Marketing in the Tobacco Industry Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing in the Tobacco Industry - Term Paper Example The American cigarettes are natural and do not contain chemical additives such as Camel, Kool and Marlboro which are contained in other popular cigarette brands. Philip Morris International is a company engaged in manufacturing and selling of cigarettes and a variety of tobacco products in the outside markets of the United States of America (Wallace, 2004, pp. 440). Tobacco products sold by the company include hand rolling tobacco, pipe tobacco and cigars. It is the leading international tobacco producing company in the number of cigarette brands. The company sells its products in approximately 180 countries. The company’s markets are divided into four geographical segments: Eastern Europe, the European Union Region, Africa and Middle East and Canada and Latin America Region. Philip Morris International employs approximately 12,500 workers in the 9 factories owned by the company in 8 member states. The company sells both international and local brands which range from premium, mid-price and low price. Premium priced brands include Merit, Marlboro, Virginia Slims and Parliament. Mid-price brands are Chesterfield and L&M. international brands include Muratti, Lark, Next, Red & White, Philip Morris and Bond Street. Local cigarette brands of cigarettes owned by the company include Fortune, Champion and Hope in Philippines and Morven Gold in Pakistan. Liggett Vector Brands is a tobacco company in the United States with its headquarters located in North Carolina (Pampel, 2009, pp. 307). The company is marketing, sales and distribution agent for tobacco products manufactured by Vector tobacco and Liggett group. Vector tobacco is a cigarette manufacturing and a research company with qualified and experienced research and development specialists and a top tobacco management team who aim at developing and marketing innovative tobacco products. The company offers products under the trade names of Eve, Liggett Select, Grand Prix, Pyramid and Quest. Liggett Vector Br ands also offers assistance with engineering, purchasing and maintenance processes. The company manufactures a variety of cigarette brands and is compliant to the Settlement Agreement between the 46 states and tobacco industries. Liggett Vector Brands complies with the marketing and advertising restrictions contained in the agreement on prohibition of tobacco products marketing to the youth. In the mid 1990s, laws were set against big tobacco companies. This was the time when SFNTC had started expanding its operations. In 1996, the company moved to North Carolina where developed tobacco companies had started scaling back to tobacco growing operations. SFNTC started producing its organic tobacco when the organic food productions act of 1990, which required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set standards- accepted nationally-for organic products, had been passed. Since 2002, the company has been operating as an independent unit of Reynolds America Inc. SFNTC’s fields can be divided into two basing on how the company labels and markets manufactured cigarettes: tobacco grown under requirements of organic ideal and tobacco not grown under requirements to gain organic designation. SFNTC operates in an environmentally sustainable manner. All facilities in the company are wind powered. It is the only tobacco producing company that has earned the Green Power

Reversible Data Hiding on Color Images

Reversible Data Hiding on Color Images REVERSIBLE DATA HIDING ON COLOR IMAGES USING DIFFERENCE HISTOGRAM MODIFICATION Subash David A   Abstract: Data embedding is done by processing these selected coefficients of the modified subband histograms. We present a high capacity reversible watermarking scheme using the technique of difference average value coefficients of image blocks by using the tool Matlab. This scheme takes advantage of difference average value coefficients, which permits low distortion between the watermarked image and the original one caused by the LSB bit replacement operations of the watermarking technique specifically in the embedding process. By the proposed approach, compared with the conventional one-dimensional difference-histogram and one-dimensional prediction-error-histogram-based RDH methods [3] [20], the image redundancy can be better exploited and an improved embedding performance is achieved. Keywords: DPM, Histogram, LSB, Matlab, RDH, Watermarking, I.INTRODUCTION For most image data hiding methods [1], the host image is permanently distorted and it cannot be restored from the marked content. But in some applications such as medical image sharing multimedia archive management and image trans-coding any distortion due to data embedding is intolerable and the availability of the original image is in high demand. To this end, a solution called â€Å"reversible data hiding† (RDH) is proposed, in which the host image can be fully restored after data embedding. RDH is a hybrid method which combines various techniques to ensure the reversibility. Its feasibility is mainly due to the lossless compressibility of natural images. Many RDH methods [10] have been proposed in recent years, e.g., the methods based on lossless compression, difference expansion (DE), histogram shifting (HS), and integer transform [5], etc. Many researchers’ algorithm plays as an important work of RDH. In DE algorithm, the host image is divided into pixel pairs, and the difference value of two pixels in a pair is expanded to carry one data bit. All these methods aim at increasing the embedding capacity (EC) as high as possible while keeping the distortion low. This method can provide an embedding rate (ER) up to 0.5 bits per pixel (BPP) and it outperforms the previous compression based works. For the proposed method, by considering a pixel-pair and its context, a local image region is projected to a two-dimensional space to obtain a sequence of images that consisting of difference pixel variant pairs. Then, a two-dimensional difference histogram is then generated by counting the difference-pairs. Here, the DPM is an injective mapping defined on difference-pairs, and it is a natural extension of expansion embedding and shifting techniques used in current histogram-based methods. Finally, reversible data embedding is implemented according to a specifically designed difference-pair-mapping (DPM). By using the two-dimensional difference-histogram and this specific DPM, compared with the conventional one-dimensional histogram based methods, more pixels are used for carrying data while the number of shifted pixels is reduced as well, and thus an improved embedding performance is thus achieved. A new reversible authentication technique for images embeds a significant amount of data while keeping high visual quality. In order to verify the integrity of the image, we use a cryptographic hash function. The hash code is combined with a binary logo image by a bit-wise exclusive LSB replacement [9] or as well as difference pixel pair matching based on histogram matching technique in the difference image from the original image. On the other hand, a half the number of pixels of the image are added or subtracted by 1. Thus, the classification of pixels and also the terminal classification of the zeroth pixel and the last pixel are compared and shown together. II.PROPOSED WORK 2.1. Reversible Data Hiding The reversible data hiding [1] [7] in encrypted image is investigated. Most of the work on reversible data hiding focuses on the data embedding/extracting [20] on the plain spatial domain. But, in some applications, an inferior assistant or a channel administrator hopes to append some additional message, such as the origin information, image notation or authentication data, within the encrypted image though he does not know the original image content. And it is also hopeful that the original content should be recovered without any error after image decryption and message extraction at receiver side. This presents a practical scheme satisfying the above-mentioned requirements. A content owner encrypts the original image using an encryption key, and a data-hider can embed additional data into the encrypted image using a data-hiding key though he does not know the original content. Most of the existing watermarking algorithms are lossy. Permanent distortion is introduced into the host image during the embedding process and results in Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) loss. In some applications such as legal, military and medical imaging, permanent loss of signal fidelity is not allowed. This highlights the necessity of lossless/reversible data hiding which can recover the original host signal perfectly after the watermark extraction. However, the payload of the reversible watermarking is typically lower than that of lossy watermarking algorithms. With an encrypted image containing additional data, a receiver may first decrypt it according to the encryption key, and then extract the embedded data and recover the original image according to the data-hiding key. In the scheme, the data extraction is not separable from the content decryption. In other words, the additional data must be extracted from the decrypted image, so that the principal content of original image is revealed before data extraction, and, if someone has the data-hiding key but not the encryption key, he cannot extract any information from the encrypted image containing additional data. In applications that image downsizing is required; the embedded information is extracted from the received image using lossless data hiding extraction method before the transcoding process. A â€Å"thin edge† location map is formed as side information for the image enhancement process. During image resizing, we divide the image into N x N blocks (for simplicity, assume N is a positive integer larger in value. To share medical images with some concomitant data, one approach involves adding, when allowed by the image file format, some extra header information. Unfortunately, header files are prone to manipulation and information loss may occur during file format conversion. Most data contained in the header of a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM). fig 1: Input Original Image In the presented experimental results, the algorithm is applied to each color component of three 512 Ãâ€" 512 RGB images, for all images such as Baboon, Lena, and Fruits setting T1 = T2 = T3 in all experiments. The embedding capacity depends on the nature of the image itself. In this case, the images with a lot of low frequencies contents produce more expandable triplets with lower distortion than high frequency images such as Baboon. In particular with Fruits, the algorithm is able to embed some amount of bits with a PSNR rate in dB, but with only reduced bits image quality increases at some amount of PSNR value in dB. Location Mapping: The number of subgroup points, depth of wavelet transforms and overflow/underflow book-keeping data are the necessary side information that should be embedded into the high frequency transformation coefficients besides the hidden data. Below mentioned figure shows the embedding image retrieving process. In the first block the integer wavelet transform is applied on the original image. Then the coefficients of high frequency subbands are used for constructing the subgroups. fig 2: Location Mapping Then the data and side information is hidden. The stego image carrying hidden data will be obtained after inverse integer wavelet transform. In image recovery system, the integer wavelet transform is applied on the stego image. Then by using the side information level of wavelet applying and the points of high frequency sub bands are used to construct the subgroups. In this step the data is retrieved. Then each subband histogram is inverse modified according to its subgroup points. Embedding the normal image by considering the pixel values achieved the concept of data hiding, secret data communication, etc. We need an image, an audio; a text file, a web source to be hidden or these sources can also be used to hide a particular data or any types of files. Data hiding, secret data communication, encrypting the data plays an important role in making telemedicine applications, secrecy in defense communication, etc. Each subband histogram is modified according to its subgroup coefficients. Now the subbands are ready for data embedding. The data embedding stage hides the data by subband coefficient processing. This type of flow is called reversible data hiding. The reverse process can take the same flow of getting the image as input and doing some of watermarking procedure to hide the secret data. fig 3: Image in which the secret data is kept hidden Hiding Retrieving back the Hidden Web Source: Each and every data (any data can be hidden for instance image, audio, text file, web source, etc.) Here we have done with some updations in making the data hiding process with the new algorithm of histogram and data hiding which is used for hiding a web source and retrieving it back. These use the algorithm of reversible data hiding and that the web source link will be saved in a particular place and it can be hidden in an image. Then after that the process of decrypting the watermarked image will be carried out. Herewith below shown are the retrieved image and the web source. fig 4: Extracted Original Image A sorting technique is used in this method to record prediction-errors based on the magnitude of local variance, and a pixel will be prior embedded if it has a small local variance. This method performs well and it is superior to some typical RDH schemes. fig 5: Retrieved web link source from the Watermarked image Now the inverse formula of data embedding is applied. After that inverse integer wavelet transform is applied to obtain the image. Now the side information tells us that the Overflow/Underflow post processing is required or not. The original image is obtained after this step. In the histogram modification process, the watermark is embedded into the modified difference image. The modified difference image is scanned. Once a pixel with the difference value of -1 or 1 is encountered, we check the watermark to be embedded. III.CONCLUSION DISCUSSION: This work is an attempt to employ higher dimensional histogram as a hierarchical watermarking process along the pair mapping histogram level. Compared with the previously introduced one-dimensional histogram based methods, our technique exploits the image repetition as far as good and it achieves an improved performance. Since only one pixel of a pixel-pair is allowed to be modified by 1 in value. This issue should be investigated in the future. Moreover, utilizing more suitable two-dimensional histogram and designing more meaningful Difference Pair Mapping (in arrangement of pixels) to achieve the best embedding performance is also a valuable problem. If the bit to be embedded is 1, we move the difference value of -1 to -2 by subtracting one from the odd-line pixel or 1 to 2 by adding one to the odd-line pixel. This correlation makes the pair easier to satisfy smaller thresholds and, hence, to produce a large portion of selected expandable pairs. The major drawback of reversible data hiding algorithm, is the size of the binary map. IV.REFERENCES: [1] Y. Q. Shi, â€Å"Reversible data hiding,† in Proc. IWDW, 2004, vol. 3304, pp. 1–12, ser. Springer LNCS. [2] Y. Q. Shi, Z. Ni, D. Zou, C. Liang, and G. Xuan, â€Å"Lossless data hiding: fundamentals, algorithms and applications,† in Proc. IEEE ISCAS, 2004, vol. 2, pp. 33–36. [3] G. Coatrieux, C. L. Guillou, J. M. Cauvin, and C. Roux, â€Å"Reversible watermarking for knowledge digest embedding and reliability control in medical images,† IEEE Trans. Inf. Technol. Biomed., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 158–165, Mar. 2009. [4] M. Fontani, A. D. Rosa, R. Caldelli, F. Filippini, A. Piva, and M. Consalvo, â€Å"Reversible watermarking for image integrity verification in hierarchical pacs,† in Proc. 12th ACM Workshop on Multimedia and Security, 2010, pp. 161–168. [5] S. Lee, C. D. Yoo, and T. Kalker, â€Å"Reversible image watermarking based on integer-to-integer wavelet transform,† IEEE Trans. Inf. Forensics Security, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 321–330, Sep. 2007. [6] R. Li, O. C. Au, C. K. M. Yuk, S. Yip, and T. Chan, â€Å"Enhanced image trans-coding using reversible data hiding,† in Proc. IEEE ISCAS, 2007, pp. 1273–1276. [7] K.-L. Chung, Y.-H. Huang, P.-C. Chang, and H.-Y. Liao, â€Å"Reversible data hiding-based approach for intra-frame error concealment in H.264/AVC,† IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. Video Technol., vol. 20, no. 11, pp. 1643–1647, Nov. 2010. [8] J. Fridrich, M. Goljan, and R. Du, â€Å"Lossless data embedding—new paradigm in digital watermarking,† EURASIP J. Appl. Signal Process., vol. 2002, no. 2, pp. 185–196, Feb. 2002. [9] M. U. Celik, G. Sharma, A. M. Tekalp, and E. Saber, â€Å"Lossless generalized- LSB data embedding,† IEEE Trans. Image Process., vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 253–266, Feb. 2005. [10] J. Tian, â€Å"Reversible data embedding using a difference expansion,† IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. Video Technol., vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 890–896, Aug. 2003. [11] A. M. Alattar, â€Å"Reversible watermark using the difference expansion of a generalized integer transform,† IEEE Trans. Image Process., vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 1147–1156, Aug. 2004. [12] W. L. Tai, C. M. Yeh, and C. C. Chang, â€Å"Reversible data hiding based on histogram modification of pixel differences,† IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. Video Technol., vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 906–910, Jun. 2009. [13] Z.Ni, Y.Q. Shi, N. Ansari, andW. Su, â€Å"Reversible data hiding,† IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. Video Technol., vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 354–362, Mar. 2006. [14] S. K. Lee, Y. H. Suh, and Y. S. Ho, â€Å"Reversible image authentication based on watermarking,† in Proc. IEEE ICME, 2006, pp. 1321–1324. [18] M. Fallahpour, â€Å"Reversible image data hiding based on gradient adjusted prediction,† IEICE Electron. Express, vol. 5, no. 20, pp. 870–876, Oct. 2008. [19] W. Hong, T. S. Chen, and C. W. Shiu, â€Å"Reversible data hiding for high quality images using modification of prediction errors,† J. Syst. Software, vol. 82, no. 11, pp. 1833–1842, Nov. 2009. [20] D. M. Thodi and J. J. Rodriguez, â€Å"Expansion embedding techniques for reversible watermarking,† IEEE Trans. Image Process., vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 721–730, Mar. 2007.

Queen Liliuokalani Essay -- Liliuokalani Hawaii Polynesian

Queen Lili'uokalani had ambitious plans for the nation of Hawaii, and wanted to see the rightful power of the monarch restored. Even though she was doing what she thought was best for the people of Hawaii, her dream was never meant to be. She would become known as the last queen ever to reign over the Hawaiian Islands. In the beginning, Hawaii was unknown to any humans. Polynesians eventually came across its islands, and decided to make it their home. In the early days, each island was ruled by a chief, and many times the islands were in conflict with each other. Centuries like this passed, but then "in 1782, [Queen Lili'uokalani's] cousin Kamehameha set out to conquer and unite the islands". Thirteen years later, in 1795, Kamehameha finally fulfilled his vision of a unified Hawaiian state, and he became king. The nation was then to be ruled by Kamehameha's sons. (Guzzetti 10) Queen Lili'uokalani's biological parents were Chief Kapaakea and Chiefess Keohokalole. Because it is a Hawaiian custom to give children to other couples for raising, as the Hawaiians believed it brought different families closer together, Lili'uokalani was given to Paki and Konia. She attended the Royal School, where she met many people, some who became friends, and some who she had already been acquainted with, such as her foster sister, and her biological brother, who would eventually be her predecessor, King Kalakaua. (Guzzetti 10, 12, 28) The Royal School was a new experience for her. At home, she was used to walking around barefoot and wearing as little as possible to keep cool in the warm Hawaiian climate. Because the school was administered by the Cookes, who were missionaries from New England, she had to wear western clothing, meaning she ha... ...illed and Lili'uokalani began to have more patriot feelings for the United States, instead of resentment. She even had the flag of the United States flown over her home, and the Hawaiian one lowered. 1917 Not much later, Lili'uokalani died at the age of seventy-nine. Works Cited Daws, Gavan. The Illustrated Atlas of Hawaii. Honolulu: Island Heritage, 1970. Day, A. Grove. Hawaii: Fiftieth Star. New York: Meredith Press, 1969. Day, A. Grove. Hawaii and Its People. New York: Meredith Press, 1968. Day, A. Grove and Ralph S. Kuykendall. Hawaii: A History. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1961. Guzzetti, Paula. The Last Hawaiian Queen: Liliuokalani. New York: Benchmark Books, 1997. Pratt, Julius W. Expansionists of 1898. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1964. Tabrah, Ruth M. Hawaii: A Bicentennial History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1980.

Tourism Industry in Morocco

Also, one interview was conducted with two Business School faculty members. Findings confirmed that the majority of the AH-Jell respondents are optimistic about achieving the challenge of 2010. Moreover, hey all agreed that the economic impacts of this challenge will be mostly positive while the social ones will be mostly negative. To sum up, the Moroccan government should make more efforts to develop the tourism sector, such as developing the infrastructure and the tourism industry, in order to realize this national project of sustainable development. Introduction Moroccan Kingdom is an Arab developing country situated on the extreme north-western corner of Africa. Because it is one of the rare Arab countries that don't have oil and gas resources, Morocco's economy is mainly based on agriculture and industry. Indeed, these two sectors cannot constantly provide the Moroccan government with needed and expected incomes; besides, they are unable to solve Morocco's crucial social and eco nomic problems such as unemployment and poverty.The country's strategic geographical situation and unique natural assets encourage the whole society to see tourism as the future economic sector that society can rely on. Consequently, the government sacrifices a great budget and energy to develop tourism. Moreover, it has established new agreements with many countries to bring investors and create a beneficial competition. The government's biggest challenge, from which the whole society expects a lot, is the attraction of 10 million tourists by 2010.The challenge of receiving 10 million foreign tourists by the year 2010 is a big national project that, if realized, will have a great impact on all Moroccan, among them AH Shawano University (AU') and Affair community. In fact, AH-J and Affair community constituted the main source of this research. The main purpose of this research paper is to investigate whether Morocco, with its set strategies, will be ready to receive 10 million touri sts by 2010. This challenge has en the hope of all Moroccan since the famous speech of the king Mohammed the sixth in 2001.It was chosen to explore this topic because of its importance to the economic and social life in Morocco. Moroccan believe that, if the country could development. 4 The challenge that the Moroccan government made about receiving 10 million tourists by the year 2010 brought up a set of assumptions that needed to be discussed. The first assumption about this issue was that some of tourism negative impacts on society, such as sexual tourism, will increase in many cities all over Morocco, especially in the touristy ones. Another assumption was that insecurity will spread in the country.Additionally, many Moroccan are pessimistic about the government's ability to achieve this goal. This research paper has some important concepts that need to be explained and clarified in order to have a better understanding of the topic. The one that was frequently used because of it s importance in this study is the word â€Å"challenge† which is defined as â€Å"Something needing great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully, or the situation of facing this kind of effort† according to Cambridge Dictionary.Another incept is â€Å"infrastructure†, which means â€Å"The stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country' according to Workbenches dictionary. In addition, â€Å"entertainment industry' is another word that means â€Å"An industry which consists of a large number of sub-industries devoted to entertainment. â€Å"(Wisped Encyclopedia). Another unclear term in this research paper is â€Å"Gross Domestic Product (GAP)†. According to Wisped Encyclopedia, The GAP of a country is defined as â€Å"The market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time†.This paper was set out to answer the following research question: Is Morocco ready to receive 10 million foreign visitors by 2010 and, if so, what are the possible effects of this on the economic and social life of the country? Literature Review Today, Morocco is halfway through its nine-year programmer to increase tourists' number to 10 million by the end of the decade, a challenge introduced by the King Mohammed VI in January 2001. The purpose of this literature review is to investigate some of many studies that were conducted about tourism development.Thus, the first part of it compares the Moroccan natural and cultural assets with those of other countries. The second part talks about the strategies that were settled by some countries in order to improve their tourism sector. Finally, this part of the paper copes with giving both economic and social impacts of tourism development. In the majority of developing countries, tourism is mainly based on natural and cultural assets. For instance, â€Å"Most of foreign visitors to South Africa indicat e that the wildlife is what attracted them to South Africa and that it had exceeded their expectations. (Sandman, 2001). Also, â€Å"Cyprus has long been a popular tourist destination because of its physical and climatic characteristics† (Sharply, 001). Another example is Malta which is one of the most popular Mediterranean tourist destinations because of some important factors such as â€Å"The temperate winters and subtropical summers, complemented by long daily hours of assets of countries which is the case in Singapore where â€Å"tourism is based on urban historical quarters reflecting a multicultural population† (Change, 1999).Similarly, Moroccan tourism is mainly based on natural and cultural assets because of its strategic geographical situation. For instance, Morocco is known by its 3500 km of coastlines that include many beautiful sandy beaches, and its unique Mediterranean limited and multicultural population. 6 Natural assets are fundamental but not enough to attract tourists and develop tourism sector. Thus, countries have to set well-studied and fitting strategies to get profit from their natural assets.Taking the example of Mexico, â€Å"In the sass and 1970, tourism promotion policies in developing countries focused primarily on providing infrastructural support for largesse, enclave- like projects in order to meet the demand of an ever-wealthier international clientele that was anxious to spend its leisure time abroad. † (Brenner, 2005). This example illustrates the importance of infrastructures in developing tourism sector.Sharply (2001) stated that Cypriot tourism authorities, whilst accepting that tourism has become the primary engine driving the economy, proposes a number of policies designed to overcome many of current challenges at the same time as providing a stable foundation for the future development of tourism. Making challenges is essential for the development of tourism in any country. Cyprus and Morocco are good examples that illustrate this idea. Nowadays, Morocco tends to set strategies to meet the challenge of attracting 10 million tourists by 2010. Tourism development affects the whole country, especially its economic and social sectors.As an example of economic impacts, the Kruger National Park in South Africa had a significant impact on the development of the tourism industry in the province. This industry is currently a significant sector in the Mulligan economy in terms of both contribution to production and employment, (Cayman, 2006). As Gun and Vary (2002) stated, â€Å"Through the development of tourism, more people will be employed, obtain incomes, new tax revenues will be received, and new wealth will accumulate† (p. 105). In another example, tourism is a proven employment sector in Canada. In 2004, Ontario tourism generated $21. Billion in annual revenues and accounted for approximately 486,000 Jobs. (Ontario, n. D). On the other hand, tourism development has also social impacts on the country. For instance, in Malta the impacts 7 of the natural and sex tourism were characterized by some negative effects. According to Merrimack (2001), the most important impact was the growing awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and AIDS. These bad impacts can affect negatively the progress of tourism sector in Malta. However, tourism development can also have a positive impact on the social life in any country.One of the most important positive impacts of developing tourism is that it can reduce discrimination and prejudice among people. As Golden and Ritchie (2003) stated, â€Å"One to one interaction between hosts and guest can break down stereotypes, or the act of categorizing groups of people based upon a single dimension† (p. 303). There is considerable body of researches that have been conducted on tourism development in many countries. The possible impacts of it on the economic and social sectors in Morocco. Moroccan tourism development mai nly relies on meeting the challenge of attracting 10 million foreign visitors.This research project investigated whether Morocco can meet this challenge or not and the possible outcomes of it on the economic and social life once this challenge is met. Methodology Design Approaching the Moroccan challenge of attracting 10 million tourists by 2010 required conducting analyzing and predictive research. First, investigating whether Morocco is ready to receive 10 million tourists by 2010 necessitated doing an explanatory research; analyzing information from efferent perspectives to end up with better understanding of the issue was necessary.Second, the future impact of achieving this challenge required predictive answers which were mainly supported by other countries' experiences on tourism sector like Spain, 8 focusing on how increased tourism affected their economic and social sectors. Thus, a comparison of the Moroccan economic and social conditions could be done to see if similar res ults have any chance to take place in Morocco. In exploring the issue, the study used both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods instituted an efficient way for gathering information necessary for statistics needed to reinforce the research.It was an appropriate way for approaching the two sides of the issue that deal with studying the probability of meeting the challenge and its effects on Morocco. Using qualitative methods in this investigation was also important because it afforded additional data for accomplishing the study; it was more suitable for investigating the first part of this Moroccan national project than the second one, for the fact that it was a source of detailed information about the actual situation of tourism in Morocco.Subjects An interview was held with two faculty members of Business Administration School because they constituted a more appropriate and relevant source for needed information, especially because of the fact that they have e xpertise in economic issues in Morocco of which tourism is a part of. Concerning the surveys, two types of surveys were developed; one for exchange students and the other for Moroccan students. In this research, exchange students were considered as tourists, because they are foreigners who travel in Morocco in their free time as any tourists.The second survey group was Moroccan students. They were chosen because of the fact that they have been living in Morocco and aware of national issues. Concerning the sample size, it wastes due to the small number of students in the summer session which is approximately 300 students. Also, this number of surveys has an acceptable 9 percentage of errors which is approximately 10%. The sample was randomly selected; 25 surveys were given to exchange students and 75 surveys to Moroccan students, either males or females from all levels of studies.In fact, 49 surveys were returned back: 12 surveys of exchange students and 37 surveys of Moroccan dents. Procedures The team members were separated into two pairs. Each pair was responsible for collecting data about the issue using one specific method either interview or surveys. These two methods have been chosen to collect data because while surveys were an easy and a quick method to collect statistical data. The first pair was responsible for conducting the interview and recording it. Two members of the team were required to talk to the faculty members during their office hours.Interview questions were developed depending on the position of the interviewees. It included 6 general questions about the three main parts of the topic that cope with the possibility of meeting the challenge 2010, the strategies adopted in promoting tourism in Morocco and its predicted impacts on the country. In addition, some sub- questions were included to give more specific details about the subject (Appendix 1). The second pair handed out the surveys at random to AH-Jell Moroccan and exchange students during lunchtime and whenever they meet them on campus.The majority of survey questions prepared for AH-Jell Moroccan students had the purpose to collect answers about the following issues: does Morocco have the ability to host an increased number of tourists; strategies that will facilitate meeting the 2010 challenge and possible impact of increased numbers of tourists. The surveys contained 10 closed and open-ended questions. For 10 one remaining question, subjects were asked to rank their response on a scale of 1 to 3 (Appendix 2). Concerning survey questions for exchange students, they also consisted of 10 closed and open-ended questions with one question that needed to be ranked from 1 to 3.These questions mostly focused on the experience of exchange students as visitors to Morocco (Appendix 3). Results After handing on 37 surveys to AH-Jell students and 12 surveys to exchange students, and holding an interview, many valuable results were found about the topic of the Moroccan c hallenge to attract 10 million foreign visitors by 2010. These results satisfied both the research question and the assumptions about the issue. Surveys Among 25 surveys that were distributed to exchange students, 12 surveys were returned. These students were considered as tourists in order to evaluate their opinions about tourism in Morocco.The chart below represents the level of priority accorded by exchange students to develop different services that are essential to meet the challenge of attracting 10 million tourists in Morocco. 11 Figure 1: Amenities to Develop to Meet the Challenge of 2010 Infrastructure Air-links Quality of service Hotel's capacity 29% N=12 As Figure 1 shows, the majority of exchange students (43%) claimed that the infrastructure of the country (e. G. Roads, railways, public buildings) is the most important service that needs to be developed, followed by air-links (29%), then the quality of service and hotel's capacity (14 %).Moreover, some students had othe r suggestions about what Morocco needs to develop to realize Vision 2010. Some of upgrade resort-beach areas which attract people. – To create more entertainment industry. Concerning the impact of this challenge if achieved, 100 % of students surveyed (N=12) thought that it will have a positive impact for several reasons: It will help the country to progress and develop positively and will upgrade the standard of living and influence in the world. It will bring in a lot of money to Morocco and help the economy. 2 Exchange students were also asked about what will attract 10 million tourists to visit Morocco. Figure 2 illustrates the results gotten for this question in which students were supposed to choose at least one answer between four elements: Moroccan culture, Moroccan landscapes, Moroccan coastline and Moroccan architecture. Figure 2: Tourist Attractions in Morocco 15% 34% Cultural tradition Landscape Coastlines Architecture 27% 24% N=12 Many students insisted that a co mbination of all of these elements is vital for the tourism sector in Morocco. 3 Figure 3: The Role of Moroccan to Meet the Challenge 100806040200 be g in g vow id A N=12 Moroccan population plays an important role for the success of the challenge. 5% of exchange students think that Moroccan citizens' role in meeting this challenge is to be helpful, 67% of them think that they should be friendly while 75% of them think that they should be open-minded. However, only 33% of them claim that Moroccan should avoid begging. In fact, 83 % of exchange students find that Moroccan outside AH-Jell are helpful, 75% of these students find Moroccan kind people.However, none of these students describe Moroccan as unsociable, racist, or unfriendly people. The following chart shows the most attractive cities in Morocco according to students' points of view. Re in ODL y pop en -m in deed Be he Ip full 14 Figure 4: The Most Attractive Destinations in Morocco N=12 Some students proposed other Moroccan cities, which were not proposed in the given list of cities, that they think are attractive. An example of them is Tangier and Chanson (Coffeehouse). The exchange students had different attitudes concerning safety in Morocco before and after coming. 7% of students stated that they had some concerns about safety and security in this country; however, after they came to Morocco, 92% of students feel that they are in a safe country. In this survey, exchange students were asked whether they want to come back to Morocco or not. All students surveyed want to come back to Morocco except two students who were indifferent. The main reason for coming back to Morocco, that the majority of subjects (83%) gave, is the beauty of the country including the good weather, beaches, landscapes, and its culture.In addition, two students (17%) intend to study here and do research about Amazing 1 5 culture, while the two indifferent students want to see other places before coming back to Morocco. As the e xchange student survey results illustrated, 50% of them mound some problems while they were traveling in Morocco. For instance, the language barrier is the major problem of these students since the majority of Moroccan do not speak English. While 50% did not find any problem during their journeys in Morocco. Concerning Moroccan' surveys, 37 surveys were returned among 75 surveys hand out to AH-Jell Moroccan students.Since this research project first investigates Moroccan capability to meet this challenge, one of the surveys' outcomes showed that 22 Moroccan students out of 37 (60%) believe that Morocco will be able to meet this challenge and 15 students (40%) disbelieve on this capability. Concerning the aspects that Morocco needs to develop the most in order to meet this challenge in which students can choose more than one answer, almost all of the respondents agreed that the infrastructure are the ones that need to be developed the most.Quality of service and hospitality came in t he second place with 70% of voices. Moreover, 54% of the respondents said that air-links have to be developed and only 5% thinks that hotel capacity has to be improved in Morocco. Some respondents suggested other aspects to develop. For example, they said that Morocco needs to enhance the rate of foreign investments, develop administration, improve the Moroccan mentality, develop Justice, ethical concerns and health issues, and also enhance the service provided to visitors in order to attract and retain them. 6 Figure 5: The Affected Sectors by the Moroccan Challenge 100 80 60 40 20 0 Economic social political N= 37 The chart above obviously demonstrates that students surveyed think that the economic sector will be the most affected by the meeting of this challenge, after that comes the social sector and finally the political sector. Many reasons were given for choosing the economic sector. Students said that by achieving this goal, a decrease in also said that Morocco will receive more hard currencies which are helpful for its economic balance.Furthermore, that will increase the income of the country, and the Gross Domestic Product (GAP). Concerning the social sector, some students stated that the huge coming of foreign tourists will have a very big effect on young people's behavior and mentality. Also, they said that the social layers and different people from different countries may create problems such as insecurity, and cause the disappearance of Moroccan culture. However, some of them had a positive view of the impact of this challenge over the social sector. They stated that people will be more tolerant and mutual respect for individual differences will occur.For the political sector which was the least 17 selected, some respondents said that by meeting this challenge, Morocco will change its political relationships with other countries, especially the ones from which the tourists come. Moreover, they claimed that there will be more secularism in the re gime and the 10 million tourists might serve as an implicit means of public relations to promote a good image for Morocco. Concerning the question that investigated if Morocco needs foreign investors or not to meet this challenge, 22 Moroccan students out of 35 answered yes and 13 answered no.The respondents that answered yes to this question gave many reasons for their choice. For instance, they said that Morocco needs foreign investors because they have more experience, can bring foreign currencies, will create lots of Job opportunities and are also a source of more capital and expertise. They also said that Morocco is a poor country that cannot afford all the needed money for this huge project, the Moroccan capacities are limited, Morocco lacks the know-how and capital and also they need foreign investors in order to follow the international norms.For the respondents who answered no to this question, they also gave their reasons for doing so. They said that Morocco should first u se its own energies because that will encourage young people to make investments. It should also be responsible for this challenge and employ Moroccan investors. Figure 6: Media Effectiveness in Meeting this Challenge Frequency Number of students Percentage Very effective 18 53% Somewhat effective 11 32. 3% Not very effective 5 14. % 34 18 It is clear from the table above that most of the Moroccan students that answered this question think that the media would be very effective in meeting the challenge UT forth by the Moroccan government. Figure 7: Tourist Attractions in Morocco 13% Cultural Tradition Landscapes Coastlines Architecture Other N= 37 The â€Å"other† option for this question according to the respondents included the Moroccan weather, Moroccan geographical situation to Europe, and Moroccan political stability which means no rebellions and no revolutions.When AH-Jell Moroccan students were asked about the role of the Moroccan population in meeting this challenge, 36% of them said that Moroccan have to be open-minded, 23% chose avoid begging as an answer to this question, 22% said that Moroccan must be lawful to tourists and only 18% said that they have to be friendly. Some students wrote in the â€Å"other† option that Moroccan have to avoid over-pricing products and services, stop looking at people from other cultures, avoid stealing from tourists and do not get tourists involved in fraud. 9 Another point in this survey deals with whether Morocco can assure being a safe place to visit by 2010 or not. According to the results, 85% of the Moroccan students said yes to this question and no more than 14% said no. Figure 8: Ranking of the Most Attractive Cities for Tourists 100 80 60 40 20 0 First Second Third Marched Acadia Organza Other N= 37 The chart above illustrates that the respondents chose Marched as the most attractive destination for tourists with 82% of the voices. The second choice was the city of Acadia with 61% votes.In the third place comes Organza with 39% of the voices. For the other cities, students chose among Sibilance, Assessors, Fez, and Meekness. Moreover, other respondents proposed Tangier as a good destination for tourists even if the survey did not include it. Students were asked to choose more than one answer in the expectations about the season that will recognize the largest number of tourists. According to students' answers, 83% said that the summer is the season that will recognize the largest number of tourists.After that comes the spring season then winter, and finally fall season with only three votes (8%). 20 Interview An interview was conducted with two faculty members from the School of Business Administration, who are experts in Tourism. First, the professors were asked about their opinions of the new Moroccan policy of promoting tourism, and they think that it is a good idea in the sense that tourism is a big industry that can have positive benefits on the country's economy. I n addition, they were asked a question about whether they are pessimistic or optimistic about meeting the challenge 2010.As an answer, they claimed that they are both pessimistic about the number of tourists expected; they don't believe that Morocco will receive 10 million tourists by 2010 because of many reasons. Some of these reasons are that Morocco needs to make serious projects and to make the industry more professional. However, these faculty members are both optimistic about the progress of tourism in Morocco. Second, the business faculty members agreed that Morocco is a beautiful country; there are

Sexism in Sherlock Holmes

Sexism can be identified as being prejudice towards someone or for stereotyping or discriminating them, on the basis of gender. However, Sherlock Holmes is not sexist within the book, dramatization and modernized episode. In the novel, â€Å"A Scandal in Bohemia† by Conan Doyle, the protagonist Sherlock Holmes is not portrayed to be a sexist character. To begin with, Sherlock insists on having Doctor John Watson remain alongside with him. Just before the King of Bohemia enters for his consultation with Sherlock Holmes regarding his case, Watson offers to leave but Sherlock responds by saying, â€Å"[n]ot a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell†¦ it would be a pity to miss it. † (5). Sherlock invites Doctor Watson to stay in the room before the King of Bohemia comes in. This shows that Sherlock cares for having his friend and colleague in the room when he is working. Sherlock is not discriminating against the male sex because Doctor Watson is a male figure and Sherlock wants him to stay so that way he can record any details and understand all that is going on and afterwards help him with their case. Furthermore, Sherlock Holmes addresses Irene Adler in a respectful manner. After the great scandal that threatened the Kingdom of Bohemia is resolved, Doctor Watson says Sherlock, â€Å"[w]hen he speaks of Irene Adler, or when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honorable title of the woman. † (13). Whenever Sherlock is speaking of Irene Adler he uses the term ‘the woman’, which is not used as a demeaning term. Instead it is a title that Sherlock’s uses to show his respect for Irene. Since Sherlock has respect for Irene it illustrates that he is not sexist against women. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes is not sexist because he insists of having Doctor Watson remain alongside with him and addresses Irene in a respectful manner. Within the dramatization â€Å"A Scandal in Bohemia† directed by Paul Annett, again Sherlock Holmes is also not depicted as a sexist character. Firstly, Sherlock Holmes is attracted to someone of the opposite sex. When Sherlock Holmes said â€Å"Irene Adler had a face that any man would die for†, he preferred to take her photograph to a rich ring from the King of Bohemia’s finger. Sherlock clearly finds Irene Adler to be beautiful and would much rather keep her picture then the King’s ring. Sherlock is very attracted to Irene since she outwitted him. He thinks highly of Irene as opposed to being sexist against her. Moreover, Sherlock supports the marriage between a male and a female. When Irene and Norton are about to get married, they need a witness for their marriage to be legalized. Therefore Sherlock who is in disguise witnesses the marriage between the two. The fact that Sherlock is there to witness their marriage shows that he indeed supports the wedding between the two. He is not displaying any sexism towards either males or females in this example, because he is not discriminating against them or favoring one gender over the other. For these reasons, Sherlock is not sexist in the dramatization because he is attracted to someone of the opposite sex and he supports a marriage between both a male and female. Lastly the modernized episode from the television show â€Å"Sherlock† is based upon on â€Å"The Scandal in Belgravia†. Here Sherlock Holmes is not represented to be a sexist character. Firstly, Sherlock Holmes puts his own life in danger to protect a woman. When the American CIA’s harmed Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock became angry and killed all of them. This shows that Sherlock cares for Mrs. Hudson. Although the CIA’s were well equipped with guns that could easily harm them all, Sherlock was determined to save Mrs. Hudson. Since Sherlock put his own life at risk to protect Mrs. Hudson’s, it shows that he is not sexist against women, especially when he saved the life of one. In addition, Sherlock Holmes saves the life of another female. At the end of the episode when the Karachi terrorist group were about to chop off Irene’s head, Sherlock rescues her. Sherlock helps Irene escape when she was on the brink of death. If Sherlock was sexist, then he would have let Irene die. However, he cannot let anyone be cruel to her which demonstrates that he is not sexist against females. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes is not sexist in the modernized episode because he saves the lives of two women. All in all, I believe that Sherlock Holmes is not represented as a sexist character in the book, dramatization and If only one dramatization between the two that we watched in class were to survive, I would choose the dramatization of the episode â€Å"A Scandal in Belgravia† from the television series â€Å"Sherlock†. I would choose this version because it is a modern version based on the book. As time has pass, it is difficult for people to follow along and understand the English language that has been spoken in the past. Thus it will be easier for the future generation to understand this version because the language is English from the twenty first century, as opposed to the other dramatization which was made in twentieth century. Also, this dramatization expands on the storyline. There are a lot more scenes added such as the hiker dying with the boomerang in the beginning or Irene Adler almost being killed at the end. These scenes make the episode more action packed and intriguing to watch. Also, this dramatization introduces more advanced technology such as the camera phone, internet blogs, modern firearms and a science laboratory that holds advanced equipment. Not only that but more characters are introduced such as Sherlock’s Holmes brother, Moycroft, the CIA group and Moriarty, who all make the episode very entertaining! In addition, it has more appealing genres then just mystery, there is action, romance, and comedy. Furthermore, the entire cast for the television series has wonderful acting skills. Its two stars, Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes, and Martin Freeman, who plays Doctor Watson, they have such amazing chemistry. They make the episode livelier and humorous to watch. Therefore, I believe that the modernized dramatization should survive because it is easier to follow along through the vocabulary, it expands on the plot and has an amazing selection of wonderful actors and actresses.

How To Measure Mass Using a Balance

How To Measure Mass Using a Balance Mass measurements in chemistry and other sciences are performed using a balance. There are different types of scales and balances, but two methods can be used on most instruments to measure mass: subtraction and taring. Key Takeaways: Measure Mass Using a Balance A balance or scale is an instrument used to measure mass in the science laboratory.One common method of measuring mass is to tare the scale and measure the mass directly. For example, this is how people weigh themselves.The other common method is to place a sample into a container and measure the mass of the container plus sample. The mass of the sample is obtained by subtracting the mass of the container. Proper Use of a Balance Before using a balance, its important to take some preliminary steps. This will help ensure you get the most accurate and precise measurement. Be sure you understand how to use a balance before taking mass measurements.The balance should be clean and free of debris.The balance should be on a level surface.Never place a sample directly on the balance. You should use a weighted boat, weighing sheet, or another container to hold the sample. Some chemicals you may use in a lab could corrode or otherwise damage the surface of the weighing pan. Also, make certain your container will not chemically react with your sample.If the balance has doors, be certain to close them before taking a measurement. Air movement impacts the accuracy of mass measurements. If the balance does not have doors, make certain the area if free of drafts and vibrations before measuring mass. Mass by Difference or Subtraction If you place a container full of sample and weigh it, youre getting the mass of both the sample and the container, not just the sample. To find the mass: mass of sample mass of sample/container - mass of container Zero the scale or press the tare button. The balance should read 0.Measure the mass of the sample and container.Dispense the sample into your solution.Measure the mass of the container. Record the measurement using the correct number of significant figures. How many this is will depend on the particular instrument.If you repeat the process and use the same container, do not assume its mass is the same! This is particularly important when you are measuring small masses or are working in a humid environment or with a hygroscopic sample. Mass by Taring When you use the tare function on a scale, you are making certain the reading starts from zero. Usually, there is a labeled button or knob to tare the balance. With some instruments, you need to manually adjust the reading to zero. Electronic devices do this automatically, but require periodic calibration. Zero the scale or press the tare button. The scale reading should be 0.Place the weighing boat or dish on the scale. There is no need to record this value.Press the tare button on the scale. The balance reading should be 0.Add the sample to the container. The value given is the mass of your sample. Record it using the proper number of significant figures. Sources of Error Whenever you take a mass measurement, there are several potential sources of error: Air gusts may push the mass up or down.Buoyancy can affect measurements. Buoyancy is directly proportional to the air volume that is displaced and is affected by air density changes due to temperature and pressure fluctuations.Condensation of water on cold items may increase apparent mass.Dust accumulation can add to mass.Evaporation of water from damp items may change mass measurements over time.Magnetic fields may affect components of the scale.Temperature changes can cause components of the balance to expand or contract, so a measurement taken on a hot day may differ from one taken on a cold day.Vibration may make it difficult to obtain a value, as it will fluctuate. Is It Mass or Weight? Remember, a balance gives you a mass value. The mass would be the same whether you measured it on the Earth or on the Moon. On the other hand, the weight would be different on the Moon. While its common to use the terms mass and weight interchangeably, they are only the same values on Earth! Sources Hodgeman, Charles, Ed. (1961).  Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 44th Ed. Cleveland, USA: Chemical Rubber Publishing Co.  pp.  3480–3485.Rossi, Cesare; Russo, Flavio; Russo, Ferruccio (2009). Ancient Engineers Inventions: Precursors of the Present. History of Mechanism and Machine Science. ISBN 978-9048122523.

Precursor To vs. Precursor Of

Precursor To vs. Precursor Of Precursor To vs. Precursor Of Precursor To vs. Precursor Of By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Can you please tell me when to use precursor to and precursor of? Is there a difference between the two? Latin praecursor (â€Å"forerunner, advanced guard†) is from a verb meaning â€Å"to run in front of.† Latin cursor means, â€Å"to run.† The noun precursor entered English about 1500, chiefly in reference to John the Baptist as â€Å"Christ’s precursor.† The sense here is â€Å"a person who heralds the approach of another.† In current usage, precursor is used to refer either to a person regarded as someone’s forerunner, or a thing regarded as the prototype of something else. Here are two examples: Gilbert M. â€Å"Broncho Billy† Anderson is regarded by film historians as the precursor to better-known movie cowboys such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. [Dick Tracy’s] wrist radio was the precursor of the cell phone of today. The OED cites â€Å"precursor to† in 1675 and â€Å"precursor of† in 1716. On the Ngram Viewer, â€Å"precursor of† is far more common in printed books until the 1960s, when â€Å"precursor to† begins a marked rise, although it remains below â€Å"precursor of† on the graph. A Google search indicates that â€Å"precursor to† is more common than â€Å"precursor of† on the Web: precursor to (6,330,000 results) precursor of (4,230, 000 results) In my own use, I think I’m more likely to use â€Å"precursor to† when linking people and â€Å"precursor of† in reference to things, but random examples taken from the Web indicate that the phrases are used interchangeably: [The Scarlet Pimpernel] is  seen as a precursor to  the spy fiction and the superhero genres. Only about one in eight people with so-called pre-diabetes, often a precursor to full-blown disease, know they have a problem,   Was Marilyn Monroe a  precursor  of 1960s feminism? Its my belief that  Marilyn Monroe  was a  precursor to  the Womens Movement. Cyclorama paintings served as the  precursor to  movies. Carole Lombard was the  precursor to  all sexy comediennes. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your StoryPeople versus PersonsI wish I were...

10 Interesting Facts About Gold

10 Interesting Facts About Gold There are many interesting facts about the element gold, which is listed on the periodic table as Au. This is the only truly yellow metal on Earth, and theres a lot more to learn about gold. Gold Facts Gold is the only metal that is yellow or golden. Other metals may develop a yellowish color, but only after they have oxidized or reacted with other chemicals.Nearly all of the gold on Earth came from meteorites that bombarded the planet over 200 million years after it formed.The element symbol for gold is Au. The symbol comes from the old Latin name for gold, aurum, which means shining dawn or glow of sunrise. The word gold comes from the Germanic languages, originating from the Proto-Germanic gulà ¾ and Proto-Indo-European ghel, meaning yellow/green. The pure element has been known since ancient times.Gold is extremely ductile. A single ounce of gold (about 28 grams) can be stretched into a gold thread 5 miles (8 kilometers) long. Gold threads can even be used as embroidery thread.Malleability is a measure of how easily a material can be hammered into thin sheets. Gold is the most malleable element. A single ounce of gold can be beaten out into a sheet that is 300 square feet. A s heet of gold can be made thin enough to be transparent. Very thin sheets of gold may appear greenish blue because gold strongly reflects red and yellow. Although gold is a heavy, dense metal, it is generally considered non-toxic. Gold metal flakes may be eaten in foods or drinks.Pure elemental gold is 24 karat, while 18 karat gold is 75 percent pure gold, 14 karat gold is 58.5 percent pure gold, and 10 karat gold is 41.7 percent pure gold. The remaining portion of the metal usually used in gold jewelry and items is silver, but items may also consist of other metals or a combination of metals, such as platinum, copper, palladium, zinc, nickel, iron, and cadmium.Gold is a noble metal. It is relatively unreactive and resists degradation by air, moisture, or acidic conditions. While acids dissolve most metals, a special mixture of acids called aqua regia is used to dissolve gold.Gold has many uses aside from its monetary and symbolic value. Among other applications, it is used in electronics, electrical wiring, dentistry, electronics, medicine, radiation shielding, and to color glass.High purity metallic gold is odorless and tasteless. T his makes sense since the metal is unreactive. Metal ions are what confers flavor and odor to metallic elements and compounds.

ASSIGNMENT WEEK 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ASSIGNMENT WEEK 4 - Essay Example Religion, to a certain extent, provides moralistic principles to regulate the harsh effects that business can introduce to the society (Chewning 201). It is important to note that morals are significant to have a humane way of handling business operations. The Chapter 17 of the book, on the other hand, focuses on social responsibility as stewardship. There are four stakeholders that are given emphasis when it comes to being responsible in business: the customers, competitors, community and environment. There is a need to note that fairness, when it comes to business, must thrive to ensure that the benefit derived is mutual. Fairness is one of the things that is being emphasized in this chapter. There should be a reasonable treatment whenever business deals are done; whether it is a single entity, a group of people, or an abstract being like the environment that exists in the reality. There should be sensitivity and care for others whenever there is engagement in business. Chapter 18 presents another aspect of business: justice and the world’s wealth. The chapter focuses mainly on morality (Chewning 222). It shows that there is nothing wrong in having personal wealth as long as there is a responsible manner of ownership towards it (Chewning 225). There is also a need to share wealth that is one of the moral principles of the Bible, especially, when one is a devout practitioner of the Christian faith (Chewning 223). Democratization is also one of the aspects that has been delved into, since there is a need to implement corrective measures in the manner of handling business (Chewning 227). There is also an aspect wherein sharing the wealth throughout the world is emphasized to ensure again that there is fairness and equality in terms of economic goods (Chewning 228). The last part, Chapter 19, focuses on the biblical absolutes in the world of change. This chapter focuses mainly on the ethical aspects, the moral manner

An Analysis of Youth Voter Turnout in the UK Dissertation

An Analysis of Youth Voter Turnout in the UK - Dissertation Example In order to effectively interpret and analyse low voter turnout in Britain this dissertation draws on the voter surveys conducted by the, the Electoral Commission, British Election Study (BES) and Ipsos MORI before and after general elections and a number of empirical research studies conducted over time. Thus secondary sources are used because they provide a more realistic representation of youth voter turnout over a long period of time among a larger representative population sample using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. A single empirical study would only be able to cover a small population sample of voters in a single location, who may vote or not vote in upcoming elections. Secondary studies identify youth who failed to vote in past elections and trends indicating that young people are becoming increasingly alienated economically, socially and politically as well as generally disenchanted with democracy in Britain. Table of Contents Abstract 3 Table of Contents 4 Part I: Introduction to the Study 5 I.Introduction 5 II.Research Questions 6 IV.Significance of the Study 8 V.Research Methodology 8 VI.Organization of the Study 9 Part II: A Review of the Literature 10 I.Introduction 10 II.Evidence of Young Voter Turnout 10 A.Global Trends 10 B.Youth Voting Trends in Britain 13 III.Explaining the Youth Voter Turnout Downward Trajectory 14 IV. Previous Studies 18 Part IV: Young Voter Turnout Trends in Britain 21 Part V: Research Findings/Conclusion 24 Bibliography 27 Table of Figures Figure 1: Global Voter Turnout From 1945-2005.......................................................11 Figure 2: Voter Turnout by Age in 15 Western European Democracies.....................13 Figure 3: Nonvoters by Age Group from 1964-2005...................................................22 An Analysis of Youth Voter Turnout in the UK Part I: Introduction to the Study I. Introduction It is generally accepted that youth voter turnout in the UK is significantly lower than th e voter turnout for older cohorts (Parry, Moyser & Day, 1992; Heath & Park, 1997; Jowell & Park, 1998; Keaney & Rogers, 2006). Although voting trends in general are on the decline, younger voters’ turnout is declining at a more alarming rate than older voter turnout. A poll conducted by MORI in coordination with the Electoral Commission in 2001 concluded that 24% of voters between the age of 18 and 24 reported that they have never voted while only 6% reported having ever voted (Ipsos MORI, 2002). Another survey conducted in 2005 found that although 75% of register voters over the age of 65 voted, only 37% of younger voters voted (Keaney & Rogers, 2006). The British Election Study (1997) revealed that only 56% of young voters between the age of 18 and 24 turned out to vote in the British General Election in 1997. The British Election Study (2005) also reported that less that 48% of registered 18-24 year old voters turned up to vote in the 2005 British General Elections compare d to 75% of older voters. The Electoral Commission (2002) provides some insight into the declining trends among young voters in terms of voter turnout. Using data from an Ispos MORI survey, the Electoral Commission (2002) concluded that there were two primary factors influencing young voter

Social impact of Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social impact of Facebook - Essay Example Likewise, Wilson (2009) reported in The Australian that the negative effect of Facebook in students grades is due to putting off schoolwork; because of the addictive nature of scrolling through photos, reacting to messages and viewing video clips, a student’s attention is diverted from his schoolwork onto Facebook skimming without noticing the passing of time. While many studies prove the negative impact of Facebook on grades, there are, however, also those that disprove this relationship. A more recent study by Pasek, More and Hargittai (2009) found that based on data gathered from a nationally representative sample of American 14- to 22-year-olds, there was no significant relationship between the use of Facebook and the level of grades and that changes in academic performance were no different from non-users. The Pasek study noted that â€Å"if anything, Facebook is more common among individuals with higher grades†. Those who have formed an obsession with the service and are constantly connected to it could not be healthy nor helpful to a student’s studies, but anything overdone is likely to be harmful. Used in moderation as it was intended to be used, there is little connection between grades and the usage of Facebook. There are other broader effects that the use of Facebook has not only on students but society in general. It seems that the particular attraction of Facebook compared to other online services is the relative lack of commercial advertisements, making the interaction feel personal (McConnell, 2009).

Bussiness integration & ERP (master level) Essay

Bussiness integration & ERP (master level) - Essay Example In terms management business integration can also lead to firmed grip on their internal and external control process. Also, the globalization is considered to be one of the factors behind in the adaption of business integration to compete with others in order to succeed in their business and prove their existence in the market. As the company or business gets bigger, the need for integration becomes a demand in order to ensure the smooth flowing of information between different departments and units to operate sufficiently and effectively with regard to quickly and reliability of this kind of information flow. In fact, as the integration process bring so many advantages and benefits it also bring with it some challenges too. The integration process between people, technology and process holds real challenges that need to be overcome in order to have successful integration process. At the process level, the challenge may materialize within the company itself, let me explain how. In ge neral, companies despite their size have various numbers of units and therefore that means they may have various numbers of autonomous and heterogeneous applications or systems for particular purpose. During the integration process which is often a result of strategic plan these systems that could cause integration problems thus inability to co-operate together. Another dimension of the problem is the construction of metadata. In order to integrate business processes there is a need to understand the meaning of metadata and their use in the existing system or applications to figure out how they can be integrated. The challenge here is that collecting these data is difficult especially if the people who defined them or familiar with are not available anymore. Metadata hold information like purpose, specification and context of the data which helps to understand the meaning of data. Another challenge is that in order to integrate process there is a need to understand precisely what th e current system and applications are used for. That would include their functionality and the means by which they can be integrated. The challenge here is that many companies do not have this information. At people level or socio-technical level, there is the challenge between people and technology therefore the organizational change aspects need to be considered in the integration process, some may resist using the new system or find it difficult to accept it or use it therefore implementing organizational change practices could be of help through training and support. Another challenge is that the lack of people intervention in integrated process to deal with and exception handling in case they appear. At implementation level, the integration process would be complex and the cost of available methods for business integration is expensive also the process would take time and efforts to be completed while some could perceive that the cost of implementing might overweigh the benefit s or the return on investment would take time to be achieved. There are cross organizational challenges like the connectivity to suppliers, service providers, and customers and so on and all security issues related to that. There are a number of companies that were able to achieve the benefits of adapting an

History of American Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of American Literature - Essay Example In particular, Heman Cortes wrote the first letter of the American literature in the year 1519 to the Spanish Crown, followed by many letters written for similar purposes (WSU, 2009). In late 1500s, Thomas Harriot wrote a significant piece of literature, ‘A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia’ that brought the American literature in the 16th century. In the year 1616, Captain John Smith wrote, ‘A Description of New England’, and he became the founder writer of the American literature as he later wrote some other pieces of work as well. Besides John Smith, some of the other authors of the earliest 16th century were John Cotton, Thomas Morton, and Roger Williams. It is an observation that all the works of this period related primarily to the Colonial arrangements of the British forces, as well as to the discovery of different regions of present-day USA (WSU, 2009). Besides prose, Anne Bradstreet was one of the earliest poets of the American literature that wrote ‘the Tenth Muse’ during this period. In the year 1661, John Eliot was the first person to carry out the work of Bible translation in the American literature. In 1662, ‘the Day of Doom’ became one of the best-selling poems written by Michael Wigglesworth that became the inspiration for many poets ahead. In 1666, John Eliot carried out another work, ‘the Indian Grammar’, and from then, theme of the American literature shifted from only Colonial to broad perspective, as some writers began to write on history, biography, sovereignty, God, fiction, etc. Interestingly, a number of authors in mid-1600s, as well as in late 1600s emphasized on the works regarding witchcraft, and in 1693, Cotton Mather wrote, ‘Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits’ on the similar theme (WSU, 2009). In the beginning of the 18th century, Judge Samuel Sewall began a new theme of anti-slavery that later became a revolutionary notion in the American literature, as he wrote, ‘The

Teaching IT Ethics in Arabic Countries Approaches and Attitudes Research Paper

Teaching IT Ethics in Arabic Countries Approaches and Attitudes - Research Paper Example Thus maintaining ethical codes of conduct for the uses of computers or information systems has become a necessary aspect in every institutional organization. This study focuses on the ethical measures reflected in the information technology within organizations in the Arab countries particularly highlighting the region of Saudi Arabia. It considers certain literature reviews as well as focused on some of the companies to unlearn the present scenario of ethical practices in information technology uses, and hence conducted a detailed analysis on the ethical structure of information systems in Saudi Arabian organizations. Keywords: Computers, Information technology, Ethics, Business organizations List of Abbreviations: IT: Information Technology NCS: National Computer Systems Introduction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the current global scenario, information technology can be found to have advanced to a great extent. Companies require performing under different rules and policies (Northcu tt, 2004, p.4). With greater advancements, the use of computers and the IT systems have become very uncomplicated and easy for the users to exchange information. However, attitudes towards the ethical issues have been found to alter amongst the users in the modern organizations and several unethical practices are being prevalent. Often acquaintances may create circumstances where a person tends to get influenced to follow unethical practices. IT proficient organizational members are capable of controlling information systems and hence can manipulate the system procedures. To put a control on such issues, several institutions in developed countries are endorsing ethical codes that the professionals are required to follow. The absence of ethical codes in computers and IT reflects the threats of the users getting involved in â€Å"privacy and software piracy† (Information Resources Management Association, 1994, p.428). The ethical codes in computers and information technology ad minister and control the use of computers, networks and information systems. The ethical issues that generally arise in this respect include unlawful use of computers, theft in computer software, hardware or other process systems, privacy issues as well as use of any material that may be unacceptable in the organizational culture. Thus, organizations need to focus on the codes of ethics to control these measures (Shelly, Cashman, Gunter & Gunter, 2007, p.484). The study has taken into consideration certain literature reviews and a few companies in the region of Saudi Arabia have been taken as case studies reflecting the ethical practices in business organizations on the use of computers and information technology.   Research Framework:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To study the ethical codes maintained in organizations in Saudi Arabia in the context of the use of computers and IT, this report focuses on certain theoretical study work based on the institutional theories on IT and organiz ational learning to provide with a fundamental understanding on the ethical issues related to information systems. Moreover, the research focuses on some of the selected organizations from Saudi Arabia to reflect on the current scenario of ethical practices in Saudi Arabia. The use of IT has developed largely in a short period of time spreading across the globe in different regions providing high quality services to its users. The broadening of the information syste

History of American Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of American Literature - Essay Example In particular, Heman Cortes wrote the first letter of the American literature in the year 1519 to the Spanish Crown, followed by many letters written for similar purposes (WSU, 2009). In late 1500s, Thomas Harriot wrote a significant piece of literature, ‘A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia’ that brought the American literature in the 16th century. In the year 1616, Captain John Smith wrote, ‘A Description of New England’, and he became the founder writer of the American literature as he later wrote some other pieces of work as well. Besides John Smith, some of the other authors of the earliest 16th century were John Cotton, Thomas Morton, and Roger Williams. It is an observation that all the works of this period related primarily to the Colonial arrangements of the British forces, as well as to the discovery of different regions of present-day USA (WSU, 2009). Besides prose, Anne Bradstreet was one of the earliest poets of the American literature that wrote ‘the Tenth Muse’ during this period. In the year 1661, John Eliot was the first person to carry out the work of Bible translation in the American literature. In 1662, ‘the Day of Doom’ became one of the best-selling poems written by Michael Wigglesworth that became the inspiration for many poets ahead. In 1666, John Eliot carried out another work, ‘the Indian Grammar’, and from then, theme of the American literature shifted from only Colonial to broad perspective, as some writers began to write on history, biography, sovereignty, God, fiction, etc. Interestingly, a number of authors in mid-1600s, as well as in late 1600s emphasized on the works regarding witchcraft, and in 1693, Cotton Mather wrote, ‘Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits’ on the similar theme (WSU, 2009). In the beginning of the 18th century, Judge Samuel Sewall began a new theme of anti-slavery that later became a revolutionary notion in the American literature, as he wrote, ‘The

Holger Heyn et al. Distinct DNA methylomes of newborns and Assignment

Holger Heyn et al. Distinct DNA methylomes of newborns and centenarians PNAS 2012 paper and answer the following questions - Assignment Example target points in the experiment not only because they contain methyl groups but also the researchers wanted to strengthen the study through CpG results, because they make the DNA strands which happen to play a crucial role in human aging. In relation to methylation, CpG regions tend to have a high content of methylomes hence were the most suitable for the study. 3. 12- 16 Whole Genome bisulphite sequencing of all the samples: newborn, centenarian and intermediate, was done to identify the methylation status. Also, a microarray of 450000 CpG methylation samples were included in the experiment. WGBS was hence performed for all the samples. For the newborn, fresh cord blood with permit from the parents was acquired for the experiment while for the old age his CD4 positive T cells were used. The intermediate sample was from a twenty six year old. All the three samples were from Caucasian males. 4. The methylation status in the three samples was different but formed a final curve in the results. The centenarian DNA had low methylomes compared to those in a newborns DNA. Moreover, there is very low correlation in methylation of the CpG positions that are near the DNA. The intermediate sample was between the two, meaning is was second in the level of methylation. The CpG that were densely methylated in centenarian sample were located in specific genomic regions such as the promoters and more were on Island promoters than the poor promoters. 5. Alternative methods used apart from WGBS included the determination of the DMRS which are the differentiated methylated regions in the DNA of the two main samples. This method involved checking the total length of identical CpGs in the two samples by counting those that have a continuous consistent flow of methylation status. Moreover, an identified map of CpG that showcases a microarray of the 450000 samples use. The results from the map were then compared to those from WGBS. 6. The six genes from WGBS that were identified as

Strategic Planning Model Case Study: Apple

Strategic Planning Model Case Study: Apple The computer industry is mainly taken by many companies and among these there are some of the most competitive ones, namely, Microsoft, Apple, Dell amongst others. Apple Corporation was founded in 1976 in a garage in Santa Clara, California. The two founders of Apple, namely, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs who were drop outs of college wanted at that time to provide computer users with something new and user-friendly to the market. The two Steves work together to produce some of the famous computers at times, namely the Apple 1, then after its launch, they came up with the Apple II, then Apple III. During their computer era, Steve Jobs and Wozniak came up with the computer called Lisa in 1983, Apple continued to its revolution in the computer world during the 1980s .In 1983, Steve Wozniak left the company and John Scully was hired by Steve Jobs as the President of the company. Apple continued to innovate and brought into the market new products, such as the Macintosh with the Graphic user interface (GUI) in 1984. In 1985, Steve Jobs left the company and John Scully was appointed as the new CEO. By the late 1980s, Apple faced big competitions from Microsoft, Which made Apples share to decrease drastically and forced John Scully out. In 1997, Gilbert Amelio was appointed as the new CEO and under his management, Apple, bought NextStep, and with its operating system, Apple made huge improvement and got back on the track. Steve Jobs was taken back in Apple in 1996, when the deal was officialised to buy NextStep Company. Jobs was reappointed as the current CEO when shareholders lost confidence in Mr Amelio. Jobs brought back many changes in Apple which has change its future in the company. Some examples are, In 2000, Apple presented the ibook, iMac and came up with the Ipod 2003 and lately, the iPhone was launched followed by the Mac book in 2009 and in 2010, the iPad was created. Apple is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics, computers software, personal computers. The companys best known hardware products include the Macintosh computers, the ipod, the iphone and the ipad. Apple software includes the Mac OSX operating system, the itunes media browser amongst others. Apple operates in around 284 retail stores and has an online store where, hardware and software products are sold. In 2010, Apple was recognised as the most technological company in the world. MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT Apple[1] Apples motto, Think Differently, is a concept that the company is doing very well by constantly innovating that continues to define the world of computer design. Other computer manufacturers have attempted for decades to replicate the icon classic appeal of Apple design, but none have succeeded in the manner of Apple. Apple mission is to produce high quality, low cost, easy to use products that incorporate high technology for the individual. We are proving that high technology does not have to be intimidating for the non computer experts METHODOLOGY The authors primary research was done by attending a series of Strategic Planning and implementation, which were given by Mr Bruno Alba, lecturer, London School of Management and Science The secondary research has been undertaken in order to gain extensive knowledge, from range of publications and news papers and by facts available on the internet. CHAPTER 1 STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL FOR APPLE-IPAD The relative importance of a strategic plan for APPLE Corporation. The general idea of the strategic planning is based on the strategy development processes which are described below: 1. Intended Strategy Development: The intended strategy development comprises of some tool or frameworks that are being used by the managers of an organisation for the formulation of strategic analysis and evaluation and these factors are being used as well by managers for strategic planning purposes. 2. Strategic Planning Systems A strategic plan is set out to develop or coordinate the organisations strategy. According to some studies conducted by Rob Grant, the strategic planning is done in accordance to some process which is as follows: 2.1 Initial guidelines The strategic plan will depend upon some guidelines about the external environment. 2.2 Business level Planning This is where the business units or divisions draw up strategic plans to present to the corporate centre who will in turn discuss with the business managers and then decisions will be agreed at a certain point in time. 2.3 Corporate planning level The corporate plan will be the aggregation of the business plans. This coordination may be undertaken by a corporate planning department and then the corporate board will approve the corporate plan. 2.4 Financial and strategic targets These are aspects about the basis for performance monitoring of businesses key strategic priorities based on the plan. (Gerry Johnson et al.., 2009) Apple has come up with many new products during its existence and is continuing to innovate within the computer and technology industry. The ipad is the latest product that Apple has launched and it has done this to sustain growth and keep pace with the innovation world. Therefore, we can deduce, that the Ipad is part of the technology push, i.e, Apple, launching the product and partly, market pull whereby, launching a product according to market demand. The strategy for Apple was firstly, to be able to bring a new product, which was the new version of the product iphone in order to attain customers needs specifically the businessmen and journalists. However, there is an open demand, for the students and retired workers. Apples main competitor such as Amazon.com has brought into the market, the Kindle, with which now users can buy and access online books for reading instead of buying them physically. On the other hand, the strategy of Apple was to adapt the same concept of Amazon and use it in a different way to create another version which was the ibooks and which led Apple to create as well its online bookstore. THE IPAD hero_20100430[1] The iPad is regarded as a high value product that Apple is offering to their users. Apple vision was to win over the market of Smartphones users and laptops. The ipad, is a tablet computer, designed and made by Apple for internet browsing, media consumption, gaming and light content creation amongst many others. The ipad was launched in April 2010 and has the option of using the WIFI system of 3G date connection to browse the internet, load and stream media amongst many others. Apple developed the ipad with an improved functionality of the iphone. It also come with several applications such as the safari, mail, photos, video, you tube, ipods and itunes amongst many others. (http://apple-listing.com, http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/ipad) Below are some pictures of the latest IPADS: 220px-Steve_Jobs_with_the_Apple_iPad_no_logo[1] 220px-Apple_iPad_Event02[1] CHAPTER 2 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS OF APPLE APPLE SUCCESSFUL FACTOR The critical success factors are those factors which determine the success or failure of a company. According to Steve Jobs the CEO of Apple Inc, the company needs nine success factors out of which six are already in place as felt by the company that is what they already mastered and the other three as what they are still working on. Mastered Factors Concept. Apples is selling billions of dollars of product and theyre extending into the digital hub. New Product Pipeline. Apple is an innovative company. They have over 2,000 employees in their engineering groups who work towards developing high quality new products such as the ipods, iphone and now the ipad. Financing. Apple has the necessary financing with over $4 billion in the bank to carry out their operations. Marketing/Brand Names. Apple spends hundred million a year on advertising and has one of the most recognizable name brands in the world. Supply Chain Management. Apple is one of the best companies in the world at supply chain management and logistics, and they know how to extend into retail. Their retail stores are viewed as extra warehouses in the current system, so there is one supply chain group for the whole company. Information Systems. Apple has already built an IS system for its stores on top of its global ISP system. (www.apple.com) Less Experience factors However, there were three success factors at which Apple had no or less previous experience: real estate, store design, and store operation. Regarding real estate, Apple knew that the old adage of location, location, location was on target and the company realized that destination locations such as Best Buy and Office Depot wont work for the 95% of non-Mac computer users. Theyve got to ambush that 95% by being where theyre already at, by locating in high-traffic gathering places, such as malls, hip streets, and the new lifestyle centres, such as coffee shops, Jobs said. Were going to put our Apple stores in top tier locations. As for Store Design, Apple wanted a concept that would fit the needs of its customers and would showcase its products, but which would also be flexible enough for change and growth. To come up with the best concept, Apple actually built a prototype in a Warehouse. The result, according to Jobs is a solutions-focused store. When it comes to Store Operations, Apple realized it had to deliver a fantastic experience, the CEO said. That meant the right stores at the right place with great merchandise, incredible employees, and operational excellence, according to Ron Johnson, Apples new senior vice president of retailing. (www.apple.com) CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANISATION AND ITS EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Strategic planning is an important factor in determining success and many methods can be used, such as the SWOT analysis, the PESTEL analysis, and the STEER analysis amongst many others. Some of the external factors will be discussed this chapter, Our analysis is based on the Porters Five forces and SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis will determine the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of APPLE. Firstly, some of the strengths of Apple are: Apple is one of the oldest hardware manufacturers and this give Apple a competitive edge over its competitors. It has control over the product it is making and their quality is optimum. It has products such as the iphones, ipods, laptops, which are easy to carry. It has a loyalty brand, i.e., users are still loyal to its products. Finally, Apple has a very strong RD department, which spend time and resources in the development of new and existing products. Secondly, some of the weaknesses of Apple are: Apple market share is far behind competitor Microsoft. The products are quite expensive Apple has also complaints from customers. Therefore, causing the companys reputation and image to be spoiled. Thirdly, we can look at the different opportunities of Apple which are: Apple is looking to get into new and less expensive products lines and produce quality products. It has a flexibility to its users Apples ipods products are now being used in new designed car models , therefore increasing the demand of the ipod Finally, the online sales are increasing and Apple are targeting new segments of the market. Lastly, we can look at the different threats of Apple which are: There is the pressure from competitors and the users are going for other products from other manufacturers. Technology is changing at a rapid rate thus Apple has to create products that will keep pace with the technology growth, such as the ipads. Competitors launching products such as Microsoft with vista and windows 7,all this making Apple to bring new products to sustain growth. Porter Five Forces Analysis on Apple i-pad Bargaining power of Buyers Apple is well known as an innovative company and there is a high demand for their products. Though buyers find many substitutes in the market for Apple products, they still attract to it because of the brand name and the uniqueness of its products which makes Apple a very profitable company. However regarding i-pad the buyers are somewhat more powerful. Somehow there will be alternatives for the i-pad in near future. Because of the relatively high price of the i-pad, it is a question whether the buyers will pay a premium for the brand reputation of Apple and its technology when their needs may be equally met by cheaper alternatives. Bargaining power of Suppliers Apple is mainly concentrated on design and marketing and they outsource the manufacturing of most of their products. Therefore it can be affected by the pricing of suppliers and costs because of the availability of raw materials. And also changes in minimum wage for labours can have effects on Apple. But due to the strong demand for apple products it has more power over its suppliers. Regarding i-pad even Apple outsource the parts which use to manufacture the i-pad, the software is the unique factor that brings all those parts together. Therefore the parts themselves are not that important as they as are readily available form many sources. Therefore in that case also Apple has more power over its suppliers. Threat of New Entrants Apple had many barriers to entry in the development of the i-pad but at the same time they must worry about the potential competitors like Google and Microsoft who are conquering as well. Economies of scale- As Apple already had experience in manufacturing mass market consumer electronic devices which also share components of the i-pad; Apple is not badly affected by this barrier. Product Differentiation- As the i-pad is significantly different than its competitors; overall this characteristic has positive effects on Apple. And also Apple has a certain amount of protection through the strength of its brand identity. But this product differentiation can be imitated to a certain amount by its competitors. Capital Requirement- regarding capital requirement, Apple enjoys a slight advantage. To compete with the i-pad effectively, competitors will have to invest immensely in certain areas. Cost disadvantages- Apple is able to reduce the impact of this threat as it has a number of manufacturing resources and channels available. But the new entrants may find these barriers as they have not got these resources. And also apple has invested a lot in knowledge and experience which will take time for its competitors to reach. Government policies- Apple was granted the ownership of patent for the i-phone and i-pad, which will give them, short term monopoly rights on some of its technology. It will stop their competitors imitating the product too closely. Threat of Substitutes Apple has been granted patent to the i-pad and its technology. However it is still likely that competitors in the market will soon deliver similar products. Most of the threats are going to come from the established players in the technology industry like HP and Sony and from potential competitors like Google and Microsoft. Competitive Rivalry Apple is mainly concentrated on design and marketing and is fairly vertically integrated towards customers. They do most of their business in their retail locations and on line stores. Because of this concentration on the customers and also as it is better equipped, Apple is able to compete with horizontal players like HP or Sony who are not as vertically integrated towards the consumers. It gives Apple an opportunity to create customer focused products which many of none vertically integrated players are not so good at. (http://www.csribd.com/doc/16788046/appleporters-five-force) CHAPTER 4 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND OPTIONS OF APPLE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES: Apple has a particular status; it doesnt have a listed set of objectives. All through our research, our group acknowledges that Apple always struggle to launch a new product in the market. Based on the executive overview of Apples report 2010 we can come out with a strategic objectives for their product named I pad. -To be the king of high-tech of Wall-Street -Increase their market value (get on over Microsoft), have over  £151 billion of market value. I pad is designed as a new generation of technology which to take over e-book and personal computer. That is to dethrone Microsoft at the king of high-tech By innovating in hardware which come obviously with its software, Apple compete with Microsoft who have a urge dominance on personal computer software, the launch of the Ipad announce the decline of the lap top computer. ( www.apple.com) Strategic options For an organization to have good success there is a need of having good strategic options. Strategic options are creative action-oriented responses to the external situation that an organization faces. Strategic options take advantage of facts and actors, trends, opportunities and threat of the outside world. It helps to identify and make a preliminary screening of alternative strategic options or perspectives. Strategic options for Apple iPad is to provide their clients with thorough and reliable information that may help enhance even the knowledge and skills. By doing so customers are able to page through websites, write emails, and flick through photos or watch movie, all on a big beautifully multi-touch screen. Another strategy is to have a continuous leap in technological advancements and a new or upgraded offering on average every six months. In order to have good strategies the apple company thought of what might give a continued competitive advantage and what markets should they enter and how. Which strategic options optimally fit the needs of the target group, the institutional options and aspiration of the stake holders, what supportive interventions are required to succeed in that option and threats? Apple on its product iPad focused on customer experience, they made a product which has no need of mouse, a keyboard configuration screens, and other advanced options such as touch screen. Strategic options help to make the vision into reality. SWOT analysis helps to get a better understanding of the strategic choices that company need. Strategy is the art of determining how one will win in business and life. It helps to make the most of companys strength circumvent their weaknesses, Capitalize on your opportunities and manage their threats. CONCLUSION Though Apples strategic model cannot be said, to be distinct, they are poised on taking Amazon and Microsoft head on. Their new products for example, ipad, suggests to be a real one in all product for the consumers. Apple success factors suggest that they have the ability and capability to become the market leaders. The major success factor being innovation. Behind their ability to innovate its strong research and development department. The latest product of Apple, the Ipad, however targeted on, the retired people and journalists, has received acceptance from the youth, students and the rest of the population giving Apple, a grab of the market. REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAGHY Exploring corporate strategy, 8th edition, Gerry Johnson et al.. http://www.csribd.com/doc/16788046/appleporters-five-force http://www.samples-help-org.uk/mission-statements/apple.computer-mission-statement http://apple-listing.com http://dudye.com/sneaking-intro-ipad http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/ipad http://www.apple.com