Comparing the Search in Platos Allegory of the Cave and Anderson’s Win

The Search for Truth in Plato's Allegory of the Cave and Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohioâ â â The epic Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson has numerous topics that current themselves all through the book. One such repeating subject is a quest for truth. The characters in the book don't completely understand that they are scanning for truth, however they do feel an obscure, indefinable thing that pushes and goads their brains to realize a higher plane of thought. This quest for a higher plane by the characters of Winesburg about equals another artistic work of old Greek cause Plato's Moral story of the Cave, which is a segment of his well known stating The Republic. I battle that the town of Winesburg is what could be compared to the Cave in Plato's composition. The Moral story of the Cave is an endeavor by Plato to relate his musings and reasoning on human development into normal terms. He accepted that there are two planes of presence: the material universe of the faculties, and a higher universe of musings and standards. Plato's Moral story caused it workable for individuals to additional to immovably get a handle on a to some degree theoretical idea. The Moral story delineates various individuals who are detained in a cavern, fastened by the legs and neck with the goal that they can't move, nor would they be able to stop people in their tracks; they see just towards the back divider inverse the cavern opening. These individuals have been fastened as such their whole lives. Now and again articles and individuals go before the cavern opening, and shadows play upon the back divider. Since the individuals have just observed the shadows, they accept that the shadows are the genuine articles and creatures of the world. They watch the shadows, estimating them, attempting to get them, and before long distinctions are offered to those people who can see the... ...ld (the cavern) prompts characteristics which are the absolute opposite of goodness, in particular disdain. I accept that drawing matches between Winesburg, Ohio and the Purposeful anecdote of the Cave gives knowledge into how humankind has grappled with the issue of discovering approaches to follow up on the higher beliefs that dwell in the character of humanity. Maybe understanding that Man has mulled over this issue for heaps of years, from the hour of the antiquated Greeks through the mid twentieth century to the present, can help human progress to see the higher plane of presence, which Plato says is the creator of everything excellent and right. Works Cited: Anderson, Sherwood. Winesburg, Ohio. New York, NY: Penguin Books Ltd., 1993. Plato. Purposeful anecdote of the Cave. in The Norton Reader. Linda H. Peterson et al., eds. New York: W. W. Norton, 2000.

Discuss the ways in which atmosphere Essay Example for Free

Talk about the manners by which environment Essay Atwood portrays various things she could do in the fourth passage of the concentrate. This makes a what will occur? , and in this manner tension, as Atwood reels off a rundown of conceivable outcomes, without really doing any of them Each one of them (the potential outcomes) appears a similar size as all the others. Not one appears to be best. Offred appears surrendered to her destiny, particularly when she says I consider these things inactively and (I feel) invaded with lack of concern. Truth be told, this last sentence decimates a portion of the anticipation and air of the section by delineating Offred as readied to endure her passing or detainment, she is peaceful, unconcerned, and just sitting tight for it, whatever it might be, to occur. This is like the eponymous character in Hamlet, who makes reference to all the conceivable outcomes, is aware of their reality and the advantages and disadvantages of each, however decides not to follow up on them. Most of sentences in the concentrate are either part into little areas by commas or extremely short completely, indicating the peruser the storyteller (Offreds) befuddled perspective. Her considerations rapidly dance starting with one train then onto the next, exhibiting her on edge mind which she can't concentrate appropriately. This is additionally demonstrated by the decision of passage structure and section length, the two of which are disconnected and lopsided. The content highlights numerous holes and quiets which show the progression of time, the dances starting with one line of reasoning then onto the next and the vulnerabilities that the creator is encountering. The language is direct, straightforward, basic however not streamlined, as is run of the mill of the novel. The verifiable notes illuminate the peruser that the novel is a transcript of a copied record, and it is anything but difficult to envision tuning in to the storyteller describing the story verbally. This utilization of language makes it simple to envision the storyteller as an ordinary consistently individual who was shot into Gilead, instead of a journalistic view. Atwood effectively dodges the risk of sounding excessively spellbinding and definitive, during this section as well as in the whole novel, giving the story an increasingly reasonable feeling and separating the book from most sci-fi. This decision of language adds to the anticipation of the section on the grounds that the emotions portrayed are real, we realize they are not only there for impact or show. This easy obvious and reasonable exchange runs all through the whole novel, highlighting and approving the emotions and occasions depicted. The concentrate plainly has discouraging and ruined connotations, with Offreds despair at its generally predominant anytime inside the novel, as she is miserably surrendered to her destiny. The entry, be that as it may, stays away from the snare of being dull and miserable, as would be anything but difficult to fall into at such a negative point in the novel. Atwoods symbolism, sentence structure and language, breath life into the entry and keep it from being miserable and dim, rather making a climate of tension. Show review just The above see is unformatted content This understudy composed bit of work is one of numerous that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood area.

Bored by Your Subject Write About it Anyway!

Bored by Your Subject Write About it Anyway! Bored by Your Subject? Write About it Anyway! Bored by Your Subject? Write About it Anyway! At some point in your academic career, you’ll have to write about something that doesn’t interest you, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it! No one loves writing about everything, in fact, The Guardian recently published an article about how writing is a conscious act, more than anything. What this means is that not everyone can write without thinking. In fact, more often than not, writing involves serious consideration, research, and careful analysis. So what do you do when you have no interest in the subject, but your deadline is looming? Well, there’s no easy answer, but to get started, try to make the subject relatable in some way. If you can find a personal connection, then you’ll be able to write about it much more easily. We’ve all been there: the subject we’re faced with writing about is dry as dust, and we can’t seem to read through the research without falling asleep. So what do you do when you have no interest in the subject, but your deadline is looming? Well, there’s no easy answer, but to get started, try to make the subject relatable in some way. What if you could relate this “boring” subject to something that interests you? That would make it easier, wouldn’t it! If you can find a personal connection, then you’ll enjoy writing about it much more. Start by thinking about your own interests and hobbies. Next, try linking one of them to the subject. As hard as it may seem, there’s always a way to make a connection. Maybe you’re writing about the election, and you have no interest in politics, but you love skateboarding in the park down the street. Well, there’s your connection! If you vote for a certain candidate, will there be funding to repair your skate park if the cement crumbles? Can’t find a personal connection so easily? Try interviewing friends and family for their take on the subject. To date, you’ve probably only heard about the subject from your professor or through reading research papers. Hearing about it from people you know will help to make the subject more relatable and help you to connect the dots between your interests and the subject at hand. The key to writing about a subject you don’t like or understand is to change your perspective. By framing it in the context of something you enjoy, or hearing about it from someone you care about, you’ll be able to find a connection and enjoy the writing process much more. If you find that you’re still struggling to get your ideas together, don’t worry too much; we can help you with custom essay writing and editing services. Reach out to us today to find out how we can help you clear that project off your desk! References: Hensher, Philip. (2014, March 14) So You Want to Be a Writer… The Guardian. Retrieved August 21st, 2015 from creative-writing-courses-advice-students Bored by Your Subject Write About it Anyway! Bored by Your Subject? Write About it Anyway! Bored by Your Subject? Write About it Anyway! At some point in your academic career, you’ll have to write about something that doesn’t interest you, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it! No one loves writing about everything, in fact, The Guardian recently published an article about how writing is a conscious act, more than anything. What this means is that not everyone can write without thinking. In fact, more often than not, writing involves serious consideration, research, and careful analysis. So what do you do when you have no interest in the subject, but your deadline is looming? Well, there’s no easy answer, but to get started, try to make the subject relatable in some way. If you can find a personal connection, then you’ll be able to write about it much more easily. We’ve all been there: the subject we’re faced with writing about is dry as dust, and we can’t seem to read through the research without falling asleep. So what do you do when you have no interest in the subject, but your deadline is looming? Well, there’s no easy answer, but to get started, try to make the subject relatable in some way. What if you could relate this “boring” subject to something that interests you? That would make it easier, wouldn’t it! If you can find a personal connection, then you’ll enjoy writing about it much more. Start by thinking about your own interests and hobbies. Next, try linking one of them to the subject. As hard as it may seem, there’s always a way to make a connection. Maybe you’re writing about the election, and you have no interest in politics, but you love skateboarding in the park down the street. Well, there’s your connection! If you vote for a certain candidate, will there be funding to repair your skate park if the cement crumbles? Can’t find a personal connection so easily? Try interviewing friends and family for their take on the subject. To date, you’ve probably only heard about the subject from your professor or through reading research papers. Hearing about it from people you know will help to make the subject more relatable and help you to connect the dots between your interests and the subject at hand. The key to writing about a subject you don’t like or understand is to change your perspective. By framing it in the context of something you enjoy, or hearing about it from someone you care about, you’ll be able to find a connection and enjoy the writing process much more. If you find that you’re still struggling to get your ideas together, don’t worry too much; we can help you with custom essay writing and editing services. Reach out to us today to find out how we can help you clear that project off your desk! References: Hensher, Philip. (2014, March 14) So You Want to Be a Writer… The Guardian. Retrieved August 21st, 2015 from creative-writing-courses-advice-students

Women in Shakespeares Richard III

In his play, Richard III, Shakespeare draws on historical facts about several historical women to tell his story. Their emotional reactions reinforce that Richard the villain is the logical conclusion of many years of intrafamily conflict and family politics. The Wars of the Roses were about two branches of the Plantagenet family and a few other closely-related families fighting each other, often to the death. In the Play These women have lost husbands, sons, fathers, or will by the end of the play. Most have been pawns in the marriage game, but nearly all of them who are depicted have had some direct influence on the politics. Margaret (Margaret of Anjou) led armies. Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Woodville) promoted her own familys fortunes, making her responsible for the enmity she earned. The Duchess of York (Cecily Neville) and her brother (Warwick, the Kingmaker) were angry enough when Elizabeth married Edward that Warwick changed his support to Henry VI, and the Duchess left court and had little contact with her son, Edward, before his death. Anne Nevilles marriages linked her first with the Lancastrian heir apparent and then with a Yorkist heir. Even little Elizabeth (Elizabeth of York) by her very existence holds power: once her brothers, the Princes in the Tower, are dispatched, the king who marries her has locked up a tighter claim on the crown, though Richard has declared Elizabeth Woodvilles marriage to Edward IV invalid and therefore Elizabeth of York illegitimate. Is History More Interesting Than the Play? But the histories of these women are much more interesting than even the stories that Shakespeare tells. Richard III is in many ways a propaganda piece, justifying the takeover by the Tudor/Stuart dynasty, still in power in Shakespeares England, and at the same time pointing out the dangers of fighting among the royal family. So Shakespeare compresses time, attributes motivations, depicts as facts some incidents that are matters of pure speculation, and exaggerates events and characterizations. Anne Neville Probably the most changed life story is that of Anne Neville. In Shakespeares drama she appears at the beginning at the funeral of her father-in-law (and Margaret of Anjous husband), Henry VI, shortly after her own husband, the Prince of Wales, has also been killed in a battle with Edwards forces. That would be the year 1471 in actual history. Historically, Anne marries Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the next year. They had a son, who was alive in 1483 when Edward IV died suddenly -- an death Shakespeare has follow quickly on Richards seduction of Anne, and has precede, rather than follow, her marriage to him. Richard and Annes son would be too difficult to explain in his changed timeline, so the son disappears in Shakespeares story. Margaret of Anjou Then theres Margaret of Anjous story: historically, she was actually already dead when Edward IV died. She had been imprisoned right after her husband and son were killed, and after that imprisonment was not at the English court to curse anyone. She was actually then ransomed by the King of France; she ended her life in France, in poverty. Cecily Neville The Duchess of York, Cecily Neville, not only wasnt the first to identify Richard as a villain, she probably worked with him to gain the throne. Wheres Margaret Beaufort? Why did Shakespeare leave out a very important woman,  Margaret Beaufort?  Henry VIIs mother spent most of Richard IIIs reign organizing opposition to Richard.  She was under house arrest for much of Richards reign, as a result of an early rebellion.  But perhaps Shakespeare didnt think it politic to remind the audience of the very important role of a woman in bringing the Tudors to power?

Construction Law Report Free Essay Example, 1750 words

Contract law: Legal and Procedural ImplicationsInvariably, the presence of the discovered iron anvils projects upon the overall construction work schedule in terms of projected period cost implications and required work force. Adding to this is the projected influence upon contractual terms of the agreement, represented in the form of signed binding agreements amongst pertinent project stakeholders. As Martin and Law (2006) elude, this would necessitate legal input from construction law, and specifically contract law. It is based on the fact that construction law legally requires both project owner and contractor to act in good faith, with regard to the performance of project contractual obligations (Martin Law 2006). According to the contract JCT SBC 2011 (with quantities without sectional completions) terms and conditions are set upon the basis of the construction-time frame, expenditure (estimated overhead) and aspects pertaining to workforce present (Martin Law 2006). Contra ctor Obligations The constructor s obligations with respect to the time for completion of works under the construction contract depends on express provisions stipulated in the contract or, in cases where the terms are not express, then the obligations will be based on terms implied by the English law and in other instances the terms implied for business efficacy purposes. Construction contracts often provide for the payment of liquidated damages for certain types of the breach, for example, breaches concerning delays. The inclusion of clauses on liquidated clauses of the delayed nature has advantages for all parties on the contract (Smith, 2011:1). Construction Law: Contractual AgreementsAlthough there is no requirement for specific contract formalities, it is normal practice to legally utilize standard-form contracts i. e. the JCT form in England, the U. K., as portrayed by Born (2009). We will write a custom essay sample on Construction Law Report or any topic specifically for yo u Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Nigger Free Essays

string(40) " is greatly rooted in American History\." Nigger is a derogatory term used to refer to individuals whose skin color is dark. Most of these people are of African descent. For centuries, the term nigger holds a negative implication, and in contemporary period is taken as a racial insult in most circumstances. We will write a custom essay sample on Nigger or any similar topic only for you Order Now Modern slang uses takes in a synonym for a person and an attempt to retrieve the word for black people, which continues to be a contentious subject. Former variations like â€Å"neger† or â€Å"negar† originated from the Spanish term Negro which literally means black, and in all probability also the French word nà ¨gre, which has also been used negatively, however it was also used in a positive manner such as in Negritude. Negritude originated from the term Negro. In French, they commonly use the term â€Å"noir† for black. â€Å"Negro† and â€Å"noir† alike (and consequently the terms â€Å"nà ¨gre† and nigger) eventually came from â€Å"nigrum†, the accusative form of the Latin term â€Å"niger† which means black. In Colonial America, the term â€Å"negars† was utilized in the year of 1619 by John Rolfe, illustrating the slaves which are being transported to the colony of Virginia, â€Å"neger† or â€Å"neggar† also exists in Northern New York as well as on Philadelphia. For an instance there is an African cemetery in New York which was initially known as â€Å"Begraafplaats van de Neger† which could be translated as â€Å"Cemetery of the negro† (Pearson, 2003). In US, the term â€Å"nigger† was not always believed to be offensive; rather the term is used by some people simply as a connotative of a black or dark complexion. In 19th century literature, the term nigger had been used in many instances without intending to use it in a negative manner. Charles Dickens and Joseph Conrad for one, authors of Nigger of the Narcissus† made use of the term nigger without having any bigoted intention. Mark Twain, another example, often uses the term in most of his works with Southern characters, white and black alike. However, he did not use the term when discoursing in his own voice in his autobiographical work, â€Å"Life on the Mississippi†. In UK, the term nigger was usually used to refer to individuals of individuals with Pakistani or Indian ancestors. They also uses it to denote the dark skinned foreigners generally. In 1926 â€Å"Modern English Usage† H. W. Fowler scrutinized that when the term was used to other people who is not a full blooded negro, they take the term as ome kind of an affront to their person. In 1800s, as the term nigger started to gain the derogatory implication it now have today, the term â€Å"colored† attained recognition as a better alternative to the term nigger and other related terms. Southern vernacular in most areas in US modifies the articulation of the term â€Å"negro† to â€Å"nigra† which is used in particular by Lyndon B. Johnson, a well-known advocate of civil rights. In North American English, the evolution from â€Å"negro† to â€Å"nigger† symbolized a previously prevalent sound change, in fact in the first editions of Noah’s Webster’s dictionary; he proposed the new spellings of â€Å"neger† for Negro. â€Å"Black† happened to be the favored term in English in the late 1960’s, and this prevails up to now. In US this has been replaced to some degree by African American, in any case in politically acceptable practice; this bears a resemblance to the term Afro-American that was in trend in the early years of 1970. Nonetheless, â€Å"black† remains to be in prevalent use as a racial description in US and is seldom considered as insulting. Nowadays, the term is often spelled as â€Å"nigga† or â€Å"niggah†, in simulation of the way in which some articulate it, there are also other variations of the term, intended to duck the term itself, this includes â€Å"nookah†, â€Å"nukka†, â€Å"nagger† and probably the most popular of them all â€Å"jigger†. However, â€Å"Nigger†, according to Professor Randall Kennedy is debatably the most significant racial affront in United States history, although, all together, it is a term that is reminiscent of the paradoxes and problems, catastrophes and splendors of the American experience. In fact, his work â€Å"Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word† is at the middle of debates because of its controversial issues. It tackles questions among an assorted audiences of students and scholars of all cultural and national milieus in its search to discover how and why the term should or should not be used in today’s time (Kennedy, 2002). A large number of black Americans claim that the term â€Å"nigger† invokes within them certain hatred, resentment, aggression, repression, as well as a very appalling and ill-fated part of the US history. The word represents the perpetual sequences of individuals afflicted with abhorrence and bondage merely because of the color of their skin. Amongst black people, â€Å"nigger† is the most derogatory term in the English lingo. Even when contrasted to other racial insults such as â€Å"kike, â€Å"cracker†, â€Å"white trash† and the like, nigger is illustrated as the most horrible affront in the English lingo. The term â€Å"nigger† implies that black people are second class citizens, ignorant, and not as human as the whites are. Although many blacks and whites concur that the term should not be repressed from the English language, it definitely should not be used again by every people due to its historical importance. For an instance, black militants suppose whites ought not to use the term â€Å"nigger†. Conversely, the term â€Å"nigger† has been â€Å"domesticated† by black youths predominantly in the hip-hop culture. These contemporary adolescents maintain that it is merely a word and that people give words meaning and not the other way around. If such is indeed the case, the term â€Å"nigger† could be changed once in a while. In other words, youth in the hip-hop culture are maintaining that situation is the determinant of the meaning of the term â€Å"nigger†. Kennedy states the same line of reasoning regarding the use of the term â€Å"nigger†. He maintains that everyone, regardless of the color of ones skin, may use the word â€Å"nigger†, provided that the framework or the way it was used is apparent and proper (Kennedy, 2002). On the other hand, the historical importance of the term â€Å"nigger† is greatly rooted in American History. You read "Nigger" in category "Essay examples" For an instance, Kennedy’s book illustrates historical examples of â€Å"nigger† in its derogatory milieu. Examples of these were when Michael Jordan was suspended from his school because a white girl called him a nigger and â€Å"Tiger Woods was tied up in kindergarten by his older schoolmates who called him nigger† (Kennedy 2002) and it is specifically due to this history that a large number of African Americans are supports the vetoing of the term from the English language. Even though the historical importance of the term â€Å"nigger† frequently sets off deep-seated antagonism in the African Americans, it has also gradually developed into an expression of endearment in today’s African American society. Accordingly, a fine line exists between the past and the present descriptions of the term that heralds the prospect of misunderstanding and the likelihood of further injury. Should the term â€Å"nigger† then be used as a way to express of endearment? Kennedy asserts that the term â€Å"nigger† should be used by everyone on the condition that no one be injured. According to Kennedy nothing is wrong with the use of the term nigger no matter what color your skin is. According to him, what should be of importance is the milieu in which the term is being used. Kennedy maintains that the context could influence how nigger is used, and to regard the word otherwise would change the term â€Å"nigger† into some kind of an obsession. On the other hand, Kennedy’s contention that everyone could use the term â€Å"nigger† is easily challenged because although the term is some kind of an obsession, it is still an obsession with no reason whatsoever. The term â€Å"nigger† produces a fixation for people because of its historical connotation. In other words, if the history of the term stigmatizes it, then how could the ordinary use of the term, even by those individuals who ring about its historical significance, produce a new meaning? Kennedy’s insinuation of individual’s using the word only with good intents illustrates his setting aside of the background of its past. Kennedy also asserts that background determines the meaning of the term â€Å"nigger†, nigger, according to him could signify numerous things, all depending upon, amid other things, intonation, the site of interaction, as well as the connection between the speaker and the one to which the term is being addressed. Kennedy, among other thinkers, maintain that African Americans use the term themselves, the fact that the term â€Å"nigger† has been and remains to be used by the African Americans themselves makes up a logical fallacy on the part of the African Americans because for them to believe that they could use the term undamagingly without question whatsoever while others could not use it is nothing short of illogical (Kennedy, 2002). In fact, Vernon Davis on his work, â€Å"The Sense and sensibilities of Using the N Word† stated that only when African Americans unite and insist that their society stops the use of the term in any milieu could they have the moral power to contend that the term not be used in any place or by anyone at all (Davis, 1999). This standpoint on the contention implies that the blacks, and not the whites, stopped thinking about their own history. There could be contentions claiming that rappers such as Jay-Z and comedian Alex Thomas, that the blacks took possession of the term and thus they are did not really stopped from thinking about their own culture, rather they are merely rewriting some part of it. In juxtaposition with the hip-hop culture, Kennedy asserts that the blacks are regaining the term and redefining it in so as to disrobe the term nigger of its initial meaning (Kennedy, 2002). For example, a performance on Black Entertainment Television, a cable system meant for black Americans, illustrated the term â€Å"nigger† as a â€Å"term of endearment, Davis also stated that in the African American society, the term â€Å"nigga† (not the term nigger) elicits a feeling of pride. The term, here, calls to mind a sense of community and oneness among Black Americans (Davis, 1999). A large number of teenagers I have talked with believe that the term does not mean anything or could not hurt a person when it is being used by a friend. However, when it is used by white people the word suddenly changes its definition or meaning. Alex Thomas could be noted saying that he does not want the whites calling him a nigger. This philosophy is in a way self-defeating. If only black people are making use of the term â€Å"nigger† and they are doing so in so as to achieve a conversion of power, the endeavor is useless because the hurt which accompanies the term has not yet been stopped. The whites, for an instance, still could not utter the term â€Å"nigger† without inducing some kind of an antagonistic response. If blacks have effectively transformed or domesticated or repossessed the term, than everyone then anyone would be open to use the term without concerning one’s self with matters of race, class, or perspective. And while this may actually be the final objective of redefining the term â€Å"nigger†, it is evidently not the case at today’s time. It is mainly due to this that Kennedy proposes that everyone should be allowed to use the term, in so as to avoid people from being held back from the use of particular terms, which would be a kind of suppression (Kennedy, 2002). However, historical importance looks like it weigh heavily on the mind of a large number of black people. For example, Shani Saxon (music editor of VIBE magazine) could be noted saying that white people makes use of the term in an insulting manner and she also stated that this is primarily the reason why they should not be permitted to use the said term, since it is insulting and it brings about unpleasant memories (Saxon, 2002). However, it is for certain that words do evolve, however history could never change the way words could. In today’s time, I found through my research and close examination that â€Å"nigger† is not an acknowledged word. Jay-Z among other artists makes use of the term in their music in order amuse their audiences, however, their use of the term does not necessarily mean that the term no longer holds any kind of power to hurt. Take into consideration Jay-Z’s song â€Å"Jigga my Nigga† or Eve’s â€Å"What y’all Nigga’s want?†, the said songs may appear harmless since they make use of the term in a milieu of amity and friendship, however, it could be maintained that while milieu could alter the meaning of the term, contexts or milieu itself could never modify history. Kennedy states that the term on speech or literature, while Kennedy may have a point on his assertion, one could not just pay no heed to history. The term â€Å"nigger† is very much stigmatized that redefining it entails that slavery and oppression never occurred, in spite of the fact and many other things which point that it did. Try to examine an account given by Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, â€Å"The word Nigger carries with it much of the hatred and repulsion directed toward Africans and African Americans. Historically, nigger defined, limited, and mocked African Americans. It was a term of exclusion, verbal justification for discrimination. Whether used as a noun, verb, or adjective, it reinforced the stereotype of the lazy, stupid, dirty, worthless parasite† (Pilgrim, 2002). Truth is the present use of the term â€Å"nigger† could never be wiped away, changed, eliminated, or effectively redefines its authentic and appalling description. In truth, if the persistent use of the term â€Å"nigger† could eliminate it of its original meaning then by now it would be alright for a white person to call black people a â€Å"nigger†. However, a white person could never do that because of the deep-rooted history associated with the term. It is then very important that people come to an understanding that using the term in numerous instances does not alter or take the sting out of its original meaning, because, as already mentioned earlier, although words may change, its history could never be altered. In addition, this new use of the term does give â€Å"nigger† another connotation; probably the notion that language is the same could disprove the argument that history overrides the modern usage of the term. Even though there are several long standpoints which surround the controversy of the usage of the term, there actually is no right or wrong answer for using the term â€Å"nigger†. Works Cited Davis, Vernon. â€Å"The Sense and Sensibilities of Using the â€Å"N Word.†Ã¢â‚¬  Journal of National Association of Black Journalist. Fall 1999 (1999). Kennedy, Randall. Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.† New York: Pantheon Books, 2002. Pearson, Kim. â€Å"Nigger.† (2003). Pilgrim, David. â€Å"Jim crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.† Fall 2002 (2002). Saxon, Shani. VIBE Magazine 2002. How to cite Nigger, Essay examples

Software Project Management Retrieved

Question: Describe about the Software Project Management for Retrieved? Answer: Outline specification of project implementation: Project business direction Project goals- Development of a website Purpose- increasing awareness and providing health tips for old obese people Business opportunity- The website will be used by people of Pinner care home in Middlesex. As the website provides health tips and solves health related issues, number of users will be high Project background- The project is being undertaken to reduce health related problems among aged people of Middlesex. Project scope description Project Outcome- successful development of the website Quality objectives- Successful implementation of the features such as online queries, daily health tips and awareness programs into the website Organizational requirements The website will be able to provide solutions for health problems faced by aged people Project performance quality objectives- Development of user friendly website within estimated time and budget Project plans Time schedule- the project will start from 01 /04/15 and is expected to be finished at 23 /08 / 15 Project milestone definition- Analyzing requirements Start date- 02 /09 /14 End date-22 /09 /14 Analyzing feasibility of the project Start date- 02 /09 /14 End date-03 /09 /14 Developing design of website Start date 04 /09 /14 End date 24 /09 /14 Developing the website Start date 02 /09 /14 End date -31 / 10 /14 Testing and fixing issues Start date -02 /09 /14 End date -05 /11 /14 Project Budget Analysis of requirements -$ 80,000 Feasibility study-$ 1,600 Application design-$136,000 Application Development-$120,000 Installation -$84,000 Project organization and stakeholders Organization- Pinner care home Stakeholders- project team, Pinner care home and resident aged people Project quality system Total Quality management Table 1: Specification of project implementation 2. Project specification: Timescale: Name of the task Time span Start date Finish date Initial meeting 1 day 01 /09/14 01 /09/14 Analyzing requirements 21 days 02 /09 /14 22 /09 /14 Meetings among members of project team 1 day 03 /09 /14 03 /09 /14 Identification of resources required 15 days 04 /09 /14 19 /04 / 14 Documentation of identified resources 5 days 24 /09 / 14 28 /09 /14 Analyzing feasibility of the project 2 days 02 /09 /14 03 /09 /14 Assessing the requirements 1 days 02 /09 /14 02 /09 /14 Preparation of feasibility report 1 day 03 /09 /14 03 /09 /14 Developing design of website 20 days 04 /09 /14 24 /09 /14 Deciding user interface and conducting server setting activities 15 days 04 /09 /14 18 /09 /14 Designing user interface 5 days 04 /09 /14 09 /09 /14 Analyzing infrastructure requirements 1 month 04 /09 /14 03 /10 /14 Developing the website 2 Months 02 /09 /14 31 / 10 /14 Development of functional units 15 days 25 /09 /14 09 / 10 /14 Integration of functional units 20 days 02 /09 /14 21 /09 /14 Testing and fixing issues 65 days 02 /09 /14 05 /11 /14 Testing of functional units 15 days 02 /10 /14 16 /10 /14 Testing of integrated system 15 days 23 /10 /14 06 /11 /14 Installation of infrastructure 15 days 01 /11 /14 15 /11 /14 Fixing issues 07 days 22 /11 /14 27 /11 /14 Table 2: Milestone chart Table 1 describes the time scales for proposed website development project. According to the chart, the project will take more than two months for being completed. At the first stage of project financial and human resources which are required for developing the website will be identified. At this stage the identified resources will be documented. Next stage of the project deals with analyzing feasibility of the project and preparing documents. At the next stage design of the website will be developed. Analysis of the mile stone chart reflects that the tasks of developing website and testing the new website will require maximum time. Both the tasks include several sub tasks and the developers will require about 2 months for completing those tasks successfully. Deliverable: Analysis of the project scope enables the team to identify deliverables of the project. On successful completion of the current project a new website will be delivered. The website will provide services for aged people who are suffering from obesity. Scope analysis also reflects that the services are designed for residents of Pinner care home in Middlesex. The website will be used by aged people for getting information about health. The people also can use this new website for changing their habit and leading healthier life. The features of this proposed website includes free consultation services, providing tips for healthy lifestyle and creating awareness about obesity among people. Users of this website will be able to post their query regarding any problem online. These posted queries will be answered using help of doctors. The service providers can hire doctors for providing consultation services to the target user group As the project aims to encourage aged people for leading healthy life, it will provide tips for leading healthy life on daily basis. The website will also work for increasing awareness among its users regarding various diseases such as asthma , cancer and diabetes. Although the website will provide free health services to aged people, it will be ensured that the confidentiality about the patients identify will be maintained. Although the doctors will work for the website for charity, they require maintaining code of conducts. The website will also provide information on the negative effects of treatment policies before starting the treatment. Quality assurance systems and quality plans: As the project primarily aims at increasing health consciousness among aged people, quality of the deliverables is important for enhancing its effectiveness. Quality of the deliverables of each stage in a project requires being checked for maintaining quality of the final deliverable (Xu, 2013). However in this project quality of the website will be checked at every stage of its development. The project management team can implement total quality management techniques for ensuring that the final product is able to meet requirements of target user group (Schwalbe, 2014). Implementation of total quality management techniques also enable the management to monitor quality of the deliverables after each stage (Randolph, 2014). Quality plans: The strategies of quality management will be implemented from the first stage of website development. At the first stage of design development, all requirements of the target user group will be analyzed for deciding on the features of proposed site. As the website will be used by aged people, it is important to develop it as user friendly. Ponnappa (2014) stated that developing user friendly interface increases the acceptability of a website. The developers will create different units of the website so that identification and fixation of errors becomes easier. Sufficient time is allocated for developing the website. It will also improve quality of the tasks. After being integrated the site will be tested in several stages. Analysis of the milestone chart indicates that the testing will take about 60 days. It also ensures that the project team will be able to identify and fix all the issues. As the project deals with development of a heath related website quality of the services is also important for improving quality of the final product. The project management team is aiming at hiring doctors for providing effective solutions to the queries asked by users. Apart from this, the project management team will also implement proper code of conducts for dealing with patients. Plans for monitoring project: Ong, Chang Lee (2013) stated that communication among team members is important for completing a project successfully. Miesenberger (2012) also opined that communication among team members improves quality of the tasks. Topic of communication Description of communication Frequency Medium of communication Participants Deliverables Organizer of communication Indentifying the requirements Communication for preparation of documents regarding resource requirement Before starting the project E-mails All members of the project team Final documentation of required resources Project management team Developing Human resource management technique and monitoring performances Indentifying required professionals Before starting the project and weekly Meetings and e-mails Project managers, HR manager Report of requirement on Professionals and performance of members HR manager Progress in work Details of work done by members Each Week E-mails Leaders of every team, project managers and members of each team Report on current status of work Project manager and team leaders Periodic report on expenditure Report preparation on the expenditures of different teams Each Week E-mails Leaders of every team, project managers and members of each team Report on financial requirements and budget allocation Project managers Requirement for modifications in project Identification of the required modifications in website design Whenever required Meeting and e-mails All members, team leaders, project managers Report on change management strategies Project manages and team leaders Scheduling communication plans Developing communication plans Each week and whenever required E-mails Management team of the project Documentation on schedule of meetings and agendas Project manages and team leaders Table 3: Monitoring plans Table 2 describes the monitoring plans which are going to be implemented in the website development project. As the project managers are planning to check quality of the deliverables at every stage of website development, tasks conducted by the members at every stage requires being monitored. Analysis on the communication plan indicates that the required resources will be identified before starting the project. The project management will communicate with other members to understand the need of resources. The management of project team will be responsible for assessing the performance of other members on regular basis. Close monitoring on team members leads to better utilization of the available human resources (Pinto, 2014). Table 2 also describes that the work status of the project will also be monitored on each week. Lock (2014) stated that getting information on progress in work enables management to understand whether the tasks will be completed within time or not. Lief (2013) a lso opined that regular communication with the project team regarding expenditure reduces the chance of interruption in project execution. In this project, the management will conduct meetings on each week to get information regarding the expenditures of each unit in project. Monitoring the performance of the developed product enables management team to understand whether the existing design needs to be modified or not (Kodukula, 2014). Analysis on the project plan indicates that managers of the website development project are responsible for assessing performance of the developed website. It will enable the managers to understand the need of modification in existing design of the website. Project plan: Lane (2012) stated that successful completion of project depends on the effectiveness of its planning process. Kim Jeong (2013) opined that the management team predicts the required resources by developing project plan. Development of project plan enables the management to identify scope of the project. Project planning deals with development of budget allocation plan , human resource planning and communication planning (Hans, 2013). However Eric Kirkland (2014) states that development of project plan also includes planning for testing and modifying the deliverables. In the website development project the planning process includes development of plan for managing schedule, human resource allocation plans, budget allocate and expenditure plans and procure management plan. Plan for managing schedule: Schedule management plan of a project deals with developing time scales and milestones for completing each task in the project (Dinsmore Cabanis-Brewin, 2014). Plans for scope analysis, milestone development and estimation of required time for completion of the project will be developed as a part of schedule management plan in the website development project. Human Resource plans: Activities in HR plan include identification of the requirements for professional. The plans also deal with allocation of HR resources for specific tasks. In this project, the managers will be responsible for developing plans for monitoring progress in work. Budget allocation, expenditure plans and Procure management plan: Devedzic (2015) stated that development of effective budget allocation plans leads to uninterrupted execution of project works. Budget allocation plan of the website development project deals with estimation of required financial resources .Plan for managing expenditure of each team will be developed as a part of budget allocation plan of this project. However the managers are also responsible for ensuring that the different units of project team are being provided with sufficient financial resources for completing their tasks successfully. References Devedzic, V. (2015). Software Project Management. Retrieved 27 March 2015, from https://devedzic.fon.rs/publications/SEKE-Handbook-2.pdf Dinsmore, P., Cabanis-Brewin, J. (2014). The AMA Handbook of Project Management. New York: AMACOM. Eric Kirkland, C. (2014). Project Management: A Problem-Based Approach. Project Management Journal, 45(1), e3-e3. doi:10.1002/pmj.21388 Hans, R. (2013). WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE: A TOOL FOR SOFTWARE PROJECT SCOPE VERIFICATION. Retrieved 27 March 2015, from https://airccse.org/journal/ijsea/papers/4413ijsea02.pdf Kim, Y., Jeong, S. (2013). A Web Accessability Compliance Framework for Website Development: A Case of W Bank Internet Banking Project -. Journal Of Korean Society For Internet Information, 14(5), 87-99. doi:10.7472/jksii.2013.14.5.87 Kodukula, P. (2014). Enterprise Project Portfolio Management: Building Competencies for RD and IT Investment Success. Project Management Journal, 45(1), e1-e1. doi:10.1002/pmj.21386 Lane, J. (2012). Foundation Website creation with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. [Berkeley, Calif.]: friends of ED. Lief, E. (2013). AAPM Website Development for International Information Exchange. Medical Physics, 40(6), 442. doi:10.1118/1.4815414 Lock, D. (2014). The essentials of project management. Surrey, England: Gower. Miesenberger, K. (2012). Computers helping people with special needs. Berlin: Springer. Ong, C., Chang, S., Lee, S. (2013). Website satisfaction dimensions: factors between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Information Development, 29(4), 299-308. doi:10.1177/0266666912466400 Pinto, J. (2014). Project management, governance, and the normalization of deviance. International Journal Of Project Management, 32(3), 376-387. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.06.004 Ponnappa, G. (2014). Project Stakeholder Management. Project Management Journal, 45(2), e3-e3. doi:10.1002/pmj.21400 Randolph, S. (2014). Maximizing Project Value: A Project Manager's Guide. Project Management Journal, 45(2), e2-e2. doi:10.1002/pmj.21399 Schwalbe, K. (2014). Information technology project management. Boston, MA: Course Technology. Xu, B. (2013). 2012 International Conference on Information Technology and Management Science (ICITMS 2012) proceedings. Berlin: Springer.

Marketing free essay sample

They offer a wide variety of beverages such as beers, wines, spirits, sparkling drinks and table water. Malta Guinness is one of the products which is rich in protein, iron, vitamins (of the B complex) and calcium, is a non-alcoholic malt-flavored beverage from the Guinness family. It is the perfect source of natural energy that will recharge you both physically and mentally so that you ‘FEEL GOOD EVERY DAY. † They respect the packaging and labelling of the product and recently they have redesigned the product which is unique and appealing compared to the competitors. It is usually both businesses and consumers who use it. Customers spend time looking for the product but when they do not find it, they look for a substitute like redbull. 1. 1. 2 Current Pricing There are many competitors for Malta Guinness in the market, for example, Stag Beverages is one of them. However if there is a change in price of the product, consumer demand may decrease to some extent but currently the price is lower compared to competitors prices. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But consumers purchase Malta based on the product Quality and product image. The businesses cost depend on the company, if they lower the price of the product, then it will increase sales revenue and competitors would not be able to meet any price cut. . This means that the price elasticity of demand would be elastic and according to Kotler : â€Å"Elasticity is the responsiveness of demand in relation to changes in price† (kolter et al. 2008, 354). For example, the bottle Malta in urban areas is sold at a maximum price of Rs20 and the can at 22 whereas in rural areas it has been observed that the bottle can be sold up to Rs15 and the can at Rs18. 1. 1. 3 Current Distribution. The company has a broader range of products and recently we have noticed that one of them which is Malta,it is sold in both urban and rural areas even in local stores of the regions or in bars and restaurants where customers usually look for it and but it. Some of the locations are : in hypermarket like Shoprite, Super U-Grand Bay,in Winners-Goodlands and Flacq and in rural stores like in Roches-Noires, Riviere-du-Rempart, we can observe, that they are in demand and consumers buy it. This shows quite clearly that there is an extensive distribution of the product in Mauritius. However Consumers cannot buy it from Phoenix beverages but on the contrary businesses can buy it so that they can resell it to retail stores and so on. But now we can notice that Stag beverages and Redbull and there are other energizing drinks that are in competition with Malta Guinness. 1. 1. 4 Current Promotion There are two recent promotional message about Malta that is apparent, one of them is â€Å"Have you had your Malta today† and the other one is â€Å"Have fun with Malta† So these â€Å"Promotion strategies are very important in order to attain the greatest number of customers possible†. kolter et al. 2008, 224). the first promotional message was seen at Phoenix near Phoenix beverages and the other one was seen near the motorway to Port-Louis on a billboard. Thus, the business is trying to promote the product and its sales by capturing people’s attention. Therefore the promotions are sending almost the same message. 1. 2 Environmental Scanning 1. 2. 1 Political/Legal Environment Today we can see that the political and legal environments are the pillar in Mauritius so businesses must take into consideration the political aspect. There are organisations like the consumer protection authority who acts in the favour of the consumers. The Consumer Protection Unit (C P U) is a specialized section within the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection for the protection of consumers in general. So phoenix beverages should be able to comply to marketing strategies so as they do not go against legal requirements in Mauritus. There should be fair dealing while deciding prices of product. 1. 2. 2 Economic Environment In the arena of current income, Mauritius is facing a positive economic growth. We can notice nowadays there are increases in incomes which are making consumers spend more than they are expected to do. And a decreasing rate of unemployment is positive while employment has change consumer spending patterns. The positive economic situation will help the company to invest more in their marketing strategies for the product so as they get an increase in sales. 1. 2. 3 Social/Cultural Environment There are institutions and other forces in Mauritius that are affecting the basic values and perceptions that may impact on marketing strategies. For example, Mauritius is a multicultural country and we have many subcultures. Therefore consumer may be influenced by their respective culture which may influence their choices and preferences for the product. Therefore, the marketing strategies should take into considerations all the audiences, that is, the hindus,muslims or Christians. The company must take into consideration all the segments before implementing their strategies. 1. 2. 4 Technological Environment Technological environment are ‘Forces that affect new technologies, creating new product and market opportunities’ (kolter et al. 008, 98). There are many technological improvements that can create new processes which may impact on the marketing strategies, for example, unsafe products are banned by the government, so the company must do innovation but at the same time they must pay attention to disruptive technology. 1. 2. 5 Natural Environment (1/4 page/2 marks) As Mauritius is not a developed country, the re are shortages of raw materials and increased cost of energy and other factors like government intervention in natural resource that may impact on marketing strategies of the product. While producing the product, the company may dump the wastage and pollute the environment as they used many negative raw materials. This may result in the pollution of air and water. As Kotler stated there are â€Å"many parts of the world are also facing water shortages. Renewable sources need to be used wisely (kolter et al. 2008, 99). There is much legislation in Mauritius for protecting natural resources. 1. 2. 6 Competitive Environment The competitive environment of the mineral water is getting more and more tough (kolter et al. 2008, 99). There are competitors like stag beverages who are going to produce their own Malta product for the Mauritian population and they are are getting more and more in the market share. Therefore Malta marketers must take actions so as they maintain their position in comparison with direct competitors. They must build staff and consumer loyalty in order to be able to face the current situation. 1. 2. 7 Demographic Environment The changing age structure of the population and the geographic shifts may impact on the product and it is the Mauritian culture, the ethnic diversity that may impact the marketing strategies. As Kotler said â€Å"Demography ‘is the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, sex, race, occupation, and other statistics’ (kolter et al. 2008, 82). The demographic environment is crucial to marketers because they must consider their market, that is, the mauritian people. In Mauritius, Malta have targeted consumers around 16 to 20 (teenagers) 20 to 35 (Working class) and 35 to 45(Sportsperson). Youngster, the working-class and sportsperson, they care for their health and Malta is the best energizing drink. The Mauritian is also more educated and is directing itself towards a more white collar nation, along with the fact that more women in the workforce means more average income to the population. Crystal is also affected by the fact that there are more women in the workforce and marketing strategies have been developed to attract this segment. Again the focus on health for women can prove very beneficial to the company 1. 2 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis Table Strengths| Weaknesses| The brand name| Leakage of information| Customer loyalty| The sugar rate is high. Distribution channel more efficient than competitors | Was slow to react to increasing number of competitors| Appealing and positive effect| | | | Opportunities| Threats| With technology can have online command and better ways to expansion| Increasing pollution both air and water| New target market as teenagers and women because of work and stress, consumer and staff loyalty| Emerging competit ors like stag beverages| There can be improvement in production and distribution through research | There may be government disapproval on harmful technologies| 2. 0 Segmentation Theory . 1 What is segmentation? Segmentation means ‘Dividing a market into direct groups of buyers who might require separate products or marketing mixes; the process of classifying customers into groups with different needs, characteristics or behaviour’ (kolter et al. 2008, 217). 2. 2 Why is segmentation used? Market segmentation is used to determine a market segment through evaluation, which is in terms of size and growth, profitability and it must fit with the company’s objectives. Market segmentation is used to determine how businesses can be competitive and profitable in a market. However according to marketer’s market segmentation is cost effective even its implementation and this may lead to deficit. But it is mostly used for buyers who differ to product needs or buying responses. 2. 3 How can firms benefit from a multidimensional approach to segmentation? A market can be segmented through different variables so as to better view the market structure. The different variables used by marketers for market segmentation are geographic segmentation, demographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation and finally behavioral segmentation. The multidimensional approach is used by irms to see which market segments are more attractive to them. This can be determined by evaluating the segment in terms of size and growth, profitability. The multidimensional approach is used by firms to avoid costly deficit. Target Market Identification 3. 1 Geographical Traits The geographic location chosen are urban, rural and coastal areas. The regions are Roches-Noires coasta l areas, Port-Louis and St Julien. These geographical traits are relevant to the product as even the climate is good for consuming these products as Malta gives us lot of energy when we are stressed or to boost the consumers. Geographic traits means ‘Dividing a market into different geographical units such as nations, regions, states, municipalities, cities or neighborhoods’ (kolter et al. 2008, 218). In Port-Louis, there is a greater distribution of Malta which is the same in rural areas such as St Julien and mostly in Coastal area(see picture 1 for illustration).. This is because when people go to Port-louis, they tend to be tired and then they drink an energizing drink to be fit to walk in the sunny environment. In rural areas such as st julien, people are home and tend to drink malta when they do their households chores or while doing other activities which is the same around coastal areas. Even the climate at coastal areas influence people as it is hot while in urban areas it is cooler. (See picture 2 for illustration). For rural and coastal areas(see picture 3 for illustration). 3. 2 Demographic Traits ‘Dividing the market into groups based on demographic variables such as age, sex, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion and nationality’ (kolter et al. 2008, 220). Demographic factors help segmenting customer groups as it’s easy to measure than most other variables. Gender is an important factor. Nowadays teenagers consume more energizing drinks as they study and do sports(see picture 4 for illustration). Second demographic variable that Malta can use is targeting customers according to their income.. The prices of Malta bottle are quite affordable as compared to the high income earners who will prefer to buy for example Redbull(see picture 5 for illustration). And final variable is actually targeting the more mature adults that are actually concerned with their health (see picture 6 for illustration). . 3 Psychographic Trait Dividing a market into different groups based on social class, lifestyle or personality characteristics’ (kolter et al. 2008, 221). The psychographic trait is the socio economic status. The major segment that is clearly targeted is the middle class and the lower population classes. The first psychographic var iable that is used is based on social class. The lower classes and middle class population are targeted by Malta that is determined by the prices(see picture 7 for illustration). Second psychographic variable is based on lifestyle. The customers wanting to stay to have healthy habits such as the customers who go usually to the gym are good targets to the marketers (see picture 9 for illustration). And final psychographic variable that will be based on personality . For example, those on diet and vegetarian. 3. 4 Behavioral Traits ‘Divides buyers into groups based on their knowledge of the product, their attitude towards it, the way they use it and their responses to it’ (kolter et al. 2008, 223). Behavior variables are the for building market segments. The first behavioural variable that will be used is the benefit sought. The benefit that the consumers will get that is,to stay in good health. (see picture 10 for illustration). Second behavioural variable that is taken into account is the rate at which the customers is using the product. (see picture 11 for illustration). And final behavioural variable is the loyalty status. It is always less costly to keep a customer than to grab new one (see picture 12 for illustration).

Marketing plan- Galaxy gear Essay Example

Marketing plan Marketing plan- Galaxy gear Essay Marketing plan- Galaxy gear Essay RESEARCH PROPOSAL Prepared for: Marketing Manager Subject: Yermegiyayev Azat Samsung Galaxy Gear Technology Company : Fast Furious Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Samsung is a multinational South Korean based conglomerate company that is best known for telecommunications and consumer electronics. It is headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul. It is currently the largest Korean business conglomerate. Samsung is one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in the world, while also providing a long list of products and services including advertising, hospitality, construction entertainment, communications technology and much more. The company is currently researching new technology that can help users make the most of their smartphones. The aim of the study is to increase productivity and seamlessly incorporate Samsung technology into the everyday lives of users. We are looking in to new technologies that can be used as an accessory to promote the advancement of our smartphones system. Along with this, we want to know and understand the needs of our clients and how they respond to this type of development. This proposal has been prepared as a response to the current smartphone battle. Samsung has released new technology that partners with their latest high- nd smartphone. The Galaxy Note Ill, a successor of the popular Samsung Galaxy Note and Saumsung Galaxy Note II, now comes with a revolutionary new smartwatch that increases the effectivity of the smartphone (Treacy, 2013). The tagline Design Your Life, speaks to the users and potential users in saying that such a piece of technology can help them increase the productivity of their day with the Samsung effectiveness of the new Galaxy Gear Watch by looking into client attitude, awareness and use. This paper will look into the details of the Samsungs understanding of the esearch objectives, methodology, rational, and data processing, reporting as well as timeframe to achieve the results and to better improve the new technology in areas that it needs improvement. SITUATION ANALYSIS Samsung has recognized the new potential for major smartphone accessories as a new potential revenue scheme and understands the need for more research in terms of sales and customer response. This means that the company will have to find out how the public reacts to the release of such technology. This research project will look into the effectiveness of the Galaxy Gear Watch and ee how users accept and utilize this type of technology. The approach of the project will be to approach users who currently own a Galaxy Gear Watch as well as potential users who would like to get their hands on one. This would give the researchers an idea of how users see the watch along with the current appeal of this new technology and how it can help Samsung market future smartphones. The results for this study will provide insight on future demands for like technology of The Galaxy Gear Watch as well as the effectiveness of the device. SAMSUNG GALAXY GEAR WATCH The revolutionary new device called a smartwatch is on the list of things techie individuals are on the look-out for. These stylish and high-performance devices go beyond time keeping, and they have the functionality to help you get through your busy day. They can perform basic tasks that allow them to act as your personal assistant. Smartwatches are seen to take over the mobile world, allowing people to connect with their phone, check messages and so much more without having to take their smartphone out of their bag or their wallet. Samsung announced the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note Ill, shortly after releasing the Galaxy Note II. This model was probably one of the most highly anticipated smartphones to come out of Korea this year. Despite the short nine month interval between releasing new phones, the Note Ill was received very well. It is probably one of the most advanced smartphones in the world as of the moment, with its high speed, amazing display, sleek lines and excellent camera. Many critics have received this particular model well and have praised Samsung for their timing. However, the Samsung Galaxy Note Ill was released with a particular accessory also available. The Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch was marketed as an accessory for the Samsung Galaxy Note Ill. It has been said that the watch makes everyday tasks much easier. Although critics had mixed reviews before the actual release of the watch, no one quite new what to expect from the revolutionary device. Samsung claimed that the device was meant to make smartphone use easier. However, many users and potential users were still skeptical about this. As soon as the Samsung Galaxy Note Ill and the Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch were released, it was only a matter of days, or even hours before tech experts and self-proclaimed critics voiced out their opinions. public. Although a number of buyers did choose to get both the smartphone and the atch, despite the hefty cost of the Galaxy Gear, the return rates were high. Samsung saw an embarrassing return rate of over thirty percent with one in every three customers returning the watch after a few days of use. After short surveys on why they have returned the Galaxy Gear, only limited responses were gathered. Most claimed that it was Just not what they are looking for. Although the public did not like the new smartwatch released by Samsung, the media leaked that it is apparently one of Oprahs favorite devices, as seen on her List of Favorites. Along with a picture of the smartphone and the watch, Oprah says that he watch helps her check her phone discreetly during meetings, without seeming impolite. Very little was said about the watch and its functionality. Looking into the comments made by Oprah can help the researchers safely assume that the functionality of the watch can work for some people who look for that type of feature. However, for the people who have returned the watch, what they are looking for in such a device needs to be determined. The researchers aim to know more about the publics response to the Galaxy Gear watch in order to determine if it was a market failure or not. The results of this study ill help Samsung know if such a device can be a good stream of revenue. Having a like device marketed with a major high-end phone that is highly anticipated is great in theory, however the question is if the product delivered is something that Samsung users and potential users are looking for. The Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch is meant to make the users lives easier by helping them multi-task and go about their day without having to constantly take their phone out. Unfortunately, it seems as if users who have purchased the watch either do not need this feature, or do not know how to fully utilize the device. RESEARCH RATIONALE Along with the research objectives mentioned above, Samsung has also come up with a SWOT analysis for the Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch. This analysis will help researchers put the new type of technology in perspective and see where it is positioned in the market. This can also help researchers determine if such a device is important in developing a new revenue stream for the company. Samsung Galaxy Gear SWOT Analysts STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Innovative technology Leading Smartphone brand Add on revenue stream Powerful marketing Product cost Small market Release is too soon for new version of Galaxy Note OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Providing something new for users and potential users Basis for future like-products Marketing new smartphones with an added device Competition coming up with new technology Losing the market to different smartphone brand Unwanted/unneeded luxury technology Samsung Galaxy Gear PESTEL analysis Political Political situation is quit stable in US but unfortunately cant say about economical side of US now is at the edge of default, it has a huge threat for all businesses in this country. It is assumed that the credit limit will extended even more. But for how long the government can continue doing this. This uncertainty may threat the businesses, Samsung is not an exception. Also international laws should be considered : INCOTERMS, as the US is in the International trading Convention. Samsung should consider different laws in different states in US. Economic environment The main factor to consider is an unemployment rate, in 2011 unemployment rate in US was 9. 1% in 2013 is 14% it is slightly better than in 2012 when the country was under recession. It is for about 34 million Americans out of work. High unemployment rate definitely affects the consumers confidence which affected the consumer spending. Social-cultural Environment Technological boom has contributed to rise of telecommunication in both business and pleasure aspects. In order to determine primary target groups to sell device for, a company need to measure social aspects such as age, demographics, etc. It will be also helpful to improve or develop a new concept of device. Technological Environment The most important factor is that the cellular network in US. Country sides has a poorer quality of the voice/data transfer but most of the population is concentrated in cities where the cellular networks has almost a 100% coverage and a high quality. Legal For the past few years there were numerous lawsuits: Apple vs Samsung A recent loss to Apple (24august 2012, Apple won wins lawsuit where was awarded for $1 billion). Had a negative effect on the sales of Samsung sales in US. Which affected the companys reputation. Also this factor the sales of Galaxy Gear. Even though that most of the case can be considered as SILLY the cost from those law suits are quit high which affects the speed of the release of new device. Also it makes harder for manufactures to be competitive (increased costs, damage of the brand image). Samsung makes a very broad environmental activities around the world. Has their strategy on following topics: Eco-product- design sustainable products Climate strategy- minimize effect on environment Recycling Take phones for using old details in new phones Sustainable operation- substances BCG MATRIX Market growth Market share Smart watch 3% Sony 2. % 7% We can see that the Galaxy Gear has a very small market share and market growth rate. The same we can say about its closest competitor in smart watch sector (Sony). This can be explained that the product is very new and the product was advertised badly. So customers are not able to see the products all opportunities. By many experts it is estimated that the growth of this ind ustry may increase to the rate as the smartphone industry. It is estimated that by 2018 the smart industry may rise to 9 billion but now it is only 800million-1. billion if the growth rate of the industry will be 9-10% per year. So this explains why Galaxy gear has a small market share and a small market growth. The market is only shaping there is a long way to its maturity. So this shows a high potential of Samsungs products. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objectives of this research is to establish the effectiveness and desirability of Samsungs Galaxy Gear towards users and potential users so that the business can: Understand how valuable these new major smartphone accessories are for the organization In terms of sales and a potential revenue system. Understand how valuable these new major smartphone accessories are for the users this will help the researchers understand how the users respond to such technology and how it makes their lives easier. Understand what needs to be improved with the Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch the technology of the Galaxy Gear Watch still has room for improvement. The response of current users in terms of what they wish to see in the atch will be gathered to help researchers understand what users are looking for in this type of technology. Understand how to position and market future like- technologies when releasing a new smartphone this insight will allow researchers to see how the market responds to this new technology and how Samsung can create a new revenue stream from a product like the Galaxy Gear Watch. See Table below for areas of research focus: Fig 1: Areas of focus for Questionnaire Understanding Awareness of the product Are they aware that Samsung has come up with a new smartwatch made exlusively for the Samsung Galaxy Note Ill Smartphone? Have they ever seen in any form of advertising? If so, how many times? How did they hear about the new smartwatch? Will they recognize the device as a Samsung innovation when they see it? Attitude towards the new product Are they interested in owning such a device? Do they like the device in terms of aesthetics? What about the device is most intriguing? Do they believe that such a device can improve their productivity? How do they think this type of technology can improve their lives? Attitude to Samsung as a result of the new product Has the smartwatch device enabled them to know more about what Samsung is about? Do they see Samsung Smartphones differently after the release of the device? Would they consider purchasing future Samsung products if they came with a like device? Attitude to purchasing decision as a result of the new product Are they happy with their purchase? Do they believe that the cost of the product is fair? Would they recommend this new technology to friends and loved ones? Do they feel as if they have fully utilized the technology? Has this smartwatch helped them better function in the day? Does this smartwatch help them increase the effectivity of their smartphone? Did they purchase the smartphone because of the smartwatch? METHODOLOGY AND RATIONALE Samsung specializes in developing new innovative technologies and understands the key considerations to determine the most appropriate research methodology for this project: These include: The dispersed location of the audience Company policy towards engaging in market research such as this Sample set is small, therefore all users and potential users will be able answer all the research questions The users and potential users have a time restriction Therefore, this research will include three types of research: Very important to note that the region was take a US for the research. Because most international IT ompanies demonstrate and realease their products first in US. A success in US market means a lot in general success of the company. Also Us is the one of the biggest consumers in the world. 1 . Secondary Desk Research Once all the information is gathered, a secondary type of research will commence. Using the answers from the surveys, the researcher will look into areas that need awareness and how the users utilize such a product. The focus of the secondary research is also to explore new marketing strategies that can be used in order for people to know more about the new Galaxy Gear Watch. Apart from this, the research ill be used to know more about what can be done in terms of future technology innovations and how well they can be marketed with a new smartphone. 2. Primary Qualitative Research This stage will be seen as a basis for the research. Samsung will need to get initial feedback from users and potential users in order to develop the other areas of the study. This area will greatly improve the quality of the research conducted in terms of secondary and primary research. A small group of users and potential users from one area with different Job functions and occupations will be gathered to represent different groups. This small focus group can provide more insight on the product and let researchers know what needs to be improved when it comes to the technology. The potential users along with the current users will be able to sit-through a short tutorial on how to use the product and fully utilize it so that their productivity throughout the day can be improved. The users will first be asked what they like about the product, and the potential users will be asked if they would want such a product and what they find intriguing about it. They will also be asked why they have yet to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch and what causes their reluctance in purchasing such a product. Samsung will have two moderators for this focus group, two members who have been selected for this specific role because of their interview and communication skills. They are most competent in reading into the attitudes of the users so that they can get the best, most accurate and most useful results for this study. 3. Primary Quantitative and Qualitative Mixed Research The primary quantitative and qualitative mixed research approach will be done in the form of a survey. The survey will ask relevant questions to people who are both ware of the new product and those who are not. This will be structured in a way to help us know where to focus on our secondary desk research portion for the study. Samsung has a good client base in the United States, and this particular study will focus on the clients of three different telecommunications stores in a specific area. The survey will only be about 10 15 minutes long where users and potential users will be answering mostly yes or no questions. A pilot testing phase for this will be done to see if the questionnaire is too long or too short. Telephone-based interviews for this research will not be used. However, online urveys will be needed. This will be provided by Survey Monkey, one of the leading online survey providers online (Buchanan Hvizdak, 2009). Samsung will create a short survey on their local website and email customers who are registered on their database. We will only collect the first set of surveys that are submitted and create a cut-off only for research purposes. This is a fast, effective and cost-friendly way to receive feedback from users and potential users. SAMPLE clients, as mentioned above. This particular study will be conducted in one of Samsungs headquarters in the United States. There will be a total of 12 individuals or each focus group discussion and a total of 100 120 respondents for the survey. The researchers believe that this sample size will be broad enough to gather useful information about Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch. The respondents in the survey should represent a particular group which Samsung would like to market to or already is part of Samsungs target audience. Before Samsung does come up with the focus group to identify the few respondents in the discussion, users and potential users will have to submit the following information in order for the researchers to determine if the individuals are a good fit for the study: First Name Last Name Occupation Job Title and Function Address Contact number Email address ONLINE SURVEY The online survey will be hosted by Survey Monkey, an online survey generator and provider (Buchanan Hvizdak, 2009). This will be emailed to Samsungs users and it can also be taken online in several Samsung retail stores. This method of gathering information is now very popular and it provides fast, easy and reliable results. The information from the surveys that are taken will simply be emailed to the researchers who can then compile the results. Before the survey questions will be finalized, a pilot will be done for one day, otaling of about ten surveys. Depending on the results of the survey, the researchers will then edit the questionnaire to better suit the study. The researchers will observe this chance to contact those who have already answered the survey and ask them about what they thought of the current questions and how convenient it was to answer something online. QUESTIONNAIRE GUIDE The questionnaire will involve users and potential users of Samsung phones. Those who have availed of the Galaxy Gear Watch will be generalized as Samsungs current target market. Those who have yet to buy the device, yet are interested will e studied. The questions on the survey will have a mix of closed and open questions, since it is both qualitative and quantitative. The questions will be short enough for the users to want to answer the survey. Also to make the questionnaire more effective, it should be designed in certain way: from general questions to open questions. QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Dou Yes No Maybe, I dont know 2. Do you think this device will benefit your daily life? Yes, a lot No, I dont think so 3. Do you have a Samsung phone? (if no next question) 4. Will you switch to Samsung because of the watches? 5. Do you like the design? . Will you manage to wear it every day? than 2 times Yes 7. Do regularly check recent IT news? Yes, every day No, never 8. From whom did you here about the watch? Online advertisement in Youtube Samsung Website Advertisement in magazine TV ads Once a week/ weekends/ more Friend 9. Do you think this watch will be suitable for everyone? (Kids, adults, elderly people) 10. Which gender will be more interested in this watch? Male Female 11. Do you think it is suitable for any occasions? (Wedding, party in club, business meeting, etc) Yes 12. Will you recommend this watch to your mother? I dont know 3. Will you give this watch as present to your friend? 4. Do you listen to music everyday? 15. Does this watch make music listening experience easier? 16. Will you wear it while doing sports? 17. Do you think Galaxy Gear innovative? 18. Will you wait for the next version? 19. How much are you willing to pay for Smart Watch? 50-150 1 50-250 250-350 20. What is your favorite color? White Black Red Yellow Green Blue 21 . In your opinion, what kind of functions Galaxy Gear should add? Video streaming Social media (Facebook, Twitter) Could be used as USB Other DATA HANDLING AND PROCESSING 1 . Survey Money for data collection Samsung uses a reliable and ethical data collection online provider (Buchanan Hvizdak, 2009). For a small fee each month, Samsung will have access to a customized survey created on this survey host. All information gathered from users and potential users will be collected through this host and emailed to the researchers. 3. Pilot Survey The pilot survey will be done to test the effectiveness of the questionnaires and to receive feedback from users and potential users. The researchers will see if the survey is too long / too short and if the questions are relevant to the study.

Kodak and Fujifilm Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Kodak and Fujifilm - Research Paper Example It was then that he started experimenting and finally developed a camera by the year 1880 based on which the Kodak Company was initiated. Thus cameras and photographic films were the core products that the company offered to the general public with intention to make it a large business (George Eastman, n.d.). The company had also focused sincerely on advertising of their products considering advertising as an important measure of business (George Eastman, n.d.). The core business of Fujifilm is manufacture of photographic film. This company was founded in 1934 and is now a leading company in the world of photography across the globe. With establishment of the company in 1934, the company gradually expanded globally and opened up its branches across different countries in the world (Corporate History n.d.). The fundamental approach that Kodak has been following for managing its operations has been a humanistic approach. Eastman believed that his employees were highly important and hence should be offered with more than just wages. There are four major principles that the company followed from its initial times. These include: Production of mass products at a low cost, Distribution of the products across the globe, Extensive advertising, and Focus on the customer. There have been three policies on which the management of the company has been maintained. These are: (1) Continuous research for development and growth of the company; (2) Well behaving with the employees to make them feel important and part of the company; and (3) Reinvestment of the company’s profits in expansion of the business (Schreiner, 2012, pp.1-3). The management approach at Fujifilm Company is focused on increasing and maximizing the synergies of its employees towards accomplishment of organizational goals. The company focuses on utilizing its human resources

Performance Management as an Important Part of Organization Productivi Essay

Performance Management as an Important Part of Organization Productivity - Essay Example Therefore, the system of performance management generally involves evaluating and developing the skills, behaviours, and the performance of individual employees, generally for ensuring that the organization competes favourably in the market through its high performance. Performance management, therefore, can be used as a measuring and management instrument of employees in the organization. This process mostly benefits the big international companies, and those companies, whose workforce is greatly distributed. As a process, performance management comprises different types of activities aimed at achieving the objective of the general process. These include reward and remuneration for employees, coaching and mentoring of employees, team working, measuring, competencies, and competencies, and personal development plans, among others. Today, performance management is characterized by various changes, as the way it is approached today differs with how the process was approached in the past centuries. The changes in performance management today have contributed to its increased efficiency, and keep helping organizations to retain their high-performing employees. Performance management today is a holistic process, which embraces different processes, and th is is efficient in people management in companies (Kreitner 2008). Armstrong & Baron (2005) note that performance management is not a new process in organizations. This process has lasted for the past seventy years, since its inception in the 1940’s. Initially, managers of companies developed performance management during this period, in order to establish whether the different salaries and remuneration for the employees were justified or not. The difference between performance management of those days, and the performance management today is reflected in the complexity of the process.  Ã‚  

Home Alarm System: An analysis

Home Alarm System: An analysis Home burglaries and property trespassing is a common event; more than forty per one thousand households get robbed yearly. With the introduction of home alarm systems the rates of burglaries have dropped significantly for the past thirty years. Therefore, throughout the semester, we have been working on building a functional home alarm system using PIC microcontroller, a keypad, an LCD display and a magnetic sensor. Household burglary is defined as an illicit entry or attempted entry of a residence which usually involves theft. The illegal entry may be by force, such as breaking a window or slashing a screen, or may be without force by entering through an unlocked door or an open window. As long as the person entering has no legal right to be present in the structure a burglary has occurred. Furthermore, burglary is not only the entry of the house by itself; illegal entry of a garage or any other structure on the premises also represents household burglary. [12] Figure1.Home Burglary Statistics (2008-2011).Washington Post [Photograph].Retrieved from http://homesecurity.net/home-burglary-statistic/ The most common targets are residential houses. Those of them without security systems installed are about three times as likely to be broken into as homes with security systems installed. Moreover, the first place that the robber will search is usually the master bedroom because most people keep their valuables there. The preferred items to be stolen are cash, jewelry, electronic equipment, silver, guns and other items easy to put on the market. [8] Statistics showed that every 14.6 seconds, a burglary takes place in the United States and most of them occur between 10 am and 3 pm. Burglars spend an average of 8 to 12 minutes in your household. The residence owner can take the following safety measures such as: burglars search for homes that appear to be vacant; robbers want to waste no more than sixty seconds breaking into a home. [8] Points of Entry of Burglars: Figure2 .Burglary Facts and Statistics (2008). [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/burglary-facts-and-statistics-338161.html One survey in Pennsylvania showed that: 81 percent of residential intrusions occur through the first floor. 34 percent of burglars entered through the front door; 23 percent through a first-floor window; 22 percent through the back door; 9 percent through the garage; 4 percent entered through a basement; 4 percent through an unlocked entrance; 2 percent through a storage area; 2 percent entered anywhere on the second floor. [2] Definition of a Home Alarm System: A home alarm system is used as a defensive device to monitor all unwelcome events such as intrusion, glass breaking and mainly to avoid theft. It is also used to alert a user of a possible danger. It focuses on all of the accessible entry points of the house, so that the alarm will sound as soon as the intruder enters. Advantages: The most important advantage of the home alarm system is the security it offers from theft of costly things such as the jewelry, the television set, your pc, cell phones, and etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ causing massive financial problems. In addition, a home alarm system is necessary not just for the material possessions in your home but also increases protection on the family. Furthermore, a burglar may want to break the door of your house while barging in. You also might have to cope with broken windows, smashed furniture and other general damage. Making up for this damage will be expensive not just time wise but also requires great deal of effort since burglars these days are interested in expensive items. They search for important identifications such as your bank statements, passports, and credit cards, essentially whatever they get their hands on. The misuse of these documents will disturb your economic balance. [13] Therefore, it is recommended to install a home alarm system at your pl ace. Disadvantages: One of the main disadvantages and is mainly caused by a malfunction is the generation of a false alarm where it can be triggered accidentally and thus cause unnecessary inconvenience. Moreover, having children might cause a lock of the system by improper insertion of the password. Also, if you failed to insert the password in time, the alarm may be triggered. Some burglars are highly experienced and have the knowledge to disable the alarm, the phone lines, and the electricity leaving you helpless in a critical situation. How Does a Home Alarm System Operate? Sensors are the most vital part of the system; they act like the eyes and ears of a home alarm system by monitoring break in points and interior areas. The typical sensors, which are usually two magnets, are generally installed on doors and windows such that one magnet is connected to the door or window and the other is connected to the door or window frame. When the door or window is opened, one magnet is removed from the surrounding area of the other and the sensor registers that the door has been opened. More advanced home alarm systems may also contain vibration sensors to detect when glass has been broken by measuring the vibrations caused by the breakage. Also, many systems use motion sensors that compute the proximity of a rooms walls by producing infrared beams and measuring the time required for them to bounce back; if a beam comes back sooner than expected, it likely bounced off of a person and the sensor registers motion. [4] When the alarm system is installed, each sensor is registered with the control panel either through wires or wirelessly. The control panel also interfaces with keypads and other input devices used by the home owner to control the system. The control center keeps track of the status of the sensors and reports activity through LCD displays and other output devices. Moreover, when activity takes places, such as the opening of a window, the sensors report the activity to the control center and the center registers that a disturbance has occurred. In managed alarm systems, the control panel also checks the sensors to verify that they are still operational; if a sensor fails to reply, the center alerts the home owner of an out of order sensor. If the home owner activates the alarm system and the control center registers activity in the home, a signal is sent by the control to a buzzer, flashing lights or any other audiovisual alarm element. Types of Alarm Systems: Home burglar alarms normally include the following: Window and door sensors Motion detectors Main control panel Centrally located keypad Exterior security signs Hard-wired or wireless construction These systems are often centrally monitored by a security provider that alerts authorities of break-ins. Some of the more common systems that are included in many homes: Smoke alarm systems include smoke detectors, possibly strobe lights and hearing impaired features for seniors and hearing impaired home owners. Fire alarms include a series of smoke detectors, heat detectors and possibly an in-home sprinkler. One ignored aspect of your home security is your homes built in systems, such as heating and cooling and plumbing. Critical System Alarms include: Cooling and heating alarms have detection and monitoring devices that transmit information about your heating and cooling system often directly to a monitoring company. Flood and water alarm systems monitor your plumbing system where even small leaks can go unnoticed and result in thousands of dollars in repairs. [5] Types of Alarm Sensors: Alarm Sensors are essential elements of your home security system. A wide variety of security alarm sensors and detectors are available for use. It is obvious what most sensors do, so we will only describe the main ones used in a basic system. Contact Sensors: Most burglaries involve doors, either on entry or while leaving the house. So protecting all doors is a must. (Example: magnetic circuit breakers).Door contacts may be hardwired or wireless; hardwired contacts are usually buried in the doorframe, which is less obvious than wireless and are preferable. Window Contacts: Can be hardwired or wireless. Motion Sensors: Its the most essential and common form of protection. Passive infrared sensors: Detect motion by sensing a sudden change in heat. Dual-Tech motion detectors use two different technologies in the same unit: passive infrared and microwave. These devices are designed to avoid false alarms since both technologies must detect motion before setting off the alarm. Photoelectric Sensors: These sensors project a beam of light across a hall or doorway to detect motion and are triggered when a person passing through interrupts the beam. Glass Break Detectors: Usually mounted near windows to detect the specific high frequency sound of glass being shattered. They are usually installed on a wall opposite or adjacent to the protected glass and are effective within about 15 to 25. Smoke and Heat Detectors: Detect smoke and heat. [1] Chapter II: Our Home Alarm System Our Home Alarm System: Our projects main concern was to build a Home Alarm System using a PIC microcontroller. We started off our project by coding the Keypad, then LCD and the final touch was the sensor. We also added two types of buzzers: one to sound the alarm and the other as a key tone buzzer. The final result turned out to be the following: Figure3. Our Home Alarm System Materials Used: Cost: PIC16F877A 7$ 4X4 Keypad 2$ JHD 162A LCD 6$ 6V Alarm Buzzer 0.5$ Key tone Buzzer 0.5$ 4 MEGA Crystal Oscillator 5$ 3 Flashing LEDs 0.1$ 9 Resistors (10Kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, 470 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, 1Kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦) 0.1$ 18 Pico Capacitors 1$ Magnetic Sensor 2$ Input Voltage Wires 0.1$ Breadboard 3$ Total Cost: 27.3$ Process of Building: First of all the PIC: PIC is a family of Harvard architecture microcontrollers. The name PIC refers to Peripheral Interface Controller. They are popular with both professional developers and hobbyists alike due to their low cost, wide availability and large user base. The PIC has an overall of 40 pins. These pins include input/output ports such as PORTA, PORTB, PORTC, PORTD, PORTE and two Vdd ports for input voltage. The PIC architecture is characterized by its multiple attributes: Separate code and data spaces (Harvard architecture). A small number of fixed length instructions. Most instructions are single cycle execution, with one delay cycle on branches and skips. All RAM locations function as registers as both source and destination of math and other functions. A hardware stack for storing return addresses. Data space mapped CPU, port, and peripheral registers. The program counter is also mapped into the data space and writable. There is no distinction between memory space and register space because the RAM serves the job of both memory and registers, and it is usually just referred to as the register file. The keypad: This device is used to enter the password selected by the user and to arm or disarm the alarm by selecting the various profiles installed in the system. As you can see from our projects picture we used a 4 x 4 keypad, as instructed by Dr. Ayoubi we started off our project by working on the keypad and testing it on Proteus and on the PIC itself. The design of a 4 x 4 keypad can be approached by either adopting the serial or the parallel concept. The serial concept is tedious in terms of software effort, complex in circuitry and slow in response. However, it requires few interface lines. Meanwhile, the parallel concept on the other hand is less complex in circuitry, less software intensive and faster in response. Its concept also requires more interface lines, that is, 8 plus an interrupt line for a 4 by 4 keypad. [10] Our design for a functional keypad was the usage of an alternation of ports between inputs and outputs which is done by using the TRIS function. We started off by setting the first four ports of PORTB as the inputs and the latter four ports as the outputs. This is done by moving the binary literal 11110000 to the working registers and having the latter four ports pulled down by 10kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resistors. The first four ports are connected to the columns meanwhile the last four are connected to the rows. Moreover, as a justification for this reasoning is the fact that it is required to scan the columns for the pressed key and then scan the rows and the results will be decoded in a decoder telling us which button of the keypad was pressed. The main functionality of the keypad as mentioned earlier is to set the code. The alarm can be armed and disarmed with a standard four digit user code in our case. The master code is a step above a regular user code. It is used to unlock the system, as well as programming or erasing a regular user code. Theoretically it can also be used to bypass some sensors. The default password set during the design, which is also the installation code, is 1234. Most alarm companies use the same installer code for all of their installations, and the vast majority will never give their installer code to a customer, for obvious reasons. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display): An LCD is a thin, flat electronic visual display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals (LCs). They are used in a wide range of applications, including computer monitors, television, instrument panels, etc. They are common in consumer devices such as clocks, watches, calculators, and telephones. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) offer several advantages over traditional cathode ray tube displays that make them ideal for several applications. Of course, LCDs are flat, and they use only a fraction of the power required by CRTs. They are easier to read and more pleasant to work with for long periods of time than most ordinary video monitors. It also has few disadvantages, such as limited view angle, brightness, and contrast, not to mention high manufacturing cost. As research continues, these limitations are slowly becoming less significant. [6] [11] [14] In our design, we used a 1k resistor to set the contrast at the LCD display. Sensor Used: The sensor used is the typical magnetic switch circuit breaker as shown in the figure below: Figure4. How Burglar Alarms Work. Retrieved from http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/security/burglar-alarm1.html A magnetic sensor is used to detect any changes as well as disturbances in a certain magnetic fields. In addition, when the magnets are separated it means we have an open circuit and when it is closed it acts like a short circuit. When the door is closed, the magnet pulls the metal switch close so the circuit is complete. Then, the current powers the relays electromagnet, so the buzzer circuit stays open. When you move the magnet by opening the door, the spring snaps the switch back into the open position. This cuts off the current and closes the relay, sounding the alarm. [7] Functionality of our system As soon as we connect the 5V power source the alarm greets us with a welcome message displayed on the LCD then asks us to provide the password. Once entered correctly the green LED flashes accepting the code. If the password entered was incorrect the red LED flashes and the system gives you two further chances to enter the correct password. If both remaining attempts failed the system will lock. The only way to unlock the system is by clicking the star key (*) for more than five seconds. This feature should be kept a secret between the user and the company otherwise anyone who knows it can unlock the system and keep trying to hack into it. The keypad should be installed next to the entry door because it is programmed with a time lag, to permit you to exit when leaving, and enter on arriving home, without activating the alarm. We have set a profile that gives you 20 seconds before leaving the house and the alarm starting. By clicking the (A) button on the keypad the counter starts giving you the amount of time to leave the house. If the magnets of the magnetic switch get separated, by the opening of a door or a window (depending on where it is installed), the internal invisible counter gives the user 15 seconds or 3 trials to set the password correctly or the alarm will go off. The alarm will remain firing until the password is set correctly. Furthermore, the option of changing the password is also available. In order to do so insert an incorrect password and the red LED flashes. While it is blinking click on the star button and wait until the yellow LED blinks and the LCD displays INSERT ADMIN PASS. In our system the administrator password is 5678. After inserting the correct administrator password the system will ask you to insert the new password then once again for confirmation. The administrator password however cannot be changed unless we change it in the code and download it again on the chip. Chapter III: Algorithm Design Block Diagrams: Figure5. Block Diagram showing how the system functions Figure6. Block Diagram showing how the keypad functions Proteus: Figure7. Our Design on Proteus Chapter IV: Conclusion References Conclusion: As we have seen in the graph Burglary rates figure7, the alarm system is becoming a must in modern day life in order to protect our valuables and the ones we care about. As we can see from the graph below, the rate of burglary is declining in 1981 that is when technology started evolving greatly and as we can see with time crime kept on decreasing. Figure7.Key Facts at a Glance (2011).Retrieved from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/burg.cfm Figure8.Certified Security Systems (2010). Retrieved from http://certifiedsecuritysystems.com/crime-statistics.aspx In flow chart figure8, alarms are moderately effective (57%), 40% very effective, and 3% not effective as owners say. Alarm owners are very satisfied with price and value of security systems such that 74% excellent and good, 22% just okay, and 4% Poor and Terrible. In conclusion, comparing our cost to the prices on the market we can see that systems cost from 30$ to 200$ depending on the number of sensors, the ground it covers and its specifications. Therefore, we recommend each house owner to buy an alarm system because it is not very expensive and might save you the trouble and the inconvenience and the financial losses caused by a robbery. REFERENCE LIST [1] Alarm SensorsAre Essential and Primary Elements of Your Home Security System (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://www.home-security-action.co.uk/alarm-sensors.html [2] Burglary Facts and Statistics (2008).Retrieved January 19, 2011, from http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/burglary-facts-and-statistics-338161.html [3] Certified Security Systems (2010). Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://certifiedsecuritysystems.com/crime-statistics.aspx [4]Evans, K. (n.d.). How Does a Home Alarm System Operate? Retrieved January 18, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4568395_home-alarm-system-operate.html [5] From Burglar Alarms to Fire Alarms (2008-2011). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://homesecurity.net/security-alarms/ [6] Gowan, M. (2000). How it Works: LCD Monitors. Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://www.pcworld.com/article/15112/how_it_works_lcd_monitors.html [7] Harris, T. (n.d.). How Burglar Alarms Work. Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/security/burglar-alarm1.html [8] Home Burglary Statistics (2008-2011).Washington Post. Retrieved January, 19, 2011, http://homesecurity.net/home-burglary-statistic/ [9] How Hard Wired Home Alarm Systems Its Add On Components Work! (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://www.top-home-security-info.com/home-alarm-systems.html [10] Interrupt Driven 44 Keypad (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://priorartdatabase.com/IPCOM/000005778 [11] Introduction to Liquid Crystal Displays (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2011 from http://plc.cwru.edu/tutorial/enhanced/files/lcd/intro.htm [12] Key Facts at a Glance (2011).Retrieved January 19, 2011, from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/burg.cfm [13] Krejcik, R. (2010). Advantages of a Home Alarm System. Retrieved January20, 2011 from http://www.realestateproarticles.com/Art/30563/271/Advantages-of-a-home- alarm-system.html [14] LCD (2011). Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/LCD.html