遏制购物欲神器出世,再买买买就电手
Wristband uses electric zaps to keep wearers from spending too much money
For many of us, checking our bank balances can result in a nasty shock if they have been unable to control their spending habits.
对我们很多人来说,如果控制不了购物习惯,查看银行存款余额的时候就会目瞪口呆.
But now a British company is hoping to turn this into a real physical sensation.
但是现在,一家英国公司希望把这种震惊转化成生理上的真实感觉.
A wristband that delivers a 255 volt electric shock can now be linked to bank accounts, to send a shock when the user's bank account reaches below a certain threshold.
现在,一款可传导255伏电击的手环可与银行账户绑定,一旦用户的银行存款下降到一定的额度,就会发射电击.
The wristband was first launched in 2014 by a US-based company called Pavlok.
此款手环在2014年由一家叫做巴甫洛克的美国公司第一次推出.
At first it was designed as a 'personal coach on your wrist' and, to encourage the development of good habits and could even be used to help stop overeating.
起初,这款手环的设计思路是"手腕上的私人教练",可以鼓励良好习惯的养成,甚至能够用于阻止暴饮暴食.
Now British firm Intelligent Environments has launched software that can link the wristband to people's bank accounts.
现在英国的智能环境公司已经推出了一款能够绑定手环和银行账户的软件.
The idea behind the shocking invention is that the two milliampere shock will condition wearers to develop and stick to good habits by associating the bad habits with the uncomfortable yet effective shock.
这一发明令人震惊,其背后的想法是,两毫安的电击虽不舒服,却可以有效更正坏习惯,有利于佩戴者形成并坚持良好的习惯.
It could also be used to save heating bills, by working with smart metres and encouraging people to turn their thermostats down.
它还可以与智能电表合作,鼓励人们调低暖气温度,节省取暖费用.
Chief executive David Webber said the idea was about consumer choice.
首席执行官大卫•韦伯说,此想法是为了帮助消费者做选择.
'This is about reacting to changes in your financial well-being,' he said. 'Willpower is great if you've got it - not everybody has.'
他说："这款设备旨在帮助人们应对财务状况的变化.如果你意志力强当然很好,但不是每个人都能控制住自己."
But Professor Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert from Surrey University, told the BBC the more connections which are made between devices, the greater the risk of a security weakness.
但是萨里大学网络安全专家艾伦•伍德沃德教授对BBC说,绑定的设备越多,安全风险越大.
'According to reports, the device can link to a customer's bank account, which could leave the door open for cybercriminals to access bank details.' Liviu Itoafa, security researcher at Kaspersky Lab said.
卡巴斯基实验室安全研究员利维乌•依托亚法说,"据报道,这款手环可以和顾客的银行账户绑定,为黑客盗取银行账户的详细信息打开了大门."
