Subtitles section Play video
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Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Rob...
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Neil: ... and I'm Neil. Hello.
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Rob: Hello, Neil! Can I borrow your phone charger please?
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My phone's just died.
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Neil: Er ... I don't think my charger is compatible with your phone.
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Compatible means when you can use things together...
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I'm afraid they'll be no status updates for you today.
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Rob: Oh dear. I can't believe it's run out of power already.
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Neil: Well, you shouldn't have bought a state-of-the-art phone,
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it's a big drain on the battery.
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Rob: State of the art means something that has the newest ideas and features like my phone.
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So I should have stuck with a dinosaur like yours, eh, Neil?
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Neil: And dinosaur here means something that is out-dated.
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You can laugh at my phone, but it's got plenty of battery life left ─ unlike yours! Rob.
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Rob: Hmmm... I might just pop out and ask if someone's got the same charger...
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Neil: Stay where you are. We're recording a programme!
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And today's show is... you guessed it...all about phones!
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Rob: That's right, Neil. And we're also talking about wireless furniture...
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Neil: I beg your pardon?
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Rob: Yes. Furniture with built-in wireless charging technology ─ like a coffee table.
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Built in means the technology is included as part of the table.
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So you just pop your phone on the table, and technology does the rest!
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Neil: Magic! And wireless technology is the way
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mobile phones work using radio waves to send and receive data.
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So that's what we need ─ a desk with a built-in charging spot for both our phones!
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But would it be compatible for both of them?
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Rob: Well, that's an excellent question ─ and I don't have the answer.
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But can you tell me the answer to this question:
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What do modern phone batteries contain?
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Is it... a) nickel? b) lithium?
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or c) lead-acid?
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Neil: Well, lead-acid sounds dangerous...
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so I think it's either nickel or lithium.
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I'll go with lithium.
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Rob: OK. We'll find out if you're right or wrong later on.
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But now let's listen to journalist Daisy Buchanan
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who thinks that mobile phones have stopped us having conversations.
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And listen out for a phrase that means 'It's unlikely to happen soon'.
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Daisy Buchanan: I was thinking yesterday how it used to be,
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you know, you used to sort of go into a cafe
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or a pub maybe and look for where the loos are
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but now the first thing we're looking for is sockets to try and find where you can charge if you ...
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you know, if you're having an emergency... And maybe with this, I might be being naive
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I suspect I am ─ especially with Ikea's new wireless charging furniture...
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that maybe if our batteries died a bit more frequently we are going to... you know...
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look up a bit more and have a few more conversations.
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I'm not holding my breath, but you can but hope.
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Rob: Daisy said some really interesting things there,
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so let's listen to that clip again.
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Daisy Buchanan: I was thinking yesterday how it used to be,
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you know, you used to sort of go into a cafe
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or a pub maybe and look for where the loos are
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but now the first thing we're looking for is sockets to try and find where you can charge if you ...
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you know, if you're having an emergency... And maybe with this, I might be being naive
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I suspect I am ─ especially with Ikea's new wireless charging furniture...
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that maybe if our batteries died a bit more frequently we are going to... you know...
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look up a bit more and have a few more conversations.
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I'm not holding my breath, but you can but hope.
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Rob: So did you get it?
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Another way of saying 'It's unlikely to happen soon' is I'm not holding my breath.
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Now, Daisy doesn't seem keen on the idea of wireless charging furniture.
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She thinks our phones are stopping us from having conversations.
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Neil: It sounds ridiculous, but it's true, isn't it?
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We spend far too much time staring at our phones instead of talking to each other.
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Rob: Sorry. What's that, Neil? I was just looking at my phone.
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Neil: Come on, Rob! Put the phone away.
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Rob: OK. Well, that's because phone functionality
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─ that's what a phone can do ─ is increasing all the time.
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But let's move on now and think green for a minute.
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Are there any environmental factors to consider in relation to new mobile phone technology?
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Neil: Let's listen to Fevzi Turkalp
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talking about the latest model of one mobile phone brand ─ and find out.
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Fevzi Turkalp: They've taken the decision to make it a sealed unit so no user-replaceable battery...
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And I guess ... you're more likely then to say
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you know what I won't replace the battery I'll just get a new phone.
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Rob: So Fevzi says this new phone doesn't have a user-replaceable battery,
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meaning you can't take it out and replace it ─ and this is a problem for the environment.
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Neil: That's right ─ environmentalists want products that are designed to be taken apart.
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Then they can easily be upgraded, repaired or recycled.
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But you can't do this with a sealed unit ─ a unit that cannot be opened.
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Rob: And this means toxic ─ or poisonous ─ materials are often dumped in landfill.
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And you guessed it ─ that's really bad for the environment.
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Now, remember at the beginning of the programme I asked you:
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What do modern phone batteries contain?
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Neil: And I said lithium...
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Rob: And you know your batteries well because that's the right answer!
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Neil: Wow. What a great guess! Now Rob, how about those words again?
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Rob: OK, the words we heard today were:
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compatible, state of the art, dinosaur, wireless furniture, built in, wireless technology,
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I'm not holding my breath, functionality, think green, user-replaceable, sealed unit, toxic.
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Neil: Well, that brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English.
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We hope you're feeling charged up by today's programme.
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Please join us again soon.
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Both: Bye.