Bachelor degree in Information Technology

WorldCapital Market investment bank, I am confident in my ability to deliver the best efforts in the Job of your company. My experiences in Information Sciences Institute which also locates in Marine Del Ray Bay systematically help me establish a well-understanding in the computer skills while exceeding your xpectations. Moreover, I'm good at dealing with pressure and burden which probably will happen. But I always regard it as a good thing.Also, I am well versed in researching and verifying information in appropriate manner. Above all, I am able to manage time efficiently and an ability to work under tight deadlines for work and revisions. Besides your requirements, I have the following expertise and knowledge which would be an asset: Meeting with possible staff to discuss possible projects, inalizing timelines and discussing facts and information Writing the assigned tasks within fixed timeline Completing all revisions and amendments With my creative and unique work style, I am con fident that I am an excellent match for this position.I look forward to meeting with you to discuss more about this position. Thank you for your time and consideration. The Norva – Norfolk, VA – sat, oct 12, 201 sposted 10/1 5/2013by Claytonman18 This Fan's Reviews Periphery was incredible! Best show I've ever seen to date! Favorite moment: Face Palm Mute! Was this review helpful to you? Yes I No(Report as inappropriate) Share this review: Facebook Twitter 5/5 Frak the Gods tour five stars! tate Theatre – st Petersburg, FL – sun, sep 4, 2011 posted 09/08/2011 by swalls This Fan's Reviews Ticket price was the first influencing decision in attending. At $13. 90 per ticket, plus taxes and fees, making it about $17. 00, you cant beat 6 hours of live music. The venue was adequate, with a pit section and balcony, for those not wanting to be trampled. There were 4 big names on the bill, with 2 or 3 local bands.

`As I lay Dying` by Faulkner and `Long Day’s Journey into Night` by O’Neill Essay

Family, the most important social unit, influences the thoughts and behavior of its members. When the members of a family are able to bond with each other and share their inner most feelings, it has a positive impact on the character and attitudes of the family members. But if the family members are alienated and isolated from each other, then it results in loneliness and sorrow for the family. The novel â€Å"As I Lay Dying† by William Faulkner and the play â€Å"Long Day’s Journey into Night† by Eugene O’Neill depicts families that are dealing with alienation and loneliness. In the novel â€Å"As I Lay Dying†, the members in the Bundren family react in different ways to the death of Addie Bundren, the mother. The thoughts and the views of the Bundren family members point towards their isolation from each other. The play â€Å"Long Day’s Journey into Night† focuses on the Tyrone family and the isolation of the family members from each other. As I Lay Dying In the novel â€Å"As I Lay Dying†, the author brings forth the views of the Bundren family members regarding each other. The mother in the family, Addie Bundren is on the verge of her death. Although Addie Bundren is the mother of Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman, it is Jewel that she loves the most. Addie Bundren is leading her matrimonial life with Anse Bundren but she never truly loved him. Unsatisfied by her marriage, she gets involved into an extramarital affair with her preacher, Reverend Whitfield. Jewel was the child, born out of this illicit relation, and so Addie showered more love and affection on Jewel than the other children. As Cash was Addie’s first child, she loves him too whereas she shows no affection towards her other children. Addie’s unhappy marriage influences her behavior towards her children. Addie herself is aware of her isolation from her children and her husband. She struggles to cope with her isolation, and at times attempts to make others feel of her presence. Being a school teacher, Addie beats her students to make them realize about her influence in their lives. â€Å"I would think with each blow of the switch: Now you are aware of me! Now I am something in your secret and selfish life, who have marked your blood with my own for ever and ever. † (Faulkner 170). After Addie’s death, the alienation and loneliness of the Bundren family is more evident, as each member reacts to the death in a different way. The family members are more concerned about their individual problems and conflicts than the death of Addie. â€Å"In As I Lay Dying, the various members of the Bundren family, are driven by conflicting interests and oppressive secrets that inevitably set them apart from one another. † (Cavallaro 35). Instead of thinking about themselves as a part of the family, the Bundren members are in pursuit of their personal aims. Long Day’s Journey into Night The play â€Å"Long Day’s Journey into Night† depicts the Tyrone family and the conflicts occurring among its family members. The mother in the family, Mary is addicted to morphine and the father and the two sons in the family are alcoholics. When the play opens, Mary has returned from a sanatorium where she was treated for her addiction. The youngest son in the family, Edmund is suffering from tuberculosis. As the play progresses, the family comes to know about Edmund’s disease and the fact that Mary has not yet succeeded in giving up her addiction. This leads to conflicts between the family members and brings about alienation among the Tyrone family members. The behavior of Tyrone is also one of the reasons which alienate the family members from one another. Tyrone is a frugal person who is careful about the way he spends his money. In the play there are many instances which point towards his frugality. He always insists on switching off the lights in the night, â€Å"There is no reason to have the house ablaze with electricity at this time of night, burning up money! † (O’Neil 126). The other family members blame his frugality as the reason for Mary’s condition. Mary is unable to connect with her family members, owing to her guilt. Tyrone is having strained relations with his son. As all the family members are struggling with their addictions and problems, they are incapable to bond with each other. â€Å"In O’Neil, characters are locked into their histories, unwilling or unable to push their freedom and responsibility, with horrible consequences. † (Cotkin 23). The Tyrone family members fail to identify themselves with their family. Their individual conflicts and problems cause the isolation among the family members. Conclusion Both the families in the stories â€Å"As I Lay Dying† by William Faulkner and â€Å"Long Day’s Journey into Night† by Eugene O’Neill depict families which are struggling with alienation and isolation. The members of the Bundren family in the novel â€Å"As I Lay Dying† are so engaged in their personal problems that they fail to connect with each other. Similarly, the Tyrone family members in the play â€Å"Long Day’s Journey into Night† are in conflict with each other, owing to various reasons, leading to alienation and loneliness. Works Cited Cavallaro, Dani. The Gothic Vision: Three Centuries of Horror, Terror and Fear. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2002. Cotkin, George. Existential America. JHU Press, 2005. Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying: The Corrected Text. Vintage Books, 1990. O’Neill, Eugene. Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Yale University Press, 1956.

Forum 3 research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Forum 3 research methods - Essay Example It was found that people who wanted the inclusion of homosexuals into the protected group supported the hate crime law whereas others that wanted homosexuals out of the protected group rejected the hate crime law. As contained by the theory of identity politics, the data-supported path model helped the researchers find that the people who considered the hate crimes a source of fear among the victim group’s members as well as the economic and social liberals raised their support for the inclusion of the homosexuals into the hate crime laws. Rest of the research findings were not consistent with the theory of identity politics that considers the movement a united front. A surprising finding of the research was that the likelihood of belief in the increase of hate crimes was found to be more in the social conservatives as compared to the economic conservatives. All variables possibly having some kind of indirect or direct relationship with the dependent model included in the study were displayed in the form of a skeletal model shown in the article as Fig. 1. The skeletal model’s fundamental dependent variable was the general extent of support of a respondent for a hate crime law containing the condition of penalty enhancement. The definition of a variable as the dependent or independent variable depended upon the regression. In total, seven regressions were performed. In the first regression, the dependent variable in the skeletal model i.e. general hate crime law attitude was shown towards the extreme right with all of the independent variables towards the left. In the subsequent six regressions, â€Å"the dependent variables were homosexual inclusion, verbal aggression inclusion, hate crimes increased, fear among other group members, social liberalism/conservatism, and economic liberalism/conservatism† (Johnson and Byers, 2 003, p. 232), whereas the independent variables in these six regressions were all variables towards the left of but not above or

Support for teaching of science practices in school Research Paper

Support for teaching of science practices in school - Research Paper Example Support for teaching of science practices in school Decreasing populations and tax bases in rural areas reduce the fiscal resources available to the schools. One school district also faced enormous fiscal challenges when a tornado destroyed almost all buildings in the downtown area in 2003. In addition, high prices for gasoline and diesel fuel can devastate school district budgets where transporting students for long distances is the norm (DeYoung, 1991). Government- based support Currently, state finance of learning has attained erosion because of challenging economy. In response to the worsening world economy, state and learning policymakers have reacted to strict fiscal constraints by transforming a bigger share of the financial load from taxpayers to learner rather than by deep evaluation and decrease of costs and/or enhancing efficiency. As learning continues to develop and expand, several major elements of federal policies, regulations, and rules may need to be revisited in order to enable many to continue enrolling for distance education courses. Financing education is a broad and intricate issue. It is intricate in part of because of different basis of revenue, output, or products that are associated to these distinct sources of revenue. In addition, these expenditures and revenue pattern differ significantly by the kind of institution (four year college, university or two year college), means of governance (private or public), and the state. (Pearl & Singh, 1999). In the private sector, the pattern of pricing, price discounting and expenditure levels vary significantly according to the wealth of the institution, demographics, and the affluence of the family of the applicant pool. In the public domain, these patterns also differ according to tuition laws, enrolment limits, and state funding levels that are determined by the government or public education governing body or board. The issue of financing education is large because capital underlies the themes of quality and efficiency. In terms of efficienc y, there is need for cost effective association between revenues from taxpayers, parents and learner and products or outputs when measured in rates of graduation, student learning and enrolments (Hampel, 2010). Within the wide themes of higher finance underlies institutional and public policy questions that are creative or informed, if not tackled, by financial and economic perspectives. For instance, the familiar question regarding education finance concerns how much it can cost taxpayers and the relevant ratios of learners to administrative and professional staff at different types of institutions (Honderich, 1995). Learning is identified as the major driver of economic growth and as the main determinant of a person’s status and remuneration. Distance learning is essential in maintaining the growth of the economy in the rapidly increasing world economy. This is because it most high and well paying jobs and remuneration will depend on the level of education and in this case, a person with an advanced or higher degree is set to benefit more than a person with a college degree (Holmberg, 1995). Financing education in the twenty first century has a unique salience because of the 2008 financial crisis, which has caused serious economies to economies of countries in the world. However, in most countries, revenues remain strained. Since the current public universities and colleges

DID STEREOTYPING OF YOUNG MALE MUSLIMS INCREASE AFTER THE LONDON Research Paper

DID STEREOTYPING OF YOUNG MALE MUSLIMS INCREASE AFTER THE LONDON TRANSIT BOMBING ON 2005 - Research Paper Example Media played the major role to increase stereotyping in UK. The median focused on the radicalization of Islamic youths residing in UK by linking them to inadequate integration processes. The police departments were given direct orders to overcome the impacts from the incidents and punish the anti-social activists swiftly. Most of the Muslim male youths were harassed in UK after the incidents and the civil society of UK turned against the entire Muslim community. The number of reported incidents against the Muslim community and their worship places increased immediately after the bombing incidents of London. This research paper focuses on the impact of London bombings on racial profiling. On the 7th of July, a series of suicide bomb attacks were conducted in Central London. The attacks were majorly conducted to create massacre among the civilians using the public transport system. According to reports, it has been observed that four British Islamist men had detonated four bombs. Among the four bombs, three of them were detonated in the underground trains across the city. The fourth bomb was detonated on a double-decker bus. Almost one hour after the underground train attacks the fourth bomb was detonated on the number 30 bus (Goldstein 21). The attack occurred in Tavistock square, resulting in multiple injuries and death of innocent civilians. The incident occurred on a Tuesday, leaving 52 civilians dead and more than 700 injured. This incident has been regarded as the worst attacks, since 1988, i.e. the Lockerbie bombing. Before the London bombing incident, several other attacks took place in UK resulting in loss of many lives and properties. One of the most disastrous attacks occurred on 30 October, 1883. Two bombs exploded in the London underground railways in Paddington and Westminster Bridge station. In the year 1884, three

US government mngement budget plnning nd control Essay

US government mngement budget plnning nd control - Essay Example Budgeting describes whÐ °t governments do by listing how governments spend money. Ð  budget links tÐ °sks to be performed with the Ð °mount of resources necessÐ °ry to Ð °ccomplish those tÐ °sks, ensuring thÐ °t money will be Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble to wÐ °ge wÐ °r, provide housing, or mÐ °intÐ °in streets. Budgets limit expenditures to the revenue Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble, to ensure bÐ °lÐ °nce Ð °nd prevent overspending. Most of the work in drÐ °wing up Ð ° budget is technicÐ °l, estimÐ °ting how much it will cost to feed Ð ° thousÐ °nd shut-ins with Ð ° MeÐ °ls-on-Wheels progrÐ °m or how much revenue will be produced from Ð ° 1 percent tÐ °x on retÐ °il sÐ °les. But public budgets Ð °re not merely technicÐ °l mÐ °nÐ °geriÐ °l documents; they Ð °re Ð °lso intrinsicÐ °lly Ð °nd irreducibly politicÐ °l. The efficiency of budgeting is determined by the wÐ °ys it is plÐ °nned Ð °nd control. The following pÐ °per described the wÐ °ys thÐ °t US budget is cÐ °rried out, how scÐ °rce resources Ð °re Ð °llocÐ °ted Ð °nd the choice between potentiÐ °l objects of expenditure is chosen. Ð ll budgeting, whether public or privÐ °te, individuÐ °l or orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l, involves choices between possible expenditures. Since no one hÐ °s unlimited resources, people budget Ð °ll the time. Ð  child mÐ °kes Ð ° budget (Ð ° plÐ °n for spending, bÐ °lÐ °ncing revenues Ð °nd expenditures) when she decides to spend money on Ð ° mÐ °rshmÐ °llow rÐ °bbit rÐ °ther thÐ °n Ð ° chocolÐ °te one, Ð °ssuming she hÐ °s money enough for only one rÐ °bbit. The Ð °ir force mÐ °y choose between two different Ð °irplÐ °nes to replÐ °ce current bombers. ... For exmple, I my look t the min course nd sk bout the mount of protein for the dollr. I my compre the desserts in terms of the mount of cholesterol or the clories. Budgeting often lloctes money, but it cn llocte ny scrce resource, for exmple, time. student my choose between studying for n exm nd plying softbll nd drinking beer fterwrd. In this exmple, it is time tht is t premium, not money. Or it could be medicl skills tht re in short supply, or expensive equipment, or prtment spce, or wter. Government progrms often involve choice of resources nd sometimes involve combintions of resources, ech of which hs different chrcteristics. For exmple, some federl frm progrms involve direct csh pyments plus lons t below-mrket interest rtes, nd welfre progrms often involve dollr pyments plus food stmps, which llow recipients to py less for food. Federl budgets often ssign gencies money, personnel, nd sometimes borrowing uthority, three different kinds of resources. (Blnd, Rubin, 1997) Budgets hve to blnce. pln for expenditures tht pys no ttention to ensuring tht revenues cover expenditures is not budget. Tht my sound odd in view of historiclly huge federl deficits, but budget my techniclly be blnced by borrowing. Blnce mens only tht outgo is mtched or exceeded by income. The borrowing hs to be pid off. Borrowing mens spending more now nd pying more in the future in order to mintin blnce. It is blnce over time. Budgeting cnnot proceed without some kind of decision process. The process determines who will hve sy nd t wht point in the decision mking, nd frmes the decisions tht hve to be mde. Budget process typiclly involves estimtes of revenues nd limits on expenditures, structures the comprisons mong lterntives, nd regultes the flow of

Sherry Turkle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sherry Turkle - Essay Example But this means many things are lost. For one, people have lost the ability to actually converse with each other in person. People in work spaces â€Å"feel they are bothering† each other when they actually go and talk in person, but don’t get that same sense of intrusion when they send an email or send a text (Turkle). This means that people are creating â€Å"personal bubbles† around themselves at all times (Kakutani). People might spend more and more time together, in both physical and digital spaces. But this does not mean that they are actually communicating the things that are important – rather, they are spending time adjacent to one another while really spending time only with themselves. I see this a lot in day to day spaces. One of the most frustrating things in the world is when people say they want to â€Å"hang out† but then don’t actually want to do anything together during their hangout times. They want to consume media while ad jacent to each other, for instance, or hang out while constantly checking their phones or doing other things. This means that they are not truly interacting – they find it convenient to share physical space for a brief period of

The Vietnam Quagmire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Vietnam Quagmire - Essay Example The war in Vietnam and the involvement of the United States (US) served to teach a very important lesson where foreign relations and policy are concerned. The Vietnam War served to teach America and the rest of the world that one cannot impose their ways and values on other people. This was acerbated by the use of military force by the Americans in an effort to coerce President Diem to adopt American style politics and systems of governance. America engaged itself in the Vietnam War without a clear exit strategy, an aspect that further complicated by the fact that the US did not have a set agenda on what was its end goal or objective in the war (Halberstam 4). These factors contributed to chronic suspicion by the Vietnamese leadership and the people, an aspect that did not improve relations between Americans and the Vietnamese. It led to the continuation of a purposeless war attributed to the loss of senseless and massive casualties for both sides an event that could have been avoide d if America had approached this issue in a different manner. During the Vietnam War the Buddhists in the South of Vietnam played a vital role that was seen as progressive in terms of what the country needed at that time. Buddhism was a popular and widespread religion before the coming of Christianity, and rise to power of a devote Roman Catholic priest saw the discrimination of Buddhist elements both in government and society (Halberstam 7).

Intro speech Essay Example for Free

Intro speech Essay Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Earth Hour engages a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues. It was first famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to remain the key driver of the now larger movement. The event is held worldwide and held towards the end of March annually, encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. Earth Hour 2013 was celebrated on March 23, 2013. Earth Hour 2014 is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. during participants local time. -2004: in Sydney not so famous 2007: Become well known -2008: Earth Hour 2008 was held internationally on March 29, 2008 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time, marking the first anniversary of the event. With 35 countries around the world participating as official flagship cities and over 400 cities also supporting, Earth Hour 2008 was celebrated on all seven continents. Landmarks all around the world turned off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour, including the Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), Empire State Building (New York City, USA), (examples) 2008 participants[edit] Earth Hour 2008 included 26 major cities worldwide and 300 smaller towns shutting off their lights.[6] 2009: Earth Hour 2009 was from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 28, 2009. 88 countries and 4,159 cities participated in Earth Hour 2009,[37] ten times more cities than Earth Hour 2008 had (2008 saw 400 cities participate).[38 96 countries on 6 continents participated in the event in 2009. 2010: Earth Hour 2010 was held from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, 27 March.[49] In Israel, the hour was held on 22 April.[50] Earth Hour 2010 was reportedly the biggest Earth Hour yet, aiming to garner more than the one billion participant goal of 2009s Earth Hour.[51] 126 countries participated in Earth Hour 2010.[52] 2011: Earth Hour 2011 was the biggest year in the campaigns five year history, reaffirming it as the largest ever voluntary action for the environment. It took place in a record 5,251 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories in all seven continents.[59] It had an estimated reach of 1.8 billion people across the globe. In addition to this, the campaigns digital footprint grew to 91 million. 2012: Earth Hour 2012 was observed on 31 March 2012 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (participants local time).[66] It took place in more than 7000 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories, making it the biggest growth year for the campaign since 2009. In February, Earth Hour launched its 2012 campaign I Will If You Will, with the intention of engaging its growing global community to go beyond the hour and coordinate efforts publicly through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and e-mail. Using a dedicated YouTube platform,[67] IWIYW asks Earth Hours digital community to inspire people from all corners of the globe to take sustainability actions, and to share their commitment to the environment with their own social media networks. -2013: Earth Hour 2013 was held across the world on Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time[71] to avoid taking place after European Summer Time begins, ensuring the greatest impact of the lights off event. It is also to avoid coinciding wi th Western Christianity Holy Saturday, which falls on March 30 of that year. 2014: Earth Hour 2014 announced the date will schedule on March 29 as seen on the 2013 Earth Hour highlights â€Å"I will if you will† Campaign: I Will If You Will (IWIYW) is an Earth Hour campaign to encourage positive  action for the environment. The actions required are up to the individual or group. They could be big or small and it might be a simple lifestyle change or perhaps something that leads to political change. The campaign intends for people to become the inspiration to their friends, family, colleagues and communities by sharing what they’re willing to do to protect the planet. Challenges can be created or accepted on Earth Hours YouTube channel. Many organization supports and celebrity endorsement The Earth Hour Global FAQ page states: Earth Hour does not purport to be an energy/carbon reduction exercise, it is a symbolic action. Therefore, we do not engage in the measurement of energy/carbon reduction levels for the hour itself. Earth Hour is an initiative to encourage individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue and resource exchange that provides real solutions to our environmental challenges. Participation in Earth Hour symbolises a commitment to change beyond the hour.[86]

Critique of an article using the Scientific Method Essay Example for Free

Critique of an article using the Scientific Method Essay The paper Politics and Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean is a research paper authored by Evelyne Huber, Francois Nielsen, Jenny Pribble, and John D. Stephens. This paper is a time series analysis of the impact that politics and policy bring about on inequality in the scope of Latin America and the Caribbean. This research is based on various models consisting of sociological and economic variables, plus the strength of the democratic tradition, as well as the distribution of long-term legislative partisan political power and the social spending to explain inequality variations. As a study that aims to analyze social factors and its effect on the inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean, this research was able to conform to the Scientific Method, despite some instances where there are some unsupported arguments. Basing on the Scientific Method of research, we’ll first know what these researchers wanted to find out. What do these people want to learn about? The researchers’ primary concern was to determine what factors are contributing to the inequality levels in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their initial expectations were political variables such as partisan legislative power, strength of democratic tradition, and the nature of social expenditures were the ones initially determining these inequality levels. Another assumption regarding this matter is that these variables have weights different from the ones in advanced modern/industrial societies. One of their basis for this assumption is that most advanced industrial countries have uninterrupted records of democracy as compared to that of Latin America. These countries were able to establish welfare states that redistribute the income. They’re basing their assumption on previous records like the overall size of welfare states and the structure of taxation expenditures. Closely looking at this matter, we can say that what these researchers wanted to find out was somehow in line with the use of scientific method. They came up with an inquiry which is based on previous data. They also gave their hypothesis as to what they expect about their assumption. In relation to this, their assumptions were given as an answer to their inquiry, and that will be the basis of how they’ll go about with this research. They came up with a set of data gathered from previous information from other studies and published articles. One of the bases that they used was studies which utilized multiple regression analyses of inequality in developing countries. They used this information as a pattern or guide in conducting their own study. One study made by Morley is about the determinants of differences in inequality of income distribution among countries in Latin America. Here, he combined multiple regression analysis with case studies of nine countries. Because of this, he came up with variables which play an important role in his research. These variables include national income, inflation, education, economic reform indices and land distribution. These variables are essential because it can also be used for other researches like this one. Basing on the scientific method, we can say that it this research made full use of the information from previous studies. They were able to gather essential information which they could use in proving their assumptions for this study. However, they may have overused the information and relied on it too much. There is a great resemblance of their research with that of Morley’s, that’s why it ma have resulted to something similar. The point is, they could have altered several aspects in other researches and not just utilized everything from that one into their own. If they are expecting to find something new, then their research should be something new also. Other researches are there for additional information and guide, that’s why they shouldn’t dwell on it always. The researchers came up with different hypotheses on democracy, political parties, social spending, economic development, inflation, demography, ethnic composition, education, foreign direct investment, the informal sector, and land distribution. They were able to give arguments and related studies as to how these factors were able to affect the inequality in Latin America. However, the way they presented these factors and how they reasoned out regarding its effect on the state of inequality in the area is questionable. The scientific method should be based on facts and concrete evidences. Surely, they were able to provide related literature for most of the factors, but in some, they also tried injecting their own opinion without giving any basis for saying that. The scientific method relies on how you will be able to back up your statements by using previous studies or materials from previous researches. If you are to say something without backing it up with concrete evidence, then the information you are relaying is questionable. The research posed a lot of information regarding these factors. But not all of the information that they gave were verifiable by evidence, so the credibility of their statements are somewhat questionable, thus making their research somewhat weaker. The next step of the scientific method involves gathering and organizing data for the research. Here, we see that the researches devoted enough time and effort to come up with sufficient data. Their main sources of information were secondary data from various country’s statistics, and how it was related to that country’s social and economic situation. They utilized various analytical methods in interpreting this data, sorting it in manner where one could clearly see how it affected the inequality for the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In this part, they were able to stick to the scientific method of conducting a study wherein they properly gathered and sorted the data to be analyzed. As a result, they were able to come up with the necessary information which was interpreted. The results are there in order to verify and support the hypothetical claims that they made earlier on the study. This could either prove or disprove their assumptions. The next part of the scientific method is the discussion of the results before actually concluding the research. The results showed that the assumptions regarding the outcome of the study were strongly supported, wherein politics is really important in shaping the inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean countries. The democratic records were one of the strongest evidence for this, along with the cumulative record of the strength of left-of-center parties in the legislature, as well as the interaction of social security spending and democracy. It has left us with the conclusion that democracy is very important for inequality. This could be quantified in two ways, which are: 1) it allows the leaders who are concerned with the welfare of the underprivileged to let them build organizations in the form of political parties, and 2) allow those parties to establish a support base, and to gain necessary influence in the legislature and be able to use that influence to shape various policies is the direction of redistribution. The conclusion can be well associated with the scientific method, as it summarized the results and mentioned the possible implications of the research. Another problem is whether the research can easily be repeated for the purpose of verification. With all the necessary factors at hand, reproduction of this research may be hard because the political state of a country can be changed, thus affecting the variables it has previously possessed.

3D Technology: Types and Uses

3D Technology: Types and Uses CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This report will focus on how different 3D technologies work, it will include the entire work flow, from recording the action, encoding the footage, playing back the media via a cinema projector or television and finally how the audience views the 3D film or video, whether it be through specially designed glasses or an auto-stereoscopic television. At present the most popular way to view 3D media is with the use of specialised glasses, the most popular being, active shutter glasses, passive polarised glasses and colour separationbased glasses. Wearing glasses to watch a movie is often mentioned as a negative aspect of 3D. There is a technology available that allows you to watch 3D on screens without wearing any additional glasses, it is called autostereoscopy, this will also be looked at. The health impacts that result from watching 3D will also be examined, along with factors that will prevent a person from being able to correctly view 3D images. There will be impacts on the entire industry from studios and cinemas to smaller production companies and independent producers if 3D films become the norm and these will be examined. A good place to start this report is to examine how two of the highest profile media companies around at present are currently viewing 3D technology. Phil McNally stereoscopic supervisor at Disney-3D and Dreamworks was quoted as saying, consider that all technical progress in the cinema industry brought us closer to the ultimate entertainment experience: the dream. We dream in colour, with sound, in an incoherent world with no time reference. The cinema offers us a chance to dream awake for an hour. And because we dream in 3D, we ultimately want the cinema to be a 3D experience not a flat one.'(Mendiburu, 2009) In the BBC Research White Paper: The Challenges of Three-Dimensional Television, 3D technology is referred to as a continuing long-term evolution of television standards towards a means of recording, transmitting and displaying images that are indistinguishable from reality'(Armstrong, Salmon, Jolly, 2009) It is clear from both of these high profile sources that the industry is taking the evolution of 3D very seriously, as a result this is a topic that is not only very interesting but will be at the cutting edge of technological advances for the next couple of years. This report will be covering the following things: What does the term 3D mean with reference to film and video A look at the history of 3D in film How does 3D technology work The implications of 3D on the film business and on cinemas The methods used to create the media and also the ways in which the 3D image is recreated for the viewer The reasons I have chosen to do my project on this topic is that I am very interested in the new media field. 3D video when accompanied with high definition film and video is a field that is growing rapidly. Earlier this year, on 02 April 2009, Sky broadcast the UKs first live event in the 3D TV format, it featured a live music concert by the pop group Keane, it was sent via the companys satellite network using polarisation technology. Traditionally we view films and television in two dimensions, this in essence means we view the media as a flat image. In real life we view everything in three dimensions, this is because we get a slightly different image received in each eye, the brain then combines these and we can work out depth of vision and create a 3D image. (this will be explained further in Chapter 3) There is a high level of industrial relevance with this topic, as 3D technology coupled with high definition digital signal is at the cutting edge of mainstream digital media consumption. Further evidence of this is that the sports company ESPN will be launching their new TV channel, ESPN-3D in North America in time for this years Summer Football World Cup. In January 2009 the BBC produced a Research White Paper entitled The Challenges of Three-Dimensional Television on this subject and over the next couple of years they predict that it will start to be introduced in the same way that HD (High Definition) digital television signal is currently being phased in, with pay-per-view movies and sports being the first take advantage of it. Sky have announced that their existing Sky+HD boxes will be able to broadcast the 3D signals so customers will not even need to update their equipment to be able to receive the 3D Channel that they are starting to broadcast later this year. On Sunday January 31st 2010, Sky broadcast a live Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United for the first time in 3D to selected pubs across the country, Sky equipped the selected pubs with LGs new 47-inch LD920 3D TVs. These televisions use the passive glasses, similar to the ones uses in cinemas as opposed to the more expensive Active glasses which are also an option. (The differences between Active and Passive technologies will be explained in Chapter 8) It is also worth noting that at the 2010 Golden Globe awards, on acceptance of his award for Best Picture for the 3D Box Office Hit Avatar, the Canadian director James Cameron pronounced 3D as the future. At the time of writing this report (27/01/2010) the 3D film Avatar has just taken over from Titanic (also a James Cameron film) to become the highest grossing movie of all time, with worldwide takings of $1.859 billion. This is being accredited to the films outstanding takings in the 3D version of its release, in America 80% of the films box office revenue has been received from the 3D version of its release. In an industry where money talks, these figures will surely lead to an dramatic increase in production of 3D films and as a result Avatar could potentially be one of the most influential films of all time. After completing this dissertation I hope to be able to have a wide knowledge base on the subject and hopefully this will appeal to companies that I approach about employment once I have graduated. In the summer of 2010 when I will be looking for jobs, I believe that a lot of production companies will have some knowledge of 3D technology and be aware of how in the near future it may be something that they will have to consider adopting in the way that many production companies are already or soon will be adopting HD into their workflow. In order to ensure that I complete this project to a high standard it is important that I gain a complete understanding of the topic and study a variety of different sources when compiling my research. 3D media itself is not a new concept so there are a wide range of books and articles on the theory of 3D and stereoscopy along with anaglyphs. However in recent years there has been a resurgence in 3D with relation to film and TV. This is due mainly to digital video and film production making it easier and cheaper to create and manage the two channels needed for three-dimensional video production. It has proved more difficult to study books and papers on this most recent resurgence of 3D because it is still happening and evolving all the time. I have read various research white papers on the subject, which have been cited in the Bibliography, I have also used websites and blogs along with some recently published books, one of the problems with such a fast moving technological field such as 3D though, is that these books quickly become outdated. CHAPTER 2: HUMAN VISION In the real world we see in three dimensions as opposed to the two dimensions that we have become accustomed to when watching TV or at the cinema. Human vision appears in three dimensions because it is normal for people to have two eyes that both focus on the object, in the brain these two images are then fused into one, from this we can work out depth of vision, this process is called stereopsis. All of these calculations happen in the brain without the person ever even noticing, as a result we see the world in three dimensions very naturally. The reason that we see in 3D is because of stereoscopic depth perception. There are various complex calculations going on in our brains, this coupled with real experience allows our brain to work out the depth of vision. If it wasnt for this it would be impossible to tell if something was very small or just very far away. As humans, we have learnt to judge depth even with only one view point. This is why, if a person has one eye they can still manage to do most things that a person with two eyes can do. This is also why when watching a 2-D film you can still get a good judge of depth. The term for depth cues based on only one viewpoint is monoscopic depth cues. One of the most important of these is our own experience, it relates to perspective and relative size of objects. In simple terms, we have become accustomed to object being certain sizes. An example of this is that we expect buildings to be very big, humans are smaller and insects are smaller still. So this means that if we can see all three of these objects next to each other and they appear to be the same size then the insect must be much closer than the person, and both the insect and the person must be much closer that the building (see figure 1). The perspective depth cue (shown in figure1) was backed up when an experiment was carried out by Ittelson in 1951. He got volunteers to look through a peep hole at some playing cards, the only thing they could see were the cards and so there were no other types of depth cue available. There were actually three different-sized playing cards (normal size, half-size, and double size), and they were presented one at a time at a distance of 2.3metres away. The half-sized playing card was judged to be 4.6 metres away from the observer, whereas the double-sized card was thought to be 1.3 metres away. Thus, familiar size had a large effect on distance judgement'(Eysenck, 2002). Another monoscopic depth cue that is very effective is referred to as occlusion or interposition. This is where an object overlaps another object. If a person is standing behind a tree then you will be able to see all of the tree but only part of the person. This tells us that the tree is nearer to us that the person. One of the most important single view depth cues in called motion parallax, it works on the basis that if a person moves their head, and therefore eyes, then objects nearer to them, whilst not physically moving, will appear to move more than the objects in the distance. This is the method that astronomers use to measure distances of stars and planets. It is in extremely important method of judging depth and is used extensively in 3D filmmaking. In filmmaking, lighting is often talked about as being one of the key elements to giving the picture depth, and this is because it is a monoscopic depth cue. In real life the main light source for millennia has been the sun. Humans have worked out how to judge depth based on the shadows that are portrayed from an object. In 2D films shadows are often used to display depth by casting them across actors faces it allows the viewers to see the recesses and expressions trying to be portrayed. So far all of the methods that have been described for determining depth have been monoscopic, these work independently within each eye. If these were the only methods for determining depth there would be no need for 3D films as it would not add anything because all of these methods could be recreated using a single camera lens. This is not the case however, a lot of the more advanced methods used in human vision for judging depth need the use of both eyes, these are called stereoscopic depth cues. A great deal of stereoscopic depth cues are based around the feedback that your brain gets when the muscles in the eye are manipulated to concentrate your vision on a particular point. One of the main stereoscopic depth cues is called convergence, this referrers to the way that the eyes rotate in order to focus on an object (see figure 2). If the focus is on a near object, the eyes rotate around the Y axis and converge on a tighter angle , similarly if the focus is on a distant object the rotation means the eyes have a wider angle of convergence. It is a lot less stressful on the muscles in the eye to have a wide angle of convergence and look at objects far away, in comparison looking at very close object for any amount of time causes the muscles in the eye to ache. This is a very important factor that should be considered when creating 3D films, as it doesnt matter how good the film is, if it is going to hurt the audience it will not go down well. A second stereoscopic depth cue that we use is called accommodation, this is the way that our eyes changes focus when we look at an object at different distances, it is very closely linked with convergence. Usually when we look at an object very close up, our eyes will change rotation and point towards the object (convergence) allowing us to look at the item, our eyes will at the same time change focus (accommodation). Using the ciliarybody muscles in the eye, the lens will change shape to let more or less light in the same way a camera does, thus changing focus. In everyday life convergence and accommodation usually happen in parallel. The fact that we can, if we wish choose to converge our eyes without changing the focus means that 3D films are possible. When you are sat in the cinema all of the action is projected onto the screen in front of you, so this is where your eyes need to focus. With 2D films the screen is also where your eyes need to converge, but with 3D films this is not the case. When watching a 3D film the focus never changes from the screen, else the whole picture would go out of focus, but objects appear to be in front and behind the screen, so your eyes need to change their convergence to look at these objects without altering their focus from the screen. It has been suggested that this independence of accommodation and convergence is the reason for eye strain when watching a 3D picture as your eyes are doing something that they are not in the habit of doing (see chapter 12: Is 3D bad for you). It is also worth noting that our monoscopic depth cues work at almost any range, this is not the case with stereoscopic depth cues. As objects become further away they no longer appear differently in each eye, so there is no way the brain can calculate a difference and work out depth. The limit occurs in the 100 to 200-yard range, as our discernment asymptomatically tends to zero. In a theatre, we will hit the same limitation, and this will define the depth resolution and the depth range of the screen.(Mendiburu, 2009) This means that when producing a 3D film you have to be aware that the range of 3D that you have to use is not infinite and is limited to 100-200 yards. CHAPTER 3: Early Stereoscopic History (1838 1920) Three dimensional films are not a new phenomenon, Charles Wheatstone discovered, in 1838, that the mechanism responsible for human depth perception is the distance separating the retinas of our eyes . (Autodesk, 2008) In a 12,000 word research paper that Wheatstone presented to the Royal Society of Great Britain he described the stereoscope and claimed as a new fact in his theory if vision the observation that two different pictures are projected on the retinas of the eyes when a single object is seen.(Zone, 2007) Included in the paper were a range of line drawings presented as stereoscopic pairs, these were designed to be viewed in 3D using Wheatstones invention, the stereoscope. Wheatstone was not the first person to look at the possibility of receiving separate views in each eye, In the third century B.C, Euclid in his treatise on Optics observed that the left and right eyes see slightly different views of a sphere'(Zone, 2007). However, Wheatstone was the first person to create a device to be able to re-create 3D images. Between 1835 and 1839 photography was starting to be developed thanks to work from William Fox Talbot, Nicephore Niepce and Louise Daguerre. Once Wheatstone became aware of the photographic pictures that were available he requested some stereoscopic photographs to be made for him. Wheatstone observed that it has been found advantageous to employ, simultaneously, two cameras fixed at the proper angular positions'(Zone, 2007). This was the start of stereoscopic photography. Between 1850 and 1860 work was starting to be done by various people to try and combine stereoscopic photography with machines that would display a series of images very quickly and therefore using persistence of vision to create a moving 3D image. These were the first glimpses of 3D motion. In 1891 a French scientist, Louis Ducos du Hauron patented the anaglyph, a method for separating an image into two separate colour channels and then by wearing glassing with the same colours but on opposite eyes thereby cancelling out the image, thus reproducing one image, but in 3D. Another method used at this time to create 3D was proposed by John Anderton, also in 1891. Andertons system was to use polarisation techniques to split the image into two separate light paths and then employ a similar polarisation technique to divert a separate image to each eye on viewing. One of the main advantages of polarisation over anaglyphs is that they do not lose any colour information, this is due to the fact that both images retain the original colour spectrums. They do however loose luminance. It is common for a silver screen to be necessary, it serves two purposes, firstly the specially designed screen maintains the separate polarisation required for each image. It also reflects more light than conventional screens, this compensates for the loss of luminance. During 1896 and 1897 2D motion pictures started to take off, and by 1910 after a lot of initial experimenting the creative formats of film that we recognise today such as cuts and framing had started to become evident. In 1920 Jenkins, an inventor that worked hard to try and create a method for recreating stereoscopic motion picture was quoted as saying Stereoscopic motion pictures have been the subject of considerable thought and have been attained in several waysbut never yet have they been accomplished in a practical way. By practical, I mean, for example without some device to wear over the eyes of the observer.'(Zone, 2007) It is worth noting that this problem of finding a practical method of viewing 3D has still to a large extent not been solved. Chapter 4: Early 3D Feature Films (1922 1950) 4.1 The first 3D feature film The first 3D feature film, The Power of Love was released in 1922, it was exhibited at the Ambassador Hotel Theatre in Los Angeles. Popular Mechanics magazine described how the characters in the film did not appear flat on the screen, but seemed to be moving about in locations which had depth exactly like the real spots where the pictures were taken(Zone, 2007). The Power of Love was exhibited using red/green glasses using a dual strip anaglyph method of 3D projection. (Anaglyphs are explained in chapter 8.3) The film was shot on a custom made camera invented by Harry K.Fairall, he was also the director on the film. The camera incorporated two films in one camera body.(Symmes, 2006) Power of Love was the first film to be viewed using anaglyph glasses, also the first to use dual-strip projection. Also in 1922, William Van Doren Kelley designed his own camera rig, based on the Prizma colour system which he had invented in 1913. The Prizma 3D colour method worked by capturing two different colour channels by placing filters over the lenses. This way he made his own version of the red/blue anaglyphic print. Kelleys Movies of the Future was shown at Rivoli Theatre in New York City. 4.2 The first active-shutter 3D film A year later in 1923 the first alternate-frame 3D projection system was unveiled. It used a technology called Teleview. Which blocked the left and right eyes periodically in sync with the projector, thereby allowing you to see too separate images. Teleview was not an original idea, but up to this point no one had been able to get the theory to actually work in a practical way that would allow for films to be viewed in a cinema. This is where Laurens Hammond comes in. Hammons designed a system where two standard projectors would be hooked up to their own AC generators, running at 60Hz this meant that adjusting the AC frequency would increase or decrease the speed of the projectors. The left film was in the left projector and right film in the right. The projectors were in frame sync, but the shutters were out of phase sync.'(Symmes, 2006) This meant that the left image was shown, then the right image. The viewing device was attached to the seats in the theatre. It was mounted on a flexible neck, similar to some adjustable gooseneck desk lamps. You twisted it around and centred it in front of your face, kind of like a mask floating just in front of your face. (Symmes, 2006) The viewing device consisted of a circular mask with a view piece for each eye plus a small motor that moved a shutter across in front of either the left or right eye piece depending on the cycle of current running through it. All of the viewing devices were powered by the same AC generator as the projectors meaning that they were all exactly in sync. One of the major problems Hammond had to overcome was the fact that at the time film was displayed at 16 frames per second. With this method of viewing you are effectively halving the frame rate. 8 frames per second resulted in a very noticeable flicker. To overcome this Hammond cut each frame up in to three flashes so the new sequence was: 1L-1R-1L-1R-1L-1-R 2L-2R-2L-2R-2L-2R and so on. Three alternate flashes per eye on the screen. (Symmes, 2006) This method of separating and duplicating certain frames effectively resulted in increasing the overall frame rate thereby eradicating the flicker. There was only one film produced using this method, it was called M.A.R.S and displayed at the Selwyn Theatre in New York City in December 1922. The reason the technology didnt catch on was not due to the image, as the actual theory for producing the image has changed very little from the Teleview method to the current active-shutter methods which will be explained later. As with a lot of 3D methods the reason this one did not become mainstream was due the viewing apparatus that was needed. Although existing projectors could be modified by linking them up to separate AC generator, meaning no extra equipment was needed, the headsets that were required did need a lot of investment and time to install. All of the seats in the theatre needed to be fitted with headsets, these were adjusted in front of the audience members. These also had to be linked up to the AC generator so as they were perfectly in sync, this meant that they had to be wired in to the seats. These problems have since been overcome with wireless technologies such as Bluetooth as will be explained later. 4.3 The first polarised 3D film The next and arguably one of the most important advancements in 3D technology came in 1929 when Edwin H. Land worked out a way of using polarised lenses (Polaroid) together with images to create stereo vision. (Find more on polarisation in chapter 8.6) Lands polarizing material was first used for projection of still stereoscopic images at the behest of Clarence Kennedy, an art history instructor at Smith College who wanted to project photo images of sculptures in stereo to his students. (Zone, 2007) In 1936 Beggars Wedding was released in Italy, it was the first stereoscopic feature to include sound, it was exhibited using Polaroid filters. This was filmed using polarised technology. The first American film to use polarising filters was shot in 1939 and entitled In Tune With Tomorrow, it was a 15 minute short film which shows through stop motion, a car being built piece-by-piece in 3D with the added enhancement of music and sound effects. (Internet Movie Database, 2005) Between 1939 and 1952 3D films continued to me made but with the Great Depression and the onset of the Second World War, the cinema industry was restricted with its output because of finances and as 3D films were more expensive to make their output started to be reduced. Chapter 5: Golden Age of 3D (1952 1955) With cinema ticket sales plummeting from 90 million in 1948 to 40 million in 1951 (Sung, 2009) largely being put down to the television becoming coming in peoples front rooms the cinema industry needed to find a way to encourage the viewers back the big screen, 3D was seen as a way to offer something extra to make viewers return. In 1952 the first colour 3D film was released called Bwana Devil,it was the first of many stereoscopic films to follow in the next few years. The process of combining 3D and colour attracted a new audience to 3D films. Between 1950 and 1955 there were far more 3D films produced that at any other time before or since, apart from possibly in the next couple of years from 2009 onwards, as the cinema industry tries to fight back again against falling figures, this time though because of home entertainment systems, video-on-demand, and legal and illegal movie downloads. Towards the end of the Golden Age, around 1955, the fascination with 3D was starting to be lost. There were a number of reasons for this, one of the main factors was that in order for the film to be seen in 3D it had to be shown on two reels at the same time, which meant that the two reels had to be exactly in time else the effect would be lost and it would cause the audience headaches. Chapter 6: Occasional 3D films (1960 2000) Between 1960 and 2000 there were sporadic resurgences in 3D. These were down to new technologies becoming available. In the late 1960s the invention of a single strip 3D format initiated a revival as it meant that the dual projectors would no longer go out of sync and cause eye-strain. The first version of this single strip 3D format to be used was called Space-Vision 3D, it worked on an over and under basis. This meant that the frame was horizontally split into two, during playback it was then separate in two using a prism and polarised glasses. However, there were major drawbacks with Space-Vision 3D. Due to the design of the cameras required to film in this format, the only major lens that was compatible was the Bernier lens. The focal length of the Bernier optic is fixed at 35mm and the interaxial at 65mm. Neither may be varied, but convergence may be altered'(Lipton, 1982).This obviously restricted the creative filmmaking options and as a result was soon superseded by a new format called Stereovision. Stereovision was similar to Space-Vision 3D in that is split the frame in two, unlike Space-Vision though, the frame was split vertically, and they were placed side-by-side. During projection these frames were then put through an anamorphic lens, thereby stretching them back to their original size. These also made use of the polarising method introduced by Land in 1929. A film made using this process was called The Stewardess, released in 1969, it cost only $100,000 to make but at the cinema it grossed $26,000,000 (Lipton, 1982). Understandably the studios were very interested in the profit margin that arose from this film. As a result 3D once again became an interesting prospect for studios. Up until fairly recently films were still shot and edited using old film techniques (i.e. not digitally). This made manipulating 3D films quite difficult, this lack of control over the full process made 3D less appealing to film makers. The digitisation of post-processing and visual effects gave us another surge in the 1990s. But only full digitisation, from glass to glass from the cameras to projector lenses gives 3D the technological biotope it needs to thrive (Mendiburu, 2009). Chapter 7: The Second Golden Age of 3D (2004 present) In 2003 James Cameron released Ghost of the Abyss, it was the first full length 3D feature film that used the Reality Camera System, which was specially designed to use new high definition digital cameras. These digital cameras meant that the old techniques used with 3D film no longer restricted the work-flow, and the whole process can be done digitally, from start to finish. The next groundbreaking film was Robert Semeckis 2004 animated film Polar Express which was also shown in IMAX theatres. It was released at the same time in 2D and 3D, the 3D cinemas took on average 14 times more money that the 2D cinemas. The cinemas once again took note, and since Polar Express was released in 2004, 3D digital films have become more and more prominent. IMAX are no longer the only cinemas capable of displaying digital 3D films. A large proportion of conventional cinemas have made the switch to digital, this switch has enabled 3D films to be exhibited in a large range of cinemas. CHAPTER 8: 3D TECHNOLOGIES 8.1 3D capture and display methods Each different type of stereoscopic display projects the combined left and right images together onto a flat surface, usually a television or cinema screen. The viewer then must have a method of decoding this image and separating the combined image into left and right images and relaying these to the correct eye. The method that is used to split this image is, in the majority of cases, a pair of glasses. There are two brackets of encoding method, passive and active. Passive means that the images are combined into one and then the glasses split this image in to two separate images for left and right eye. In this method the glasses are cheaper to produce and the expense usually comes in the equipment used to project the image. The second method is active display. This method works by sending the alternative images in a very quick succession (L-R-L-R-L-R), the glasses then periodically block the appropriate eye piece, this is done at such a fast rate that it appears to be continuous in both eyes. There are various different types of encoding encapsulated within each of the two methods mentioned above. The encoding can use either colour separation (anaglyph, Dolby 3D), time separation (active glasses) or polarisation (RealD). A separate method, which does not require the use of glasses is done by using a virtual space in front of the screen and is called autosterescopic. In cinemas across the world at the moment there are several formats that are used to display 3D films. Three of the main distributors are Real-D, iMAX and Dolby-3D. Once a 3D film has been finished by the studios, it then needs to be prepared for exhibition in various different formats, this can include amongst other things colour grading and anti ghosting processes. At present there is not a universally agreed format for capturing or playing back 3D films, as a result there are several different versions, these are explained below. A large majority of the latest wave of 3D technology options send the image using one projector, so removing the old problem of out sync left and right images. The methods that do use dual projectors are much more sophisticated that the older versions used in anaglyphic films so have eradicated the old problems of out of sync projectors. 8.2 Gho

Essay --

As a review of techniques for working with students with learning disabilities, various journal articles were reviewed. For the purpose of the assignment, articles were chosen that discussed various aspects of education that a special education teacher would regularly address in their everyday work. Articles were chosen that spoke to suggestions for the teaching of academic as well as social skills for students with disabilities. Another topic central to the work of a special education teacher is collaboration with others. For this aspect, an article about collaboration with parents was selected. Finally, an article addressing the methods of teaching in both the special education as well as the general education classroom was selected. Each article spoke to a different and important aspect of the special education programs and how teachers work with both students and others involved in the education of students with exceptionalities. Academic Skills In addressing students with special needs, it is often beneficial to focus intensive interventions on students with specific difficulties. In the first study, Vaughn, et. al. (2012) investigated the benefits of an intensive intervention for students with sever reading difficulties. For the study, the selected students that had a very low Response to Intervention (RTI). These students did not respond to the general education interventions targeted at students with reading difficulties. In this study, the investigators developed an intensive intervention for those students not responding to the graduated interventions of RTI. For the purposes of the study, the split the group into two categories; a normal intervention of specialized instruction, and an intensive intervention group. Th... ...and go to work. However, my compliance with this rule of my employer allows me to continue employment and to reap the rewards of my job. Compliance to social norms as well as authority is an important social skill that many students need to develop. As the authors point out, â€Å"the cycle of inept social skills cannot be broken by chance† (Dobbins, et. al., 359, 2010). It is important for both special educators as well as their general education colleagues to assist students in the development of the important social skills necessary to become an active and productive member of society. This study points to the importance of explicit instruction in social skills and that it is possible to teach them to students that lack the necessary skills. This is very important for educators to recognize, especially considering the number of emotional disturbed students coming to u

King Lear as a Commentary on Greed Essay -- King Lear essays

King Lear as a Commentary on Greed   Ã‚   In Chapter 4 of a book titled Escape from Freedom, the famous American psychologist Erich Fromm wrote that "Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction" (Fromm 98).   Fromm realized that avarice is one of the most powerful emotions that a person can feel, but, by its very nature, is an emotion or driving force that can never be satisfied.   For, once someone obtains a certain goal, that person is not satisfied and continues to strive for more and more until that quest leads to their ultimate destruction.   For this reason, authors have embraced the idea of greed in the creation of hundreds of characters in thousands of novels.   Almost every author has written a work centered around a character full of avarice. Ian Fleming's Mr. Goldfinger, Charles Dickens' Scrooge, and Thomas Hardy's John D'Urberville are only a few examples of this attraction.   But, perhaps one of the best exampl es of this is found in William Shakespeare's King Lear.   Edmund, through his speech, actions, and relationships with other characters, becomes a character consumed with greed to the point that nothing else matters except for the never-ending quest for status and material possessions.    Edmund, the bastard son of Gloucester, embodies the idea of avarice from the very beginning of the play almost until the end.   In fact, Edmund seems to become more and more greedy as the production progresses.   When Edmund is first introduced in person on stage, after a short exposition of his character by Gloucester and Kent in the first scene, the audience immediately finds Edmund engaged in a plot to strip his father's inheritance from his... ...gain his freedom from this addiction.   And only through his life and death does Shakespeare paint a picture to which anyone can relate and a picture on which everyone must act.    Works Cited and Consulted "Fromm, Erich." The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations.   CD-ROM. New York: Columbia UP, 1998. Harbage, Alfred. " King Lear: An Introduction." Shakespeare: The Tragedies: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood: Prentice-Hall, 1964: 113-22. Knight, Wilson. "King Lear and the Comedy of the Grotesque." Shakespeare: The Tragedies: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prentice-Hall, 1964: 123-38. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. New York: Scholastic, 1970. Shakespeare, William. "King Lear: A Conflated Text." The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York:    W.W. Norton & Co., 1997. 2479-2553.   

Stragegic Plan

A Strategic Plan And It’s Impact on the Rise and Downfall Of Netflix, Inc. [pic] MBA 517 Fall 2012 (Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis) 14th Dec, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS †¢ Executive Summary †¢ Strategic Vision †¢ Business Objectives †¢ Environmental Analysis †¢ Industry & Competitive Analysis †¢ SWOT Analysis †¢ Business Strategy †¢ Implementation Plan †¢ Monitoring Adjustment- A Dynamic Process Executive Summary Netflix, Inc. , the world’s largest and leading online DVD rental company; was founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in the year 1999 and operated from Los Gatos, California.In the very initial days Netflix started its business through online DVD rental using web media which is called as www. netflix. com through internet. The business was operated by delivering DVDs through postal mail and then charged the customers and this was called as Pay per DVD rental services. Gradually with this the company revenues increased and in a span of two years Netflix gone for an expansion and the Pay per DVD revenue model was replaced with a â€Å"fixed  monthly fee system†, the monthly fee was about $ 15. 95 per month.This was a major breakthrough for Netflix which has allowed all its customers wherein they can rent up to 4  DVDs per month without any due dates or late fees. After initializing the fixed monthly fee system, later in the year 2000, Netflix has launched one more strategy which was like customers can have up to four DVDs with in their possession one time for a fee of $19. 95 per month. Netflix's decided to split the business into two separate companies, one for the streaming and one for the â€Å"legacy† DVD business which is called as Qwikster.And then Netflix started charging the subscribers two separate bills every month which made Netflix to face the unexpected downfall. Netflix’s website for the subscribers www. netflix. com , which helped in prioritizing t he category and the choice of movies based on the customer’s preferences. By doing so, Netflix tracks the wish lists or queues of movies listed so that subscribers can browse movies of similar category and choose to watch. Then Netflix used to ship movies which are on the top of the wish list or queues of  subscribers through mail.Netflix has designed their website as per the requirements in which way it has all the ability and the facility of tracking the subscribers with individualized ratings based on all movies that customers had previously rated after viewing them. Netflix as a company enjoyed  tremendous success with all these success formulae, so it has decided to submit for an initial public offering. And later there was a huge drop in the stock market prices which dropped and due o the downfall in the stock the company position became little difficult for a company’s IPO to succeed with  uncertainty in the financial markets. In July 2000, Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, needed to decide whether the company should proceed with  the IPO or withdraw. During the current scenarios, Investment banks predicted that the IPO  of  Netflix would succeed only if it’s  showing positive cash flows within a twelve-month horizon. In 2005, Netflix has grown to a position where the company has 35,000 different film titles available and also shipped one million DVDs out on daily basis.Netflix developed and maintained an extensive personalized video-recommendation system based on ratings and reviews by its customers. In 2006, Netflix offered a  $ 100,000  to the first developer of a video-recommendation program that could beat its existing algorithm. And later in the year  2007, the company delivered its billionth DVD. In 2007, the company began to move away from its original core business model of mailing DVDs and introduced video-on-demand via the Internet. Netflix business has grown but while DVD sales fell from 2006 to 2011.Sep tember 18, 2011, Netflix announced its intentions to rebrand and structure its DVD home media rental service as an independent subsidiary company called  Qwikster, totally separating DVD rentals and streaming. Netflix's decided to split the business into two separate companies, one for the streaming and one for the â€Å"legacy† DVD business which is called as Qwikster. While splitting the business into two, however the businesses are going to run separately and they are going to operate on different websites. Subscribers of both the businesses got two separate billing statements (Probably it might have made sense in the long-term).It poses serious and immediate risks to Netflix's streaming business as the strategy to split the business into two did not took the turn as it was expected, and as the subscribers are the people who are all sitting at home and trying to rent DVDs, watch videos probably aren't thinking much about disruptive technologies and innovators' dilemmas. Subscribers just want to watch a movie as cheaply and as conveniently as possible. There was a loud backslash  that ensued after Netflix split its pricing plan in two is being turned several notches and as subscribers wondered how this latest business plit will affect them. The reason for the CEO to make this strategy is for the long-term betterment and also will be more profitable to have fewer subscribers paying more for month than continuously adding customers that only sign up for the cheapest plans and then withdraw soon. But the decision to raise prices so drastically $15. 98 a month to rent DVDs and for streaming is a 60% jump which caused customers rage and due to this Netflix has lost about 8,000,000 subscribers in one quarter of a year and investors had been buying on the hope that subscriber growth would continue for a long time.When Netflix gone ahead and planned to separate the organization into two as the strategy, the reaction of the subscribers is unpredictable and there was a huge reaction from the subscribers and within a span of six months the company lost most of the customers and the organization has incurred huge loss which made the company cancel the separation plan. To implement the above strategy, the management instead of bouncing back, I would suggest having a backup strategy which will be handling the management and opting for the alternative opportunities.If once we understand that the strategy of separating the business is failed then first thing is we should identify the impact of the decision ,on all parameters like lost market share, customer base, on revenues and profit gained by the competitors etc. and estimate where the organization is positioning . Then I would be going ahead and performing a gap analysis and identifying the current position of the organization and the most possible alternative strategies so that the organization will come back to its previous market.Apparently SWOT analysis also helps in identifying the areas which we need to work up on the organizations strengths and opportunities and ways to overcome the weakness and Threats which can cause hindrances. Reevaluating the proposed strategy is also one of the ways of implementing an effective strategic plan and a quick feedback of the implemented strategy will give any organization to control the impact before everything goes uncontrollable.In this case, Instead of applying the new strategy right away on the existing customers, what I suggest describes strategy to rebrand Netflix by applying the separation plans to new customers and allowing the old customers to enjoy the previous benefits and slowly make them adapt to the new product through proper promotional benefits. If any organization decided to launch a new product the best strategy would be introduce with the existing product so that the customers will be adapted to the new product and the existing customers will adapt to the new product by promoting with existing market.Hen ce the following plan describes a strategy to rebrand Netflix and successfully separate its business into Netflix and Qwikster based on the surveys and feedback collected from both existing and new customers. In-order to achieve this by holding the existing customers and attracting new customers, Netflix has to market the new product (both streaming and DVDs rental) by providing the new customers a free month trial (30 days) and also by giving the new product for the existing customers without any change in the fee. This would actually hold the existing customers and attract the new customers.Based on the response from the feedback and surveys, CEO will decide whether to continue providing the new product or move back to the previous existing product (which was already proved as a successful product). After the free trial (30 days) completes the new customers have a choice to be with either the new product â€Å"Qwikster† or just stay with Netflix. Strategic Vision According to (CEO) Reed Hastings, â€Å"Our vision is to change the way people access and view the movies they love†. Reed Hastings (CEO) strongly believed in delivering the product at an affordable price and conveniently .These are the success factors of Netflix. And also strongly believed that there are no replacements for the movies and the mission of Netflix can be considered as delivering the product in a desired way and make it attractive to the customers. Customer focus and understanding the preferences of the subscribers which helped in customer satisfaction . The goals of the Netflix also played a major role in achieving the desired revenues. Business Objectives Through these objectives Netflix will come out of the chaotic situation .These objectives can be measured through all the functions of the business mostly of financial and the objectives can be achieved and monitored at all the levels in the business. Financial objectives and Strategic objectives: The prime combined ob jective in this scenario would be to get back the lost customer base which was due to change in strategy and to gain them back is the prime objective. The second objective should be to expand the Qwikster business by launching the product and to attain a market share for them. The third objective should be increasing the new subscribers for the Netflix, Inc. o that the growth of the company would be prospering. The fourth objective should be to increase the revenues of the company by controlling the costs . The fifth objective should be to add value for business and pay the dividends to the shareholders. The above stated objectives are measured in monetary terms and other than the financial objectives Netflix should also focus on being a successful launcher for the new product Qwikster and also ensure that the quality is maintained without compromising and deliver the best customer service for its subscribers as it always did .These are the objectives which are more operational in n ature. To add on to the Operational objectives improvising on new technology, by improving the current process and optimum utilization of resources by maintaining employee relations and abiding with statutory rules and running the business on social and ethical behaviors are also considered as the operational objectives which can be key to the success for any organization. The time frame to achieve all the above listed objectives should be on quarterly basis.This could be achieved by doing a trend analysis on a monthly basis and reviewing how it can be achieved over a span of one year. Environmental Analysis The drastic growth of technology is one of the major successes for the Netflix and it is driven on technology based. Though it was started with delivering DVDs through postal services, gradually it started capturing the preferences of the customers by creating a wish list and based on their choices it has gained the customer satisfaction.Then on using the current technology Netf lix has developed streaming videos and later it was heading into developing the apps for usage on mobile devices also. When we discuss about the financial aspect due to the increase in prices there was a downfall in the shares of the company. Immediately after the decision was announced the share prices dropped drastically and there are many cancelations from the subscribers. Netflix faced a major downfall at the time of recession in 2000 and after the price hike strategy in 2011.These two years are the challenging years for the company however Netflix has overcome these with its current strategies. [pic] Industry & Competitive Analysis Netflix major competitors are Hulu and blockbuster and Netflix share is also disturbed other than the major players among you tube and also effected due to piracy. However Netflix success factor has created a brand image for streaming movies and DVD rentals. Netflix also faced competition from Redbox (movie rentals). SWOT Analysis Netflix’s st rengths: Netflix is strong in marketing their business. The main marketing strategy which attracts the customer is one month free trail and which helps the customers to get used to the product and continues with Netflix account. †¢ The other major strength for the Netflix is that they are flexible in delivering the DVDs to home every time subscribes are willing to watch a movie. The Netflix process that customers can create a recommendation based on their interest and those DVDs will be delivered very fast. Netflix is one of the pioneers in using the technology as Netflix streaming method helps the customers to watch instantly and they use the internet as the medium and Netflix is available on all electronic gadgets currently. †¢ Netflix strength is that they are patent protected recommendation service. †¢ Competitive prices are also which made the Netflix on of the niche in rental movie services. Netflix’s weakness: †¢ The fall in the Netflix demand is du e to the price strategy when the company decided to split the business which resulted in the downfall of Netflix. The other weakness is the dependency on the associates which has increased in the costs of Netflix. †¢ The disputes with major partners have resulted in limiting the streaming content. †¢ The rules of the movie content are also available with the competitors due to weak agreement. Netflix’s opportunities: †¢ Netflix is like a brand when it comes to watching movies it is the first to create. Though there are many competitors it was like a brand for watching movies online. †¢ One more opportunity is to focus on the international market as these are pioneers they can capture the world market spread. The other opportunity is as they are big players in this market segment they have the privilege of getting associated with big movie companies for a better price. †¢ Netflix can grab the opportunity using it on the mobile devices. †¢ Netflix can focus on streaming Games also. Netflix’s threats: †¢ The major threats for the Netflix are from the few competitors like hulu and blockbuster. †¢ The threat could be availability of pirated sites online and YouTube could also be a possible threat in near future as there are lots of channels spread throughout uploading movies. There is tremendous growth in technology and this company should be thinking on improving delivery methods. †¢ The threat is on increasing shipping costs which is giving an impact on the profits of the company. Conclusion: To summarize on the SWOT analysis is work on getting back the subscribers and find the ways on overcoming the weakness and threats and utilizing the opportunities and concentrate on building a strong market so that the company can run in a profit mode and can give a tough competition to the competitors. Business StrategyThe objective is achieved through the success of the company, while capturing the customer base by spreading the product with marketing their product at one month free trail offer. Due to this they have captured the new subscribers and also focused on the internet users who will be shopping DVDs or games online. The main objective for last year was to get back the customers and the CEO was successful by writing an apology mail to existing customers and apologizing over media about the decision he made about splitting the business.The CEO’s letter includes â€Å"I want to acknowledge and thank our many members that stuck with us, and to apologize again to those members, both current and former, who felt we treated them thoughtlessly. Both the Qwikster and Netflix teams will work hard to regain your trust. We know it will not be overnight. Actions speak louder than words. But words help people to understand actions†. The apology reached most of the customers and many are back to the Netflix as it is one of the most compatible sources we have today.Implementation Plan Implementation plan is the process where any organization should plan how they are going to achieve the suggested strategy. Netflix main focus should be on holding existing subscribers and also Netflix should attract new subscribers by marketing the new product appropriately. Marketing also plays a crucial role in implementing phase. Netflix should focus more on building a successful organization and the policies of the company should be formed in such a way that the strategies are supporting them.The company should also set best practices so that the various problems like customer complaints or technical issues can be addressed more effectively and immediately. Below is the Gantt chart view of the parameters and time frame. Also we can notice the time line displaying the tasks and the time frame. [pic] [pic] In my opinion if we follow these steps before implementing any product, it can yield best results. These are considered as the best practices for any implementation plan as im plementation is the key for success for any product before it’s launched. Monitoring Adjustment- A Dynamic ProcessThe monitoring plan would be to gain the control of the company so that the shareholders will invest in the company by winning the confidence of both subscribers and stakeholders where in the Netflix will not opt for any merger or opt for any business combination and the monitoring plan for the streaming company would be to target about 30 million customers across the world and be the world’s leading internet subscribing company where in providing movies for an affordable price and adapt to the technology where in the services can be streamed through various mediums like computers, televisions phones etc. Monitoring Elements | |Price Control | |Quality Assurance | |Customer Service and satisfaction | |Profitability | |Financial Elements | | |The monitoring plan for Netflix, according to my opinion should be that the company should concentrate more on main N etflix Company as it’s a parent company and then study the market trends for the streaming company by reaching the subscribers and getting them adapted to the new streaming company. However, for the second company to get adjusted with the market is a long term process. Netflix would have promoted the streaming DVDs with the original company over time and then it should have merged the process with renaming instead of doing it at the initial stage.Below attached is the survey and the result is that subscribers dilemma regarding the product itself and why Qwikster did not reach customers as they are unaware what it does really. [pic] It would have be great success if the name would have rhymed with Netflix so that the subscribers would have thought these two companies are related and as Netflix is most popular for movies and among customers.Here the monitoring of the entire implementation plan are done by taking surveys and one on one feedback from supervisors, managers and ver tical management heads and based on those reviews and suggestions change can be done and also time frame is limited or expanded. Overall with all these steps implemented and thereby Netflix when follows the suggested strategy then can overcome the current situation and also hold the existing customers while acquiring new customers. This will make Netflix, Inc. successfully launch its new product and remain world’s largest and leading online DVD rental company.References Websites: †¢ Netflix, Inc. www. netflix. com †¢ http://ir. netflix. com/downloads †¢ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Netflix †¢ http://www. bizjournals. com/sanjose/news/2011/09/19/complete-text-of-netflix-ceos-apology. html? page=all †¢ www. google. com †¢ http://www. cbsnews. com/8301-505124_162-43452943/turns-out-netflix-blew-the-qwikster-name-pick—-out-of-fear/ †¢ www. yahoo. com Thompson, A. A. , Peteraf, M. A. , Gamble, J. E. & Strickland III, A. J. Crafting and E xecuting Strategy: Concepts and Readings (18th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Are you writing a dissertation? Essay

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Ralph Tyler’s Evaluation Method for Math Curricula

Proper evaluation of all educational curricula is vital to providing an effective education to students. The purpose of such an evaluation is, in essence, to discover how well educational objectives are being met. An evaluation method must be accurate and valid, however the evaluation must also be accessible to those who need to use it. If an evaluation method is inaccurate or highly complex to utilize, it will either be misused, or not used at all. Math curricula can be especially difficult to match to an evaluation method because of the demands of the subject; scientific validity is a must, and ideally the design of the method would be crafted by someone who has a true understanding of mathematics in education. The evaluation method designed by Ralph Tyler is ideal for use by an educator for evaluating math curricula. Ralph Tyler was a student at the University of Chicago, and he studied under the famous Charles Judd. Tyler obtained his Ph.D. in 1927; he specialized in mathematics in school, which gives his work a particularly effective edge when applied to math curricula. Ten years after his graduation, he was appointed Director of Research for the Evaluation Staff on the well-known Eight Year Study. Tyler believed that scientific study was the key to successful education in every subject, and this was used as the basis for his research. Successful learning and teaching techniques were sought in the study, and from that research Tyler†s evaluation method was formed. Eventually Tyler would understand that all learning objectives should be determined by observing and actively evaluating student behavior within the class. (Pinar et al, 1995) The Objectives-Oriented Approach was popularized, if not entirely fathered, by Tyler. Tyler†s approach follows seven distinct steps: (1) establish broad goals or objectives, (2) classify the goals or objectives, (3) define objectives in behavioral terms, (4) find situations in which achievement of objective can be shown, (5) develop or select measurement techniques, (7) compare performance data with behaviorally stated objectives. (Worthen & Sanders in ITGRN) These simple steps make this method ideal for evaluation of math curriculum for several reasons. First, it is scientifically sound, following steps like the scientific method. The method is simple; it does not require in depth research or detailed critical thinking that would take a lot of time out of the evaluator†s busy schedule. The steps are ideal for clarification of ideas, and it helps the teacher specifically ask the right questions of him- or herself as well as of the students. It also stresses empirical methods for evaluating goals and objectives. The shortcomings of this evaluation method are also minimal, including that neglects the context in which the evaluation takes place, and that it neglects the value of the objectives themselves. These are shortcomings which, unlike those of other evaluation methods, are easily overcome when applied to the curriculum by an intelligent person.

Japan Net Bank Case Analysis Essay

The banking market, especially Internet-only bank sector, in Japan was going through a period of rapid growth after the Japanese government initiated the famous â€Å"Big Bang† deregulation of the financial market. JNB, which began operation in October 2000, aimed at winning one million accounts and one trillion yen deposits and becoming profitable by the financial year 2002. However, in order to achieve that long-term success, it needed to resolved a number of issues and strengthen its competitive position in face of stiff competition from brick-and-mortar banks and new Internet-only banks. Therefore, this report focuses on the following three issues: †¢ An assessment of the present situation in Japan   regarding the Internet-only model of retail banking, †¢ An analysis of JNB’s competitive advantages, †¢ Recommendations of what alliance strategies to develop to overcome competition from traditional and other online banks. The data in this report was collected by assessing the information of the case â€Å"Japan Net Bank: Japan’ First Internet-only Bank† by Vincent Mark and Pauline Ng under the supervision of Dr. AH F. Farhoomand and surveying relevant materials from the Internet. I have divided my report into three main sections. Firstly, we would assess the potential for Internet-only model of retail banking in Japan. Secondly, we present and analyze JNB’s competitive advantages meticulously in this particular Japanese market. Finally, we would suggest some viable propositions of what alliance strategies that JNB should develop to surpass and obtain the market leader. Internet banking in Japan. 4 Conservative consumer banking behavior 5 Low level of credit card usage Japan did not use credit cards a great deal. By 2001, credit card purchases accounted for just eight per cent of consumer spending in Japan, compared with 14 percent in Europe and 21 percent in the US (The Economist, 2001). Borrowing was considered shameful in a culture much bound by traditional concept, so paying by credit card in public could be an embarrassment. In many cases, credit card users could only repay in one-go or in fixed installments. Therefore, such the culture preferred repaying card debt s in one-go quickly if they could afford it. Card companies’ lack of good marketing accentuated the problem: although there were schemes involving credit cards points, customers could only use their points to redeem low-quality gifts. In contrast, the consumer loan market in Japan was doing much better since it was worth 7 trillion yen by early 2001, double the market size of credit card. 6 The availability of ATMs for cash withdrawals Japanese consumers generally preferred to pay by cash or money transfers. A survey conducted in summer 2000 asked respondents which Internet bank they would deposit their money in. The 3,825 respondents were mostly in their 20s and 30s. Figure 1 illustrates the results: the attractiveness of the online banks in Japan in 2000. [pic] The pie chart illustrates that the success of a Japanese bank relied heavily on its ATM services. Determinant included whether the ATMs were conveniently located, whether they charged a small or no handling fee, whether they were open for long hours, etc. That leads to the wide distributions of ATMs services in Japan. We could recognize that the brand equity also played an important role to attract the customers. 7 Internet usage in Japan On-line banking with limited services-as an extension of traditional banking-was already available in Japan in 1997 with Sumitomo Bank. The total number of Internet accounts at major commercial banks reached 1. 4 million at that time. According to a Nielsen/NetRatings report, the Internet population in Japan was some 38 million in January 2001, and 41% of them were active users. However, a study by Yankee Group in early 2001 found out that some 20% of all Japanese households had a fixed line Internet connection at the end of 2000, less than the 50% Internet penetration in the US. Low penetration of fixed line Internet connections had driven a lot of people to use i-mode, which could cost only about several hundred yens a month. I-mode was a cellular Internet service offered by NTT DoCoMo, allowing emails and other Internet functions to be carried out via handsets. It had more than 22 million subscribers by April 2001. In fact, i-mode becomes so popular that Miyai, director of JNB, once said â€Å"Internet banking is really â€Å"cellular banking† in Japan†. 8 The competitive situation Competition from traditional banks JNB nevertheless had to face stiff competition with well-known bricks-and-mortar banks in a crowed banking market even though it was considered as the Japan’s first Internet bank without physical branches. Banking habits and conservative consumer culture in Japan facilitate traditional banks to gain competitive advantage in the market. Furthermore, traditional banks were making their services more convenient by installing m ore and more ATMs and providing a variety of value-added financial services. The most primary factors which make JNB’s competitors pay attention to JNB seemed to be lower overheads, competitive rates, lower fees and strong alliance backing. 10 Competition from domestic Internet banks Sony Bank JNB also had to compete with new entrants that provided similar services, One of those competitors was Sony Bank, an Internet-only bank with 37. 5 billion capital investment expected to start operation in mid-June 2001. Sony Bank’s strategy was similar to that of JNB in terms of higher interest rates, lower fees, a small workforce and no physical branches. In particular, the new bank’s management stressed customized, one-to-one services. Sony bank took advantage of its strategic stakeholders to deliver high-quality services to consumer. For example, customers of Sony Banks could use SMBC’s ATMs at â€Å"am/pm† convenience store chain as contact point, or J. P. Morgan Chase, one of its important stakeholders, would provide personal financial advice through the Web or Sony Bank obviously benefited from the Sony Empire by utilizing Sony Bank’s settlement service to purchase Sony products online. IY Bank Another Internet-only bank to enter the fray was IY bank, whose â€Å"internet† was predominantly a sprawling ATM network although Internet-based transactions would also be possible. It was expected to install round-the-clock ATMs in 3659s Ito-Yokado supermarkets and Seven-Eleven convenient stores within two years of operation. It had already joined up with a combined network of nine city banks, including one of the Japan’s largest commercial banks Sanwa, and charged commission whenever a customer of another bank in the network withdrew money from an IY Bank ATM. IY Bank intended to be settlement-focused and would develop loan and card business and Internet-based services later. IY Bank planned to install 24-hour ATMs at 3650 stores under the group by spring 2002 and at 7150 stores within five years of operation. Its target seemed to be practical since it could take advantage of the Ito-Yokado group’s existing customer base, which is 10 million customers per day, and its low-cost operation. 1 Competition from international Internet banks Another Internet-only bank, called eBank, was expected to start operation in June 2001. It would specialize in the settlement of payments for small-value online purchases worth up to 100,000 yens and would charge a lower commission than ordinary bank. eBANK was operate by Japan Electronics Settlement Planning Inc and invested by Japan Telecom, Yamato Transport and Ericsson Holding International. Its capital was about US$37 million. Japan Net Bank’s competitive advantages JBN, one of the core Internet businesses of parent company SMBC, aimed to build up its independent, own brand name and aspired to become the de facto standard of the Japanese-style â€Å"Internet Specialized Bank† for 21st Century’s Internet community. Therefore, the bank adopted the customer-centric principle seriously in order to survive and develop. JNB differentiated its financial products and services from those of its competitors by its distinguished characteristics: 3 24/7 availability JNB customers enjoyed seamless financial functions and 24/7 accessibility to their accounts through the Internet. They could carry out transactions or check their accounts through multiple access channels, including physical channels (ATMs or the Head Office) and mobile internet service (i-mode). The interfaces were designed to be very user-friendly. Moreover, JNB began to diversify into services other than basic bank transactions such as ordinary and term deposits. For example, it allowed on-line payment for bills and services of Tokyo Electric Power, Nomura Securities and Nifty Corp. ’s on-line shopping mall. 4 Competitive interest rate JNB offered attractive interest rates and fees compared with conventional Japanese banks [see Exhibit 3]. Its deposit interest rates were more than twice that of the average rates offered by major Japanese banks, and its charges for fund transfer were less than half those of conventional banks. Customized services Every customer had his/her own specific information page on the Web. Customers would receive e-mail notifications of transaction details such as receipt of fund transfers, expiration of term deposits, errors in automatic account debits, etc. 6 Confidentiality of usage The confidentiality of JNB customers’ private information was strictly secured; private information could not be used without customers’ agreement. Information transferred through the network was encrypted by 128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). The database and servers storing JNB customers’ information were protected by a firewall and an access-surveillance system. All Internet banking transactions could not be processed without a password. Moreover, the last login date and time was always indicated at every login to a JNB account, so customers would know whether their accounts had been accessed illegally. 7 Flexible organization and IT system JNB maintained a flexible, flat, and team-like structure which had a very low cost base. Its management style was different from the top-down approach of traditional Japanese corporations. Its structure allowed for the contingency between different departments in the organization to coordinate and solve problems. JNB also adopted a flexible, open information technology system which is divided systematically and functionally. The building of JNB’s IT application was quite innovative since it is mostly outsourced under the supervision of IT Department staff. Strategic alliances to develop In the face of fierce competition, JNB had the advantage of strong, broad, strategically important and multi-industry alliances. An appropriate strategic alliance would increase its revenues and market share. The advantages of strategic alliance include: †¢ Allowing each partner to concentrate on activities that best match their capabilities. †¢ Learning from partners and developing competences that may be more widely exploited elsewhere †¢ Adequacy a suitability of the resources and competencies of an organization for it to survive. 9 Shareholder alliance JNB has been forming alliances and partnerships with many blue-chip corporations possessing huge customer bases. Since JNB could acquire customers through its shareholder alliances, it had relatively low reliance on mass-media marketing and therefore had low marketing budget. In next five years, it should continue diversifying its alliances from different sectors of economy to broaden its business and utilize its alliance’s customer base. For instance, JNB might negotiate with ORIX Corporation RIX, one of the Japan’s largest leasing and diversified financial services conglomerate, to obtain equity strategic alliance. This alliance will enable the company to capture a larger share of the Japanese consumer finance market, and make consumer finance operations more efficient and responsive to the financing needs of creditworthy consumers. 10 Global strategic alliances SMBC, as a major stakeholder of JNB, signed a memorandum of mutual understanding (MOMU) on a strategic partnership with The Bank of East Asia (BEA) to co-develop their business potentials in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan and other countries. In China, SMBC established a wholly owned subsidiary, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (China) Limited, in April 2009. SMBC has formed alliances with Kookmin Bank in Korea, First Commercial Bank in Taiwan, The Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong, PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) in Indonesia and other Asian banks. With Barclays, a major British financial institution, the company is exploring venues of cooperation in wealth management, operations in South Africa and other business fields. JNB should take of advantage of this opportunity to establish its relationship with these foreign banks to market and expand its business to international. These strategic alliances would enable the company to expand its market hare and generate incremental revenues. 11 Non-shareholding alliances Ageing population in Japan likely to increase demand for insurance and pension products The Japanese population is ageing fast. The 65 and over age group as a percentage of total population is expected to increase from an estimated 21% in 2005 to 35. 7% in 2050. Moreover pension assets under management in the Asia Pacific region ar e expected to grow from current E1, 100 billion to E2, 900 billion in 2015. Ageing population in Japan would boost demand for the pension products of the company. The bank should cooperate and offer pension plans services, through Japan Pension Navigator Company to gain a certain advantage. Discerning that changing demographic profile of Japan profoundly therefore would increase demand for JNB’s business. Conclusion Japan Net Bank (JNB), Japan’s first Internet bank without physical branches, began operation in October 2000. It attracted mainly young customers looking for convenient, round-the-clock bank services with much more competitive interest rates and transaction charges than traditional Japanese banks. Its access channels included the mobile Internet service i-mode and fixed-line Internet. JNB relied on flexible, open computer systems and a young workforce of only 100 people to minimize operational costs. Its stakeholders, including parent company Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and NTT DoCoMo (provider of i-mode), were all large companies from different industry sectors. This stakeholder base gave JNB market exposure and access to their established customer bases. By April 2001 JNB had 130,000 customers. It aimed at winning one million accounts and ? 1 trillion deposits and becoming profitable by the financial year 2002. But it needed to resolve a number of issues before it were able to achieve long-term success in the face of strong competition from bricks-and-mortar banks and new Internet-only banks. One of crucial issues was about how to meet with wide fluctuations in usage without over-investing; the other was alliance management, how to co-operate with alliance partners to achieve competitive advantage.