Eragon The Movie vs. Eragon The Novel Essay Example for Free

Eragon The Movie vs. Eragon The Novel Essay People have different views in life. Some would opt to wallow with the beauty of words and the power of the imagination, while others would opt for movies and witness the wonders of visual effects. Some of the stories made turn out to be inspirations for many, while others become a driving force for people to go on and continue with life. One of the most interesting stories in Literature is Eragon. Due to the story and the lessons that both children and adults would learn, the novel was adapted as a movie into the big screen. However, I believe that the novel version of Eragon is still better than the movie version. THE STORY The story revolves around a young boy, named Eragon, who grew up in a small farm in Carvahall together with his uncle and cousin. During one of his hunting trips in the mountains, he found a big blue stone. The stone attracted him greatly, and Eragon thought that if sold in the city, the stone would be enough to suffice for their winter needs. Unknown to Eragon, the blue stone was actually a dragon egg, ready to hatch. Since care for dragons was prohibited by the king, Eragon had no choice but to secretly raise the poor animal, naming her Saphira. Eventually, they were haunted down by the king’s men and had no choice but to flee the village. Eragon’s uncle, Garrow, died due to his injuries, making him furious and hungry for revenge. Eragon’s journey towards survival with Saphira led to more secrets. In the course of their adventures, Brom proposed that he would do whatever it takes to help Eragon. The symbol in Eragon’s hand shows that he is indeed one of the dragon riders, like how Brom used to be. Towards the course of the journey, he was transformed from an ordinary teenager to a sword-fighting rider knowledgeable in magic and the ways of Dragon Riders. Eragon meets more people and encounters more life-threatening situations towards the course of the journey, which allows him to learn more about himself. His quest for revenge allowed him to learn more about himself, and how his search for answers would lead him to protect a whole Empire. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES Books always have their own identity as compared to the film adaptations. This may be attributed to the fact that readers are given the opportunity to view the novel in their own way, and see things according to what their imagination has to offer. The book and film version of Eragon had the same dilemma. Both media had the opportunity to share with people the wonders that Eragon’s life had to offer, and at the same time bring them to a world unknown to many. However, the 2 media used also had their own differences. The film version was intricately made in such a way that the viewers would become curious of what the story has to offer. The special effects used in the film version would definitely come as an impressive work of art. The descriptions set in the book, such as Saphira’s appearance were perfectly executed in the film. One who has read the book with agree with me, especially in the details set for the other locations in the film. The language used in both versions were also similar with each other. The book on the other hand, made us of too many words. Some of the dialogues and scenes were cut in the film version, somehow giving the viewers a different impression of how the story would go. Take for example Eragon’s journey. Some of the places were deleted, and even Eragon’s reactions towards Katrina were deleted in the film version. In this manner, the plot of the story was somewhat changed deviating from the original context of the novel. PERSONAL ANALYSIS The film version of Eragon was something to be considered. Those who have read the novel would have different impressions about the adaptation, especially when some of the important scenes and dialogues have been deleted. Although the aim of the producers was to fit the whole book in one film, this should have been done using a different approach. In the same manner, I also admire how the visual effects were executed. Saphira was one of the wonders of the whole story, and this was very well presented in the film adaptation. Arya herself was a wonder to marvel at. As the book would have it, she was a beautiful elf, and was supposed to look mysterious at some point in the story. This was done perfectly, and I believe the actress who played her should also be given credit. Unfortunately, the film and the book had so many differences. The film version would look as if it was another story formed from the original novel, and not an adaptation. Although both had considered to keep the plot as the center of the film, the choice of words made the story difficult to absorb. Both readers and viewers would have difficulty in trying to keep in tune with the story because of the many names and places it included. For someone who has seen both media, disappointment would not come as a surprise. However, for those who have not read the book, the film adaptation is impressive, especially with how Saphira was manipulated. Works Cited Eragon. Dir. Stefan Fanmeier. Perf. Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Sienna Guillory, Edward Speleers, and Rachel Weisz. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 20 March 2007. Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003. â€Å"Eragon. † 2006. Eragon the Movie. 22 January 2009 http://www. eragonmovie. com/main. html? cid=us. â€Å"Eragon. † The Internet Movie Database. 22 January 2009 http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0449010/. â€Å"Eragon. † Book Browse. 22 Janury 2009 http://www. bookbrowse. com/reviews/index. cfm? book_number=1284. â€Å"Eragon (Inheritance, Book I). † 2003. Kids Turn Central. 22 January 2009 http://www. kidsturncentral. com/topics/books/eragon. htm. â€Å"Eragon DVD Review. † 22 January 2009 http://www. shurtugal. com/news/comments. php? id=558anum=50.

Comparison of different modulation technique

Comparison of different modulation technique 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Modulation is the process of varying one waveform in relation to another waveform. In telecommunications, modulation is used to convey a message, or a musician may modulate the tone from a musical instrument by varying its volume, timing and pitch. Often a high-frequency sinusoid waveform is used as carrier signal to convey a lower frequency signal. The three key parameters of a sine wave are its amplitude (volume), its phase (timing) and its frequency (pitch), all of which can be modified in accordance with a low frequency information signal to obtain the modulated signal. A device that performs modulation is known as a modulator and a device that performs the inverse operation of modulation is known as a demodulator (sometimes detector or demod). 1.2 TWO TYPES OF MODULATION A) Analog modulation B) Digital modulation Here we discuss analog modulation techniques. 2. AMPLITUDE MODULATION Amplitude modulation (AM) is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent. For example, changes in the signal strength can be used to reflect the sounds to be reproduced by a speaker, or to specify the light intensity of television pixels. (Contrast this with frequency modulation, also commonly used for sound transmissions, in which the frequency is varied; and phase modulation, often used in remote controls, in which the phase is varied). 2.1 TYPES OF AMPLITUDE MODULATION As originally developed for the electric telephone, amplitude modulation was used to add audio information to the low-powered direct current flowing from a telephone transmitter to a receiver. As a simplified explanation, at the transmitting end, a telephone microphone was used to vary the strength of the transmitted current, according to the frequency and loudness of the sounds received. Then, at the receiving end of the telephone line, the transmitted electrical current affected an electromagnet, which strengthened and weakened in response to the strength of the current. In turn, the electromagnet produced vibrations in the receiver diaphragm, thus closely reproducing the frequency and loudness of the sounds originally heard at the transmitter. In contrast to the telephone, in radio communication what is modulated is a continuous wave radio signal (carrier wave) produced by a radio transmitter. In its basic form, amplitude modulation produces a signal with power concentrated at the carrier frequency and in two adjacent sidebands. This process is known as heterodyning. Each sideband is equal in bandwidth to that of the modulating signal and is a mirror image of the other. Amplitude modulation that results in two sidebands and a carrier is often called double sideband amplitude modulation (DSB-AM). Amplitude modulation is inefficient in terms of power usage and much of it is wasted. At least two-thirds of the power is concentrated in the carrier signal, which carries no useful information (beyond the fact that a signal is present); the remaining power is split between two identical sidebands, though only one of these is needed since they contain identical information. To increase transmitter efficiency, the carrier can be removed (suppressed) from the AM signal. This produces a reduced-carrier transmission or double-sideband suppressed-carrier (DSBSC) signal. A suppressed-carrier amplitude modulation scheme is three times more power-efficient than traditional DSB-AM. If the carrier is only partially suppressed, a double-sideband reduced-carrier (DSBRC) signal results. DSBSC and DSBRC signals need their carrier to be regenerated (by a beat frequency oscillator, for instance) to be demodulated using conventional techniques. Even greater efficiency is achieved—at the expense of increased transmitter and receiver complexity—by completely suppressing both the carrier and one of the sidebands. This is single-sideband modulation, widely used in amateur radio due to its efficient use of both power and bandwidth. A) DSB-FC In radio communications, a sideband is a band of frequencies higher than or lower than the carrier frequency, containing power as a result of the modulation process. The sidebands consist of all the Fourier components of the modulated signal except the carrier. All forms of modulation produce sidebands. Amplitude modulation of a carrier wave normally results in two mirror-image sidebands. The signal components above the carrier frequency constitute the upper sideband (USB) and those below the carrier frequency constitute the lower sideband (LSB). In conventional AM transmission, the carrier and both sidebands are present, sometimes called double sideband amplitude modulation (DSB-AM). In some forms of AM the carrier may be removed, producing double sideband with suppressed carrier (DSB-SC). An example is the stereophonic difference (L-R) information transmitted in FM stereo broadcasting on a 38kHz subcarrier. The receiver locally regenerates the subcarrier by doubling a special 19kHz pilot tone, but in other DSB-SC systems the carrier may be regenerated directly from the sidebands by a Costas loop or squaring loop. This is common in digital transmission systems such as BPSK where the signal is continually present. B) SSB-SC Single-sideband modulation (SSB) is a refinement of amplitude modulation that more efficiently uses electrical power and bandwidth. Amplitude modulation produces a modulated output signal that has twice the bandwidth of the original baseband signal. Single-sideband modulation avoids this bandwidth doubling, and the power wasted on a carrier, at the cost of somewhat increased device complexity. C) SUPPERESED CARRIER Reduced-carrier transmission is an amplitude modulation (AM) transmission in which the carrier wave level is reduced to reduce wasted electrical power. Suppressed-carrier transmission is a special case in which the carrier level is reduced below that required for demodulation by a normal receiver. Reduction of the carrier level permits higher power levels in the sidebands than would be possible with conventional AM transmission. Carrier power must be restored by the receiving station to permit demodulation, usually by means of a beat frequency oscillator (BFO). Failure of the BFO to match the original carrier frequency when receiving such a signal will cause a heterodyne. Suppressed carriers are often used for single sideband (SSB) transmissions, such as for amateur radio on shortwave. That system is referred to in full as SSB suppressed carrier (SSBSC) or (SSB-SC). International broadcasters agreed in 1985 to also use SSBSC entirely by 2015, though IBOC and IBAC digital radio (namely Digital Radio Mondiale) seems likely to make this irrelevant. D) VSB A vestigial sideband (in radio communication) is a sideband that has been only partly cut off or suppressed. Television broadcasts (in analog video formats) use this method if the video is transmitted in AM, due to the large bandwidth used. It may also be used in digital transmission, such as the ATSC standardized 8-VSB. The Milgo 4400/48 modem (circa 1967) used vestigial sideband and phase-shift keying to provide 4800-bit/s transmission over a 1600 Hz channel. E) QAM Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is both an analog and a digital modulation scheme. It conveys two analog message signals, or two digital bit streams, by changing (modulating) the amplitudes of two carrier waves, using the amplitude-shift keying (ASK) digital modulation scheme or amplitude modulation (AM) analog modulation scheme. These two waves, usually sinusoids, are out of phase with each other by 90Â ° and are thus called quadrature carriers or quadrature components — hence the name of the scheme. The modulated waves are summed, and the resulting waveform is a combination of both phase-shift keying (PSK) and amplitude-shift keying, or in the analog case of phase modulation (PM) and amplitude modulation. In the digital QAM case, a finite number of at least two phases, and at least two amplitudes are used. PSK modulators are often designed using the QAM principle, but are not considered as QAM since the amplitude of the modulated carrier signal is constant. 3) FREQUENCY MODULATION frequency modulation (FM) conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its frequency (contrast this with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant). In analog applications, the instantaneous frequency of the carrier is directly proportional to the instantaneous value of the input signal. Digital data can be sent by shifting the carriers frequency among a set of discrete values, a technique known as frequency-shift keying. CARSONS RULE A rule of thumb, Carsons rule states that nearly all (~98%) of the power of a frequency-modulated signal lies within a bandwidth of where , as defined above, is the peak deviation of the instantaneous frequency from the center carrier frequency . Normal signal Modulated signal 4) PHASE MODULATION Phase modulation (PM) is a form of modulation that represents information as variations in the instantaneous phase of a carrier wave. Unlike its more popular counterpart, frequency modulation (FM), PM is not very widely used. This is because it tends to require more complex receiving hardware and there can be ambiguity problems in determining whether, for example, the signal has changed phase by +180Â ° or -180Â °. CARSONS RULE Suppose that the signal to be sent (called the modulating or message signal) is m(t) and the carrier onto which the signal is to be modulated is Annotated: carrier(time) = (carrier amplitude)sin(carrier frequencytime + phase shift) This make the modulated signal This shows how m(t) modulates the phase the greater m(t) is at a point in time, the greater the phase shift of the modulated signal at that point. It can also be viewed as a change of the frequency of the carrier signal, and phase modulation can thus be considered a special case of FM in which the carrier frequency modulation is given by the time derivative of the phase modulation. The spectral behaviour of phase modulation is difficult to derive, but the mathematics reveals that there are two regions of particular interest: For small amplitude signals, PM is similar to amplitude modulation (AM) and exhibits its unfortunate doubling of baseband bandwidth and poor efficiency. For a single large sinusoidal signal, PM is similar to FM, and its bandwidth is approximately, where fM = ωm / 2Ï€ and h is the modulation index defined below. This is also known as Carsons Rule for PM 5) SPACE MODULATION Space modulation is a radio Amplitude Modulation technique used in Instrument Landing Systems that incorporates the use of multiple antennas fed with various radio frequency powers and phases to create different depths of modulation within various volumes of three-dimensional airspace. This modulation method differs from internal modulation methods inside most other radio transmitters in that the phases and powers of the two individual signals mix within airspace, rather than in a modulator.

Revelation Essay -- essays research papers

Revelation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Revelation† starts off at a small town doctor’s office in the waiting room. Mrs. Turpin and several other characters are making small talk as they wait to see the doctor. Mrs. Turpin’s words quickly reveal the fact that she is a prejudiced snob. She is very quick to judge everyone in the room. Mary Grace is an ugly girl who is setting in the room listening to all of Mrs. Turpin’s judgments. Mary Grace gets very upset with Mrs. Turpin for being so judgmental. Instead of saying something to make her stop, Mary Grace throws her book at Mrs. Turpin. She then continues to hit and strangle Mrs. Turpin. During the struggle, Mary Grace calls Mrs. Turpin and â€Å"old warthog from hell†. Mrs. Turpin goes on with her day very angry. She could not understand what she had in common with a warthog since she was better than everyone else. While Mrs. Turpin was taking care of her family’s pigs she had a revelation. She was talking to God and she realized that she was wrong for making judgments so quickly and thinking that she was better than others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two conflicts in â€Å"Revelation†. The first is the physical conflict between Mary Grace and Mrs. Turpin. The conflict is man versus man because there are two people physically battling. Mary Grace begins by throwing her book at Mrs. Turpin and then hits her and puts her hands around Mrs. Turpin’s neck as if to strangle her. The conflict is ...

HIV and AIDS: Public Safety vs. Civil Liberties Essay -- Sexually Tra

When a nation is faced with a deadly epidemic does the country have the right to suspend individual’s rights in order to better protect the welfare of the community? This debate has emerged across the U.S.; many have implemented quarantines with regards to h1n1 virus and other contagious, potentially deadly diseases. This includes but is not limited to isolating individuals infected, closing schools, and shutting down public transportation systems. Others are considering enacting new and controversial rules. â€Å"Since the outbreak of the new flu strain, Massachusetts legislators have sought to pass a law that would allow officials to detain or quarantine someone even when there is uncertainty over the person's exposure to contagious disease. Other states have adopted similar laws in recent years† (Efarti 1). These laws can give states the right to contain persons, violating individual rights for the betterment of society. With the government having the ability to quarantine patients infected with potentially harmful diseases on questions the rights the individual has. Can the country detain HIV victims so that the disease will be eliminated? Should the county detain these infected persons for the safety of the community? This issue is constantly debated; by presenting community safety and personal rights in America one can better understand societal nature. Living with HIV is a constant battle, with the disease, self, others, and government. If one contrasts HIV there are legal ramifications one must abide too. Each state is different, this paper will explain the laws of, ‘Wisconsin’ and any legal obligations a person with HIV/AIDS must follow. Once getting an HIV test whether one gets a confidential or anonymous test, know that... ...p://www.hsolc.org/policies/childcare/communicable-disease-protocol>. 2) Efarti, Amir. "Public Safety v. Civil Liberties: Health Crisis Leads to New Case." TheWallStreetJournal.com. 7 May 2009. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. . 3) Gallant, Joel E. 100 Questions & Answers about HIV and AIDS. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2009. Print. 4) "PHILA.GOV | Welcome to the City of Philadelphia." Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. . 5) "STD Lawsuits  « Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Herpes, HIV Lawsuit." Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Herpes, HIV Lawsuit. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. . 6) Wisconsin State Law., art. 252, sec. 1-400. Print.

Analysis of the Article Dot.com? Don’t bother! Essay -- Analyzing Arti

Analysis of the Article "Dot.com? Don’t bother!" Posted recently by T.J. Straith on a British website titled I-resign.com- a kind of online financial resource that offers information and services to individuals in the modern workplace –the article "Dot.com? Don’t bother!" provides a somewhat comical yet focused, criticism-based look into the pitfalls associated with investing in today’s tech-related startup companies- the kind that base future earnings, market demand and overall success on guestimation and facts from the current market. Designed to serve as a massive attack against the idea of investing in newly developed or developing tech companies, the article in itself -through the use of objective facts, detailed descriptions of the market, example situations, and even personal experience based on the author’s own investment in a failed tech-company- provides the reader with enough information to understand the truths behind the market, accomplished in an almost completely objective fashion, and then calls for modern investors to place value in realistic goals and not the â€Å"the hyperinflationary world of dotcom valuations.† As an opinion article, Straith’s intent is obviously to educate the reader in such a way that brings the person to his level of understanding- a level at which the hype behind new tech companies should be taken with a pound of salt. In general, the author relies heavily on denotative language to hold the article together, which essentially holds the audience in place. â€Å"The dotcom craze infected whole economies.† Deep reflections on society, religion, philosophy, or anything else representative of connotative language clearly have no real place in the article- it’s designed to inform... ...efit. Hands down, Straith does a fine job of delivering a warning message. Identifying a byproduct in this article is tough- it’s designed to inform readers of many different classes, does it’s job, and leaves no apparent avenue of misunderstanding down which a reader might lose him or herself in a mess of unrelated or confusing facts. His use of informal tone, understandable language, and mild humor is enough from which readers can reap an understanding, business people and common-types alike. His writing style and method of delivery support his goal of informing potential investors of the common blind-sightedness that has been such a dominant factor towards dotcom investing in the past, while his apparent interest in the financial welfare of others is a credibility-adding factor that- the mind of the reader –can set him aside from other authors in his class.

Information Communication Technology Essay

Where ever you go you always see ICT whether it’s at the cinema or at a bank, it has become a necessity in modern life. This report I will be writing, will be on the way I do activities at home and at school using ICT (Information Communication Technology). It will also show what I am able to do on a daily basis, as a result of information technology products, such as my homework, socialising with my friends, playing games and much more. The three ICT technologies I will discussing are: * Mobile Phones * E-Mail * USB Mass Storage Systems (Pen Drive, Flash Memory Cards) The Mobile Phone A mobile phone was originally invented for long range communication through a portable, electronic device, but nowadays, as technology progressed the mobile phone, not allows me to make calls to people from long ranges, but it also allows me to use SMS (Short Messaging System) which means I can send messages to others without direct need for speech. I am also able to access a variety of files such as image, video and music. Mobile phones work by the use of a Subscriber Identity Module Card or SIM Card. It holds a microchip and is inserted into the handset allowing you access to a certain mobile phone network depending on who your provider is. This network is made up of a series of base stations that send signals used by mobile phones. The area covered by each of these base stations is called a cell and cells overlap to make up a coverage area. Advantages There are many advantages to having a mobile phone such as: * You are able to communicate with others through SMS, voice calls and even video calls for any reason and vice versa. * You are able to carry media files on your phone for entertainment purposes. * Nowadays many mobile phones allow you to access the Internet through WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), Wi-Fi (although a disadvantage to Wi-Fi is that you need to be within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet) * The mobile phone can be used almost anywhere without the need for landline cables etcetera Disadvantages Along with advantages there are also some disadvantages such as: * Firstly, it is much more expensive to use than a landline and charges vary when calling other networks. * Also, providers have different numbers of base stations meaning that some providers would a larger coverage area than others so you wouldn’t be able to use your phone everywhere. * Mobile phones aren’t able to get any reception in some buildings that have no direct access to the outdoors e.g. windows and also when you are underground. * Also when one base station has too many people connected to it, it can sometimes disconnect your call. Personal Needs When it comes to using my phone personally, I use it to make phone calls to my family to let them know where I am or when I will back home. It is a way that my parents can ensure that I am safe and it is also a connection if there is any emergency and they need to contact me. Also I am able to listen to music through the music player. How the technology meets my Personal Needs My personal needs are met by this technology; it allows me to communicate with my family while I am not around with them. I can call any of my contacts which are saved in my contact list, by accessing the database of contacts on my mobile phone. By pressing certain buttons (input) different menus come up, in this case my contact list (outcome). This is done by the phone’s CPU (Central Processing Unit), it starts to process the information received by pressing certain buttons and gives the outcome of whatever buttons I have pressed, for example by me opening my contact list and I can find relevant numbers that I can use to contact my family for example my mother’s contact details, it gives me the phone numbers available for me to contact her, from there I can choose the required number I want to call then the mobile phone starts to connect to it and will send a request to the other phone for my call to be accepted or rejected depending on the person. Also when I am going to and from school, doing homework, going out or any other reason, I am able to listen to music while I do the activity. It allows me to pass time more quickly if I am getting bored and sometimes helps me to concentrate while I do work. Evaluate Personal Needs I can use this technology very well to meet my personal needs as I am able to communicate with my family cheaply through the use of SMS and voice calls. But as you go on and need to use your phone more you find that it is too expensive to use the phone but those needs are met by the use of contracts where you receive various numbers of free texts and voice calls for a set price per month. This makes it not only cheaper but easier to contact family because I do not need to worry about having large bills to pay out. Social Needs I need to use my phone for social reasons so that I can communicate with my friends and organise certain activities such as parties. I also need to be able to send and receive SMS messages. How the technology meets my social needs I need to be able to contact my friends, on a regular basis and at short notice, while I am out and about. I am able to do this due to the services provided by a mobile phone, it lets you make calls and send SMSs. My friends would call me to ask if I am able to come to certain arrangements, just as I would call or use SMS to see whether or not they are allowed to come to some events. Even if, for any reason, I am unable to accept a voice/video call from my friends they are still able to contact me through voicemail where they can save a message that I can check later on and get back to them. Also with SMS if my phone is turned off I will still receive the SMS as soon as I turn my phone back on. I can, not only communicate, but I can also share files with my friends through the use of Bluetooth or Infrared. I am able to send them music, images, videos or games quickly and effectively, anywhere. Evaluate Social Needs The mobile phone technology is excellent at meeting my social needs because it allows me make and receive calls and text messages and also share files with my friends. To further meet my needs it could better itself in the way you have to share files, you are unable to send a group of files at one given time but instead you need to accept each file you would like to receive after the previous file has been sent. School Needs As it is against school rules to have a mobile phone with you during school hours, there would be only one need for a mobile phone at school, and that is to secretly send messages to other pupils about various things. How the technology meets my School Needs I need to be able to send messages to my friends during school hours discreetly and I am able to do this because of the different sound settings the phone has. You are able to put your phone on ‘vibrate’ or ‘silent’ so that the teacher cannot tell that I am using my phone. I can also use the mass storage system from inbuilt memories or external memory cards to save/ transfer files from home to school and vice versa. Evaluate School Needs Thanks to the ‘silent’/’vibrate’ settings I can send text messages without getting caught but the level of vibration is sometimes too much and can be heard and by putting it on silent you wouldn’t realise you received a text and you would have to keep on checking and that could potentially get you caught, so by being able to set the vibration intensity I would be able to be more discreet and attract less attention when I receive a text. E(lectronic) Mail E-mail is a system for sending and receiving messages electronically over a computer network, through modems using telephone lines, or, through wireless transmissions to anybody around the world who has access to a computer and has their own personal e-mail address. Examples of messengers are: yahoo messenger, windows live hotmail, g-mail. In an e-mail you can send notes, letters and most kinds of files – music, image video, word processing and others. To send e-mails you first need an email address this consists of five parts; * Firstly, the username (e.g. john_smith), this refers to the recipient’s mailbox. * Then there is a â€Å"@† sign. * Thirdly you have the host name (hotmail, yahoo etcetera) this refers to the mail server this is mainly the company name. * The host name is followed by a dot â€Å".† * It is then completed by the domain (com, co.uk, gov.uk etcetera) Advantages There are many advantages to e-mail such as: * You can use e-mail at any time of the day and it will be sent to the preferred destination. * It is much quicker than by post – snail mail and you can ensure that it doesn’t get lost because it doesn’t have to go through the process of sorting. * It’s free to use. * It can be sent to anyone around the world so long as they have an Internet connection. * You can send messages to large numbers of people Disadvantages Along with the advantages there are also disadvantages to e-mail such as: * You can’t ensure you will get an instant reply because the receiver might not check his mail until later * You are subject to getting spam * There is less security as third parties are able to retrieve your email address * Not always suitable for serious business documents or transactions requiring signatures. Personal Needs I need to be able to contact my family via e-mail at any time of the day as I have family abroad and it is a free way of communicating to them instead of wasting a lot of money in making international calls. Also I need to be able to send some files to myself if I ever need to. For example music files. How the technology meets my Personal Needs With e-mail I am able to contact my family abroad or if they are at work on a regular basis. E-mail is a free type of mail which can be network based or web based or on a certain computer. If an email address is based on the web then it can be accessed from any computer that has an Internet connection but an email that is based on a certain computer or network can only be accessed from that computer or any computer which is connected to the network. Using Email is much more efficient and easier for me because to be able to contact my family without the use of a telephone makes it cheaper to use because e-mail is free. Evaluate Personal Needs My personal needs are met very well by the use of e-mail due to me being able to contact my family anywhere in the world very quickly and at no extra cost this makes my life easier and also better in the sense I have more money, because I don’t need to spend money making international calls and instead use e-mail I am able to save money to get the same message across. Ways that e-mail can be made better are that it should automatically detect spam mailings and delete them and to make matters better for everyone who holds an e-mail address, hosts like hotmail and yahoo should not allow third parties to have access to our information. Social Needs I need to use e-mail to contact my friends when I am unable to call/text them. It is an alternate way for me communicate with my friends if I ever need to talk to them about certain matters. How the technology meets my Social Needs Instead of the phone to communicate I can use e-mail or the more instant version IM, Instant Messaging, which is absolutely free to use. IM is when I am able to communicate with friends and family through different chat rooms. Windows Live Messenger, for example allows me to talk to friends and family when, the person I wish to speak to, and I are online at the same time it is similar to using the phone but the main difference is you are not talking but instead you are typing. I can arrange to meet up with people to go to the cinema or Brent Cross whenever I please I can also just generally talk with my friends about things that are going on at school etcetera. It allows my friends to talk to me if ever the need anything. Many IM servers allow you to play games with your friends like tic-tac-toe or poker I take advantage of this feature and play the games with many of my friends. The use of e-mail and IM, socially, means hassles like friends arriving at place too early or late can be avoided because we can tell each quickly and simply through this technology. Evaluate Social Needs E-mail and IM meets my needs for social uses very well because I am able to converse with my friends and family and arrange events like going to the cinema with great ease. I don’t have to go through the process of phoning different people at different times and spending money on calls, I can just go on an IM server and talk to all the necessary people at the same time and in one conversation making it more like speaking to them in person. Ways it can be improved to meet my social needs are that it should be more easily accessed, you should be able to use these IM services on your mobile phone for free so you don’t need to be on a computer all the time. School Needs I can use e-mail to help me with my school work as I am able to send work-related files to myself and then access them at home and vice versa. How this technology meets me School Needs People who do not have their own external mass storage device, for any reason, can take advantage of using e-mail to send work. On many occasions I have forgotten to bring my USB Pen Drive to school but I that hasn’t stopped me from being able to take my work home with me. Thanks to e-mail I am able to send necessary files to myself so I can complete that work at home. Also my friends are able to send me files which can aid me in doing my homework via e-mail. I can also send my coursework files to relevant subject teachers for them to mark and give back, this means I do not have to waste time in trying to track down the teachers but they can receive it successfully without it being lost through e-mail. I have known people who have asked other teachers to give the coursework to their teacher and had it lost and others who have sent their work directly to the teacher’s e-mail address this is more efficient because that way you can be sure that it won’t get lost. Evaluate School Needs I am able to use e-mail to meet my school needs very well. I can send work to myself so I can continue to do the work at home. This is very good because a lot of the ICT syllabus requires doing work, not only at school, but a lot at home as well and people like me who, on a regular basis forget to bring their USB Pen Drive to school, can benefit the use of e-mail to send work home. Ways that it could be improved to meet my school needs are that it should allow you to send whole files at the same time, because currently it only allows me to send any number of files but it has to be done all separately, this is very time consuming as I have to upload each individual file into an attachment and then I have to download each file onto the computer when I get home . By allowing you to send a whole file at once it saves much more time and hassle. USB Pen Drive – Flash Memory USB Pen Drives are portable, external mass storage devices with a USB plug which can transfer files from one USB supporting machine to another. These are ideally suited to people who have a large number of documents that require frequent access in different places. The memory capacity of these devices has been increasing steadily over the last few years due to advances in technology. The first mass storage system started off only with a capacity of 32mb but nowadays we have USB Pen Drives ranging from 32 MB (megabytes) to 4 GB (gigabytes). USB (Universal Serial Bus) Pen Drives come in many different ways, you get the standard device which is used for storage only and then you get other devices which are mp3’s as well, so not only can you save important files on it you can also listen to music USB Flash Memory differs from hard drives because the Flash Memory stores the memory in a chip whereas hard drives store the memory in a disk Advantages There are advantages to having a USB Pen Drive such as: * They are supported by most operating systems, and can be directly attached to a hardware device. * It is portable and easy to transport as they are so small and compact. * You can transfer files from one computer/machine to another. * You can get different amount storage on them depending on the size and/or quantity of your files. * They can carry much more data than a floppy disk. * Nowadays they aren’t very expensive to buy. Disadvantages Just as there are advantages there are also disadvantages to USB Pen Drive such as: * You have a limited amount of storage – some files may be too big to hold in the USB Pen Drive or you may have too many files on it. * Files may get corrupted on the USB Pen Drive if it is faulty resulting in you losing your work * Due to the portability of it, it is very easy to lose track of it and you may find that you keep on misplacing it. * Some older technologies like old computers do not support USB ports meaning there is no use for the USB Pen Drive. Personal Needs I do not have much of a personal need for USB Pen Drives but sometimes I need to be able to transfer data from one place to another such as music files(mp3, wma), image files(jpg.), video files(wmv, mp4, mpeg). How the technology meets my Personal Needs With a USB Pen Drive I am able to move files to different destinations for example if one of my computers in the house is connected to the Internet and the other computer isn’t, I can download a file from the Internet and then transfer it to the other computer via USB. Evaluate Personal Needs USB Pen Drive meets my needs very well because I am able to transfer many files and folders at the same time to different systems that support USB Ports. Due to the large amounts of memory available to the ability to compress files you end up with a lot space for you to use. Social Needs Just as there are not many uses for USB Pen Drive personally, socially there are limited uses. The main social use for the USB Pen Drive is that you can share files with friends like music or images. How the technology meets my Social Needs If ever I need to go to my friend’s house and they need some files or I need to get some files from them, I am able to use a USB Pen Drive to transfer files. It is more efficient than using e-mail because you are able to transfer whole files and on e-mail you have limits to the size of the file you can send. Also I can access the files without the need of accessing the Internet. Evaluate Social Needs The USB Pen Drive meets my social needs very well because I can move files to any system at my friend’s house very easily. This is very helpful because some of my friends don’t have access to the Internet so I can use the USB Pen Drive to give them files. School Needs Unlike my social and personal needs there are many uses for the USB Pen Drive in school life. I am able to transfer files from school to my home and continue to do my work. How this technology meets my School Needs As an ICT GSCE student I need to be able to take coursework, data files and other various files to and from school, with a USB Pen Drive I can easily do that. With a 1GB flash memory drive I have no problem transferring files. Using a USB Pen Drive I don’t need to access the Internet, instead I can just plug it into the computer and it will detect the hardware and install the software to run the USB Pen Drive. When it has done that I can freely open up the USB Pen Drive files from ‘My Computer’ and ‘drag and drop’ necessary files. I can carry on doing work at home and complete it to give in to the teacher the next day it is better than having to wait until the next lesson to complete the work. Evaluate School Needs The USB Pen Drive meets my school needs extremely well; thanks to it I can send/transfer files to any computer I need to complete my school work. This is very useful because some computers may not have the program/software to support the necessary file so being able to move files via USB Pen Drive is helpful because then I can move it to a computer that does have the software. Ways to make the USB Pen Drive better in meeting my school needs are that you should be able to upgrade your USB Pen Drive to have a larger space for memory instead of having to buy a new one.

Nike Business Essay

Analyse their strategic choices with their options- why they made the choices that they did and recommendations. Has their strategic focus changed? Look for critical success factors, matches and mismatches. Identify any key areas that have affected Nike. Look at tools of analysis e. g. swot analysis, pestle, value chain, porter’s 5 forces, shareholder matrix, resource view, 4 p’s, BCG matrix. etc and others to come to your answer. Introduction Nike operates within the sports footwear and apparel market. Originally designing and producing running shoes, their portfolio has broadened to include a wide range of sports and leisure wear. This is all endorsed by top sporting personalities. This environment is fairly stable although terrorism and Sars has affected consumer confidence and supply networks. Mission Statement In its mission statement Nike expresses that it requires doing business in a responsible way, leading to sustainable financial growth. With the advances in technology, HR practices, the well informed and trained work force, there is very little left to differentiate organisations. Being seen to go further than the minimum required on social issues can attract and retain customers. This green cleansing attracts attention to the organisation; they are viewed as caring and social responsible (Mullins, L. 2005). A report, on the business practices of Nike through its supply chain accused the organisation of being involved in poor working conditions, violations of labour rights, low wages and harassment of its workforce. Nike takes these reports seriously. On the basis of the research findings the company has intensified the monitoring of its suppliers (Hummels, H and Timmer, D. 004) Past options To build its business with all of its partners based on trust, teamwork, honesty and mutual respect; this is expected to be returned, expecting business partners to operate on the same principles. Rationale Nike does not want to only do what is required by law, but also do what is expected of a leader Future Options Review and monitor closer the actions of business partner s Rationale To prevent bad publicity, which can damage the organisation Critical Success Factor To demonstrate to consumers the high value within the organisation to CSR. Change of Focus Theorist Hummels, H and Timmer, D. 2004 agreed that these reports were needed, Although Mullin, L. 2005 stated that it could be just green washing Nikes Function Past options the company focus on design and development Rationale This reduces long term debt has the benefit of not tying capital up in plant and equipment Future Options Rationale Critical Success Factor Reduced size of premises therefore reduced costs. Vital to have innovative employees. Products are viewed as innovative Change of Focus Theorist Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004 agreed that this was a cost effective method of production Production Within several of these countries there have been problems with production, distribution and political problems. With the change in relationship between the USA and Vietnam and China, these are new production venues that Nike could explore. Past options Produce goods in the Far east Rationale Keeps costs down Future Options Vietnam and China Rationale New trade agreements, present sites are switching manufacturing to electrical goods Critical Success Factor Maintaining current standards, closer working relationships, retaining customer loyalty by guaranteed standard of product Change of Focus A shift to a more managed production Theorist All organisation need to watch changes in political and economical factors in their outsourcing. Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004, Shareholder Matrix Surrounding all organisations are stakeholders, all with varied levels of authority, power and interest towards the organisation Mendelow (1991) considered a matrix that classifies the level of power and interest a stakeholder has in an organisation. Although once each group of stakeholders is recognised, it cannot be assumed that their level of interest will remain the same (Mendelow (1991) cited in Scholes, K. Johnson, J 1997:198). Jones (1995) argue that the stakeholder framework is practical for considering business and society issues, because it identifies the sources of a corporation’s social obligations and its set of stakeholders (Jones (1995) cited in Rowley, T. 1998:28). Therefore by Nike concentrating on their stakeholders it has placed Corporate Social responsibility high on th eir agenda. The organisation has to demonstrate transparency in all actions and reporting. This can cause conflict with the shareholders. Common in stakeholder theory is compromises on both sides that can obviously haze over differences; this primary characteristic is accepted as contra-distinctiveness from the shareholder value. This was discussed by Friedman, (1993) that the ultimate purpose of a company should be serving the interests of its shareholders (Friedman, (1993) Value Chain Nike’s supply chain provides a clear view of the extent of the global nature of the company. Nike’s headquarters are in America; however, virtually all of its production takes place outside of the United States. Nike’s supply chain upstream begins with the materials used in the production of its products. Many of these materials used in production are available in the locations which the manufacturing takes place, but some specialised materials have to be imported to the manufacturing company. Past options Outsourcing of all production Rationale Reduced costs Future Options Outsource with stronger control Rationale Speed up reporting of any problems in production, the supply chain, the greater the distance the slower the reporting of problems Critical Success Factor Reduce problems associated with distance, i. e. uality, consistency and value Change of Focus Although still outsourcing, they would gain more control over production. Theorist Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004, agreed that Nike can be too far from the site of production Past options Target USA Rationale Demand and growth for footwear in the US was rapid. Future Options Future option is to enter EU markets Rationale To expand in to growing markets as US is near saturation. Critical Success Factor organic growth as well as by acquisition, also brand name, goodwill- therefore there is a match is CSF to succeed Change of Focus Maybe have to target marketing in a different way Theorist When markets are reaching saturation, new markets need to be identified to prevent decline in sales. Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004, Distribution And Retailers Nike has a strong network of retailers in 200 coutries world wide through distributors, licensees and sudsiduaries. Within the USA there are 18000 stores that retail nike products. These are well established channels. Nike made itself heavily dependant on one retailer Footlocker, representing 10% of their revenue. When Footlocker reduced their purchasing form Nike, it created a reduction in turnover in the short term. Organisations that are over dependant on one retailer are open to cash flow problems, if the retailer switches suppliers, reduces purchasing or ceases trading (Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004). Past options Although they have numerous retailers, they were heavily dependant on one out let chain Rationale To sell top of the range products Future Options To negotiate partnerships deals that allow for the choice of product for the retailer Rationale To prevent sudden withdrawal of products Critical Success Factor Customer being able to rely on source of product. If withdrawn they may find an alternative product Change of Focus Closer working partnerships Theorist Organisations that are over dependant on one retailer are open to cash flow problems, if the retailer switches suppliers, reduces purchasing or ceases trading. Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004 Nike has a futures, but can also ship overnight when needed. Although the futures method is currently working for Nike, Past options Futures ordering system Rationale a 6 month lead time for product orders, always knowing what is needed in production Future Options Rationale Critical Success Factor This is responsive to the market trends, but can also help retailers plan stock. Change of Focus Theorist Any change or threats within the markets could leave them overstocked (Groucutt, J. et al 2004) Sales In addition, consumer sales outside of the United States exceeded sales in the United States in 2003 with only 43% of the company’s sales coming from the US In Europe there are difficulties in entering the market, the single currency and the trade rules make entry difficult for large organisations. Past options Target the US Rationale Growing market, but is now reaching saturation Future Options Target new markets, including e-commerce Rationale To avoid a reduction in sales Critical Success Factor Entry to the markets, by advertising and targeting the audience. Ensuring accurate and quick picking of the customers order Change of Focus Shift to global marketing, selling world wide from the web targeting Generation Y. Theorist By tailoring marketing to the customer needs Nike has been successful in the past and continues to be today (Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004) Nike Branding Past options global brand Rationale Consumers are willing to pay a premium price for; as they imply credibility, high quality and up-to-date global trend. Future Options When companies are bought trade under their name Rationale Moving into a new market with a brand that is already global you can reduce cost of introductory and follow-up marketing programs. Critical Success Factor Ensures customer loyalty and to widen portfolio Change of Focus Concentrating on core products as Nike, allowing growth in new diverse markets Theorist significant scales of economy are achieved Aaker 2000, this is in terms of brand development, packaging and manufacturing Marketing Sports personalities have endorsed the Nike product, although with numerous different sports and countries targeted this has been costly. The amount each personality has received is considered high. This forces the competitors to market their products in the same way. Trends within the industry have increased the number of female consumers. With advertising Nike has targeted segments of the market, this costly. Nike should review their advertising policies (Groucutt, J. et al 2004). Past options Sports personalities have endorsed the Nike product, although with numerous different sports and countries targeted Rationale To target all types of sport by choosing personalities which are at the top of their sports. Future Options To chose personalities that appeal to a wider audience Rationale To reduce advertising costs Critical Success Factor Change of Focus Theorist Groucutt, J. et al 2004 4ps The athletic shoe industry is highly competitive as well as a demanding market where fierce competition, price conscience consumers, and constant changing market trends and fads have all been attributing factors in how a manufacturer responds. Highly focused brand includes Nike, Adidas, and Reebok, they target a precise market. However, there is evidence that a brand will widen its target market as it reaches a greater level of maturity. In the case of Nike, for example, there was a move into new sports areas away from the running heritage. Nike’s target audience has moved from more masculine towards female and Generation Y. Price is related to Product, through the characteristics of the brand, it’s packaging and overall image. People are buying into an ideal, not just the item. Consumers believe that there is a link between quality of a product and the price. Consumers question what they are getting for their money. Brand Management, customer awareness and loyalty, is directly linked to the price, therefore maintenance of the relationship between brand images; quality and price have to be consistent (Johnson, G & Scholes J 2004). Models Used In Analysis Swot Analysis This analysis will summarise key issues from the business environment and the strategic capacity of Nike. This can be used to judge future strategic options. Strengths Product Range Capacity for innovation Distribution expertise Single Brand Stars endorsement Contract manufacturing Large portfolio of products Weaknesses Single Brand Too many stars endorsement Contract manufacturing Spread portfolio of products Reliant on retailers Reduction of target market Opportunities New Markets E commerce Research and development Increase product line Product diversification Change target market New manufacturing countries Threats Competition Fashion Trends Contract manufacturing and copying of product (intellectual property) Consumer lifestyle changes Competition Bad press associated with Nike Outlets cancelling orders Sars Pestle This will consider environmental influences on the organisation, both in the past and with future strategic plans. Political Striking dock workers Political unrest in the production countries Terrorism in the home country Economic Slow down in the economy Reduction in consumer confidence Barriers of entry to the EU Contract manufacturing Socio-cultural Brand conscious consumers Change in buying habits in younger people Generation Y prefers other types of footwear Increase in the female share of the market Corporate social responsibility Technological Speed of change of product Design Ability Speed of News reporting Environmental Re use a shoe Sustainability philosophy Climate impact Legal Threaten action by underage workforce Poor employment record Corporate social responsibility Contract manufacturing and copying of product (intellectual property) Trade agreements Supply Chain Like every large IT undertaking, the team responsible for the implementation of Nike Supply Chain (NSC) began with a set of specific, stated goals: Enhancing Nike’s ability to respond to changing conditions; Reducing inventory and capital investment risk; Improving service to meet customer/consumer needs; Improving process, information and product quality; and Providing an efficient global supply chain with local implementation Porter’s 5 Forces This model is used to identify the sources of competition, and how to gain advantage over them. Potential Entrants Other sportswear manufacturers expanding their portfolio Cheap copies from the Far East Buyers The buyers of sports footwear have changed in the past decade. There has been and increase in women purchasing the shoes, Generation Y has a different tastes and purchasing methods. Substitutes When required for professional use there is no substitute goods, but as a fashion item there are many other goods that could be purchased. Suppliers Using production facilities in the Far East has give Nike economies of scale. Although there are now problems arising from these factories, they are switching to making there own goods, labour and political unrest causes delays in manufacturing and shipping of the goods, Competitive Rivalry Reebok, offering more choice of shoe, introducing endorsement by sports personalities, sponsoring sporting leagues Adidas have recovered from the problems that plagued them, and have a good product mix, covering a wide range of sports. BCG Matrix Nike is established within its markets, benefiting from economies of scale. This places them in the Cash Cows category on the Matrix. Cash cows market growth has slowed, and the products hold a fairly stable market share. Bibliography Books Aaker, D. (2000) Brand leadership Free Press, New York Doyle, P. (1998) Innovation in marketing Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford Drawbaugh, K. (2001) Brands in the balance meeting the challenges to commercial identity Pearson Education, London Groucutt, J. et al (2004) Marketing Essential Principals and New realities Kogan & Page, Great Britain Johnson J & Scholes K (1997)(4th Edition)Exploring Corporate Strategy Prentice Hall, Hemmel Hempstead. Johnson, G & Scholes J (2004) (6th Edition) Exploring Corporate Strategy Prentice Hall, Hemmel Hempstead. Mullins, L. (2005) (7th Edition) Management and Organisational Behaviour Prentice Hall, Pearson, Harlow. Journals Hummels,H and Timmer, D. (2004) Investors in Need of Social, Ethical, and Environmental Information Journal of Business Ethics Jun 2004Vol. 52, Iss. 1 Kaler, J. (2003) Differentiating Stakeholder Theories Journal of Business Ethics Aug 2003. Vol. 46 Rowley, T (1998) A normative justification for stakeholder theory Business and Society. Mar 1998 Welch, J. (1997) Business ethics in theory and practice: Diagnostic notes. A prescription for value Journal of Business Ethics, Feb 1997. Vol. 16, Related Nike Resources On Business Teacher: Nike Case Study Nike SWOT Analysis