Ibm Says Computers Will See, Taste and Smell, Touch and Hear Things Better in the Future

Every year, IBM Corporation chooses five new technologies it believes will change the world within the next five years. The IBM list is called “Five in Five. ”When identifying the technologies the company considers its own research and the new directions of society and business.

This year, the list describes some future devices that will work with our five senses. Imagine looking for clothes online and touching your computer or smartphone to feel the cloth. IBM predicts that such a technology can be available in the next five years.

Touch is just one of the senses that computers will help to exploit. IBM says smart machines will soon be able to listen to the environment and give us information about the sounds they hear. For example, a speech recognition system will tell new parents why their baby is crying. From the sound the baby is creating you know the difference between a child for example who is sick as opposed to a child who is just lonely. That kind of understanding would be great for parents.

Smart machines will also help to identify medical conditions. If you sneeze on your computer or smart phone, the machine will study thousands of molecules in your breath. Then it can tell you whether you need to see a doctor.

In the near future, built-in cameras in our personal computers will be able to examine and name colours and recognize images. IBM scientists are also developing a computer system that can examine and combine food molecules to create the most popular flavours and smells.

Some leading computer science professors hope the progress that IBM is predicting will lead more talented students to create future inventions.

They believe that advances in computer technology will make what now seems like science fiction a part of our everyday lives.

1. IBM list called “Five in Five” includes five recent inventions most famous in five biggest countries of the world. F

2. There is a special project to develop devices that could use our five senses. NS

3. A new technology will give you a chance to feel the material of the clothes you choose from the distance. T

4. When a child feels lonely he/she immediately gets ill. F

5. PC will be able to diagnose serious diseases. F/NS

6. Computers will be useful for inventing new dishes and different diets. T

7. University students are active participants of the new computer science inventions. NS

8. What you find in science fiction today can become real in future. T

11. Read the text. Match the titles 1-6 to the paragraphs a-f. One title is extra.

Computer Addiction

1. Easy Ways to Analyze One’s Computer Habits D

2. Younger Users at Risk C

3. What Computer Addiction is A

4. What’s the remedy? E

5. Threats of Growing Computer Addiction F

6. Computer Addiction among other Addictions B

7. Stages of Computer Addiction History -

A

Computer addiction is a relatively new term used to describe a dependency on one's computer. Computer addiction is not limited to personal computers (PCs). It covers video games and the Internet and has already been given a label by psychologists, namely Internet addiction disorder (IAD).

B

People can get addicted to a variety of things, and there is usually various ways of help to treat them. Alcohol and drugs have been known for long years. But other forms of addictive behavior, such as exercise, watching television or spending too much time on a computer, have only recently been recognized.

C

The computer addiction has also affected children. Spending hours chatting online, surfing the web or playing computer games can make a person, especially a child indifferent to realistic relationships and other parts of his/her life. A recent research study showed that some children suffer from computer rage (раж, страсть) when they are forbidden to play computer games. The results are sudden uncontrolled periods of anger.

D

So how exactly is computer addiction defined? When does a hobby become an addiction? As with most other dependencies, specific questions can be asked to see whether or not someone may suffer from computer addition. These questions are first of all about how much time is spent on the PC or playing video games, sometimes comparing to how much time is spent interacting with real people.

E

As with any addiction, steps can be taken to treat computer addiction. Limiting the amount of time spent on the computer or playing video games is a simple step. If your computer is on all the time, switch it off. Guidelines for children suggest allowing no more than one hour per night on the PC or playing video games.

H

Computer addiction is said to be increasing. More and more people are spending time in cyberspace in a virtual world of their own making. If not treated, this condition can lead to reduced social skills and degradation in the addict's quality of life.