Technologies Used at the Beijing Olympics
2022-02-10
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1As the Winter Olympic Games continue in China, here are some of the different technologies being used in Beijing.
2A series of different kinds of robots have been deployed to assist visitors and athletes.
3Some machines are being used to enforce social distancing requirements related to COVID-19.
4Robots are also transporting equipment, cleaning surfaces and preparing and carrying food to limit human-to-human contact.
5"Smart" waste containers are also being used, as well as machines that can make and serve alcoholic drinks and coffee.
6At the Winter Olympic Village, the athletes are sleeping on "smart beds" equipped with sensors.
7The devices collect information on things like breathing and heart rates.
8They also have controls to permit users to choose different sleeping positions, including one called "zero gravity."
9That setting is supposed to reduce pressure on muscles and joints and support higher quality sleep.
10These high-tech beds are very different from the lower-tech versions provided for Olympic athletes at last year's Tokyo Games.
11The beds used in Japan - which received wide attention for being so unusual - were made of cardboard material for environmental reasons.
12Members of the media in Beijing can try out the same beds the athletes are using in special "sleep rest cabins."
13The cabins, or containers, permit reporters to enter and rest for up to an hour.
14The cabins are fully cleaned after each use.
15China's digital money will be in use at the Olympics in the currency's first major test with foreigners.
16Visitors will be able to use digital yuan to pay for food, transportation and other goods and services.
17Users can get the currency by downloading an app, getting a digital yuan card or by exchanging foreign currency into digital form through machines in Olympic areas.
18Over the past few years, China has carried out tests with digital money in major cities.
19The Chinese government has said that so far, the digital currency has been used in about $13.8 billion worth of financial transactions.
20All Olympic attendees must use an app, called MY2022, for daily monitoring for COVID-19.
21The app permits users to send personal health information every day as a requirement to take part in the Games.
22The system is part of China's aggressive effort to limit the spread of the virus during the Games.
23But a Canadian organization that monitors internet security said in a report released last month that the MY2022 app contains major security weaknesses.
24The security problems could lead to private user information being exposed, Toronto-based Citizen Lab said.
25This could include sensitive information such as passport details and medical and travel history, the group said.
26The report said the app does not effectively protect such information.
27This means it is possible it could be read by Chinese internet service providers or telecommunications companies through Wi-Fi "hotspots" at hotels, airports and places holding Olympic competitions.
28The app also permits users to report "politically sensitive" content, Citizen Lab reported. And it includes a "censorship keyword list."
29The group said the list can identify different political subjects, including Chinese policies in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as naming government agencies.
30Because of security and privacy questions, cybersecurity company Internet 2.0 advised attendees to buy and take a new phone with them to use while in China.
31The company said this move can protect a user's personal information that is stored on their normal phone.
32Visitors were also urged to create a new email address and browser account on the temporary phone for use in China.
33I'm Bryan Lynn.
1As the Winter Olympic Games continue in China, here are some of the different technologies being used in Beijing. 2Robots 3A series of different kinds of robots have been deployed to assist visitors and athletes. Some machines are being used to enforce social distancing requirements related to COVID-19. 4Robots are also transporting equipment, cleaning surfaces and preparing and carrying food to limit human-to-human contact. "Smart" waste containers are also being used, as well as machines that can make and serve alcoholic drinks and coffee. 5Smart beds 6At the Winter Olympic Village, the athletes are sleeping on "smart beds" equipped with sensors. The devices collect information on things like breathing and heart rates. They also have controls to permit users to choose different sleeping positions, including one called "zero gravity." That setting is supposed to reduce pressure on muscles and joints and support higher quality sleep. 7These high-tech beds are very different from the lower-tech versions provided for Olympic athletes at last year's Tokyo Games. The beds used in Japan - which received wide attention for being so unusual - were made of cardboard material for environmental reasons. 8Members of the media in Beijing can try out the same beds the athletes are using in special "sleep rest cabins." The cabins, or containers, permit reporters to enter and rest for up to an hour. The cabins are fully cleaned after each use. 9Digital currency 10China's digital money will be in use at the Olympics in the currency's first major test with foreigners. Visitors will be able to use digital yuan to pay for food, transportation and other goods and services. Users can get the currency by downloading an app, getting a digital yuan card or by exchanging foreign currency into digital form through machines in Olympic areas. 11Over the past few years, China has carried out tests with digital money in major cities. The Chinese government has said that so far, the digital currency has been used in about $13.8 billion worth of financial transactions. 12App monitoring 13All Olympic attendees must use an app, called MY2022, for daily monitoring for COVID-19. The app permits users to send personal health information every day as a requirement to take part in the Games. The system is part of China's aggressive effort to limit the spread of the virus during the Games. 14But a Canadian organization that monitors internet security said in a report released last month that the MY2022 app contains major security weaknesses. The security problems could lead to private user information being exposed, Toronto-based Citizen Lab said. This could include sensitive information such as passport details and medical and travel history, the group said. 15The report said the app does not effectively protect such information. This means it is possible it could be read by Chinese internet service providers or telecommunications companies through Wi-Fi "hotspots" at hotels, airports and places holding Olympic competitions. 16The app also permits users to report "politically sensitive" content, Citizen Lab reported. And it includes a "censorship keyword list." The group said the list can identify different political subjects, including Chinese policies in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as naming government agencies. 17Personal device warning 18Because of security and privacy questions, cybersecurity company Internet 2.0 advised attendees to buy and take a new phone with them to use while in China. The company said this move can protect a user's personal information that is stored on their normal phone. Visitors were also urged to create a new email address and browser account on the temporary phone for use in China. 19I'm Bryan Lynn. 20Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters, The Associated Press, VOA News and online sources. 21We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 22____________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24athlete - n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength 25cardboard - n. thick, strong paper that is often used to make boxes 26app - n. a computer program that performs a special function, usually found on mobile phones 27transaction - n. a business deal : an occurrence in which goods, services, or money are passed from one person, account, etc., to another 28monitor - v. to watch something carefully and record the results 29expose - v. to remove what is covering or protecting something 30censorship - n. the system or practice of censoring books, movies, letters, etc. 31browser - n. a computer program that permits you to look at pages on the internet