5 Top Tips on Travel Writing

5 Top Tips on Travel Writing 5 Top Tips on Travel Writing Travel writing is one of the most popular types of non-fiction. And if you’re someone with a love of both literature and globetrotting, travel writing offers a fantastic opportunity to combine the two! Here, then, are a few top tips for budding travel writers to help get you started. 1. Read Other Travel Writing The best starting point if you’re new to travel writing is to read other authors. There are many types and styles of travel writing out there. So we suggest reading a little bit of everything, from blog posts to book-length travelogues, to find inspiration if you’re not already sure what to write. 2. Picking a Subject To stand out from the crowd, your travel writing needs to offer something unique. Part of this will be your written voice, but what you are writing about is equally important, so you’ll want to pick a great destination to focus on. Finding somewhere interesting that nobody has written about before is the dream, so you might want to look beyond the famous beaten track for strange or unusual attractions. Alternatively, if you are writing about a familiar place, look for an angle that nobody has used before. It helps if you do more than just lie on the beach, too. 3. Paint a Picture Your writing should conjure an image of the places you describe, so use sensory language wherever possible. If you can communicate some of the views, sounds and smells you’ve experienced, your reader will feel more like they’ve been there. Rich, descriptive writing is therefore crucial. Of course, a literal picture can help as well, so don’t forget to pack a camera! 4. Tell a Story Travel writing is about more than just facts. It’s about your experience of a place or journey. As such, you need to take your reader on a journey, too! One tip in this respect is remembering that the best travel writing is more than just descriptive. It may also have: Characters (e.g., people you meet along the way or travel companions) Themes (e.g., issues or events that recur throughout your journey) A plot (e.g., your goal, such as visiting every museum in Cumbria) Make sure not to miss the Derwent Pencil Museum, especially if you like big pencils.(Photo: Stinglehammer/wikimedia) Keep in mind that travel writing is creative writing, even if it is non-fiction. You may even want to twist the facts to tell a better story. Or go full Hunter S. Thompson and blur the lines between fact and fiction entirely. We wouldnt suggest taking as many drugs as he did, though. 5. The Benefits of Fact Checking Assuming you’re not fictionalizing your journey too much, you may want to do some fact checking on things you’ve learned when you get home. For instance, before repeating what that odd man in the plaza told you about Piacenza being founded by a champion chicken farmer as a luxury resort for poultry, get online and do some reading. You can still include the anecdote if it turns out to be untrue. You just don’t have to present it as a fact. And if you handle the fact checking, we’ll be happy to help with the proofreading once you have a first draft ready!

How to Get a Job in Another State

How to Get a Job in Another State Maybe your partner or your spouse is being transferred. Maybe you’re just graduating from a far-off college and want to live and work closer to home. Or maybe you just need a change of scenery. For most people, the most stressful and important part about moving is finding employment in a new city. Unless you work remotely, this can be tricky. Here are 6 ways you can make potential employers confident in hiring you as an out-of-state applicant.1. Ditch your home address.At best, your home address is irrelevant to your qualifications for the job. At worst, it could turn off hiring managers who don’t want to pay relocation expenses, or aren’t sure about your commitment or ability to move and start in a timely fashion.If you absolutely need a home address, you can get yourself a local mailbox that will forward to you through Mailboxes, Etc. If your phone number is holding you back, you can get a Google phone number with the area code of your target state.2. Do your r esearch.The more you know about the place you want to go the better. What are the major industries? What does the job market look like? Figure out through the Chambers of Commerce and the state or city’s Office of Economic Development which jobs are hot and therefore easier to land. If you don’t know where exactly you want to move, research instead what states and cities are best for the field you want to work in. Finally, see if it feels like a place where you would really want to live.Check out the following:Top 5 Jobs in the WestTop 5 Jobs in the NortheastTop 5 Jobs in the SouthwestTop 5 Jobs in the MidwestTop 5 Jobs in the Southeast3. Grow your network.Tap into your existing network to mine for contacts who might be able to help you get your foot in the door somewhere else- particularly your alumni network. Ask for email introductions to local companies or contacts. Visit if you can. No matter what, start building your own network there through social media sites a nd LinkedIn. Join a local meet-up or LinkedIn group for updates.4. Take care of your own moving logistics.To avoid missing out on opportunities with companies that don’t want to pay to help you move, there are ways to let them know you’re willing to handle the move logistics and expenses yourself. A line in your cover letter addressing the issue works. You could always make it clear that you are already living in the city, staying with a friend or subletting, pending your job search.If you can be there physically, it’s never inappropriate to mention when you’ll be there and available for an interview. Employers will be much more eager to hire you if they don’t have to pay for relocation.5. Be smart about money.Figure out the logistics of your financial situation in your new state before you get there. Bone up on the relative cost-of-living, the average salary range for your industry and role, how far your money will go when you live there, and how much you require. Figure out your target state’s tax code to assess your liabilities.6. Assure them you  will be moving.Remember, no potential employer wants to hear you waffling. Be willing to talk about it- and when you do, be honest. Don’t make promises to interview if you cannot make it. Ask instead for a Skype interview, if possible. But do make sure to make it clear that you are moving, not just that you’re considering it. Make them know you’re as safe a bet as someone already living down the street.

Western Civilization. History and Background of Evolution Research Paper

Western Civilization. History and Background of Evolution - Research Paper Example Darwin always had an interest in nature from his early childhood years. In the years between 1823 and 1913, Russell Wallace too discovered this idea of natural choice (Kemp, p.12). Darwin’s book â€Å"The origin of species† introduced the scientific theory that stated that the people did evolve through the ages through a process of natural choice. Background of evolution In the year 1859, Charles Darwin wrote a book with the title ‘The Origin of Species’. In this book, the author stated that all the living things in the universe live in a complex web of survival where all the things have connections to one another. The source also states that hereditary disparities begin occurring in all the living creatures and this make all the species to begin reproducing in extra ordinary ways. The book describes the key to evolution as the ability to make natural choices implying that the fittest will survive through any situation. In the year 1871, Charles Darwin wrot e a book on the origin of human nature according to the issue of sex. The author attributed the way man looks and acts to the appearance and actions of chimpanzees. He says that if man looks and acts like chimpanzees then he must have come from where they live. In the year 1863, Thomas Huxley came up with evidence as to the segment of man in the natural world (Kemp, p.43). He claims that the chimpanzees and man are close and act similarly thereby implying that they come from the same ancestors. Another author by the name of Ernest Hagkel came up with the missing connection theory that suggests that man must have come from something. In the year 1924 Dr. Raymond Dart, an Australian from the University of Oxford went to South Africa to become a teacher. He described the evolution process as consisting of five stages. This are the stages one to five of the evolution process. The first stage analyses the characteristics of the fossil and dates it to be as old as 2.5 million to six milli on years old. The killer ape theory of Darwin however suggests that apes only grow to four feet and do not live past the age of four years. In an effort to verify this claims, Louis and Mary Leakey carried out archaeological discoveries in Tanzania in the year 1931. They managed to find a complete skull of a sixteen year old at The Old Dubi George. Stage two of the evolution process states man is to live for a period of twenty five years and grow to five feet tall with a brain capacity greater than 700CC. They referred to this creature as the homo habilis since they had 100 teeth and a big toe. The creatures features were almost similar to the man of today. Stage three of the evolution process makes the discovery of a creature they call Java with a brain capacity of 1,000CC, is six feet tall and can live up to 35 years of age (Kemp, p.76). It has the ability to stand straight and can also speak. They can also build better tools, start fires and raise families. The name that the crea ture gets is the name homo erectus. Stage four describes the discovery of a creature living in the Neanderthal valley in Germany and France. It has a brain capacity of 1,500 CC, teeth that are identical to those of man and stands at five feet tall. They adapt to their harsh environments by growing body hairs and having thicker bones. Stage five of this process dates back to the period between 1868 and 1928 and states that the man did live about seventeen million years ago. They described the species as having a brain similar to that of the modern man, wearing clothes and building settlements (Kemp, p.94). 2) History of Ancient Egypt from 10,000 BC to the end of the 2nd intermediate period The pre historic Egypt had a cover of ice measuring two blocks in the northern and central areas. The ice did melt down by the year

Ebola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ebola - Essay Example As explained by the Infectious Disease expert at Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Rupa Patel, â€Å"The local entities must first take time to understand the disease and how it is transmitted by using resources put out by agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Doctors Without Borders† (Olcott para 5). Even though there are a number of cultural and environmental aspects that are beyond the control of national governments, steps must still be carried out to guarantee that the frequency or rate of contact with the infected is lessened. National governments and nongovernmental organizations must continue to distribute information about Ebola so that the public can consult healthcare professionals. Going to medical specialists early can stop the spread of Ebola. Promoting good hygiene and sanitation is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the virus to the community (CDC para 5-8). Due to the severity of the epidemic, national or local leaders must implement an awareness-oriented program as they deal with this alarming

Educational Policies of Nigeria and South Korea Essay Example for Free

Educational Policies of Nigeria and South Korea Essay Education has been the corner stone of the success of every economy. In terms of those countries which have been colonized and have adopted a government that was highly repressive in nature, one could significantly argue that such would post an effect to how education was being delivered, the degree of excellence of the aforementioned, the demands of the market and the availability of jobs, and finally its effects to the economy. This paper focuses on the educational history and policies of Nigeria and South Korea in relation to the British military government of the Nigerians and the Japanese occupation and the American military government of the South Koreans. These policies and norms are then significantly related to their employment systems and its effect on their economy. The objectives of this essay are the following: 1. To establish a brief account of the educational policies and norms of Nigeria and South Korean and significantly identify its relationship to the military government. 2. To significantly identify the effects of the educational policies and norms in relation to the availability of jobs to the citizens and consequently the continuous demands of the market for such jobs; and finally 3. To know the effects of educational excellence, jobs availability and demands to the sustainable development of an economy. Review of Related Literature Education and Military Government in Nigeria One of the major constitutional changes that happened to the government of Nigeria was in 1953, a few years after the World War II. Such a change took effect through the London Conference attended by both Nigerian and Colonial officials which places the country under the rule of a Governor General, having the aforementioned the leader of the three principle regions of the country. Such a change of the name of positions was a way for the British regime to increase the autonomous powers of the country thereby making education vested at the local level, which is in accordance with the aim of unifying the region (Patterson, 1955, p. 94). Education, other than representation and taxation was one of the autonomous areas of governance that is designated to the central government. As such it is with this respect that the government had ordered that the youth of Nigeria regardless of any region should be given sound and uniform standards of performance (p. 95). The objective of this educational policy is to have the youth fully prepared on their primary and secondary education so as to enable them to take higher education both inside and outside of the country. Within the new constitution, 34 subjects or areas of concern were given to the federal government to oversee. In addition with this, 14 subject areas were also created and delegated to the federal government to be administered to individual regions. Consequently, it has also been perceived that the successful implementation of these subjects could only happen if the individuals administering these areas were competent enough, hence resulting to the very high standards were implemented by the government in terms of employee recruitment (p. 5). Such a drive for the development of skills for the Nigerian youth resulted to the perceived shortness in terms of trained senior administrators and other technicians for various government and technical posts for the country. The federal government perceived that the shortage could only be remedied through higher education and long experience of the youth. At the end of 1953, it has been perceived that 5,000 senior service positions were available in which 3,300 of them were taken by overseas personnels or the expatriates. Only 800 positions are given to Nigerians, and there were still 900 positions more that were vacant (World Bank, 1955, p. 23). The drive of the British Government to improve the education in Nigeria resulted to the establishment of a program for development for African Territories under the British Crown. The program which was called the Colonial Development and Welfare Schemes was inaugurated in 1945 in which required the British Government to contribute 23,000,000 pounds sterling for ten years that would enable the country to develop and another loan of 26-500,000 pounds sterling that would be used to fund a number of projects including education and other research facilities (Patterson, 1955, p. 97). The result of such an effort on the end of the British Government paved the way for a consuming ambition among young Nigerians to be associated with the Government and take a number of white collar jobs (p. 8). Technical Education in Nigeria Technical education is placed as one of the major projects of the Ten-Year Plan for Development and Welfare for the post-war Nigeria. Institutions that would cater to technical skills, trade, and handicrafts were created after the Second World War. For instance, the Technical Institute of Yaba, the first center that was created outside Lagos offered three full-time and two part-time programs and special short courses. These skills were those relating to junior and senior technical and also teacher training. For a four-year education, the country had been offering instructions in wood working, drafting, sub-professional engineering, commerce and printing to those students who have completed eight years of primary education and have already passed a special entrance examination. The senior technical course offered by the institute focused on courses in electrical, mathematical and civil engineering, architectural assistance and economics. Consequently, there were also teacher-training programs which offer a two-year course to prepare teachers for handicraft centers and secondary school craft courses (World Bank, 1955, p. 582-583). On the other hand, the Trade Centers at Yaba aimed to produce skilled craftsmen by offering courses which range from two to five years. The students primarily learned on an apprenticeship basis after which they have already familiarized themselves with the tools of the trade and have learned to do simple tasks; consequently academic instructions were given to the students averages one day every week. After the students have already gained the skills that are necessary, they were contacted by the trade center to go to large cities in order to work. Part of the educational system was also the refusal to accept new students until a new class graduates. As such, the intake and output for some courses happened only once in every five years. For the first five years of the operation of the Yaba Centre, there were only 85 students who had graduated while 18 were dismissed and 13 of them resigned (p. 84). The Weakness of the Nigerian Education One major weaknesses of the Nigerian education was the inclination to have all areas of the Government to have properly staffed and well-trained individuals; as such resulting in having schools to have its own standards and specializations and independence from other educational efforts. Such an act resulted at times to the replication of jobs or over specialization on some skills, which were often criticized to prevent holistic development. It has been argued by some scholars that schools that were operated by the departments of governments had the inclination to emphasize subjects that were too technical up to the extent of neglecting certain subjects such as English, Mathematics and the Social Sciences. As such, some students after graduating from departmental schools normally look for jobs that they believed will be necessary for their employment rather than their abilities and interests (Patterson, 1955, p. 7-98). In effect of this, the inclination towards education had been something that was relative to that of available employment. Outside the market, it had been perceived that education had no value and in the long run, had stimulated little demand to the public. It is with this respect that competition among available jobs had been perceived to be very keen wherein the colonial Nigeria has clustered to commercial areas within the region (Davis and Kalu-Nwiwu, 2001, p. 1). It could also be significantly noted that education for women during the post-war Nigeria had also been problematic as although there were already several domestic science centers that were established, very few of them remained in actual operation. As such, the education of women had been lagging in the country. The education that was provided to women were those solely with regard to food preparation, sewing, cleaning, general sanitation and elementary skills in nursing (World Bank, 1955, p. 588).

rescued :: essays research papers

Introduction Jacques Nasser was born in Lebanon in 1949, but grew up in Australia. He joined Ford's Australian operation as a financial analyst before he was barely 20, eager to see the world. In 1973, he came to the United States to join Ford's North American Truck Operations and the company's finance staff. Nasser jumped at the opportunity to travel around the world by accepting International assignments, which others avoided to places like Thailand, The Philippines, Venezuela and Argentina. He moved back to the United States after being promoted to the key position of President of Ford Automotive Operations and finally in 1999, he became Ford's CEO. Jacques Nasser has been portrayed as a man that possesses good and Impeccable leadership qualities. Before Nasser came on board of Ford's Motor Co., Ford had been a company that efficiently made cars, and in recent years at least, earned solid profits. Nasser has plans to take Ford to the forefront of the Motor industry and transform it into a nimble, flexible organization and better attuned to the International automobile Industry he sees emerging. From the very time Nasser joined Ford, he had displayed hardworking abilities, being from a modest and often intolerant surroundings as a Lebanese born immigrant in Anglo-dominated Australia. Jacques Nasser in his quest to make ford a front-runner in the motor Industry exhibited several signs of leadership, which has made the company progress. Jacques, in addition to having a profile that includes speaking fluent English, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese (which are all qualities that a person involved in global operations of a business should possess), also speaks the most important language that any auto executive can understand: the language of a passion for cars that is respected by both consumers and enthusiasts alike, as reported in the Detroit News. As President and Chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company, Nasser has all of the credentials that point to a natural rise to top level management of a global automaker while continuing to embrace the equities that helped him to his ascension. As a true car lover, Jacques usually drives Ford's cars and other competitor's cars to know their various mechanisms, how they run and any other way it could be improved. Other executives are known to be usually driven around by personal chauffeurs, while Nasser derives joy from driving himself to wherever he is going with his sport cars. In the Management textbook by Griffin, hundreds of studies have been

Artificial Intelligence in Missile Technology

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MISSILE TECHNOLOGY K. Manasa B-Tech III/IV Branch: EEE Shadan College of Engg & Tech, Peerancheru, Hyderabad-08. konda_sowmya @yahoo. com Abstract: The development, strength, economy and progress depends on the status of the Defence, This paper deals with various generations of computer where the fifth generation computers use Artificial Intelligence. A few applications of Artificial Intelligence used in various technologies have also been discussed. The main focus of paper is on chaser missiles, which implements the missile technology using Artificial Intelligence. The Anupama processor designed in India can be used in chasers. This shows the development of Artificial Intelligence in Indian defence systems. The On-Board Computer department of RCI and ASL of DRDO are working on similar missile technology mostly on the guidance systems for Agni, Trishul, Akash and NAG along with which even the Chaser using the AI technology may replace the existing guidance system of the missiles. Keywords: IC, VLSI, Turing test, Chasers, OBCS, Seeker, IGMDP, DRDO, BDL, Anupama Processor, Deep Blue, Seed AI. 1. Introduction: Artificial Intelligence is a branch of Science that deals with helping machines finding solutions to complex problems in a more human-like fashion. It is intelligence exhibited by any manufactured system, which is often used in works of science fiction. The term is often applied to general-purpose computers and also in the field of scientific investigation into the theory and practical application. This generally involves borrowing characteristics from human intelligence, and applying them as algorithms in a computer friendly way. For more complex problems, things get more difficult. Unlike humans, computers have trouble understanding in specific situations and adapting to new situations. Artificial Intelligence aims to improve machine behavior in tackling such complex tasks. A more or less flexible or efficient approach can be taken depending on the requirements established, which influences how artificial the intelligent behavior appears. From AI we can learn something about how to make machines solve problems by observing other people or just by observing our own methods. On the other hand, most work in AI involves studying the problems the world presents to intelligence rather than studying people or animals. . Various Generations of a Computer: With the advent of computers there has been a vast proliferation in them. A computer is truly an amazing machine as it performs various functionalities. For generations, it has been the constant endeavor of man to get the better of his adversary by inventing more and more potent computers. Till today we got five gener ations of computers. The 1st generation computers used vacuum tubes. These computers occupied large space, liberated a large amount of heat and also lead to many uncontrolled operations. The 2nd generation computers used enormous number of transistors. After some years these transistors were fabricated on a single chip called ICs. Computers using these were called the 3rd generation computers. With the advancement of technology in VLSI, a large number of ICs were integrated on a single chip made of silicon, which is further used by the 4th generation computers. An attempt is being made to apply artificial intelligence on these computers, which constitutes the 5th generation computers. These computers are expected to be faster results and thus may influence international policies, strategy and tactics to an enormous extent. 3. Is AI different from Human Intelligence? Alan Turing's article â€Å"Computing Machinery and Intelligence† discussed some conditions where a machine can be used in an intelligent fashion. He argued that if a machine can perform successfully as a human can do, then the observer will certainly consider it as an intelligent device. This test called Turing test would satisfy many people but not all the philosophers. The observer can be able to interact with the machine but can’t differentiate it from the actual human works (actions & voices) while interacting and thus it camouflages the observer. The Turing test is a one-sided test. A machine that passes this test should certainly be considered as intelligent, irrespective of having knowledge about human. There are many adversaries about this fact, that an excellent discussion on the Turing test is not supportive, with restrictions on the observer's knowledge of AI and the subject matter of questioning. It turns out that some people are easily misinterpreted that, a rather dumb program is intelligent. When we set out to design an AI program, we should attempt to specify as well as possible the criteria for success for that particular program functioning in its restricted domain. . 1 Hardware for AI: In order to use AI in any system a few hardware specifications are required. The minimum requirements include a computing system containing an IC built processor, a control unit, memory devices, and a converter for external interfaces, floating-point unit, input-output ports and timers. These components work relatively with the computing system as per the AI oriented software. 4. 2 Software for AI Software is the intelligence that runs the hardware in a computer. Basically AI is in form of information fed to the processor through a programming language. The parameters acts as input that results into desired output. A fifth generation language use AI to create software based on our description of what the software should do. 5. Missile Technology and AI: Missile: It is an object or weapon that is fired, thrown, dropped, or projected at a target. Missiles play major role in warfare. The earlier versions of missiles were simple in design and operation. When the fighter plane first came into use the missiles used were of simple nature that involved only target mode and firing angle. The present day missiles are much complicated. The concept of employment of these missiles has also undergone a drastic change. Chasers: It is a type of missile that may be designed to chase the target until it hits or causes damage to the target. The Chaser contains an OBCS in its control unit, which contains AI as a backup, which will guide itself during its trajectory. Chaser continuously emits either Laser light, Infrared rays or Radio waves continuously from its IR Dome. When the enemy unit comes in its path a part of these waves reflect back giving a signal to the Chaser. Then this missile automatically changes its position so as to knock down the enemy. [pic] [pic] [pic] Working: The main purpose of an OBCS is to obtain guidance and control. The OBCS mainly contains an IC built processor, a control unit, memory devices like flash memory, SRAM, NVRAM, communication devices like UART and a converter for external interfaces. It is the seeker that actually applies AI. Before missile is launched the target is fed to the OBC in the form of a signal or image, which is basically intelligence. The seeker continuously scans the image target and gives signal to the OBCS. The input is in the form of co-ordinates that allows the chaser to change the position of radar and direction of missile by changing the position of the fins, nozzle and wings such that the target is always at its center of view. This is done by the control unit by varying the altitudes of the missile i. e. Roll, Yaw and Pitch thus guiding the missile towards its target. [pic] The missile control operation follows a closed loop system. Characteristics: The following are the characteristics to be possessed by a Chaser: †¢ The chaser should be faster than sharp enemy. It should take the shortest path to reach the enemy. †¢ The Propellant composition should be such that it is able to effectively engage the target. †¢ The longitudinal, lateral and vertical axis of missile must be varied in a smooth fashion when enemy tries to dive or jump suddenly. Future Trends: With the application of AI the missiles may be capable of automatic target recognition and even be able to tell the condition of the terrain. It may be able to identify tanks and trucks as friendly or enemy vehicles. The missile, while in flight may have the ability to prioritize target on battlefield. If the missile thinks that it should go after a high priority target rather than trying to kill its original target, it will do so. Software programme will be so advanced that mission options will be decided by brains built into the missiles with the help of embedded real time computers. The ongoing developments and changes in this field may however cannot be forecasted. 6. Development of AI in India: India launched its missile development programme through IGMDP under the aegis of DRDO, the premier defence research agency. Under this programme five missile systems are currently under different stages of development and production. BDL, Hyderabad has also been established as a premier production agency for all missile systems. The following missiles form part of IGMDP: Prithvi – Introduced in 1996 Trishul – under development AKASH – under development NAG – under development AGNI – under development The most recent attempt made for the development of AI based technology in India is the design of Anupama Processor. It has been designed at Anurag Research Institute, Hyderabad. Anupama was first used in Mission Control system mounted on under water self propelled missile, Torpedo. It is a 32-bit processor based on RISC architecture. It mainly contains a 32-bit floating-point unit, 32-bit parallel input-output port and two 16-bit timers. It has a non-multiplexed bus structure with 32 data lines and 32 address lines. A bus interface unit supports Synchronous, Asynchronous and Burst data transverse. It also supports dynamic bus sizing. The same can also be used in OBCS of chasers. 7. Other Applications: 7. 1 Robotics: Robots are typically used to do tasks that are too dull, dirty, or dangerous for humans. Industrial robots used in manufacturing lines used to be the most common form of robots. Other applications of Robotics include toxic waste cleanup, underwater and space exploration, surgery, mining, search and rescue, and mine finding. Robots are also finding their way into entertainment and home health care. 7. 2 Medicine: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine allow computers to process and analyze three-dimensional images of the heart in much the same way an experienced human operator would. The program applies artificial intelligence techniques to the measurement of parameters critical to understanding the state and behavior of the human heart. This automated approach allows information to be obtained very quickly that is quantitatively accurate and does not suffer from intra-observer or inter-observer variability. The software and algorithms developed by the AIM program are widely considered to represent the gold standard in nuclear cardiology. 7. 3 Banking: AI systems are used to detect fraud and expenditure financial transactions, with daily transaction volumes in billions. These systems first use learning algorithms to construct profiles of consumer usage patterns, and then use the resulting profiles to detect unusual patterns and take appropriate action. Ex: To disable the credit card. 7. 4 Data Processing: Data Mining, the extraction of hidden predictive information from large databases, is a powerful new technology with great potential to help companies focus on most important information in the data warehouses. Data mining tools predict future trends and behaviors, allowing business to make proactive, knowledge-driven decisions. It answers business questions that traditionally were too time consuming to resolve. The past history in the form of records is taken as a backup, which is fed in the form of intelligence for data processing. 7. 5 Game playing: The AI based machines can be applied for playing games mainly through brute force computation using the entire game play as a backup in the form of AI. Advantage of using this type of machine is the players can have a practice session where they will have a tough opponent (machine) and then in a real match the players will not face much difficulty. Ex: Deep Blue computer for chess. 7. 6 Speech Recognition: The areas where continous interaction is required between the user and computer, the need not go for the commands using input devices. He can just dictate the commands while the system accepts it in the form of speech signal and achieves the task to be performed. Ex: In a highly protected zone where the security levels must be maintained high can make use of speech recognition system, where the password can be broken only by a particular official. 7. 7 Computer Vision: The human eye as well as TV cameras capture objects and give it as an input to the main system. But here the input given is two-dimensional; some programs may run with this input while the computers require partial three-dimensional information that can be possible by computer vision. Ex: The images taken from satellites can be of three-dimensional type. 7. 8 Machine Translation: It is a form of translation where a computer program analyses text in one language i. e. , â€Å"Source text† and attempts to produce another language called â€Å"Target text† without human intervention. Ex: In the fields having highly limited ranges of vocabulary and simple sentence structure like weather reports, machine translation can deliver useful results. 7. 9 Handwriting Recognition: Several attempts were made to produce ink pens that include digital components such that a person write on a paper and have the resulting text stored digitally. So the user need not write once in a paper and then enter it again as input in computer, thus saving time. 8. Friendly AI: Friendliness theory is a proposed solution to the dangers believed to stem from smarter-than-human artificial intelligence. According to the theory, the goals of future AIs will be more arbitrary and alien than commonly depicted in science fiction and earlier futurist speculation, in which AIs are often anthropomorphized and assumed to share universal human desires. Because AI is not guaranteed to see the â€Å"obvious† aspects of morality and goals that humans see so effortlessly, the theory goes, AIs with intelligences greater than our own may concern themselves with endeavors that humans would see as pointless or even laughably bizarre. One example is that of an AI initially designed to manufacture paperclips, which, upon becoming superhumanly intelligent, tries to develop molecular nanotechnology because it wants to convert all matter in the solar system into paperclips. Friendliness theory stresses less the danger of superhuman AIs that actively seek to harm humans, but more of AIs that are disastrously indifferent to them if steps are not taken to specifically design them to be benevolent. Doing so effectively is the primary goal of Friendly AI. This belief that human goals are so arbitrary derives heavily from modern advances in evolutionary psychology. Friendliness theory claims that most AI speculation is clouded by analogies between AIs and humans, and assumptions that all possible minds must exhibit characteristics that are actually psychological adaptations that exist in humans (and other animals) only because they were once beneficial and perpetuated by natural selection. Many supporters of FAI speculate that AI able to alter and improve itself, seed AI, is likely to create a huge power disparity between it and less intelligent human minds, that its ability to reprogram itself would very quickly outpace human ability to exercise any meaningful control over it. While many doubt such scenarios are likely, if they were to occur, it would be important for AI to act benevolently towards humans. One of the most recent significant advancements in Friendliness theory is the collective volition model. More concretely, the collective volition of humanity is the actions we would collectively take if we knew more, thought faster, etc Friendly AI should initially seek to determine the collective volition of humanity, with which it can then alter its goals accordingly. 9. Conclusion: Artificial intelligence has to be applied to the machines where the human involvement is not applicable. Keeping this in point of view, we have seen ample applications in real life so as to enhance the life of the human. These machines are very well suited for real time systems because of their fast response and computational efforts. In future people will witness a radical change in the cyber environment in the form of artificial intelligent oriented technologies. The country’s economical development depends on the strength of Defence. The chaser missile mentioned in this paper uses this reliable technology playing a prominent role in fortifying the defence. Further research on the lines of missile technology using AI may fetch more advanced and better technology in designing the missiles. From past so many years India was depending on other countries for its requirements in Defence. Now with this India will be self-dependant. Regarding the usage of AI even today there are so many comments on the threat towards humans from this intelligent so called machines. For this the friendly AI mentioned in this paper can be an answer. Finally we would like to conclude that the applications of Artificial Intelligence might be applied in real life making it no longer a fiction. 10. Acronyms: AI: Artificial Intelligence. IC: Integrated circuit. VLSI: Very Large Scale Integration. OBCS: Onboard Computer System SRAM: Static Random Access Memory NVRAM: Non Volatile RAM UART: Universal asynchronous receiver transmitter RISC: Reduced Instruction Set Computing IGMDP: Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. DRDO: Defence Research and Development Organisation. BDL: Bharat Dynamics Limited. RCI: Research Center Imarat ASL: Advanced Systems Lab 11. References: †¢ â€Å"Computing Machinery & Artificial Intelligence† 3rd edition, by Alan Turing. †¢ Research paper on â€Å"Machine Intelligence† by Sankar Kumar Paul, Indian Stastical Institute, Kolkata. †¢ â€Å"Super Intelligent Machines† by Bill Hibbard. †¢ â€Å"Artificial Intelligence† 2nd edition 2004, by Elaine. Rich and Kevin Knight. †¢ â€Å"Applications of AI† by Richardson, IEEE paper, September 2004.

Human Computer Interaction and User Interface Design Essay

The two interfaces chosen for this project are two book selling sites – LinkedIn. com and Orkut. com. The two websites are social networking sites. While Orkut. com brings together friends and is more personal in nature, LinkedIn. com is more professional. Social networking sites being highly popular, I chose to select these interfaces for comparison. LinkedIn has over 40 million professionals using it to: †¢ â€Å"Exchange information, ideas and opportunities† †¢ Connect or re-connect with and stay informed about their contacts and industry †¢ Find inside connections to find a new job or business opportunity †¢ Find the people and knowledge required †¢ Have a controlled online professional identity Orkut, on the other hand, lets you connect with people you already know in your personal life (friends and family) while at the same time allowing you to make new friends through friends of friends and communities. It allows sharing of videos, pictures as well as your passions with friends and communities. 2. Norman’s principles for good design Norman has suggested the following principles to ensure that a website has a good design: †¢ Visibility–The designer should ensure that the state of the possible actions can be easily understood by the user. †¢ Conceptual model–All operations should be consistent in nature and the user should be able to easily understand how the site works and what options are available to the user. †¢ Mappings–The user should be able to easily map actions with their results such as between controls and possible actions that can be taken on a control or between the system state and visible indicators like change of color or image. †¢ Feedback–Users should continuously get feedback on the results of their actions helping them understand whether they have taken the right step or not. 3. User Interface overview 3. 1. LinkedIn LinkedIn requires your name and email address to open an account post which you need to provide your current employment details. These two pages are simple, similar to the Google search page look. Once the registration is completed, LinkedIn takes you to your LinkedIn page. The homepage is divided into two sections – the top section that consists of main links to search people, jobs, answers and companies with comparatively big bold letters and is separated from the bottom section by a blue line. On the right corner, quick links to the account and its settings, help language and the option to sign out are available. The top section has blue font with a white background all through. This section also consists of a search option to search people, job, companies, etc. using a drop down box. The search option automatically changes to reflect the section it is in i. e. it says â€Å"Search People† when in the Contacts page and â€Å"Search Groups† when in the Groups page. The bottom section has a grey background and is divided into three parts. Each section individually has a white background and the sections are floating in the grey background. The bottom section represents the main work area consisting of the details regarding the user profile, contacts and groups. The left hand side frame provides options personal to the user which includes viewing various lists such as groups joined, profile, contacts, inbox, and applications that help improve user experience with LinkedIn. These links are provided with images as well. These links further provide links to options available such as My Groups, Groups Directory and Create a Group for the Groups menu. The submenus are not visible but can be seen on clicking the menu item or clicking on the + symbol on the right side. The submenus can be collapsed by clicking the – symbol that now appears instead of the + symbol. The link for the current page is highlighted with a blue background. In Home page, the words Home have a blue background unlike the others with white background. At the end of the menu, there is a button to add new connections. The button is of green color and attracts the attention towards it. Below this section is another small section that is an assessment of profile completeness along with a photo and name. The profile completeness is expressed in words as well as a status bar is shown that reflects the actual status. The name draws the attention with its bold font along with the status bar. The right side section consists of several modules – the main module being the â€Å"Build your network† in a green colored box that provides different options to find your contacts. The options include searching using web email contacts, address book contacts, or using email addresses. For web email contacts, again several options are provided as radio buttons. Since each of these options require different inputs, selecting one shows a box with an arrow pointing towards the option selected and the inputs required are within this box. All buttons on the page have a light orange color which changes to blue on moving the mouse over it. All links within this module also have an icon associated with it. In the extreme right, there are several modules one below the other starting with ads by LinkedIn Members. The remaining modules include featured application on LinkedIn, Reading List by Amazon, Events, Answers and Jobs. The headings in these modules are in white color on blue background. Text within these modules is in black color whereas links have blue color. Important words like subheadings, Member names, event names, etc. are appropriate made bold to highlight them. The events are represented with the date put in a box with grey background and the month above it in smaller font with orange background. Each module heading also consists of an edit link and an ‘X’ to remove the module. At the end of these modules is the option to add other applications as required. Here again a plus symbol is used to indicate the adding of a new application. The arrow at the end can be clicked to show a list of applications available to be added but the arrow is too small and can be easily missed. These modules can be customized as required, adding, editing or moving them around to suit an individual’s preferences and needs. At the bottom, there is a tip available in a box. More tips can be seen with the help of arrows. Here arrows that are commonly used to move to next or previous tip are used. Clicking on Profile or Edit My Profile or + symbol next to Profile brings one to the Edit My Profile page. The Profile text in the menu now has a blue background indicating the current page. The centre module that consisted of Build your Network is now replaced with the profile details with a heading Profile in navy blue background and two tabs – Edit My Profile and View My Profile. The current tab is in white background whereas the inactive tabs are in grey background with text in blue. The module background is now blue with different subsections in white background. At the top the main details about the user is provided i. e. name, current position and company, location and industry. The last two details are shown in grey color. The links are maintained in blue color, headings and subheadings in bold blue and a + symbol to indicate adding detail in any subsection. An Edit link within square brackets follows all text that can be edited. On the extreme right, a profile completeness status bar is shown but also lists tips on how one could complete the profile along with how much percentage difference it makes to the profile completeness status bar. This module is very helpful, especially for someone new to social networking sites. Clicking on View My Profile tab shows the profile with the same details except that there are no Edit links or + symbols to add further details. The status bar is not seen in this view. Clicking on Contacts section leads to three tabbed page – Connections, Imported Contacts and Network Statistics. The connections are shown listed alphabetically. On the left side, the alphabets are listed and can be clicked to jump to the connections with names starting with that alphabet. Brief details about each connection is provided including email, current position and company and also includes a circle that indicates the number of connections that person has, indicating the network you could be having. The Groups link leads you to the Groups page with four tabs – My Groups, Following, Groups Directory and Create a Group. The list of Groups is presented in a clean manner with an icon representing the group, quick links to discussions, news, updates, members, settings, etc. At the bottom of the list, there is an option to change the order of the groups and how many groups can be displayed at any one time. The order can be changed by writing the numbers or using arrows. On the right side of the list, two blue-colored boxes provide you information on Groups Directory along with a button to find a group as well as option to create your own group. The buttons change color when a mouse moves over. While there are many more functionalities available, the user interface remains the same: 1. Blue color for all links 2. Bold for all headings and subheadings 3. Icons/images to represent major menus or data 4. Tabs for sub menu information 5. Links provided to ease selection 6. Provision to add, remove, edit, or move extra modules around to ease access and utility. 7. Feedback to the user in terms of background color change for links and button color change for buttons 3. 2. Orkut To log into Orkut, one needs to have a Google Account. The page for creating Google Account is simple – a form with a blue border requesting for information like name, email and password with a line marking the end of this subsection. The next subsection begins with a word verification and terms of services provided in a blue scrollable box with grey background. The button for accepting the terms is simple and consists of full text â€Å"I accept. Create my account. † rather than simply saying â€Å"Accept† which makes it clear for new-to-internet users. The login page is simple with two main sections – the top section consisting of all the details and the empty bottom section with bluish grey background. The major left part of the top section consists of orkut selling points with magenta color highlighting the main words. The empty white space surrounding the text gives it a simple, non-cluttered and pleasing look. The top menu bar in dark blue color remains accessible across all pages. Below this is a section with various modules in white background floating in a light blue background. On the extreme left is the menu starting with photo, name, status and other details of the user. Below it is the menu leading to various pages such as profile, scrapbook, etc. Each of these menu items also have an associated icon that is easy to relate to the name of the menu. This is followed by Apps and other menu items. The profile, menus, apps and other menus are separated by a blue line. All text is also in blue. It is noteworthy that all the menu names are in lower caps. Below this module, there is a module to invite friends using their email address or more. All through the page, all links are in blue and when a mouse moves over a link, there is no change in background color or image except an underline below the text. Friend suggestions is another good option since it not only provides you potential friend list, but also shows photos so that one can confirm if he/she is the same person one knows. It also provides quick links to view the profile or add as a friend. An X at the top of the photo can be used to remove it from the list quickly and arrows can be used to navigate through the list. The arrows change to light grey color when one can’t go further on either side. Below this is Updates from my friends section that provides a list of updates on the friend profile. On the extreme right is the â€Å"my friends† section with a count of total friends. It lists around 9 friends along with their photos and there is a link to view all friends, manage them, or find more friends. It also allows for searching friends. To meet the space crunch issue, the text box for searching itself has the caption rather than placing it outside. On clicking inside the text box, the caption clears and the user can add their text to search. Once the profile is filled up and many friends added, the home page can seem cluttered with a lot of information. This is followed by advertisement which is followed by â€Å"my communities†. The layout of this is similar to â€Å"my friends†. Clicking the profile link shows the profile details. Three tabs – social, professional, and personal are provided to add details about different areas of the user. The social tab is further divided into sections separated by a broad white area which also consists of an edit button. Alternate coloring pattern is used to make it easy to read each line and each detail of the profile. â€Å"My scrapbook† page provides all scraps from friends. By default, one can view 10 scraps on one page but a drop down box provides other options as well. Navigation links to move to first, last, next and previous pages are also provided as links. Each scrap is in its own blue box with photo of friend provided along with friend’s name and message. Options to reply and delete the message are also available. Once a conversation has been done through more than one response exchanged, there is a new link â€Å"View this conversation†. Clicking this link grays out the page and opens a new box consisting of the conversation details along with provision to delete. Again, the background is white with each scrap in a light blue colored box. To close the conversation box, an image with an X is provided as well as a close link. A new scrap can be typed in easily through a text box. Again there is no title or caption for the box but the same is seen as content in grey color within the text box. The scrap can also be written in different languages which can be conveniently chosen from the drop down list. Adding a community and managing it is similar in working to adding and managing friends in Orkut. 4. User survey 4. 1. Task description The users are required to do the following: 1. Register themselves 2. Sign In 3. Enter their profile details 4. Search for a friend/professional known to them 5. Add to friend list 6. Search for a community 7. Add themselves to that community 8. Sign out 4. 2. Success criteria The user should be able to create a profile, add contact(s) and join a community/group. 4. 3. User Profile User 1 is an active internet user and has prior online social networking experience. User 2 is new to computers and internet, this being amongst his first experience with social networking. User 3 uses internet mostly for surfing and finding information and has not been a member of any social networking site yet although understands the common functionalities of such websites such as registering, logging in to the site, searching, etc. 4. 4. User experience Due to his prior experience using social networking sites, user 1 had no problem registering for either of them, adding contacts, searching and registering for a group. User 1 found both sites equally easy to register, add contacts and join community; however, he was impressed by the ability to add, remove, edit and move modules in LinkedIn and was looking for similar options in Orkut. Also, searching friends in Orkut listed several names and finding the right one was difficult. While user 2 was able to create the profile and add contacts, the user sometimes felt lost in Orkut once the contacts were added and found it difficult to get back to home page. User 2 also found it difficult to easily search the friend and wished there was an easy way like LinkedIn. User 3 was also able to register easily, add contacts and join communities/groups. User 3 was not concerned about the difficulties in searching friends or professionals and looked at this as an opportunity to make new friends. 5. Suggestions Once a user becomes an active user or has many friends/professional contacts, the information shown on home page can be too much. Suggestion is to show the information partly and provide a link to further information or simply provide links to go to information. By making certain information like school or college details mandatory, orkut can help ease the search process that currently requires searching a friend from a list of hundreds with the same name.

east of eden responce essays

east of eden responce essays "A man so painfully in love is capable of self-tortue beyond belief." This powerful line struck me as i read chapter nine of John Stienbecks, East of Eden. A strong message is founded by this Chapter, and is simply stated in that one line. Mr. Edwards, a man surrounded by women has created a most impersonal relationship with every one. He seems to have a strong controll over himself and conducts himself as a man of business. He cannot be bothered with emotion of conection because it may interferr with business. Aloof and alone, Mr.Edwards self is completely trasnformed the moment he meets Catherine, a woman who possesses a key, that allots her to pass through the boundaries of Mr. Edwards' soul. Stienbeck skillfully developes the character of Mr. Edwards. To the reader, he is easy to understand and fairly simple. His motives were obvious and it seems he could not care much less for anything else. Not an ignorent man, he distrusted most of his woman and thought of them as units. He was the perfect character to present the intense powers of Catherine. The reader has already experienced has evil and was slightly aware of her power over men, but hardly to the extent of her relationship to Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards may have been a smart, cold man, but he was powerless in the presents of Catherine. "And indeed a little warning buzz did sound in his brain, but it was not loud enough." Steinbeck foreshadows the fall of Mr. Edwards. Part Two of Chapter Nine explains the depths of Catherines controll and Mr. Edwards misery. "If in all the years Mr. Edwards had heard about anyone like himself he would have laughed. For Mr. Edwards, as a coldblooded a whoremaster as ever lived, had fallen hopelessly, miserably in love with Catherine Amesbury." The words capture, so well the irony and tragedy of this situation. Steinbeck even uses Catherines full name to make it clear that she has become everything to Mr. Edwards. He spends a great deal of his...

Biography of Brian Cox, Physicist

Biography of Brian Cox, Physicist Physics has had a number of figures who have not only advanced scientists understanding of the universe but also pushed forward a greater understanding of complex scientific questions among the general population. Think of Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, and Stephen Hawking, all of whom stood out from among the crowd of stereotypical physicists to present physics to the world in their distinctive styles and found an audience of non-scientists for whom their presentations strongly resonated. Though not yet as accomplished as these iconic physicists, British particle physicist Brian Cox certainly fits the profile of the celebrity scientist. He rose to prominence first as a member of British rock bands in the early 1990s before ultimately transitioning to work as an experimental physicist, exploring the cutting edge of particle physics. Though well-respected among physicists, it is his work as an advocate for science communication and education in which he really stands out from the crowd. He is a popular figure in British (and worldwide) media discussing matters of scientific importance, not only in the realm of physics but also more broadly on subjects of public policy and embracing secular principles of rationality. General Information Birthdate: March 3, 1968 Nationality: English Spouse: Gia Milinovich Music Career Brian Cox was a member of the rock band Dare in 1989 until the band split up in 1992. In 1993, he joined the UK rock band D:Ream, which had a number of hits, including the number one Things Can Only Get Better, which went on to be used as a political election anthem in England. D:Ream disbanded in 1997, at which point Cox (who had been studying physics all along and earned his Ph.D.) went on to practicing physics full time. Physics Work Brian Cox received his doctorate in physics from the University of Manchester, completing his thesis in 1998. In 2005, he was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. He splits his time between work at the University of Manchester and at the CERN facility in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the Large Hadron Collider. Coxs work is on both the ATLAS experiment  and the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. Popularizing Science Brian Cox has not only performed extensive research, but has also worked hard to help popularize science to lay audiences, especially through repeated appearances on the BBC programs such as The Big Bang Machine. In 2014, Brian Cox hosted a BBC Two 5-part television miniseries,  The Human Universe, which explored humanitys place in the universe by exploring the history of our growth as a species and also tackling existential questions such as Why are we here? and What is our future? He also released a book, called  The Human Universe  (co-authored with Andrew Cohen), in 2014. Two of his speeches are available as TED lectures, where he explains the physics being performed (or not being performed) at the Large Hadron Collider. He has co-authored the following books with fellow British physicist Jeff Forshaw: Why Does Emc2 (And Why Do We Care?) (2009)The Quantum Universe (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does) (2011) He is also a co-host of the popular BBC radio program Infinite Monkey Cage, which is released worldwide as a podcast. In this program, Brian Cox joins with British actor Robin Ince and other guests of renown (and sometimes scientific expertise) to discuss subjects of scientific interest with a comedic twist. Awards and Recognition International Fellow of The Explorers Club, 2002Lord Kelvin prize from the British Association (for his work popularizing science), 2006Institute of Physics Kelvin Prize, 2010Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 2010Institute of Physics Presidents medal, 2012Royal Societys Michael Faraday Prize, 2012 In addition to the above awards, Brian Cox has been recognized with a variety of honorary degrees.

Locate a news article about POVERTY in order to conduct a Term Paper

Locate a news article about POVERTY in order to conduct a meta-analysis of the author's economic perspective of the issue - Term Paper Example The New York Times Article Food Stamps Helped Reduce Poverty Rate, Study Shows† is a good economic issue (ref: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/10/us/food-stamp-program-helping-reduce-poverty.html?_r=1) 1. In terms of providing a brief overview / synopsis of the economic issue, the article shows that the Agriculture Department mentioned food stamps continue to reduce the poverty level of the United States. The food stamps are also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. The food stamps project benefitted more than 45,000,000 individuals in the nation. Specifically, the food stamps program raised the average below poverty line individual’s income six percent nearer to the poverty line. 2. In terms of discussing the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article, the economic theory that relates to the issue in the news article is demand principle. The economic theory dictates that â€Å"as the prices of goods and services increase, the demand for products and services decrease.† The theory also states that the demand for the products and services increases as the price of goods and services decline. The people who have enough money to pay for the goods and services will be the ones willing to buy the goods and services. As the prices of the goods or services increase, some of the people can no longer afford to buy the previously lower priced goods or services. Thus, the people who can no longer afford to buy the higher priced goods and services are forced to shift to the competitors’ lower priced goods and services.... Ronald King (King, 2000) theorizes â€Å"The Food Stamp Act of 1964 authorized the secretary of agriculture â€Å"to formulate and administer ‘a program under which â€Å"eligible households within the State shall be provided with an opportunity more nearly to obtain a nutritionally adequate diet through the issuance to them of a coupon allotment which shall have a greater monetary value than their normal expenditures for food.’1 The food stamp program is intended to increase the food purchasing power of low-income households to the point where they can afford the â€Å"Thrifty Food Plan, † the least expensive of the food purchasing plans developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.† The above quote states that the basic unit for the United States food stamps benefit program is the household. The family is described as the group of persons living under one roof who regularly buy food and prepare food in together. The food stamps program presumes that average household spends 30 percent of their entire purchasing power (computed in terms of cash on hand) on their unavoidable food needs. The food stamps program lightens the food need predicament of the family qualifying as belonging to the poverty line population of the United States. The United States government steps into the poverty level family home by giving them subsidy that is enough to close the gap between the household’s expected contribution to food purchases and the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan. The food stamps are given to the qualified families through booklets of coupons denominated in United States dollar amounts or by an Electronic Benefit Transfer card technology program. Some of the United States groceries are authorized to accept the food stamps as payment for the food bought from their

Market analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Market analysis - Essay Example The present study would analyze the case of Nintendo Corporation and analyze its elements of marketing mix. Nintendo is a Japanese game console manufacturing and marketing company that is engaged in the production of gaming consoles. The company was established in the year 1889 and since then has been credited with being one of the pioneers in the industry segment. Some of its innovations like Mario are still quite popular among the target market audience. The company presently has subsidiaries across many nations of the world including manufacturing units that help it to make it one of the best known brands in its category (Nintendo, â€Å"Company History†). Discussion In order to analyze the business strategies of Nintendo it is very important to analyze its elements of marketing mix. The elements of marketing mix for product category firms like Nintendo include the aspects of Product, Price, Place and Promotions. Product The new Wii product launched by Nintendo has somewhat helped generate profit margins for the company since the failure of game cube. The company faced stiff competition from competitors like Sony and X Box who used flashy designs and fast technology to generate innovations. Nintendo however did not follow the same strategy; instead it chose to maintain its focus on gaming consoles. The main reason behind this aspect of strategy was to create a distinction between Wii and the other consoles available in the market and follow a differentiation strategy. The company is of the view that this differentiation strategy would help generate a distinct identity and a unique positioning of the brand in the minds of the target market audience. The company also thinks that blindly following their competitor’s moves would not help in the long run as Nintendo is of the opinion that fast technology based innovations are likely to have a fad effect and tend to dissolve very quickly. Nintendo is of the faith that a firm using such core competenc e has to constantly upgrade their innovations and that their positioning in the minds of the customers can easily change considering the fact that their demands are constantly fluctuating. Instead of giving fast technologies the company would emphasize on providing greater values to its customers. One of the essential features of the Wii is its small size that makes it easier to carry and use. The company is of the faith that this would provide greater mobility and flexibility to the product and that such features were not present with any of the competitors of the company. The new controller of the console introduced by Nintendo in its product Wii has helped introduced movements and mobility in the product. This was a completely new feature in the market and has been largely done in order to use innovations to segregate their product offerings in the market. Nintendo also believed in creating a product design that would not only fascinate kinds but would be attractive to all the fa mily members across various age groups. It is because of this reason that the company chose to focus on design rather than high end software and complex hardwires as done by all its competitors in the market. The company’s strategy of keeping a small design has helped it to reposition the product and showcase it as a fun device rather than another innovation in the existing product line. Nintendo’s main intention of keeping the size small was perhaps its most important and vital competitive edge as Nintendo was able to position the product as a modified form of toy appealing to all age groups rather than another addition to the existing product line. The design of the product that constitutes its core competence also includes easy handling and greater maneuverability that