Vibrating iPhone app lets you take hands-free 360-degree videos
Before you read: some questions to help you think about the topic and the words you might need.
What new smartphone App would you like to see invented?
What is your favorite smartphone App? Why?
What will be the cool smartphone Apps for 2013?
We're still essentially at the beginning of the innovation cycle when it comes to smartphone apps, but even now there are amazing new apps that offer the ability to do things that can seem like magic. The newest of these includes an app that uses the iPhone 5's vibration function in a way that even Steve Jobs never imagined.
Cycloramic is an app that uses the vibration function of the iPhone 5 as well as the phone's accelerometers to automatically turn the phone in a full circle, creating 360-degree panoramic videos on any hard, flat surface. While this idea is simple in terms of execution, Cycloramic's operation is so seamless and smooth that some viewers thought the video was a hoax when the developers first posted a demonstration video of the app. At this point, the app doesn't take panoramic photos, and the videos don't include sound, but it's still impressively innovative.
Among the app's fans are none other than Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who gave the public a demonstration of the app from his own kitchen.
Guessing meaning from context (the words around that word or phrase).
Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. The answers are below the table.
|
cool |
A |
1 |
A wide view in a full circle |
|
innovation cycle |
B |
2 |
Fashionable, people think it has relaxed and individual style |
|
panoramic |
C |
3 |
Not real, a trick |
|
in terms of execution |
D |
4 |
Something that makes a big impact or you think is very great |
|
seamless |
E |
5 |
A smooth change from one thing to the next |
|
hoax |
F |
6 |
From this/a moment of time |
|
At this point |
G |
7 |
In relation to action, making a plan happen |
|
impressively |
H |
8 |
New ideas that lead to other new developments and ideas |
A=2, B=8, C=1, D=7, E=5, F=3, G=6, H=4
Some example sentences using the new words to help you to better understand their meaning.
1. Smartphones are probably the coolest change in the innovation cycle of phones in history
2. From the top of Mt Namsan you can see a full panorama of Seoul.
3. We can plan a lot, but we won’t know if it is successful in terms of execution until we begin doing it.
4. The company’s software upgrade was seamless because there were no obvious problems when the company changed from the older to the newer version.
5. Be careful about opening spam mail because almost all offers to make a lot of money are a hoax.
6. The bank said that at this point we can’t loan you the money until you can show more documents.
7. South Korea’s economic changes from the 1970’s to the 2000’s were impressive.
Some discussion questions using the new words to help you better understand the word meaning and how to use them correctly. Try to use the words in your answer.
1. If you have a smartphone what is the coolest App you have? Would you agree that the App in today’s reading is also cool?
2. If you work for this App company then what do you think will be the next change in their innovation cycle?
3. How would you use an App that does panoramic videos? Where would you want to take a panoramic photo or video?
4. In terms of execution, how should the company execute their new idea to get people to buy it?
5. What do you think the writer meant by the video being seamless?
6. What would you do if you bought an App and felt it was a hoax? How do you think we are protected from hoaxes when buying smartphone Apps?
7. At this point in the App’s innovation cycle, would you buy this App? Why or why not?
8. Do you find this App impressive? Why or why not? How could it be more impressive?
ECK Education
