones do?
Neil: Did you hear them? Number one - he took a picture:
BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:
Take a picture!
Finn: Number two – he recorded a video:
BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:
Let's record a video.
Neil: And three…
BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones:
How do I say 'thank you for the flowers' in Japanese?
Neil: He learned how to say a phrase in Japanese.
Finn: Very good, yes. Neil, I know you speak Japanese, what was the phrase?
Neil: Oh right. It was: hana arigatou gozaimashita.
Finn: Wonderful pronunciation.
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Google Glass:
Hana arigatou gozaimashita.
Finn: Which means 'thank you for the flowers'. But anyway let's get back to English!
Neil: With all the things these glasses can do, some people find them creepy – a bit
strange and scary.
Finn: Yes, because you can use them while walking along the street, for example, nobody
will know what you're doing, and some people are worried that they might be used to
find out information about their private, or personal lives.
Neil: Some are concerned about drivers using the glasses – saying it could be dangerous
when driving.
Finn: And casinos – places where people play games – like card games – to win money,
are concerned they could be used to cheat. Anyway, what do you think about them
Neil?
Neil: I have to say I don't like the idea.
Finn: OK, why?
Neil: Because I like to be separate from technology sometimes. I'm worried that my brain
will stop working if I have a computer on my head.
Finn: If there's a computer in your head, you might become a cyborg, which is part man,
part machine. Which takes me back to the question I asked you earlier, what was the
name of the action movie where there was a character with a robot eye?
Neil: I said Terminator.
Finn: That was absolutely correct, very good. The Terminator with 'Terminator vision'. So,
what do you think of Google Glass and wearable tech in general? Let us know on the
BBC Learning English Facebook page. Now, Neil, could you remind us of some of
today's language?
Neil: smartphone
to combine
wearable tech
specs
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creepy
private
casino
cyborg
Finn: OK that's it for this programme. Do join us again soon for more 6 Minute English
from BBC Learning English.
Both: Bye
