Hole In My Life Essay

â€Å"It is not what one does that is wrong, but what one becomes as a consequence of it â€Å", which means the thing you do can turn you into something you’re not. It’s not the crime someone commits it’s if they change or have a positive effect on the consequence. Jack Gantos started hanging with the wrong people, started selling drugs but he didn’t think selling drugs could land him in federal prison. Jack spent his time in jail but he didn’t let jail stop him from writing. Jack realized he did a crime, he went to prison & got out and changed his life around. Gantos began as a person with lack of supervision, getting involved with the drug culture, he ends up going to jail when he gets out he goes to college and becomes an amazing writer. Jack’s lack of supervision started when he lived in a hotel in San Juan by himself without his parents, he made housekeeping cleanup for him, went to visit his mom and made her do his laundry. Living on his own was a way for him to do what he wanted on his own and when he wanted to which he proved was a way to show his lack of responsibility. Second example of Jack’s lack of supervision is when jack lived in the Bacon’s house, he would turn his music on full blast and not care what no one says. He was sort of taking advantage of the Bacon’s not knowing he was doing it. The final example is Jack doesn’t even ask anyone for advice he just starts making the crates with Rick. Jack is selfish and doesn’t want to listen to anyone he does stuff not knowing he could get in trouble. In the case of Jacks lack of supervision he lands himself with 6 years on his jail time. Jack got involved with the wrong crowd and drug culture. Jack and his drug partner Hamilton they smuggled drugs into the USA. He was eager to do anything to get money, he wants to go to college and be a writer and he needs the money to do it. By Jack getting involved with this drug culture he gets caught but Jack doesn’t turn himself in right away he’s on the run but eventually turns himself in. He eventually finds that jail is scary he has some bad experiences and thinks they might scar him making him think about changing his life. Gantos gets a job as an x-ray tech inside prison. He ends up learning new things. Hearing stories from some of the prisoners and seeing things that disqust him but they teach him a lesson and the readers get a feel on how prison is. Even though Jacks in prison but still continuing his career as a writer. In prison he gets a ship’s log on he uses that to journal in. Gantos began writing in the script log turning it into a diary about his life. In his diary he explains that he did make mistakes and wants his readers not to follow in his footsteps. While Jack was in school there were kids that came from prison to tell them how it was but Jack made fun of them in the end Jack sees that wasn’t a good idea. When he gets out he changes his life, he gets out, goes to school and becomes a successful writer. From the book â€Å"Hole In My Life,† one can learn a lot of tips that should stick with you through life. The first tip is don’t do drugs they can lead you to heavy trouble and they are bad for you. Another is always have your parents close to you so when you have a question about life you can ask them to see what is right. Third is everyone deserves a second chance. Last one is choose your friend wisely. In the book Gantos states â€Å"Feels like in a walking white target with legs.† He also states â€Å"In prison I got a second chance to realize I did have something to write about.

Network 240 Linux Comparison

Outline There are a quite a few Linux distributions available that address a variety of functionalities within the operating system ( OS ). There are many factors to consider when deciding which Linux vendor to use and what distribution will suit your needs. According to DistroWatch there are 322 active distributions available in the database. The basic difference between the desktop version and the server version is the presence of a graphical user interface ( GUI ). This paper will provide basic information on Knoppix, list the top ten Linux distributions, and provide a comparison of Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Fedora.Knoppix is an ideal option for new users. Knoppix is a low maintenance distribution that allows an individual to boot directly from a CD in order to sample the Linux environment. The user can run several different software applications and save files. More importantly, because Knoppix can be booted from a CD no actual installation takes place so there is no interruption with the existing operating system ( OS ). Ubuntu is one of the most popular versions of Linux and very user friendly.The Ubuntu desktop version comes with three years of support, a graphical user interface ( GUI ) and the following applications installed: X, Gnome, and KDE. The server version does not utilize a graphical user interface ( GUI ) and relies on the end user utilizing the command line interface ( CLI ). The server version comes with Apache Web Server 2 and Bind 9. Red Hat Enterprise Linux was formally known as Novell Linux Desktop. Redhat offers a combination options to address end user needs, but concentrated in the server area. The server side offers two 9 2 ) or four ( 4 ) socket server options and the use of virtual guests.Redhat Enterprise Desktop utilizes a layered defense system, plug-n-play support, is bundled with popular applications, which are interoperable with Microsoft counterparts. Fedora appears to be one of the more flexible versions. Fedora is an open proj ect for Redhat and allows the end user to customize the installation and choose which services and applications to install. This feature allows users to choose exactly what is needed during installation to address their needs and is targeted for at home users. References Ten Most Popular Linux Distributions ttp://geektrio. net/? p=1404 Top Ten Distributions http://distrowatch. com/dwres. php? resource=major Which is the Best Linux Distribution for your Desktop http://www. labnol. org/software/best-linux-distros/12757/ DistroWatch Weekly http://distrowatch. com/weekly. php? issue=20120723 Linux Server Distribution http://www. bashton. com/linux-distribution-comparison/ Red Hat Enterprise Linux http://www. redhat. com/products/enterprise-linux/server/compare. html Frequently Asked Questions about the Ubuntu Server Edition https://help. ubuntu. com/community/ServerFaq

Alcohol Promotion and the Marketing Industry

Julie A. Novak International MBA Student York University Prepared for The Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario September 2004 Working to Reduce the Impact of Alcohol Advertising Acknowledgements ARAPO wishes to acknowledge the effort and contributions of the following individuals to this paper: Tom Appleyard, Alcohol Projects Manager, Ontario Public Health Association Ben Rempel, Alcohol Projects Consultant, Ontario Public Health Association Pat Sanagan, Co-Chair, Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in OntarioJulie A. Novak is an International MBA student, studying through the Schulich School of Business at York University in Ontario. Julie has also completed her Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Victoria. She has held positions in Public Policy in such places as Moldova and Geneva.This paper examines current marketing trends in the alcoholic beverages industry that can i mpact the public’s health and safety. It is important for public health organizations to be aware of trends common to the industry; this will inform and bolster their efforts as watchdogs to manufacturers and retailers of alcohol.The analysis describes the critical elements of the marketing mix, and makes a clear distinction between advertising and marketing. Advertising is an important part of the marketing mix; however, there are several other tactics and tools employed by marketers in the industry to influence consumer behaviour and to build strong brands. The paper reviews current trends in the alcoholic beverages industry generally, drawing specifically on some examples from the global beer industry.In the fight to increase market share, marketers will alter their marketing strategies in response to industry trends, seeking synergies that may exist between sponsorship and promotion. The paper also discusses the use of bottle labels for marketing alcohol products as an ex ample of the overlap of product and promotion. This leads into a discussion of the relationship between advertising and packaging and how they are used to encourage selection of certain brands over others. Advertising trends, such as sexually explicit content and low-carb and health conscious media messages are also addressed.These are variables in the marketing mix. The last section discusses the current guidelines concerning marketing and promotions and the position taken by various public health groups such as ARAPO (Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario) in response to the current trends and tactics used in alcohol marketing and promotion with specific attention to recommendations to regulators. 1 1. 0 INTRODUCTION The Canadian alcoholic beverages industry includes brewers, wine producers and distilled spirits manufacturers. Molson Inc. s the oldest beer brand in the Canadian brewing industry and a global brand name with products that include Molson Canadian, Molson Export, Molson DRY, Rickard's, and Brazilian beer brands Kaiser and Bavaria. Total net sales for Molson in 2004 – year ending March 31 – were $2. 5 billion. This amounted to annual profits of $2. 37 million1. Another Canadian favourite is John Labatt Ltd. , which is owned by the Belgium-based company Interbrew. The second largest brewer by volume worldwide, Interbrew owns a portfolio consisting of, among others, Stella Artois, Carling, and the popular Labatt line of beers.In 2003, Interbrew recorded a gross profit of â‚ ¬3. 6 billion, which resulted in a net profit of â‚ ¬505 million, after spending an incredible â‚ ¬1. 3 billion on sales and marketing2. The other three major players are Sleeman Breweries, Big Rock Brewing Income Trust, and the Brick Brewing Co. Sleeman, a specialty brewed premium craft beer, recorded annual sales of $1. 85 million in 20033. Big Rock Brewing Income Trust recorded net sales of $28 million in 20034. The Brick Brewing Co. , resp onsible for Formosa and Red Cap brands among others, recorded gross sales of $11. million for the second quarter of 2004. This resulted in a record net income of $832,000 over a three-month period5. The Association of Canadian Distillers is the national trade association representing Canada's major distillers. The distilling industry has been estimated to generate $2. 6 billion worth of economic activity. Distillers include, among others: Bacardi Canada Inc. ; Canadian Mist Distillers, Ltd. ; Hiram Walker & Sons, Ltd. ; Corby Distilleries, Ltd. ; Diageo Canada, Inc. ; and Schenley Distilleries Inc.These distillers produce popular spirits including Brandy, Gin, Cognac, Vodka, Rum, and the ever-popular Canadian Whiskey, Canada’s most established domestic and exported distilled spirit. Since 1840, there have been over 200 whiskey distilleries operating throughout the country, as Canada has gained recognition as a producer of high quality whiskey. This reputation has resulted in billions of recorded sales for the Spirits industry. For example, Diageo recorded sales of US$ 15. 6 billion in 2003. Domestic and imported spirits sales for 2003 were recorded at nearly 15 million cases (12 – 750 ml. ottles)6. The Canadian Vintners Association is Canada’s national association of vintners, representing 34 wineries and producing about 90% of Canada’s total wine production and export. Winery members include, among others, Jackson-Triggs, Peller Estate, and Hillebrand Estates. Total Canadian wine sales for 2002, was 267 million litres7. Molson Annual Report (2004). Interbrew Annual Report (2003). 3 Globe Investor (2004). 4 Big Rock Brewing Annual Report (2003). 5 Just-drinks. com (2004). 6 Association of Canadian Distillers (2004). 7 Canadian Vintners Association (2004). 1 2 1. 1 Marketing – A Definition The difference between marketing and selling is more than semantic. Selling focuses on the needs of the seller; marketing on the needs of t he buyer8. According to the Business Knowledge Center, â€Å"the Marketing Concept is the philosophy that firms should analyze the needs of their customers and then make decisions to satisfy those needs better than the competition. †9 Additionally, despite misconceptions, marketing is not always advertising. In fact, advertising comprises only a small part of the overall marketing mix.The variables of the marketing mix will manifest in unique ways depending on industry characteristics as they are heavily influenced by local and global industry trends. 1. 2 Building Brand Community Building brand loyalty is key to the success of the marketing concept. Developing and exploiting crucial relationships among the customer and the brand, the customer and the firm, the customer and the product in use, and among fellow customers10 is a strategy that leads to a belief that the buyer is part of a specific brand’s â€Å"community†.These relationships are important because t hey enable marketers to create brand loyalty and customer retention, which yield the promise of long-term profitability and market share11. Like a social community, the brand community tends to be identified on the basis of commonality or identification among its members12. The brand community members identify through devotion to particular brands or consumption activities, which are connected to other symbols in the marketplace13.For example, a product that is endorsed by a popular celebrity or professional athlete will appeal to certain brand communities or target markets, but not all. Responses to marketing influences may be cognitive, emotional or material in nature and, ultimately, customers will value their relationships with their branded possessions and with marketing agents14. The basis for community identification can be on wide-ranging commonalities that are difficult to detect. The stability of a brand community through time is an asset to marketers inasmuch as longevity equates with a stable market.Additionally, if marketers are able to successfully identify where a potential brand community exists, they can use it to bolster their marketing efforts and build brand loyalty. Furthermore, marketers will tailor their strategies such that they resonate with particular existing communities. If used effectively, this knowledge can be a powerful tool for marketers, as they will have greater insight into some of the motivations behind consumer behaviour. 1. 3 Global Alcoholic Beverage Perspective It is impossible to discuss the Canadian alcoholic beverages market without considering the global perspective.In particular, the global beer industry is facing increasing pressures 8 Levitt (1986). Business Knowledge Center (2004). 10 McAlexander et al. (2002). 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 9 3 of internationalization and consolidation, which are both the result and the cause of industry-wide mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and strategic alliances. Fac ing low prospects for volume growth in mature, developed markets and increasing competition, brewers continue to seek growth through acquisitions of other brewers or by aggressive participation in developing markets15.Indeed, the top ten brewers worldwide now account for more than half of the entire world’s beer, which is an industry first16. Given the lack of volume growth opportunities in the North American market, the industry trend of increased marketing and advertising spending continues as companies try to differentiate their brands in a highly saturated market. Not only is the market saturated, but the marketing media are cluttered. In order to achieve standout in a cluttered industry, breweries continue to develop creative ideas that generate excitement around their brands.Smaller breweries, in particular, try to increase brand recognition through provocative or racy ad campaigns since they cannot hope to compete on the same scale as their larger competitors with resp ect to the total amounts spent on marketing and advertising. 1. 4 The Marketing Mix It is important to understand all of the variables that comprise the marketing mix, or the 4Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. The 4Ps are the variables that marketers can control in order to best satisfy the customers in the target market17.First, the product is the physical product or the service offered to the consumer, which can include additional services or conveniences that are part of the offering. Marketers can adjust certain product characteristics such as the functionality, appearance, packaging, brand, quality and service. The second variable, price, reflects company considerations such as profit margin and competitor pricing, including discounts. Third, place refers to the decisions associated with channels of distribution that act as a means of reaching the target consumers.This includes the channel members along the supply chain, market coverage and the various servi ce levels. Finally, promotion decisions are all those that relate to communicating and selling the product to potential customers. These may include advertising, personal selling, media, public relations and budget. Thus, marketing is a multi-dimensional function that yields a variety of effects. In the alcoholic beverages industry, a mature and highly competitive market, companies experiment with their marketing strategies regularly.The focus of this paper is primarily on promotion and product and, specifically, how these two variables are manipulated in tandem by marketers to create powerful marketing strategies. 15 16 Todd (2004). Ibid. 17 McCarthy (1975). 4 1. 5 The Impact of Advertising on Consumption and Related Problems Alcohol advertisers use effective advertising techniques to reach the youth market. Such techniques link alcohol to physical attractiveness and sexiness, promote age identification through the use of spokespeople, and use humour, music and popular culture icon s18.In 2002, $160 million was spent on alcohol advertising in Canada19 and alcohol appears in approximately two thirds of all programs watched by Canadian teens at an average rate of 8. 1 drinking references per hour20. The consequences of alcohol advertising on public health and safety are considerable. Alcohol use plays a substantial role in all three leading causes of death among youth – unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle fatalities and drowning), suicides and homicides21.Alcohol advertising is linked to patterns of heavy drinking, drinking in dangerous situations and deaths from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes22. In one study, the chances of drinking alcohol rose by nearly 10% for teens who watched an extra hour of regular television programming per day23. 2. 0 CURRENT MARKETING TRENDS 2. 1 Synergies Between Promotion and Sponsorship Currently, a dominant trend in the alcohol industry is a link between promotion and sponsorship. Companies are attempting to capitalize on the ynergy that exists in this area as they move deeper into the global arena to achieve a greater return on their marketing expenditures. The term synergies denote opportunities for collaboration in which the result that can be achieved is greater than the sum of the individual efforts. An example is the positive spillover of media exposure that results when a brand becomes the official sponsor of an international sporting event, especially one with wide television coverage. In effect, this amounts to a cost-effective marketing campaign for the sponsoring company, assuming the outcome is consistent with the overall brand identity.Another factor contributing to the drive for synergies is the seasonality of this industry. Manufacturers prepare for the summer beverage-selling season by ramping up production, increasing their marketing and seeking sponsorship deals, which act as promotional vehicles for new launches and summer products. Sponsorship agreements with int ernationally recognized sporting events help to enable a brand to stand out among the clutter. McKenzie (2000). AC Neilson (2004). 20 Robinson et al. (1998). 21 AMA (2003). 22 McKenzie (2000). 23 Robinson et al. (1998). 19 18 2. 1. 1 Sports Sponsorships Alcohol manufactures are increasingly seeking contracts for official sponsorship of highprofile sporting events as they realize the opportunities for synergies between promotion and advertising. The Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, produced by Advertising Standards Canada states: â€Å"products prohibited from sale to minors must not be advertised in such a way as to appeal particularly to persons under legal age. [And] people featured in advertisements for such products must be, and clearly seen to be, adults under the law24. High profile sports sponsorships with a heavy advertising component risk being in violation of this regulation. Two of the major international sporting events in Canada, the Roger’s Cup in Montre al and the Tennis Master’s Series in Toronto are sponsored by breweries. Sleeman is the official sponsor of Tennis Canada in Montreal; Heineken, which is part of the Molson portfolio of brands, is the sponsor in Toronto. The situation in Canada reflects a global trend. In late 2003, Heineken signed a deal with the British Olympic Association (BOA) for exclusive sponsorship rights.The deal is part of a â‚ ¬50 million global investment by the brewer25, giving the company exclusive rights to the BOA logo. Sponsorship deals are considered an opportunity for alcohol manufacturers to establish global brand recognition in a competitive industry. With huge budgets behind sponsorship deals, and the wide international exposure that results, it is very difficult for watchdogs to monitor the visibility of alcohol brands. The clientele and audiences at sporting events such as the Olympics are of all ages, youth included.Therefore, limiting exposure of beer ads only to legal age consume rs is nearly an impossible undertaking. In April of 2004, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) in the US was strongly considering changing its policy to allow hard-liquor brands to sponsor teams in its top tier Nextel Cup Series26. Though such a move could alleviate sponsorship problems for some drivers, it could threaten NASCAR’s desire to become more family friendly. With this in mind, NASCAR rejected Diageo’s bid to become official sponsor.This move did not prevent Diageo from landing a sponsorship deal: the company secured a top sponsorship contract for its brand Crown Royal. Crown Royal was signed to be the title sponsor of the International Race of Champions (IROC), one of the NASCAR events. This marked the first time a hard-liquor marketer was allowed a title sponsorship for any sport, although Diageo’s Smirnoff Ice Triple Black brand has sponsored individual drivers. However, when Diageo's Crown Royal brand signed on as the title spons or for the IROC series in January, NASCAR reiterated its ban on sponsorships from hard liquor and chewing tobacco companies.NASCAR has a long history of partnering with beer marketers for races, but accepting hard-liquor brands would be a complete reversal of NASCAR’s position. Such changes in sports sponsorship have vast implications for industry players, marketers and public health groups. In the case of Diageo, the sponsorship deal is one step toward 24 25 Advertising Standards Canada (2004). Anonymous (a) (2003). 26 Thomaselli (2004). p. 1 6 the achievement of the company’s long-term goal of leveling the marketing playing field with beer. 7 As an example, with the three-year deal, Crown Royal will have extensive television exposure, since IROC just sealed a one-year TV pact with Speed Channel, a cable subsidiary of News Corp. ‘s Fox28. Such exposure is difficult to track and, thus, even more difficult to regulate. Although spirits have so far been prohibited from becoming sponsors, hard-liquor companies can, and have, used their malt beverage products or RTD (Ready to Drink) products29 as sponsors. Diageo's Smirnoff Ice, for instance, is one of the sponsors of driver Matt Kenseth, last year's NASCAR champion. . 1. 2 Promotion and the Entertainment Industry Another advertising tactic used by liquor companies is cross-promotion with the entertainment industry. This could include joint promotional campaigns between film studios and alcohol brands or between liquor companies and music tours and concerts. An example is the recent collaboration between Adolph Coors Co and Miramax’s â€Å"Scary Movie 3†, which was released at the end of 2003. Coors not only advertised around the promotion of this film, but it also had its spokeswomen, the Klimaskewski twins, appear in the film itself30.This technique is another way for companies to realize synergies in marketing and promotion, as there exists the potential to reach a broader audi ence than could be reached through a simple television commercial or magazine ad. In this case, Coors was attacked by the Marin Institute – a public health and safety group – for its involvement in the film promotion. The Marin Institute accused Coors of defying the alcohol industry’s guidelines by promoting its connection to this film31. Given the PG-13 rating of the film, there was no way of ensuring that under-age viewers were not exposed to the ads.In the music industry, there are many examples of activities involving cross-promotional campaigns with alcohol companies. These campaigns are used to achieve synergies from the combined effect of promotion and advertising. Molson Canadian uses this technique regularly, teaming up with Napster to provide music downloads and other special music offers. The company launched a campaign contest that involved the giveaway of a â€Å"Molson Canadian Rocks Summer Soundtrack, as well as weekly chances to win concert tick ets†32.Trends in promotion and sponsorship in the alcohol industry are of concern to public health groups because they have the ability to reach a wide audience, with little or no regulation. Other forms of promotion and sponsorship exist, however a description of each is beyond the scope of this paper. 27 MacArthur (2004). Ibid. 29 RTD: Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, such as Smirnoff Ice and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. 30 MacArthur (2003). 31 Ibid. 32 Molson Insider (2004). 28 7 3. 0 ALCOHOL MARKETING AND THE INTERNET Alcohol companies are using digital marketing as a medium.The Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) in the US found that alcohol company websites have sizeable youth audiences and contain content that is attractive to youth33. In particular, games, cartoons, music and a variety of high-tech downloads fill many of these sites. In addition, programs designed to allow parents to block their children’s access to these sites often fail to do so34 . In fact, fifty-five alcohol websites tracked by comScore Media Metrix during the last six months of 2003 had almost 700,000 in-depth visits from underage persons35.Alcohol websites continue to be a cyber playground, with many features attractive to youth36. CAMY executive director Jim O’Hara identifies content such as customized music downloads, instant-messaging accessories and games including putt-putt golf, football and spin the bottle37. A recent website probe done by the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Division of Advertising Practices in the US found that both Coors and Anheuser-Busch have sites with downloadable music, online games and ring tones38.In fact, as teens start to log more hours surfing the Web than watching television, CAMY and other groups are calling for more regulation on the largely unregulated medium. Jim Hacker, director of the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, asserts, â€Å"The industry should remo ve themes, music, language and attractions that clearly appeal to underage people. †39 A key issue for health and safety groups is the ease of foiling the age requirement for viewing beer company websites.An age bar is supposed to weed out youngsters who find the sites attractive, but the investigation discovered that online forms can inadvertently â€Å"tip† kids to fill in fake answers. The trade journal Brandweek visited two websites, Coorslight. com and Budweiser. com and was able to enter several fake birth dates from the same computer, gaining access each time40. When questioned, John Kaestner, VPconsumer affairs at Anheuser-Busch, said the brewer had followed federal guidelines in its age-check system. Other websites attracting attention from the FTC are Bacardi. om, Skyy. com and the Anheuser-Busch site BudLight. com, according to a study by CAMY 41. The claim is that these sites had the highest percentage of underage people making an in-depth visit during the s econd half of 2003. The findings, which were released in March 2004, showed that 59 percent, 47 percent and 34 percent of visitors who looked at three or more pages on those previously mentioned sites were underage42. Overall, minors initiated 13. 1 percent of in-depth visits to the 55 branded alcohol sites included in the study. 33Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (2004). Ibid. 35 Ibid. 36 Mack (2004). 37 Ibid. 38 Edwards (2004). 39 Ibid. 40 Ibid. 41 Ibid. 42 Ibid. 34 8 This trend is especially worrying for public health and policy groups since the Internet knows no boundaries, and its content is therefore very difficult to regulate. Alcohol advertising on the web and music downloads have the power to reach all Internet users around the world, of any age. 4. 0 -THE ROLE OF LABELING AND PACKAGING IN ALCOHOL MARKETING The alcohol industry relies heavily on the use of labeling and packaging as a irectmarketing tool in the promotion and differentiation of its products. One of the obstacles facing design marketers is that while standout is paramount, they are all starting with the same structure: a simple bottle or can43. Since it is not possible to have a vastly different pack, companies differentiate themselves with creative labels or packaging. Marketers in the alcohol industry aim to create synergies among label designs, packaging and advertising, such that the overall brand image more quickly achieves wide recognition.The intended result of this coordination is a more effective and integrated means for alcohol companies to communicate with their consumer base, thus encouraging the selection of their product over another. If the product already has a strong brand identity, it is not critical to feature the pack in the ads. In this case, the advertising may be used to communicate other elements of the brand message to create the desired reputation and image with the target audience44. On the other hand, including a shot of the bottle in ads will enhance br and awareness at point of sale and ensure a more integrated approach to branding45.Approximately 60 percent of people in bars and pubs have not decided what drink they want until after they get there46. This is an enormous opportunity for brands to reach their target markets directly at the retail level with eye-catching labels that resonate with consumers. Product labels are the final point of brand contact between the company and its customers before the purchase is made. Thus, a brand’s name and how it is shown on the label can be an effective way of generating sales. The main challenge is finding a way to differentiate a standardized product while developing a strong, consistent brand identity.This is an example of the interaction of product and promotion, two elements of the marketing mix. Some of the methods used in the ready-to-drink and premium beer sectors, for example, include shrink-wrapping, bright colours and innovations such as metallic-effect labels47. In addit ion to a unique label, a catchy name, such as Smirnoff Ice or Mike’s Light will add symbolism and help increase standout and attract consumers. Brand awareness is critical for alcohol companies, and developing a strong brand is especially vital for new brands.The rationale for coordination between promotion and product is that young people, and other potential consumers, will see the campaign in Edwards (2004). Brabbs (2002). 45 Ibid. 46 Ibid. 47 Ibid. 44 43 9 cinemas and style magazines and more easily recognize it from other advertising media 48 . An additional reason to invest in labeling and packaging is flexibility. A shrink-wrap sleeve can be changed frequently, allowing the brand to adapt its appearance more easily to changing styles and trends.Unusual colours or unique label designs can help encourage selection of one product over another at the retail level. The techniques used by marketers are very subtle, such as borrowing design language from parallel markets for encouraging cross purchasing such as â€Å"Atkins friendly†, â€Å"light† or â€Å"low-carb. † Finally, if a particular brand is experiencing low or declining sales, a company can easily reposition it by superficially altering the image and, hence, reinventing a product to reach a new market. 5. 0 TRENDS IN ADVERTISING TECHNIQUESCertain techniques are used by advertisers to attract and engage consumers to their products. These have traditionally included such techniques as humour, sex appeal, popular music, describing benefits of the product, and creating a fun, enjoyable atmosphere. These techniques are used very effectively by alcohol advertisers as well, as they create a high ‘liking’ of advertisements among consumers49. High levels of effective alcohol promotion inculcate pro-drinking attitudes and increase the likelihood of heavier drinking50.For these reasons, the irresponsible use of advertising techniques is a growing concern among health an d safety advocates. 5. 1 Sexually Explicit Content The alcoholic beverages industry has long been accused of exploiting male sexual fantasies in order to advertise its products. However, this approach has recently, in some opinions, reached new levels of exploitation. Early in 2004, Labatt Breweries of Canada aired an ad during the January Super Bowl telecast that caused industry watchdogs to protest.The ad featured two beautiful women kissing, ostensibly to share lip-gloss51. Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) received 113 complaints about this ad in the first quarter and it was soon taken off the air52. The ASC reported that there was nothing wrong with the ad, other than it should run after 9:30pm. This ad is representative of the ‘simulated lesbianism’ trend in beer advertising, clearly a ploy to reach the male heterosexual audience. Labatt is not the only brewery to take this approach.During the same time period, Moosehead Light of New Brunswick launched a series o f ads called â€Å"Enjoy the Nature. † In one of the ads, two men look on and crack open beer cans as two beautiful women dance sensually together in the forest. Ibid. Grube (1996). 50 Babor et al. (2003). 51 Brent (2004). 52 Ibid. 49 48 10 5. 2 Low-Carb Phenomenon & Health Benefits Alcohol marketers must understand the psycho-behavioural forces influencing choice in order to devise effective marketing strategies. These forces are not easily identifiable in any industry.The beer and alcohol industry is not an exception and alcohol marketers have been slow to discern which factors most significantly influence brand selection. Although the sexual angle remains very common in alcohol promotion, the industry seems to be shifting gears. Instead of trying to titillate men by invoking male fantasies, marketers are now instilling fear in them about getting fat. In a feature article the Financial Times reported that beer marketers in the US have made an intriguing psychosexual discove ry about male insecurity53.The argument advanced is that men are increasingly more concerned with what they look like than how they will perform in the bedroom. Beer brands such as Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Ultra, Coors Light and SABMiller’s Miller Lite are focusing their advertising on the millions of Americans on low-carbohydrate diets, which they have realized does not include only women. By contrast, marketing campaigns linking beers to explicitly sexual imagery have been less effective54. The implication for public health groups is that efforts aimed at regulating sexual content should be reexamined.It is possible that a greater impact could be achieved through aggressive targeting of ads that portray a health or nutritive benefit of alcohol consumption. As an example, Coors, the third-largest US brewer55, recently developed new ideas for its low-calorie Coors Light. The two-year campaign featuring scantily clad women and rock music was unsuccessful in increasing beer sales for the company. Beer companies are slowly discovering that sexual appeals are fun and diverting but they rarely change consumers’ brand preferences. The idea that â€Å"light beer† is less macho and thus less likely to appeal to young men is fading.In fact, it is difficult to think of a major beer company that has not introduced a low-carb brand. The success, in general, of low-carb offerings is evident in food store data compiled by AC Neilsen. In the four weeks ending June 12, 2004, sales volumes were up 56 percent for Michelob Ultra and 15. 6 percent for Miller Lite56. For Coors Lite, which has been slower to alter its marketing campaign, sales volumes were down 2. 7 percent57. Major breweries are responding to evolving consumer demands and are providing what could be the emergence of a new sub-category of beer58.As more companies enter the low-carb market, the competition increases for market share. This translates into bigger marketing and advertising budgets as companies fight for a larger slice of the market. The latest focus on a more health-conscious lifestyle has shifted the marketing emphasis away from sensuality and sex to body image and achieving athletic success. Some 53 54 Silverman (2004). Ibid. 55 Coors merged with Molson in July 2004. The new company is the 5th largest Brewery by market share worldwide. 56 AC Neilson (2004). 57 Ibid. 8 Brieger (2003). 11 industry experts expect this trend to stick around if not because of Atkins devotees but because of aging baby boomers, who tend to prefer light and low-carb beers59. The way forward in the alcoholic beverages industry will be through low-carb advertising, which can be seen as a serious response by the beer industry to a common male anxiety about growing fat, the proliferation of a healthy lifestyle among consumers, and the widespread belief of certain health benefits in drinking a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate beverage60.The low-carb trend is not exclusive to the be er industry. In May of 2004, the Vancouverbased Marc Anthony Group launched a new vodka-based beverage called Mike’s Light, which was targeted at the millions of Canadians on low-carb diets. The lemon-lime beverage, which is part of the ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic market, contains just one gram of carbohydrate and 76 calories and is expected to bring new drinkers into the market61. Already, the RTD market in Canada is estimated to be worth $450 million per year in sales.Additionally, with its low- calorie and low-carb options, the RTD market has the potential to increase consumption of alcoholic beverages as consumers switch from light soft drinks to lighter malternatives62. Marketers in this industry are deliberate in promoting RTD products as alternatives for the health and weight-conscious consumer. It is misleading for brewers to promote low-carb beer as being â€Å"Atkins friendly† or as having overall health benefits and doing so goes against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s 2003 Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising. Under these guidelines, lowcarbohydrate claims are not approved.Similarly, according to Advertising Standards Canada, â€Å"No advertisement shall be presented in a format or style which conceals its commercial intent†63. This pertains to misrepresenting beer as having health or athletic benefits. The low-carb claim is of concern to public health groups such as ARAPO because it is both misleading to consumers and has the potential to influence consumer behaviour. 6. 0 ACTIONS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE MARKETING OF ALCOHOL There have been several responses to concerns about the impact of alcohol marketing ranging from education and awareness to legal action and civil suits.Internationally, there are groups that advocate changes in alcohol marketing regulations as well as educate professionals and the public about the risks associated with a proliferation of alcohol marketing efforts. These include: G lobal Alcohol Policy Alliance (UK): www. ias. org. uk Eurocare – Advocacy for the prevention of alcohol related harm in Europe (Europe): www. eurocare. org Center for Science in the Public Interest – Alcohol Policies Project (US): www. cspinet. org Ibid. Business World (2004). 61 Bellet (2004). 62 The market or ready to drink alcoholic beverages is called the malternative market in the US. 63 Advertising Standards Canada (2004). 60 59 12 BeerSoaksAmerica. org – A Response to beer company propaganda (US): www. beersoaksamerica. org The Marin Institute (US): www. marininstitute. org Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (US): www. camy. org In Canada, there are guidelines for advertisers that outline what are considered appropriate tactics for marketing products. These guidelines can be found on the Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) website (www. adstandards. om) for all forms of advertising or on the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) websi te (www. crtc. gc. ca) for radio and TV ads. Currently these guidelines are not enforced and rely on a voluntary paid-submission to ASC by the advertiser. Alcohol is one product that seems to have fallen prey to this lack of regulation with many advertisers outright disregarding the guidelines. In Ontario, there are alcohol-advertising guidelines that are overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and can be found at www. gco. on. ca. Before 1997, the CRTC was involved in pre-screening advertisements before they were aired. In 1997, this responsibility was transferred to ASC for national cases, and the AGCO for Ontario specific cases. However, in 1997 the regulations changed to â€Å"guidelines† and preclearance was replaced with â€Å"voluntary submission†. As a result, the responsibility of monitoring alcohol advertising shifted from the CRTC to the general public, as advertisements are now only challenged based on a complaint format.Advertisers, fearing very little in terms of consequences, often disregard the guidelines completely, particularly the following: Alcohol advertising should not: appeal to persons under the legal drinking age associate drinking with activities that require care and skill imply that drinking is required in enhancing enjoyment of any activity imply that drinking is required in obtaining sexual opportunity or appeal64. A study done by CAMY in 2002 found that as the alcohol industry increased its advertising expenditures, more ads were seen by youth.In fact, all 15 of the shows most popular among teenagers included alcohol ads. â€Å"Survivor,† â€Å"Fear Factor† and â€Å"That 70’s Show† were among those with the most ads65. The dramatic increase in youth’s exposure to alcohol brands in magazine and TV advertising suggests that the industry’s guidelines are so permissive that, in practice, they amount to no limits at all. Concerned about the lack of re gulation and increase in alcohol ads – and as a result, increase in consumption – health and safety advocates respond to aggressive marketing with specific strategies, as discussed next. . 1 Awareness, Education and Skill Building The Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario (ARAPO) is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to provide resources and support to individuals and groups about media literacy and critical thinking skills as they apply particularly to 64 65 AGCO (2003). Anonymous (c) (2004). 13 alcohol. Resources include research papers and presentations to youth and health promotion professionals about the impact of alcohol advertising on youth drinking patterns, particularly heavy drinking. 6. 2 Internet ActionThe Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth uses a vivid Internet presence to attract viewers to their site to examine what others are doing around alcohol marketing. Along with a searchable marketing gallery and steps to take act ion, CAMY regularly publishes research papers on Youth and Alcohol. An example of this is a recent paper titled The Internet, Alcohol, and Youth, which looks at the impact of Internet alcohol websites on underage drinkers. It is available through CAMY’s website at www. camy. org. 6. 3 Complaints to Regulators and ResultsWhile ASC does not demand that advertisers clear their ads before going to the public, they do respond to complaints by the public. A recent example of this was the Don Cherry â€Å"Bubba† ad that was pulled following complaints that Don Cherry is seen as a role model for underage youth – and therefore could not be used as a spokesperson for beer. Groups like the Ontario Public Health Association, responding to concerns about the impact of alcohol advertising on the public’s health and safety, have sent recommendations to both the provincial and the federal regulatory bodies. These recommendations include: Continued pre-clearance of al cohol ads, at the final stage of production by federal and provincial bodies with a strong public interest mandate More effective regulation of lifestyle alcohol advertising, promotions and sponsorships Establishing clear guidelines regarding industry-sponsored responsible drinking messages and public education programs, particularly those appealing to, or directed at, young people Capping the total amount of alcohol advertising and introduce improved mechanisms for monitoring compliance with existing or new regulations Focusing on effective deterrence, monitoring and enforcement measures.This would include a stronger role for community groups in the monitoring and enforcement of federal and provincial advertising provisions, including membership in panels previewing and monitoring alcohol advertising66. 6. 4 Class Action Suits Against Alcoholic Beverages Industry Consumers’ attorneys across the U. S. have begun to target the alcoholic beverages industry, filing lawsuits that claim that some leading brewers and distillers are using slick advertising to sell products to underage drinkers67.In November 2003, attorneys led by David Boies III filed suit against brewers Coors and Heineken, distillers Diageo and 66 67 OPHA Position Paper (2003). Willing (2004). 14 Bacardi and the makers of Zima and Mike’s Hard Lemonade68. The suit accused the companies of using a â€Å"long-running, sophisticated and deceptive scheme†¦ to market alcoholic beverages to children and other underage consumers69† Boeis’ lawsuit alleges that alcohol companies place ads in magazines such as Stuff, FHM and Spin that appeal to males under the age of 21, or in Glamour, which is oriented toward females of similar ages70.The suit claims that ads placed in these magazines are designed to push people younger than 21 to obtain alcohol illegally71. The same is true in TV advertising, where many alcohol ads reach young people not old enough to drink. The class-action suits filed against the alcohol industry since November 2003 have caused alarm in the industry because the lawyer behind them is David Boies, who represented the Justice Department in its antitrust action against Microsoft72. The suits claim that booze ads targeted at adults spill over onto younger audiences73.According to another law suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2004, AnheuserBusch and Miller Brewing are targeting minors through ads and developing products that look and taste like soft drinks in order to lure underage consumers to their brands74. The suit claims that beer-makers are marketing alcoholic beverages known as â€Å"Alco pops† to minors. These include Doc Otis’ Hard Lemon Malt Beverage, which is made by AnhesuerBusch, and Miller’s Jack Daniel’s Original Hard Cola. Both of these beverages closely resemble soda pop with sweet flavours, bright colours and youth-oriented packaging. CONCLUSIONThe domestic alcoholic beverages market is considered mature, with limited opportunities for growth. One way for alcohol manufacturers to increase their sales volume is by taking market share away from their competitors; another is to expand the overall size of the market. To achieve these goals, alcohol manufacturers continue to invest substantial resources and capital into their marketing strategies because they believe it is necessary for expanding the market and increasing their margins. It will be important that public health groups focus their research on certain elements in the marketing mix.These include where the product is sold and what are the broad social trends marketers are using to communicate with target markets. This analysis summarizes significant influences in consumer behaviour. This paper advises that efforts be directed not just to alcohol advertising, but also to the overall marketing strategy of alcohol manufacturers, and especially the techniques outlined above that encourage and influence selecti on. 68 69 Ibid. Ibid. 70 Ibid. 71 Ibid. 72 Edwards (2004). 73 Ibid. 74 Anonymous (b) (2004).15 BIBLIOGRAPHY AC Nielsen. Bruchener, Andrew. Personal Conversation. March 2004. Taken from the ARAPO Fact sheet 2004. Advertising Standards Canada. (2004). Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, Code Provisions. www. adstandards. com. Accessed September 2004. Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. (August 2003). Liquor Advertising Guidelines: Liquor Sales Licensees and Manufacturers. www. agco. gc. ca. American Medical Association. (2003). Research and Facts about Youth and Alcohol. USA: AMA. Taken from the ARAPO Factsheet, 2004. Anonymous (a). (2003). News: In Brief. Grocer. Nov. 8. 226;7629:9. Anonymous (b). (2004). Beer-makers target minors with soda-like alcoholic drinks. Sentinel. Feb. 12-18;p. A20. Anonymous (c). (2004). Study faults alcohol advertising on TV for hitting young viewers. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). April 22. New York. Association of Canadian Distillers. www. canadiandistillers. com. Accessed August 2004. Babor, T, and R, Caetano, S, Casswell, G, Edwards, N, Giesbrecht, K, Graham, J, Grube, P, Gruenewald, L, Hill, H Holder, R, Homel, E, Osterberg, J, Rehm, R, Room, I, Rossow. (2003). Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity – Research and Public Policy. Oxford, UK: World Health Organization. Big Rock Brewing Income Trust. Big Rock Annual Report: December 31, 2003. www. bigrockbeer. com. Accessed September 2004. Brabbs, C. 2002). Bottle Beer Beverages Battle to Stand Out: Alcohol brands are using design to make an impact in a cluttered bar. Marketing. 27-28. Brent, P. (2004). Tongues cluck over Labatt’s lip service. Toronto: The Financial Post. FP4. Brieger, P. (2003). Molson’s to brew a low-carb beer. CanWest News; Financial Post. December 22. Business Knowledge Center. The Marketing Concept. www. netmba. com. Accessed September 2004. Business World. (2004). Health Benefits Push Light Beer’s Growth. June 21. Bellet , G. (2004). Mike’s Hard Lemonade Introduces Low-carb, low-calories beverage. CanWest News. May 19. Canadian Vintners Association.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 68

Marketing - Essay Example The magazine environment on the mailbox is a business environment. The magazine is for business purposes where it highlights the company products and their categories and where the company operates from as well as its branches. The editorial environment  of the magazine is a marketing environment. The magazine seeks to highlight the products offered by DuPont registry, their performance, their location, their prices, customer care services, the contacts and working hours of the company, how to subscribe to the company online, and the delivery procedures of bought products. In addition, the pictures on the magazine are adverts for marketing the company products. The consistent general theme on the magazine advert is the offering of the DuPont registry products for sale. The advert describes the company as a buyer’s gallery for many automobiles (DuPont registry 1). The consistent features of the DuPont registry magazine advert include the name and picture of the product, fine details of the product, the manufacturer, and the manufacturing date of the product, the price of the product, and the buying procedure. The leading title article relates to the advert in that the leading title article refers to DuPont registry as a buyer gallery of fine automobiles a statement that is evident from the various and classic automobiles that the company offers for sale as seen in the magazine. As such, potential buyers have a wide range of fine products to choose from in DuPont registry. The weight on the advert suggests the existence of other companies who offer closely related products to those of DuPont registry. As such, this advert seeks to catch the attention and commitment of new willing and able customers who are interested in buying fine automobiles, fine boats, and fine homes all over the world. The advert also targets the customers of DuPont registry where it notifies them on new products and after sale services with an

Superintendent Office Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Superintendent Office - Coursework Example Additionally, political developments within the district where the superintendents operate also infringe the course of service delivery and responsibility fulfillment by the representatives. Such politics include the processes of election leading to the selection of the board of governors alongside other education leaders in the district. These factors considered relating to the case that superintendent Mark faces within his locality of administration. The federal and state guidelines institute the position of the Superintendent within the district to operate in their capacity of overseeing education in the district (Sofo, 2008). The Superintendent is the CEO of the district school board and manages the entire responsibilities spanning from the hiring of staff to overseeing the education standards, budget, and resource planning and allocations and being the contact point to the government agencies (Sofo, 2008). Therefore, with these immense responsibilities, this core person in the education sector faces remarkably overwhelming challenges that institute the need to establish strong administrative guidelines. The federal and state laws are key in guiding the roles of the superintendent office, as they facilitate the regulatory frameworks of the office. First, the roles and responsibilities of the superintendent office are outlined within the confines of the federal law and recognized accordingly by each of the state laws as established. Thus, the federal and state laws influence the role of the superintendent accordingly from this perspective, that they facilitate and ensure the protection of the office from abuse and malpractices (Meek, 2012). The establishment of the responsibilities means that the superintendent office enjoys protection from the political influences that may impair the course of the decisions that the person in the office makes regarding education.

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Plagiarism - Essay Example Most papers are said to lose credibility when they fail to cite the source of information (Roberts 9). No matter how good one has had the understanding of the concept he is putting down. The originality of the conclusion and the conceptualization issues, it all comes down useless if plagiarism is detected in his work. We should ensure appropriate citation for our work. We should ensure academic honesty in whatever we do. Plagiarism makes one not learn how to write his own thoughts in his own words. We also fail to acquire the individual needs and skills. So as to avoid this kind of dishonesty and/or misleading by misrepresenting the work of others as your own, we should paraphrase, and cite original work. When one copies exact words, we expect the use of quotation marks followed by citation of the source. Paraphrasing a sentence will also require one to cite the source. Paraphrasing entails representation of the writers meaning, information, and ideas in your own words (Watkins 19). We are also warned of using words that represent another as way of paraphrasing sentences. Everyone is supposed to use our own words and ideas. The practice that we put in this writing is essential to learning. Each time we choose a word, order our thoughts, and convey our ideas we are actually improving our writing. It is important to let the reader be aware of the source of information one is writing from so as to avoid the redundancy that is created by a number of sentences describing another’s ideas. We should be careful with what we are citing. It is also good to use an editor so as to realize common or technical mistakes that arise during our writings (Cvetkovic 13). The penalty of plagiarism has not been clearly quoted but it is clear that the act is dishonest and misleading (Lipson 21). Apart that it violates the code of academic conduct; this can lead to deduction of marks, suspension, or dismissal from institutions. When one presents another

Business and the Constitution and Administrative Law Essay

Business and the Constitution and Administrative Law - Essay Example In addition, for any successful business manager, it is helpful to know and be familiar with tribulations addressed by constitutional laws, provisions of those policies, and the type of administrative and mechanism via which these laws are enforced. Environment protection agency has established regulatory flexibility agenda that possess information that may have a positive impact on tourism industry. The environment protection agency continue to draft in it in the federal register since that is what is demanded by the regulatory flexibility Act enacted in 1980 (Kubasek & Silverman, 1997). Its actions are more protective and cost effective because it involves stakeholders to assist to identify most practical remedies to problems. More so, it encourages a person to be more involved in its policymaking process and rule. Environment protection agency information found in the registry is about compliance to administrative legal requirements and environmental laws used to the issuance of regulations. Section 610 of the regulatory federal agency demands that environmental protection agency review is conducted within 10 years of promulgation, each rule will have an impact on the economy (Kubasek & Silverman, 1997). Some information such as confidential business information is not available to the public. This restriction will be helpful to business operations of a manager at Microsoft Corporation since it does not reveal the secrets of the company. The operation manager will also use this information to improve the performance, security and availability of Microsoft networks. He or she will able to evaluate, monitor and secure vast resources such as web servers, corporate servers, computers and other

Animal testing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Animal testing - Research Paper Example The same applies to cosmetics since researchers investigate for the suitability of such products in animals. Animal testing therefore is a vital practice in education, defense and breading researchers with most governments formulating appropriate legislations to guide the use of animals in studies as the discussion below portrays. Government regulation is essential in safeguarding the rights of both the animals and the humans who engage in the practice. Proponents of animals testing argue on the positive attributes of the practice key among which is the fact that animal testing enhances the growth of knowledge thereby bettering such vital sciences as medicine and social arts among many others. â€Å"they feel that the scientific advances that have emerged from animal testing-such as polio vaccine and measles, cancer chemotherapy and open heart surgery- far outweigh any pain, suffering or death the animals may experience† (Hayhurst 72). Opponents of the practice on the other hand argue in favor of the animals. They claim that using animals is both unethical and breaches the rights of the animals. The studies disrupt the natural existence of the animals in their respective habitats. Furthermore, the testing includes inserting harmful substances in the bodies of the animals possibly endangering or killing such animals. Such individuals oppose the practice based on the ethical implications and the rights of the animals. Despite the above arguments, both parties contend that animal testing is important and advantageous in medical practice among others. Toxicology testing is one such important tests conducted on animals. Just as the name suggests, it refers to the testing of the toxic levels in such finished products as pesticides thereby establishing the suitability of such products. The tests investigate for the effectiveness of such pesticides and their effects on other animals including humans. The tests include testing both the

A Conversation between Vaclav Havel, Thomas Hobbes and John Lock on Essay

A Conversation between Vaclav Havel, Thomas Hobbes and John Lock on the Idea of Liberty - Essay Example That these inalienable rights come from god but at the same time destroy him. HAVEL: not necessarily destroy him, but at least to change our view of what he is. That is what I mean by talking about the Anthropic Cosmological Principal. HOBBES: Ah yes, the idea that the universe . . . . What is that word you used HAVEL: Evolved. HOBBES: And I assume from the context that it means how the universe came about - you are suggesting that it developed over time HAVEL: Exactly. HOBBES; The Bible says it was created in seven days. LOCKE: Or rather seven units of time - we are not entirely sure of the translation, surely you know that. HOBBES: But the Bible is infallible . . . HAVEL: Gentlemen, gentlemen, it is difficult enough to talk about politics on its won, with getting into the territory of politics and religion. (All three men laugh) HOBBES: But seriously, your whole speech seemed to be heading in that direction. The idea of this self-transcendence - that all human beings are somehow linked to the universe by being reflected in it. The idea that of all the possible universes that God might have created, He chose this one . . . LOCKE: Or evolved, I like the idea of that. I must read more about it. HOBBES: Evolved then. That this one evolved rather than all the . . . LOCKE: I feel, thinking about it, that the two are not mutually exclusive. HOBBES: Meaning LOCKE: This Enlightenment that I am said to have created in England, it was based upon the idea of science, that things could be explained but that did not necessarily suggest that God does not exist. It merely showed how wonderful His universe is. HAVEL: That's exactly the point. It doesn't really matter whether God exists or not . . . HOBBES; I must protest. HAVEL: All that matters is that we are anchored on.... . LOCKE: This Enlightenment that I am said to have created in England, it was based upon the idea of science, that things could be explained but that did not necessarily suggest that God does not exist. It merely showed how wonderful His universe is. HAVEL: True. This photograph, it was published in newspapers all over the world and showed people how very small the world is, how we are lost in the blackness of space and how we should stop our present course of constant wars. HOBBES: Of course not: the individual will look at this photograph and then forget about it in the next moment. Most people are only concerned with their immediate life: their family, friends, job, getting food on the table. They don't have the time for this kind of thing. HOBBES: Exactly. And at the end of your speech you said (taking a copy of it from his pocket) "yes, the only real hope of people today is probably a renewal of our certainty that we are rooted in the earth and, at the same time, in the cosmos." I think that seems to say that your modern philosopher was right when he said, "only a God can save us now."

Home Automation Provide For The Aged Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Home Automation Provide For The Aged - Outline Example This helps in alerting the wardens of unfortunate occurrences such as when the elderly people fall down in the absence of any warden. The wardens are expected to respond to the buzzing sound with immediate effect. These technologies have been clearly effective and helpful in making the lives of elderly people living in care homes aresafer and more interesting. Internet allows the elderly to connect with the outside world. Through such a technology, they can be able to get some enlightenment on what is going on past the walls. They can also be able to keep up with their passions; the things they used to love while still younger. With the buzzers, it is clearly evident that they can be helpful in making sure that there are no preventable deaths or accidents taking place in these homes. The wardens cannot be able to personally attend to all the elderly people in the care home round the clock (Meduse, Governance, Health And Medicine 2008, p. 121). This is even emphasized by the fact that some of the elderly people will also love to enjoy their own privacy at some time. This technology enables wardens to be there when they are needed. There are a number of diet problems that are common with the elderly. At the late stage of the lives of human beings, their bodies tend to need more of nutrients such as: Calcium and vitamin D for bone health; fibre to stay regular; healthy fats to lower chances of heart disease, potassium for blood pressure and to avoid fatigue and depression; and vitamin b12 for energy and brain function. For the elderly people weight is always a very big determinant of their diet. They should be neither overweight nor underweight. Due to low rates of metabolism and lack of physical activities older people are at the risk of being obese. In the other hand some of them might suffer from lack of appetite thus limiting the amount of food they consume. Some elderly

Kant's Response to Hume's Skepticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kant's Response to Hume's Skepticism - Essay Example Another problem that Kant had to content with was the general partition of causal labor between God and created organisms. The main question he faced during his time was the relationship between the causal activity and action of God, considered as the primeval creator and conserver of the world. Kant acknowledged the position that a theory of God’s causal role in the natural course of nature was a precondition of any rational metaphysics of extraordinary intercessions. His personal contribution of this role was influenced by his engagement with three contending theories of divine causation (Nash, 1999, p.4). The first theory, known as occasionalism, postulates that God is exclusively responsible for the existence of beings. According to this theory, God uses his own power and finite substances to create effects in harmony with his own diktat. The second theory of divine causation is known as conservationism. According to this theory, divine activity is restricted to Godâ€℠¢s act in preserving created organisms. These protected organisms are viewed as capable of producing their own powers without any extra divine action. The third theory of divine causation is known as concurrence. It concurs with both occasionalism and conservationism that finite beings exclusively depend on God’s creative and preserving action for their survival (Nash, 1999, p.6). During the mid 18th century, Kant embarked on a serious reflection on the nature of the biological structure of organism. During this period, the scientific discourse on natural history and physiology was powerfully marked by decline of the pre-formation theory-the classical mechanistic theory of the organism. In addition, this period witnessed the emergence of the self-reproduction concept of organic systems which led to the rise of vitalism. Kant examined and reflected upon the methodology of this process. He attempted with the notion of objective purposive-ness to link the idea of reproduction wi th the conservative question of teleology so as to validate the notion of organism adequate to the system of mechanistic science (Nash, 1999, p.9). The classical theory of pre-formation, also called the doctrine of evolution was the deistic conjecture of generation par excellence. In the mechanistic hypotheses of the 17th century, the unique attributes exhibited by organism were perceived to be basic outcomes of the properties of the parts. This was the fundamental principle of the mechanical theory. But how did it come to be that organism had this organization? One of the basic dilemmas that the novel mechanistic science had to resolve was the manner in which different living organisms could have emerged from universal principles of matter in motion. The pertinent question to be answered was not whether an animal or a plant was a machine. Rather, the issue was: presuming that plants and animals are machines, how did they get their structures? The functioning of the beings could be clarified through an anatomical dissection of their structures. However, the elementary theoretical question that had to be addressed dealt with the origin of this structure. In other words, one of the major problems the pre-formation theory faced was explaining how the fundamental structures of various organisms could have emerged through the universal laws of matter in motion. In addition, it was generally assumed that the organization of the particles in the germ also mirrored the organization

Success Seen in ED Study Essay Example for Free

Success Seen in ED Study Essay : The process of learning has become more advanced after the development of the information technology. Students can use technology to study their subjects clearly, so that they can understand it better. The environment of the classroom becomes richer as students access to different types of technologies. Technology can increase the knowledge and achievement of the student. Students can generate impressive results. There are many positive benefits by applying information technology in the education department. Students can do research on several topics and represent information in many forms. Students become independent learners and self starters by using technology in the classrooms. Education technology has shown a tremendous positive effect on the students. Using online telecommunication skills in the classrooms among different regions helps to improve the academic skills of the students as a whole. By using technology in the field of education, student shows more interest in learning, they become motivated towards the subjects. Education technology includes video discs, internet, tele-communication and online education from other parts of the world. â€Å"The most important technologies such as computers, communications systems, internet, and interactive video disc provide an environment in which problem solving can be developed. † Impact of information technology on the society The digital divide is the first step which was considered when reflecting on the social changes coming up with the information technology. There after, it has been held that this information technology is going to produce the differences in the development of society and people. Digital divide is nothing but the gap between people who have effective access to information technology and who do not have the access to it. It’s just the imbalances between the society of people with physical access to technology and also imbalances in the skills needed to have access over the digital and information technology to participate as a digital citizen. Digital divide effects globally also. Global digital divide is the difference between the technology accesses between the countries. There are three types of digital divide – the first is based on the access, which is difference between the society who can access the technology and those who do not have enough access over the technology. The second point is based on the usage that is the difference between the society who know how to use technology efficiently and those who does not have enough skills to use the technology. The third point is based on the usage quality that is the efficient use of the technology among the two groups of societies who has enough access to the technology and who do not have the enough knowledge about the information technology. The scope of digital divide has been changing from time to time. First, digital divide has shown the difference in the connectivity problems. Later, when the technology was developed, it introduced the importance of skills required to use the information technology. In the way, digital divide is changing day by day and the technology is being developed. Digital divide mainly focuses on the infrastructure, capacity building and resource usage. The impact of information technology on the society leads to many technological developments which have an influence on every part of the society. The digital divide has tremendous effect on the society. The prominence of the computers, internet and the other developing technologies had a great consequence on the society. It effects on the age, gender, education and income. In some cases, geographical locations and race also plays an important role. The digital divide helps in restructuring the society as a whole. The digital divide shows more development in the countries and societies which have better access opportunities to the technology. This development differs in different ways, it is based on education, gender, income, geographical locations, race, political, social and cultural conditions. For instance, if we take the age factor, there is usually gap between the generations. Every generation feel the gap in one or the other form like difference in clothing, music, style of living etc. few things are dissimilar among the generations, it is because of the amalgamation of the technology. it was seen in a report that about 8 million Americans use the internet, among those 58% of Americans age 50-64, 75% of 30-49 and 77% of 18-29 year old. In High income countries, with 14% of the world’s population, 79% of the people are using the internet. And in south Asia, which is one-fifth of the world’s population, only 0. 4% are online. Progress should be made in associating the digital divide between the developed and the developing countries. There is a wide and growing information divide between the haves and have-nots, Katz said. Consumerism Consumerism is equating the personal happiness with the purchasing of material possessions and consumption. It is multicultural and non geographical. Online commerce or e-commerce is nothing but buying and selling goods and services through online services such as Internet. A wide variety of work can be done such as electronic funds transfer, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange, etc. through the e-commerce. E-Bay phenomenon is nothing but the transaction between individual to individual (I 2 I). Online auction services like e-Bay help in facilitating these kinds of transactions. Music Industry has also developed a lot due to the advancement of the technology as the cost of equipments has decreased and many new sophisticated instruments have come to the market. Music can be accessed from any part of the World through the Internet or through the Radio and T. V. signals. Development of Information technology has hastened the progress of the world. It is defined as â€Å"the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer- based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. † With the advancement and progress of the IT sector it has revolutionized the world in a way by increasing the communications between the people of the world; and also having great impact on service sectors like in banking, insurance, transportation, health care, professional and personal services etc. It also facilitates the consumerism, as a person can sale any article or good from sitting at any part of the world to any person located at any other part. The distance barrier is brought down due to this progress in the field of IT and Consumerism. It has tremendous impact on the person’s life as it gives him easier methods to acquire Knowledge, improving the working potential by providing many jobs, as IT has become one the important service sector in many countries. For example, in developed countries like USA it amounts to 74% of GDP.

Alternatives to Prison for Punishment and Rehabilitation

Alternatives to Prison for Punishment and Rehabilitation Crime has always been prevalent in the myriad spheres of our society and will never cease to exist. To combat crimes, methods have been derived to deter these depending on the gravity of the crime itself. The graver the crime the graver the punishment. These methods can prove to be inefficient. In this eventuality new ways must be thought and implemented for a safer and better community at large. Imprisonment has been used since a very long time ago and still used as a mean to deter and punish law breakers and again the worse the deeds, the greater the time of imprisonment. This method present many objectives and is most widely used, it keeps people guilty of a crime under strict control before their case is presented at the court of justice and act as a punishment as their freedom is snatched once they are convicted. Moreover it prevents them from committing more crimes. It also plays the role of a rehabilitation center that is the person leads a better life and is able to reintegra te the society. Finally it protects the public from them.(stern V 2006) However, these objectives are not always met by the mean of incarceration. As Professor Angela Davis (Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City University) puts it, prisons are obsolete. She votes for a â€Å"decarceration† and believes that the era of imprisonment has come to an end because often prisoner are those who suffer from racism and sexism (Wikipedia, Angela Davis). Moreover incarceration marginalizes the offenders, keeping them away from the social interactions of their formerly everyday life and this will create a sense of alienation which will further encourage criminal behavior. (William Bales, 2011) Evidence shows that, imprisonment further criminalise the offenders where they get indulged in more serious crimes where all they did was a misdemeanor. Often in the prison environment drug dealing takes place and non drug addicts become prey to temptations. Moreover wrong frequentations of notorious criminals make them divert to a world full of crime where they collude with them. Furthermore, the transmission of HIV and other diseases are prevalent there and this is alarming. (William Bales, 2011) Prisoner usually comes from poor environment where they are poverty stricken, unemployed and indulged in drug and alcohol activities and they commit crimes because of their illiteracy. Therefore in the light of the above, it is concluded that imprisonment is not the only possible means of deterring crimes. The justice policy institute concluded the crime rate has gone down since the states has put fewer person in prison. As prison population fell by 0.2%, a 6% drop in violent crime was noticed. These figures show that keeping fewer prisoners could have a positive effect on the safety of the public. (Heather C West, 2010) There are many alternatives to prison. But the gravity of the action committed by the offender should be taken into consideration. Firstly the fine. this is a monetary amount to be paid by the convict and this amount again depends on the gravity of the action committed and the economical status of him.Usually fines are paid for small offences such as speeding fines but for atrocious crimes it does not apply because it will be unfair to let the criminal free in the society. Compensation also is a type of fine paid to the family of the victims. (Matt Faye, 2010) Secondly probation. The offender is active in the society but he is under constatant monitoring by a probation officer. The offender is given a restricted area where he can go and if he refrains to do so, then he may be imprisoned. This alternative is flexible and is used in the Wales. (Matt, Faye, 2010). With technology the use of electronic monitoring is now possible.this technology is very practical and requires obligatory supervision.the convict wears ankle bracelets which is connected to a gps (global positioning satellite system) which gives the exact location of him. This costs 6 times lesser than imprisonment and reduces offenders risk by 31%. This study was conducted in Florida where more than 5000 offenders were supervised. (William Bales, 2011) Thirdly Capital Punishment. This type of punishment is the most finite type.The talion law an eye for eye a tooth for a tooth. Murderers forgo their rights as human when they take someone else’s life.Many more innocent person have been killed by released paroled murderers than people executed. Capital punishment is 100% effective as a deterrent because the murderer cannot kill again. It can also deter other crimes, a 1985 study (Stephen K. Layson, University of North Carolina) showed that 1 execution deterred 18 murders. (Wikipedia ) Moreover this will cut the cost of prisons will also be reduced. Fourthly, Suspended Sentences. The offender is not imprisoned but follows certain conditions. This system is used in overcrowded prisons where the offender must not commit any offence for a set amount of time. The offender is also supervised by a probation officer by this time. (Stern v 2006) Community measures The offender is required to do community works entirely or partially in prison. The work is unpaid. Normally some cleaning or maintenance. Rehabilitation, the convicts is allowed to follow some treatment (drug and alcohol addicts). Often those people commits crime and this can stop with proper rehabilitation facilities. Finding drug treatments to them will reduce the number of addicts in the prisons and is a suitable alternative too. (Stern V 2006) Juvenile Crimes child crime is different from adult crime. In most legal systems the offenders are not deemed to be fully functioning as moral agents. Thus, the best way to handle them is through rehabilitation rather than punishment.correction centres should be made for children beyond control instead of imprisoning them.(Wikipedia Crime committed by mentally ill offenders should not be punished by the means of incarceration because the latter is not conscious of what he/she is doing. Instead they should be conducted to a psychiatric centre to get treated. For these alternatives to be implemented, the convicts must follow a set of guidelines and must imperatively follow it.otherwise they will be imprisoned.some right are also restricted for them such as they won’t be allow to go to places where they want to go. Conclusion Alternative ways to prisons is a good thing while the offender respect the set of guidelines given.If the single bread earner of a family is jailed then the whole family is crippled and will fade into the darkness of poverty. if a mother is imprisoned then the child will lack maternal love and this can turn the child into a criminal.on a conclusive note it is better considering the condition where the person committed the crime. if a person commits a theft out of pleasure or greed he deserves the maximum punishment else if because of poverty then trainng programs can be offered. Bibliography Stern V Criminal Justice Reform Unit Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 500, 1400 Vienna, Austria(2006) united nations office on drugs and crimes, Alternatives to Incarceration http://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and- prisonreform/cjat_eng/3_Alternatives_Incarceration.pdf [accessed 24.02.15] William bales ,Karen mann 2011 Us department of justice ,office of justice programs national institute of justice september 2011 Electronic monitoring reduces recidivism.https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/234460.pdf[accessed [24.02.15] Matt Loffman and Faye Morten ,Joe Caesey February 2010.The quaker council for European affaires,council of Europe ,Investigating alternatives to imprisonment pg [8-12] http://www.qcea.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rprt-alternatives-en-jan-2010.pdf accessed [24.02.15] Heather C. West, William J. Sabol, and Sarah J. CRIME, INCARCERATION DOWN IN 2010: States are safely reducing prison populations SEPTEMBER 2011  http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/fbi_ucr_2010_factsheet_final.pdf accessed [24.02.15[ http://www.sistersinside.com.au/media/alternativestoprison.pdf accessed [24.02.15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis[24.02.15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternatives_to_incarceration

Emergence of Ubiquitous Computing in Advertising

Emergence of Ubiquitous Computing in Advertising Everyday Interactions with Advertising Entertainment in the Emergence of Ubiquitous Computing Abstract Technology has been advancing rapidly and although the advances of the past fifty years have not benefited everyone equally, the manner in which humans live out their lives and the functioning of societies has been immensely changed as a result of these advances. Ubiquitous or pervasive computing refers to the new wave of technology which is the result of advances in information and communications technologies which have made it possible to seamless embed powerful computing devices into objects, locations and even people. Embedded devices now shift human attention from systems to their contents as they work tirelessly to reduce the cognitive load and perceive how humans can be assisted in performing tasks associated with all aspects of their existence. The physical and the digital worlds are now intimately related and every object in the real world can now have a representation in the digital world. The capacity of ubiquitous devices to be context – sensitive and situation awa re has changed the manner in which humans interact with such devices, offering rich new possibilities for applications to advertising and entertainment, which are amongst the oldest of human endeavours. This essay presents a discussion about advertising and entertainment in the ubiquitous age and examines what changes are likely to emerge in the future. Contents (Jump to) Introduction The Ubiquitous Environment Advertising in the Ubiquitous Age Entertainment in the Ubiquitous Age Conclusion Bibliography/References   Introduction Ubiquitous computing, which is also referred to as pervasive computing, is about the notion that as a result of continuous advances in engineering, information technology, communications, integrated circuit chip technologies and sensors etc computer technology devices will become smaller, cheaper, more capable and better able to weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they become indistinguishable from it (Schuster, 2007, Pp. 9 – 11). It was Mark Weiser, chief scientist of Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Centre, who first presented the concept of ubiquitous computing, the third wave in computing and predicted that technology will recede into the background of our lives as computers evolve into quite, invisible servants that will help people to calmly do all kinds of tasks in a manner that will prevent them from becoming overloaded by interactions with computing (Wikipedia, 2007, â€Å"Mark Weiser†). Thus, computers will extend the human unconscious and enhance their ability to productively control, interact and sense their environment. Unlike the traditional computing concepts, which regard computers as devices that run programs in a virtual environment to accomplish a task, ubiquitous or pervasive computing philosophy considers computers as being devices that provide a capacity for interaction with a potential portal into an application – data space that assists users to perform tasks in an information – enhanced physical space, rather then as devices that execute software whose execution must be controlled by a user. Obviously, the capacity of computing devices to act as portals into an application – data space is only rendered possible if the fabrication cost, performance capabilities and reliability of computing devices is enhanced as a result of advances in technology over a broad front (Hennessy, 2007, Chapter 1). Today, data processing, collecting and emitting devices are to be found all around humans in all settings related to their existence, at home, office, in shopping malls or hospitals as well as in transportation vehicles etc (Stakutis, 2005, Chapter 1). These computing devices have been vastly miniaturised as compared to what was available in the past and they are now very much more energy efficient, with enhanced capablities in terms of performance and connectivity with other devices as well as having a superior capacity for interfacing well with smarter sensors. To a casual observer, the wide array of computing devices that are to be found all around us are barely detectable and they are there to serve reliably, without imposing a cognitive load on humans, so that the quality of human existence in all environments can be enhanced. Discrete radio tags, mobile phones that have a capacity for acting as gateways for the World Wide Web and for connecting to many other intelligent devices , intelligent displays and maps that can be presented with information needs, chemical sensors, discrete radio sensors, video cameras, intelligent assistive devices and gaming devices that provide entertainment or information are all testimony to the dawning of the new age of ubiquitous computing. Artificial intelligence is now widely involved with all types of computing to enhance the quality of interactions between human users and a network of intelligent computing devices, which collect and process data on a massive scale. Context, which refers to information that is assistive in gauging, or making judgements about an entity, which may be a person, place or object which is relevant for interaction between a user and an application is now able to be fed into a ubiquitous device which can then react intelligently to fulfil the requirements of its human users without placing any burdens on those that it has been designed to assist (Loke, 2007, Chapter 1). Location of people or objec ts, time, execution state of applications, user emotions, user intentions, the state of brain activity of users, computational resources that are available, the state of software applications and available network bandwidth are examples of contexts that can be of use to ubiquitous devices in interacting with users in a superior manner. Device designers can now be highly creative about using context information and also in regard to what can be feasibly sensed, the optimal manner in which information can be sensed and how sensor information may be used to judge context to optimise device interactions and utility. A number of contextual cues that have been inferred by a ubiquitous device can be combined to form an idea about a situation and the device can then be made to react in accordance with the requirements for a situation. The notion of situation makes it possible for the ubiquitous system designers to carve the world into manageable pieces that can be sensed by sensors, with a separation of reaction rules for each manageable piece providing an adequate response for different situations. Thus, a context aware ubiquitous system should be able to sense, think and act in a manner that is as assistive to humans as possible (Loke, 2007, Chapter 2). If a sense of context and situation can be programmed into the capacity for intelligence of a ubiquitous device, then it should also be appropriate to expect that norms or expectations of appropriate behaviour from device under given situations involving external contexts can also be incorporated into the programming for the device (Ibrahim, 2007, Pp. 54 – 58). Thus, ubiquitous devices should be able to sense a situation or a set of context in order to try and interact in the most appropriate manner with human users. As an example, location and time context can be utilised to present the most appropriate advertising messages to shoppers on a supermarket advertising board and it may also be possible to incorporate an ability to determine what items ought to be highlighted more, depending on the inventory stock situation for a store, or the rate at which sales are being made. Advertising companies are constantly seeking better ways to promote their goods and services to selected consumers who are likely to be most receptive to such messages and ubiquitous, or pervasive environments will permit delivery of the most relevant advertising messages, which have been selected from a large number of possible messages to consumers in a far more personal, intimate and appropriate manner then the mass media advertising that has been available (Leckenby, 2006, â€Å"Advertising Issues†) and (Hong, 2007, â€Å"Advertising in the Environment†). In the ubiquitous world it will be possible to generate believable, personality rich story characters on a display that may want to appropriately alter the emotional state of a human, depending on the time and their physical condition as sensed from their body posture (Li, 2006, Pp. 132). Emotion recognition systems may also make it possible for entertainment systems to suggest the right movies, audio clips or interactive games and it may be possible to provide real – time information on a wide variety of is sues to bus commuters or to generate music which is influenced by the motion of a human conductor within the ambiance (Li, 2006, Pp. 31, 132, 223, 229, 293, 366, 384 and 433). The possibilities for enhancing interactions related to advertising and entertainment are many and ubiquitous devices generally try to ease the cognitive load and provide intelligent sensing of user needs. Entertainment and advertising are amongst the oldest concepts that are known to mankind (Vogel, 2007, Pp. 1 – 5). As a result of productivity increases, which have also been assisted by advances in computing and information technology, leisure time has increased and people spend more time on all forms of leisure and entertainment activities. Although demand for entertainment has increased, so also has the variety of entertainment which is available and individuals have the greatest preference for rich media video type viewing activities that are relatively affordable. Although, the advertising industry is doing well also, it has been hampered by strict regulations on what can and cannot be done, with expenditure shifting from the traditional advertising mediums to the new electronic forms of advertising that use emerging technologies (Sweney, 2007, Paragraph 1) and (Ramsey, 2004, Pp. 1 – 2). Online advertising expenditure in the United States in the year 2004 alone exce eded $ 17.5 billion and the consumer is in control, wanting unique and attractive forms of advertising and entertainment. Thus, it makes sense to try and understand how individuals will interact with advertising and entertainment in the new ubiquitous age and this essay presents a discussion about the likely form that advertising and entertainment will take in the future. The Ubiquitous Environment It is appropriate at this juncture to try and imagine what the ubiquitous world of tomorrow is likely to be like. The world of the future will be characterised by wireless connectivity and miniature, but immense computing power that is connected to very fine sensors (Mathieson, 2005, Pp. 1 – 10). Global positioning systems (GPS) will make it possible for location sensing to within meters and it will be possible to interact with intelligent computing devices using the most convenient human modes for interaction, speech and hearing. Converged networks that connect ubiquitous devices will be intelligent, high capacity and high speed networks with a capacity for moving huge amounts of data to any connection very rapidly. Short – range wireless networks, similar to Bluetooth, will supplement global connectivity provided by the ubiquitous network. The occurrence of selected events will be able to trigger intelligent responses from devices and as an example it will be possible to inform the police and nominated relatives of an individual’s location if air bags in a car were to be inflated as a result of an accident. It will be possible to monitor the activities of the children in a family in order to determine if a child has attended class or if they may have ventured too far away from a neighbourhood. Electronic money contained in RFID tags which are attached to a car, or mobile devices that are carried by a person will be able to pay for any road toll, bridge taxes or minor traffic violations without a requirement to stop. 3G cellular networks will become prolific and they will make it possible to have unified voice, video and data connections serve all human senses to provide rich interaction experiences. Computers will be able to create close to real life experiences for humans that stimulate all their senses and already scientists are thinking about devices that will stimulate the human sense of smell (Kaye, 2001, Pp. 1 – 20). Smart cl oths will have a capacity for monitoring body signals and it will be possible to monitor brain waves to interact with computing devices. Intelligent home appliances will be able to monitor what is available in a home and they will not only alert individuals if the refrigerator is running low on certain items, but tiny â€Å"smart dust† sensors will also monitor food items for biological and chemical agents that determine if such items are still fit for human consumption. Intelligent homes, buildings and stores as well as hospitals will react to individual needs and provide appropriate assistance as required. Prompt and pre-emptive response from computing will have become a reality. Sophisticated avatar characters will provide more pleasing human computer interactions that will convey elements of emotion that has been generated by computers. Japan’s ubiquitous architecture provides an indication of many trends that are emerging for the future (Krikke, 2005, Pp. 4 â€⠀œ 9). Ubiquitous or pervasive computing is the result of advanced networking, powerful personal computing, embedded computing and advanced artificial intelligence based human – computer interaction capability. The ubiquitous age is characterised by the evolution of ambient intelligent environments and these environments are driven by new interaction technology which provides for new ways of using content, new sensing or stimulus generating technologies, faster and more powerful computers and far greater storage capacities for data etc (Eyles, 2007, Pp. 4). The ubiquitous age will be characterised by ubiquitous computing, ubiquitous communication and intelligent user – friendly interfaces and the resulting ambient intelligence will provide for context awareness, personalisation, immersion and adaptability. Context awareness refers to a device having knowledge about its environment and acting in accordance with such knowledge, personalisation refers to having the ability to deliver information and interactions in accordance with a user’s requirements and adaptability refers to the device having a capacity for modifying its performance according to externally imposed requirement s to best cater to a user. Clearly, many opportunities will exist for utilising new technology for advertising and entertainment. However, in view of the fact that the ubiquitous environment will have the capacity for collecting a large amount of personal data which will be used for enriching individual experiences, but which can also be misused, privacy in the ubiquitous environment is an issue (Mutanen, 2007, Pp. 24 – 43). A number of techniques are being researched to protect individual privacy in the ubiquitous age, but the trusted authority concept is amongst the more promising ways for protecting individual privacy. Advertising in the Ubiquitous Age Ubiquitous environments will permit a variety of methods to present advertising messages to people, including email, instant messaging, cell – phone, network television and electronic display boards etc that are linked together as a result of convergence of new mobile technology, IT and media on an integrated global infrastructure (Ihlstr, 2007, Pp. 1 – 5). The ubiquitous environment will have a chain of sensors that will be deployed by advertising service providers to sense contexts, including location, weather condition variables, such as temperature and what the intended audience is engaged in at a location, so that the more appropriate advertising message on the right channel may be presented (Leckenby, 2007, â€Å"Advertising Issues†). The context information is useful for presenting the right advertising messages to the right people at the right time and on the right channel using the more appropriate form of advertising message. Context is also important f or displaying advertising messages that are likely to be important for a particular location, such as those messages that are placed by local businesses in a suburb. Research indicates that although tastes are likely to vary, recipients are interested in the entertainment content of advertisements and this means that the right advertising messages have to be created for the right format. Advertising messages should provide for a means by which a recipient can follow – up on what has been received and recipients will certainly require that their privacy and security be protected. Consumers who are linked to the ubiquitous network of devices can be made to provide information about their preferences and it is likely that they may want to have their more relevant personal attributes made available on a ubiquitous user database. The ubiquitous environment is certain to have a large number of peripheral displays that are mounted at convenient locations, including close to elevator s, at convenient points on streets and in shopping malls or other public locations. Serendipitous advertisements are most likely to fit in well on displays in a ubiquitous environment, because other messages can be sent in a more personalised and discrete manner. The advertisements that are required to be placed will be booked with advertising service providers who will have facilities for creation of advertising messages and the distribution of such messages over the ubiquitous networks. It is most likely that mobile wireless networks will become even more important in an age of ubiquitous networks and this means that personal mobile devices, especially a PDA type device or an advanced mobile phone which can be used for a wide variety of interactions with the ubiquitous network and other users will assume a higher level of significance in the lives of individual users (Loke, 2007, Chapter 3). Individuals will be using such devices to send and receive emails, transfer funds to businesses or other users, retain data for a wide variety of purposes including inventory for groceries that are in stock at home, immediate purchasing needs and any purchasing transactions that may have been carried out in the past etc. Sensors placed at various locations on the ubiquitous networks will be able to interrogate the mobile device of a user and depending on what information is permitted to be shared the advertising and entertainment service providers will be able to determine what is likely to be of interest to the owner of a mobile. Thus, those who are within an airport terminal may be provided with advertising related to bargain fares, while a short message from a PDA can bring a message containing information about local restaurants offering special deals. Advertising displays may call individuals on a first name basis after having sensed information related to their identity from their personal mobile device when they are in proximity of an intelligent display and it will be possible for such individuals to interact with intelligent displays using speech to present their preferences (Mathieson, 2005, Pp. 1 – 10). It will be possible to shop for pizza, movies, books and music anywhere and at anytime, with the purchase instructions emanating from a personal device along with a payment authority and it will be possible to accept digital delivery in a format which is both highly portable and widely usable. Today we live in a world in which very many advertising messages influence individuals as they carry on with their daily lives and many of such advertising messages are likely to be of little interest. The rising cost of advertising makes advertising expensive. It is important that if individuals find something that interests them in the large number of advertising messages that they are presented with, then they should be able to quickly retrieve information for further interactions with the advertiser. Beaming is a new advertising technique that is being experimented with by several firms and the idea is to permit those who view advertising on electronic displays to retrieve and store electronic contact information into their mobile devices through their device’s infrared or Bluetooth port (Krikke, 2005, Pp. 24). The information that is able to be transferred into a mobile device through beaming is then used by the device to provide links through the network for further inte ractions with the advertisers. Newer forms of beaming will permit those mobile devices with a camera to â€Å"photograph† information that has been coded into black and symbols, called SpotCodes. A SpotCode has been presented in figure 3, below. After a phone has succeeded in â€Å"clicking† in information that has been presented on a visual advertisement, it will be possible to use this information to retrieve all the details into an email that can be sent to a nominated address, or if desired, immediate purchase can be made by using the mobile device. Thus, emerging technologies will make it possible to enhance the effectiveness of advertising by making it cheaper, easier and more convenient to follow up on advertising, which should be of benefit to the advertiser and the consumer. The idea is to facilitate transactions and to enhance convenience in a manner that will not waste resources or the attention span of the consumer. Great opportunities will exist to develop evolving relationships with consumers through ubiquitous advertising and advertisers, or at least their messages, can go where the customer is, with a capacity for initial interest to be rapidly transformed into more information or interaction without any need to move through the physical space. Advertising message delivery does not have to be visual all the time and â€Å"targeted audio† technology will make it possible for laser beams to be pointed to persons who will then be the only ones who will be able to hear an audio message (Krikke, 2005, Pp. 143 160). Thus, after sensing individual preferences, it will be possible to direct speech communications to individuals in a location so that only those who are likely to be interested listen to these messages. Thus, it is not just Bluetooth that will be used to transmit short range location based information. The ubiquitous network will follow the user and not the other way round. Augmented reality devices will have been made perfect in the ubiquitous age and those who live in this age will not just be carrying a PDA type device, but they will also be wearing a comfortable spectacle, if they so desire, that will assist in visual encounters with the ubiquitous world. It will be possible to superimpose additional inform ation on to visual advertising messages that may be presented to individuals through the augmented reality devices and examples of such additional information may include balance of a bank account containing electronic money, or location information for outlets. It will even be possible to interact with large electronic advertising boards through gestures in order to prompt them to provide additional information to either a PDA type wireless device or the augmented reality device which may be worn by a user. Researchers have already tried to develop a gesture recognition language that can change the way in which humans interact with ubiquitous computing devices of the future (Krikke, 2005, Pp. 202). Promotions and special offers can be quickly presented to consumers who can electronically collect coupons and if a loyal shopper is identified during an advertising or promotional campaign, they can be presented especially attractive discounts or offers electronically. Face recognition and the detection of emotions by examining faces will make it possible to cheer – up a loyal customer who may be feeling a bit down and the buying habits of consumers can be examined to determine if certain consumers are loosing interest, so that a special effort can be mounted to win them back. It will be possible to embed identity on to each person using RFID devices that may be mounted on to a watch, or even be embedded under a person’s skin so that immediate identification and connection to the most appropriate databases that are likely to be of interest can be made possible. Very many possibilities for enhancing advertising present themselves, but the key to have these possibilities becoming reality is the advances that can be made in packing small chips with huge computing power and imbuing networks with capacity and speed. Entertainment in the Ubiquitous Age Although better networks and more powerful computers as well as advances in technology on a broad front will enhance the overall entertainment experience in the ubiquitous age, entertainment in the new era will be characterised by its extension into the physical world and a capacity for interaction (Eyles, 2007, Pp. 1 – 5). Augmented reality will have an impact on the entertainment experience by superimposing the virtual on to the real in a number of ways that may also include the use of holograms. Internet will add to the traditional methods for delivering entertainment content to viewers and video appliances will be able to predict what will be the most appropriate viewing choice for individuals based on their estimation of the emotions of a user, their activities and important occurrences in the real world. Video on demand is already a reality, but context aware music and wireless networked video on demand will be the norm with the entertainment devices of tomorrow. Sur round screen systems, using mist or water droplets to project video images and collaborative multiple browsing arrangements are examples of new ways in which the senses can be artistically manipulated (Peterson, 2005, Pp. 8 – 12). Entertainment is likely to be influenced by notions of temporal and spatial mobility as well as context, mood and emotion. The integration of artistic forms and technology, interactivity with a capacity for manipulating entertainment and media experiences, the use of hypermedia concept to link media elements into a personally satisfying experience, immersion which will permit entering a three dimensional environment that approaches complete entertainment and a emphasis on a superior ability to narrate in order to support the moment – by – moment mood of the individual mind will continue to dominate entertainment in the ubiquitous age with entertainers and artists innovating to exploit the power of technology (Burnett, 2003, Chapter 1). Individual users are more likely to be closely connected to ubiquitous computing devices through cybernetic systems and this will permit a closer connection of the human form with the electronic environment (Burnett, 2003, Chapter 2). This means that the human user will be able to more intimately control a variety of ubiquitous devices through the motion and expression of every part of their body and as an example, dance will be able to influence music and stage lighting effects more closely then ever before, resulting in new and richer forms of artistic impression for the audience. Wireless or sonar tracking systems will eliminate any need to have physical connections between a human form and any ubiquitous devices, resulting in a true freedom of movement and expression with a capacity for artistically manipulating other sensory impulses for the audience. The smart entertainment space concept is illustrated in figure 4, below. The concept of anytime anywhere entertainment will mean that it will be possible to use an individual’s PDA device to shop for a very wide variety of entertainment games, videos or experiences from anywhere and at anytime (Krikke, 2005, Pp. 63 – 64). High speed networks will deliver what has been requested in a flash and the content can be viewed on a portable PDA or a home entertainment centre which will offer more options for enhancing entertainment pleasure or even interacting with the entertainment presentation. Interactivity will mean that as a story rolls on, a viewer can choose options that influence future narration and influence the present in the narration. Wideband network connectivity will mean that it will be possible to carry on with social interactions with distant human friends while simultaneously interacting with computer generated entertainment which may include avatars that are beamed into the homes of all those who are connected to a social gatherin g which is distant in space, but close in time. All those who are connected can interact simultaneously with the computer that is generating entertainment animations and view the results in real time. Such entertainment sessions are certainly going to need very high speed networks, immense computing power for the ubiquitous entertainment centres and real time processing power to put together socialisation in an augmented reality world and large amounts of data will have to be maintained in storage for rapid retrieval with such data also being rapidly moved over the ubiquitous networks. When individuals are indulging in remote interactions, such as those over videoconferencing, it is not possible to touch or feel the people at a distance and this means that a certain loss of emotional information currently exists in computer mediated interactions. Touch, or hepatic interaction devices that are being considered in research today and new forms of interfaces that attempt to present more emotion information by various means, such as colour changing displays or avatars will make entertainment and social interactions more fun (ISMAR, 2007, Pp. 33 – 35). Thus, it will be possible to further improve the tangible content of interactions involving computers. Computer generated reality will make it possible for individuals to either learn or play games, such as squash, all by themselves using a racquet that will contain position sensors that are coupled to a computer that will fix the position of such a racquet in real time, in relation to a computer generated ball, mak ing it possible for the user to experience the thrill of a real squash game (ISMAR, 2007, Pp. 4 – 9 and 21 – 27). Many different games, including fencing, tennis, table tennis, badminton or even ice hockey etc will be available on the same entertainment centre, which will also provide delights of high speed driving, ice skating or piloting a jet fighter with appropriate gaming attachments. Natural interaction will be possible with contemporary art, including music and lighting patterns emanating from a music wall and this will make it possible for individuals to seek new creative and thrilling experiences (ISMAR, 2007, Pp. 47 – 52). New forms of interactive exhibitions will be possible for art and antiquities etc, with computer generated avatars providing more human like guidance around museums or other interesting places (ISMAR, 2007, Pp. 53 – 58). It will be possible for painters and graphic artists to create on computer palettes and to imbue their work with emotionally responsive features and a certain level of dynamism that will make their work far more interesting as compared to the paintings of today (ISMAR, 2007. Pp. 61 – 66). Changes in te