Defending Utilitarianism- Mills Answer - 1163 Words

Defending Utilitarianism: Mill’s posthumous answer to Nozick’s experience machine â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number†; that is how the British philosopher John Stuart Mill famously summarized utilitarianism (Shafer-Landau, 2012b, p. 120). He is not only one of the greatest utilitarians, he is also a hedonist. Hence, he believed that this greatest good can be achieved by focussing all action on attaining the greatest amount of happiness. Mill describes utility as holding ‘that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness’ ((Shafer-Landau, 2012a, p. 17). He defines happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain, and unhappiness as pain and the privation of pleasure. Hence, Mill argues that only pleasure is intrinsically desirable and only misery intrinsically bad (Shafer-Landau, 2012a, p. 120). All other desirable things are only desirable as means to promote pleasure or prevent pain (Shafer-Landau, 2012a, p. 18). Therefore, in order to refute Mill’s u tilitarianism, one would have to show that there is something other than pleasure or the freedom from pain that is intrinsically desirable. First, Robert Nozick’s attempt to disprove utilitarianism and hedonism in the shape of his ‘experience machine’ will be explained. Next, Mill’s arguments in favour of utilitarianism and hedonism will be recapitulated in an attempt to answer the central research question: why does Nozick’s experienceShow MoreRelatedThe Age Of Reason Or Known As The Enlightenment1189 Words   |  5 Pageswell known English-speaking, British Philosopher. Mill grew up well educated by his father, James Mill, who taught him Greek and Latin, in which her fully excelled. He also studied logics, mathematics, and mastered the basics of the economic theory. Mill’s strenuous academic studies came from his father’s plan to make, â€Å" †¦ a young proponent of the views of the philosophical (bio.com).† However, in the late 1820s Mill suffered a severe mental crisis. This was due to the intense educational work loadRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill ´s The Greatest Happiness Principle Essay906 Words   |  4 PagesI will be explaining John Stuart Mill’s view on ethics. This includes explaining the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle†, happiness, unhappiness, quality of pleasure, lying, and the relevance of time with his view. I will then explain how I agree with the principle of Rule Utilitarianism. I will also consider the objection of conflicting rules in Rule Utilitarianism as well as that of negative responsibility, giving my response to each. Mill claims that morals find their root in Utility, otherwise calledRead MoreThe Dilemma Of The Death Penalty1703 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many ethical issues that beset our society in this day and age. This paper will discuss the ethological dilemma of the death penalty in the philosophical outlooks of Utilitarianism and Deontology, present arguments in light of both, and proceed to show why Deontology offers the best insights into the justification for the death penalty. The death penalty, also known as â€Å"capital punishment†, is, â€Å"the sentence of execution for murder and some other capital crimes (serious crimes, especiallyRead More John Stuart Mill on Individual Liberty Essay2353 Words   |  10 Pagescurrent moral sentiments of society, and finally, iii) welfare considerations, i.e. relating to restricting of an individuals liberty for the good of others. In other words, Mills individual liberty is as such: unless ones actions have injurious repercussions, one has the individual liberty to act as he wishes. Mills principle sought to guarantee a sphere of self-regarding action that is inviolable, and exempt from social control, where individuals could experiment different ways of living evenRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma Of The Death Penalty1814 Words   |  8 Pagesa Utilitarianist and a Deontologist Viewpoint There are many ethical issues that beset our society in this day and age. This paper will discuss the ethological dilemma of the death penalty from the perspective of the philosophical outlooks of Utilitarianism and Deontology, present arguments in light of both, and proceed to show why Deontology offers the best insights into the justification for the death penalty. The death penalty, also known as â€Å"capital punishment†, is, â€Å"the sentence of executionRead MoreJurisprudential Theories on IPR13115 Words   |  53 Pagesof self. But it was also because he thought the productivity of labor would help answer some of the difficulties which he saw in First Occupancy theory. Though the first occupier does not actually dispossess anyone, still his acquisition may prejudice others interests of others if there is not, in Lockes words, ‘enough and as good left in common’ for them to enjoy (Locke 1988 [1689], II, para. 27). Lockes answer to this difficulty was to emphasize that appropriation by  productive  labor actuallyRead MoreHerbert Spencer Essay13142 Words   |  53 PagesSpencer himself was never religious, and he enjoyed setting out for Sunday rambles walking provocatively in the opposite direction to the churchgoers. But unconsciously, the agnostic mid-Victorians searched for some other system of thought which cou ld answer their doubts and give them clear first principles. Science was one alternative which was widely seized on, hence the battles over evolution and religion. Evolution offered, it seemed, an alternative conceptual framework, universally operating laws

Auto Industry in Canada Free Essays

string(165) " also shows that with the most jobs being in Ontario, Canada’s population is heavily concentrated in Ontario as the province offers more employment opportunities\." To fully understand why Canada is one the wealthiest nations in the world, we need to pay particular attention to Canada’s economic history. The economic history of our country has been marked by many important events that have paved the way for a successful economic future. A brief economic history of Canada would pay particular attention to important events such as the economic boom of the 1920s, the dark times of the 1930s; the Second World War during the 1940s and to also not forget the important trade agreements such as the auto pact and the NAFTA. We will write a custom essay sample on Auto Industry in Canada or any similar topic only for you Order Now Despite the above mentioned important events, Canadian economy has also been greatly influenced by its own economic sectors. Our economy has undergone through major changes during the past 3 decades. One of the factors that had an enormous impact on the economy of Canada has been that of the automotive industry. The automotive industry was born in the early years of the 20th century and it has since then, expanded very quickly. (White, 2007, p. 3) The expansion has proved to be economically profitable and also unsuccessful at times.This essay will examine the economical and political impacts of the auto industry in Canada during the past years, by paying special attention to the economic regional imbalance, the auto pact, the North American Free Trade Agreement and also the shift in the Canadian auto market, from American automakers to the Japanese automakers during the past three decades. The automotive industry expanded Canada’s economy by increasing the employment levels, the improvement of roads and contributed to an increase in revenues due to licences and gasoline fees. It also strengthened the economical relationship with our neighbours to the south and has also improved the economy of the southern provinces as it is heavily concentrated in the province of Ontario with major assembly plants in Windsor and Oshawa. The first car was produced in 1888 by Karl Benz in Germany, where as in Canada â€Å"commercial production did not being until after 1900† (White,2007, p. 5) Many Canadian automakers tried their luck but only some succeeded, as the automobile market in Canada was overtaken by the United States in the early stages of its production.It is very important to understand that the beginning of the automobile industry is closely connected to that of the United States. Many people link the creation of the automobile industry in Canada with the American automaker Ford. The design of the American automakers is entirely different from that of the Europeans and this was set early in the history of the car production. The Germans and the French b uild quality and modern cars which could only be afforded by the rich, where as the Americans were faced by an economic dilemma therefore they build cars that the public at large could afford, at a cheaper quality than the Europeans. As White states in the 1920s the industry hit its stride, expanding such that Canada became the second-largest producer of automobiles in the world. † (2007, p. v) The automobile changed many aspects of the lives of Canadians. The car gave Canadians the leisure they didn’t have before the 1920s. Now they were able to travel long distances comfortably, to find jobs far away from home as now it was easier to get to work. The automobile also allowed for the construction of the hard surface roads. Norrie at al states that by the 1928, there were 8600 km of concrete or macadamized roads in the province (2008, pg. 89) As the number of cars per person increased so did the number of licensed vehicles in Canada. Norrie et al states that by 1923 the number of automobiles in Canada had risen to nearly 1. 2 million (2008, p. 288) Employment rates were steadily rising with the rise in the number of manufactured cars in Canada. The opening of big plants throughout Canada in cities such as Windsor and Oshawa closely contributed to higher employment rates. In 1920 the average number of employees in the automobile manufacturing industry was 8,281 where as 6 years later it increased to 11,905. The sun life assurance company, 1956, p. 3 table 1) Even to this day almost 90 years later, these cities are heavily depended on the employment by the automakers. The increase in employment contributed to an increase in the lifestyles of Canadians. Also government revenues increased with the expansion of the automobile industry. They had to find a way to maintain the roads therefore licensing and gas fees were introduced. The automakers did not only increase the lifestyle of the people in the southern provinces but they had a big impact on the western provinces also.Agriculture was one of the many industrial sectors that benefited from the automakers. With cars being built it was now easier for the farmers to sell their products in the market. They now had a more comfortable way to travel and this made their jobs easier. Also the introduction of the farm tractors was a big help in the agriculture industry. The farm tractors increased crop quantities and livestock volume. The tractor was a great invention as it was more efficient and less time consuming. One of the negative impacts of the automobile industry in Canada is that of the regional economic imbalances between the provinces.With the manufacturing being heavily concentrated in Ontario, the other provinces of Canada do not get the same economic output as Ontario does. â€Å"Ontario is considered by far the wealthiest province. The province generates almost 50 percent of Canada’s GDP which translates into a staggering 675 billion dollars. Many analysts describe Ontario as the powerhouse of Canada and a serious contender in North America as well as globally† (Ohmae, 73) The manufacturing plants are situated in the southern province so they could be closer to their parent American companies. The export of the manufactured cars has also increased the GDP of the country.This also shows that with the most jobs being in Ontario, Canada’s population is heavily concentrated in Ontario as the province offers more employment opportunities. You read "Auto Industry in Canada" in category "Papers" â€Å"Between the years of 1981 to 1995, Ontario’s exports, primarily in the United States, almost quadrupled from $38 billion to $140 billion. Exports to the other provinces doubled but when we compare exports to the rest of the world in contrast to the rest of Canada the exports dropped from 28 p er cent to less than 20 per cent â€Å"(Courchene, 278). The above figures show that Ontario is exporting more to the rest of the world than the other provinces. When it comes to exporting to other countries, Ontario exports more to the United States than any other country in the world. Ontario is better off economically because other important industries are located in the provinces. Industries such as the telecommunication industry are also located in Ontario. Therefore with this being said, Ontario is mostly depended on the United States rather than on the other provinces. The auto industry expanded during the 1920s as already mentioned in this essay. A good reason for this was the fact that Canadians themselves were buying cars, since they were a hot commodity during those years.The auto industry was always dominated by the United States and never by the Canadians and this is why many people wonder if the auto industry in Canada is actually Canadian. The second economic boom for the auto makers were the years after the Second World War. After the war production increased as demand was able to meet supply. The industry moved into a period of growth and prosperity after the war. White states: the number of passenger cars produced rose from almost none at the end of the war to 193, 000 in 1949. (2007, p. 71) However during the 1950s the European auto makers ook the upper hand as they had established good production technology. With this technology they were able to produce cheaper and smaller cars, therefore demand for the American auto market started going down. Anything that affected the United States, affected Canada as we were their biggest car manufacture. If the American auto market was to go down, the Canadian economy would crash with them. To better the economic situation and to help the auto industry at home and to save jobs and the live hood of many Canadians, Canada and the United States signed the auto pact in 1968.The Automotive Products Trade Agreement was not based on free trade but it did however remove tariffs on cars and automotive parts between Canada and the United States. It made exports between the two countries cheaper, therefore by raising Canadian exports into the United States. The auto pact helped both countries in dealing with the economic situation at the time. Analysts say that Canada reaped the most benefits from the auto pact as the big 3 ford, general motors and Chrysler ensured that auto production remained and expanded in Canada. Employment increased in Canada during the years that the auto pact was still in power. Wallace states that the auto pact was phased out in 2001 as its provision were ruled to contravene WTO regulations by favouring particular corporations (2002, p. 114) The auto pact is also one of the best examples that shows the government’s intervention in the market place. The auto pact shows that it was necessary for the government to intervene in helping the economy out and making sure that employment levels did not go down.The economy also expanded because of the North American Free Trade Agreement signed in 1994 between USA Canada and Mexico. The North American Free Trade Agreement opened the doors to free trade between the 3 countries to ensure economic prosperity for North America. Considering that the United States is our biggest exporter and we export 80 % of our goods to our neighbours in the south, it was economically wise to make such an important step. The country’s GDP has steadily grown wince the implementation of the trade agreement.According to the organization for economic co-operation and development Canada’s Gross domestic product has steadily increased at a rate of 3. 42 percent annually. (OECD, 2010) Since Canada has joined the North American Free Trade Agreement and has eliminated tariffs on auto parts used for manufacturing purposes in Canada, our automotive surplus and sales have increased and so have the employment rates. According to Industry Canada employment growth has been highest in the auto parts manufacturing sector, as output rose to supply North American vehicle production.Also Canada is integrated in the North American Market with annual sales of 20 million vehicles and has an overall automotive trade surplus of $ 4. 6 billion on flows totalling % 159. 1 billion. (Industry Canada, 2009). As we can see Canada has economically benefited from free trade with the United States, this however does not go without saying that throughout the years, the North American Free Trade agreement has intervened on our political matters and disputes between Canada and the United States have increased throughout the years.A good example of one of the biggest disputes would be that of the Softwood lumber. However, despite all the negative impacts of the North American Free Trade agreement we can generally say that Canada has greatly benefited from this agreement. The auto industry has gone through major changes since the auto pact in 1965 and the implementation of the North American Free Trade agreement in 1994. The American auto makers had a financial downturn in 2009 and the big 3 was very close to filing for bankruptcy if the Canadian and American government would have not bailed them out. Many blame the American financial crisis for the financial meltdown of the automotive industry, where as others blame their profit driven practices. The automakers asked the government for loans and also went through restructuring plans and downsized their plants. They let go a lot of employees and shut down many plants across North America but not in Canada. They went through a process of restructuring as it was necessary for their survival. The Bush government implemented a set of conditions for the automakers, if they were to receive loans from the United States government.These conditions were geared towards the employees as they would be the ones to suffer the most. The global financial meltdown crisis did not only affect the American automakers but also European and Asian automakers. It is generally known that the only way to get out of the recession is to spend, but people cannot afford to spend in times of crisis. Many were laid off and had a hard time surviving the economy as they had no means of support. Once again government intervention was necessary from the Canadians.Considering that the economy in the southern Canadian provinces would go down in ruins, if they American plants decided to show down, the Harper government announced that they would offer $3. 5 billion to the automakers. With the help from the Canadian and American government, the big 3 seem to have recuperated from the melt down as they want to rehire their employees in Canada. General Motors announced that they will be rehiring people in Oshawa for the production of cars in 2011. Jones states that Friday’s recall announcement is in addition to another 600 workers GM said will be back at work to produce the Buick Regal. Approximately 1200 GM workers are now on lay off† (2010, p. 1). Many were against the bail out of the American automakers from the Canadian government as they said it would be a waste, where as others were concerned about the live hood of thousands of Canadians. The above quote clearly shows that the Canadian government took the right economic decision to benefit its people in the future. As we can see the big American auto makers are recuperating from the financial meltdown.What they have to worry about now is competition from the Asian automakers, as they have been taking the lead in the automotive industry since the 1980s. There has been a shift in the Canadian auto market from the Americans to the Japanese auto makers. The Americans still manufacture cars in Canada but the Japanese automakers seem to be dominating the automotive market in the recent years. The Japanese made vehicles are leading the automotive market because of various reasons. The first reason is attributed to the increase in oil prices in the begging of the 1980s.With oil prices going up, people could not afford American made cars anymore as they are known to spend a lot of gas, thus making them economically inefficient. That being one of the main reasons, people turned to Japanese made cars as they are smaller and have fuel efficient engines. White states that the share of the Canadian market supplied by Japanese imports jumped from 6. 6 percent in 1979, the lowest it had been in a decade, to 22. 9 percent in 1982. (2007, p. 89) As we can see the Japanese auto makers were taking big steps in the automotive industry.The recession of the 1980s and the increase in oil prices is what mainly contributed for the turn of events in the favour of the Japanese auto makers. The Canadian government ready to protect the country from the recession of the 1980s put in place policies that required â€Å"motor vehicle manufactures selling significant numbers of vehicles in Canada to invest in Canadian production facilities. † (White, 2007, p. 90). The Japanese auto makers responded to the call of the Canadian government and invested in creating auto plants in Canada.Once again the southern part of Canada profited from this as the plants were located around south central Ontario. The Japanese auto makers had other advantages that the American auto makers did not have at the time. The Japanese had a non unionized work force which worked for lower wages and tougher conditions. More than half of the workforce was made up of young people therefore they did not ask for much other than to be able to support their families. With the share of the Japanese auto makers rising, the American automakers market started dropping rapidly. Another good reason for the Japanese to invest in Canada was the desire to gain free access to the American auto market through the creation of the FTA. Another very important reason why the Japanese cars have a high market share in Canada is because they are responding to the concerns of the general public and especially those of environmental issues. The Japanese auto makers pay attention to the new trends and the problems that face the public at large. They are very flexible and are able to respond to public concerns quickly. They have shown this by producing eco friendly cars such as the Toyota pirus and the hybrid camrys.Lately environmental concerns have become a major issue and these concerns are related to the use of cars as the toxins that they release pollute the air that we breathe. Most environmental damage is caused by driving, therefore big auto makers are asked to change their production practices and produce environmentally friendly cars. Japanese auto makers such as Toyota have answered this call and they have come out with the Toyota hybrid car. A good example of an environmentally friendly car that has swept the market is the Toyota prius that is gasoline electric hybrid.These types of cars use two types of energy sources, gasoline and electricity. The hybrid is a dream come true for the environmentalists as it is as fast as any other car out there and it does not pollute the environment. The automobile technology has changed and as we are shifting towards eco friendly cars the American auto makers are trying to keep up. â€Å"GM cancelled production on its Hummer H1 and ford cancelled production on its Excursion SUV† (Automobile Industry Introduction, 2010) They are also trying to outperform the Japanese auto makers and move towards newer trends such as the plug in rechargeable cars. GM is working towards a gasoline- powered generator capable of charging up the batteries for those occasions when it is not convenient to plug in†. (Automobile Industry Introduction, 2010) As we can see the auto industry has come a long way since the 1920s and it is moving towards newer better trends. It is my personal opinion that the leading auto makers will be those companies that are able to understand and respond to the public’s needs and concerns.In conclusion to this essay it is important to note that the automotive industry in has had an enormous economic impact in Canada and especially on the southern provinces. Created by the big American auto makers, the assembly plants in Canada have raised employment levels and have kept a steady lively hood for Canadians. They have also contributed to a change in Canadian industries such as the agriculture industry, by making farming easier and more efficient. The auto industry in Canada did however create a regional economic imbalance between the provinces in Canada.Ontario is the southern province that has enormously benefited from the auto industry as it is located close r to the parent companies. The location makes manufacturing and exporting of the auto parts easier for both countries. Trade agreements such as the auto pact and the North American Free Trade agreement implemented in 1994 between the United States, Mexico and Canada have also increased employment levels in Canada and maintained a steady economic balance by removing tariffs on importing and exporting goods between the three countries.During the 1980s we saw a major shift from the American auto makers to the Japanese producers of cars. This shift was mainly due to increasing oil prices and the ability of the Japanese to provide more affordable and fuel efficient cars. The global economic meltdown also contributed to the downturn of the American auto makers. With the Americans not being able to meet consumer needs, the general public turned towards the Asian auto makers. The Japanese saw a great opportunity and benefited from this shift. They were able to respond to public concerns regarding eco friendly cars and put in place the production of hybrid cars. These cars have swept the general North American market as they seem to be the perfect solutions for people that cannot afford to spend a lot on fuel and also at the same time want to be environmentally friendly. The Canadian auto industry has had its ups and downs but in general it can be said that it has been a great contribution to the Canadian economy by changing the lives of Canadians and by keeping a steady employment rate. How to cite Auto Industry in Canada, Papers

Tiger for Sony Essay Example For Students

Tiger for Sony Essay If Sony is hinting at OS X and Linux, theres also a good chance they could be developing a proprietary OS. The PS3 will have to support HDMI-HDCP output since the old DVI standard can no longer be implemented. HDMI has definitely been in Sonys interests as it is a huge media vendor with SCEA and Sony Pictures. Yet giving out a game system with HDCP-HDMI output for HDTV gaming while putting an open source operating system like Linux on a single machine is kind of insane. You cant put the hackers OS on a relatively cheap Blu-Ray/computer/gaming machine and not expect piracy. You can put it on the PS2 with an HDD which would be a relatively cheap DVD/psuedo-computer/gaming machine- but due to the nature of the compatibility of the PS3 spec- it will be much more tempting to commit piracy on a PS3 than a PS2, and a PS3 with Linux than an Xbox360. This implementation of Linux would be asking for easier copyright-protection-overrides than the Xbox currently suffers (a soft-mod here, a netwo rk cable there- Linux and Evox in of their illegal game copying glory.) The PS2 made consumers realize the PS wasnt as rare a thing as theyd thought. The PS3 will make consumers realize the PS2 was an introduction into an industry larger than film, and that film-quality games have their very beautiful appeal. Yet Linux would definitely drive sales- a large portion of Windows users hear about Linux supposed superiority and dont care, but sure wouldnt mind it if a Linux machine fell into their lap with a GUI comprabale to Windows. The PS3 part wont be too shabby either. Id say theyll have a Linux-like full-fledged proprietary OS with a bunch of root restrictions to make it harder to override it with another OS, learning from MS mistake on the Xbox. I can possibly see Sony eventually giving consumers ability to put Longhorn on PS3. It would have the competivite/ironic edge consumers would adore. The MS OS cant run on Xbox360, but it sure can run on PS3. Longhorn will be super-feature-rich in terms of copyright control technologies, avail in Sonys interests. In that scenario, MS could even be forced to follow Sony in putting Longhorn on its Xbox360, but I doubt consumers would forget Sony did it first. Its pretty doubtul, but if Sony elaborated on such an idea with action I think we could expect great things in terms of revenue and support. Given Sonys history of proprietary-competiveness with other names in the mainstream, a deal with Apple seems out of the question- Tiger OS X popping up when you turn on your PS3 wouldnt seem Sony. Apple obviously created Ipod, and Sonys been competing in portable audio forever -we still refer to portable cassette players as Walkmans- and seeing as how Apples image is tied in with the player, I just doubt Sony wants to buckle down and identify with Apple and the lowest paid CEO on earth. Sony loves to own the standard and to define the format. A windows-like/linux-like proprietary OS seems most likely. Programming for Xbox360 vs PS3 will be about as different as it is now for the Xbox and PS2 in terms of the time it takes to do so, but the inherent difference in the Cell architecture and the Xbox360s general-oriented processing power do not allow any truly accurate comparisons in performance of one and the other at the moment. A majority of game developers have said PS3 will be by leaps-and-bounds stronger, but this is probably a hyperbolic understanding of yet-unwielded technology. The new architecture that takes the seperated processes of AI, sound, physics, shading, etc.. actually keeps them seperated- allowing for potentially massive optimizations and niches for eye-candy gain. Sonys touted emotion-engine for the PS2 was really anything but, but in PS3 demos it seems to be there. PS2 was supposed to look like Toy Story. Yet although Chris K doesnt agree, if the PS3 is anything near leaps and bounds more powerful than the XBOX360 while putting out 720p resolution, I really dont doubt the existence of Toy-Story games in measures of visual performance down the game-developing line. Those who say Xbox360 is more powerful would be right if they considered the Cell architecture to be a bunch of DSPs and a Main, it all depends on how individual developers are able to see and unlock actual usage out of the Cell. With IBM, Toshiba backing the Cell and Nvidia backing the GP- I personally think PS3 has the advantage. But none of us will know until both systems have a few hardware boundaries pushed (creatively). Some developers see new architecture as a godsend of power and streamlining the dev-cycle while others see it as suicidal. 440 ghz understandings for one and 39 ghz understandings for the other dont really mean anything and wont really mean anything until developer(s) buckle down and take as much advantage of it as possible.Even with the Cell adding up its components processing power in a single number- the Xbox360s, when added up also, maintain to be a signi ficantly lower number. The two systems will remain incomparable in terms of power because of the yet-unused architecture and whether or not its easy to take advantage of. Because of the new complexities of the systems and of game development budgets/schedules that werent around and in the same boat as the PS2/Xbox launch, its doubtful that the first games released for either nex-gen system will come anywhere close to taking advantage of the systems power and efficiency in a way that is optimal. PS2 had some kind of DSP-like power that was a theoretcial-predecessor to Cell but didnt really end up being taken advantage of outside of real-big-budget games. MS ATI is still catching up with Crossfire and the like, they could be spread a bit more thin than Nvidia during the Xbox360s conception span. Its doubtful PS3 will be as expensive as MS hopes. Sonys going to give higher numbers and then lower the cost to numb consumers and shock MS; it may suffer a monetary loss per each console but that would be a lesson from MS that helped lead the Xbox success. Sony would be taking from the best of both worlds. The Sony PS2;PS3 reputation and the performance ratio of XBOX:PS2::PS3:XBOX 360? Personally, I dont care about any of this. If PS3 were an HD-gaming computer and XBOX 360 were just a toy compared to unlocked potentiality, it wouldnt matter. Im going to be playing Halo 2.5 in 1280x720p. I dont care what OS is on PS3 because well eventually have Linux on it.

Lojack and the Micrologic Alliance free essay sample

Financially, sales are climbing, but year over year growth is declining. The distribution system through auto retailers seems stuck to new car sales. The Lock strategy at the present time consists of several discrete variables. Lock has elected to expand into new geographic areas and markets which is a logical growth strategy for the firm which has established an enviable reputation in terms of asset recovery systems.This company has developed a new tracking unit that permits it to move Into new segments such as trailers while simultaneously reducing costs for such units, therefore, establishing itself as a cost leader in the sector. This combined with a strong differentiation of product through law enforcement networks ivies Lock a strong competitive advantage. These are strengths that cannot be quickly or easily duplicated and because of the proprietary technical aspect of this product.Competitors would have to try and find substitute products to compete directly with Lock. We will write a custom essay sample on Lojack and the Micrologic Alliance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Competitive Environment If we use Michael Porters 5 forces as a measure of the competitive environment, we see the following: New Entrants Telemeter and other competitors were on the market prior to Locks entrance and other competitors are entering the market through GAPS based systems such as Instars. These systems are not a onetime purchases but Incur monthly fees to maintain service and may require the use of a cell phone. Absolutes Just as with GAPS, there is a threat of substitute products coming on-line through new technology, but this threat should be mitigated by Locks network with local law enforcement agencies. Suppliers Suppliers are also a threat as the auto industry is developing its own telemetric OFF accelerate the design cycle. Further, their inability to deliver state-of-the-art entertainment, communication, navigation, and other telemetric (navigation, driver- airing, and communication systems) clearly highlights the manufacturers reluctance at relying on these sta ndards.The good news is that the automakers appear to have realized their errors and limitations and are participating in the development of new network standards for both mission-critical and convenience or entertainment systems. (Wright, 1999) Lock must continue to market its law enforcement advantage to thwart off this threat. Buyers At this stage, buyers have relatively limited buying power due to the lack of alternative technology. However, the threat is the heavy reliance on car dealers to sell he product.If there is no incentive to do so, then the buyer may lack the knowledge that would drive the purchase. Intensity of Rivalry Although the product is in its growing stages, and there is no clear competition, the increased activity in this sector could be conducive of a threat to achieve a large enough market share to make the implementation worthwhile. S. W. O. T. Analysts INTERNAL STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Impeccable consumer franchise ; Brand strength Proven track record Law enforcement network ; Proprietary technology ; Reliance on alliances for distribution ; backbone outsourcedReliance on automotive industry Limited distribution systems New Markets Expanded distribution channels Leverage strong brand Strategic alliances Expand existing technology ; New Entrants Substitute products ; Local bureaucracy (political environment) Shift in alliances Telemetric OPPORTUNITIES THREATS EXTERNAL Perspective on network level strategy Technical Both Lock and Microcosmic embrace the embedded organizational structure. While these technologies. Locks technology would not have been possible without the alliance with local law enforcement agencies, Motorola, and Microcosmic.Microcosms existence, until recently, had been to partner with organizations to leverage its technical creativity to further develop the companies that it works for. It would take an equi ty stand in these companies and take a long term approach. In order for Microcosmic to be successful in this venture, it would need to rely on Locks distribution and marketing systems. Not only to sell its products but also to ensure its own financial stability. And if Lock is to review its long term strategy, it must understand that research and development are not at the core of its operation.Motorola is a key component to both Lock and Microcosmic and has been a strong partner providing vital assistance. However, moving forward, they cannot be relied on to only provide this technology to Lock. They are a much larger company and will look to broaden their reach. In the fall of 1999 Motorola was already working to become a driving force in the telemetric industry and moved to position itself with the major car companies. Who can you count on to bring the promise of telemetric to the world? The same people who have been changing the way we communicate on-the-go since 1928. Motorola is driving innovation with telemetric -? the newest way to take your world with you. Come to think of it -? is Motorola reinventing the car radio for the Internet? (Boroughs, 1999) Motorola is designing the 3rd generation Lock, and it should be available in the fall however a continued alliance with Motorola could combine Locks strong results with another up and coming GAPS capabilities, and Lock could potentially lose its strong brand if it became a part of a larger offering. Recommendations Short Term Lock should look to form a loose alliance with Microcosmic. This would allow forLock to expand into the new market of construction equipment where need exist and no clear provider exist. An alliance between these two organizations has a proven track record and a proven product that can be marketed. The first step in the alliance would be to tackle the construction equipment market. This is a market that has a strong need for a location and asset management technology there i s no clear market leader. The combination of Lock;s proven solution for tracking and the ability of Microcosmic to develop strong asset management software would allow for strong penetration in his market.As in the past, both organizations should look to work in their core areas of expertise. Lock understands how to market and distribute the products and Microcosmic should immediately assume the RD function. This will allow both companies to continue to drive down cost. Lock currently has enough cash on hand to assist the need for cash with Microcosmic. At this point, the cash infusion should be done as a low or no interest loan to Microcosmic. The partnership work well in the beginning, and over time, Microcosmic can determine if this is their core business. If to, they will be able to sell this product back to Lock Just as it did the first time and move in a different direction or become a subsidiary. Motorola is currently working on the 3rd generation Lock and Microcosmic should work directly with Motorola on Medium Term Once a clear hold on the construction market is secured, then the alliance will have the opportunity to move into the trailer market. A proven track record in auto recovery and construction equipment asset management will allow strong credibility and should allow Lock and Microcosmic to become the market leader.During this take both organizations will need to determine the structure of the company and if they are able to grow construction equipment sales to the same rate as existing auto sales then Lock would be in a position to either absorb Microcosmic into the existing organization (assuming this is agreeable to both parties) or turn Microcosmic into a subsidiary. Long Term Emerging markets will be critical to the l ong term success of Lock. With a strong foothold on the construction market this area would be a logical first step into emerging markets as contraction equipment would usually surpass new car sales.Immersing markets will provide the strongest revenue growths for the company and is possible this may need to be moved into the mid-term focus depending on the success for the technology. Critical Success Factors Industry critical success factors need to include a standard platform for technology on both the asset management device and vehicle retrieval systems. If too many technologies exist, it will become confusion for consumers, and they may abandon products all together. The following list the critical success factors for a Lock Microcosmic alliance in terms on timing each holds the same importance.The two companies must have a willingness and desire to form an alliance 2 Microcosmic must be able to finish the work on asset management software in the short term and it must be fully compatible with the existing Lock technology it must come in-line with existing cost estimates 3 Lock will need to develop a strong marketing and distribution plan to enter the construction market and a strong foothold must be established to keep back competition 4 The technology in the construction market must be compatible with trailer and fleet market needs 5 Current US distributio n systems must be compatible with overseas markets alack just be able to understand and successfully maneuver in immersing markets and it needs first mover advantage to establish itself as the market leader.Financial Financial projections are highly dependent on the critical success factors being met and I will only give a small example to the entrance into the construction market as it exists today. With 170,000 to 200,000 pieces of construction equipment being produced in the US each year, I believe that we could start by collecting 5% of that market in the first year and the 10% the following year and leveling out at 15% for the bequest 3 to 5 years. There are approximately 180,000 pieces of equipment in rate as new sales. Lock is currently running at a 43% profit margin and had an 8 year high of 53%. We will use the high (53%) for a cost as there will be quite a bit more expenses in rolling out a new product. The unit should sell at the $1,000 used price point and a $50 per month management fee.Based on these conservative projections, the yearly revenue in this market would level out at $mill with and a net income of $4. 7 mil per year, assuming all cost stay in line with current financial. This would add 14% in E. P. S. The first year and 200% the following year finally leveling out at 100%. Implementation Because of the history of the two parties and the nature of the work, progress could begin immediately. The matter of a cash infusion for Microcosmic should be resolved quickly as well as the nature of the strategic alignment. Lock should continue to develop the third generation with Motorola and determine their role, with Microcosmic, moving forward.

How to Boost Engagement on Your Facebook Page

How to Boost Engagement on Your Facebook Page If you already have a Facebook profile, you may be wondering why you would even need a Facebook author page. Heres my answer: Facebook profiles are for people. They are a venue to connect with friends and acquaintances to share information about your lives. A Facebook profile can’t be used to market businesses or products, such as your books and workshops. On a Facebook author page, you can market your books, promote your readings and workshops, and notify fans about your discounted prices and Goodreads giveaways. In short, this is where you can communicate meaningful content that your fans will want to know as well as promote books and other products and services you may offer. In addition, a Facebook page will help you to build your brand, engage with your readers, and improve your search engine results, which in turn will boost sales of your books and attendance at your workshops. Here are some of my favorite tips for increasing shares and Likes on my page. 1. Focus on producing quality content, writing short posts (80 to 190 characters), and always including images that are colorful, unique, and compelling. 2. Respond quickly to your fans’ comments, promote their publishing successes, and just enjoy the experience. 3. Balance the mundane with the meaningful. Cute kitten pictures are mundane while posts with links to solid content are meaningful status updates. I balance my page 4. Gear your messages towards your audience. If your audience loves YA books, don’t post information about literary fiction. Keep to the topics they care about. 5. Use stellar images. Facebook users love them. 6. Post videos. They are popular on Facebook. 7. Experiment with your posts, study your Insights – Facebook’s free analytical feature – and learn what works best for your audience. What works best on your Facebook page?

Ap Human Geography Green Revolution

For the greater half of the 20th century and the start of the 21st century, The Green Revolution has taken off as the mission to end world hunger. It proves that humans have the power to â€Å"engineer crops† and change the way they grow and how sustainable they are. It alters the concept of agriculture as a whole. The Green Revolution is the future. Executed correctly, and it might be the solution to our food supply problems. Using safe modifications and pursuing further ventures in research is one way we can continue on the path of the Green Revolution. Also, implementing and refining concepts that we know have worked in the past can allow for advancements and more prominent results. In many countries, due to scarcity of land, farmers practice double cropping. This allows for two crop seasons a year. The only problem with this is that there would have to be two monsoons, on natural and the other â€Å"artificial. † India, which has found more efficient sources of food after their infamous Bengal Famine, has been one of the first countries to take an initiative in the green revolution. By using genetics to create HYVs, or High Yield Value seeds, they have been able to claim foreign acclaim and produce crops with increased viability. Agriculture is the largest employing industry in the world. The Green Revolution will keep that number high because of the amount of lateral facilities and resource plants that are affiliated with agriculture. Despite limits, such as falling short of demands and global implementation, the Revolution has shown tremendous results that show high prospects for the road ahead.

Right to Confrontation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to Confrontation - Article Example They didnt call the examiners as witnesses. The respondent ought to have the capacity to get his conviction upset dependent upon Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, the decision from last June, which held, by a 5-to-4 vote, that utilizing lab reports without calling the experts maltreats the Sixth Amendment. The revisions encounter provision ensures litigants the right to see indictment witnesses in individual and to interrogate them, unless they are genuinely inaccessible. In cases that include medicates, and numerous that dont, lab examiners work could be a discriminating some piece of the indictments case. On the off chance that the prosecutors need to utilize the reports, they ought to be obliged to call the examiners as witnesses. It is not clear why the Supreme Court is racing to reexamine this issue. There are a few contrasts in the guidelines on witnesses between Virginia and Massachusetts. In any case it may be that with Justice Sonia Sotomayor having supplanted Justice David Souter, the nonconformists accept they have a fifth vote to disintegrate or undiscovered last Junes decision. As a previous associate area lawyer, some court examiners contend, she may be more thoughtful to the trouble on prosecutors. As a circuit court judge, Justice Sotomayor did regularly run for the administration in criminal cases, however making forecasts of this sort is hazardous. In the event that the court changes the tenet, it might be a noteworthy setback for common freedoms, and not simply in cases including lab confirmation. Prosecutors may utilize the choice to legitimize offering various kinds of affirmations, recorded proclamations and other confirmation from missing