Notes:
voice recognition 音声認識;

———————————
Voice recognition software is amazing. I can talk to my cell phone and it types exactly what I say as long as I speak slowly. I have an American accent, but I wonder if it can understand people with accents from other countries. There is a funny video that shows how accents can be a problem. Two men from Scotland with strong Scottish accents get on an elevator with voice recognition software. They need to say the floor number, but the elevator doesn’t understand them when they say 11. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
———————————

*******************************
Going to the doctor used to be different in Japan and the U.S. In Japan, you would walk in and wait until the doctor sees you. In the U.S., you would make an appointment in advance. Recently this is changing. Now there are clinics in the U.S. where you can go without an appointment, and there are clinics in Japan that require an appointment. I went to a clinic yesterday with an automated appointment system. You call a number, type in your number, and make an appointment without talking to anyone. It is convenient because you can do it at any time, day or night. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
*******************************