THRESHOLD 門檻 - I

字彙

details ... begining to merge

"Threshold"

go well beyond features

rear view mirror

to thread a needle

to preserve a cash cow

give away


文句

——The details around Windows 9---code named "Threshold"---are beginning to emerge, but the real action will go well beyond features and whether Microsoft can put Windows 8 in the rear view mirror. Microsoft's real challenge with Windows will be navigating a classic innovator's dilemma and how it can thread a needle between preserving a cash cow and ultimately give Windows away to hardware makers.


解釋

details... beginning to merge  指關於預計明年四月要發表的 Win 9 詳情將會開始出現。如同每次蘋果 iPhone 的新款手機正式發表之前，一連串猜測、外洩的新聞將接踵而來。

"Threshold"  Win9 的代號："門檻"

go well beyond features  問題完全不在其功能、特性；問題的本質遠超出這個層面。

rear view mirror  （車的）後照鏡

to thread a needle  字面上是 "穿針引線" 的動作。作這動作的人必須非常小心、精準才得以完成。這裡指如何以Windows作業系統，在給予免費和硬體開發商之間小心謹慎、拿捏精準，位自己的作為。

to preserve a cash cow  保留／保護搖錢樹

give away  （免費）放送／贈送

COGNITIVE COMPUTING 智慧運算 -- II

字彙

to tabulate

programmable era

mainframe

cognitive (era)

implication

文句

Rometty said there have only been two computing eras. The first was tabulated---computing was initially designed to count. Then the programmable era arrived with the mainframe and everything that followed. "Everything that is out there today is programmed," said Rometty, referring to PCs, tablets and smartphones.

The third era is cognitive and systems that learn. She said 2011 and Watson's Jeopardy debut "brought a new species" of computing. "By design it gets smarter over time," said Rometty. "It can find a needle in the haystack and knows the haystack. It understands the implications of your questions."

解釋

to tabulate 將資料系統化，輸出成列表

programmable era 程式的時代；由程式編寫的年代。文中指的就是目前，使用者使用桌上型電腦，平板和智慧手機的階段。

mainframe 主機

cognitive (computing era) 人工智慧運算。指會自動學習、分析使用者的習慣、思考之運算方式。

implication 暗示

COGNITIVE COMPUTING 智慧運算 -- I

字彙

to position sth. as

mainstream

cognitive computing era

文句

Positioning the launch of the IBM's Watson Business Group as the beginning of the mainstream cognitive computing era, CEO Ginny Rometty said Big Blue's technology will transform customers' industries, institutions and society.


解釋

to position sth. as  定位 ~ 成為。這裡的"position" 有 "提升"、"促使" 的涵義，文中指 "屈臣氏"集團 的事業將定位成 "認知運算" 的濫觴。

mainstream 主流（的）

cognitive computing era  "認知運算" / "(人工)智慧運算" 的時代

THROW WEIGHT BEHIND 大力支持

字彙

to throw weight behind
a shot in the dark

a dual-boot

文句

With Intel, AMD, HP, Lenovo, and Asus all throwing their weight behind Android on the desktop, this isn't just a shot in the dark.Serious businesses believe that Android has a real role on the desktop. For that matter, Microsoft—of all companies!—seems to think people will want a dual-boot Android/Windows smartphone.


解釋

to throw weight behind  大力支持
a shot in the dark  隨意嘗試；胡亂猜測

a dual-boot  雙開機系統。這裡指安卓和微軟視窗系統。

VERTICALS 垂直市場

字彙

initially
verticals
tailoring
pharmaceutical
natural language tool

文句

Watson has initially been focused on healthcare, but also has applications in insurance, financial services and other verticals. The biggest challenges to date for Watson have revolved around implementation and tailoring its artificial intelligence for new industries.

IBM plans to speed up Watson usage by turning it into a cloud service that can be used in the pharmaceutical, retail, banking, media and education industries. The idea is that Watson can be a natural language tool for research and development and an advisor in various industries.

解釋

initially  一開始

verticals  垂直市場 (vertical market)。只針對某一種行業、企業和職業的顧客提供貨品或服務的市場，有別於水平市場 (horizontal market)。後者提供的產品和服務範圍廣闊，對象可以遍及不同的性別、年齡層及興趣不同的顧客。

tailoring  調整以適應或配合

pharmaceutical  製藥、配藥

natural language tool  自然語言工具。應該是指可以提供分析、解析人類語言的工具。（參考）

GALAXY S5 - (III)

字彙

a hodge podge
mashup work
smooth out
to have a low hopeto cut features and simplify
bloat
bendable


文句

Software refinement: The Galaxy S4 is a hodge podge of Android and Samsung applications. For the most part, the mashup works. However, Samsung should spend a bit more time on the user experience and overall feel of the software. Just smooth it out a bit. These changes, which would probably be hardly noticed by many, would improve the S5. I have low hopes that the S5 will have a totally smooth software approach. Samsung's approach just doesn't allow it to cut features and simplify. After all, the company wants to dominate your house and connect every gadget you have. It's far more likely Samsung will add some bloat to the Galaxy S5 so it can talk to the bendable TV you won't buy immediately or connect to your refrigerator and washer.

解釋

a hodge podge  混和、雜湊的東西
mashup work  混和、雜湊的作品
smooth out (a bit)  弄得順暢一點
to have a low hope  不抱有高的期望
to cut features and simplify  削減、去除和簡化一些功能
bloat  過多、過度（超出需求）的事物
bendable TV  指三星推出有弧度、可彎曲螢幕的電視

GALAXY S5 - (II)

字彙

biometrics
gimmick
eye scrolling technology
iris reading
to nail
to sit out
end-all


文句

Biometrics done right: I have an iPhone 5s too and find the fingerprint scanner also to be a gimmick in many ways. It just doesn't do much for me. Samsung's eye scrolling technology could become an iris reading approach as hinted by the company. But the biometrics have to be done right. I've tried fingerprints and face recognition to open my phone. The PIN wins every time. If Samsung can't nail the biometric approach well it may be best to sit it out. I doubt people will care. Biometrics just aren't the end-all when buying a device.

解釋

biometrics  生物測定。為一門科學和技術，專門測量分析生物（大部分是人類）的特徵資料，如：DNA、指紋、視網膜、虹膜、聲音、臉部表情等，以應用在辨識身分的範疇。後頭接的 "done right"，是指作者希望三星能將這功能做好，弄得順暢，不要到頭來，還是得輸入密碼才能開始畫面。

gimmick  花招；噱頭；小伎倆。在此有負面的意思：利用生物測定的小噱頭，便想要吸引人。

eye scrolling technology  眼睛卷動技術。眼睛盯著手機螢幕，便可以讓畫面上下捲動。

iris reading  眼睛紅膜閱讀技術。

to nail  本來有"穩固" 的意思，這裡可以當做 "搞好" 或 "弄好"。

to sit out  本來是指到戶外坐著，不參與。這裡指將(那些只是噱頭的功能)屏除在外。

end-all  最終的目的

GALAXY S5 - (I)

字彙

to drop hints
likely features
rumor mill
go into overdrive
a hurdle rate
replicate the success


文句

Samsung is dropping hints about the Galaxy S5 and likely features and the rumor mill is starting to go into overdrive for what's likely to be a launch in March or April. One thing is clear though: Samsung has a high hurdle rate to replicate the success of the S3 launch.

解釋

to drop hints  暗示
likely features  有可能的特性或功能
rumor mill  謠言工廠
go into overdrive  很興奮地開始做某件事
a hurdle rate  最低預期資本回收率
to replicate the success  複製 (三星S3手機投產)的成功案例

EXABYTE

字彙

to get underway
disk array
building block
replicated
digital universe
heroic amount


文句

As 2014 gets underway, there is more digital data than ever, stored on everything from portable USB sticks to massive data center disk arrays. In this article, we'll take a high-level look at the main trends in the storage sector, which is the building block of the digital world and an area that's currently undergoing significant transformation.

The data explosion

In December 2012, IDC and EMC estimated the size of the digital universe (that is, all the digital data created, replicated and consumed in that year) to be 2,837 exabytes (EB) and forecast this to grow to 40,000EB by 2020 — a doubling time of roughly two years. One exabyte equals a thousand petabytes (PB), or a million terabytes (TB), or a billion gigabytes (GB). So by 2020, according to IDC and EMC, the digital universe will amount to over 5,200GB per person on the planet.

This sort of data growth clearly requires heroic amounts of storage to keep it available for as long as it's required, and to archive much of it thereafter. Accordingly, IDC estimates that annual worldwide shipments of 'capacity optimized' storage systems will rise from around 22,000PB in 2013 to just under 90,000PB in 2016...(文章)


解釋

to get underway  "underway" 進行中。指 2014 年一開始到來，電子資料量比以往任何時候都還要多。

disk array 硬碟陣列。其基本思想就是把多個相對便宜的硬碟組合起來，成為一個硬碟陣列組，使效能達到甚至超過一個價格昂貴、容量巨大的硬碟。
building block  標準組件／結構

replicated  被複製的(資料)

digital universe  電子數據宇宙

heroic amount  大量

數位容量單位：

1 Byte = 8 Bit

1 KB = 1024 Byte

1 MB (Megabyte) = 1024 KB

1 GB (Gigabyte) = 1024 MB

1 TB (Terabyte) = 1024 GB
1 PB (Petabyte) = 1024 TB
1 EB (Exabyte) = 1024 PB

THRESHOLD 門檻 - II

字彙

ecosystem
market share
laugh off the idea
writing is on the wall
doesn't charge
margins
counterweight
a black eye
a Vista-ish flop
to be splintered into


文句

Give Windows away for free?!? What?!? How?!?

That place is where Microsoft is going to have to go if it wants to preserve its Windows ecosystem and market share. And how Microsoft navigate that business model change is going to be telling. The folks in Redmond may laugh off the idea of giving Windows away for free to original equipment manufacturers, but the writing is on the wall. Consider:

Apple doesn't charge for its Mac OS anymore.
Google Chromebooks have become more popular.
PC makers are now adding Android desktop systems because they can customize and probably get better margins.
Price will be king in the PC market and Android and Chromebooks could be counterweight to Microsoft.
Mobile operating systems are driving computing.
Windows 8 was a black eye for Microsoft and it's going to be a challenge to come back from a Vista-ish flop twice.
The PC market is being splintered into multiple operating systems.

解釋

ecosystem  生態

market share  市佔率

laugh off the idea  嘲笑這個想法；一笑置之

writing is on the wall  不祥的預兆；註定要失敗

doesn't charge  不用付費

margins  利潤

counterweight  本來是指可以抗衡的重量，這裡的意思是 "對手"

a black eye  本來指 "黑眼圈"，這裡指 "丟臉的事" 或 "令人失去尊敬的事"

a Vista-ish flop  類似推出 Window Vista 時的慘敗經驗。大概是指當年 Windows XP 的使用者無法認同新版的 Windows Vista，以致不願升級或改換作業系統。

to be splintered into  分裂。這裡指個人電腦作業系統不再以微軟視窗為中心，市場上開始出現了許多不同的新作業系統。

ORCHESTRATE 協調

字彙

to grow exponentially
to orchestrate
to optimize


文句

As data usage continues to grow exponentially, IT managers will need to orchestrate multiple kinds of storage — including flash, hard disk and tape — in a way that optimizes capacity, performance, cost and power consumption.

解釋

to grow exponentially  "exponential" （指數）為一數學用語 。這裡的意思是急速地成長。

to orchestrate  原指作管弦樂曲，這裡指 "協調"、"調整" 不同方式的儲存設備。

to optimize 優化

DISMISS AS A FLYER 只是宣傳不予採信

字彙

to dismiss sth. as a flyer
consternation
to start dabbling
it's time to start listening
to kick off
Android is familiar
a thriving app ecosystem
demise
meme


文句

It's easy to dismiss Android PCs as a flyer made by computer makers. However, there's enough behind Android PCs to cause at least some Windows consternation.

When the top two PC makers---Lenovo and Hewlett Packard---start dabbling with all-in-one systems powered by Android perhaps it's time to start listening.

To kick off CES, Lenovo launched an Android all-in-one designed for living room usage. HP followed up with an Android all-in-one designed for businesses. The case for both systems was that mobile is driving desktop computing more, Android is familiar and has a thriving app ecosystem and both PC makers can add more value than they can with a Chromebook.

The instant reaction from ZDNet readers to the Android PC efforts varied. Android fans instantly went to the demise of Windows meme.


解釋

to dismiss sth. as a flyer  將某事當作只是宣傳手段，完全不可採信而予以摒棄。

consternation  驚愕；驚惶失措

to start dabbling  開始涉足

it's time to start listening  該是開始認真傾聽、看待事情的時候了。這裡指的是該認真看待 Lenovo 和 HP 這兩家公司在桌上型電腦安裝安卓系統。

to kick off  開始；啟動

CES  消費者電子展 (Consumer Electronics Show)

Android is familiar  安卓系統對於"行動"這塊領域駕輕就熟，將會得心應手。

a thriving app ecosystem  蓬勃的應用程式生態。這裡指安卓(Android) 本身就已經有 Google Play 的商城作後盾，因此不會擔心沒有應用程式提供給使用其系統的使用者。

ZDNet  科技電子分析網站

demise  死亡。這裡只安卓的擁護粉絲宣告微軟的死亡。

meme  （讀音為 /ˈmim/ ；如 meem），意思是經由網路廣泛傳播的概念。（參考）

BRIGDE THE GAP 縮短差距

字彙

to bridge the gap
to disrupt
to meld supercomputing momentum
to gain traction
GameStream
latency issues
G-Sync
feat
GPU


文句

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang on Sunday outlined the Tegra K1, a 192 core "super chip" that aims to bridge the gap between mobile computing and supercomputing. The plan for Nvidia is to create an architecture that will play along with Android to disrupt industries ranging from gaming to automobiles and cloud computing.

Speaking at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, Huang said the Tegra K1 will meld supercomputing momentum---Nvidia has gained a lot of traction in supercomputing---and cloud game development on Android...

Huang noted you can get PC games on your television via its game console Shield and a technology called GameStream, which streams games wirelessly. However, there have been latency issues that Nvidia has been looking to fix. Tests in the field by CNET have noted that Shield game streams can lag.

Nvidia did a demo showing a game stream connected to a server in France. "The GRID virtualized GPU server gamestreaming across the ocean in 30 milliseconds back the Shield device," said Huang.

Huang also outlined G-Sync, a technology that is designed to limit latency and lag in visual computing. G-Sync can deliver game frame rates as fast or as slow as needed because it synchronizes with the source of the application. G-Sync will be available in the second quarter from Nvidia.

G-Sync accomplishes its feat by adding more buffers for latency, updating a frame as soon as the GPU is ready and delivering frames at a variable rate.

(圖）

解釋

to bridge the gap  填補空缺；縮短差距

to disrupt  使瓦解。這裡指的是可以在安卓系統上跑的架構(Tegra K1)，打破遊戲、汽車和雲端運算間不同需求的藩籬。

to meld supercomputing momentum  結合超級電腦的動力（/特性）

to gain traction  "traction" 本來是指物理上的 "牽引力"。這裡可以當作是在超級電腦上的成績 "受到廣泛的認同"。

GameStream  遊戲中，利用無線網路上傳下載的技術

latency issues  潛在/隱藏的問題

G-Sync  NVIDIA公司發展的全新顯示技術，提供順暢、疾速的遊戲體驗。透過將顯示器刷新率同步至您配備 GeForce GTX 電腦中的 GPU，並排除畫面撕裂與降低螢幕跳動與延遲，達到遊戲的場景立即顯示、物體更清晰、遊玩過程流暢，大幅提升視覺體驗並戰力。（參考 VIDIA 網站）

feat  技術；絕技

GPU  圖形處理器，又稱顯示核心、視覺處理器、顯示芯片，是一種專門在個人電腦、工作站、遊戲機和一些移動設備上圖像運算工作的微處理器。(定義參考)

EGREGIOUS 異乎尋常

字彙

to be disturbingly egregious
to go public with claims
to refuse to acknowledge
issue
exploit
to spur ~ into action
to take ~ seriously


文句

Snapchat's story is disturbingly egregious; Gibson Security warned Snapchat in August of its security problems, and went public with claims when Snapchat refused to acknowledge what GibSec felt were issues that put users - such as themselves - at serious risk.

Snapchat did nothing. On Christmas Day, Gibson Security published Snapchat exploits (only a few of the ones GibSec found) in an attempt to spur Snapchat into action to take user safety and database security seriously.

解釋

to be disturbingly egregious  "disturbingly" 引起煩惱地； "egregious" 異常顯著的。這裡指的是公司不處理四百六十萬使用者資料外洩的事件，異乎尋常，令人不安。

to go public with claims  公開宣稱

to refuse to acknowledge  拒絕承認

issue  (待解決的)問題

exploit  駭客用語，指軟體安全上的弱點或漏洞。

to spur ~ into action  鞭策某人採取行動

to take ~ seriously  嚴肅/認真看待 

DONGLE 加密狗

字彙

dongle 
on the go


文句

The GameStick kit is composed of a couple primary pieces; the controller and the HDMI dongle. Both pieces are charged via microUSB with the HDMI dongle requiring a constant connection while the controller is rechargeable.

The small dongle has a male HDMI connector on one end with many slots in it to allow for air to pass through as it heats up. It is powered by Android with an ARM Cortex A9 CPU and Mali 400 GPU inside. There is 8GB integrated in the dongle/stick with a microSD card slot supporting up to 32GB cards.

The GameStick has integrated 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 with support for 1080p video playback. There is a microUSB port in the side for charging up the GameStick. It fits right into the controller for taking your gaming on the go.

解釋

dongle  有人翻譯為 "加密狗"、 "軟件狗"、 "適配器"，等。它是指連接的裝置，可以是 HDMI dongle, bluetooth dongle, COM dongle...等。外插於手機或行動電子用品上的傳輸器，作為連接手機、操縱桿或RFID (射頻識別器) 讀取氣的硬體設備。（上圖中右邊的小裝置為 dongle)。

on the go  隨時隨地可以到處走動

NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING 並非嘗試不夠

字彙

not for lack of trying
not to have much luck with tablets
earlier endeavor
to be saddled with
to fall into place
a credible contender
for sheer numbers
let alone
to catch up
in a way
it gets the job done
point-and-shoot
Dell is hardly alone in that regard


文句

Not for lack of trying, but PC makers haven’t had much luck with tablets. Earlier endeavors were big and heavy, burned through batteries, and were saddled with versions of Windows that weren’t really designed for touch and lacked real apps. They were expensive too.

Now the pieces are falling into place to build at least a credible contender to Apple or Samsung in tablets. Many chip companies offer inexpensive dual- and quad-core ARM processors for Android tablets and Intel’s Bay Trail platform, the first truly competitive x86 alternative, works with either Android or Windows. Microsoft has made real improvements with Windows 8.1 and now throws in a version of Office on smaller devices. For sheer numbers, the Windows Store won’t match Android, let alone Apple, anytime soon, but most of the major apps are now available.

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying out two new tablets from Dell that illustrate how PC makers are trying to catch up on tablets. The first one, the Dell Venue, is based on the older Intel Clover Trail platform and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It starts at $150 with a 7-inch display, but I tested the 8-inch version, which is $180. I also tested the Venue 8 Pro, which also has an 8-inch display but is based on the newer Intel Bay Trail platform and runs Windows 8.1. 

Dell Venue 8 tablet (Image: Dell)It starts at $300.

There isn’t too much to distinguish the Venue from other basic Android tablets, but in a way that’s a good thing--it shows that Intel and the PC makers are finally catching up. Like most tablets in this price range, it has a lower resolution display (1,280 by 800 pixels) and the Cloverview processor (a Z2560 dual-core in the Venue 7 and a Z2580 dual-core in the Venue 8) can’t match the performance of top-end mobile processors, but it gets the job done. Both also come with 2GB of memory, 16GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, and a microSD card slot. The Venue 7 has a VGA front camera and a 3MP rear one; the Venue 8 has a 2MP front camera and a 5MP rear camera. Neither one will replace your point-and-shoot, but Dell is hardly alone in that regard--most tablets have mediocre cameras.

(原文參考)

解釋

not for lack of trying  並非嘗試不夠、、、

not to have much luck with tablets  (只是做電腦的廠商）在平板上的發展，卻沒什麼運氣

earlier endeavor  早期的努力

to be saddled  "saddle" 是 "馬鞍"，如果作動詞則是 "套上馬鞍" 。這裡指 "裝載" 微軟 Windows 系統。

to fall into place  原指每一部分開始井然有序地歸位到正確的位置，這裡可以理解成 "漸漸上了軌道"。

a credible contender  指足以和蘋果與三星對抗的實質對手

for sheer numbers  這裡應該指的是銷售業績的數量（，不敵安卓系統的產品）。

let alone Apple  更不要說（能夠對抗）蘋果

to catch up  趕上

in a way  在某程度上

it gets the job done.  (它-- Venue）還是能完成任務。

point-and-shoot  指的是袖珍（傻照相機（compact camera），強調操作簡單、自動對焦、自動閃光，等的功能。

Dell is hardly alone in that regard.  在那個方面，也不是只有 Dell 一家這樣子。

HOTCAKES 搶手貨

字彙

to call sth. a joke
to sell like hotcakes
a cold morning
to take off
low-end laptop market
a segment


文句

Some Windows experts, such as Paul Thurrott, call Chromebooks a joke. Some industry groups, such as NetMarketShare, claim that they still see essentially no use of Chrome OS. Both need to wake up and smell the Chrome OS coffee. Chromebooks have been selling like hotcakes on a cold morning for a year now.

Market analysts agree: Chromebooks have taken off in the low-end laptop market while Windows 8.x PCs continue to decline.

Chrome OS, a version of Linux that uses the Chrome Web browser for its main interface, and its main hardware platform, Chromebooks, are actually the one segment of the dying PC market that have actually been growing, according to Stephen Baker, VP of Industry Analysis for Consumer Technology for retail analysis group, NPD Group. "The low-end [computer] market is growing. It's overall positive, everything else is negative," added Baker.

解釋

to call sth. a joke  稱之為笑話、笑柄，指瞧不起 Chrombook，不相信有人會買。

to sell like hotcakes  賣得很快很好，指 Chrombook 是搶手貨。

a cold morning  大概是指 PC 和 NB 冷颼颼的市場佔有率。

to take off 起飛；平穩成長

low-end laptop market  廉價筆電市場

a segment  一部分

MAKE A SPLASH 吸引目光和焦點

字彙

to make a splash

to start the roll out

文句

Sony made a recently splash by announcing KitKat would arrive on five Xperia devices - however, it looks like US-owners of the Moto X will be the first to get KitKat, with T-Mobile starting the roll out on Thursday, according to Motorola.

解釋

to make a splash  吸引大家的目光和焦點

to start the roll out  開始推出

PERK 利益

字彙

to tout
perk
distribution boost
to ink
for months to come


文句

Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that China is "an extremely important market" to the company and touted a deal with China Mobile. The biggest perk is that Apple gets a distribution boost for the iPhone.

Apple and China Mobile have officially inked a multi-year deal that will bring the iPhone to China's largest telecom and provide a distribution and volume boost for months to come.

Analysts have estimated that China Mobile will enable Apple to sell anywhere from 15 million to about 20 million more iPhones. Specifically, Apple said that it will sell the iPhone 5s and 5c on China Mobile beginning Jan. 17.

解釋

to tout  招徠；兜售
perk  好處；利益
distribution boost  增加發行量
to ink  簽署
for months to come  未來的幾個月期間
China Mobile  中國移動，中國的電信公司。

NERDINESS 宅樣

字彙

a general air of nerdiness
no particular reason to exist
anytime soon
be off the blocks
startups
discernible interest
niche users
nascent products
wearable devices
headsets
bulky and dorky
wouldn't be keen on having you hanging around
bipedal security camera
to make a case for
real-life application
crop
companion device


文句

Small screens, tiny batteries, a general air of nerdiness and no particular reason to exist: it's never been easy selling smartwatches and it's not going to get any easier anytime soon.

Samsung was first off the blocks this time around with the release of the Galaxy Gear, and has apparently shipped 800,000 of the smartwatch (although it's unclear how many it has sold). But despite plenty of rumours that they're working on rival timepieces, few of the other big players (Google, Apple, or Microsoft in particular) seem especially keen to join the smartwatch race, leaving it to startups, Kickstarter-powered projects and fitness bands to make most of the running.

The real problem with smartwatches is the lack of discernible interest from consumers, outside of niche (mostly sports) users. Of course, if you ask people what they want, it's well known they'll only ever demand a faster horse, so it's always how to gauge how consumer interest in nascent products and technologies will develop...

The same problems (and more) face other wearable devices such as Google Glass-style smartglasses: unless you wear glasses already, you probably won't want such headsets at all. And if you do wear glasses, you probably won't want to wear something so bulky and dorky — or, if you did, your friends, family and colleagues probably wouldn't be keen on having you hanging around looking like a bipedal security camera.

Some have tried to make a case for smartglasses in the workplace, but the real-life applications remain distinctly limited; and, for most use cases (taking or watching videos, for example), a smartphone can already do those jobs very well...

The current or next crop of wearable gadgets are mainly viewed as companion devices...



解釋
a general air of nerdiness  一般很宅的感覺

no particular reason to exist  沒有一定得存在的理由

anytime soon  很快地；隨時（就會發生的事）

be off the blocks  開始某個活動、行動

startups  新公司

discernible interest  能夠識別的興趣，指的是足以引起人們的興趣

niche users  特有的使用者，這裡的 "niche" 不是 "壁龕" 也不是 "舒適的位置"，它作形容詞用，特指與商業有關的小團體或小市場。

nascent products  初期、新興的產品

wearable devices  穿戴式的裝置

headsets  早期特指耳機或聽筒，現在泛指戴在頭上的（電子）裝置，除了耳機外，還可以包括 Google 眼鏡。

bulky and dorky  大塊頭、看起來遲鈍的樣子

wouldn't be keen on having you hanging around  不會有興趣想要與你泡在一起

bipedal security camera  兩腳站立的保安攝影機。形容戴上 Google 眼鏡後，使用者看起來的蠢樣。

to make a case for  給個好理由做某事

real-life application  實際生活上的應用

crop  原意是 "農作物"。這裡指可穿戴的發明物、產品或裝置。 

companion device  附加裝置。指的是加附在主裝置，或與主要貨品綁約的次裝置。