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UNIT 1 TECHNOLOGY IN USE

I Describing technical functions and applications

1 Read the conversation and complete the following notes.

1a Paula, a design engineer for a GPS manufacturer, is discussing product development
with José, a senior manager new to the company.

Paula: Obviously navigation is the primary application of most GPS devices.
José: Sure.
Paula: Then you've got associated applications, uses that are related to navigating, such as
tracking systems you can use for monitoring delivery vehicles and finding stolen cars, that kind
of thing.
José: Mm.
Paula: And then there are more creative features. A good example would be on a boat GPS, you
get drift alarms. So if the anchor starts to drag and the boat starts moving, there's a setting on
the GPS that allows it to detect the movement, and an alarm sounds to warn you, and prevents
the boat from drifting unnoticed. José: I see.
Paula: Or another example on boat systems is man overboard buttons. So if you’re sailing along
and someone falls into the sea, you hit a button, which logs the position and ensures that you
don’t lose track of where you were, which then enables you to turn round and come back to the
same point and find the person.
José: Right.
Paula: So, these are the kinds of applications we want to develop, more specialized, and more
creative.
José: So. effectively, you’re not talking about technical innovations. What you're really looking
for is innovative ways of actually using the technology.
Paula: Precisely. Because these days, from the end-user’s point of view, accuracy is no longer
the main selling point. Most devices are accurate enough. The key is to make them more useful.
So in terms of development, that’s the kind of...

• the primary application of GPS (1)
• associated applications Tracking systems for (2)
Tracking systems for (3)
• more creative features (4) alarms
(5) buttons
• not technical innovations (6) the technology

1b Complete the following extracts from the discussion with words that come from use.

1 Then you’ve got associated applications, that are related to
navigating...
2 ... tracking systems you can for monitoring delivery vehicles ...
3 ... from the end- point of view, accuracy is no longer the main selling
point. Most devices are accurate enough. The key is to make them more .

4