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当前位置:首页 -> 10级英语阅读 - > 小蚁运动相机 是否物美价廉
小蚁运动相机 是否物美价廉
添加时间:2016-02-15 20:40:18 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • Ten years is a long time in the technology industry. It was 2006 when GoPro released its first digital camera — a waterproof1, shockproof device with 32MB of memory for $80.

    十年在科技业是一个很长的时间。2006年,GoPro发布了其首款数码相机——防水抗摔、32MB记忆容量,售价80美元。

    A decade on, GoPro is publicly listed with sales set to exceed $1.6bn in 2015. Its cameras sell for up to $500 but new competition is pulling the price back.

    十年过去了,GoPro已经上市,2015年的销售额将会超过16亿美元。该公司相机最高售价达到500美元,但新的竞争正在压低价格。

    Last week, GoPro warned that the past quarter had not been as successful as it had hoped. Its shares fell faster than a base jumper, wiping hundreds of millions of dollars from its valuation.

    最近GoPro警告称,上一个季度不像之前期待的那么成功。该公司股价大跌,抹去数亿美元市值。

    In 2006, GoPro’s action camera was unique but today it is facing an attack of the clones, led by the $100 Yi Action, above.

    2006年,GoPro的运动相机还是独一无二的,但现在它面临以售价100美元的小蚁运动相机(Yi Action)为首的同类产品的竞争。

    Shared likeness2

    共享的相似性

    Its manufacturer, Xiaoyi, which makes home security cameras, is a China-based affiliate3 of local smartphone maker4 Xiaomi. It uses the tagline “See Different” but its cameras look pretty familiar.

    小蚁运动相机的制造商小蚁(Xiaoyi)生产家庭安保摄像头,是中国智能手机制造商小米(Xiaomi)旗下的子公司。小蚁推出了“改变你的拍摄方式”的标语,但它的相机看起来相当眼熟。

    Placed side by side, it is not immediately easy to tell the Yi Action camera from the long-running GoPro design. Both are matchbox size with an off-centre fisheye lens and two big control buttons.

    如果把它们放在一起,很难一下子分辨出哪个是小蚁,哪个是早就推出的GoPro。两款相机都是火柴盒大小,都有一个偏离机身中心的超广角镜头和两个较大的控制按钮。

    The Yi’s waterproof case, an extra $30, even has the same three-ringed screw that fits many GoPro accessories.

    小蚁的防水型相机价格还要高30美元,该款相机甚至有三环螺杆,适配许多GoPro配件。

    The similarity is more than skin deep. The Yi camera uses a 16 megapixel Sony Exmor R image sensor5, similar to those in GoPro’s line-up, and the same Ambarella chipset that is used in GoPro’s cube-shaped Hero4 Session, its latest camera. The Session was priced at $400 but by December that had been slashed6 to $200.

    相似之处并非只有外观。小蚁相机使用了1600万像素的索尼Exmor R影像传感器,与GoPro的配置类似,它还使用了与GoPro最新推出的立方体形状的Hero4 Session上一模一样的安霸(Ambarella)芯片组。Hero4 Session最初售价400美元,但到去年12月已大幅下跌至200美元。

    The Yi does make some concessions7 to cost, including an all-plastic case instead of the metallic8 plate often found on higher-end GoPros. With the ability to shoot in full 1080p high-definition at a slow-motion-friendly 60 frames a second, however, its specs are at least as good as the $200 GoPro Hero+.

    小蚁相机确实节约了一些成本,包括全塑料外壳,而不是较高端的GoPro相机往往采用的金属材质。 然而,小蚁相机能够以1秒60帧的速度拍摄1080P的全高清画面,轻松获得慢动作效果,这样的配置至少和200美元的GoPro Hero+一样好。

    The images reflect the high-quality parts. I took a Yi and a GoPro Session on a road trip in snowy US National Parks in Utah and Arizona. Both cameras produced excellent pictures and videos, with the GoPro’s higher resolution noticeable only if you zoom9 in.

    图像反映出相机部件的质量非常高。我带上小蚁和GoPro Session驱车前往美国犹他州和亚利桑那州大雪覆盖的国家公园。两个相机都拍摄出了精美的相片和视频,只有在放大的时候才会注意到GoPro的分辨率更高一些。

    Because both lack screens, most controls are done by wireless10 connection to a smartphone. I found the Yi app better than GoPro’s, which often struggled to connect to the camera. Neither excelled in low light but both survived the sub-zero temperatures of the Grand Canyon11 — unlike my iPhone, which lost its charge.

    由于两款相机都没有屏幕,大多数控制通过与智能手机的无线连接完成。我发现小蚁的APP比GoPro更好一些,后者往往很难实现与相机的连接。两个相机在低光环境的表现都不怎么样,但在美国大峡谷零度以下的环境下还能使用——这与我的iPhone不一样,它的电池会失去电力。

    In short, other than queasy12 feelings about intellectual property, I see little reason why anyone would pay twice as much for a low-end GoPro when they could have the Yi — with change left for a selfie stick.

    简言之,除了对知识产权感觉不安以外,我不明白为何人们在可以买小蚁的时候会花两倍的价格买低配的GoPro——省下的钱可以买自拍杆。

    Three rooms for one

    1台设备监控3个房间

    If GoPro is seeing the effect of competition from this Chinese rival, Nest should be worried by Yi’s home camera. The Alphabet-owned smart-home pioneer’s Nest Cam is seen as the leading security webcam, but at $200, it already looked pricey.

    如果说GoPro看到了这家中国竞争对手的竞争的影响,那么Nest应该担忧小蚁的家用摄像头。Alphabet旗下这家智能家居先驱公司的Nest Cam被视为领先的安全网络摄像头,但200美元的价格已经显得有些贵了。

    That was before Yi arrived with its product, which costs $60. You can remotely monitor three rooms for the price of one Nest Cam. Again, there are trade-offs: the Yi Smart camera has only 720p video resolution, unlike Nest’s 1080p, and the plastic finish is less elegant than its US rival’s metal body.

    那还是在小蚁推出其售价60美元的产品之前。你可以用一台Nest Cam的价格远程监控3个房间。同样,这里的取舍是:小蚁智能摄像头只有720P视频分辨率,而Nest有1080P,而且其塑料材质也不如美国竞争对手的金属机身美观。

    At first glance, though, the two products again look similar. Take the camera modules13 out of their stands and I struggle to discern a difference.

    不过乍看之下,这两款产品再次显得有些相像。从支架上取下摄像头模块,我很难看出两者的差异。

    Much of the magic of these devices is in the software. Nest Cam made big improvements over its predecessor14, Dropcam, in eliminating false alarms. Yi Camera, however, apes the Dropcam’s tendency to jump at its own shadow. Every evening, it interpreted its own switch to night-vision mode as an intrusion alert.

    这些设备的许多神奇体现在软件中。Nest Cam在消除错误报警方面比其前款产品Dropcam有了明显改善。然而,小蚁继承了Dropcam误报警告的倾向。每个晚上,它都会因自己转向夜间模式而发出入侵警告。

    The Yi, however, has a trick that almost makes this worth bearing. Whereas Nest charges $10 a month for cloud storage of videos, Yi Camera has its own micro SD card slot, to which clips can be saved at no cost.

    然而,小蚁用一个小技巧让人们几乎可以忍受这个缺陷。Nest对视频云存储每月收取10美元的费用,而小蚁自带micro SD卡槽,可以免费存储视频片段。

    Verdict

    结论

    Xiaomi’s smartphones have long been criticised for looking like an iPhone but, its software innovations are enough to fend15 off copycat accusations16. However, Yi’s cameras have little such differentiation17 — just a big price advantage.

    小米智能手机一直因酷似iPhone而遭受批评,但软件创新足以让其避免抄袭的指责。然而,小蚁相机几乎没有此类差异化,只是有巨大的价格优势。

     10级    英语新闻 


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    1 waterproof [ˈwɔ:təpru:f] Ogvwp   第7级
    n.防水材料;adj.防水的;vt.使...能防水
    参考例句:
    • My mother bought me a waterproof watch. 我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
    • All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box. 所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。
    2 likeness [ˈlaɪknəs] P1txX   第8级
    n.相像,相似(之处)
    参考例句:
    • I think the painter has produced a very true likeness. 我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
    • She treasured the painted likeness of her son. 她珍藏她儿子的画像。
    3 affiliate [əˈfɪlieɪt] TVBzj   第7级
    vt.使隶(附)属于;n.附属机构,分公司
    参考例句:
    • Our New York company has an affiliate in Los Angeles. 我们的纽约公司在洛杉矶有一个下属企业。
    • What is the difference between affiliate and regular membership? 固定会员和附属会员之间的区别是什么?
    4 maker [ˈmeɪkə(r)] DALxN   第8级
    n.制造者,制造商
    参考例句:
    • He is a trouble maker. You must be distant with him. 他是个捣蛋鬼,你不要跟他在一起。
    • A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman. 家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
    5 sensor [ˈsensə(r)] sz7we   第8级
    n.传感器,探测设备,感觉器(官)
    参考例句:
    • The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well. 温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
    • He plugged the sensor into a outlet. 他把传感器插进电源插座。
    6 slashed [slæʃt] 8ff3ba5a4258d9c9f9590cbbb804f2db   第7级
    v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 );鞭打;割破;削减
    参考例句:
    • Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
    • He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    7 concessions [kən'seʃənz] 6b6f497aa80aaf810133260337506fa9   第7级
    n.(尤指由政府或雇主给予的)特许权( concession的名词复数 );承认;减价;(在某地的)特许经营权
    参考例句:
    • The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工,公司将不得不作出一些让步。
    • The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。
    8 metallic [məˈtælɪk] LCuxO   第7级
    adj.金属的;金属制的;含金属的;产金属的;像金属的
    参考例句:
    • A sharp metallic note coming from the outside frightened me. 外面传来尖锐铿锵的声音吓了我一跳。
    • He picked up a metallic ring last night. 昨夜他捡了一个金属戒指。
    9 zoom [zu:m] VenzWT   第7级
    n.急速上升;嗡嗡声;vi.突然扩大,急速上升;vt.使摄象机移动
    参考例句:
    • The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds. 飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
    • I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day. 我住在一个飞机场附近,昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。
    10 wireless [ˈwaɪələs] Rfwww   第7级
    adj.无线的;n.无线电
    参考例句:
    • There are a lot of wireless links in a radio. 收音机里有许多无线电线路。
    • Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking. 无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。
    11 canyon [ˈkænjən] 4TYya   第8级
    n.峡谷,溪谷
    参考例句:
    • The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep. 美国的大峡谷1900米深。
    • The canyon is famous for producing echoes. 这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
    12 queasy [ˈkwi:zi] sSJxH   第12级
    adj.易呕的
    参考例句:
    • I felt a little queasy on the ship. 我在船上觉得有点晕眩想呕吐。
    • He was very prone to seasickness and already felt queasy. 他快晕船了,已经感到恶心了。
    13 modules ['mɒdʒʊlz] 0eb9b3af2e4a00837a1b1a854c9ea18c   第7级
    n.模块( module的名词复数 );单元;(宇宙飞船上各个独立的)舱;组件
    参考例句:
    • The course consists of ten core modules and five optional modules. 这门课程包括十个必修单元和五个选修单元。
    • Our English course is divided into modules on poetry, drama, and novels. 我们的英语课分为诗歌、戏剧和小说等单元。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    14 predecessor [ˈpri:dɪsesə(r)] qP9x0   第8级
    n.前辈,前任
    参考例句:
    • It will share the fate of its predecessor. 它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
    • The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor. 新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。
    15 fend [fend] N78yA   第8级
    vt. 谋生;保护;挡开;供养 vi. 照料;供养;力争
    参考例句:
    • I've had to fend for myself since I was 14. 我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
    • He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes. 他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。
    16 accusations [ˌækju:ˈzeɪʃənz] 3e7158a2ffc2cb3d02e77822c38c959b   第8级
    n.指责( accusation的名词复数 );指控;控告;(被告发、控告的)罪名
    参考例句:
    • There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
    • He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。
    17 differentiation [ˌdifərenʃi'eiʃən] wuozfs   第7级
    n.区别,区分
    参考例句:
    • There can be no differentiation without contrast. 有比较才有差别。
    • The operation that is the inverse of differentiation is called integration. 与微分相反的运算叫做积分。

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