Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 13

â€Å"I'm really not a serial killer. It just seemed like too good a chance to pass up.† â€Å"Man,† I said. â€Å"If I had a dime for every time I heard that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Liam, the guy who'd bought me at the auction, laughed and opened the car door for me. He drove a shiny black Lotus Elise that he'd had imported from the UK. I found that impressive. It appeared to have just been freshly washed. I found that impressive too – and a little sad since it looked like it was going to rain at any moment. â€Å"It's supposed to be really good, though,† he added, starting up the engine. â€Å"So, I hope you'll like it and not think it's too demented for the holidays.† I hadn't been keen on following up with my charity date, but I'd known it would have to happen sooner or later. When Liam had called earlier to say he'd gotten tickets to a dramatic production of three Edgar Allan Poe stories tonight, I figured it was as good a time as any to get it over with. Besides, I liked Poe. It was kind of a creepy date to have around the happiest time of the year, true, but that would be the theater's fault, not Liam's. It was an early show, so we planned to attend first and catch dinner later. On the drive there, he turned out to be a lot like I'd expected. Intelligent. Nice. Moderately funny. He worked for an investment company downtown and had enough sense not to bore me with the details. We traded light banter, sharing anecdotes and experiences. I still would have rather been with Seth, but Liam was a fine guy for one night, and I figured he should have a fun time after donating so much money. The play was about as twisted as I'd hoped. They started with â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death,† followed by â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† closed the night off because honestly, what sort of Poe festivities would be complete without that crowd pleaser? â€Å"I've never heard of ‘The Masque of the Red Death,'† Liam said afterwards. We'd decided to leave the car and walk the six blocks to the restaurant he had reservations at. â€Å"I read the others in high school. I guess it's some kind of allegory about how you can't escape death, huh? You can lock yourself away, but it doesn't work.† â€Å"More than an allegory, actually,† I mused. â€Å"Historically, that wasn't an uncommon way for people to deal with plague and disease. Lock themselves up. Or else leave town and run away. Sometimes they'd throw the sick people out of town and lock the doors, so to speak.† â€Å"That's horrible,† said Liam. We stepped inside the restaurant, a small Italian one that was almost always booked. I had to admit, he was doing a good job with this date thing. â€Å"People didn't know any better,† I said. â€Å"They didn't know what caused diseases, and aside from good hygiene and luck, there were few treatments for ancient and medieval epidemics.† â€Å"That auctioneer didn't say anything about you being a history buff,† he teased. â€Å"Yeah? Would you not have bid?† â€Å"Are you kidding? A beautiful woman who uses the words ‘ancient and medieval epidemics' on the first date? I would have bid more.† I grinned and let the maitre d' lead us to our table. I was glad Liam appreciated my historical knowledge, but I'd have to be careful not to get too nerdy. I knew more than the average girl should and could get into levels of detail that modern people had no way of knowing about. I shifted to something else. â€Å"Well, I think the auctioneer was kind of distracted by the other contestants.† â€Å"Oh, you mean the feminazi who went before you?† I frowned. â€Å"No, I mean the giant blonde in silver that he bid on.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† Liam agreed. â€Å"She was crazy. Attractive, but crazy.† â€Å"You actually thought she was pretty?† â€Å"Sure. Not as pretty as you, of course,† he hastily added, mistaking my meaning. â€Å"But the auctioneer apparently thought otherwise. He couldn't keep his hands off of her.† â€Å"Oh, come on. He barely touched her.† â€Å"Well, not during the auction, of course. I mean afterward.† â€Å"What?† I was interrupted when the waiter came by. I had to wait for Liam to order wine before he could finish the story. â€Å"After the auction. I was there helping wrap things up. Deanna's a friend of my ex-wife's. When we all finished, Nick and that blonde were all over each other and left together.† â€Å"That†¦that isn't possible.† Tawny had said they'd left separately. There was no way she and Nick could have been hot and heavy the night of the auction. The following night had been when she showed up for the dance lesson. Even if she was lying about things falling apart with Nick – and really, why would she? – she'd obviously had no recent energy fix. Massive shape-shifting, on the scale of nonhuman shapes, could burn through energy that quickly, but a new succubus wouldn't have that skill yet. None of this made sense. Liam, obviously, didn't catch my confusion. â€Å"Why's it so hard to believe?† he asked. I shook my head. â€Å"It's†¦never mind. I hope they had a great time. Now†¦what kind of wine did you order? I missed it.† Not wanting to ruin dinner, I put the Tawny conundrum into a holding bin in my mind and did my best to give Liam his seventeen-hundred-dollars worth. When dinner ended, we walked back toward his car, enjoying a leisurely pace. The weather, though damp, had warmed to about fifty. Seattle's fickle winters did that sometimes, only to freeze up a day or so later. When Liam slipped his hand into mine, I let him, but it presented me with a dilemma. He was no one I really planned on seeing again. As a courtesy to Seth and an attempt at a normal life, I avoided casual affairs in this body. All of those reasons meant I shouldn't let the night escalate into anything more than a friendly handshake good-bye. But suddenly, I was feeling the loss of my energy. It had felt so good to have Simon's – yet it had been stripped from me before I could even do anything with it. It'd be so nice to have that feeling back, to go home with Liam and get what I needed. When we reached his car, he kept holding my hand and turned me so that I faced him. â€Å"What now?† he asked. â€Å"I don't know.† I was still torn on what to do. â€Å"I'm open to suggestion.† Liam smiled, a cute smile that showed in his blue eyes too. â€Å"Well, how about this?† He leaned down and kissed me, much as Dante had nearly done. Oh, Liam. Liam was a good man. A good, good man. Seth caliber. The moment our lips touched, I felt the sweetness of his life energy trickling into me. My desire woke up, and I pressed myself to him. I might not like to use this body, but these were unusual circumstances. I made my decision. I'd sleep with him and part ways. He was a nice guy, not a psycho stalker. He might be disappointed, but he wouldn't give me grief for wanting to be friends in the morning. He kissed me harder, pushing me against the side of the car. All that energy from just one kiss. The sex was going to be great. Yes, yes. More. Get more. Feed me. I jerked away from Liam. He looked down at me, legitimately concerned. â€Å"What's the matter?† It had been a whisper in my head. Faint but real. It had been paired with a longing, a deep longing for Liam's energy that rivaled my own need – but it hadn't been mine. It had belonged to someone – or something – else. Suddenly, it all came back to me. The conversations with Dante and Erik. Some creature preying on me and stealing my energy. True, it was what I did to men†¦but, well, I couldn't help how I felt. And just then, I felt nauseous at the thought of some parasitic creature coming to me tonight because I was full of energy. It made my skin crawl. Bad enough this thing was using me. It was also using me to use Liam. I looked back at him; he was so cute and so nice. I shook my head. I couldn't do this. I needed the energy, but I was going to put if off as long as possible. I wouldn't give this thing what it wanted. â€Å"Liam†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said slowly. â€Å"I should tell you something. I, um, just recently got out of a long relationship, and I went to the auction because I thought I could, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, not appearing angry so much as regretful. â€Å"You aren't ready.† I shook my head. â€Å"I'm really sorry. I wanted to help at the auction, and I thought I could move on.† He squeezed the hand he was still holding and released it. â€Å"Well†¦I'm sad, but I understand. And I like you†¦if we went out, I'd like to work on something serious. That can't happen until you're ready, and I'd never want to force you.† Oh, God. Nice, nice guy. â€Å"I'm so, so sorry,† I said. I meant it. I so wanted his energy. â€Å"Nothing to be sorry about,† he told me, smiling. â€Å"Come on, I'll take you home.† He returned me to Queen Anne, and I kissed him on the cheek before leaving the car. He told me to call him when I was ready to date again, and I told him I would. Once he was gone, I didn't go inside. Instead, I called Dante. â€Å"It's your favorite succubus,† I said when he answered. I heard him yawn. â€Å"Debatable. What do you want? It's late.† â€Å"I need to talk to you. Something weird happened.† â€Å"I'm in bed, succubus. Unless you plan on joining me, I'd rather not receive visitors right now.† â€Å"Please, Dante. It's important.† He sighed. â€Å"Fine, come on over.† â€Å"I don't know where you live.† â€Å"Of course you do. You've been here a gazillion times.† â€Å"You live in your store?† â€Å"Why would I want to pay rent for two different places?† I drove down to the shop. The sign read CLOSED, but there was a faint light inside. Dante opened the door when I knocked. He wore jeans and a plain T-shirt, nothing unusual, but the disheveled hair suggested he had indeed been in bed. â€Å"Sorry,† I told him. â€Å"Maybe I should have waited.† â€Å"Too late for regrets. Come on in.† He led me through the storefront, back to the small door I usually saw closed. On the other side was a large room that appeared to be a combination living space, office, supply closet, and†¦workshop. â€Å"Erik was right,† I said, walking over to a high set of shelves. They were filled with jars and bottles of herbs and unidentifiable liquids. â€Å"You are a magician.† I considered. â€Å"Or at least you're pretending to be.† â€Å"No faith in me. Probably smart.† He pointed to a bean bag chair and a plaid ottoman. â€Å"Take your pick if you don't want the bed.† I chose the ottoman. â€Å"Well, it's not that I don't trust you†¦but everything else you do is a scam. Of course, Erik has to hate you for something legitimate, and he wouldn't have sent me to you in the first place if you didn't have some kind of skill.† â€Å"Interesting logic. Maybe he hates me for my charming personality.† He rubbed his eyes and yawned again. With the motion of his arm, I noticed faint punctures in the middle of his arm that I'd never seen with long sleeves. â€Å"Maybe he hates you for your vices.† Dante looked at where I was staring. He shrugged, unconcerned. â€Å"Nah, Lancaster has better things to worry about than a casual hit now and then.† â€Å"From my experience, there's no such thing as a casual hit.† â€Å"What, are you here to do an intervention now, succubus?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. I had neither time nor interest to reform Dante. â€Å"But I heard a voice tonight.† â€Å"I heard a voice too. It called and woke me up.† â€Å"Dante!† Angrily, I explained the situation. A hint of his sarcastic smile remained, but otherwise, he actually seemed concerned. â€Å"Huh. Interesting. It actually raised its ugly head.† â€Å"What do you think that means?† â€Å"Not a clue until we know what it is. The only thing I can guess is that it was desperate for some reason. Until now, it's done a pretty good job at hiding itself – aside from your energy loss, obviously.† He brightened a little. â€Å"I don't suppose it's here now, urging you to jump me?† â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Ah, well. I'm probably not as good a catch as Seventeen-hundred-dollar Man. Your predator has standards.† I shuddered, hating the idea that I actually had a predator. I looked up at Dante and must have looked truly pathetic because a startled look crossed his features. â€Å"Dante, you have to help me. I know we don't have the answers yet†¦but, well, I'm scared of this thing. I can't bring myself to take a victim because I'm afraid of this monster coming back. I don't even want to go to sleep.† His gray eyes assessed me, and to my astonishment, he almost looked gentle. It completely transformed him. â€Å"Ah, succubus. You can sleep tonight. No energy, no visit. I doubt the kiss was enough of a lure.† â€Å"But eventually†¦eventually I'll have to get another fix†¦and until I'm able to talk to Jerome about all this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, I could maybe make you a charm or something. Protection to ward this thing away.† â€Å"You can do that?† I tried to keep the skepticism out of my voice but failed. His face turned wry once more. â€Å"If you don't want the help†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No! I do. I'm sorry. That was wrong of me. I asked for your help, then backed off.† â€Å"Well, as you said, I haven't inspired much faith in you.† â€Å"I'll take whatever help I can get,† I said honestly. He stood up and stretched, then walked over to his shelves, studying their contents. â€Å"You sure about that? You might not like what I have to do to make this. How badly do you want it?† I thought about that voice, that creature's need inside my head. â€Å"Pretty badly. Provided you don't, like, give me a necklace made out of goat entrails, I think we're good.† His eyes were still on his shelves and jars. Several moments passed while he considered. â€Å"I'm going to need some time on this, I'm afraid. It'd be a lot easier if I knew what it was we're dealing with. Without that, I've got to try to make some sort of catch-all charm that may or may not work. The broad spectrum ones are always hard, too.† â€Å"So nothing tonight.† He strolled back over to me. â€Å"You're fine tonight, remember? Of course, you're welcome to stay here, and I'll stay awake and make sure nothing happens to you.† I couldn't help a smile. â€Å"Just like Kayla.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"My boyfriend's niece†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'd nearly forgotten about our weird conversation. â€Å"She said some funny things. But I don't know if it was just kid imaginings or if she maybe has some kind of psychic ability.† â€Å"Fine line with kids,† he said. â€Å"If she has any powers, I'm sure science and discipline will work them out of her. What'd she say?† â€Å"She said that I was ‘magic.' And that there were monsters in the air who got into people's dreams.† When he didn't respond, I exclaimed, â€Å"Do you think she could help with this?† He shook his head. â€Å"No. If she is psychic or gifted or whatever, she's too young and inexperienced to know what she's perceiving to be of any real use.† â€Å"But she could be sensing what's following me.† â€Å"Sure. If she's a really astute psychic, she'd be sensitive to anomalies in the magical and spiritual worlds.† Interesting. Tiny little Kayla, possibly with the potential for great spiritual powers some day. â€Å"What's your advice?† â€Å"Huh?† he asked. â€Å"For someone like her. To develop her abilities and make sure science and discipline don't beat it out of her.† â€Å"My advice?† He gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Let them beat it out of her. You'll be doing her a favor.† I sat quietly for a long time, studying my feet. When I finally looked back up at him, I asked, â€Å"Why are you so unhappy?† â€Å"Who says I'm unhappy? I make money by doing nothing.† I gestured around. â€Å"Everything says you're unhappy. Your attitude. Your arm. The pile of beer bottles over there. The fact that even though you claim I annoy you, you keep helping me and always seem glad to have me around.† â€Å"Misery loves company. You aren't exactly all that chipper yourself.† â€Å"I'm very happy with my life,† I argued. â€Å"Well, then, go back to it, and let me sleep.† In a not too subtle signal, he walked over to the door and opened it. â€Å"I'll work on your charm and get back to you.† I started to snap back at the abrupt dismissal, but he looked so weary, I couldn't bring myself to do it. Besides, I knew I'd been right. Dante Moriarty was a very unhappy man who used sarcasm and substances to hide it. I wondered what it was that plagued him so much – what it was that had darkened his soul. â€Å"Are you ever going to tell me why Erik hates you so much?† I asked quietly. Dante pointed at the door. â€Å"Good night, succubus. Sweet dreams.†

Writing and Comprehensive Form

Description of Reading and Writing Measures Standardized Test Description KTEA II Reading comprehension and Written Expression The Reading comprehension and written expression subtests were given and scored. The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Second Edition is an individually administered measure of academic achievement for ages 4 and a half through 25. The test is available in two versions: the Brief form which assesses the achievement of reading , mathematics, written expression; and the Comprehensive Form which covers a wide range of achievement domains and an analysis of students’ errors.The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Comprehensive Form, Second Edition represents a revision of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement Comprehensive Form. The KTEA –II Comprehensive Form has an expanded age range and has retained the five subtests from the original KTEA and has modified to allow for testing of children and adults from preschool-age through co llege-age. Nine new subtests have been added to allow for assessment of a broad range of achievement domains and skills. KTEA-II Comprehensive Form age norms are provided for ages 4 and a half through 25, and grade norms are provided for Kindergarten through Grade 12.KTEA III Comprehensive Form is curriculum-based it provides norm-referenced and error analysis systems, criterion-referenced assessment in reading, mathematics, written language, and oral language. The KTEA-II Comprehensive Form has two independent , parallel forms (A and B) and the KTEA-II Brief Form norms at ages 4 and a half through 90. These three non-overlapping batteries make the KTEA II useful for measuring student progress. The KTEA II Comprehensive Form make it an important tool for assessing academic achievement.The KTEA II measures achievement in reading, mathematics, written language, and oral language and allows the examiner to administer a single subtest or a combination of subtests to assess achievement i n one or more domains. All seven specific learning disability areas identified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendment of 1997 (IDEA,1997)are measured: basic reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematics calculation, mathematics, reasoning, oral expression, listening comprehension, and written expression.The KTEA Comprehensive Form like the KTEA was developed from a clinical model of assessment. Curriculum experts defined specific sub skills measured by each subtest and the different types of errors students are likely to make on each subtest. Standardization data guided the final error analysis System. KTEA-II Comprehensive Form content has undergone bias reviews to ensure that students of either sex and ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds can be assessed. The KTEA II Comprehensive Form was normed using two separate representative, nationwide standardizations, one in the fall and one in the spring.The procedure accurately measures students’ perform ance both at the beginning and end of he year. The KTEA-II Comprehensive Form is conformed with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition. The KTEA II Comprehensive Form is a reliable, valid measure of academic achievement. The KTEA II allows the examiner to observe the student’s test taking behavior, motivation, and visual-motor coordination. The two parallel forms make it an ideal instrument for longitudinal studies. KTEA II Written Expression subtestDescription of writing task Students are administered an item set based on their grade. (3rd Grade) Following assessment directions from the KTEA II manual and easel, I provided the Level 3 booklet and a pencil to my student. The written expression booklet is titled Kyra’s Dragon. I explain to my student following the provided directions from the easel that this story is about a girl named Kyra and the dragon she has to find. As we go through the story, you’ll write some of the words and sentence s. This is similar to the â€Å"cloze† technique that was used in the informal assessment, The McLeod Assessment of Reading Comprehensions. ) I tell my student to write the best words and sentences he can and not to worry if he doesn’t know how to spell a word – spelling won’t count. The first item we starts with is #31 I say â€Å" Let’s start by writing your full name here† and I point to the to of the booklet. The next item #32, my student writes the sentence â€Å"The dragon carries people away. † That I dictate. Tets: Writing SkillsOn item #3 my student has to write one word to complete the sentence â€Å" The king says to Kyra, â€Å"Finding the dragon_____________ save us all. † For item #34, my student has to write one good sentence to complete a part of the story, â€Å" Kyra’s Dragon. This fill in the blank interactive story goes on with similar tasks inserting words, sentences, combining sentences, proper word usage of specific words and punctuation into the story booklet until my student gets item # 49. Item #49 is where my student must complete a timed retell of the entire story, pretending my student is the king’s scribe.My student must retell the story of Kyra’s dragon so that his grandchildren will know how people came to live in their new town. He is given 10 minutes to complete his retell. My task as administrator of this test is to follow the script on the easel, read the prompts, and point to the correct place for the student to write his answers. This took about 25 minutes to administer. I am allowed to repeat story segments and item instructions if necessary. I may also tell a student how to spell a word if they ask, since spelling is not scored in this subtest, but only if examinee asks for assistance.

Marketing and Starbucks Essay

1.0 Introduction: The Starbucks Corporation was founded by three entrepreneurs at the place called Seattle in 1971. Initially they were selling of whole bean coffee in one Seattle store and by the year 1982 the business had grown tremendously and has opened five stores selling the coffee beans, a roasting facility, and a wholesale business for local restaurants. When the Starbucks started its business it was only a small retail coffee shop as like the other coffee shops. The main vision of the Starbucks owners was to educate customers about the fine coffees and feel the smell of the Dark roasted coffee, selling just the coffee was not their aim as the coffee was sold in the USA since 1960’s (Starbucks case study). Howard Schultz was recruited as the manager of retail and marketing and it was Howard who brought new ideas to the owners, but he was turned down. Schultz in turn opened his own coffee bar was named Il Giornale in 1986 based on Italian coffee cafes, selling brewed Starbucks coffee. By 1987, Schultz had expanded to three coffee bars and bought Starbucks from the original owners for $4 million and changed the name of his coffee bars from Il Giornale to Starbucks. His intention for the company was to grow slowly with a very solid foundation. For the first two years, Starbucks losses doubled as overhead and operating expenses increased with Starbucks expansion. Schultz stood his ground and did not sacrifice long term integrity and values for short-term profit. By 1991, Starbucks sales increased by 84% and the company were out of debt. Starbucks grew to 20 stores by 1988. By 1996 it grew to 870 stores with plans to open 2000 stores by the year 2000. 2.0 Marketing stategyof Starbuks: Marketing strategy is carrying out segmentation, targeting and positioning. Doing the detailed understanding of the marketplace into strategic decisions and the targeting of appropriate customer groups. This targeting should emphasise on any differential advantages and adopt a suitable positioning within the target segments (Dibb and Simkin, 1996). Starbucks has adopted a Differentiation strategy it is a strategy which seeks to provide product or service that offer benefits and should be different from competitors that are widely valued by customers. The aim this strategy is to achieve advantage by offering better products or services at same or higher price. When Starbucks was launched there were many coffee bars in the United States at that time but Starbucks wanted to stand unique from the others. Marketing has powerful potential to contribute to the highly important aspects of the organisational competitiveness, namely innovation (Kerin, 1992) and competitive analysis (Varadarajan, 1992) and Schulz wanted to innovate and recreate the experience of the Italian coffee bar culture. Starbucks mainly focused on the strategy of new products, a stronger connection with the customers as the Third place and expanding store locations in the United States and abroad. Starbucks has followed the simple STP process (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning). 2.1 Segmentation: Market Segmentation is a process of dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics, or behaviour that might require separate products or marketing programs is called Market Segmentation (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). Initially Starbucks was based as a Socio-Economic segmentation base in consumer Markets as it has concentrated on social class particularly the business class people those who are working at the office and wanted to have a cup of coffee with a good atmosphere and facilities. Starbucks also had segmented his market by geographic and demographically by selecting the store location where they can find the educated and coffee lovers (Dibb and Simkin, 1996). 2.2Targeting: After a company has defined market segments, it can enter one or many segments of a given market and should make decision about how many and which customer groups to target (Dibb and Simkin, 1996). Target Marketing is a process of evaluating each market segment’s attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). The concept of target marketing is a logical implication of the basic philosophy of marketing (Lancaster and Massingham, 1993). A company should target segments in which it can profitably generate the greatest customer value and sustain it overtime. Starbucks wanted to develop a reputable relationship with the customers, Most of companies enter in a new market y serving a single segment, and if this proves successful than they add more segments, initially Starbucks did the same thing targeted the parents with the young children and it was hit concept and it has added more segments by including Teenagers and developed its product range also (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). 2.3 Positioning: Once the company has decided which market segments to enter it should decide what positions it wants to occupy in those segments. Market Positioning is arranging for a product to occupy clear, distinctive, and desirable place relative to competing products in the minds of target customers. A products position is the place that the product occupies relative to competitors in consumers minds. Here in this case the Starbucks has developed a unique market position for their products because if a product is to be exactly same like the others on the market than consumers would have no reason to buy it. Starbucks has positioned themselves in the market as a highly reputed brand (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). In this case Starbucks has planned his positioning in such a way that it distinguish their products from competing brands and give them the greatest strategic advantage in their target markets. Starbucks has a descriptively simple statement to inspire and nurture the human spirit-â€Å"one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time†. Starbucks positioning strategy was customer base so that it can give the best service more than what the customers expect. Starbucks has gained a competitive advantage over customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction as Starbucks had developed its positioning strategy based on the customer and provided the utmost facility in terms of layout, furniture to the music, and in terms of employee satisfaction Starbucks make employee as a partners and gave them a personal security with a freedom to participate in the every decision of the business and make it successful (Porter & Miller, 1985, Porter, 1998). 3.0 Developing Marketing Mix: One of the major concepts in the modern marketing is once the company has decided its overall marketing strategy than it should plan the details of the marketing mix. â€Å"Marketing mix is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools (product, price, place, and promotion) that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market† (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). Starbucks has a made good decisions on marketing mix tools 3.1 Product: â€Å"Product means the goods and services combination the company offers to the target market†. Starbucks has used Brand name, Quality, Variety and Services as their Product tool which can be concluded by this statement, Starbucks with a good Brand name provides best Quality and with the Variety of Products, it has adopted Quality improvement strategy (Kotler and Keller, 2009). Initially Starbucks started with the coffee than it has included non-fat milk, cold blended beverages. Later on stated seasonal offerings such as strawberry and cream Frappuccino, gingerbread latte with some food items like cookies and pastries. Before launching the products Starbucks was getting the approval of the customers. 3.2 Price: â€Å"Price is the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the product†. Though the Price of the Starbucks was higher than the other coffee shops, the customers were ready to pay the amount because Starbucks has developed a luxurious image with all the facilities inside the store. Starbucks as a good Brand have offered more benefits and facilities and the best quality of products to justify their higher prices (Kotler et al, 2006). 3.3 Distribution and Service: Starbucks has a good distribution channels initially it was selling coffee beans and doing wholesale business for local restaurants. In terms of service and location Starbucks opened the stores in a such a way that it can reach to targeted customers and it has also gave more stress on giving the best customer service by spending a lot of money by training its employees (Starbucks case study). 3.4 Promotion: Starbucks initially did not use the advertising tool for promotion but it was the Public relations and the Personal selling tool that helped the Starbucks to achieve its target

Communication in Business Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Communication in Business - Dissertation Example allows organizations to identify their unique resources, critical functions and core competencies which are considered as essential to understand in order to fully handle strategic operations of the firm. Its significance therefore is of primary nature and organizations benefit from knowledge management because it allows them to learn and to adapt to the new and changing situations easily. 1.1 Purpose The overall purpose of this research is to understand as to what knowledge management and how organizations can actually use it to their benefit. Particularly, this research report will focus upon determining the benefits which can be driven by the organizations by implementing knowledge management practices. 1.2 Scope The overall scope of this research study is limited to the understanding of the benefits of knowledge management to the organizations with a purpose to outline as to how such benefits can be utilized by the organizations. 1.3 Method This research study is based upon the u se of secondary sources therefore data gathering tools such as interviews and questionnaires have not been used. It is however, critical to note that credible journals, peer reviewed articles, books and good quality online resources have been used for the purpose of this study. 2 Analysis This section will describe the overall concept of knowledge management, what it is and how it can actually benefit an organization. 2.1 Knowledge Management Knowledge management provides measures and information which can collectively be used by the organizations for better understanding of their processes in order to better utilize them for business purposes. It therefore prepares employees for the better understanding of new ideas and how to utilize them innovatively in order to achieve the... The dissertation proposal has been based on learning about the concept and meaning of knowledge management and the benefits that it has for businesses. This has helped clarify the importance of incorporating knowledge management into management systems. The researcher states that every organization in order to develop its core competencies and to learn to adapt to the new situations learn to take insights and experience. This ability of the organizations to actually experience and learn from the way they operate is considered as knowledge management. Practiced by organization since last many years, knowledge management actually allows organizations to identify their unique resources, critical functions and core competencies which are considered as essential to understand in order to fully handle strategic operations of the firm. The discussion presented suggests that the concept of knowledge management can help organizations to better utilize their intellectual assets and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the employees. By implementing knowledge management practices, organizations can actually set up shared knowledge processes allows organizations to become more disciplined in finding solutions to their problems. Organizations take advantage of knowledge management at different levels, intermediate and organizational. At the organizational level, it takes benefit of the knowledge management when knowledge management processes are shared across the whole organization.

History and theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History and theory - Essay Example Las Vegas and Dubai represent two hot points in the global tourism map. These two desert cities have grown from dusty outposts to globally known tourist destinations over a short period of time. Las Vegas is globally recognised as the entertainment capital of the world and this tourist destination is prominent for its casino hotels and related entertainment activities. Dubai is also a famous global destination that attracts visitors on the strength of wonderful shopping experiences and other ancient and modern attractions. Despite political, economical, social, and environmental differences, Las Vegas and Dubai uphold prominent positions as the most attractive tourist destinations of the world, for these two cities   have notably contributed to their home countries’ GDP even in the midst of the recent   global financial crisis.  This paper will evaluate the tourism sector of Las Vegas and Dubai and explore further scope of tourism development in these cities. Overview of tourism in Las Vegas and Dubai Las Vegas witnessed unprecedented positive changes in its tourism industry throughout the second half of the 20th century. During this time, this city was one of a few global tourist destinations that offered entertainments like casino gambling. ... The proliferation of the gaming industry over the last few decades forced Las Vegas tourism sector to strengthen its market position. In spite of these challenges, Las Vegas still remains to be a hot choice for tourists across the globe. Official data indicate that 39,727,022 people visited Las Vegas in 2012 (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority). While analyzing the latest financial reports, it seems that the region’s tourism sector has begun to recover from the global financial crisis. According to the financial data released by the Gaming Control Board, the city’s revenues on the Strip increased by 3.6% to reach $580.7 million in October 2012 as compared to the revenues realized in the same period a year ago (Higgins 2012). In addition, the region’s tourism industry produced nearly 16,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality sectors since the worst of the recent global recession in November 2009 (Rossi 2011). Stratosphere, the tallest observation tower in th e Western US, is one of the major attractions of Las Vegas. It offers spectacular views and amusement rides like SkyJump, Insanity, Big Shot, and X-Scream (Las Vegas Sun). The fountains at Bellagio is another well known attraction of the Las Vegas Strip. The dancing waters choreographed to popular music greatly amuse visitors. Another prominent attraction is Las Vegas Strip’s Fashion Show Mall, one of the largest enclosed malls in the United States. It contains many stores, restaurants, seven flagship department stores, fashion runway, and other facilities. The city’s 3.9-mile Monorail system gives a wonderful transport experience to visitors. This Monorail system is the only privately owned public

Individual marketing article analysis which happened in 2012 Essay

Individual marketing article analysis which happened in 2012 - Essay Example This is realized from the different point of views as per different analysts of firms with interest in IPOs and general investments. Hersey (1991) argues that there is no much news expected even with companies tying their best within a week. The earliest that this could occur is December 17th with series of meetings so as to interact with potential investors. This has been caused by the new rules, which governs the process of going public. Another hindrance is Christmas, which will come in the middle of marketing and may last for at least one week. The presidential elections also interfered with many companies, which could have had deals before the end of the year. Gaiman (2009) argues, however, not all of the companies had this, there were exemptions who pitched shares just a day after voting due to high levels of confidence in gaining potential customers attention, according to the chief financial officer. It still remains tricky to strike deals before the end of the year. There is a backlog of companies who have signed IPOs initial documents waiting processing but still having the lowest recorded dollar value of IPOs backlog, since the year 2009. Lomborg (2012) argues, however, according to the new laws grading IPOs, companies will have their planning confidentially. Those with an annual revenue less than one billion US dollars will have submissions of prospectus done out of public view. This would remain for at least twenty one days before the company sets off. It has been argued that deals can be underway before the public get a glimpse of the idea (Walter & Howei, 2012). This is not what is reflected by the silence in the markets. Many companies have already put up terms on offer or some have had their deals postponed after pitching to investors. A possibility is that the companies could decide to enter the fray quickly. This may come as a surprise to many who are not aware of what is happening. A typical

Identify design mechanism that (1) Engages the audience in the story, Essay

Identify design mechanism that (1) Engages the audience in the story, (2) Enhances a visual message, and (3) Provides any histor - Essay Example Conflict arises when the two characters fall madly in love with each other before knowing about their families’ long lived dispute. The two fights for their love and finds ways to be together despite all odds. The story ends in a tragic note when a misunderstanding of their plan of escape led to Romeo’s suicide, which then led to Juliet taking her own life too. Romeo and Juliet is said to be â€Å"a timeless love story that's been done again and again† (Jernigan). It is commonly presented in local and international theaters either as a traditional live performance or on the silver screen. Famous movie versions of the text include George Cukor’s version in 1936, Franco Zeffirelli’s version in 1968, and the most recent version was Baz Luhrmann’ version in 1996 starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes (Luhrmann). Shakespeare’s language is used in Luhrmann’s filmed version in an interesting, trendy, contemporary setting. The film features a composition of romance, action, violence, and music, executing a strong 90’s vibe.   Principles of design are concepts used to organize elements that make up a composition. It affects the expression of text content and the process of message communication (Jirousek). It is essential in film production and is interestingly applied in Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet. Principles of design include balance, proportion, rhythm, emphasis and unity. The opening scene of the movie shows a vintage television news broadcast of a lady saying the famous lines; â€Å"Two households both alike in dignity in fair Verona where we lay our †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This is the text’s prologue made into the movie introduction. These lines are repeatedly shown while an introduction of supporting characters and antagonists is being made. This design mechanism falls under the concept of emphasis, which is defined as a compositional device made to draw attention to specific details, b ecause that area is meant to be seen. Emphasis can also be considered a way of delivering of a text’s focal point (Moore). In the aforementioned prologue movie introduction scene, emphasis is made to deliver the message on how heavy the conflict is between Capulet and Montague. The repeated lines not only tell the story of the wrath between the families, but screenshots of the church, war, violence and chaos over the city tells how the wrath between the families affect the societies their living in. Moreover, big establishments, random sign boards, religious images and other related icons suggest the living age of where the story is set. These elements also reflect the current culture of the setting displayed, i.e. for example, the constant flashing of religious monuments, the crucifix inside the Montague’s limousine and the Tybalt of Capulet’s shirt all suggest the religious underlying context in the film, despite all the violence happening between the two part ies. This could also be seen as the director’s way of inflicting the original setting of which the text was made. A further discussion of this will be made in the latter part of this paper. In the opening scene, the rhythm of the whole movie is also presented. Moore describes rhythm as a principle of design which tackles a repetition of recurrent themes, like simply painting a pattern in which a beat is designed for a certain flow of storytelling to be achieved. The rhythm of the

Ecosystem Components Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ecosystem Components - Research Paper Example A discussion on how the knowledge of the structure and how these can help to develop plans for its restoration. The implication of the interaction of the species will also be briefly discussed. Within a community that exists in a park, many populations are not likely to be found as being evenly distributed. There exists a patterns and process of spatial distribution of species. The most important patterns are the open community structure which is distributed more or less randomly. There is also the closed community pattern with sharp boundaries. Each species within the ecosystem in a park play a very important role and interacts with other species in the environment. In the interactions the species provide food and, therefore, a basis on which other species survive. There are basically two main types of communities: terrestrial and the aquatic biomes. Terrestrial biomes include the tundra, desert, grassland, temperate forest, taiga, tropical forest (Agee, 2000). The ecosystem changes over time giving the stronger species the opportunity to survive over time and live to withstand the test of time. The weaker ones go to extinction over time. Human interactions with the park may be positive or negative. Human’s efforts to preserve the parks have positive effects on the lives of the species in the ecosystem. However, sometimes the humans destroy the environment by cutting down trees and sometimes killing the animals for food. Besides, other economic activities of humans such as the production industries pollute the environment by emitting substances such as carbon, nitrogen or phosphorus thus interfering in their cycles. The knowledge of humans on the structure and functions of the ecosystem has played a very fundamental role in ensuring that the parks are well preserved. As such this has helped to prevent several plants and animal species from going into extinction (Alcamo & Elena M. Bennett, 2003). This knowledge ought to

Week 14 Experiential Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 14 Experiential Exercise - Essay Example ings had changed significantly in the field of marketing since she first entered it, but the steps to creating a marketing plan remain essentially intact, though they are now somewhat more difficult and require more ingenuity. For instance, the first thing that one does when creating a marketing plan is segment the audience. An organization ahs to have a very clear picture of who they are trying to reach, who they are not trying to reach, and how to divide up groups within their target audience. For instance, hotels spend a great deal of their time and effort trying to market themselves towards business travelers, a demographic that obviously uses hotels a great deal. But this does not constitute a homogenous group: high power brokers are going to want different things than a low level sales person in town for a day; people who need to stay somewhere for weeks want different things than those who can be in and out quickly. So it is essential to segment the market and identify who you want to reach and reach them how best you can. Now there are more opportunities for marketing than ever, ranging from traditional media such as print ads to youtube ads and other social media. I was told that age constitutes a significant difference in social media use, but this seems to be slowly fading with time: though young users outnumber old, more and more middle age and retirement age users are using social media. One important note that was driven home to me is to treat marketing plans like an investment: the key is not how many people you reach, but how efficiently spent marketing money is. Thus, one might, for instance, have to determine whether it would be better to buy minutes upon minutes of television ads in various markets, trying to entice small business travelers and entrepreneurs, or to rather spend less money to fly out and meet a procurement executive and a large corporation, and try to get that compan y to go with your hotel as their standard choice when

For an organisation; product; service or brand of your choice you are Essay

For an organisation; product; service or brand of your choice you are required to answer the following three questions - Essay Example It actively supports candidates who draft public policies that are related to the brand and its products. The company has its own political action committee Kraftpac which makes valuable contributions to the US Federal and State political parties and candidates; however all corporate contributions are made as permitted by law (Kraft Foods Group, 2014). The economic downturn has also affected Kraft Food sales; however it quickly launched strategies which helped it to recover from this difficult situation. For instance, it came up with meal solutions through which consumers got make the most of their grocery dollars and get quality food at reasonable rates (Kraft Foods Inc., n.d. [a]). In 2013, the sales of its refrigerated meals, beverages, snack nuts and enhancers increased while the sale of its cheeses decreased slightly (Zacks Equity Research, 2014); however it did miss its target slightly. On social front, Kraft Food is quite active and gives priority to health, well-being and nutrition issues. It has earned a name for itself in fighting obesity on one hand and malnutrition and hunger on the other (Siegert, 2013). It has emerged as a strong oppose of negative lifestyles and also been vocal about food quality and safety. Health maintenance, water purification and unaffordable nutrition are other factors it has been working on. During the anti-obesity drive, the company launched a policy not to target children below 6 years with its advertisements (Siegert, 2013). Better-for-you-products are advertised to children aged between 6 to 11 years. In school advertising has been eliminated and in Europe, the nutrition content is also mentioned on the packages to help consumers adopt a healthy lifestyle (Kraft Foods Inc., n.d. [c]). Kraft Foods has also lowered salt content and fat content from some of its products (Kraft Foods Inc., n.d. [c]). Innovation has always been the hallmark of Kraft Foods. It uses technology to its advantage and has come with

Wk3 Second part of DQ Based on Dq1 AE and DQ2 ST Peer comment Assignment

Wk3 Second part of DQ Based on Dq1 AE and DQ2 ST Peer comment - Assignment Example e population over 30 years ago it is highly possible that the government would not have enjoyed the tremendous level of economic growth China has benefit from during the past three decades. A higher population would have absorbed more resources away from the whole. I believe that the world will face many more ethical dilemmas associated with genetic engineering. The Carrie Buck story is a terrifying tale since that shows that worse that society has to offer. The discrimination displayed by the courts was astonishing. There is some empirical evidence that points that vaccines may be causing autism. The incidence of autism growth was 10% last year. In South Korea a recent study revealed that 2.64% of the newborn babies have autism which is much higher than the 1% US autism incidence (Bower, 2011). I don’t think countries have a right to tell a person with autism that they cannot have a family because their diseases could be genetically spread. Mental patients have rights and should be respected by society. I agree with you that in the Burlington Northern scenario the employees were an important stakeholder group. The employees play a critical role in the success of a company since they compose the human capital of a firm. The legal status and laws that protect disable people were not applicable back in Carrie Buck’s era. Today there are many laws that protect disable people including the Disability and Equity Law of 2010. The Disability and Equity Law of 2010 provides legal rights to disable people in education, employment, access to goods, function of bodies, and in buying and renting property (Direct, 2011). I think that society has changed a lot in the last century. People have become more aware of the needs of others and the globalization movement has improved our desire to cooperate with other nations. In regards to public companies an agency that looks out for the best interest of all stakeholders groups is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A

Aristotle Life Story Essay Example for Free

Aristotle Life Story Essay Aristotle was born in Greece approximately 384 B. C. , to parents Nicomachus and Phaestis. His father Nicomachus was physician to King Amyntas of Macedon, and his mother was of a wealthy family from the island of Euboea. When he was 17 he went to study at Plato’s Academy in Athens, where he stayed for around 20 years. Aristotle did very well at the Academy, but when Plato died he was not chosen to be among the leaders. Soon after Plato’s death he left to tutor Prince Alexander, later to be known as Alexander the Great. Aristotle later returned to Athens to open his own school which is known as the Lyceum. Aristotle was more interested in science than other philosophers in his time, maybe because his father was a doctor. He’s sometimes referred to the father of science. One of Aristotle’s most important contributions was sorting and classifying the various knowledge of science into branches. He thus laid the foundation of science today. Aristotle is also thought to be the father of the scientific method. In ancient times, gods were thought to be the cause of events in nature. Early Greek philosophers questioned the roles of gods as the cause of these events. If the gods weren’t the cause of these events, who was? Philosophers advanced explanations based on philosophical principles and mathematical forms. Aristotle found that unsatisfactory. He was the first to realize the importance of empirical measurement (measurement based on observation and experience), believing that knowledge could only be gained from building on what was already known. Aristotle’s contributions were measurement and observation, which is what science, is built upon. He was the first to propose the idea of induction as a tool to gaining knowledge, and understood that theoretical thought and reasoning had to be supported by real world findings. His method is summarized as follows; Study what others have written about the subject, look for the general consensus about the subject, and perform a systematic study of everything even partially related to the topic. This is the very first sign of a scientific method. Aristotle loved categorizing and organizing things. For instance, with the soul he thought it was composed of two components: a rational and irrational part. The rational half was subdivided into â€Å"scientific† and â€Å"calculative† sections, and the irrational half was made up of a â€Å"desiderative† (desire) part and a â€Å"vegetative† part. A person operates by combining all the workings of these parts. The vegetative part may be hungry. The desiderative part may want lots of candy instead of, say, vegetables, but the scientific part knows candy will be bad for teeth and weight. The calculative part will then try to work out a compromise. Problem solved! Aristotle assumed that there must be some basic commodities that combine to make all things. These basic four groups are, earth, water, air and fire, and each of these are a combination of two of four opposites, hot and cold, and wet and dry. For example, fire is hot and dry. He claimed that all materials were made from various combinations of these elements. His love of categories also led him to divide people into three groups. The big group, who loved pleasure, a smaller group -includes politicians- that love honor, and the smallest, but most elite group, who love contemplation. The latter were the philosophers. Aristotle’s next task was to find the key reason that separated humans from animals. His answer was our ability to reason. Aristotle’s really great contribution was that of biology. Having established the division between humans and animals he set out categorizing all he could of the biological world. He grouped animals with related characteristics into genera and then divided these genera into species. This same process is used today, though subsequent research has caused some of the individuals to be moved around. He wrote in detail about five hundred different animals in his works, including a hundred and twenty kinds of fish and sixty kinds of insect. He was the first to perform dissections on living things, so he could try to make sense of how they worked. He described how a chick develops within an egg and realized that dolphins and whales were different from fish. He noted that ruminant animals, like cows, had multi-chambered stomachs, something that separated them from simple-stomached animals. Not only did he study large animals, but small ones as well, such as bees. He also made lead way in botany. He attempted to classify over 500 plants into trees, shrubs, and herbs and, while he was not entirely successful in this, he certainly understood which features of plants were necessary for making distinctions. This time he has earned the title of father over botany. Aristotle made many other contributions to science, one of which was proving the Earth was a sphere, although he wrongly thought that Earth was the center of the universe. Plato disagreed with this theory; he sided with Copernicus who rightly thought the sun was the center of the universe. Aristotle also studied physics. He did not have many tools for experimentation so he could not measure time or speed. He did not allow for invisible forces, so he did not study gravity. Things fell to Earth and the moon circled the earth because that’s what they did. In spite of his limitations, Aristotle made some remarkable contributions to physics and laid the groundwork for Galileo, Newton, and Einstein. He reasoned that infinite velocities could not exist, that time and movement are continuous and inseparable, and that time was even flowing, infinite, and the same everywhere at once. These are all true, and are part of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. That’s amazing considering the limitations he had to work with. Anti-Macedonian feeling broke out in Athens around 323 BC. The Athenians accused Aristotle of irreverence. He chose to flee, so that the Athenians might not twice sin against philosophy (by killing him as they had Socrates). He fled to Chalcis on the island of Euboea. Aristotle died in 322 BC. After he died a lot of his work and research was lost. It is thought that today we only have about 1/3 of what he had originally written. Aristotle was an amazing scientist, but even he was not without mistakes. For example, he wrongly assumed that force is required to keep an object moving at constant speed. This error held progress back for years. He also, as I stated before, thought the Earth was the center of the universe. But, really isn’t that what science is about? Trial and error, make mistakes then learn from them, that’s how you make real progress in science. Aristotle is proof of this. Look at all the progress we have made today, from his mistakes. Bibliography Bibliography 1. http://www. ucmp. berkeley. edu/history/aristotle. html 2. http://www. enotes. com/topics/aristotle 3. http://www. philosophypages. com/ph/aris. htm 4. http://jcmooreonline. com/2010/12/28/aristotles-enduring-contribution-to-scien ce-education-and-physics/ 5. http://www. iep. utm. edu/aristotl/ 6. http://galileo. phys. virginia. edu/classes/109N/lectures/aristot2. html 7. http://www. valpo. edu/geomet/histphil/test/aristotl. html 8. http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/aristotle-biology/#LifWor 9. http://leavis. tripod. com/science. htm 10. http://www. experiment-resources. com/history-of-the-scientific-method. html 11. http://www. sciencekids. co. nz/sciencefacts/scientists/aristotle. html 12. http://www. historyforkids. org/learn/greeks/philosophy/aristotle. htm 13. http://www. mlahanas. de/Greeks/AristotleBiol. htm 14. http://www. thocp. net/biographies/aristoteles. html 15. Info from class 16. Physical Science Book.

The History Of The Digital Watermarking Techniques

The History Of The Digital Watermarking Techniques Abstract Digital watermarking techniques have been developed to protect the copyright of media signals. This study aims to provide a universal review and background about the watermarking definition, concept and the main contributions in this field. The study will start with a general view of digital data, the Internet and the products of these two, namely, the multimedia and the e-commerce. The study will presents an extensive and deep literature review of the field of digital watermarking and watermarking algorithms. Introduction Digital watermarking techniques have been developed to protect the copyright of media signals. Different watermarking schemes have been suggested for multimedia content (images, video and audio signal). This study aims to provide an extensive literature review of the multimedia copyright protection. It presents a universal review and background about the watermarking definition, concept and the main contributions in this field. Digital Intellectual Property Information is becoming widely available via global networks. These connected networks allow cross-references between databases. The advent of multimedia is allowing different applications to mix sound, images, and video and to interact with large amounts of information (e.g., in e-business, distance education, and human-machine interface). The industry is investing to deliver audio, image and video data in electronic form to customers, and broadcast television companies, major corporations and photo archives are converting their content from analogue to digital form. This movement from traditional content, such as paper documents, analogue recordings, to digital media is due to several advantages of digital media over the traditional media. Some of these advantages are: The quality of digital signals is higher than that of their corresponding analogue signals. Traditional assets degrade in quality as time passes. Analogue data require expensive systems to obtain high quality copies, whereas digital data can be easily copied without loss of fidelity. Digital data (audio, image and video signals) can be easily transmitted over networks, for example the Internet. A large amount of multimedia data is now available to users all over the world. This expansion will continue at an even greater rate with the widening availability of advanced multimedia services like electronic commerce, advertising, interactive TV, digital libraries, and a lot more. Exact copies of digital data can be easily made. This is very useful but it also creates problems for the owner of valuable digital data like precious digital images. Replicas of a given piece of digital data cannot be distinguished and their origin cannot be confirmed. It is impossible to determine which piece is the original and which is the copy. It is possible to hide some information within digital data in such a way that data modifications are undetectable for the human senses. Copyright Protection of Intellectual Property An important factor that slows down the growth of multimedia-networked services is that authors, publishers and providers of multimedia data are reluctant to allow the distribution of their documents in a networked environment. This is because the ease of reproducing digital data in their exact original form is likely to encourage copyright violation, data misappropriation and abuse. These are the problems of theft and distribution of intellectual property. Therefore, creators and distributors of digital data are actively seeking reliable solutions to the problems associated with copyright protection of multimedia data. Moreover, the future development of networked multimedia systems, in particular on open networks like the Internet, is conditioned by the development of efficient methods to protect data owners against unauthorized copying and redistribution of the material put on the network. This will guarantee that their rights are protected and their assets properly managed. Copyright protection of multimedia data has been accomplished by means of cryptography algorithms to provide control over data access and to make data unreadable to non-authorized users. However, encryption systems do not completely solve the problem, because once encryption is removed there is no more control on the dissemination of data. The concept of digital watermarking arose while trying to solve problems related to the copyright of intellectual property in digital media. It is used as a means to identify the owner or distributor of digital data. Watermarking is the process of encoding hidden copyright information since it is possible today to hide information messages within digital audio, video, images and texts, by taking into account the limitations of the human audio and visual systems. Digital Watermarking: What, Why, When and How? It seems that digital watermarking is a good way to protect intellectual property from illegal copying. It provides a means of embedding a message in a piece of digital data without destroying its value. Digital watermarking embeds a known message in a piece of digital data as a means of identifying the rightful owner of the data. These techniques can be used on many types of digital data including still imagery, movies, and music. What is Digital Watermarking? A digital watermark is a signal permanently embedded into digital data (audio, images, video, and text) that can be detected or extracted later by means of computing operations in order to make assertions about the data. The watermark is hidden in the host data in such a way that it is inseparable from the data and so that it is resistant to many operations not degrading the host document. Thus by means of watermarking, the work is still accessible but permanently marked. Digital watermarking techniques derive from steganography, which means covered writing (from the Greek words stegano or covered and graphos or to write). Steganography is the science of communicating information while hiding the existence of the communication. The goal of steganography is to hide an information message inside harmless messages in such a way that it is not possible even to detect that there is a secret message present. Both steganography and watermarking belong to a category of information hiding, but the objectives and conditions for the two techniques are just the opposite. In watermarking, for example, the important information is the external data (e.g., images, voices, etc.). The internal data (e.g., watermark) are additional data for protecting the external data and to prove ownership. In steganography, however, the external data (referred to as a vessel, container, or dummy data) are not very important. They are just a carrier of the important information. The internal data are the most important. On the other hand, watermarking is not like encryption. Watermarking does not restrict access to the data while encryption has the aim of making messages unintelligible to any unauthorized persons who might intercept them. Once encrypted data is decrypted, the media is no longer protected. A watermark is designed to permanently reside in the host data. If the ownership of a digital work is in question, the information can be extracted to completely characterize the owner. Digital watermarking is an enabling technology for e-commerce strategies: conditional and user-specific access to services and resources. Digital watermarking offers several advantages. The details of a good digital watermarking algorithm can be made public knowledge. Digital watermarking provides the owner of a piece of digital data the means to mark the data invisibly. The mark could be used to serialize a piece of data as it is sold or used as a method to mark a valuable image. For example, this marking allows an owner to safely post an image for viewing but legally provides an embedded copyright to prohibit others from posting the same image. Watermarks and attacks on watermarks are two sides of the same coin. The goal of both is to preserve the value of the digital data. However, the goal of a watermark is to be robust enough to resist attack but not at the expense of altering the value of the data being protected. On the other hand, the goal of the attack is to remove the water mark without destroying the value of the protected data. The contents of the image can be marked without visible loss of value or dependence on specific formats. For example a bitmap (BMP) image can be compressed to a JPEG image. The result is an image that requires less storage space but cannot be distinguished from the original. Generally, a JPEG compression level of 70% can be applied without humanly visible degradation. This property of digital images allows insertion of additional data in the image without altering the value of the image. The message is hidden in unused visual space in the image and stays below the human visible threshold for the image. When Did the Technique Originate? The idea of hiding data in another media is very old, as described in the case of steganography. Nevertheless, the term digital watermarking first appeared in 1993, when Tirkel et al. (1993) presented two techniques to hide data in images. These methods were based on modifications to the least significant bit (LSB) of the pixel values. How Can We Build an Effective Watermarking Algorithm? It is desired that watermarks survive image-processing manipulations such as rotation, scaling, image compression and image enhancement, for example. Taking advantage of the discrete wavelet transform properties and robust features extraction techniques are the new trends that are used in the recent digital image watermarking methods. Robustness against geometrical transformation is essential since image-publishing applications often apply some kind of geometrical transformations to the image, and thus, an intellectual property ownership protection system should not be affected by these changes. Visible vs. Invisible Watermarks Digital watermarking is divided into two main categories: visible and invisible. The idea behind the visible watermark is very simple. It is equivalent to stamping a watermark on paper, and for this reason its sometimes said to be digitally stamped. An example of visible watermarking is provided by television channels, like BBC, whose logo is visibly superimposed on the corner of the TV picture. Invisible watermarking, on the other hand, is a far more complex concept. It is most often used to identify copyright data, like author, distributor, and so forth. Though a lot of research has been done in the area of invisible watermarks, much less has been done for visible watermarks. Visible and invisible watermarks both serve to deter theft but they do so in very different ways. Visible watermarks are especially useful for conveying an immediate claim of ownership (Mintzer, Braudaway Yeung, 1997). Their main advantage, in principle at least, is the virtual elimination of the commercial value of a document to a would-be thief, without lessening the documents utility for legitimate, authorized purposes. Invisible watermarks, on the other hand, are more of an aid in catching a thief than for discouraging theft in the first place (Mintzer et al., 1997; Swanson et al., 1998). Watermarking Classification There are different classifications of invisible watermarking algorithms. The reason behind this is the enormous diversity of watermarking schemes. Watermarking approaches can be distinguished in terms of watermarking host signal (still images, video signal, audio signal, integrated circuit design), and the availability of original signal during extraction (non-blind, semi-blind, blind). Also, they can be categorized based on the domain used for watermarking embedding process, as shown in Figure 1. The watermarking application is considered one of the criteria for watermarking classification. Figure 2 shows the subcategories based on watermarking applications. Figure 1: Classification of watermarking algorithms based on domain used for the watermarking embedding process Figure 2: Classification of watermarking technology based on applications Digital Watermarking Algorithms Current watermarking techniques described in the literature can be grouped into three main classes. The first includes the transform domain methods, which embed the data by modulating the transform domain signal coefficients. The second class includes the spatial domain techniques. These embed the watermark by directly modifying the pixel values of the original image. The transform domain techniques have been found to have the greater robustness, when the watermarked signals are tested after having been subjected to common signal distortions. The third class is the feature domain technique. This technique takes into account region, boundary and object characteristics. Such watermarking methods may present additional advantages in terms of detection and recovery from geometric attacks, compared to previous approaches. The algorithms in this study are organized according to their embedding domain, as indicated in Figure 1. These are grouped into: Spatial domain techniques Transform domain techniques Feature domain techniques However, due to the amount of published work in the field of watermarking technology, the main focus will be on wavelet-based watermarking technique papers. The wavelet domain is the most efficient domain for watermarking embedding so far. However, the review considers some other techniques, which serve the purpose of giving a broader picture of the existing watermarking algorithms. Some examples of spatial domain and fractal-based techniques will be reviewed. Spatial Domain Techniques This section gives a brief introduction to the spatial domain technique to gives some background information about watermarking in this domain. Many spatial techniques are based on adding fixed amplitude pseudo noise (PN) sequences to an image. PN sequences are used as the spreading key when considering the host media as the noise in a spread spectrum system, where the watermark is the transmitted message. In this case, the PN sequence is used to spread the data bits over the spectrum to hide the data. Transform Domain Techniques Many transform-based watermarking techniques have been proposed. To embed a watermark, a transformation is first applied to the host data, and then modifications are made to the transform coefficients. In this section, the state of the art of the current watermarking algorithms using the transform domain is presented. The section has three main parts, including discussions of waveletbased watermarking, DCT-based watermarking and fractal domain watermarking. Digital Watermarking Using Wavelet Decomposition This algorithm can easily be built into video watermarking applications based on a 3-D wavelet transform due to its simple structure. The hierarchical nature of the wavelet representation allows multi-resolutional detection of the digital watermark, which is a Gaussian distributed random vector added to all the high pass bands in the wavelet domain. Discrete Cosine Transform-Based Digital Watermarking Several watermarking algorithms have been proposed to utilize the DCT. However, the Cox et al. (1995, 1997) and the Koch and Zhao (1995) algorithms are the most well-known DCT-based algorithms. Cox et al. (1995) proposed the most well-known spread spectrum watermarking schemes. Figure 3 shows the block diagram of the Cox algorithm. The image is first subjected to a global DCT. Then, the 1,000 largest coefficients in the DCT domain are selected for watermarking. They used a Gaussian sequence of pseudo-random real numbers of length 1,000 as a watermark. This approach achieves good robustness against compression and other common signal processing attacks. This is a result of the selection of perceptually significant transform domain coefficients. However, the algorithm is in a weak position against the invariability attack proposed by Craver (1997). Also, the global DCT employed on the image is computationally expensive. Fractal Transform-Based Digital Watermarking Though a lot of work has been done in the area of invisible watermarks using the DCT and the wavelet-based methods, relatively few references exist for invisible watermarks based on the fractal transform. The reason for this might be the computational expense of the fractal transform. In fractal analysis, similar patterns are identified in an image and only a limited amount of binary code can be embedded using this method. Since fractal analysis is computationally expensive and some images do not have many large self-similar patterns, the techniques may not be suitable for general use. Feature Domain Techniques (Second Generation Watermarking) First generation watermarking (1GW) methods have been mainly focused on applying the watermarking on the entire image/video domain. However, this approach is not compatible with novel approaches for still image and video compression. JPEG2000 and MPEG4/7 standards are the new techniques for image and video compression. They are region or object-based, as can be seen in the compression process. Also, the 1GW algorithms proposed so far do not satisfy the watermarking requirements. Second generation watermarking (2GW) was developed in order to increase the robustness and invisibility and to overcome the weaknesses of 1GW. The 2GW methods take into account region, boundary and object characteristics and give additional advantages in terms of detection and recovery from geometric attacks compared to first generation methods. Exploiting salient region or object features and characteristics of the image achieve this. Also, 2GW methods may be designed so that selective robustness to different classes of attacks is obtained. As a result, watermark flexibility will be improved considerably. Digital Watermarking and Image Processing Attacks Digital watermarking was claimed to be the ultimate solution for copyright protection over the Internet when the concept of digital watermarking was first presented. However, some problems related to robustness and security of watermarking algorithms to intentional or unintentional attacks still remain unsolved. These problems must be solved before digital watermarking can be claimed to be the ultimate solution for copyright ownership protection in digital media. One of these problems is the effect of geometrical transformations such as rotation, translation and scaling on the recovery of the watermark. Another is the security of the watermarking algorithm when intentional attackers make use of knowledge of the watermarking algorithm to destroy or remove the watermark. Watermarking Standardization Issue The most important question about watermarking technology is whether watermarking will be standardized and used in the near future. There are several movements to standardize watermarking technology, but no one standard has prevailed at this moment in time. Some researchers have been working to develop a standardized framework for protecting digital images and other multimedia content through technology built into media files and corresponding application software. However, they have lacked a clear vision of what the framework should be or how it would be used. In addition, there was a discussion about how and whether watermarking should form part of the standard during the standardization process of JPEG2000. The requirements regarding security have been identified in the framework of JPEG2000. However, there has been neither in-depth clarification nor a harmonized effort to address watermarking issues. It is important to deduce what really needs to be standardized for including the watermarking concept in JPEG2000 and to what extent. The initial drafts of the JPEG2000 standard did not mention the issue of watermarking. However, there is a plan to examine how watermarking might be best applied within JPEG2000. The features of a given watermarking scheme are likely to offer designers an opportunity to integrate watermarking technology into JPEG2000 for different application such as distributing images on the Internet. Also, standardization of digital watermarking will influence the progress in imaging standards of JPEG2000 where the data se curity will be part of this standard. Therefore, the likelihood is that watermarking technology will be used in conjunction with JPEG2000 (Clark, 2000). Future Highlights Nevertheless, the future seems bright for digital watermarking. Many companies have already been active in digital watermarking research. For example, Microsoft has developed a prototype system that limits unauthorized playback of music by embedding a watermark that remains permanently attached to audio files. Such technology could be included as a default playback mechanism in future versions of the Windows operating system. If the music industry begins to include watermarks in its song files, Windows would refuse to play copyrighted music released after a certain date that was obtained illegally. Also, Microsoft Research has also invented a separate watermarking system that relies on graph theory to hide watermarks in software. Normally the security technology is hack able. However, if the technology is combined with proper legal enforcement, industry standards and respects of the privacy of individuals seeking to legitimately use intellectual property, digital watermarking will en courage content creators to trust the Internet more. There is a tremendous amount of money at stake for many firms. The value of illegal copies of multimedia content distributed over the Internet could reach billions of dollars a year. It will be interesting to see how the development and adoption of digital watermarking plays out. With such high stakes involved for entertainment and other multimedia companies, they are likely to keep pushing for (and be willing to pay for) a secure technology that they can use to track and reduce copyright violation and capture some of their foregone revenues. Finally, it is expected that a great deal of effort must still be put into research before digital image watermarking can be widely accepted as legal evidence of ownership. Conclusion This study was started with a general view of digital data, the Internet and the products of these two, namely, multimedia and e-commerce. It provided some initial background and history of digital watermarking. This study gave an extensive and deep literature review of the field of digital watermarking. The concept of digital watermarking and the requirements of digital watermarking were discussed and digital watermarking algorithms were reviewed. They were grouped into three main collections based on the embedding domain, that is, spatial domain techniques, transform domain techniques or feature domain techniques. The algorithm of the frequency domain were further subdivided into wavelet, DCT and fractal transform techniques. Finally, the future perspective of digital watermarking was highlighted.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Star Topology Computer Science Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Star Topology Computer Science Essay Many home networks use the star topology. A star network features a central connection point called a hub that may be a hub, switch or router. Devices typically connect to the hub with Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Ethernet. Compared to the bus topology, a star network generally requires more cable, but a failure in any star network cable will only take down one computers network access and not the entire LAN. (If the hub fails, however, the entire network also fails.) Star Topology is the most common type of network topology that is used in homes and offices. In the Star Topology there is a central connection point called the hub which is a computer hub or sometimes just a switch. In a Star Network the best advantage is when there is a failure in cable then only one computer might get affected and not the entire network. In a Star Network the entire network is dependant on the hub so if the entire network is not working then there could be a problem with the hub. This feature makes it easy to troubleshoot by offering a single point for error connection ad at the same time the dependency is also very high on that single point. Star Topology Advantages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A Star Network Topology is very easy to manage because of its simplicity in functionality. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The problems can be easily located logically in a Star Topology and therefore is easy to troubleshoot also. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Star Topology is very simple in format so it is very easy to expand on the Star Topology. Star Topology Disadvantages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Star Topology is fully dependant on the hub and the entire working of the network depends on the hub or the switch. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ If there are many nodes and the cable is long then the network may slow down. Since all the computers on the network have independent control of their networks and only dependant on the central hub computer, the failures in transmission and other possible problems in this area are less likely. Also if the hub is safe then every computer in the network is safe. This type of network also offers more privacy than any other network. All the computers in the network are communicating with one main centrally located computer and there is no peer to peer coordination. If the peer to peer coordination takes place it is routed through the central hub. This way the privacy of each and every computer on the network is maintained. b). UTP Cable Advantage: 1. The main advantage of cable lan is that it is capable of transmitting data at very high speed rates : even much faster to that data that can be transmitted over telephone. 2.It is cost effective as no excess hardware is required. 3. It is secure way of communication as no external virus interrupt. 4. It is stable as it show irs effect in smaller area. Disadvantage: 1.The Disadvantages to a twised pair cable (AKA A Cross Over Cable): 2.It will require direct p2p (peer to peer) connections , e.g. straight from one computer to another (Mostly Via Ethernet or Com) 3.It will be incompatiable if talking to more then 1 computer by going throught a switch or hub. 4.Cross Over Cables should only be used when one computer needs to talk to another one right next to it, or if you are connecting to a router (via the console port) to configure it. Wireless advantages and disadvantages One of the major problems that presents itself is the already limited spectrum available for communications. The remaining free spectrum has to be used to its maximum potential, spread spectrum technology presenting itself as a suitable means of increasing performance. Splitting up of the environment into a number of small cells also increases the overall accessible bandwidth of the communication system, but also increases the cost as more cell sites are required. Techniques such as diversity combining can also be used to increase the available bandwidth through improved reception capabilities. Where a large number of devices, each being of a low power, are transmitting, a sizable amount of radio power is being generated. The effects of radio communication on human health are being examined , however much more work is required in this area before large scale communication systems are developed. The unconstrained nature of the communication medium of radio requires the issue of network security to be addressed. Verification of communication entities must also be performed to ensure that only registered devices may communicate using the network, and that only registered devices may receive the data. c). Reason for why I choose star topology: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A Star Network Topology is very easy to manage because of its simplicity in functionality. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The problems can be easily located logically in a Star Topology and therefore is easy to troubleshoot also. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Star Topology is very simple in format so it is very easy to expand on the Star Topology. Task-02 a). The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to support electronic mail. Most traditional communications media including telephone, music, film, and television are being reshaped or redefined by the Internet. Newspaper, book and other print publishing are having to adapt to Web sites and blogging. The Internet has enabled or accelerated new forms of human interactions through instant messaging, Internet forums, and social networking. Online shopping has boomed both for major retail outlets and small artisans and traders. Business-to-business and financial services on the Internet affect supply chains across entire industries. b). Banglalion starts the shopping mall activation. you can know about Banglalion WiMAX enjoy our subscription at your nearest shopping Mall. following is the activation Calender. Shopping Mall Date Dhaka Pink City, Gulshan 5 June, 2010 Anam Rangs Plaza, Dhanmondi 11 June, 2010 Shah Ali Market, Mirpur 12 June, 2010 North Tower, Uttara 18 June, 2010 Eastern Plaza, Hatirpool 19 June, 2010 Multiplan Center, Elephant Road 25 June, 2010 Concord Twin Towers (Shantinagar) 26 June, 2010 Metro Shopping Mall 2 July, Qubee is a new and exciting company from Augere providing fast and reliable broadband internet services to residential and business customers across Bangladesh. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy trouble-free access to the internet and the world of opportunities that it brings. Our aim is to make a magical internet experience available to everyone, everyday, without exception. Qubee is the creation of a group of global telecoms professionals who saw that a new technology called WiMAX could really change the internet experience for millions of people worldwide. WiMAX means that you dont need telephone lines or cable to get connected: all you need is to live close enough to a transmitter to receive the internet wirelessly. As you read, were busy building a network of base stations to offer our brand of internet access right across Bangladesh. Were starting in Dhaka, but quickly plan to do the same in cities nationwide. c). Bangla Lion Advanced Data Network (ADN) Qubee d). Qubee introduces range of new packages to suit your monthly need. Be it speed, volume; Qubee has the solution which is fast and reliable. Now you can enjoy the fast and reliable 512 kbps speed @ Tk 1250. Enjoy Skype, streaming YouTube, download and browse your Facebook profile faster. Qubee offers 5 GB, 10 GB and Sky solution for all three speeds. Whether you use email, Skype, connect through social network, browse information, listen to internet radio, and download movies or songs: you can choose the volumes according to your need. Monthly Usage Allowance* Speed 5GB 10GB Sky ** 256 Kbps BDT 850 BDT 950 BDT 1,250 512 Kbps BDT 1,250 BDT 1,450 BDT 2,250 1Mbps BDT 2,250 BDT 2,750 BDT 5,250 *Additional charge of BDT 0.15/MB beyond Usage Allowance is applicable in all packages except Sky. BDT figures in above table indicate monthly fee. Task-03 a). Frequencies: A recent innovation in assessing community vitamin A status is the Helen Keller International food-frequency method, which is based on weekly intakes of key foods among pre-school children. Since it excludes breastmilk, we investigated whether the amount of breastmilk received by 40 children aged one to three years in a rural area of Bangladesh contributed significantly to their vitamin A intake. Vitamin A intake was indirectly calculated from the consumption of breastmilk, which was quantified over a 9-hour period by a test-weighing technique. The estimated mean 24-hour milk intake was 548 g for the 97% who were breastfed at 12 to 23 months and 312 g for the 73% who were breastfed at 24 to 36 months. This represents an average daily intake of 41% and 23% of the safe recommended daily intake (400 RE) for vitamin A, respectively. The Helen Keller International food-frequency method should be revalidated for settings where breastfeeding is sustained beyond infancy. The Helen Keller International food-frequency method approach has certain advantages. The Helen Keller International food-frequency method has been validated against serum retinol in three countries: the Philippines, Guatemala, and Tanzania [16]. However, the majority of vitamin A deficiency is located in South Asia, where such studies have not yet been conducted. At the same time, the tradition of sustaining breastfeeding beyond the first year is stronger in this region than anywhere else in the world. In Bangladesh, for example, the 1996-1997 Demographic and Health Survey found that the mean duration of any breastfeeding was 28 months, based on current status data for children less than three years of age [17], and the median was 36 months. This is comparable to the mean of 27 months reported in 1975-1976 [181, suggesting that no decline in duration has occurred since then. Half Duplex: A duplex communication system is a system composed of two connected parties or devices that can communicate with one another in both directions. (The term multiplexing is used when describing communication between more than two parties or devices.) Duplex systems are employed in many communications networks, either to allow for a communication two-way street between two connected parties or to provide a reverse path for the monitoring and remote adjustment of equipment in the field. Systems that do not need the duplex capability include broadcast systems, where one station transmits and the others just listen, and in some missile guidance systems, where the launcher needs only to command the missile where to go, and the launcher does not need to receive any information from the missile. Also, there are spacecraft such as satellites and space probes that have lost their capability to receive any commands, but they can continue to transmit radio signals through their antennas. Some early satellites (such as Sputnik 1) were designed as transmit-only spacecraft. Pioneer 6 has transmitted for decades without being able to receive anything. Full Duplex: A full-duplex, or sometimes double-duplex system, allows communication in both directions, and, unlike half-duplex, allows this to happen simultaneously. Land-line telephone networks are full-duplex, since they allow both callers to speak and be heard at the same time. A good analogy for a full-duplex system would be a two-lane road with one lane for each direction. Examples: Telephone, Mobile Phone, etc. Two-way radios can be, for instance, designed as full-duplex systems, which transmit on one frequency and receive on a different frequency. This is also called frequency-division duplex. b). This Site and our business change constantly. As a result, at times it may be necessary for BD to make changes to this Privacy Statement and Consent. BD reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Statement and Consent at any time and from time to time without prior notice. Please review this Statement periodically, and especially before you provide any Personal Data. This Privacy Statement and Consent was last updated on August 1, 2002. Your continued use of the Site after any changes or revisions to this Privacy Statement and Consent shall indicate your agreement with the terms of such revised Privacy Statement and Consent. User Data includes all information passively collected from users of the Site that does not identify a particular individual, including, by way of example, statistical information on Site usage.The terms you, your and yours when used in this Privacy Statement and Consent means any user of this Site. Information That You Give Us: We collect Personal Data such as your name, date of birth, e-mail or mailing address from you when you voluntarily choose to register for or use certain BD Services at this Site. We use the Personal Data that we collect in an effort to provide you with a superior customer experience on the Site and to improve and market BD Services. BD may store such Personal Data itself or it may be stored in databases owned and maintained by BDs affiliates, agents or service providers. BD retains its rights to these databases and the information contained in them. If you register with BD or use certain other of the personalized options we offer, we will create a profile that includes your name, mailing address, e-mail address, and other information that you provide that is pertinent to your specific situation. We may combine such information with data gathered from other sources. For instance, if incorrect postal codes are received, we may use third party software to correct them. We also may collect e-mail or other addresses from prospect lists of other companies, for example, in connection with a joint marketing effort. When we do so, (1) we acknowledge in our correspondence how the recipient was added to our list and (2) we provide a means for recipients to opt out of further communications from us. In addition we may ask you for Personal Data if you enter an educational program, contest or promotion sponsored by BD. c). The Microsoft Volume Licensing program agreements are refreshed annually. This years changes, effective October 1, 2010, will help clarify language, bring alignment among Volume Licensing agreements, and implement significant program enhancements that will help simplify licensing and improve the customer and partner experience. Your existing agreement remains unchanged, as the changes apply to agreements signed after October 1, 2010 (December 1, 2010 for all Select Plus for Academic, Select License for Academic, and Open Program agreements). No action is required until your agreement renewal. See your Microsoft reseller for additional information on the program updates. d). UTP Cable Limitation 1.The Disadvantages to a twised pair cable (AKA A Cross Over Cable): 2.It will require direct p2p (peer to peer) connections , e.g. straight from one computer to another (Mostly Via Ethernet or Com) 3.It will be incompatiable if talking to more then 1 computer by going throught a switch or hub. 4.Cross Over Cables should only be used when one computer needs to talk to another one right next to it, or if you are connecting to a router (via the console port) to configure it. Wireless Limitation: One of the major problems that presents itself is the already limited spectrum available for communications. The remaining free spectrum has to be used to its maximum potential, spread spectrum technology presenting itself as a suitable means of increasing performance. Splitting up of the environment into a number of small cells also increases the overall accessible bandwidth of the communication system, but also increases the cost as more cell sites are required. Techniques such as diversity combining can also be used to increase the available bandwidth through improved reception capabilities. e). Ever notice how you can speak to a dog in a happy, sing-song tone, but tell them something horrible, and they will still be really happy youre talking with them?   Tone of voice is often more important in communication than we realize. The way we send the message is often just as important as the content of the message itself, even to those of us with opposable thumbs and the ability to understand more than a few words of language. When training animals, consistency is key. Similarly, in order to train ones customers about ones brand, a company needs to have a consistent message to all customers in every interaction with every part of the business. Dealing with a company that is always changing its look, sound, and values can be confusing. If part of a businesss marketing materials are very serious, and part of it is surfer talk or chatty girl-talk, it can create accessibility problems for current and potential patrons and partners. How can you trust the company, or trust that it knows who it is and what it is doing, if it doesnt have a consistent message? The tone of voice should communicate your brands values and qualities. A company needs to decide not only the message it wants to get across, but the best way to deliver that message. Task-04 a). A good portion of this web site is devoted to mapping locations and the identification of cellular transmission equipment across Canada. This includes the maps for Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Whistler, Windsor, Halifax, plus new maps planned for the near future (e.g., Edmonton and Calgary) as well as the Cellular Equipment Identification Guide. Although I show each wireless providers locations on these maps, I do not mention the steps that each of the wireless providers took to establish their network in each of these locations. This article deals with why a wireless service provider would set up a wireless network in a particular market and the steps required to setup a new network. b). If youve looked into setting up, or have set up a home office, or a small business, youre probably aware of how far technology has come in terms of whats available to the average consumer. What used to take up a whole room can now fit neatly under a desk. You can have a multi-server wireless network with a handful of workstations and all the bells and whistles. But is this right for you? Maybe not, but a wireless network may be the key to making your Workplace more efficient. c). Wireless networks, also known as Wireless LANs (WLANs), allow for wireless communication between computers and the Internet without the need for cables between the networked devices. Simple wireless networks can be set up for the home or small office using ones existing Internet access. Typically, a person who is familiar with setting up a computer can install a home wireless network in about an hour by following the guides and manuals.   Typical costs: Wi-Fi technologies conform to several wireless standards that allow the network devices to communicate and interact with one another. There are currently four wireless standards: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n. Every wireless networking device will list what standards it follows on the box. 802.11g and 802.11n are the prevalent wireless technologies, though most routers still support older standards. Wireless-G (802.11g) broadband routers typically cost less than the newer and faster Wireless-N (802.11g) ones. These 802.11g routers range from $40 to $60. The Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router is well-reviewed option in this price range. Wireless-N broadband routers cost more and offers the fastest speed and longest range. These routers cost anywhere from $70 to $170 depending on what features and capabilities get implemented. The D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Wireless Router at $90 is good choice. The higher priced Netgear Rangemax WNDR3700 Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router at $160 offers twice the bandwidth using Netgears RangeMax technology. What should be included: The wireless broadband router and a network cable to connect to your home internet cable or DSL modem. User manuals and quick start guides to help install and set up the router for the wireless network. Additional costs: In order for ones computer or laptop to communicate to the newly set up wireless network, network adapters such as wireless USB adapters, PCI cards or laptop PC adapters may also be needed. Most newer laptop and notebook computers already have built-in wireless capabilities. Discounts: TIP: Sometimes bundles will be offered at a better price and these often include a wireless router and a USB adapter to be used on a computer. TIP: Many of the networking companies also provide some online or telephone support if there are installation issues, thus saving on any outside professional servicing costs. Shopping for a wireless network: The companies Linksys by Cisco, D-Link, Netgear and Belkin are major manufacturers of wireless routers and adapters. Store retailers such as OfficeMax, Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot all sell wireless networking equipment. Online retailers such as Amazon.com, Newegg.com and CompUSA also sell wireless computer components. TIP: All of the various networking companies also offer their products for sale on their websites. However, the prices there are often not as discounted as what one would find either in a store or from online retailers. d). Almost as important as properly sizing hvac equipment, is the estimation of annual heating and cooling costs. Most prospective hvac system buyers dont really care what size of a unit they need, they only care about costs, both initial and annual operating costs. To remain competitive, todays hvac contractor must be able to present a credible analysis showing the probable operating cost of a proposed system. A quick, ballpark estimate of operating costs can now be obtained for standard air conditioners and heat pumps listed in the directory published by the American Refrigeration Institute (ARI). In an attempt to compare all models on an equal basis, the ARI directory shows an average national operating cost for each unit listed. As expected, units with low estimated cooling costs also have high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios) values. And heat pumps with low heating costs have high HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factors) values .Using the guidelines given above, an have a contractor should be able to find a number of operating cost programs that can greatly aid equipment sales. The biggest difference a contractor can look forward to is the situation where a customer is facing the decision to repair an old, inefficient unit or buy a new, high efficiency model. . Task-05 Mobile Technology For the place where no electrical power and fixed telephone line: Here you will learn about mobile technologies, mobile phones, wireless communication introduction, overview to gsm, gprs, sms and mms reviews. A cellular or mobile phone is a long range portable electronic device for communication over long distance. Current Mobile Phones can support many latest services such as SMS, GPRS, MMS, email, packet switching, WAP, Bluetooth and many more. Most of the mobile phones connect to the cellular networks and which are further connected with the PSTN (Public switching telephone network). Besides mobile communications, there is a wide range of mobile products available such mobile scanners, mobile printers and mobile labelers. Mobile Network Technology Mobile phones and their network vary very significantly from provider to provider and country to country. However the basic communication method of all of them is through the electromagnetic microwaves with a cell base station. The cellular companies have large antennas, which are usually mounted over towers, buildings and poles. The cell phones have low-power transceivers that transmit voice and data to the nearest sites usually within the 5 to 8 miles (8 to 13 kilometers away). When a mobile device or phone is turned on, it registers with the mobile telephone exchange or switch. It is a unique identifier and is alerted by the mobile switch when there is an incoming phone call. The handset listens for the strong signals from the nearest base stations. When a user moves, the mobile device handoff to various nearest sites during phone calls or while waiting between calls it reselect the nearest cell phone sites. Cell sites have relatively less power radio transmitters. They broadcast their presence and relay communications between the mobile handsets and the switch. On the other hand, the switch connects the call to the same or another mobile network or subscriber. The dialogue between the mobile phone handset and the cell phone site is a stream of the digital data, which includes the digitized audio. This technology depends on the same system as of mobile phone operator. Some mobile phone technologies have adopted the AMPS for the analog communication and D-AMPS, CDMA2000, EVDO, GSM, UMTS, and GPRS for the digital communication. Each mobile phone network has a unique radio . Task-06 In Task-01 I will try to describe the star topology, advantage and disadvantage of star topology, advantage and disadvantage of medium and why I should like star topology. Star networks are one of the most common computer network topologies. In its simplest form, a star network consists of one central switch, hub or computer, which acts as a conduit to transmit messages.[1] Thus, the hub and leaf nodes, and the transmission lines between them, form a graph with the topology of a star. If the central node is passive, the originating node must be able to tolerate the reception of an echo of its own transmission, delayed by the two-way transmission time (i.e. to and from the central node) plus any delay generated in the central node. An active star network has an active central node that usually has the means to prevent echo-related problems. The star topology reduces the chance of network failure by connecting all of the systems to a central node. When applied to a bus-based network, this central hub rebroadcasts all transmissions received from any peripheral node to all peripheral nodes on the network, sometimes including the originating node. All peripheral nodes may thus communicate with all others by transmitting to, and receiving from, the central node only. The failure of a transmission line linking any peripheral node to the central node will result in the isolation of that peripheral node from all others, but the rest of the systems will be unaffected. Advantages Better performance: star topology prevents the passing of data packets through an excessive number of nodes. At most, 3 devices and 2 links are involved in any communication between any two devices. Although this topology places a huge overhead on the central hub, with adequate capacity, the hub can handle very high utilization by one device without affecting others. Isolation of devices: Each device is inherently isolated by the link that connects it to the hub. This makes the isolation of individual devices straightforward and amounts to disconnecting each device from the others. This isolation also prevents any non-centralized failure from affecting the network. Benefits from centralization: As the central hub is the bottleneck, increasing its capacity, or connecting additional devices to it, increases the size of the network very easily. Centralization also allows the inspection of traffic through the network. This facilitates analysis of the traffic and detection of suspicious behavior. Simplicity: This topology is easy to understand, establish, and navigate. Its simplicity obviates the need for complex routing or message passing protocols. Also, as noted earlier, the isolation and centralization it allows simplify fault detection, as each link or device can be probed individually. Easy to install and wire. Easy to detect faults and to remove parts. No disruptions to the network when connecting or removing devices. Disadvantages High dependence of the system on the functioning of the central hub Failure of the central hub renders the network inoperable The performance and scalability of the network depends on the capabilities of the hub Network size is limited by the number of connections that can be made to the hub Other nodes may see a performance drop if traffic to another node occupies a significant portion of the central nodes processing capability or throughput. Wiring up of the system can be very complex and expensive. In Task-02 I will try to describe the service for the new system and also Internet connection speed and the requirements of ISP. An Internet service provider (ISP), also sometimes referred to as an Internet access provider (IAP), is a company that offers its customers access to the Internet.[1] The ISP connects to its customers using a data transmission technology appropriate for delivering Internet Protocol packets or frames, such as dial-up, DSL, cable modem, wireless or dedicated high-speed interconnects. ISPs may provide Internet e-mail accounts to users which allow them to communicate with one another by sending and receiving electronic messages through their ISPs servers. ISPs may provide services such as remotely storing data files on behalf of their customers, as well as other services unique to each particular ISP. End-user-to-ISP connection ISPs employ a range of technologies to enable consumers to connect to their network. For users and small businesses, the most popular options include dial-up, DSL (typically Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, ADSL), broadband wireless, cable modem, fiber to the premises (FTTH), and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) (typically basic rate interface). For customers with more demanding requirements, such as medium-to-large businesses, or other ISPs, DSL (often SHDSL or ADSL), Ethernet, Metro Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Frame Relay, ISDN (BRI or PRI), ATM, satellite Internet access and synchronous optical networking (SONET) are more likely to be used. In Task-03 I will try to describe how each method works legal requirements of my country to operating the new system, cost estimate for operating and install the system, Limitation of the method and how voice communication established. Operating systems Quick links Operating System ABCs Operating System types Operating System overviews Troubleshooting