2019年12月23日星期一

liner, platform, transform, taxation, streamline, a drop in the ocean, Starliner, ways and means

Everything about MacBook Air has been streamlined. And then streamlined again. Except for the things that shouldn't be, starting with the full-size, backlit keyboard and 13.3-inch widescreen display. On the inside (yes, there's an inside), it boasts an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of memory, and amazing wireless capabilities. Mobile computing suddenly has a new standard.

Pilots at Taiwanese liner strike during Lunar New Year rush

Washington Post

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Pilots from Taiwan's China Airlines went on strike Friday in the middle of the Lunar New Year travel rush, forcing the cancellation of ...

Cruise Lines Urged to Shrink Their Footprints

By JENNIFER CONLIN
According to environmentalists, carbon dioxide emissions are just a drop in the ocean when it comes to eco problems on luxury liners.

The Stamp Act was passed ‪#‎onthisday‬ in 1765.

These tax stamps were issued as a result of the British Government’s Stamp Act which would extract taxation from its American Colonies to contribute towards the cost of their defence from enemy forces during the Seven Years War.

Opposition to the tax was strong, resulting in protests and rioting amid cries of 'no taxation without representation'. http://bit.ly/22zdFxk

China, Taiwan take step to improve ties

China and Taiwan have agreed to set up permanent offices to

coordinate continuing contacts. The deal was reached in Beijing

during the first formal talks in nearly a decade between the two

sides. A 19-member Taiwanese delegation is in China to finalise

agreements on charter flights and tourism. Relations between the two

have warmed considerably since Ma Ying-jeou won Taiwan's

presidential poll in March on a platform of improving relations with

Beijing.

platform (IDEAS) Show phonetics

noun

1 [C usually singular] an opportunity to make your ideas or beliefs known publicly:

By refusing to give us a grant to make this programme, they are denying us a platform.

2 [S] all the things that a political party promises to do if they are elected:

We campaigned on a platform of low taxation.

platform (COMPUTING) Show phonetics

noun [C]

describes the type of computer system you are using, in connection with the type of software (= computer programs) you can use on it:

This new personal banking software can be used with any Windows platform.

ways and means

pl.n.

Methods and resources available to accomplish an end, especially to meet expenses.
Methods and means, especially legislation, for raising revenue needed by a government.

Committee of Ways and Means　【英美議会】（the ～）歳入委員会.

Ways and Means Committee

A permanent committee of the House of Representatives, which makes recommendations to the House on all bills for raising revenue. The committee is the principal source of legislation concerning issues such as taxation, customs duties, and international trade agreements.

transform
verb [T]
to change completely the appearance or character of something or someone, especially so that they are improved:
The reorganization will transform the British entertainment industry.
[R] Whenever a camera was pointed at her, Marilyn would instantly transform herself into a radiant star.

transformation
noun [C or U]
Local people have mixed feelings about the planned transformation of their town into a regional capital.
I'd never seen Carlo in smart evening clothes before - it was quite a transformation.

在2008年英特爾春季開發者論壇（Intel Developer Forum Spring 2008）的主題演講中，壓軸者原訂為英特爾CTO賈斯汀·萊特納（Justin Rattner），臨時突然改為英特爾副總裁兼研究部門總監錢安達（Andrew Chien）。他演講的主題為“Digital Transformation”。

　　錢安達說，如果說19世紀是源於蒸汽機的工業革命時代，20世紀是源於電腦發明的資訊化時代，則“21世紀可以說是互動時代（Interaction Age）”。因此，電腦教育非常重要，Classmate PC具有重大意義。

　　另外，作為Transformation的實例，錢安達除了介紹美國Refocus Imaging的技術之外，還介紹了節電技術“Platform Power Management”。表示應該就平臺整體進行把握，而不是單純著眼于微處理器。例如依電腦的工作狀態減少供電。這不只是硬體，還與OS、虛擬機監視器、管理機構、監控機構等各種要素相關。英特爾已經與台灣臺達電子（Delta Electronics）合作，開發出了根據電腦工作狀態改變供電量的電源。“當負載為最低水準時，可削減70％以上的耗電”（錢安達）。

　　關於今後的軟體技術，錢安達介紹了該公司正在開發的“Ct”。Ct能夠以自動多線程展開程式中指定的可並行部分。因此，程式員即使不注意並行處理中的複雜處理，也能夠編寫出利用多核的高性能程式。在主題演講中，英特爾中國研究中心董事總經理方之熙（Jesse Fang）登臺演示了中國東軟（Neusoft）開發的即時汽車識別技術。

　　在演講的最後，錢安達對台下的開發者發出開發變革（Transformation）技術的呼籲：“孕育變革的是在座各位”。（記者：北鄉達郎）

■日文原文
【IDF】デジタル技術で新たな“変革”を生み出そう

streamline

━━ n., a., vt. 流線, 流線形（の，にする）, 簡素化する, 合理化する.
stream・lined　a. 流線型の; 現代［能率］化した.
stream・liner　n. 流線型列車.
streamline (IMPROVE)
verb [T]
to improve the effectiveness of an organization such as a business or government, often by making the way activities are performed simpler:
The cost-cutting measures include streamlining administrative procedures in the company.
The government recently announced details of its plan to streamline the taxation system.
Streamlining management could save at least 10 percent in costs.

streamline (SHAPE)
verb [T]
to shape something so that it can move as effectively and quickly as possible through a liquid or gas:
Streamlining cars increases their fuel efficiency.
The bodies of dolphins are more streamlined than those of porpoises.