Siri is an artificial intelligence (AI) that you can carry around in the pocket, where it waits patiently to be told what to do. In the week we spend together, my AI assistant has performed admirably in finding me restaurants, or the location of the nearest coffee shop.

    A typical command might be: “Reserve a table for two at a good French restaurant in San Francisco.” Siri responds by presenting a list of top-rated restaurants that can be booked on OpenTable.com. If you say which time you want, it can book you a table without your lifting a finger. In some ways Siri is just a fancy program to the 35 websites it can connect to, from taxi booking websites to movie review databases (数据库). But what's new is the way it can analyze the intentions of its users and use those sites to put them into action.

    Siri attaches possibilities to the explanation of each word and compare your location with other data, some of which you must provide yourself. To send email reminders, Siri obviously needs to know your email address. To “find me the flower shop closest to work”, it needs to know where you work. To pay bills or buy airline tickets, it would need to be linked to your credit card.

    That raises the question of how far we are willing to trust a piece of software that can go and do things for us based on what it “thinks” we mean. Siri may be simple, and always shows its explanation of a command before carrying it out. But it gives users a preview of a new balance between privacy, trust and convenience that the expansion of AI into everyday life is likely to develop.

    Gadgets that make study fun

    Now in a world piled high with smart phones, tablets and e-readers, technology has entered the classroom in ways unimaginable. Taking classes can be fun too. All you have to do is swipe your fingers on your phone screen and download some apps, which can make your study more fun and efficient. Balancing study and play in a college setting has never been easy-and with the following few apps, it'll be tough to tell the two apart.

    Evernote

    Use: note-taking

    Can be used on: Phone/iPad/iPod touch, Android, BlackBerry, Palm OS and     Windows, Phone 7

    Price: free

It's hard to imagine that with all the magical gadgets, the eager, studious types would still take out a notepad, a pencil, and a highlighter—and take notes in class. While it's not an actual planner or a calendar App, if you take notes to stay organized, then Evernote is for you．The main thing about Evernote is that all of your notes are automatically sent into the cloud—and then you can access them from any web-connected computer via the Evernote app or a web browser. Evernote also supports audio and photo notes-rather handy if you want to record your lecture or take photos of any projected notes. But, of course, ask for permission first.

    Wikipanion

    Use: research database

    Can be used on: iPhone/iPad/iPod touch

Price :free ( Wikipanion Plus for $4.99,or 31.87 yuan )

    Now, you don't necessarily have to go to a library or anywhere with computer services to do research work for your paper anymore. You can get access to the research databases just on your smart phone or tablet. Wikipanion gives you a simplified version of Wikipedia without leaving out any of the site's extra features. The normal links that you'd see to each section of an article are no longer on the main screen. Instead, there's small icon located at the bottom of the App, which can be used to access all the sections of an article. You can also open the links in Safari(苹果浏览器). According to the developers' site, loading Wikipedia pages with Wikipanion is a lot faster than accessing the Wikipedia site from the iPhone's browsers. To be honest, we agree.

    Conquering Bilingual News Listening in 7 Days

    Use: English learning application

    Can be used on: iPhone/iPad/iPod touch

    Price: For a limited time you can get the App for only $0.99—half price.

    Still learning English with a workbook? If so, you are behind the times. Get 21st Century Newspaper's new iPhone App, “Conquering Bilingual News Listening in 7 Days”. When you download the App on your iPhone, you can listen to the hottest bilingual news selected from the newspaper's official website (w. w. w. i2lst. cn) and read by native speakers. User can enjoy the audio bilingual news with synchronized subtitles and fantastic pictures while immersed in an authentic language environment. With a simple tap, the sentence you choose will be repeated. “Conquering Bilingual News Listening in 7 Days” has ranked No 1 on the Chinese education App list.

    While it's always a good time to visit Disneyland, there are times during the year that are better than others. Holidays, school schedules and yearly passholders greatly affect Disneyland's schedule. For example, Disneyland has a large number of locals. Many of those locals are yearly passholders, who think of the fantasy amusement park as their second home. They pop in for a few hours here or there — maybe on a weekday, or on a spring or fall Sunday morning before heading to the beach.

    Since the Happiest Place on Earth can be also one of the Busiest Places on Earth, it's helpful to have some tips in play when you hit the park. Here, we're outlining the best times to visit Disneyland in 2018.

    Weekdays in January (minus the week of New Year's Day)

    Weekdays in February (minus the days around President's Day)

    The first few days in March (until March 9, 2018)

    Weekdays in the second half of April 2018

    Weekdays in May

    The last two weeks of August

    The first half of September

    Mondays through Thursdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)

    Mondays through Thursday during the first half of December

    If you're planning a visit, but don't see your particular dates here, click the comments below. We will be happy to provide answers. And our Disneyland Crowd Calendar is also available on line. It is a helpful tool to help you get an idea of expected crowds in advance.

    David is eight. One day his friend Rose says to him, “This Sunday is my birthday. Can you come to my birthday party?” David says, “Yes.”

    On Sunday, David asks his mother if he can go to the party. His mother says, “Yes, you can go, but you must be polite. Don't ask for any food. They will give you some.” “All right, Mum.” David answers and he goes to Rose's house on his bike.

    There are lots of kids at the party. They play together for some time, and then Rose's mother gives them some food, but she forgets David. He waits and waits and then he takes his plate up and asks, “Do you want a nice clean plate?”

    Attractions in New York

    Empire State Building

    Towering over 444 meters into the sky, the building has an indoor and outdoor observation deck on the 86th and 102nd floor, where you can see the overall view of the New York City. The building houses more than 1000 businesses. You can buy your ticket online in advance to avoid waiting .Telephone ： 212-736-3100 Location ： 350 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10118.

    Open Hours： 08:00-02:00

    Central Park

    For more than 150 years, visitors have come to Central Park's 843 green acres in the heart of Manhattan. Since 1980, the Park has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy, in partnership with the public. You can visit the official website of Central Park to learn more about Park happenings and activities and to learn how to help Central Park Telephone： 212-310-6600

    Location: 59th to 110th Street, Manhattan Borough from Central Park West to 5th Avenue, New York

    City NY 10022

    Open Hours： 06:00-23:00

    The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

    The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a place of remembrance honoring those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The 9/11 Memorial Museum displays Monumental artifacts linked to the events of 9/11, while presenting stories of loss, sympathy and recovery that are central to telling the story of the 2001 attacks and the consequence. It also explores the global impact of 9/11 and its continuing significance.

    Telephone： 212-312-8800

    Location: 180 Greenwich St. World Trade Center New York City, NY 10007

    Open Hours： 09:00-20:00

    The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    At New York City's most visited museum and attraction, you will experience over 5,000 years of art from around the world. The Met is for anyone as a source of inspiration, and understanding. You can learn, escape, play, dream, discover and connect.

    Telephone： 212-535-7710

    Location ： 1000 5th Avenue, New York City, NY 10028-0198 Open Hours： 10:00-17:30

    Are you interested in hi-tech products? Here are some that you might find at the market pretty soon.

    CX-1

    Tired of dragging your bag through busy airports? Then you might want to consider CX-1. The smart suitcase uses facial recognizing software to follow its owner as he / she is checking in or heading to the gate. Though CX-1 can only move at a speed of up to seven miles per hour, a tiny tool enables owners to keep track of the suitcase's location. It is expected to be sold on the market by late 2018.

    Aibo

    Sony's latest version of the Aibo robotic dog is almost as fun as the real thing—but much less work. The pet dog can recognize its owner, obey several commands, and even recall the behavior that pleases its master the most. Aibo can also learn new tricks, take photographs, and over time, develop its own unique personality.

    Forpheus

    Forpheus, an "athletic" robot developed by Japanese technology company Omron. It teaches users how to play ping-pong. The 10-feet-tall machine uses a camera and artificial intelligence to track the ball's speed and can predict the ball's direction correctly. The smart Forpheus can also quickly test its player's abilities and adjust the playing level, making the game fun.

    Black Box VR

    Though many people determine to go to the gym once a week, few reach their goal. Black Box VR wants to change that by turning hard exercise into fun video games. Using it, gym users will find themselves fighting enemies, including big creatures—all while getting exercise.