English-For-Techies: Location-Based Tracking

Location-Based Tracking

Abridged from The Observer - December 7, 2003

1 Picture the scene. You are supposed to be attending a sales conference in Crewe when you are woken from your slumber by the ring tone from your company-issue mobile phone. “I’m here now,” you lie to your boss from the comfort of your hotel bed, safe in the knowledge that she will never know otherwise.

2 But, alas, your mobile phone uses a new technology which means your boss can pinpoint your exact location.

3 It is the stuff of slackers’ nightmares. But “Location based tracking” – to use the mobile phone industry’s terminology – is about to become reality.

4 Mobile-phone networks will soon be able to pinpoint the precise location of a handset owner to within 10 metres or less. From the middle of next year many phones will carry Global Satellite Positioning chips, while another new technology, known as “Triangulation” can pinpoint a mobile-phone user’s wherabouts.

5 The concept has already been warmly embraced by a number of firms. “It’s popular with fleet and logistics firms who want to know where their lorries are,” said Julie Ramage of mobile-phone consultancy Analysys.

6 But the move has sparked huge controversy among civil liberty groups who fear that mobile-phone companies will be able to play Big Brother.

7 It’s a very worrying development. The scope for the misuse of this technology is enormous,” said Barry Hugill, spokesman for the civil rights group Liberty.

8 At the heart of the issue is who should be allowed to track a mobile phone. “If you have a mobile phone, your network operator must know where you are in order to provide a service. The issue is whether they make that information available to third parties,” Ramage said. “That information cannot just be used by anybody. People have to sign up to have the information shared.”

9 Some experts are worried that firms might make it a condition of an employee’s job specification that they give their consent for their phone to be tracked.

© Telegraph Group Limited 2004.

EXPLICATIONS

Noms composés à deux éléments :
sales conference - ring tone - hotel bed - mobile phone - handset owner - network operator : le terme pivot est celui de droite. La traduction se fait de droite à gauche. Ex. : hotel bed = lit d'hôtel.

Noms composés à trois éléments et plus (= empilements) :
company-issue mobile phone - location-based tracking - Global Satellite Positiong chips - mobile-phone consultancy - civil liberty groups - mobile-phone companies - civil rights groups : le terme pivot est celui de droite. La traduction se fait de droite à gauche. Ex. : mobile-phone company = société de téléphonie mobile

Cas possessifs :
slackers' nightmares - (the) mobile phone industry's terminology - (a) mobile phone user's whereabouts - (an) employee's job specification : la traduction se fait de droite à gauche. Ex. : (the) mobile phone industry's terminology = la terminologie de l'industrie de la téléphonie mobile

Énumérations elliptiques :
fleet and logistics firms : en 1 : firms, en 2 : fleet, en 3 : and, en 4 : logistics

EXPLOITATION

I - Which words in the text are synonymous with / Quels sont les mots du texte synonymes de

par. 1 - to imagine = - to be present at = - sleep = - secure = - to know differently = par. 2 - to identify = par. 4 - location = (mot pluriel) par. 5 - to adopt =	- truck = par. 6 - initiative = - amidst = par. 8 - at the core of = - problem, question = - so as to = par. 9 - to be monitored =

II - Find out in the text the English equivalents for / Trouver dans le texte l'équivalent anglais de

titre - localisation électronique, pistage électronique = par. 1 - assister à une réunion commerciale = - être tiré de sa torpeur = - sonnerie (de téléphone) = - téléphone fourni par votre société = - mentir = - à l'abri = - sachant que = par. 2 - localiser avec précision, identifier la position de = par. 3 - voilà ce dont est fait = - cauchemar pour les tire-au-flanc = - être sur le point de = par. 4 - réseau de téléphonie mobile = - propriétaire de combiné = - à dix mètres près = - puces (électroniques) = - tandis que = par. 5 - adopté avec enthousiasme = - un grand nombre de =	- il a du succès auprès de = - société de location de véhicules = par. 6 - initiative = - déclencher une controverse = - parmi = - association de défense des libertés civiques par. 7 - évolution inquiétante = - l'éventail des possibilités pour, le potentiel pour = - mauvaise utilisation, détournement = - porte-parole = par. 8 - au cœur du problème = - pister, poursuivre à la trace = - fournir un service = - le problème est de savoir si = - rendre ... disponible = - tierce partie = - tout simplement = - s'inscrire = par. 9 - s'inquiéter de ce que = - rendre obligatoire dans = - la définition des tâches d'un employé = - donner son consentement =

III - Questions / Questions

a/ Find a proper equivalent in the text to the underlined words: - Location-based tracking is going to become reality : - a new technology going under the name of "triangulation" : - people must sign up to have the information shared :

b/ Choose the right translation for the underlined words: - Who should be allowed to track a mobile phone?(doit être autorisé, devrait être autorisé, sera autorisé, serait autorisé) - Mobile-phone networks will be able to pinpoint the precise loction (pourront être capables de, seront capables de, devront être capables de, veulent être capables de)

c/ Correct the translation of the underlined words: - Picture the scene : Photographiez la scène - The concept is popular with firms : Ce concept est populaire auprès des loueurs de voitures - a mobile-phone user's whereabouts : le domicile d'un utilisateur de téléphone portable

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