16 Essays - Films, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

Myisha Hassan 2/22/16 Essays - Films, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Myisha Hassan 2/22/16 626 ELA Holocaust Essay In class, we have been learning about one of the darkest moments in world history - the Holocaust. We have read and analyzed the historical fiction text, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , by John Boyne. We have also read and analyzed various non-fiction texts, examined propaganda posters, analyzed photos, and also listened to and analyzed various eye-witness testimonies. We have come to understand that the Holocaust was one of the worst genocides in world history during which time six million Jews, and millions of others, were systematically murdered by Nazi Germany. There are many central themes throughout the novel and the author utilizes it through the main characters of the story. Innocence is an important theme throughou t the novel. Although Bruno and Shmuel share a certain childlike innocence, the reality is that Shmuel is a prisoner in Auschwitz and has certainly seen horrific sights. Bruno, on the other hand, is fiercely protected by his parents who do not want him to know about the horrors of the reality that is the Holocaust; in particular, they go to great lengths to keep the details of Bruno's father's job a secret from him. The juxtaposition of such innocence with the inherent evil of the Holocaust sets a disturbing tone. This theme increases the idea that hatred and prejudice are learned behaviors. A nother significant theme in the novel is friendship. The desire for friendship is universal and at no time is it more important than during childhood. Bruno and Shmuel exist in two completely different worlds but share a connected desire for f riendship during a difficult and lonely time. In spite of differences , Bruno and Shmuel have a meaningful friendship. As their friendship develops, it is teste d on many occasions as the boys are lead to their individual realities. When Shmuel is brought to Bruno's house to work as a servant, Bruno denies knowing him and giving him food; consequently, Shmuel is punished for stealing food (which Bruno had given him). Both boys know that they would be in terrible trouble if anyone were to find out about their friendship so they keep it a secret. Ultimately, the boys unknowingly march to their death hand in hand with no one in the world but each other. The theme of human nature also proves to be central to the story. Readers will question how Bruno's father and sister, along with so many other Germans, can be such loyal believers in the Nazi propaganda while Bruno remains compassionate and even, some might argue , to the same ideas. Bruno and Shmuel represent all that is kind and noble in humans as well as the potential that they have to do well. Interchangeably , Bruno's father and Lieutenant Kotler reveal man's capacity for evil. The novel points out the choice humans must make regarding how they treat others. On a similar note, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas also considers the dangers of obedience and people's objection to take a stand in the face of misery. As you can see, John Boyne has developed many important themes during the reader read the novel. The author utilized the main characters in order to convey the central theme of the text. The themes innocence, friendship , and human nature have a huge impact on Bruno as well as other characters throughout the novel. Bruno and Shmuel had the same innocence in the beginning of the novel, they did not know why they were on two different sides of the huge tall fence.

The Millionaire Next Door Expert Summary, Critique, and Review

The Millionaire Next Door Expert Summary, Critique, and Review SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Thomas Stanley and William Danko didn’t expect The Millionaire Next Door, their case study of America’s millionaires, to become a huge bestseller. Both academics at the University of Georgia, they set out to learn about the habits and lifestyles of the nation’s highest earners, not to write a personal finance bible. Readers were blown away by Stanley and Danko’s findings, though, namely that most millionaires don’t own fancy cars or throw lavish yacht parties. On the contrary, they live by principles of â€Å"thrift, low status, discipline, low consumption, risk, and very hard work.† From this book, many readers realized that the dream of amassing over $1 million was not as out of reach as they had thought. Stanley and Danko’s 1996 bestseller can still teach us a lot about personal finance today, but it also falls short in a few key ways. Read on for a full summary and critique of The Millionaire Next Door. The Millionaire Next Door: Summary What do you picture when you hear the word â€Å"millionaire†? Sprawling mansions in Beverly Hills? Fancy restaurants, antique cars, and weekend trips to St. Bart’s? According to Stanley and Danko, real millionaires look nothing like the extravagant stereotypes in our cultural imagination. Instead, they’re more likely than not to be your next-door neighbors who live in their starter home and have been driving the same used Volvo for the past ten years. Most millionaires, they discovered, gradually amassed their wealth over time. Many of the people surveyed in The Millionaire Next Door owned a so-called â€Å"dull-normal† small business. They were â€Å"welding contractors, auctioneers, rice farmers, owners of mobile-home parks, pest controllers, coin and stamp dealers, and paving contractors." How did these people with a relatively ordinary income become millionaires? They all saved a larger-than-average proportion of their earnings by keeping consumption costs low and making early investments. By the time Stanley and Danko interviewed them to explore the secrets of the millionaire mind, these people had a net worth between $1 million and $10 million. The authors focused on this bracket, because, at the time of writing, 95% of the country’s millionaires had between $1 million and $10 million. Out of all American households, only 3.5% were classified as millionaires. That means that only 5% of that 3.5% had wealth totaling greater than $10 million. Our images of private jets and shiny yachts, therefore, only apply to a tiny population of people and not to the â€Å"average† millionaire. Because the majority of people in The Millionaire Next Door did not inherit their wealth, the authors concluded that â€Å"this level of wealth can be attained in one generation. It can be attained by many Americans.† This optimistic premise is one reason that so many readers embraced the book when it was published and still do today. Let’s look closer at the book’s driving thesis. William and Danko found that most millionaires owned "dull-normal" businesses, like mobile-home parks or welding companies. The Millionaire Next Door: Main Premise The main premise of The Millionaire Next Door can be found right in its title - the average millionaire could be anyone’s next door neighbor. Most of the country’s millionaires don’t look the part, or, at least, they don't look like we imagine they do. When we think about the lifestyles of millionaires, we have an unrealistic and flawed view. Most members of the millionaire's club aren’t flashy spenders working superstar jobs. They’re not lottery winners or movie stars dropping $6k on the regular for table service at nightclubs. In fact, Stanley and Danko consider people who spend a lot on non-essentials to be â€Å"UAWs,† or under accumulators of wealth. Their net worth ends up being less than it should be as a result of all their spending. On the contrary, the vast majority of the country’s millionaires live cautiously and modestly. They have a decent income, but they choose to live well below their means. Because of their careful, intentional budgeting, they become â€Å"PAWs,† or prodigious accumulators of wealth. They have a greater net worth than you would expect because they keep their costs so low. In the end, The Millionaire Next Door shows that most of the country’s millionaires are PAWs with higher than average, but by no means superstar-level, incomes. The book clears away some of the aura around the word, millionaire, and suggests that it’s more attainable than most people realize. Is this is a realistic message for the book to impart to its readers? According to the authors, someone with a flashy car might be an Under-Accumulator of Wealth (UAW), because they spent large portions of their money. The Millionaire Next Door: Full Critique Stanley and Danko are technically spot on when they reframe our thinking about what it means to be a millionaire. If we define â€Å"millionaire† as an individual with a net worth of $1 million or more, then we’ll find that the vast majority of millionaires don’t have stratospheric net worth. Rather, most just make the one million dollar cutoff or go a little beyond, and they got there by saving and investing a higher-than-average percentage of their income. Because superstar earners are so few and far between, the vast majority of us are not going to become rich that way. We should avoid â€Å"get rich quick† schemes and not include â€Å"become a movie star† or â€Å"get recruited by the NFL† in our personal finance plans. Instead, we should learn from this book’s realistic assessment about how most millionaires amassed their wealth. Their commitment to hard work and early investments, along with their aversion to excessive consumerism, forged a path to financial independence. If you’re serious about saving money and working toward financial security, then this steady approach is the most likely path. Of course, not everyone who lives by principles of thrift, hard work, and under consumption will become a millionaire. But most people who have become millionaires abided by those values. At the same time, these lifestyle choices are not necessarily what most readers have in mind when they say they want to be a millionaire. Read on to learn more about the weak points in The Millionaire Next Door. Most millionaires didn't amass their fortune from a get-rich-quick scheme. Where the Book Falls Short: 2 Major Weaknesses Stanley and Danko challenge conventional ideas about what it means to be a millionaire, but they have too extreme an emphasis on low consumption. Their conclusions, furthermore, are not as revelatory as they seem at first glance when you consider the statistics behind their work. Read on to learn more about both of these weak points in The Millionaire Next Door. #1: It Over-Emphasizes Low Consumption Many readers buy this book because they want to learn about how to become a millionaire. The book offers a potential path: careful savings, long-term investments, and lifestyle choices that include staying in a starter home and driving a used car. But is this what most people mean when they say they want to be a millionaire? Probably not. A lot of readers want their quality of life to improve along with their net worth, rather than having money invested in assets while their day-to-day lives remain exactly the same. As Felix Dennis, author of How to Get Rich, asks, would you rather have no money in the bank, but a fairy that pays for everything you buy, or have one billion dollars in the bank, but never be allowed to touch it? Most of us would choose the fairy. Stanley and Danko, however, veer a little too close to the second scenario as they stress the importance of self-denial. Their thrifty definition of being a millionaire is not relevant to the wants and needs of many people. While their definition can usefully reframe our thinking about what it means to be a millionaire, it also has its limitations. As writer, trader, and risk analyst Nassim Taleb says, â€Å"I see no special heroism in accumulating money, particularly if, in addition, the person is foolish enough to not even try to derive any tangible benefit from the wealth...I certainly do not see the point of becoming [a millionaire] if I were to adopt Spartan (even miserly) habits and live in my starter house." Part of the reason that the authors focus so much on â€Å"next door millionaires† is that they technically represent the â€Å"average† millionaire. Most millionaires have something like $1 million and not $10 million, and most saved this sum from hard work and thrift. But when readers say they want to be a millionaire, are they necessarily focusing on the lifestyle of the â€Å"average† millionaire? It’s almost like you said you wanted to get a Ferrari, and the book told you that most Ferrari owners got their car in the Hot Wheels section of Toys R Us. While this might technically be true (the stat includes everyone from age three to age 93), it’s not what you had in mind when you said you wanted a Ferrari. You didn’t want to take an average of all Ferrari owners, six-year-olds included, but rather wanted to use much narrower and more personalized parameters, like adult owners of real cars who have a similar financial profile as you. Stanley and Danko offer a potentially fruitful path toward becoming a millionaire, but it’s one that may not appeal or apply to all readers. The second weakness in this book has to do with its overall conclusions. From a mathematical standpoint, the book states some rather obvious statistics. Read on to learn why. The book's characterization of what it takes to become a millionaire are a bit too Puritanical for some people's tastes. #2: Its Conclusions Are Not All That Surprising Part of this book’s popularity has to do with its so-called surprising findings about what it means to be a millionaire. Millionaires aren’t tucked away behind security gates on their own private tropical islands, the book insists. They live right next to you and me! From a mathematical standpoint, though, the conclusion that most millionaires amassed their wealth through high saving, rather than high earning, is not astonishing. On the contrary, it’s totally predictable. To understand why, first, consider this representative example involving people and hats of various heights. Let’s say we want to learn more about people who are nine-feet tall. In our scenario, we’ll count hats as part of the height. In this scatterplot, you have people of various heights along the x-axis and hats of various heights along the y-axis. Hat heights are evenly distributed, but the number of people above six feet drops off rapidly. Heights and Hats: Diagram 1 Now let’s look at the people who are nine feet or taller, hats included. Above this line, everyone is nine feet or taller, while everyone below it is less than nine feet. Heights and Hats: Diagram 2 As you can see, there are a lot more people who hit the nine-foot mark because they’re wearing a hat. Only one person is nine feet on his own without a hat, because there are so few nine-foot tall people wandering the earth. Now, we’re not really talking about heights and hats; we’re talking about income and savings rates. Let’s use this same scatterplot to learn about people who have $1 million or more. Do they make a high income, or do they just have a high savings rate (or, as the analogy goes, wear a tall hat)? Here, income is represented along the x-axis and the rate of savings is represented along the y-axis. Income and Savings Rates: Diagram 1 Now let’s estimate a line through the data so that we’re roughly focusing on everyone with a net worth of $1 million or higher. Income and Savings Rates: Diagram 2 Just as there are only a few 8-foot tall people, there are also only a few people with incomes close to $1 million or higher. The rate that people save their money, rather than how much they earn, is much more evenly distributed across income levels. When you look at the way income levels rapidly extinguish as you get closer to a million, you can conclude that it’s a lot more common for people to accumulate $1 million or more by significantly raising their savings rate than by boosting their income into the six digits. This math shows us that most millionaires amassed their fortune through saving a lot. While this is useful to know, it’s not necessarily as revelatory as the marketers of The Millionaire Next Door have made it seem. By simply looking at the numbers, you can figure out on your own that most millionaires became wealthy by spending little and saving a lot. Given this mixed review of The Millionaire Next Door, what’s the final verdict? Should you read this book? The hats in the example above are a metaphor, as hats so often are. Reader’s Choice: Should You Read The Millionaire Next Door? All in all, The Millionaire Next Door has a lot to teach us about the choices and lifestyles of the average millionaire in the US. Whether or not it’s the most enlightening book for you largely depends on what you’re looking for. Is your main financial goal to save over $1 million in the bank and assets while spending little? If so, then this book will be right up your alley. Or would you rather spend well on things that you enjoy, but not necessarily go over the tipping point from $900k to $1 million? If this sounds like you, then this book may not apply as well to your financial goals. It's also important to remember that this book came from a study of the nation's millionaires. It's valuable and interesting for those who want insight into how others accumulate wealth rather than tips for how to do it themselves. In closing, let’s go over the main takeaways from The Millionaire Next Door. Remember that The Millionaire Next Door came from the studies of two academics. It wasn't meant to be a how-to guide for your personal finances. The Millionaire Next Door: Final Takeaways The Millionaire Next Door offers several lessons that endure for people today. To responsibly manage your finances, you generally want to save more, spend less, and avoid debt that you can’t afford. You should also take advantage of compound interest growth by making smart investments early in life. At the same time, you won’t find much discussion of quality of life or increasing your spending in a sustainable way in these pages. After all, it was not originally meant to be a personal finance guide, but rather an in-depth study of the nation’s millionaires. The book does not promise that anyone who saves and invests will become a millionaire, nor does it discuss social realities of inequity and privilege. You should read with a critical eye, so that you don’t come away with an overly idealized view of economic mobility or forget that some people experience barriers to wealth while others have more doors open. Ultimately, the book's lessons about what it means to be a millionaire can be useful for anyone who is trying to set financial goals and find realistic ways to work toward them. Readers will need to strike their own balance between self-denial and consumption as they take control of their personal finances.

Seminar in criminology - Discussion 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seminar in criminology - Discussion 10 - Essay Example However, it cannot be determined chiefly by looking at the offender’s arrest data. The drawback is that not all forms of crimes get recorded in official police documents. Nonetheless, by measuring the time that has elapsed until the offender committed another crime is one of the ways of measuring recidivism and has no drawback. Interviewing the offender to establish whether he or she has committed more crimes after enrolling in a probation program is also helpful. The drawback is that the offender may lie. Another way to measure would be to make charts of the new offenses that the offender commits over the amount of time that elapses. Lastly, making an analysis of the criminal events that the offender carries out such as violations, convictions and new arrests is also helpful. The drawback in this case is that not all offenders get arrested based on truthful causes. Burgess found that those offenders who had no favorable items and those who had nine unfavorable items were the ones who were not likely to succeed while on probation (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge, 2014). On page 294, it is evident that Burgess found that they only had a 45% chance of succeeding (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge,

Over Recent Decades, Developments in Company Law and Financial Assignment

Over Recent Decades, Developments in Company Law and Financial Reporting Standards Have Impacted Significantly on the Reporting - Assignment Example This paper focuses on the requirements of U.K. companies for representing financial statement while maintaining some accounting standards and company laws as well as the comparison of financial reporting standards of U.K with that of USA. The current requirements for the reporting of the financial performance of companies in the U.K. In June 2002 the European Union adopted the International Accounting Standards (IAS). For this reason the listed companies in European Union (EU) security market including banks and insurance companies have to prepare their financial statements in accordance with International Financing Reporting Standards. United Kingdom is one the members of EU. For that the U.K. companies have been following the rules and regulation of IFRS since 2005 (Delloitte, 2012). Under the U.K. Companies Act 2006, the directors of the company have to prepare financial statement according to the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). Under this company law the direct ors have to approve their financial statement by considering that, the statements give the exact and original value (Harthorn & King, 2011, p.70). Director’s report should include the analysis using the key performance indicators and these things indicate the information’s of environmental and employee matters (Elwin & Hirst, 2006, p. 2). There are various operating and regulatory bodies like Financial Reporting Council, Accounting Standard Board, Auditing Practice Board, Accounting and Actuarial Discipline Board. These are involved in setting up the requirements for financial reporting of a company. Financial reporting exposure draft (a document released by Financial Accounting Standard Board) indicates the presentation of information about the company’s financial performance in both the primary statement and supporting notes. It was a proposal, issued in the year of 1992. When the new proposal implemented, it has changed some existing requirements of financial reporting for the companies of U.K. The proposal was made for the advancement of financial reporting standards in some below mentioned field (Accounting Standard Board, 2000, pp. 3-7). 1. The profit and loss account and the total gain & loss statement are combined to form a single financial indicator. 2. The above mentioned statement will indicate all the gains and losses during the time period in which the statement was made. 3. The company should divide the statement in to three parts a. Operating b. financing and treasury c. Other gains and losses 4. While preparing the performance statement for a particular period the amount of dividend paid to the share holders does not get included in that. (Accounting Standard Board, 2000, pp. 11-12) 5. Balance sheets, income statements, retain earning statements and cash flow statements are the four types of primary statement. Primary statement should consider the ownership interest (Primary Financial Statement). Financial Reporting Exposur e Draft (FRED) proposes that Earning Per Share (EPS), dividends for a particular period should be mentioned as a memorandum items. These items are shown in the balance sheet but these things are not added in the final total. A letter note including reserves note and note of gains and losses in past days are made optional for the companies

The Cold War Essay Example for Free

The Cold War Essay It was in the latter part of the 1960s when America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration succeeded in landing a manned mission on the moon. But this event is not enough to define the 60s; it was the Cold War between the USSR and the United States of America that can rightfully make this claim. A closer look into the motivations behind the space program will reveal that the driving force was President Kennedy’s desire to show the world that the American way of life is better than what communism has to offer. In 1960, Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet Russia’s commander-in-chief declared that America’s grandchildren would live under communism† (Shapiro, 2004). In 1963 America was in the brink of a nuclear war with the USSR. The Cuban Missile Crisis was averted only at the last minute. Both Russia and the United States were determined to show the whole world which ideology was the best (Westad, 2007). It is a good thing that both nations were evenly matched and so the world was spared another global war. But since Khrushchev made that UN speech, Americans could never rest easy. Although there were no Russian-made nuclear warheads that found its way into American soil, people still live in dread. According to Shapiro, â€Å"We constructed mock air raids in our schools; we engineered civil defense plans to expedite evacuations of metropolitan areas, we built up our military forces and armament† (2004). In short the Cold War consumed the whole of the United States and its impact will be felt three decades later.a

Lifes Many Obstacles - Catcher :: essays research papers

Life’s Many Obstacles   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In J. D. Salinger’s â€Å"The Catcher in the Rye† the protagonist, Holden, is faced with many obstacles. Like most tragic heroes, he is a man who is reasonably happy at the beginning of the tragedy, but as the tragedy develops, some failure in his personality begins to affect events, so that his progress is a movement from happiness to misery. The ultimate misery results from his final awareness of his personalities limits or failures. Much of Holden’s misery is a result of his inability to successfully handle particular problems regarding adolescence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holden’s loneliness and overall low self-esteem are the primary adolescent motivaters for his breakdown. Holden’s general need for female companionship leads him to a reasonably accurate self-analysis: he thinks that he is the â€Å"biggest sex maniac you ever saw,† but later admits that he really doesn’t understand sex or know much about it. Holden, however, finds himself feeling rather â€Å"horny† and decides to call upon the service of Faith Cavendish. She â€Å"wasn’t exactly a whore or anything but she didn’t mind doing it once in a while...† Holden feels this experience will thrust him into what he considers the adult world. The conversation with Faith was a long one but inevitably led to nothing. An incursion into the adult world, or what Holden considers it to be, had been thwarted. In part, the failure happens because he doesn’t really know the rules, and also because loneliness is not a subs titute for experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Habitual lying is a trait not only found in adolescence but also in people of all ages. It is sometimes generated from a lack of self-esteem, boredom and self-preservation. Holden exaggerates many truths not out of a conscious decision to deceive, but rather to lend emphasis to facts he is unsure of as when he states, â€Å"Pencey Prep advertises in about a thousand magazines.† However, Holden also has no convictions against telling outright untruths if he can come out for the better on the other side of the exchange. â€Å"I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It’s awful. If I’m on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I’m going, I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera. It’s terrible. So when I told old Spencer I had to go to the gym to get my equipment and stuff, that was a sheer lie.

Haptic Technology Essay

Haptic is the â€Å"science of applying tactile sensation to human interaction with computers†. The sensation of touch is the brains most effective learning mechanism –more effective than seeing or hearing –which is why the new technology holds so much promise as a teaching tool. With this technology we can now sit down at a computer terminal and touch objects that exists on â€Å"mind† of the computer. By using special input/output devices (joysticks, data gloves or other devices),users can receive feedback from computer applications in the form of felt sensations in the hand or other parts of the body. In combination with a visual display, Haptic technology can be used to train people for tasks requiring hand- eye coordinatio , such as surgery and spaceship maneuvers. In our paper we have discussed the basic concepts behind haptics along with the haptic devices and how these devices are interacted to produce sense of touch and force feedback mechanisms. Then, we move on to a few applications of Haptic Technology. Finally we conclude by mentioning a few future developments. Introduction: Haptic technology, or haptics, is a tactile feedback technology which takes advantage of the sense of touch by applying forces,vibrations or motions to the user.This mechanical stimulation can be used to assist in the creation of virtual objects in a computer simulation, to control such virtual objects, and to enhance the remote control of machines and devices (telerobotics). It has been described as â€Å"doing for the sense of touch what computer graphics does for vision†. Haptic devices may incorporate tactile sensors that measure forces exerted by the user on the interface. Haptic technology has made it possible to investigate how the human sense of touch works by allowing the creation of carefully controlled haptic virtual objects. These objects are used to systematically probe human haptic capabilities, which would otherwise be difficult to achieve. These research tools contribute to the understanding of how touch and its underlying brain functions work. The word haptic, from the Greek á ¼â€¦Ãâ‚¬Ãâ€žÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃÅ'Ï‚ (haptikos), means pertaining to the sense of touch and comes from the Greek verb á ¼â€¦Ãâ‚¬Ãâ€žÃŽ µÃÆ'ÃŽ ¸ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ¹haptesthai, meaning to contact or to touch. WHAT IS HAPTICS Haptics is Quite Literally The Science of Touch. The origin of the word haptics is the Greek haptikos, meaning able to grasp or perceive. Haptic sensations are created in consumer devices by actuators, or motors, which create a vibration. Those vibrations are managed and controlled by embedded software, and integrated into device user interfaces and applications via the embedded control software APIs. You’ve probably experienced haptics in many of the consumer devices that you use every day. The rumble effect in your console game controller and the reassuring touch vibration you receive on your smartphone dial pad are both examples of haptic effects. In the world of mobile devices, computers, consumer electronics, and digital devices and controls, meaningful haptic information is frequently limited or missing. For example, when dialing a number or entering text on a conventional touchscreen without haptics, users have no sense of whether they’ve successfully completed a task.With Immersion’s haptic technology, users feel the vibrating force or resistance as they push a virtual button, scroll through a list or encounter the end of a menu. In a video or mobile game with haptics, users can feel the gun recoil, the engine rev, or the crack of the bat meeting the ball. When simulating the placement of cardiac pacing leads, a user can feel the forces that would be encountered when navigating the leads through a beating heart, providing a more realistic experience of performing this procedure. Haptics can enhance the user experience through: * Improved Usability: By restoring the sense of touch to otherwise flat, cold surfaces, haptics creates fulfilling multi-modal experiences that improve usability by engaging touch, sight and sound. From the confidence a user receives through touch confirmation when selecting a virtual button to the contextual awareness they receive through haptics in a first person shooter game, haptics improves usability by more fully engaging the user’s senses. * Enhanced Realism: Haptics injects a sense of realism into user experiences by exciting the senses and allowing the user to feel the action and nuance of the application. This is particularly relevant in applications like games or simulation that rely on only visual and audio inputs. The inclusion of tactile feedback provides additional context that translates into a sense of realism for the user. * Restoration of Mechanical Feel: Today’s touchscreen-driven devices lack the physical feedback that humans frequently need to fully understand the context of their interactions. By providing users with intuitive and unmistakable tactile confirmation, haptics can create a more confident user experience and can also improve safety by overcoming distractions. This is especially important when audio or visual confirmation is insufficient, such as industrial applications, or applications that involve distractions, such as automotive navigation. HISTORY OF HAPTICS In the early 20th century, psychophysicists introduced the word haptic to label the subfield of their studies that addressed human touch-based perception and manipulation. In the 1970s and 1980s, significant research efforts in a completely different field,robotics also began to focus on manipulation and perception by touch. Initiallyconcerned with building autonomous robots, researchers soon found that building adexterous robotic hand was much more complex and subtle than their initial naive hopeshad suggested. In time these two communities, one that sought to understand the human hand and one that aspired to create devices with dexterity inspired by human abilities found fertile mutual interest in topics such as sensory design and processing, grasp control andmanipulation, object representation and haptic information encoding, and grammars for describing physical tasks. In the early 1990s a new usage of the word haptics began to emerge. The confluence of several emerging technologi es made virtualized haptics, or computer haptics possible. Much like computer graphics, computer haptics enables the display of simulated objectsto humans in an interactive manner. However, computer haptics uses a display technology through which objects can be physically palpated. Basic system configuration. Basically a haptic system consist of two parts namely the human part and the machine part. In the figure shown above, the human part (left) senses and controls the position of the hand, while the machine part (right) exerts forces from the hand to simulate contact with a virtual object. Also both the systems will be provided with necessary sensors, processors and actuators. In the case of the human system, nerve receptors performs sensing, brain performs processing and m-uscles performs actuation of the motion performed by the hand while in the case of the machine system, the above mentioned functions are performed by the encoders, computer and motors respectively. Haptic Information Basically the haptic information provided by the system will be the combination of (i)Tactile information and (ii) Kinesthetic information. Tactile information refers the information acquired by the sensors which are actually connected to the skin of the human body with a particular reference to the spatial distribution of pressure, or more generally, tractions, across the contact area .For example when we handle flexible materials like fabric and paper, we sense the pressure variation across the fingertip. This is actually a sort of tactile information .Tactile sensing is also the basis of complex perceptual tasks like medical palpation ,where physicians locate hidden anatomical structures and evaluate tissue properties using their hands. Kinesthetic information refers to the information acquired through the sensors in the joints. Interaction forces are normally perceived through a combination of these two information’s. Creation of Virtual environment (Virtual reality) Virtual reality is the technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, whether that environment is a simulation of the real world or an imaginary world. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special or stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. Some advanced haptic systems now include tactile information, generally known as force feedback, in medical and gaming applications. Users can interact with a virtual environment or a virtual artifact (VA)either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove, the Polhemus boom arm, and omnidirectional treadmill. The simulated environment can be similar to the real world, for example, simulations for pilot or combat training, or it can differ significantly from reality, as in VR games. In practice, it is currently very difficult to create a high-fidelity virtual reality experience, due to largely technical limitations on processing power,image resolution and communication bandwidth. However, those limitations are expected to eventually be overcome as processor, imaging and data communication technologies become more powerful and cost-effective over time. Virtual Reality is often used to describe a wide variety of applications, commonly associated with its immersive, highly visual, 3D environments. The development of CAD software, graphics hardware acceleration, head mounted displays; database gloves and miniaturization have helped popularize the motion.The most successful use of virtual reality is generated 3-D simulators. The pilots use flight simulators. These flight simulators have designed just like cockpit of the airplanes or the helicopter. The screen in front of the pilot creates virtual environment and the trainers outside the simulators commands the simulator for adopt different modes. The pilots are trained to control the planes indifferent difficult situations and emergency landing. The simulator provides the environment. These simulators cost millions of dollars. Virtual environment The virtual reality games are also used almost in the same fashion. The player has to wear special gloves, headphones, goggles, full body wearing and special sensory input devices. The player feels that he is in the real environment. The special goggles have monitors to see. The environment changes according to the moments of the player. These games are very expensive. Haptic Feedback Virtual reality (VR) applications strive to simulate real or imaginary scenes with which users can interact and perceive the effects of their actions in real time. Ideally the user interacts with the simulation via all five senses. However, today’s typical VR applications rely on a smaller subset, typically vision, hearing, and more recently, touch. Figure below shows the structure of a VR application incorporating visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. Haptic Feedback Block Diagram The application’s main elements are:1) The simulation engine, responsible for computing the virtual environments Behaviour over time;2) Visual, auditory, and haptic rendering algorithms, which compute the virtual Environment’s graphic, sound, and force responses toward the user; and3) Transducers, which convert visual, audio, and force signals from the Computer into a form the operator can perceive. The human operator typically holds or wears the haptic interface device and perceives audiovisual feedback from audio (computer speakers, headphones, and so on) and visual displays (for example a computer screen or head-mounted display).Whereas audio and visual channels feature unidirectional information and energy flow (from the simulation engine toward the user), the haptic modality exchanges information and energy in two directions, from and toward the user. This bi-directionality is often referred to as the single most important feature of the haptic interaction modality. HAPTIC DEVICES A haptic device is the one that provides a physical interface between the user and the virtual environment by means of a computer. This can be done through an input/ output device that senses the body’s movement, such as joystick or data glove. By using haptic devices, the user can not only feed information to the computer but can also receive information from the computer in the form of a felt sensation on some part of the body. This is referred to as a haptic interface. These devices can be broadly classified into:- a)Virtual reality/ Tele-robotics based devices:- Exoskeletons and Stationary device, Gloves and wearable devices, Point-source and Specific task devices, Locomotion Interfaces b) Feedback devices:- Force feedback devices, Tactile displays Virtual reality/Tele-robotics based devices:- Exoskeletons and Stationary devices: The term exoskeleton refers to the hard outer shell that exists on many creatures. In a technical sense, the word refers to a system that covers the user or the user has to wear. Current haptic devices that are classified as exoskeletons are large and immobile systems that the user must attach him or her to. Gloves and wearable devices: These devices are smaller exoskeleton-like devices that are often, but not always, take the down by a large exoskeleton or other immobile devices. Since the goal of building a haptic system is to be able to immerse a user in the virtual or remote environment and it is important to provide a small remainder of the user’s actual environment as possible. The drawback of the wearable systems is that since weight and size of the devices are a concern, the systems will have more limited sets of capabilities. Point sources and specific task devices: This is a class of devices that are very specialized for performing a particular given task. Designing a device to perform a single type of task restricts the application of that device to a much smaller number of functions. However it allows the designer to focus the device to perform its task extremely well. These task devices have two general forms, single point of interface devices and specific task devices. Locomotion interface: An interesting application of haptic feedback is in the form of full body Force Feedback called locomotion interfaces. Locomotion interfaces are movement of force restrictiondevices in a confined space, simulating unrestrained mobility such as walking andrunning for virtual reality. These interfaces overcomes the limitations of using joysticks for maneuvering or whole body motion platforms, in which the user is seated and does not expend energy, and of room environments, where only short distances can betraversed. b) Feedback Devices:- Force feedback devices: Force feedback input devices are usually, but not exclusively, connected to computer systems and is designed to apply forces to simulate the sensation of weight andresistance in order to provide information to the user. As such, the feedback hardware represents a more sophisticated form of input/output devices, complementing others such as keyboards, mice or trackers. Input from the user in the form of hand, or other body segment whereas feedback from the computer or other device is in the form of hand, or other body segment whereas feedback from the computer or other device is in the form of force or position. These devices translate digital information into physical sensations Tactile display devices: Simulation task involving active exploration or delicate manipulation of a virtualenvironment require the addition of feedback data that presents an object’s surface geometry or texture. Such feedback is provided by tactile feedback systems or tactile display devices. Tactile systems differ from haptic systems in the scale of the forces being generated. While haptic interfaces will present the shape, weight or compliance of an object, tactile interfaces present the surface properties of an object such as the object’s surface texture. Tactile feedback applies sensation to the skin. c)COMMONLY USED HAPTIC INTERFACING DEVICES:- PHANTOM: It is a haptic interfacing device developed by a company named Sensible technologies. It is primarily used for providing a 3D touch to the virtual objects. This is a very high resolution 6 DOF device in which the user holds the end of a motor controlled jointed arm. It provides a programmable sense of touch that allows the user to feel the texture and shape of the virtual object with a very high degree of realism. One of its key features is that it can model free floating 3 dimensional objects. Cyber glove: The principle of a Cyber glove is simple. It consists of opposing the movement of the hand in the same way that an object squeezed between the fingers resists the movement of the latter. The glove must therefore be capable, in the absence of a real object, of recreating the forces applied by the object on the human hand with (1) the same intensity and (2) the same direction. These two conditions can be simplified by requiring the glove to apply a torque equal to the interphalangian joint. The solution that we have chosen uses a mechanical structure with three passive joints which, with the interphalangian joint, make up a flat four-bar closed-link mechanism. This solution use cables placed at the interior of the four-bar mechanism and following a trajectory identical to that used by the extensor tendons which, by nature, oppose the movement of the flexor tendons in order to harmonize the movement of the fingers. Among the advantages of this structure one can cite:- †¢Allows 4 dof for each fingers †¢Adapted to different size of the finger Located on the back of the hand †¢Apply different forces on each phalanx (The possibility of applying a lateral force on the fingertip by motorizing the abduction/adduction joint) †¢Measure finger angular flexion (The measure of the joint angles are Independent and can have a good resolution given the important paths travelled by the cables when the finger shut. Cyber glove Mechanism Mechanical structure of a Cyber glove: The glove is made up of five fingers and has 19 degrees of freedom 5 of which are passive. Each finger is made up of a passive abduction joint which links it to the base (palm) and to 9 rotoid joints which, with the three interphalangian joints, make up 3closed-link mechanism with four bar and 1 degree of freedom. The structure of the thumb is composed of only two closed-links, for 3 dof of which one is passive. The segments of the glove are made of aluminum and can withstand high charges; their total weight does not surpass 350 grams. The length of the segments is proportional to the length of the phalanxes. All of the joints are mounted on miniature ball bearings in order to reduce friction. Fig 3.4 Mechanical Structural of Cyber glove The mechanical structure offers two essential advantages: the first is the facility of adapting to different sizes of the human hand. We have also provided for lateraladjustment in order to adapt the interval between the fingers at the palm. The second advantage is the presence of physical stops in the structure which offer complete security to the operator. The force sensor is placed on the inside of a fixed support on the upper part of the phalanx. The sensor is made up of a steel strip on which a strain gauge was glued. The position sensor used to measure the cable displacement is incremental optical encoders offering an average theoretical resolution equal to 0.1 deg for the finger joints. Control of Cyber glove: The glove is controlled by 14 torque motors with continuous current which can develop a maximal torque equal to 1.4 Nm and a continuous torque equal to 0.12 Nm. On each motor we fix a pulley with an 8.5 mm radius onto which the cable is wound. The maximal force that the motor can exert on the cable is thus equal to 14.0 N, a value sufficient to ensure opposition to the movement of the finger. The electronic interface of the force feedback data glove is made of PC with several acquisition cards. The global scheme of the control is given in the figure shown below. One can distinguish two command loops: an internal loop which corresponds to a classic force control with constant gains and an external loop which integrates the model of distortion of the virtual object in contact with the fingers. In this schema the action of man on the position of the fingers joints is taken into consideration by the two control loops. Man is considered as a displacement generator while the glove is considered as a force generator Haptic Rendering: It is a process of applying forces to the user through a force-feedback device. Using haptic rendering, we can enable a user to touch, feel and manipulate virtual objects. Enhance a user’s experience in virtual environment. Haptic rendering is process of displaying synthetically generated 2D/3D haptic stimuli to the user. The haptic interface acts as a two-port system terminated on one side by the human operator and on the other side by the virtual environment. . Applications The addition of haptics to various applications of virtual reality and teleoperation opens exciting possibilities. Three example applications that have been pursued at our Touch Lab are summarized below. †¢ Medical Simulators: Just as flight simulators are used to train pilots, the multimodal virtual environment system we have developed is being used in developing virtual reality based needle procedures and surgical simulators that enable a medical trainee to see, touch, and manipulate realistic models of biological tissues and organs. The work involves the development of both instrumented hardware and software algorithms for real-time displays. An epidural injection simulator has already been tested by residents and experts in two hospitals. A minimally invasive surgery simulator is also being developed and includes (a) in vivo measurement of the mechanical properties tissues and organs, (b) development of a variety of real-time algorithms for the computation of tool-tissue force interactions and organ deformations, and (c) verification of the traning effectiveness of the simulator. This work is reviewed in [9]. . †¢ Collaborative Haptics: In another project, the use of haptics to improve humancomputer interaction as well as human-human interactions mediated by computers is being explored. A multimodal shared virtual environment system has been developed and experiments have been performed with human subjects to study the role of haptic feedback in collaborative tasks and whether haptic communication through force feedback can facilitate a sense of being and collaborating with a remote partner. Two scenarios, one in which the partners are in close proximity and the other in which they are separated by several thousand miles (transatlantic touch with collaborators in University College, London, [11]), have been demonstrated. †¢ Brain Machine Interfaces: In a collaborative project with Prof. Nicolelis of Duke University Medical School, we recently succeeded in controlling a robot in real-time using signals from about 100 neurons in the motor cortex of a monkey [12]. We demonstrated that this could be done not only with a robot within Duke, but also across the internet with a robot in our lab. This work opens a whole new paradigm for studying the sensorimotor functions in the Central Nervous System. In addition, a future application is the possibility of implanted brain-machine interfaces for paralyzed patients to control external devices such as smart prostheses, similar to pacemakers or cochlear implants. Given below are several more potential applications: †¢ Medicine: manipulating micro and macro robots for minimally invasive surgery; remote diagnosis for telemedicine; aids for the disabled such as haptic interfaces for the blind.   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Entertainment: video games and simulators that enable the user to feel and manipulate virtual solids, fluids, tools, and avatars.   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Education: giving students the feel of phenomena at nano, macro, or astronomical scales; â€Å"what if† scenarios for non-terrestrial physics; experiencing complex data sets. †¢ Industry: integration of haptics into CAD systems such that a designer can freely manipulate the mechanical components of an assembly in an immersive environment. †¢ Graphic Arts: virtual art exhibits, concert rooms, and museums in which the user can login remotely to play the musical instruments, and to touch and feel the haptic attributes of the displays; individual or co-operative virtual sculpturing across the internet APPLICATIONS, LIMITATION & FUTUREVISION MEDICINE Haptic interfaces for medical simulation may prove especially useful for training in minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopy and interventional radiology, as well as for performing remote surgery. A particular advantage of this type of work is that surgeons can perform more operations of a similar type with less fatigue. It is well documented that a surgeon who performs more procedures of a given kind will have statistically better outcomes for his patients. Haptic interfaces are also used in rehabilitation. By using this technology a person can have exercise simulated and be used to rehabilitate somebody with injury. A Virtual Haptic Back (VHB) was successfully integrated in the curriculum at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Research indicates that VHB is a significant teaching aid in palpatory diagnosis (detection of medical problems via touch). The VHB simulates the contour and stiffness of human backs, which are palpated with two haptic interfaces (SensAble Technologies, PHANToM 3.0). Haptics have also been applied in the field of prosthetics and orthotics. Research has been underway to provide essential feedback from a prosthetic limb to its wearer. Several research projects through the US Department of Education and National Institutes of Health focused on this area. Recent work by Edward Colgate, Pravin Chaubey, and Allison Okamura et al. focused on investigating fundamental issues and determining effectiveness for rehabilitation. Video games Haptic feedback is commonly used in arcade games, especially racing video games. In 1976, Sega’s motorbike game Moto-Cross, also known as Fonz, was the first game to use haptic feedback which caused the handlebars to vibrate during a collision with another vehicle. Tatsumi’s TX-1 introduced force feedback to car driving games in 1983. Simple haptic devices are common in the form of game controllers, joysticks, and steering wheels. Early implementations were provided through optional components, such as the Nintendo 64controller’s Rumble Pak. Many newer generation console controllers and joysticks feature built in feedback devices, including Sony’s DualShock technology. Some automobile steering wheel controllers, for example, are programmed to provide a â€Å"feel† of the road. As the user makes a turn or accelerates, the steering wheel responds by resisting turns or slipping out of control. In 2007, Novint released the Falcon, the first consumer 3D touch device with high resolution three-dimensional force feedback; this allowed the haptic simulation of objects, textures, recoil, momentum, and the physical presence of objects in games. Personal computers In 2008, Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro started incorporating a â€Å"Tactile Touchpad† design with button functionality and haptic feedback incorporated into the tracking surface. Products such as the Synaptics ClickPad followed thereafter. Windows and Mac operating environments, will also benefit greatly from haptic interactions. Imagine being able to feel graphic buttons and receive force feedback as you depress a button. Mobile devices Tactile haptic feedback is becoming common in cellular devices. Handset manufacturers like LG and Motorola are including different types of haptic technologies in their devices; in most cases, this takes the form of vibration response to touch. The Nexus One features haptic feedback, according to their specifications. Nokia phone designers have perfected a tactile touch screen that makes on-screen buttons behave as if they were real buttons. When a user presses the button, he or she feels movement in and movement out. He also hears an audible click. Nokia engineers accomplished this by placing two small piezoelectric sensor pads under the screen and designing the screen soit could move slightly when pressed. Everything, movement and sound is synchronized perfectly to simulate real button manipulation. Robotics The Shadow Hand uses the sense of touch, pressure, and position to reproduce the strength, delicacy, and complexity of the human grip. The SDRH was developed by Richard Greenhill and his team of engineers in London as part of The Shadow Project, now known as the Shadow Robot Company, an ongoing research and development program whose goal is to complete the first convincing artificial humanoid. An early prototype can be seen in NASA’s collection of humanoid robots, or robonauts. The Shadow Hand has haptic sensors embedded in every joint and finger pad, which relay information to a central computer for processing and analysis. Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania and Bielefeld University in Germany found The Shadow Hand to be an invaluable tool in advancing the understanding of haptic awareness, and in 2006 they were involved in related research. The first PHANTOM, which allows one to interact with objects in virtual reality through touch, was developed by Thomas Massie wh ile a student of Ken Salisbury at MIT. Future Applications: Future applications of haptic technology cover a wide spectrum of human interaction with technology. Current research focuses on the mastery of tactile interaction with holograms and distant objects, which if successful may result in applications and advancements in gaming, movies, manufacturing, medical, and other industries. The medical industry stands to gain from virtual and telepresence surgeries, which provide new options for medical care. The clothing retail industry could gain from haptic technology by allowing users to â€Å"feel† the texture of clothes for sale on the internet. Future advancements in haptic technology may create new industries that were previously not feasible or realistic. Future medical applications One currently developing medical innovation is a central workstation used by surgeons to perform operations remotely. Local nursing staff set up the machine and prepare the patient, and rather than travel to an operating room, the surgeon becomes a telepresence. This allows expert surgeons to operate from across the country, increasing availability of expert medical care. Haptic technology provides tactile and resistance feedback to surgeons as they operate the robotic device. As the surgeon makes an incision, they feel ligaments as if working directly on the patient. As of 2003, researchers at Stanford University were developing technology to simulate surgery for training purposes. Simulated operations allow surgeons and surgical students to practice and train more. Haptic technology aids in the simulation by creating a realistic environment of touch. Much like telepresence surgery, surgeons feel simulated ligaments, or the pressure of a virtual incision as if it were real. The researchers, led by J. Kenneth Salisbury Jr., professor of computer science and surgery, hope to be able to create realistic internal organs for the simulated surgeries, but Salisbury stated that the task will be difficult. The idea behind the research is that â€Å"just as commercial pilots train in flight simulators before they’re unleashed on real passengers, surgeons will be able to practice their first incisions without actually cutting anyone†. According to a Boston University paper published in The Lancet, â€Å"Noise-based devices, such as randomly vibrating insoles, could also ameliorate age-related impairments in balance control.† If effective, affordable haptic insoles were available, perhaps many injuries from falls in old age or due to illness-related balance-impairment could be avoided.

Summary of Becoming Human’s Interactive Documentary

This is a documentary by Donald C. Johanson, a paleoanthropologist. It discusses about the evidences that prove where humans did originate. The story starts in Africa where our ancestors are believed to have first stood up and eventually continued to evolve and spread out across the globe.Insights of our ancestors In Johanson’s trip to Hadar Ethiopia in 1973, he made a discovery that firmly placed this geographical location as one of the most significant hominoid fossil sites in the world.He discovered bones of a hominid, which they called Lucy. Johanson called her Lucy because when her fossils were being examined, the song â€Å"Lucy† of the Beatles was playing on the background. He suspected it to be a female because of the skeleton’s petite stature. This discovery opened a major opportunity for the study of human origin. Kaye Reed, a paleoecologist, said that Hadar Ethiopia was a place full of trees three million years ago so it was a good place for animals to live in, more importantly there was enough food for hominids to eat.In line with this, the long arms of Lucy helped her to climb trees and get away from these predators and survive. There were also fossils in Saddaman, which were probably Lucy’s species, whose foot prints proved them to be hominids for they are bipedal. The brain size and body size of the fossils also prove that they are hominids. The Homo neanderthalensis are closely related to Homo sapiens, the genus for modern humans.One paleoanthropologist thinks that Homo sapiens succeeded to survive and Neanderthals went on being extinct without contributing to the modern human gene but another one thinks that modern humans have Neanderthal genes. The culture of man’s ancestors can be seen in Australia where human expression is visible through writings. It was also conducive for aboriginal artists to paint on. Reference: Institute of Human Origin (2008). Becoming Human. Retrieved May 16, 2010, from http://www. b ecominghuman. org/node/interactive-docume

anita desai essays

anita desai essays Anita Desai is one of the best known authors in the world and she has influenced generations of authors. Desais novels and main characters were mostly based on situations or people in her life or what would usual happen in her surroundings. Growing up it India during World War II had a large impact on her life. Her books were written in a way that would almost make you think the stories were completely true. Her books and characters were similar to her and the stories of her life. Desai was born as Anita Mazumadar in Musoorie, a northern India hill station near Dehra Dun on June 24 1937. Born to a Bengali business man father and a mother that was from Germany and was the Toni Nime. She grew up during World War II and was no stranger to discrimination which is reflected in her writing. She was multilingual and she speaks German at home, as well, as Bengali, Urdu, Hindi and English at school and in the streets. Growing up she says she was surrounded by western culture which probably had tweaked her writing to get more popular in North America. She began to write English at the age of seven and her first book published at the age of nine. At the age of 21 she married a business man named Ashvin Desai and they raised four children together. She is currently a college teacher in Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Anita never tried, or ever got her work published in India because no publisher in India would be interested in a fiction writer from India. She was first noticed in England and later in North America. She believes she was noticed in England because of her western style of writing and their interest in India. She once said I can state definitely that I did not choose English in a deliberate and conscious act and Id say perhaps it was a language that chose me and I started writing stories in English at the age of seven, and have been doing so for thirt ...

Types of Chemical Reactions (With Examples)

Types of Chemical Reactions (With Examples) A chemical reaction is a process generally characterized by a chemical change in which the starting materials (reactants) are different from the products. Chemical reactions tend to involve the motion of electrons, leading to the formation and breaking of chemical bonds. There are several different types of chemical reactions and more than one way of classifying them. Here are some common reaction types:   Oxidation-Reduction or Redox Reaction In a redox reaction, the oxidation numbers of atoms are changed. Redox reactions may involve the transfer of electrons between chemical species.The reaction that occurs when In which I2 is reduced to I- and S2O32- (thiosulfate anion) is oxidized to S4O62- provides an example of a redox reaction:2 S2O32−(aq) I2(aq) → S4O62−(aq) 2 I−(aq) Direct Combination or Synthesis Reaction In a synthesis reaction, two or more chemical species combine to form a more complex product.A B → ABThe combination of iron and sulfur to form iron (II) sulfide is an example of a synthesis reaction:8 Fe S8 → 8 FeS Chemical Decomposition or Analysis Reaction In a decomposition reaction, a compound is broken into smaller chemical species.AB → A BThe electrolysis of water into oxygen and hydrogen gas is an example of a decomposition reaction:2 H2O → 2 H2 O2 Single Displacement or Substitution Reaction A substitution or single displacement reaction is characterized by one element being displaced from a compound by another element.A BC → AC BAn example of a substitution reaction occurs when zinc combines with hydrochloric acid. The zinc replaces the hydrogen:Zn 2 HCl → ZnCl2 H2 Metathesis or Double Displacement Reaction In a double displacement or metathesis reaction two compounds exchange bonds or ions in order to form different compounds.AB CD → AD CBAn example of a double displacement reaction occurs between sodium chloride and silver nitrate to form sodium nitrate and silver chloride.NaCl(aq) AgNO3(aq) → NaNO3(aq) AgCl(s) Acid-Base Reaction An acid-base reaction is a type of double displacement reaction that occurs between an acid and a base. The H ion in the acid reacts with the OH- ion in the base to form water and an ionic salt:HA BOH → H2O BAThe reaction between hydrobromic acid (HBr) and sodium hydroxide is an example of an acid-base reaction:HBr NaOH → NaBr H2O Combustion A combustion reaction is a type of redox reaction in which a combustible material combines with an oxidizer to form oxidized products and generate heat (exothermic reaction). Usually, in a combustion reaction oxygen combines with another compound to form carbon dioxide and water. An example of a combustion reaction is the burning of naphthalene:C10H8 12 O2 → 10 CO2 4 H2O Isomerization In an isomerization reaction, the structural arrangement of a compound is changed but its net atomic composition remains the same. Hydrolysis Reaction A hydrolysis reaction involves water. The general form for a hydrolysis reaction is:X-(aq) H2O(l) ↔  HX(aq) OH-(aq) The Main Reaction Types There are hundreds or even thousands of types of chemical reactions! If you are asked to name the main 4, 5 or 6 types of  chemical reactions, here is how they are  categorized. The main four types of reactions are direct combination, analysis reaction, single displacement, and double displacement. If youre asked the five main types of reactions, it is these four and then either acid-base or redox (depending who you ask). Keep in mind, a specific chemical reaction may fall into more than one category.

Marketing Analysis for Acer Hi-Fi System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Analysis for Acer Hi-Fi System - Essay Example Acer has been known for a long time as electronic producing company especially computer products. Recently, the company has entered the music product industry where its asserting is presence in the market by introducing unique and superior products in the market, hi-fi clear system being one of such products. To assert its presence in the music industry, Acer has embarked on market analysis mission for its hi-fi music system for business growth and increase in its market share. 2.0 Situational Analysis/ Opportunity Identification Situational analysis and opportunity analysis involves a clear definition of opportunities available to an organization’s operating environment both internally and externally and the challenges thereof (Stevens, Sherwood and Dunn, 1993, 7). This helps the managers to make appropriate strategic decisions to tap into the opportunities and overcome the challenges present. 2.1 Market Analysis Given that Acer group of companies has a global presence, it ha s a market potential to market its Acer hi-fi system to over 300 million middle and upper income class who forms its target market. This market segment has a higher purchasing power and superior tastes for high quality products. In addition, this market segment comprises technology literate individuals who are quick to adopt and use the product. Buyer behaviour shows a strong peer influence and appeal for quality features. Acer’s market intelligence shows that majority of the target customers have had experience with other Acer products in the past a factor the company seeks to utilize to capture a sizeable market share. Initial sales figures show that the company has the potential to grow its market share in this market segment given the unique and superior quality of its product. 2.2 SWOT Analysis The analysis process involves a critical review of the strengths and weaknesses focusing on internal factors on one hand and opportunities and threats addressing the external fact ors (Cheverton, 2004, 84). Detailed SWOT analysis is presented in the table below; Internal Factors Strengths Weaknesses Product offerings Capable of connecting to all of the devices on your home network and devices Unique sound quality and affordable Largely unknown compared to competitor brands Somehow sophisticated to some customers Acer brand Known for its quality Producer of affordable goods Not ranked among the top electronic companies Positioning problem Management Experienced in new product development and marketing strategies Understands the target market’s purchase behaviour patterns Slow to react to changes in customer demand Organizational structural challenges Market Huge global market of over 300 mn customers Better product adoption among target customers Strong tastes and preferences Rapid changes in demand Low adoption rates in some markets Human Resources Skilled manpower with strong product development, financial and marketing skills High turnover Financial considerations Revenue estimates are good given the margin/product Low cost of production ROI very promising Rising cost of raw materials and energy R&D Competent R&D teams Rapid dynamism in the music industry Capital and time intensive External Factors Opportunities Threats Consumer market High purchasing power Technologically savvy Rapid changes in tastes and