How to Say Hello in Italian 6 Common Greetings

How to Say Hello in Italian 6 Common Greetings SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you want to learn Italian or are you planning a vacation in Italy? Va bene! In this article, I’ll teach you some basic words to start introducing yourself in Italian. How to Say Hello in Italian There are many different ways to greet people in Italian. Here are some of the most common that you’ll encounter. Ciao Ciao is a common, informal way of greeting friends or peers. You’ll hear â€Å"ciao† a lot on the streets of Italy. It can be used as both â€Å"hello† and â€Å"goodbye.† Buongiorno "Buongiorno", which means "good morning†, is a more formal greeting. You can use â€Å"buongiorno† when entering a store, meeting your boss, or addressing someone older than you. Buonasera Don't be surprised if you hear Italians saying "buonasera" at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. â€Å"Buonasera† is a way of saying â€Å"hello† in the afternoons and evenings (think â€Å"good evening† in English). Another, less common greeting is â€Å"buon pomeriggio† which is used between noon and sunset. Most people will go with â€Å"buongiorno† or â€Å"buonasera† though. How to Say Goodbye in Italian Ready to head out? There are many ways to say â€Å"goodbye† in Italian, too. Ciao Remember, â€Å"ciao† works as both an informal hello and an informal goodbye. Arrivederci â€Å"Arrivederci† is a more formal goodbye than â€Å"ciao.† You can use this farewell when saying goodbye to an older person or someone you don’t know very well, like a store clerk or taxi driver. Una buona giornata If you really want to make a good impression when you leave a place like a restaurant, you can say â€Å"una buona giornata,† which means â€Å"Have a nice day!† You can use the expression "una buona serata!" if you’re leaving later in the day or night. A presto When you talk to someone you already know well (like a friend) or that you expect to see very soon, you can say "a presto," which means, "see you soon." Fun Facts About the Italian Language Like all languages, Italian is full of surprises. Here are some of our favorite facts about Italian: It’s the 20th Most Common Language The Italian language is spoken by 62 million people and is the official language in five countries of the world. It’s Derived From Latin Italian is a Romance language whose modern form comes from a Tuscan dialect. While Italy had many dialects for centuries, its current form was adopted because of its use in The Divine Comedy. It Has Interesting Vocals Italian is the most conservative language of Romance languages and has seven vowels with four degrees of openness, É›, e, i, É”, ou. It Doesn’t Use All of the Same Letters as English No Italian words contain k’s, j’s, x’s, or y’s. The Longest Word The longest word in Italian is â€Å"precipitevolissimevolmente† which means "in a way like someone/something that acts very hastily.† It doesn’t quite make sense in the English translation, but you get the picture! Say This Three Times Fast Looking for an Italian tongue twister? Try this one: "Trentatre trentini entered a Trento tutti e Trentatre trotterellando.† What does it mean? â€Å"Thirty-three people from Trento entered the city, all thirty-three trotting.† Too difficult? You can just stick with â€Å"Ciao!† What's Next? Interested in learning Japanese, too?Learn how to say "good morning" in Japanese, plus nine other key greetings. What's the best foreign language to take in high school?If you're wondering which language to study, check out our guideon which foreign language you should learn in school. Want to say "hello" in other languages?We have a chart of dozens of ways to say hello in different languages. Check it out! Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Hayley Milliman About the Author Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Mammoths and Mastodons - Ancient Extinct Elephants

Mammoths and Mastodons - Ancient Extinct Elephants Mammoths and mastodons are two different species of extinct proboscidean (herbivorous land mammals), both of which were hunted by humans during the Pleistocene, and both of which share a common end. Both of the  megafauna- which means their bodies were larger than 100 pounds (45 kilograms)- died out at the end of the Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, as part of the great megafaunal extinction. Fast Facts: Mammoths and Mastodons Mammoths are members of the Elephantidae family, including the woolly mammoth and the Columbian mammoth.  Mastodons are members of the Mammutidae family, restricted to North America and only distantly related to mammoths.  Mammoths thrived in grasslands; mastodons were forest dwellers.Both were hunted by their predators, human beings, and they both died out at the end of the Ice Age, part of the megafaunal extinction. Mammoths and mastodons were hunted by people, and numerous archaeological sites have been found around the world where the animals were killed and/or butchered. Mammoths and mastodons were exploited for meat, hide, bones, and sinew for food and other purposes, including bone and ivory tools, clothing, and house construction. Mammoths The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), or tundra mammoth. Science Picture Co / Getty Images Mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius or wooly mammoth) were a species of ancient extinct elephant, members of the Elephantidae family, which today includes modern elephants (Elephas and Loxodonta). Modern elephants are long-lived, with a complicated social structure; they use tools and demonstrate a wide range of complex learning skills and behavior. At this point, we still dont know whether the wooly mammoth (or its close relative the Columbian mammoth) shared those characteristics. Mammoth adults were about 10 feet (3 meters) tall at the shoulder, with long tusks and a coat of long reddish or yellowish hair- which is why youll sometimes see them described as wooly (or woolly) mammoths. Their remains are found throughout the northern hemisphere, becoming widespread in northeast Asia from 400,000 years ago. They reached Europe by the late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 or beginning of MIS 6 (200,000–160,000 years ago), and northern North America during the Late Pleistocene. When they arrived in North America, their cousin Mammuthus  columbi (the Columbian mammoth) was dominant, and both are found together at some sites. Wooly mammoth remains are found within an area of some 33 million square kilometers, living everywhere except where there was inland glacier ice, high mountain chains, deserts and semi-deserts, year-round open water, continental shelf regions, or the replacement of tundra-steppe by extended grasslands. Mastodons Mastodon model in the Museum of Natural History Science, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. Richard Cummins / Lonely Planet Images / Getty Images Mastodons (Mammut americanum), on the other hand, were also ancient, enormous elephants, but they belong to the family Mammutidae and are only distantly related to the wooly mammoth. Mastodons were slightly smaller than mammoths, between 6–10 ft (1.8–3 m) tall at the shoulder), had no hair, and were restricted to the North America continent. Mastodons are one of the most common species of fossil mammal found, particularly mastodon teeth, and the remains of this late Plio-Pleistocene proboscidean are found across North America. Mammut americanum was primarily a forest-dwelling browser during the late Cenozoic of North America, feasting primarily on woody elements and fruit. They occupied dense coniferous forests of spruce (Picea) and pine (Pinus), and stable isotope analysis has shown they had a focused feeding strategy equivalent to C3 browsers. Mastodons fed on woody vegetation and kept to a different ecological niche than its contemporaries, the Columbian mammoth found in the cool steppes and grasslands in the western half of the continent, and the gomphothere, a mixed feeder who resided in tropical and subtropical environments. Analysis of mastodon dung from the Page-Ladson site in Florida (12,000 bp) indicates that they also ate hazelnut, wild squash (seeds and the bitter rind), and Osage oranges. The possible role of mastodons in the domestication of squash is discussed elsewhere. Sources Fisher, Daniel C. Paleobiology of Pleistocene Proboscideans. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 46.1 (2018): 229–60. Print.Grayson, Donald K., and David J. Meltzer. Revisiting Paleoindian Exploitation of Extinct North American Mammals. Journal of Archaeological Science 56 (2015): 177–93. Print.Haynes, C. Vance, Todd A. Surovell, and Gregory W. L. Hodgins. The U.P. Mammoth Site, Carbon County, Wyoming, USA: More Questions Than Answers. Geoarchaeology 28.2 (2013): 99–111. Print.Haynes, Gary, and Janis Klimowicz. A Preliminary Review of Bone and Teeth Abnormalities Seen in Recent Loxodonta and Extinct Mammuthus and Mammut, and Suggested Implications. Quaternary International 379 (2015): 135–46. Print.Henrikson, L. Suzann, et al. Folsom Mammoth Hunters? The Terminal Pleistocene Assemblage from Owl Cave (10bv30), Wasden Site, Idaho. American Antiquity 82.3 (2017): 574–92. Print.Kahlke, Ralf-Dietrich. The Maximum Geographic Extension of Late Pl eistocene Mammuthus Primigenius (Proboscidea, Mammalia) and Its Limiting Factors. Quaternary International 379 (2015): 147–54. Print. Kharlamova, Anastasia, et al. Preserved Brain of the Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus Primigenius (Blumenbach 1799)) from the Yakutian Permafrost. Quaternary International 406, Part B (2016): 86–93. Print.Plotnikov, V. V., et al. Overview and Preliminary Analysis of the New Finds of Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus Primigenius Blumenbach, 1799) in the Yana-Indigirka Lowland, Yakutia, Russia. Quaternary International 406, Part B (2016): 70–85. Print.Roca, Alfred L., et al. Elephant Natural History: A Genomic Perspective. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences 3.1 (2015): 139–67. Print.

Leadership Research and Commentary Annotated Bibliography

Leadership Research and Commentary - Annotated Bibliography Example The authors have provided an insightful information regarding various ways in which leaders can develop agility which may help them in adapting to the dynamic and ever-changing external environment. The discussions provide a strong incentive to the readers to achieve higher levels of efficiency as leaders through the five levels of mastery. This book includes a revolutionary concept with regard to leadership theory and practice. The author has discussed the U theory proposed by Scharmer and Senge, et al., in extensive detail. The various discussions and theories included in the book offer a wide perspective to the readers as well as organizational leaders regarding the manner in which they can develop critical skills to foresee and judge the requirements of the industry and customer’s tastes and preferences. The author has included in-depth interviews of over 150 leaders from across the globe which includes prominent entrepreneurs, educators, economists, cognitive scientists as well as other leaders from diverse fields who have displayed high levels of achievement and performance in their respective areas of expertise. The inclusion of such diverse perspectives helped in approaching the issue of leadership in a manner that allows for a holistic understanding of the concept. In this article, the author has addressed the changing role of management and hence leaders. In such a highly dynamic environment leading an organization towards success is a highly tedious task. It has been observed that at times the CEOs of companies may feel reluctant to actively participate in debates and issues critical to the organizations. In order to help them to confidently confront critical issues and prevent their organizations from any damage.

Enterprise Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Enterprise Risk Management - Essay Example The reason lies in that it lacks the integrated approach to the management of risk which characterises enterprise risk management. It is precisely for this reason that regulators in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other developed countries have issued rules and guidelines that advocate an enterprise-wide approach to risk management, further pushing many companies to adopt ERM (Kleffner, Lee and McGannon, 2003). Quite simply stated, the drive towards the adoption of ERM, as opposed to RM is due to the fact that the integrated approach adopted by the former, and which is absent within the context of the latter, is regarded as a more effective and efficient approach to risk management. With that being the case, as this research will argue, the real question relates to the reasons why more corporations do not adopt ERM, as opposed to RM. In order to properly determine the reasons why ERM is considered superior to RM, it is important to define each of the two terms. These definitions will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of either approach and allow for a greater understanding of differences between them. Enterprise risk management has become a significant topic for larg... It provides an active, vital and comprehensive modelling approach for integrating all financial decisions and risks. This includes investment decisions, borrowing policies, liability, and setting of goals (Kleffner, Lee and McGannon, 2003). The comprehensive management of risks and the adoption of an integrated approach to risk management has several benefits. An enterprise with fully diversified losses requires much less capital than an enterprise with concentrated worst-case losses. In turn, the anticipated profitability of the company is affected by the degree of diversification since a reduction in capital will increase expected profits. The goal of ERM is to maximize the firm's overall profit, while maintaining its enterprise risks at acceptable levels (Mudge, 2000). Insurance companies, for example, should analyze their major risks so that adequate capital exists at the firm level to pay insurance policyholders in the event of legitimate insured losses. The desired level of capital depends upon the severity of claims. And since these claims are a direct function of random events, the insurance company must calculate a distribution of losses for its entire operations in order to set the proper level of firm-wide capital (Doherty, 2000). Due to this, Meulbroek (2002) insists that regulatory bodies should check these systems in order to validate that the risk management strategies are reasonably well developed and consistent with current approaches and practice. The firm-wide models are also known as Dynamic Financial Analysis. An ERM system consists of three primary elements. These are 1) a stochastic model for projecting a set of scenarios of the future --the scenario

The Importance of Early Childhood Education in the Development of Jamaican Children Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Early Childhood Education in the Development of Jamaican Children Essay As parents of young children, we often ponder which Early Childhood Program to enroll our children in. At one point in time they were non-existent. As early childhood educators emerged, programs were created. Interestingly, the Montessori approach is a specialized method created by Maria Montessori. The Montessori Method; which is widely used today was created with the focus of children learning from their environment (Morrison, 2009). Montessori’s are not aimed at talented and gifted children; this method is expressed in public and private school settings in conjunction with children attending up to age 18. In addition, Montessori serves the needs of children of all levels of mental and physical abilities (Stephenson, 2011). In 1870, Maria Montessori, the first Italian woman to secure a medical degree (Stephenson, 2011). With her degree she entered the fields of psychiatry, education and anthropology. She had a passion for young minds. She believed that children educate themselves. Montessori became a physician in 1896, attending the University of Rome psychiatric clinic. During her tenure, Dr. Montessori developed an enthusiasm for the study of children with special needs; where she also spoke on their behalf. Twenty-six years later, Maria relocated to San Lorenzo, Rome to study children without disabilities. There she observed fifty children which resulted in success. This success was recognized and spread all over, attracting travelers from all over to this remarkable case study. An in-depth explanation of what a Montessori truly is, Stephenson (2011) clearly states: A Montessori can be defined as a revolutionary method of observing and supporting the natural development of children. Montessori educational practice helps children develop creativity, problem solving,  critical thinking and time-management skills to contribute to society and the environment, and to become fulfilled persons in their particular time and place on Earth. The basis of Montessori practice in the classroom is mixed age group (3 ages- 6 ages in one class), individual choice of research and work, and interrupted concentration. Group lesson are seldom found in a Montessori classroom, but learning abounds. Since Montessori’s death, educators all over continue to implement and notice this method has worked all over the world with all kinds of children (wealthy, poor, gifted, normal, learning disabled, etc.) and environments (from slums, to elegant schools, etc. ). Maria agreed that when physical, mental, spiritual and emotional needs are met, children glow with excitement and a drive to play and work with enthusiasm, to learn, and to create. In conjunction, children exude a desire to teach, help and care for others and for their environment (Stephenson, 2011). During her lectures and travels, Maria Montessori was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition to the explanation of a Montessori, the following is the Montessori Method. This method meticulously exemplifies how Montessori educators implement the method in various programs across the country. There are five basic principle associated with the Montessori Method. They are: Respect for the child, The Absorbent child, Sensitive periods, The Prepared environment and Auto-education. Respect for the children occurs when educators assist children with new projects, allowing them to learn for themselves. Giving the child room to explore their boundaries flourishes abilities for positive self- esteem (Morrison, 2009). Montessori also believed having respect for the child is a key element. She said (Morrison, 2009), As a rule, however we do not respect children. We try to force them to follow us without regard to their special needs. We are overwhelming with them, and above all, rude; and then we expect them to be submissive and well-behaved, knowing all the time how strong is their instinct of imitation and how touching their faith in and admiration of us. They will imitate us in any case. Let us treat them, therefore, with all the kindness which we would wish to help to develop in them. When it comes to a child’s mind; it can be described as a sponge. Their young minds continuously â€Å"absorb† information. Unintentionally, children cannot help but learn. In their own environments and in shared environments. The Absorbent mind refers to the idea that the minds of young children are receptive to and capable learning (Morrison, 2009). From birth to age six, these are the most important years of the absorbent mind. Shortridge (2003), compiled an essay about the absorbent mind in which Montessori states that the child learns by unconsciously taking in everything around him and actually constructs himself. Using his senses, he incarnates, or creates himself by absorbing his environment through his very act of living. Morrison (2009) adds, â€Å"What they learn depends greatly on their teachers, experiences, and environments†(Ch. 9). In the sensitive periods; learning is most likely to occur (Morrison, 2009). In our text (2009), Montessori recalls a sensitive period: A sensitive period refers to a special sensibility which a creature acquires in its infantile state, while it is still in a process of evolution. It is a transient disposition and limited to the acquisition of a particular trait. Once this trait or characteristic has been acquired, the special sensibility disappears. It is imperative for an educator to observe and ascertain sensitivity periods and sustain the proper environment. Many theorists believe this stage is considered the critical period. The critical period and the sensitive period contain a sensitive difference. The critical period mildly describes a child not receiving the â€Å"right† or enough stimuli during the window; they will be stagnant in learning in the future (Oswalt, 2008). However, theorists who believe in the sensitive period noted it would post difficulty for the childcare giver to attain what was not learned during the learning window of opportunity, still there is room for the child to learn at a later time (Oswalt, 2008). In a prepared environment it is believed children learn best. In an environment where children can do things for themselves; children are at liberty to explore materials of their own choosing. Within these prepared environments, are six principles: Freedom, Structure and Order, Beauty, Nature and Reality, Social environment and Intellectual environment (Irinyi, 2009). Freedom environment includes freedom of movement, the child must experience freedom of exploration. All of these freedom movements lead to a greater freedom (Irinyi, 2009). Structure and order in the classroom mirrors the sense of structure and order in the universe (Irinyi, 2009). A beautiful environment should suggest harmony and should invite the worker to work. Nature and reality strongly influenced Maria Montessori and believed children should actively interact with nature. Social environment promotes the freedom of children socially interacting with one another and also develop a sense of compassion and empathy for others (Irinyi, 2009). Briefly, auto-education is last principal of the Montessori Method. The prepared environment also stimulates auto-education which is the idea that children teach themselves through appropriate materials and activities (Morrison, 2009). Children who decide to â€Å"work† in the â€Å"kitchen† are able to role play as chefs and are able to make themselves and their peers something to eat. In the Early Childhood Education field, Montessori’s are not the only education program developed to focus on children’s developments. The High- Scope theory is based on Piaget, constructivism, Dewey and Vygotsky (Morrison, 2009). Children help establish curriculum. Experiences guide the programs of studies in promoting children’s active learning (Morrison, 2009). The Reggio Emilia approach founded by Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994), a city in northern Italy, based on the philosophy and practice; that children are active of their own knowledge (Morrison, 2009). Curriculum is project oriented and learning is active. The Waldorf Education founded by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) highlights the teaching of the whole child-head, hands, and heart (Morrison, 2009). Steiner strongly believed that education should be holistic. The study of myths, lores, and fairy tales promotes the imagination and multiculturalism (Morrison,2009). Combining all of the early childhood education programs, there is no one perfect curriculum. Today, there is a combination of all four education types being taught in school districts. Each approach is important and critical. Personally, I would agree that The Montessori Method best serves the needs because this approach allows children to grow and learn at their pace. They are not forced to retain information if the brain is not processing at the pace that is requested and required for children. Also, the environment plays a serious role in this learning and teaching process. If a child is in a stressed environment, the child is less likely to participate and socialize with his or her peers. When a child is in a peaceful or beautiful environment, the child is more inclined to interact with the world with a clear mind. Indeed, while there are multiple Early Childhood Education programs available, the Montessori Method was created with the focus of children learning from their environment (Morrison, 2009). Not to say that this particular method is paramount, but beneficial results have emerged from this program. In Head Start facilities, High- Scope, Reggio Emilia Approach, the Montessori Method and the Waldorf Education should be integrated in facilities today and for the future. References Irinyi, M. (2009, March 18). Principles of the montessori prepared environment. Retrieved from http://montessoritraining. blogspot. com/2009/03/principles-of-montessori-prepared. html Morrison, G. S. (2009). Early childhood education today. (11th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Oswalt, A. (2008, January 17th). Senisitive periods in mental health. Retrieved from http://www. mentalhelp. net/poc/view_doc. php? type=docid=7923cn=28 Shortridge, P. D. (2003). The absorbent mind and the sensitive periods. Retrieved from http://www. pdonohueshortridge. com/children/absorbent. html Stephenson, S. M. (2011). The international Montessori index. Retrieved from http://www. montessori. edu.

The Battle of San Pasqual :: essays research papers fc

The Battle of San Pasqual   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The battle of San Pasqual was one of the many battles fought against Americans to protect their land. The greedy American government was determined to conquer California from Mexico and make it part of the union. The mass migration of immigrants caused the widespread of people to flee south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mexico had departed from Spain in 1821. California wanted to manage their own affairs however, they lacked self government. Pio Pico was the civil governor and Jose Castro was the military comandante. The two men held great hostility toward each other. They divided California’s land and raised armies for themselves. These divisions of armies led to future problems, due to the lack of unity between the two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States Navy arrived in Monterey on July 2, 1846. â€Å"The two California leaders made a half-hearted attempt at cooperation† (Johns 2). The two men and their followers met at a ranch near San Luis Obispo to agree on an opposition towards the American forces. The lack of trust within one another led the two armies to march in separate units to Los Angeles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upon the troops arrival in Los Angeles Castro wrote a letter to Commodore Robert F. Stockton demanding to discuss a way of preventing war. Stockton wrote back concluding that the men must allow American forces to raise an American flag in California. Baldridge 2 The American flag represented that California was America’s land. Stockton also claimed that a treaty would be issued after the flag was inputted in the California soil. Castro refused to take the American negotiation. Castro soon spread the word of American disgrace to Governor Pico, and he also informed him that he was vacating the land due to a lack of resources. He claimed the resources were unable to carry on a war. Pico soon followed with the same intentions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Following the departures of Pio Pico and Jose Castro, the United States naval forces entered Los Angeles without opposition and raised the stars and stripes on August 31, Stockton appointed Captain Archibald Gillespie military commandant of the town, with instruction to be vigilant, firm and strict, and by no means permit anyone to escape† (Johns 3). California natives soon grew angry with Gillespie’s demands and lodged an attack on him; the Americans won the small battle. And, four days later California won another attack at Chino Rancho of Isaac Williams. â€Å"Encouraged by their success, the local inhabitants then gathered a large force which surrounded the detachment in the pueblo and forced Gillespie to evacuate his post on Sept, 30† (Johns 5).

Economics Book Critique Essay

Paul Rubin began his preface by stating that tabula rasa should no longer be viewed as something credible. Rubin maintained his conclusion that evolutionary biology would eventually be the foundation of all social sciences. He maintained that the fundamental taste for liberty is a genetic legacy from the hunter-gatherer bands in the history of mankind. He stated, â€Å"I reach a surprising conclusion: modern western nations, and particularly the United States, are the most effective societies for satisfying our evolved political preferences† (Paul, p. x) Rubin’s attitude’s towards liberty is the one which cost me a great deal of apprehension, in spite of the fact that it is not brought up much in the book. Although I enjoyed reading the book, the fact that so little has been said regarding freedom, I believe, ought to be a cause of serious apprehension. In regard of the contended predominance of Rubin’s concentration on the biological foundation which lies beneath the current state of human liberty, he should have considered beginning with animal freedom as articulated by, say, Pavlov on the â€Å"freedom-reflexes†. The foundation of Rubin’s opinion appears to be a firm certainty that human control and freedom are polar opposites. In fact on his Preface he claimed that when he began the research he was still a libertarian and thus he does not understand much of government’s constant rules regarding human behavior. He stated, â€Å"I have not used evolutionary analysis to prove points in which I already believed† (Paul, p. xv). I was quite bewildered upon reading this remark especially since his declarations seems to exhibit an absolute lack of understanding regarding the vital social control as well as counter-control procedures. It also showed a black void of nearly enormous quantities in awareness of the huge body of literature which could be dated back from the founders of civilization. Rubin feelingly asserted â€Å"There are substantial benefits from limiting government power and great dangers from allowing it to increase. It is, therefore, a puzzle, to explain why so many seek to increase the power of government† (Paul, p. 134). His statement seems to be a little naive. Rubin admitted that most normal individual’s desires governments to do pretty much more than defend them from dishonest dealers, banks, and the like. Most citizens knows the danger of the profound corruption from financial organizations and this is the reason why it is not really much a â€Å"puzzle† why they want to increase government power. The same could be said with the world’s third world countries with weak economies. They look for international kind of government in order for the mistreatment of other advanced countries to be limited if not stopped altogether. The book Professor Rubin wrote is interesting in spite of the fact that I do not agree much with the things he mentioned there particularly on the issue of freedom. Professor Rubin’s, Professor of Economics, attitude towards society and liberty appears to intentionally shun the standard control terminology. He talks a great deal of power, and acquiescence in separate terms of dominant, counter dominant, and the like instead of using the standard terms such as social control and counter control. There are no discussions regarding socialization, customs, introjections of values, punishments, and the like. Overall, I view Professor Rubin’s work to be stimulating particularly because he have some unique views of his own which made me think mentally and allowed me to exercise my faculty of reason. Although I do not agree much with the things he claims, I could still say that his book was an interesting read as well as thought provoking and for these reasons I recommend this book to everyone.

Apple Case Study 1

Apple Table of Contents: I. Introduction II. Opening Case III. Competitor Analysis IV. Sales Analysis V. Profitability Analysis VI. Cross Elasticity of Demand: Competitors v/s iPhone VII. Demand, Cost and Pricing VIII. Pure competition, Monopolistic Competition & Oligopoly IX. Conclusion X. References I. Introduction Apple Inc. (Apple) designs, manufactures and markets a range of personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, and sells a range of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. It's products and services include Macintosh (Mac) computers, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Xserve, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems, third-party digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, and a range of accessory, service and support offerings. The Company sells its products globally through its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. As of September 25, 2010, the Company had opened a total of 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. II. Opening Case: Apple reveals the iPhone MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO—January 9, 2007—Apple ® today introduced iPhone, combining three products—a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod ® with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps—into one small and lightweight handheld device. Phone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting users control iPhone with just their fingers. iPhone also ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, which completely redefines what users can do on their mobile phones. â€Å"iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobi le phone,† said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. We are all born with the ultimate pointing device—our fingers—and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse. † iPhone is a Revolutionary Mobile Phone iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows users to make calls by simply pointing at a name or number. iPhone syncs all of your contacts from your PC, Mac ® or Internet service such as Yahoo! , so that you always have your full list of up-to-date contacts with you. In addition, you can easily construct a favorites list for your most frequently made calls, and easily merge calls together to create conference calls. iPhone’s pioneering Visual Voicemail, an industry first, lets users look at a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to the prior messages. Just like email, iPhone’s Visual Voicemail enables users to immediately randomly access those messages that interest them most. Phone includes an SMS application with a full QWERTY soft keyboard to easily send and receive SMS messages in multiple sessions. When users need to type, iPhone presents them with an elegant touch keyboard which is predictive to prevent and correct mistakes, making it much easier and more efficient to use than the small plastic keyboards on many smartphones. iPhone also includes a calendar application that allows calendars to be automatically synced with your PC or Mac. iPhone fea tures a 2 megapixel camera and a photo management application that is far beyond anything on a phone today. Users can browse their photo library, which can be easily synced from their PC or Mac, with just a flick of a finger and easily choose a photo for their wallpaper or to include in an email. iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone which also features EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies for data networking. Apple has chosen Cingular, the best and most popular carrier in the US with over 58 million subscribers, to be Apple’s exclusive carrier partner for iPhone in the US. iPhone is a Widescreen iPod Phone is a widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets music lovers â€Å"touch† their music by easily scrolling through entire lists of songs, artists, albums and playlists with just a flick of a finger. Album artwork is stunningly presented on iPhone’s large and vibrant display. iPhone also features Cover Flow, Apple’s amazing way to browse your music library by album cover artwork, for the first time on an iPod. When navigating your music library on iPhone, you are automatically switched into Cover Flow by simply rotating iPhone into its landscape position. Phone’s stunning 3. 5-inch widescreen display offers the ultimate way to watch TV shows and movies on a pocketable device, with touch controls for play-pause, chapter forward-backward and volume. iPhone plays the same videos purchased from the online iTunes ® Store that users enjoy watching on their computers and iPods, and will soon enjoy watching on their widescreen televisions using the new Apple TVâ„ ¢. The iTunes Store now offers over 350 television shows, over 250 feature films and over 5,000 music videos. Phone lets users enjoy all their iPod content, including music, audiobooks, audio podcasts, video podcasts, music videos, television shows and movies. iPhone syncs content from a user’s iTunes library on their PC or Mac, and can play any music or video content they have purchased from the online iTunes store. iPhone is a Breakthrough Internet Communications Device iPhone features a rich HTML email client which fetches your email in the background from most POP3 or IMAP mail services and displays photos and graphics right along with the text. Phone is fully multi-tasking, so you can be reading a web page while downloading your email in the background. Yahoo! Mail, the world’s largest email service with over 250 million users, is offering a new free â€Å"push† IMAP email service to all iPhone users that automatically pushes new email to a user’s iPhone, and can be set up by simply entering your Yahoo! name and password. iPhone will also work with most industry standard IMAP and POP based email services, such as Microsoft Exchange, Apple . Mac Mail, AOL Mail, Google Gmail and most ISP mail services. iPhone also features the most advanced and fun-to-use web browser on a portable device with a version of its award-winning Safariâ„ ¢ web browser for iPhone. Users can see any web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on iPhone’s multi-touch display with their finger. Users can surf the web from just about anywhere over Wi-Fi or EDGE, and can automatically sync their bookmarks from their PC or Mac. Phone’s Safari web browser also includes built-in Google Search and Yahoo! Search so users can instantly search for information on their iPhone just like they do on their computer. iPhone also includes Google Maps, featuring Google’s groundbreaking maps service and iPhone’s amazing maps application, offering the best maps experience by far on any pocket device. Users can view maps, satellite images, traffic information and get direct ions, all from iPhone’s remarkable and easy-to-use touch interface. iPhone’s Advanced Sensors Phone employs advanced built-in sensors—an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor—that automatically enhance the user experience and extend battery life. iPhone’s built-in accelerometer detects when the user has rotated the device from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display accordingly, with users immediately seeing the entire width of a web page, or a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio. iPhone’s built-in proximity sensor detects when you lift iPhone to your ear and immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches until iPhone is moved away. Phone’s built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display’s brightness to the appropriate level for the current ambient light, thereby enhancing the user experience and saving power at the same time. Pricing ; Availability iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007, Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008, in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model for $599 (US), and will work with either a PC or Mac. iPhone will be sold in the US through Apple’s retail and online stores, and through Cingular’s retail and online stores. Several iPhone accessories will also be available in June, including Apple’s new remarkably compact Bluetooth headset. iPhone includes support for quad-band GSM, EDGE, 802. 11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2. 0 EDR wireless technologies. iPhone requires a Mac with a USB 2. 0 port, Mac OS ® X v10. 4. 8 or later and iTunes 7; or a Windows PC with a USB 2. 0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2). Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended. Apple and Cingular will announce service plans for iPhone before it begins shipping in June. III. Competitor Analysis Market Share by OS Nokia still has a third of the overall mobile phone market. The average selling price of a Nokia Smartphone fell by 21% from 2009. Nokia is selling plenty of devices, but they are at the cheap end of the market. They lost what some in the industry refer to as â€Å"mindshare† to Apple's iPhone and the Google Android mobile software platform. Nokia wants to sell services – music, maps, and applications – as well as hardware but high-end phone users are looking elsewhere. The company says a new family of Smartphone’s, led by the N8 released in 2010, will revive its fortunes at the top end of the market. Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop was forced to abandon the mobile phone giant's in September 2010. The news that the Finnish firm might only break even in the second quarter of this year slashed 25 per cent off its value in 24 hours. Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has announced it will shed 7,000 jobs from next year as part of a plan to refocus the company on Smartphone. The Finnish firm is moving from Symbian to Microsoft's Smartphone technology. The firm recently confirmed the deal with Microsoft last week to jointly develop Smartphone technology, which will cut costs by about 1bn Euros a year. Under the terms of that deal, Nokia agreed to start using the Microsoft's operating system on its Smartphone instead of its own Symbian platform. Nokia's response to the Smartphone threat from competitors such as Apple's iPhone and phones using Google's Android system has been long been a key investor concern. Prior to the iPhone, Nokia was the king of mobile handsets. Now its share of the Smartphone market has plunged from 47 per cent to 27 per cent. It has also lost its ranking as the largest handset maker in terms of revenue to Apple. Android When Google decided to get into the Smartphone business it decided that Android devices would be everything that the iPhone was not. Apple one or two handsets, Google on the other hand was laying out a great number of handsets. Manufacturers such as HTC, LG and Motorola could use the new operating system for free. It enabled Google to have phones for every section of the market – high powered and pricey, cheap and practical. Android's real selling point would be the apps. Here too, the policy was one of openness. Apple controlled its App store controlling every submission and rejecting those that contravened its rules. For Android anyone who had written an app could upload it. At first, users and app developers welcomed the free-and-easy approach. However, some have begun to question if Google's policy for the apps is the best way to manage the Market. Three years after its launch, hardware sales are booming. Yet sales of Android apps remain relatively poor. Estimates of Apple’s App store in 2010 were ? 1. billion. Android Market managed just ? 62 million. The figure was lower than both Blackberry App World (? 100m) and Nokia's Ovi store (? 64m). Research predicts massive improvements for Android by this time 2012 but it is still expected to lag far behind iOS. Finally Android's market share grew to surpass the Symbian platform used by Nokia making it the most sold Smartphone Microsoft Microsoft market share is declining in the Smartphone platf orm market. Windows Phone 7 lacks a number of features despite the innovation of its user interface. Microsoft hopes to gain market share once Nokia Windows Phones and its wide-ranging â€Å"Mango† software update get released later in 2011. Microsoft has unveiled the first major update to its Windows Phone 7 operating system it launched in 2010. The update, codenamed Mango, intdoduces more than 500 changes. Microsoft’s attempts to break into the Smartphone race have been mediocre at best. Currently, the company controls less than 4% of the market. Despite this, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform is forecasted to beat Android in 2013. Microsoft introduced Pocket PC in 2000, followed by Windows Mobile in 2003, prior to Apple and Android's release. However it still failed to compete in the market, or rival Symbian who controlled nearly 90% of the market share. Microsoft lacked the features and compatibility that Symbian was featuring at the time, and as a result, consumers refused to recognize its product or give Microsoft the opportunity to be a contender in the Smartphone industry. The platform was notoriously sluggish and the most difficult of any platform to use. Microsoft tried to solve some of these issues with minor tweaks and software updates over the years to little or no avail. As Windows Mobile market shares continued to decline, Microsoft had no other option than to overhaul the Microsoft platform and launch Windows Phone 7 in 2010. Windows Phone 7 was much improved. But Microsoft still failed to take control of the market, or garner any real significant attention from consumers. RIM Research In Motion has given up more ground to Apple and Google in the hypercompetitive Smartphone market, a report shows, while two brokerages cut their price targets for the BlackBerry maker on concerns it can no longer keep pace. The latest figures dropped RIM from second to third place. The Canadian company's struggle to compete is unlikely to get any easier, with Apple's upcoming iCloud service expected to hurt RIM. IV. Sales Analysis Apple  produced some stellar results: revenues up 48% year-on-year to $13. 5bn, and profits up. The process is confused because  Apple has begun restating its year-ago earnings, to take into account the fact that it now recognizes income and revenue from subscription-based products such as the  iPhone(which may be sold on an 18-month contract) as soon as it gets it, rather than deferring it over the life of the device/contract as it used to. It began doing that in the most recent quarter, covering Christmas, which – confusingly – is the first quarter of its financial year. So previously, the second-quarter revenues were $8. 16bn, not the newly-restated $9. 08bn; the profits were $1. 21bn, not the now-given figure of $1. 62bn. The numbers also don't include the iPad, because the quarter ended on March 31 – the iPad was launched three days later. According to MacJournals, which chewed over the numbers, â€Å"At $5. 445 billion, iPhone sales accounted for 40% of Apple's revenue. All Mac sales were 28%, all  iPod/Music sales were 24%. Mac sales are 2. 943m units, generating revenue of $3. 76bn – which Apple says was 33% year-on-year growth, compared to market growth of 24%. The company's market share of mobile subscribers has also taken a deep plunge. Market research firm comScore says that between October and January, Microsoft's share of the market fell from 19. 7% to 15. 7%. RIM, the maker o f the BlackBerry, remained the leader, growing from 41. 3% to 43%. Apple ‘s iPhone increased slightly, from 24. 8% to 25. 1%, and Google's Android grew by more than 250%, going from 2. 8% to 7. An interesting analysis comes from Tomi Ahonen, a former Nokia executive. â€Å"I am writing the first history of the once-iconic iPhone, written now in early April 2010, before Apple has released its first quarter earnings for 2010. This is literally the peak of the short reign that Apple's iPhone had as the most emulated Smartphone. [†¦] And mark my words, the numbers are now very clear, Apple's market share peak among smartphones, and among all handsets, on an annual basis, is being witnessed now. † V. Profitability Analysis Apple reported in the second quarter of 2011 that net income rose 95 percent, to $5. 9 billion, or $6. 40 a share, from $3. 07 billion, or $3. 33 a share, in 2010. Revenue climbed 83 percent, to $24. 67 billion, from $13. 5 billion. The profit margin in 2011 is 22. 36% of the sales which is an improvement over the level the company achieved in 2010. The company’s return of equity is 38. 78% while in 2010 it was 26. 2% which means that there is a 12. 58% increase on the return of equity. The gross margin is 39. 07% which is slightly better than the company achieved in 2010. VI. Cross Elasticity of Demand: Competitors V/s iPhone When the iphone 3GS was released on July 11, 2008 it cost $199 with the AT;T two year contract. In January 2011 Apple cut the iphone 3GS price to $50. cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for product A% ? in price for product B %? in price for iphone: Price of Iphone 3GS, 2010 + Price of Iphone 3GS, 2011? Price of Iphone = 199 + 5050-199 = -1. 671% With the Market share OS table above we can compute the % ? I demand for prodct competing with the iphone. %? in demand for Symbian = Symbian market share of Q1 2011 – Symbian market share of 2010 = 27. 4% – 37. 6% = -8. % Symbian-iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for Symbian% ? in price for Iphone = -8. 6%-1. 671% = 5. 146 %? in demand for Android = Android market share of Q1 2011 – Android market share of 2010 = 36% – 22. 7% = 13. 3% Android -iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for Android% ? in price for Iphone = 13. 3%-1. 671% = -7. 959 %? in demand for R IM = RIM market share of Q1 2011 – RIM market share of 2010 = 12. 9% – 16. 0% = -3. 1% RIM -iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for RIM% ? in price for Iphone = -3. 1%-1. 671% = 1. 855 ? in demand for Microsoft = Microsoft market share of Q1 2011 – Microsoft market share of 2010 = 3. 6% – 4. 2% = -0. 6% Microsoft -iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for Microsoft % ? in price for Iphone = -0. 6%-1. 671% = 0. 359 The price elasticity of demand is the responsiveness of quantity demanded by a change of 1 percent in price. It is calculated by dividing the percentage change in the demanded quantity by the corresponding percentage change in price. The iPhone was launched in the US roughly at the beginning of the second Quarter 2008, at a price of $599. In mid September Apple reduced the price for the iPhone by 33% from $599 to $434. According to the quarterly reports, Apple sold 270 000 iPhones in the second quarter and 1,119 000 iPhones in the third quarter. If calculated according to the equation for price elasticity of demand, the iPhone would have a price elasticity of 4. 7, which means that Apple would lose almost 4. 7 percent of iPhone sales for each corresponding 1 percent increase in price. Since elasticity is greater than 1 the price is inelastic so the iPhone is a luxury commodity. Many consumers wait until increased competition forces Apple to decrease prices. VII. Demand, Cost ; Pricing Demand Apple’s iPhone Supply and Demand Concept of Supply and Demand There is a general rule in economics that if the price of a certain good or service rises, then the demand for such good or service declines. If the price decreases, then potential demand also increases (inverse relationship). On the supply side, if the price of a good or service increases, then firms will be willing to supply the market with higher volume of such good or service. If the price decreases, then firms will cut their supply of the good or service (positive relationship. The market then adjusts the price of the good or service in order to satisfy both the consumers and the suppliers. This is called market equilibrium. Apple iPhone Demand Last July, Apple iPhone was able to outsell all smart phones in the United States. It almost equaled the sales of the most popular feature phone (LG chocolate), giving it a relatively stable position in the market. New Apple handset models accounted for almost 1 . of all phone handset sales in the US for about a month. It was estimated that the demand for Apple iPhone was rising at7 . 2 a month, equivalent to about 5 million units of quantity demanded. The market research firm iSuppli noted â€Å"This is a remarkable accomplishment for Apple, considering that July marked the first full month of sales for the iPhone. While iSuppli has not collected historical information on this topic, it’s likely that the s peed of the iPhone ‘s rise to competitive dominance in its segment is unprecedented in the history of the mobile-handset market (Marsal ,2007 . In short , almost unexpected rise in demand of Apple iPhone was unaccounted by many experts , including of which are some of its competitors . The same research firm also noted that survey revealed that almost 57 of iPhones (bought in July ) were purchased by US consumers . Most of the consumers are aged 17-35. Almost 52 of the consumers of this product are male, and about 48 are female, revealing an almost equal propensity to consume for the product among the sexes. Added to that, iSuppli noted that 62 of the consumers of the product are actually college graduates or those with graduate courses . Nonetheless , the same research firm noted that â€Å"some of the iPhone ‘s success in July can be attributed to pent-up demand following months of hype (stagnant demand). Real proof of success will come in the coming months as demand patterns stabilize (Marsal, 2007). This prediction was almost accurate when the demand for iPhone was almost rising at 8 per month (month of June). Cost Apple's Iphone 4 smartphone, for which it's charging at least $500 at retail, is built of parts that cost $187. 51, according to market research firm Isuppli. According to the tear-down the most expensive part of the Iphone 4 is the 3. 5-inch LCD screen which costs $28. 50. Isuppli thinks that the Iphone 4 screen must be identical to one made by LG. It seems that Apple has managed to keep its parts cost at about $170 to $180 per unit. Isuppli's cost estimate doesn't include labour, shipping, advertising, software development or patent licensing. The cost is based on a 16GB version of the Iphone 4 but the low costs of each componant are fairly staggering. The Apple A4 processor reportedly is made by Samsung Electronics for $10. 75 per chip. Isuppli thinks that Geneva-based STMicroelectronics supplied the gyroscope chip at an estimated cost of $2. 60, as well as an accelerometer chip used in previous Iphone versions, which has an estimated cost of 65 cents. Other component suppliers named by Isuppli include Skyworks, a wireless chipmaker and TriQuint Semiconductor. In 2009, Isuppli estimated that the components and materials used in the iPhone 3GS cost about $179. Since then Isuppli thinks that the materials costs for that model have fallen to $134. Thus the Iphone 4 costs a bit more to make than the earlier model. Of course this means that Apple's gross margin on the hardware in Iphones is extremely high. The actual price margin gets obscured by the fact that AT&T heavily subsidises the phone in the US for about what it costs to manufacture. However the real winner is Apple, which does not have to pay for the cost of manufacture and still takes home about three times Iphone 4 production costs, on average. Pricing Because the iPhone price is entirely set by Apple, it makes an interesting case study on how much the price of technology drops over time. The official price of the iPhone periodically drops, as shown in the table below. But, there are no sales and a new iPhone is never sold for less than the official price. (There are occasionally sales on the refurbished iPhones for example on black Friday the refurbished 3GS was sold for $50. 00 instead of the usual $150. 00. )   Finding historical street price data is harder than historical MSRP data. For the iPhone both prices are the same. The table showing the historical price is included below. 1st Gen 4GB| 1st Gen 8GB| 3G| 3GS 16GB| 3GS 32GB| 29 June 2007| $499. 0*| $599*| N/A| N/A| N/A| 5 Sept 2007| Discontinued| $399| N/A| N/A| N/A| June 2008| N/A| N/A| $199| N/A| N/A| June 2009| N/A| N/A| $99| $199| $299| VIII. Pure competition, Monopolistic Competition & Oligopoly Apple Inc. planned to begin producing this year a new iPhone that could allow U. S. phone carriers other than AT&T Inc. to sell the iconic gadget, said people briefed by the company. The new iPhone would work on a type of wireless network called CDMA, these people said. CDMA is used by Verizon Wireless, AT&T's main competitor, as well as Sprint Nextel Corp. nd a handful of cellular operators in countries including South Korea and Japan. The vast majority of carriers world-wide, including AT;T, use another technology called GSM. With Apple developing a phone with CDMA capability, its exclusive U. S. arrangement with AT;T dating to 2007 appears set to end. Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, declined to comment. An AT;T spokesman said: â€Å"There has been lots of incorrect speculation on CDMA iPhones for a long time. We haven't seen one yet and only Apple knows when that might occur. † Apple declined to comment. For AT;T, the Apple relationship has been crucial, helping to make the carrier the U. S. leader in lucrative smart-phone market share. According to comScore Inc. , AT;T has over 43% of all U. S. smart-phone customers, compared with 23% for Verizon. These customers are especially attractive because they generally pay higher monthly rates for data plans. For several quarters, AT;T's growth has come almost single-handedly from the iPhone. In the fourth quarter of 2009, the carrier said it activated 3. 1 million new iPhones. In comparison, it counted only a net total of 2. million new subscribers as some customers moved from other phones to iPhones. Now that a new Verizon-compatible iPhone appears to be on the horizon, Digits looks at what Apple can do to win over mobile business users, particularly from RIMM's BlackBerry market. The people briefed on the matter said the upgraded GSM iPhone is being made by Taiwanese contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. , which produced A pple's previous iPhones. The CDMA iPhone model is being made by Pegatron Technology Corp. , the contract manufacturing subsidiary of Taiwan's ASUSTeK Computer Inc. said these people. One person familiar with the situation said Pegatron is scheduled to start mass producing CDMA iPhones in September. Other people said, however, that the schedule could change and the phone may not be available to consumers immediately after production begins. Representatives of Pegatron and Hon Hai declined to comment. Verizon has publicly stated its interest in the iPhone, but people familiar with the situation said Apple originally decided against developing a phone for Verizon to keep its development process simple, since the technologies are incompatible. Verizon also is upgrading its network to a higher-speed technology, so Apple has said it believed CDMA was a short-term technology. Apple later changed its mind as it realized Verizon's upgrade would take longer than expected, said people familiar with the situation. Making the iPhone available through Verizon, which has over 91 million customers, as well as potentially other CDMA carriers could open up a significant new market. In 2009, iPhone sales globally rose 83% to 25. million, far outpacing the 20% to 25% growth in smart phones sales overall, according to Bernstein. But since Apple already dominates smart-phone sales through existing partners, â€Å"sooner rather than later, Apple is going to have to look to find incremental distribution,† which implies a monopolistic competition between all smart phone sellers, said Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi. He estimates Verizon could help Apple nearly double the number of iPhone users in the U. S. Some advantages that iPhone has comparing to other smart phones are: 1. Pod: iPhone is a not just a phone it is widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets you enjoy all your content — including music, audiobooks, videos, TV shows, and movies — on a beautiful 3. 5-inch widescreen display (Nokia N95 only has a 2. 6 inch screen). The N95 does have a good media player, however with all the iPod features and 4 GB / 8 GB space, it makes the iPhone the best music phone. 2. Advanced Safari browser: iPhone lets you see any web page the way it was designed to be seen, then easily zoom in by simply tapping on the multi-touch display with your finger which will change mobile browsing for the good. . OS X: All the power and sophistication of an advanced operating system that gives you access to true desktop-class applications and software, including rich HTML email, applications such as widgets, Safari, calendar, text messaging, Notes, and Address Book etc. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so you can read a web page while downloading your email in the background. This software completely redefines what you can do with a mobile phone. 4. User Interface: iPhone features the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse. It’s an entirely new interface based on a large multi-touch display and innovative new software that lets you control everything using only your fingers. 5. Visual Voicemail: The iPhone lets you select and listen to voicemail messages in whatever order you want — just like email using a revolutionary new feature called the visual voicemail. IX. Conclusion Analyzing as managerial economics students, we can conclude that although the current methods and techniques are serving us well in analyzing the current market situation, there will be new techniques emerging in the future with global changes occurring at leaping speeds. What is essential is for us to grasp is that the theory is flexible with these changes and that it can be shaped or rounded to be applied to any market situation analysis. The content and subjects we learned in this course are nothing but the bedrock tools that any manager needs to know and use in his daily life in order to forecast revenues and demand, analyze current markets and evaluate his company’s stance regarding his competitors. X. References ttp://theblogpaper. co. uk/article/business/31may09/price-elasticity-demand-iphone http://news. cnet. com/8301-13506_3-20064223-17. html http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-10725887 http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/uk-13284156 http://m. ibtimes. com/microsoft-windows-phone7-google-android-apple-157595. html http://www. reuters. com/article/2011/06/03/us-rim-research-ubs-idUSTRE7523PP20110603 www. newyorktimes. com www. wallstreetjournal. com

Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure

Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure Introduction Levi Strauss Co. is the large U.S. clothing company which was founded in San Francisco in 1853 by Levi Strauss, the immigrant from Bavaria. Today, it is one of the most popular clothing brands in the world which produces the high quality denim jeans. Levi Strauss Co. is one of the leaders in the apparel industry, and this brand is present in more than 100 countries all over the world. The company is famous for the significant percentage of sales round the globe because of the brand’s reputation and recognition among customers. That is why, operating within the markets of many countries, Levi Strauss Co. employs more than ten thousands of employees in order to represent the company world wide (Levi Strauss Co, 2013). In 2008, the problems with implementing SAP ERP caused the problems with fulfilling orders. As a result, during a week, the orders were fulfilled incorrectly, and the company faced the economic decline of 98% in net income. Problem Statement and th e Consequences of the ERP Failure SAP ERP was implemented in the company during the first part of 2008, but in the second quarter of 2008, different technical issues prevented Levi Strauss Co. from fulfilling the orders correctly during the whole week. Thus, the drawbacks in the SAP ERP implementation caused the economic decline of the company in 2008. Consequently, the technical errors and problems in the SAP ERP implementation contributed to the significant economic losses associated with the decline in 98% in the company’s net income.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Causes of the Problem It was found that the technical errors and internal control problems connected with the work of SAP ERP were determined after the system had been implemented in the company. Furthermore, there were significant difficulties in the connection and integra tion of the necessary legacy systems. However, the company’s management did not pay the necessary attention to fixing and overcoming the problem. Thus, the causes for the SAP ERP failure are in ignoring the importance of the appropriate connection and integration of the legacy systems, ignoring the necessary testing, insufficient employee training, and the lack of the adequate management participation (Levi Strauss Co, 2013). Recommendations and the Solution Explanation To provide the solution to the situation associated with the SAP ERP failure in Levi Strauss Co., it is necessary to propose the alternative program to be used in the company. The appropriate program is based on the integration and management of such company’s operations as the planning of the company’s operations, order entry, distribution, e-commerce, accounting, logistics, human resource management, and customer relationship management. The program based on the Oracle ERP and reporting platf orms should unite all the company’s departments in one complex system which operates the enterprise-wide information and resources. The program based on the Oracle ERP should be incorporated into the existing SAP ERP system following the principles of the parallel implementation when the work of the SAP ERP system is supported with the work of the Oracle ERP system in order to cover all the fields of the company’s operations. From this point, operating the ERP platform, the program cannot be discussed as independent from the other systems. Referring to the principles of the ERP, the basic users are associated with accounting, finance, logistics, and production in order to realize the effective planning of operations and to contribute to the company’s progress (Baltzan, Phillips, Detlor, 2012, p. 128-131).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a r esult, the expected solution based on the Oracle ERP platform can be provided in the Excel format as the format actively used by the program operators because of its sufficiency and appropriateness to analyze and report the necessary data. The key variables which should be examined and analyzed with references to the system are the program’s simplicity, its flexibility, the potential for control, costs, the ability to provide the necessary integration, and accessibility (Baltzan, Phillips, Detlor, 2012, p. 128-129). That is why, the program based on the Oracle ERP platform can be discussed as effective to be integrated within the company to enhance planning, scheduling, forecasting, purchasing, and distribution activities. From this point, the use of the Oracle ERP along with the SAP ERP is possible only with references to the significant top management commitment and involvement in the process regulations and with the focus on the change management principles. The Advantage s of Implementing New Recommendations for the Company The focus on the integration of the Oracle ERP based program along with the SAP ERP within Levi Strauss Co. can be discussed as the effective strategy to overcome the issues associated with the SAP ERP failure in 2008. The program developed to reproduce the functions of the Oracle ERP is necessary to improve the operations’ coordination within the company and to provide the immediate response to the detected errors in the system’s work. Thus, the systems which work on the same platform can be used for the integration and to support each other while combining the work of the systems’ elements. Such work of the systems which improves the coordination among the company’s departments can solve the problem and prevent the possible errors in the future. Thus, the use of the proposed program can guarantee a lot of benefits for the company, and these benefits and advantages are closely connected with the poss ibilities to reduce costs, to provide the necessary technical support of the decision-making process, to guarantee the company’s increased agility, and to respond to the company’s transactional, informational, and different strategic needs. From this point, the purpose of the program’s use is in the reduction of operational costs and in the increase of the company’s efficiency. The solution based on the principles of the enterprise resource planning is effective to be used in Levi Strauss Co. because the previously implemented program also depended on this platform which was chosen by the company’s managers as effective to promote the e-commerce and operational activities. The program is appropriate to organize the cooperative work of all the units and departments and to stimulate the progress of the change management within the company. Along with responding to the company’s current problems in ordering, purchasing, and delivery of the pro ducts, the new implemented program can be discussed as effective to be actively used by managers to stimulate their involvement in predicting the potential successes and failures and in planning the coordinated work of all the company’s departments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That is why, the focus on the new program which can be successfully implemented according to the idea of the parallel implementation with the SAP ERP system is also necessary to promote the managerial decision-making processes. References Baltzan, P., Phillips, C., Detlor, B. (2012). Business driven information systems. Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Levi Strauss Co. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.levistrauss.com/who-we-are/company/

Missing Person Christina Morris

Missing Person Christina Morris On August 30, 2014, Christina Morris of Fort Worth, Texas, disappeared from a mall parking garage after spending an evening visiting with friends in Plano. It was several days before anyone realized that she was missing. Here are the most recent developments in the Christina Morris case. Remains Found in Wooded Area March 2018- Found by construction workers, the Collin County Medical Examiner identified remains found in a wooded area of Anna, Texas as those of Christina Morris. Hair Samples Delay Arochi Trial Oct. 28, 2015 - The trial of a man accused of kidnapping a missing Fort Worth woman from a Plano, Texas shopping center in August 2014 has been delayed so that investigators can run DNA tests on hair samples. Enrique Arochi had been scheduled to go on trial November 30 for the kidnapping of Christina Morris, but a judge has delayed the trial until possibly June 2016 to give Texas Department of Safety investigators time to conduct tests on hairs retrieved from a vacuum cleaner where Arochi worked. Police believe Arochi used the vacuum to clean out his 2010 Chevy Camaro shortly after he was seen walking with Morris into a parking garage at The Shops at Legacy in Plano. Other hair from Morris was found in the Camaros trunk opening and on a mat inside the trunk, authorities said. Investigators discovered more hairs inside the vacuum cleaner at a Sprint store where Arochi was a manager and where he showed up for work hours after Morris disappeared. Officials expect DNA testing on the hair to take up to 12 weeks. Morris, 24, has been charged with only aggravated kidnapping in the case. He has been in jail without bond waiting for trial since December 2014. Mom Still Searching for Christina Morris Aug. 30, 2015 - A year after a 23-year-old Texas woman disappeared after walking into a mall parking garage after visiting friends in Plano, her mother hasnt stopped searching. Jonni McElroy, the mother of Christina Morris, plans to continue until her daughter is found. McElroy told reporters a year after the incident that she hopes the man accused of abducting her daughter will someday reveal her whereabouts. Im not going to stop searching, McElroy said. Why would I? Theres no reason. The only reason is when I find her or have an answer. She said that she believes Enrique Arochi, a former classmate of Morris and the man accused of her kidnapping, knows where her daughter is. It is my hope that he will finally say something, McElroy said. According to court records, investigators believe that Arochi left the parking garage at The Shops at Legacy in Plano with Morris in the trunk of his vehicle. Her blood and saliva were found on the edge of the cars trunk. Her cell phone was pinging various cell towers while she was inside the trunk of his vehicle, police said. They believe he returned to the parking garage with Morris still in the trunk and then returned to his home 40 minutes later. Authorities believe Arochi planned to sexually assault Morris and became angry when she rejected his advances. Arochi has maintained his innocence, and his attorney said the police account of events is based largely on conjecture and speculation, and leave many questions unanswered. The next hearing in the case is scheduled November 30. Grand Jury Indicts Arochi Mar. 10, 2015 - The suspect in the disappearance of a Forth Worth woman has been indicted by a Collin County grand jury on charges in two separate cases. Enrique Arochi, 24, has been indicted for aggravated kidnapping in the case of Christina Morris, who vanished August 30. Arochi was also indicted on sexual assault charges stemming from a sexual relationship he had with a 16-year-old girl between Oct. 22, 2012, and Feb. 22, 2013. According to court papers, Arochi told the girl that he was 19 years old when he was 22. He is being held on $100,000 bond on the child sex charge. Arochi is also under $1 million bond for the aggravated kidnapping charge. Man Arrested in Christina Morris Case Dec. 13, 2014 - The man last seen on surveillance video entering a parking garage with a missing Texas woman has been arrested in connection with the case. Authorities said inconsistent statements and DNA collected during the investigation led to the arrest of Enrique Gutierrez Arochi in the disappearance of Christina Morris. Arochi, 24, who was a high school friend of Morris, was charged with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony. Morris and Arochi had been partying with other friends in Plano, Texas on the night she vanished. They left the party at 3:45 on August 30 and were captured on video entering a parking garage together at 3:55 a.m. Although investigators showed Arochi a still photograph of he and Morris in the garage, he denied that they were in the parking facility together. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, DNA evidence indicates that Morris left the parking garage in the trunk of Arochis vehicle. Data from her cell phone also shows that she was in his vehicle, although he told police she was never in the car. There were other inconsistencies in his statements to police: Arochi said Morris was arguing with her boyfriend on the phone as they entered the garage, but his cell phone was used to text her boyfriend at 3:50, 3:53 and 3:55 a.m.Arochi said he must have loaned Morris is phone because hers was not working, contradicting himself, according to court papersHe said he drove straight home from the garage, but Toll records show that he took a different route to this Allen, Texas home.He told detectives that Morris had never been in his car. DNA collected during the investigation may have contradicted that statement.He lied to police about how the front end of his Chevy Camaro was damaged, according to auto body repair experts. According to an affidavit filed in the case, Arochi walked with a limp when he showed up for work following the weekend and told an employee that his ribs hurt. The employee saw a bite mark on Arochis arm that he blamed on a fight the night before. Arochi is being held in the Collins County Jail on a $1 million bond. Where he is also on a federal immigration hold, officials said. Missing Womans Boyfriend Busted for Drugs Dec. 10, 2014 - The boyfriend of a 23-year-old Texas woman, who vanished under suspicious circumstances in August, has been indicted on drug charges which authorities said are unrelated to the disappearance of Christina Morris. Hunter Foster, who police said has an alibi for the night that Christina disappeared in Plano, has been indicted along with 14 other people on drug conspiracy charges. The charges are related to a drug trafficking operation. Foster was arrested at a northwest Dallas strip club where an after-hours operation takes place, according to police. Family members told authorities that Christina had been upset with Fosters drug activities and had threatened, shortly before she vanished, to leave him because of it. Meanwhile, investigators have been looking into the high school friend of Christinas who was seen walking into the Plano parking garage with her the night she disappeared on August 30. Enrique Arochi said the two went their separate ways after entering the garage, but Christinas car was found unmoved in the garage. Police believe the only way that Christina could have left the garage undetected by surveillance cameras was in Arochis vehicle. In September, they requested a search warrant for Arochis car, claiming in the warrant that he intentionally made false statements that hindered investigators in locating Morris. Also in the warrant, detectives said Arochis vehicle had sustained damage and had recently been detailed. Fort Worth Woman Reported Missing Sept. 6, 2014 - Plano, Texas police have asked the publics help in searching for a Fort Worth woman who vanished after walking into a parking garage with a friend near a shopping mall on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014. Christina Marie Morris, 23, who was visiting friends in Plano, was last seen near The Shops At Legacy and walking with a friend into the parking garage at 5717 Legacy Drive early Saturday morning. She and her friend parked on opposite sides of the garage and walked separate ways shortly after entering the garage; the friend told police. Police Release Surveillance Video Plano police have released the surveillance video of the two walking into the parking garage just before 4 a.m. The guy (in the video) is a friend of hers from high school. They had been at a friends apartment hanging out and walked back together, Plano police spokesman David Tilley told reporters. Reported Missing Tuesday, Sept. 2 Although she was last seen around 4 a.m. Aug. 30, it took a couple of days for friends and family members to realize that she wasnt returning anyones calls and no one had been in contact with her. Consequently, her parents did not file a missing person report on Morris until Tuesday, September 2. Police quickly located Morris vehicle still in the parking garage. They say her cell phone is either turned off or her battery is dead. Her cell phones last usage was traced to The Shops At Legacy mall. Canvassing the Shopping Mall This week Morris mother, Jonni McElroy, went to the shopping mall and canvassed the merchants in hopes of finding anyone who was in contact with Morris before she disappeared. Im not leaving. I will not leave here until I find clues to find my daughter, she told reporters. Morris boyfriend also got involved in search this week, turning to social media to seek help in finding her. Using Social Media Im worried sick and will do anything to get any information on the last time anyone has seen or talked to her please help and pray that she is ok, he said on Facebook. Police are involved, and we are going to find her and whoever has taken her or whoever she is with. His efforts apparently helped when more than 60 volunteers turned up Saturday, Sept. 6, to search the area around The Shops At Legacy mall. Volunteers Search Mall Area Working with the Plano police, the volunteers - described as family, friends, and friends of friends - were organized into groups of four to search the fields, bushes and storm drain around the mall and garage area. They were looking for any sign of Morris or any of her belongings. Each group of four volunteers included a Plano police officer, Tilley said. August 30 Photo Shown In the composite photograph of Morris above, a photo from her Facebook page appears on the left, while the picture on the right is one that police say was made the night she disappeared, showing how she looked and what she was wearing. Morris is described as 5-4 and 100 pounds. She has brown eyes and blonde hair. Anyone who has information about the case is asked to call the Plano Police at 972-424-5678.

Wiki Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wiki - Essay Example As far as the disadvantages are concerned, viruses are created that keep the capacity of infecting the information saved in a system. Moreover, it appears that people are getting away from physical exercises, as they are much involved I doing computerized tasks. I would like to have a fully computerized cell phone with the help of which, I can do all my computer related tasks. The movie that I have selected for the review of information technology is â€Å"GoldenEye†. It is one among the James Bond series and uses a lot of information technology such as computer systems, emailing, data management, information retrieval, online data access, digital photography and much more. James Bond uses computer accessories for accessing to information and the information that is also secret and confidential is accessed online by the villain of the story. James Bond along with some other characters are shown as mastering the technology but of course, James Bond is the best among them, as he can access all kinds of information that he needs. The technology that deals with the use of power such as the pen by which, a grenade can be set off is portrayed fantastically. James Bond’s movies are always welcoming new technologies and also showing ways for new technologies to come. The web resource for teaching Excel that I have selected is www.techonthenet.com. This resource informs in detail about the Excel and its usage. It informs about the functions and procedures on Excel. The function that I have learnt on internet because of this website is Excel: Min Function. The Min Function, according to the web resource is able to give the least value among many other values. For example, among 2, 4, 6, 2 is the minimum value and the Min Function will give that value. We can place the sign of â€Å"is equal to† that is â€Å"=† and then write Min, afterwards, we put braces. In the braces, we have to give the numbers from

Just follow the instruction and pick up one u good at Essay

Just follow the instruction and pick up one u good at - Essay Example Woolf uses this story, among others, to describe why women must have their private space to develop their identities. This space, nevertheless, is not only physical because it is also psychological, political, and economic. Deliberative democracy puts deliberation at the center of democratic processes and outcomes. Citizens must have the freedom to participate in discussions that affect their lives. Political equality is based on equal participation in these deliberations, wherein James Fishkin contends that political equality means â€Å"the institutionalization of a system which grants equal consideration to everyone’s preferences and which grants everyone appropriately equal opportunities to formulate preferences on the issues under consideration† (qtd. in Stein 321-322). Each individual has the right to express his/her own ideas and opinions. Robert E. Stein asserts, furthermore, that substantive equality is needed for deliberative democracy to happen. He defines su bstantive equality: â€Å"Substantive equality arguments claim that along with important procedural safeguards, minimum levels of social and economic equality are also necessary to ensure equality of participation† (322). ... Unless people get fair wages or fair views as human beings, they cannot partake in public discussions (Stein 322). Society, through its web of different sectors and groups, must facilitate substantive equality. Substantive equality provides the necessary foundation of genuine deliberative democracy. Substantive equality has different arguments that must be explored further because they enlighten readers of underlying differences and similarities in the conceptualization and practice of the former. The first approach underlines equal access to resources. Proponents of equal access stress that â€Å"the existing distribution of power and resources does not shape their chances to contribute to deliberation, nor does that distribution play an authoritative role in their deliberation† (Stein 322). People must have minimal access to power and resources to meaningfully contribute to democratic deliberative processes. The second approach highlights capabilities. Even if fair access to resources exists, the absence of capabilities to participate in deliberation renders the former useless (Stein 322). Capabilities supporters assert that the quality of deliberation comes from sufficient deliberation capabilities. Another perspective of substantive equality pertains to reciprocity. Reciprocity does not give up equal access to resources. Gutmann and Thompson assert that reciprocity â€Å"holds that citizens owe one another justifications for the mutually binding laws and public policies they collectively enact† (qtd. in Stein 322). Stein remarks that reciprocity adds a layer of moral perspective to democracy, where substantive equality is right because it respects human dignity (322). People must mutually respect each other’s right to