BUNGLE 搞砸

字彙

fined 
browser ballot bungle
allegedly inadvertently 
to flout an earlier antitrust ruling
to shell out
to bundle


文句

Microsoft fined $731m by Europe after browser ballot bungle

One significant but small oversight cost Microsoft dearly after it allegedly inadvertently flouted an earlier antitrust ruling that forced the software giant to offer a choice of browsers to Windows users in Europe.

Microsoft was forced to shell out $731 million by the European Union after it failed to bundle the "browser ballot" screen, which allows users in the region to choose a browser of their choice in the latest version of Windows. The software giant said it took "full responsibility for the technical error."

解釋

fined  被罰款

browser ballot bungle  "bungle" 的意思是 "蠢事、搞砸的事"。這裡指的是，微軟沒附上 "瀏覽器選擇頁面" 的這件蠢事。

allegedly inadvertently 據稱不小心、疏忽的狀況下

to flout an earlier antitrust ruling  藐視早些時候（歐盟）的 "反壟斷法" 判決。這裡指的是，2009年歐盟規定微軟必須提供消費者可以使用不同瀏覽器的選擇頁面。也就是，歐盟要求微軟不能只提供自家的瀏覽器，必須讓使用者有其他的使用權。如下圖：

An earlier EU settlement led to the "browser ballot" screen.
(Image: Microsoft)

to shell out  支付；付出

to bundle  綑綁。在此指的是上圖的網頁沒有 "附加、綑綁" 在微軟的軟體裡。

PERSISTENT STORAGE 永續儲存

字彙

persistent storage
data logging
to showcase


文句

I love using my Pebble smartwatch and am excited to see what will be coming in 2014 with their new Pebble Appstore announced today.

In a previous post I wrote about the release of SDK 2.0 that included access to four major new APIs, Javascript, the accelerometer, data logging, and persistent storage. This new Pebble Appstore will allow developers to showcase their new applications and make it a place for Pebble owners to find their favorite new apps.

(pics from https://getpebble.com)


解釋

persistent storage  永續儲存

data logging  紀錄數據

to showcase  展示

Pebble smartwatch  一種智慧手錶，如同三星推出的 Gear。可安裝不同功能的應用軟體，讓使用者可推播訊息、顯示天氣、播打電話、紀錄數據、儲存資料，等功用。

Pebble Appstore  可下載應用軟體的平台。如同蘋果的 App Store 或是 Google 的 Play Market.

LEAPFROG 大大超越

字彙

to leapfrog
virtual keyboard
thanks to 
a move
to negate that advantage
killer features
to hold true
to be somewhat blunted
to be tucked
it's not nearly as powerful without ..
adaptive intelligence
＊Predictive text ...
＊Adaptive autocomplete...
＊Automatic spaces...
＊SwiftKey Cloud... 
efficient and nuanced experience


文句

Android has leapfrogged iPhone in the quality of its virtual keyboard experience, thanks to SwiftKey. But, Apple has a move it could make.

I've been carrying both an iPhone and Android phone for four years, and in 2013 one of Android's biggest usability advantages over iPhone is SwiftKey. However, there's a relatively quick way that Apple could negate that advantage, and we've got confirmation that it's possible.

In April I wrote that Android's two killer features that are making it better to use than iPhone are Google Now and Swiftkey. That has held true throughout 2013.


The Google Now advantage was somewhat blunted when Google released Google Now on iOS this spring. Unfortunately, Google Now is tucked inside the Google Search app on iOS and it's not nearly as powerful without Android's excellent notification system ...

When a lot of people think of SwiftKey they think of SwiftKey Flow. That's the gesture feature that lets you swipe across the letters of the virtual keyboard without lifting your finger from the surface and then SwiftKey magically translates it into the word you were creating based on its algorithm and what it learns from your patterns.

The SwiftKey keyboard includes adaptive intelligence. Image: SwiftKey

However, there's a lot more to SwiftKey than that. In fact, I know plenty of users who love SwiftKey but never use SwiftKey Flow. Some of SwiftKey's other key features include:

＊Predictive text ...
＊Adaptive autocomplete...
＊Automatic spaces...
＊SwiftKey Cloud... 

The combination of all those things makes entering text on Android a much more efficient and nuanced experience than iPhone (as long as you pay the four dollars for the SwiftKey app on Android).

(原文參考)

解釋

to leapfrog  原意是作青蛙跳，這裡指大大超越。

virtual keyboard  虛擬鍵盤

thanks to  感謝；由於、因為，後面接的名詞或名詞詞組必須帶有好的、正面的意思。

a move  一招、招式

to negate that advantage  否定那個優勢

killer features  殺手間，指針對競爭對手的商品有殺傷力的功能。

to hold true  仍然是真實的

to be somewhat blunted  稍稍、有點變得不靈光、變鈍了

to be tucked  被塞入、放入

It's not nearly as powerful without Android excellent notification system.  如果缺少杰出的安卓訊息提示系統，它的威力就不會那麼強大。

adaptive intelligence  適應智慧 (＊下面會略作解釋)。仿自 "人工智慧" (AI, artificial intelligence) 的用法。

efficient and nuanced experience  有效率和（能分辦）細微差異的（使用者）經驗

＊Predictive text   預測字功能：當使用者開始打字時，SwiftKey (快速鍵盤）會提供三個預測的字供使用者選擇。選項是根據字庫、一般常用詞組或使用者之前的習慣詞組。

＊Adaptive autocomplete  自動完成學習功能：學習記錄使用者之前的習慣，或是經使用者同意，從本人的郵件內容學習個人的詞組習慣，完成自動輸入功能。

＊Automatic spaces  自動添加空格。自動幫使用者輸入字與字的空格，節省時間和順暢度。

＊SwiftKey Cloud  快速鍵運端功能。讓使用者可以儲存個人的習慣、慣用詞組，方便隨時在網路上存取，運用在任何裝置上。

Google Now  讓使用者管理日常事務、掌握最新消息、當地資訊的應用軟體。

ON-PREMISES 公司內

字彙

on-premises and cloud versions
to remove UAG from price lists
secure remote access
Specific functionality will be detailed... 
audit and compliance management
user and access management
hybrid scenario


文句

Microsoft plans to release new on-premises and cloud versions of its Forefront Identity Manager (FIM) product in the first half of calendar 2015. At the same time, the team is ceasing work on Forefront Unified Access Gateway and will be removing UAG from price lists as of July 1, 2014. UAG is a product that provides secure remote access to managed and unmanaged PCs and mobile devices.

The next major release of FIM will include new features and functionality in the areas of audit and compliance, user and access management, and hybrid scenarios using Windows Azure Active Directory, officials said. Specific functionality will be detailed closer to the release date.

解釋

on-premises and cloud versions  "premises" 指辦公室的範圍或是辦公室的建築物，因此 "on-premises" 指的是在辦公室裡執行的程式或軟體。一般認為，隱密性比較高。相對地，"cloud versions" 是雲端版本，基本上被視為在公司外執行的軟體。

to remove UAG from price lists  將 UAG 撤下，不再販賣。

secure remote access  安全遠端存取

Specific functionality will be detailed closer to the release date.
接近發售日期時，將會詳述特別的功能。

audit and compliance management  稽核管理。這裡是指可以保護公司的軟體應用，以防範可能的訴訟、財政問題、公司名譽損害。

user and access management  使用者和存取的管理

hybrid scenario  混合使用的狀況

BOIL DOWN TO 熬到只剩下

字彙

to synthesize 
to boil down to 
confusing, contradictory, and unfinished
formidable challenge
to rehabilitate the tarnished image


文句

If you could synthesize a year's worth of mixed reviews into just a few words, Windows 8 would probably boil down to these three: confusing, contradictory, and unfinished.

Today, almost exactly one year after shipping Windows 8, Microsoft released its successor. Windows 8.1 (a free update for Windows 8 users) now has the formidable challenge of rehabilitating its predecessor's tarnished image and convincing consumers and businesses that new Windows-powered hardware is a smart choice.

解釋

to synthesize  綜合

to boil down to  熬到只剩下

confusing, contradictory, and unfinished  混亂、矛盾、未完成

formidable challenge  艱難的挑戰

to rehabilitate the tarnished image  平反受到玷污的形象

SURVEILLANCE PRACTICE 監控行為

字彙

household name
surveillance practice
undermine
form an alliance
fierce competitors
bring to light
regime


文句

Household names including Apple and Google have formally called for changes to U.S. surveillance practices and policy, arguing that current operations undermine the freedom of people.

Eight companies, Google, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo and LinkedIn have formed an alliance called the Reform Government Surveillance group. Although usually fierce competitors, the group have come together in agreement over the U.S. government's spying programs -- brought to light by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden -- and have formally requested "wide-scale changes" to the regime.

解釋

household name  家喻戶曉的名字

surveillance practice  監視/監控行為

undermine 損害；危害。字首是 "在底下，under"，字根為 "挖掘，mine" ；也就是從底下鑿 [基礎] 搞破壞。

form an alliance  締結同盟 

fierce competitors  激烈的競爭對手

bring to light  揭發

regime  政權；統治的制度。常有負面專制獨裁的涵義。

ANTIDOTE 解藥

字彙

antidote

bump in size

trivial

to get my hands on
a solid representative

pry

that extra screen real estate

flashy, design-wise

discreet

is ribbed

文句

If you were disappointed by the first generation of Windows 8 tablets, Dell's new Venue 8 Pro might be the antidote. The form factor, which competes directly with devices like the Nexus 7 and Kindle HDX, takes full advantage of Windows 8.1.

The bump in size from a 7-inch to an 8-inch tablet seems almost trivial. Can a single inch really make a difference?
Yes, it can.Image credit: Dell

I finally got my hands on the new Dell Venue 8 Pro, and have had a chance to compare this 8-inch tablet running Windows 8.1 to the Google Nexus 7 and Kindle HDX, both of which are solid representatives of the 7-inch form factor. My verdict? You will take the Venue 8 Pro away from me when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. That extra screen real estate is crucial for reading email, books, and news, but the device is still comfortable in the hand.

The Venue 8 Pro isn’t flashy, design-wise. The front panel is all glass, with a discreet black bezel and a 1.2 MP camera. The back is black plastic with a 5 MP camera above the trademark Dell logo; the plastic is ribbed, making it easy to hold the device in one hand without fear of dropping it.


解釋

antidote  解藥

bump in size  "bump" 當名詞是本是指，頭撞到東西時隆起的包。這裡指在尺寸上微微增加的部份（從七吋變成八吋）。這一吋，便是後文提到的那多出的一小塊地盤 "real estate"，對於手握平板，閱讀信件、書籍、新聞，極其重要。

trivial  為不足道的小事

to get my hands on  拿到；碰觸到

a solid representative  實實在在的代表

pry  撬開。指作者愛不釋手，如果要硬要從他手中拿走 "take away"，你得花力氣扳開緊扣、如死人僵硬的手指。

that extra screen real estate  螢幕上多出的那一小塊地盤

flashy, design-wise  浮華、俗氣的，有設計風格的。

discreet  審慎、不顯眼的

is ribbed  "rib" 當名詞時是指 "肋骨"。這裡作動詞，指周圈微微隆起。

PATENT TROLL 專利怪獸

字彙

a shot
a preemptive move
a patent troll
have not given the ghost up
would have been better off 
Desperate times call for desperate measures.


文句

Will a shot of Android be enough to save BlackBerry?

Believe it or not, it wasn't that long ago that Nokia and BlackBerry were the top two smartphone companies. Indeed, in 2006, in a preemptive move against the NTP patent troll, the Department of Justice asked that BlackBerry's services be kept going even if NTP won their case. Seven years later most of us are just wondering how long the company can stay alive.

BlackBerry hasn't given the ghost up yet. Besides finding a new CEO, BlackBerry is embracing Android apps.

In a technical blog posting, BlackBerry announced that its "Android Runtime team [is] bringing many new improvements to the runtime, such as support for Jelly Bean 4.2.2, hardware acceleration and performance updates."

Specifically, BlackBerry 10.2.1 — the next release of the BlackBerry operating system — will include the following features:

* Android native support:

* Bluetooth:

* MapView v1:

* Share Framework:

* Spellcheck:

Maybe BlackBerry would have been better off if they had just embraced Android when it became clear that Android was going to be the most popular mobile operating system in the world. It's too late to cry about that now.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. While it's too late to dump BlackBerry OS for Android, maybe a dose of Android apps is what BlackBerry needs to reclaim the number three mobile operating system spot. BlackBerry may never be a giant again, but with some Android it may at least survive for another decade.

（原文請閱讀）


解釋

a shot  打一針。指安卓 Android 程式可以在黑莓機上運作是一劑救命針。

a preemptive move  先發制人的行動

a patent troll  專利怪獸。"troll" 是北歐神話中的山精，這裡是指靠專利官司拿到利益或金錢的公司。文中的怪獸大概是指這家 NTP (網路時間協定，Network Time Protocol) 公司，黑莓機公司因為侵權訴訟，付給這家公司六億美金 (US$ 612.5 M)。

have not given the ghost up  壽終正寢。這裡的 "ghost" 指的是靈魂。

would have been better off  if they had just embraced Android... 假如它（黑莓機）當時擁抱安卓系統，或許現在會比較好。 文法上，這裡是過去假設句：...would have + pp.(分詞）~ if ... had + pp.。常用在 "後悔" 或 "悔不當初" 的意境。

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  非常時期便需要非常手段。

BINGIFICATION Bing化應用軟體

字彙

Why are apps a noun?
Bingification of apps
confab

to show off

entity information

a squiggly line

a Bing-enriched mail app

文句

"Why are apps a noun?" Whittaker asked the crowd. "Why are apps something we have to possess?"

Instead, why don't apps understand context? Why don't apps and the Web work together to help users perform research?

Whittaker wasn't referring to Microsoft's integration of Bing "smart search" into Windows 8.1. He was talking about the next step beyond that: The Bingification of apps.

At the Ignition confab, Whittaker showed off a version of enterprise Outlook which included add-ins developed by himself and a few interns that would allow users to see entity information right inside their e-mail. The same way that Microsoft Office apps currently alert users with a squiggly line to a potentially misspelled word, a Bing-enriched mail app could show users information about entities embedded in their e-mail messages -- things like bands, venues, nearby restaurants and more.



解釋

Why are apps a noun?  為什麼應用程式只能只是一個名詞？這裡指的是 Whittaker 預想將來讓應用程式能與網路的搜尋引擎結合，成為更主動的個體，利用微軟的搜索引擎 "Bing"，提供給使用者更多訊息。

Bingification  Bing 化應用軟體。

confab  指半導體工業的最重要的會議和網路方面的例行活動。

to show off  展示

entity information  實體資訊。這裡指在使用者的信件內容中提供實際的訊息，例如：餐廳、音樂團體，等。

a squiggly line  彎曲的線條。指的是當你在文書處理器或網站上打錯字時，錯別字下方會出現加上顏色的彎曲線條，提醒使用者改正。

a Bing-enriched mail app  加上 Bing 搜尋引擎功能的郵件應用軟體

NOT ONE HICCUP 一點問題都沒有

字彙

in five different guises
no significant changes
not one hiccup
a good bit of criticism
bleeding edge
testbed
a reliable everyday use system
selinux
have come a long way on that front
to soak up


文句

I've been exploring Fedora Heisenbug in five different guises - Gnome 3, KDE, Xfce, LXDE and MATE.

Fedora 20 (Heisenbug) will be released today: my comments are based on Release Candidate 1.1, which was declared 'Gold' so there should be no significant changes between it and the final release.

For purposes of this post, I loaded the five different Fedora versions on five different computers:
Gnome 3 — Acer Aspire One 725 (sub-notebook)
KDE — Lenovo T400 (notebook)
Xfce — HP Pavilion dm1-4310ez (sub-notebook)
LXDE — Samsung N150 Plus (netbook)
MATE — Dell Dimension E521 (Tower)

I think it says a lot about the quality and stability of the Fedora release that it installed on every one of these systems without a single problem.

Not one hiccup in the installer (anaconda), not one device that was not supported or not working properly.

Fedora gets a good bit of criticism for being "bleeding edge" and too much of a research/testbed to be a reliable everyday use system, and from what I have seen here I don't think that is deserved.

It also gets some criticism about selinux and security being a pain, and I think it has come a long way on that front too, I remember very well the struggles with some older Fedora releases when it seemed like selinux either got in the way of everything I tried to do, or it soaked up huge amounts of system resources in the background. Those kinds of things have not happened to me for at least the last three or more releases.

Finally, Fedora also gets some criticism about not being as fully loaded and configured with additional packages as some other popular distributions, and I think that is only partially true today.

(有興趣請繼續閱讀原文)

  解釋

in five different guises  五個不同的相貌。這裡指作者以五種版本在五台機器上測試。

no significant changes  沒有重大的改變

not one hiccup  一個嗝也沒有，指的是一點小問題都沒出現。

a good bit of criticism  (得到) 相當多的（批判）

bleeding edge  這個詞組仿自 "leading edge / cutting edge" ，指 "最尖端的（技術或科技）"。同樣也是描述科技產品，不同的是，它強調因為史無前例的尖端技術，可能會產生風險或是不穩定，再加上使用者可能得花費大筆鈔票來購買，因此是 "流血不止" 的意象。

testbed  試驗台

a reliable everyday use system  一個可以信賴、每天會使用到的系統

selinux  (Security-Enhanced Linux) 安全增強式的 LINUX 系統，實現強制存取控制。

have come a long way on that front  在那個方面，有了很大的進步

to soak up  大量吃掉、消耗（電腦資源）

Fedora  Linux 發行的套件之一，有如：Ubuntu, Red Hat 

DOGFOOD 餵狗食

字彙

to dogfood
compiler
courtesy of sb./sth.


文句

Microsoft is internally dogfooding its "Roslyn" compiler as a service technology, and is compiling internal daily builds of Visual Studio using "Roslyn."

That update, courtesy of a Microsoft December 16 blog post, is the first Microsoft has shared about its Roslyn technology in more than a year.

Microsoft's Roslyn effort is about re-architecting the C# and VB compilers to support "compiler as a service" (CaaS) scenarios. Currently, a compiler is a black box; with Roslyn, Microsoft is working on opening it up so that all of the information processed via a compiler is available in application programming interface (API) form.


解釋

to dogfood  "以自己的狗飼料餵食自己的狗" 為一俚語，大部分是指（電腦）公司以自己的產品來展示本身的品質及性能。這裡特指運用 Roslyn 來建構 Visual Studio。這兩者皆來自微軟本身。

compiler  編譯器，以人類了解的形式所寫的程式，翻譯成機器語言所需要的程式。

courtesy of sb./sth.  承蒙某人的好意或提供

Visual Studio  微軟應用程式開發的軟體

FUNDAMENTAL CONTRADICTION 根本矛盾

自彙

fundamental contradiction
lofty rhetoric 
undocumented
compromised experienced
set aside...
to profile
a native app
to fall short
deliberately


文句

GMail, the messaging platform that hates your mail clients

There's always been a fundamental contradiction at the core of Gmail. Despite Google's lofty rhetoric about open standards, the Gmail protocols are undocumented and not available for licensing. Apps can perform a limited set of interactions with Gmail via its API, but if you want to build a communications app that connects directly to Gmail, you have to use either IMAP or (shudder) POP. Either way, you get a severely compromised experience. And neither configuration gives you access to calendars and contacts.

Set aside the problems with Gmail's increasingly dated, cluttered, and confusing user experience and ignore the many issues of privacy associated with a company that profiles you based on the contents of your email. For me, the fundamental requirement of a modern email service is that it allows you to access all of your data from any device, using either a web browser or a native app. That latter requirement is where Gmail is continually falling short—apparently deliberately.

--Ed Bott

解釋

fundamental contradiction  基本、根本的矛盾

lofty rhetoric  唱高調；冠冕堂皇的詞藻。指 Google 宣稱自身遵從 "開放、標準化" 的精神。

undocumented  無參考文件。指協議程序（protocol）並無公開的文件參考。

compromised experienced  得妥協、受控、聽從對方、的使用經驗

set aside the problem... and ignore the many issues...   
把...使用者經驗的問題放置一旁，以及（暫時）忽略許多有關隱私性問題...不談。

to profile  寫某人、某事的簡介。指 Google 根據信件的內容，定義、歸類使用者。

a native app  原生應用程式。基本上指不需經過瀏覽器，便可以在某裝置上使用，如 iOS 或 Android 系統上的應用程式。但對於不同的平台，轉換困難，大部分無法跨平台使用。相對的還有 Web App 和 Hybrid App。

to fall short  提供不足

deliberately  刻意；故意

NAYSAYER 反對者

字彙

to take the win
to be in my favor
to go away
refreshing
to get away
sluggishness
to cog up
to spend zero hours
an awesome testament
a naysayer


文句

...it was a pleasure to argue that there are good reasons to buy a Chromebook and take the win today.

The question was in my favor because I think we can all find some good reasons for the Chromebook, just as we can also find good reasons for a tablet or any other device that we might not necessarily purchase or recommend. I took the question to mean, "Can I honestly recommend someone purchase a Chromebook?"

As a professional engineer who runs many programs that only work on a Windows PC, I completely understand that Windows PCs are needed and will never go away. However, I find a Chromebook to be a rather refreshing and enjoyable experience and think they make excellent low-priced secondary computers for professionals.

When we are not working, many of us spend hours surfing the Internet, enjoying media, interacting with friends on social networks, and more. It's nice to get away from the work computer and have some fun.

There are also millions of people who spend the majority of their time in a web browser and for them Chromebooks are an excellent choice. There is no worry about security updates, outdated software, sluggishness as systems clog up, and other issues I spent many hours troubleshooting for family and friends.

My youngest daughter has a Samsung Chromebook as her PC and thinks it is a full computer since it meets all of her computing needs. In a year I have spent zero hours providing troubleshooting services and for those of you who do provide these services, likely most of the readers here at ZDNet, that is an awesome testament to Chrome OS and its user-friendly nature.

Chromebooks are not for everyone, but I think they are perfect for a significant number of people. We get a lot of naysayers in the comments when we talk about Chromebooks, but my recommendation is to give one a try and see how little time you spend in frustration managing Windows.


解釋

to take the win  成為贏家
to be in my favor  我佔優勢；我有優勢
to go away  消失
refreshing  令人振奮、精神清爽的
to get away  脫身；解脫
sluggishness  遲鈍/慢吞吞的狀態
to clog up  阻塞
an awesome testament  很棒的證詞
naysayer  反對、否認者；唱反調的人

RUN WILLY-NILLY 任意執行

字彙

one revelation after another
National Security Agency
to rule
to run willy-nilly
to file a lawsuit
unreasonable searches and seizures
due process rights


文句

Month after month there has been one revelation after another about how the National Security Agency (NSA) collects information from people both inside and outside the US. Now, a judge has finally paid attention to these activities and ruled that the NSA can't simply run willy-nilly over US citizens' privacy rights.

Conservative legal activist and founder of Judicial Watch Larry Klayman filed a lawsuit against the US government earlier in 2013 alleging that NSA’s massive telephone surveillance program violates the "reasonable expectation of privacy, free speech and association, right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures and due process rights." US District Court Judge Richard Leon largely agreed and ruled that the NSA metadata collection program appears to violate the Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

解釋

one revelation after another  揭露一個接著一個，指的是揭發政府秘密大量收集國內及國外個資。

National Security Agency （美國）國家安全局

to rule  裁決；判定

to run willy-nilly （副詞）不問意願如何地進行

to file a lawsuit  控告；提出訴訟

unreasonable searches and seizures  不合理的搜索和查扣

due process rights  正當法律程序的權利

Judicial Watch  一個監控司法正義合法性的組織

FINISH 表面材質

字彙

from a distance
a metallic finish
a grooved finish
A closer comparison betrays a few more subtle differences.
profound


文句

From a distance, the Venue 8 and Venue 8 Pro look about the same. In fact, I ordered the Venue 8 in a red metallic finish just so I could tell it apart quickly from the Venue 8 Pro with its black, grooved finish. A closer comparison betrays a few more subtle differences. The two devices are equal in width, but the Venue 8 Pro is 5 mm taller and weighs 20 g (0.75 oz) more. At under 400 g each, the difference isn’t profound.

解釋

Venue 8 和 Venue 8 Pro 是 Dell 同時推出的平板。前者是安卓系統 （4.2版），後者則是微軟系統 （8.1）。


from a distance  遠觀（來說）

a metallic finish  金屬表面材質
a grooved finish  紋理表面材質

A closer comparison betrays a few more subtle differences.
進一步仔細比較便能顯示一些更細微的差別。這裡的 "betray" 不當作 "出賣" 或 "背叛"；作 "表示、顯示" 解。帶有 "隱匿、不易窺見" 的感覺，需進一步仔細的端倪，才會展示出特色或隱藏的訊息。 

profound 深遠。這裡指的是重量的差距。

POOR CHUMP 可憐的大笨蛋

字彙

legacy
storied
mime stomping
a poor chump
pragmatic
to green-light
bellow


文句

Evaluating the legacy of any CEO, especially one as storied and controversial as Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, is a challenge...

Ballmer, the CEO, has changed a lot, too. He's still the guy who will mime stomping some poor chump's iPhone during a company meeting for effect. But he's also one who is pragmatic enough to green-light Microsoft supporting the Linux operating system on Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud instead of bellowing about Linux being a "cancer" (as he did back in 2001).


解釋

legacy 遺產。這裡指的微軟總裁留下的紀錄或成就。

storied 被寫成軼事的

mime stomping  模擬要用腳踩或踐踏。這裡指的是某一次員工大會，當微軟的 CEO Ballmer, 歡欣地走進會場，受到員工歡迎時，某個笨蛋 "chump" 卻拿出微軟的死對頭，蘋果的手機，想記錄下歷史的一刻。結果好死不死，卻被 Ballmer 察覺。於是他走過去，奪下員工的手機，作出試圖踐踏 iPhone 的動作。

a poor chump 可憐的笨蛋

pragmatic  務實

to green-light  允許；許可

bellow  咆嘯；吼叫

FLOP 徹底失敗

字彙

a flop

beefed-up

earn the respect

respect that eluded its predecessor

文句

Microsoft's original Surface with Windows RT earned high praise for its design, but it was a flop in the marketplace. One year later, Microsoft is back with a beefed-up Surface 2. Can this year's model earn the respect that eluded its predecessor?

解釋

a flop 徹底的失敗；慘敗

beefed-up 改進的

earn the respect 贏得尊敬；得到聲望

respect that eluded its predecessor  前者（指的是前一版）沒能贏得的尊敬。這裡的 "elude" 不應理解成 "規避；逃避"；應視為 "無法被理解、無法被得到"，帶有被動的意思，例如：

The concept of this model eluded most people. 這模型概念無法被大部分的人理解。

Sleep still eluded me. 我仍無法入睡。＝ 睡眠仍從我身上溜走。

KILLER TABLET 令人傾心的平板

字彙

train commute
out and about
scratch up
phenomenal
be tough to beat
make it a killer tablet
display junkies


文句

I used the Nokia Lumia 2520 while at home, during my two hour daily train commute, in the office, and while out and about. I love the light weight and durable black soft touch back. Unlike my iPhone, I felt fine just setting it down on a table without worrying about it breaking or scratching up.

The viewing angles are phenomenal and the display is tough to beat. I know the iPad has a higher ppi, but the ClearBlack technology of the Lumia 2520 makes it a killer tablet for display junkies.


解釋

train commute 搭火車通勤

out and about  暫時離開或到處跑跑

scratch up  劃到；割到。這裡指 Lumia 2520 既不怕破也不怕刮花。

phenomenal  驚人、非凡的，特別是指與感官有關的形容。

be tough to beat  [顯示的影像太棒]，要打敗是很困難的

make it a killer tablet  讓它成為令人傾心的平板。應該來自於 "使女子傾心的男人，woman/lady killer" 的概念。

display junkies  追求影像顯示迷。"junkie" 本是指 "吸毒" 的癮君子，對毒品無法自拔。在此意指，耽溺於要求影像完美顯示。

TBD 有待討論

字彙

preloaded
cut-off date
TBD
mix-up
revert to


文句

Last week, Microsoft made it public that it planned to stop allowing its PC partners to sell machines with Windows 7 preloaded as of October 30, 2014.

The Redmondians are now saying that date was posted in error. The new official word is that Microsoft still has yet to determine when the Windows 7 preload cut-off date will be. (Neowin reported the change from October 30, 2014 to "TBD" over the weekend.)

A spokesperson supplied the following statement explaining the mix-up:

"We have yet to determine the end of sales date for PCs with Windows 7 preinstalled. The October 30, 2014 date that posted to the Windows Lifecycle page globally last week was done so in error. We have since updated the website to note the correct information; however, some non-English language pages may take longer to revert to correctly reflect that the end of sales date is 'to be determined.' We apologize for any confusion this may have caused our customers. We’ll have more details to share about the Windows 7 lifecycle once they become available."


解釋

preloaded 事先裝載。這裡是指，不讓商家事先裝載 Windows 7 的作業系統，大概是希望消費者購買新的 Windows 8.x。

cut-off date 終斷的日期

TBD  再行決議；有待決定 (To be determined)。當然在其他狀況下，TBD 也可以是 "有待討論，To be discussed"，"有待完成，To be done" 或是 "有待定義，To be defined".  

mix-up  弄錯；混淆

revert to 恢復，在此是指在非英語版的網頁，要改正錯誤，還得要一陣子。

OUTAGE 停止運作

字彙

as-yet-unnamed problem
spanning
openly acknowledged
outage


文句

An unknown number of users have been affected by Yahoo's as-yet-unnamed problem, spanning at least two and a half weeks - a problem that was not openly acknowledged by Yahoo until yesterday.

Only today Yahoo Mail's head Jeff Bonforte finally addressed the massive outage that has kept Mail users from sending or receiving email since at least November 25, in a blog post on the Yahoo Mail Tumblr.

解釋

as-yet-unnamed problem  尚未明確指出的問題
spanning  持續；長達
openly acknowledged  公開承認
outage  停止運作

MAINSTREAM 主流

字彙

mainstream
on the radar
gotcha
on the horizon


文句

3D printers may not be completely mainstream, but they are being put on the enterprise radar as a way to improve the supply chain and innovate, but there are a few gotchas on the horizon.


解釋

mainstream 主流

on the radar 列入會考慮的事情。這裡指的是企業會考慮 3D printers 的實用和經濟性。

gotcha  無預期（會造成不悅或驚愕）的問題

on the horizon 有可能即將會發生的（事情）

SKU-morphism 單品項管理單位-變形概念

字彙

SKU-morphism
key
morph
debut
blog
strategy
supposedly
Given
Softies


文句

There's skeuomorphism. And then there's SKU-morphism -- as in a few key next-generation Windows SKUs, which may morph before they debut.

As I've blogged previously, while Microsoft is moving toward a "One Windows" vision, that vision is more along the lines of one Windows core, but multiple SKUs, or versions, according to my contacts.

This new strategy doesn't necessarily mean there will be a different SKU for every kind of Windows form factor out there. Instead, as Microsoft moves forward with its "Threshold" Windows wave, there might be just a few Windows SKUs built on top of a common Windows foundation, I'm hearing from my contacts.

It's definitely still early days for Threshold, which is supposedly slated to begin arriving around Spring 2015. Given all the management changes at Microsoft, things could change. But here's supposedly what the Softies are thinking at this point.

With Threshold, my sources say, there could be three primary SKUs: A "modern" consumer SKU; a traditional/PC SKU; and a traditional enterprise SKU.


解釋

SKU-morphism  單品項管理單位-變形概念。
SKU (Stocking Keeping Unit) 源自物流管理的方法。也就是以商品庫存的屬性組合（可以包括品牌、型號、配、等級、花色、包裝容量、單位、生產日期、保質期、用途、價格、產地等）為最小單位，以便於商品採購、銷售、物流管理、財務管理以及POS（電腦銷售點管理系統）與MIS（管理資訊系統）。
morphism 是變形的概念。在此，作者取自前述的詞藻 "skeuo-morphism" 的後半部。實際上，作者主要是闡述：微軟將來會在某個相同的基礎上建構出三種不同的Windows版本，如同商品的SKU的不同屬性組合，來迎合不同的使用者："現代"、"傳統PC"、"傳統企業"用戶。（參考）


key 主要的，在此當形容詞。

morph  （動詞）變形；改變。

debut  （動詞）登場 。

blog  （動詞）在部落格寫文章。

strategy  策略。

supposedly  據推測；一般相信；傳聞上。

Given 假如；假定。在此是說：如果整個微軟的管理有變動的話，前述的規劃將可能改變。

Softies  軟體工程師們。

Threshold  原意是 "門檻" 。在此是指微軟下一版的代號(codename)。

SKEUOMORPHIC MODEL 擬物特性模型

字彙

skeuomorphic model

hail

streamline

flat design

be critical to

文句

Recent developments in the design industry are moving away from the skeuomorphic model. User interface design in 2013 has hailed “flat”  design as a way to create a perceived streamlining of information. Flat design takes out the graphical look of different textures and shadows, to look like a simple, flat graphic, not an image of a camera or yellow note pad.

Apple is changing its entire design approach to this “flat” world with iOS 7 and Microsoft’s Windows 8 has taken a similar approach. But both ignore places where the skeuomorphic model is still critical to the usefulness of a technology.


解釋

skeuomorphic model  擬物特性模型
這裡指的是蘋果 iOS 7 改版成極簡化設計（'flat design'）之前的 "擬物特性"的設計模型。iOS 7 之前的軟體設計，盡可能地模擬實際生活中，物品原有的功能、外型、紋理、陰影，讓使用者容易理解，方便上手。反觀，極簡化設計的中心概念是，透過簡單視覺焦點的引導，讓使用者快速完成操作。（可參考：文章1，文章2）


hail  歡迎

streamline  提高效率、功能（如藉由改進或簡化工作的方式）

flat design  極簡化設計

be critical to  非常重要的

RAISE THE STAKES 加籌碼

字彙

raise the stakes

stumbling

compatible
evolving

at breakneck speed
flying under the radar
fierce

Reality Distortion Field

emanating
HQ


文句

In a bid to raise the stakes, Google is making its free Quickoffice suite a standard feature of its latest Android distribution, KitKat. Meanwhile, Apple is stumbling, cutting features as it tries to make its iWork programs compatible across iPads and Macs.

All of which explains why Microsoft is evolving its Office Web Apps at breakneck speed...

Amazingly, the dramatic improvement in Microsoft online services is flying under the radar for most of the Silicon Valley press, which appears to be caught in a fierce Reality Distortion Field emanating from Google HQ. But for small businesses and individuals outside the Google bubble, these changes will be welcome indeed.

解釋

raise the stakes  增加籌碼。

stumbling  跌跌撞撞；踉蹌。這裡指的是Google的競爭對手蘋果，不問品質好壞和功能多寡，只求自己的 iWork 能快一點跨平台，在自家的平板和桌機使用。

compatible  相容於；大部分狀況下會接上介系詞 "with"。

evolving  發展

at breakneck speed  高速危險的速度。

flying under the radar  原本是飛行用語。意思是作戰時，飛在敵人雷達能掃到的範圍之下；保持低調。

fierce 兇猛的；凶暴的

Reality Distortion Field (RDF)  現實扭曲力場，是蘋果公司內部在1981年創造的詞彙，用於描述公司創辦人史蒂夫·賈伯斯在麥金塔產品開發上的影響力。衍伸自星艦奇航記。指某人帶有扭曲現實力場的能量；他出現時，可以改變現實，可以説服大家相信任何不存在的事。

emanating  散發；射出

HQ  (Headquarters) 總部；大本營。這個字永遠是複數（自尾得加上"-s"）。例如：The firm's headquarters are in Tokyo. 總公司設在東京。

QuickOffice suite  如同微軟 Office 的套組，針對安裝安卓系統的設備，提供線上文書、表格、簡報的功能。

DISCLOSE 公開

字彙

disclose / disclosure

vulnerability

in the wild

workaround

mitigate

automate

文句

Microsoft today disclosed a vulnerability in the graphics code in certain versions of Windows, Office and Lync. They say they have received reports of targeted attacks in the wild using the vulnerability, specifically against Microsoft Office.

The disclosure includes instructions for various workarounds that users may employ to mitigate against attacks. The workarounds include a "Fix It" link to automate the workarounds.

解釋

disclose （動詞）/ disclosure （名詞）  透漏；公開。名詞以 -sure 結尾的不多，比較常用的有：erasure (erase), enclosure (enclose), pressure (press), pleasure (please)。

vulnerability （易遭攻擊的）弱點

in the wild  指的是 "in the real world" 在實際的世界中

workaround  指 "solution" 解決之道

mitigate  減緩；減少；緩和

automate  自動操作。"auto-" 源自拉丁文，有 "自己；自行" (self) 

Lync   是微軟(Microsoft)企業型整合式通訊平台

LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN 發起活動

字彙

launch a campaign

position as a leader

take a shot at

tale of the tape

文句

IBM has launched a marketing campaign to position itself as a cloud leader and take a few shots at Amazon Web Services. Much of your take on the tale of the tape will depend on your definition of cloud computing.


解釋

launch a campaign  發起一系列活動。 "campaign" 本是指軍事活動；現在大部分用在針對某一社會、商業、政治目的進行的一系列計畫活動。

position as a leader  以領導者自居；定位為領導者

take a shot at  試著去奪取

tale of the tape  相互比較。來自拳擊用語，指兩個對手的背景比較。所以最後一句可以理解成：你對 IBM 和 Amazon 比較的結果主要取決於你對雲端運算的定義。

REPORTEDLY 據說

字彙

reportedly

narrow

CEO

short list

far from perfect

navigate


文句

Microsoft has reportedly narrowed its CEO short list to about five people and all of them are far from perfect and it's unclear how they'll navigate the company.

解釋

reportedly  據說。

narrow  縮小。這裡當動詞用。有趣的是，當 large, wide, short, long, flat 這些形容詞變成動詞時，字的前或後，都會加上 "en"。也就是說，會加上前綴 "en-" 或後綴 "-en": large - enlarge; wide - widen; short - shorten; long - lengthen; flat - flatten。而 narrow 卻什麼都不用加，就可以直接當動詞使用。

CEO  總裁，企業中最高的行政負責人。Chief Executive Officer 的縮寫。

short list  候選人名單。

far from perfect  遠遠不及完美，也就是很不怎樣或是蠻糟糕的。

navigate  本是駕駛船隻或飛機，在此指帶領/領導公司。

ON THE HUNT 尋找

字彙

ever since
folks
on the hunt 
elusive
give a leg up
cut to zero the price of
mind you
a less feature-rich version


文句

Two years ago this month, a report on The Daily claimed Microsoft had built a version of Office for the iPad and was demonstrating it privately. Ever since, folks have been on the hunt for the elusive Office for iPad...

Along with other Microsoft watchers, I've been wondering whether Microsoft was simply sitting on Office for iPad, delaying it to give its own Surface tablets a leg up. A year ago, Microsoft's ARM-based Surface RT shipped with Office RT bundled for free, and this October, the ARM-based Surface 2 shipped with Office RT plus Outlook RT, bundled for free.

But now that Apple's cut to zero the price of iWork (not the original, mind you, but a less feature-rich version), what's Microsoft waiting for?

解釋

ever since  從那時起

folks  人們（為集合名詞，當複數用）。

on the hunt  尋找，源自"獵捕"的意思。

elusive  捉摸不定

give ~ a leg up  幫助某人某事，讓他/它更加成功。

cut to zero the price of iWork  蘋果系統上的 iWork (如同 Windows 的 Office) 已經免費提供使用者。如上文所說：免費版是指新版，不包括舊版！

mind you  提醒你

a less feature-rich version  功能沒這麼多的版本

GOODIES 好東西

字彙

noteworthy features

at long last
native screen recording

revolutionary update

goodies

文句

Android 4.4 has many other noteworthy features — better printer support, smart caller ID, support for multiple local and cloud storage services, and, at long last, native screen recording — but you get the idea. While Android 4.4 isn't a revolutionary update, it's certainly one that's filled with goodies. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to compile the source code and flash my Nexus 7 with it.


解釋

noteworthy features  出色的功能/特性

at long last  最終（強調期盼許久）

native screen recording  原生（本機）螢幕錄影功能。指的是提供錄製螢幕操作過程的功能，便於製作教學、展示操作本機的短片。

revolutionary update  革命性的升級；重大的更新

goodies  (口語用詞）好東西