Individual Review on poster presentation 1,500 words Essay

Individual Review on poster presentation 1,500 words - Essay Example Volkswagen has a long history in China and plays a vital role in the Chinese automotive industry. In 1985, the Company signed a deal with SAIC that was formed by the merger of several local car manufacturers of China. This was a strategic move in history for the Chinese auto industry as well as Volkswagen. The company, Volkswagen Automotive Company Ltd (SVW) first identified those market segments which can be easily served with the existing product portfolio. Hence, Audi 100 became the Government officials car and Jetta emerged as commonly used taxies. Such strategic monopoly of the company assisted it to acquire a secure market share in China. This was the first phase of market penetration for Volkswagen in China and soon the company started developing strategies to further penetrate the market and expand its market share (Ray, 2003). Volkswagen was the first western auto manufacturer that entered China. The company was smart enough to be used as taxi and government cars which helped it to gain economies of scales. This strategic move also had a marketing aspect. The cars running on the roads of Shanghai acted as company’s showroom and thus more and more people came to know about the brand portfolio of Volkswagen. With time, the taxi fleet in Shanghai underwent an up gradation and each time a new model from Volkswagen’s brand portfolio has replaced the old one. Eventually, the company entered joint venture with local companies to develop a stable and reliable supply chain in the market. However, with increasing market competition from the local as well as international players in the auto industry, market share of Volkswagen started declining in early 2000s and the company went into crisis (EBF, 2007, p.47). With its innovation and creative thinking, the company introduced changes in its products as well as business strategy and reoccupied its lost image and established itself as one of the most popular cars. With time the Chinese auto sector has

Telecommuting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Telecommuting - Essay Example This also leads to severe and counterproductive compromising on the time available for engaging in healthy and relaxing recreation, thus culminating in faulty lifestyles, health problems, workaholic routines and a plethora of other problems. With the real estate prices in the business centres around the world, skyrocketing, businesses are also realizing the futility of investing capital on the office space, hardware, furniture and other professional amenities. However, the things are no more going to be the same as they were in the days of the yore. The digital technology has literally revolutionized the way organizations and people work and has facilitated both the employers and the employees with a myriad options and possibilities. Telecommuting, also referred to as e-work, telework, e-commuting, working from home (WFH) or working at home (WAH) is a trend that is fast catching up with the business organizations and the workers all over the world. Telecommuting is increasingly becoming an accepted norm and lifestyle in the US and throughout the developed world. More and more companies are realizing the benefits of allowing the employees to avoid or shorten their commuting obligations by allowing them to work from home by using the latest gadgets and the technology to stay connected with their office administration and management. Even before the concept of telecommuting came into vogue, there do existed employees who were occasionally allowed to work from home by their employers. As per a recent survey conducted by Dieringer Research Group, it was found that in the year 2005, the

Properties of Urena lobata Linn (Caesar Weed)

Properties of Urena lobata Linn (Caesar Weed) PLANT PROFILE Urena lobata Linn. Botanical Name: Urena lobata Linn. Common Name: Caesar weed Parts Used: Leaves, Stem, Root and Whole plant      Fig 1. Urena lobata Linn Taxonomical Classification Kingdom: Plantae Unranked: Angiosperms Unranked: Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily:Malvoideae Tribe: Hibisceae Genus: Urena Species: U. lobata Synonyms :U. americana U. grandiflora, ,U. trilobataVell., Urena diversifolia Vernacular names Vernacular names are shown in Table Table Vernacular Names of Urena lobata SI. No. Languages Vernacular Names 1 Hindi Bachata, Bachit, Bachita, Bala Bhed, Brachta, Chatkura,Dudh-Khal, Kapasi, Kunjia, Lapetua, Lotloti, Unga, Vilaiti San 2. Malayalam Urppam Ottey Udiram, Uram, Uran, Uren, Vatti, Vatto 3. Kanada Baralu Kaddi Mara, Bekkina Hejje Gida Dodda Bende, Dooda Bende, Hamsapaadi, Kaadu Thutthi, Otte, Otte Mara, Vatta 4. Marathi Rantupkada,Rantupkuda, Tupkato, Vanabendha, Vana-Bhenda, Vanbhendi, Wagdau Bhendi 5. Sanskrit Vanabhenda, Nagabala, Bala, Atibala 6. Tamil Ottatti, Ottattutti, Ottu Thuththi, Ottukututti, Ottuttutti, Ottuttutti 7. Telegu Nalla Benda, Nallabenda, Padanikaada, Pedda Benda, Peddabena, Peddabenda, Piliyamankena, Vana Benda 8. English Aramina Fibre, Congo Jute, Cousin Mahoe, Guaxima General description of Urena lobata  Linn Caesar weed called as Bur Mallow, Aramina, Hibiscus Bur and Pink Chinese Burr. It is a sub shrub 60 cm to 300 cm in altitude and basal diameter is 7 cm. Bark is downy and is hard and gristly, within the bark is green in color and outside it is brown in color the wood is medium in density and pale yellow in color. The herb is sustain through lateral and tap root arrangement. The color of ivory or brown and root system is flexible and hard-hitting roots. The plant is typically have a solitary stem rising from the land however usually generate more than a few stems and main twigs small in the shoot and a lot of twigs the whole time. Dis-colorous, grayish-green, alternating leaves are pubertal on below and above the leaf. Leaves are angulated, oval in shape and lobbed as shallow of 1 to 12 cm. They have margins of indent shape.. The shape of the fruit is globose and of 8mm to 10 mm of capsules shape and it is having mericarps of five smooth barbed. The plant grows throughout moisttropic and subtropical regions (Liogier 1994). Habitat: Urena lobata Linn, is a herbaceous, upright and semi-woody. It is coming under shrub growing, tomentose and 60 100 cm or more tallness. The young stem as well as branches are covered with somewhat harsh spreading stellate hairs (tomentum) and bearing simple, alternate variable broadly ovate to round cordate, angled or lobed leaves and sessile or shortly stalked pinkish auxiliary flowers. Leaves: Leaves of the plant are simple, alternate, petiolate and stipulate;blade-very variable. Usually the leaf is broader than long round or ovate, up to 10-15 cm long, cordate at the base angled or shallowly 5-7 lobed, the lobes not extending half way down or occasionally nearly obsolete generally acute or acuminate, serrate, stellately tomentose on both surface. But, paler beneath with five to seven pairs of basal nerves which are prominent on the under surface and below the basement region there is a large gland and occasionally at the base of two lateral also. Flowers: Pink colored flowers of Axillary shape and are of typically lonely and petals of five in number. The size of about 1 cm in board. Flower of the herb is shown in Fig Fig Flower of Urena lobata Petiole:  Variable in length. Stem:  Moderately thick, pubescent in young ones and smooth in mature ones, with long inter nodes. Root:  The root system consists of the taproot and several branching lateral roots are fairly stout and brown in colour. These may attain a diameter of 5-6 mm and length varying from 20-25 cm. Very small wiry cream color rootlets arise from the lateral roots. Small lenticels are also present towards to base and the outer surface of the root. Major chemical constituents The main constituents of Urena lobataLinn, include flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides such as ÃŽ ²-sitosterol, stigmasterol, furocoumarin, imperatorin, mangiferin and quercetin (Keshab2004).It also contains kaempferol, luteolin, hypolatin and gossypetin. Geographical source Caesar Weed belongs to Asia. Herb breeds all through damp sub-tropic and tropical province counting India, Florida, Hawaii, Guam, Louisiana and in American Samoa. Environmentalism Urena lobata willingly assault anxious region, particularly badly cope scarified-pastures and eroded-areas, and it is a plantation of perennial category. This herb is less difficulty in yearly yield. Herb does not grow in wood-canopies. This plant is not struggle healthy in giant meadow and brush-lands. Cultivation Seed propagation is the method of cultivation of Urena lobata. Before sowing the seeds in the prepared land is has soak it in water for 90 min and it will result a high germination rate of 96%.. the seeds are discrete by adhere to fur and clothing. The small seedlings are planted in the on the well-prepared land.. Soil The plant will grow in a different range if soil. Fertility range also differs and the new plant will get fertilizer from parent-materials. It will not cultivate in saturated oil where all the minerals exhausted. It is having the capacity to with held the salt in the soil. Water it is need for its healthy cultivation Growth and management Urena lobata grow very fast and it will reach height of 0.5 to 2 m in tall in the first year itself. After the first season it will dying-back i.e. its second year of its first of growth we can collect the fiber after 7-8 months from the plant. It will yield a fiber of 1800 kg/hectare. These fibers are recognized from seeds only. 300-500 kg/ha seeds are getting from the plants of 7 -8 months of age. Since the plant of hostile type the planting in wild way is not advisable. Benefits and Detriments This herb grows as colonies in the concerned area. This growing nature of the plant help to guard the soil, whereas provides wrap in support of natural world. The gorgeous flowers which will contribute to the aesthetic area which hare colonized. Aramina is the fiber which will obtain from this herb, which looks like jute fiber. Congo-jute is the fiber manufactured in Africa and Brazil from the same plant (Fagundes, 2003). A variety of extract obtained from the roots and leaves from the plant are benefits as herbal-medicine. These extracts are used for varieties of disease like malaria, wounds, toothache, fever, colic and joint-pain. A report shows the raw leaves of Urena lobata hold the phosphorous of 67 mg/100g, ash of 21gm, 0.1 gm of fat, 3.2 g protein, 12.8 gm of carbohydrates, moisture of 81.8 %, Calcium of 558 mg and fiber of 1.8 gm. Leaves of Caesar weed give a semi-purified glycoside which is 86 % as effectual as the aspirin which is used as anti-inflammatory medicine in rats. In Africa the flowers and leaves are used as a famine food. The animal fur and the burs that are collected on clothing are a nuisance. On the other hand, the plant can become a harsh-weed in plantations and pastures and it is slight browsed by the cattle. Uses The traditional uses of the plant were found to be diuretic, febrifuge. and rheumatism. It sever as food for animals as well as humans (Mazumder et al,  2001). It is used for malaria, gonorrhea, wounds and toothache.

Living on Death Row :: Criminal Justice Essays

Living on Death Row The purpose of this paper is to examine life on death row. The information obtained in order to write this paper came from one article. In reading the article it is very clear to see the obvious one-sided bias of the author, who is apparently adamantly against the current status of death rows across the United States of America. Unfortunately, no research could be found to illustrate other views or opinions of life on death row. The author of this article used many opinions, first hand accounts and experiences of prisoners living on death row to illustrate his/her ideas. However, there is an obvious bias of those currently living on death row against their living conditions and treatment. It can be assumed that few people would want to be somewhere or enjoy being somewhere when they knew that they would eventually be executed. It is can also be assumed that very few people would find awaiting executing a happy or fulfilling experience. It is interesting to note that while searching t he Internet for information on the death penalty an abundance of web sites were found that belonged to prisoners on death row. All of whom claimed that they were wrongly accused, framed for, and innocent of the crimes that they were convicted of committing.   It is the opinion of the author that the main purpose and goal of death row is "human storage." (Article, p.48) By this the author is suggesting that "condemned prisoners [are] treated essentially as bodies kept alive to be killed." (Article, p.48) The author goes on to use examples given by inmates on death row to illustrate the above-mentioned point. On such example included the alleged treatment of a suicidal prisoner on a death row in Texas. Apparently this prisoner was "placed in a straightjacket †¦handcuffs†¦placed on his wrists†¦a crash helmet†¦. was placed on his head and there he lay for weeks, helpless, alone and drugged." (Article, p. 49) Unfortunately there is no information given as to what else could have been done for the prisoner or what facilities the prison had to deal with this type of issue. This is also an anecdotal example given by someone on death row themselves. It is quite possible that this example may have been exaggerated or distort ed in the re-telling or even told in an attempt to get staff in some form of trouble or get back at the staff for a 'wrong' done against the prisoner.

Marketing Plan for Toyota Prius Essay

1. Executive Summary Toyota Motors is preparing to launch the new Toyota Prius Hybrid. The Prius will be using the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) with features combining highly efficient petrol engine and an electric motor. The electric vehicle (EV) allows the Prius to run purely for low noise and zero fuel consumption (Toyota Company, 2012). Due to the ever increasing presence of green revolution, Toyota Motors wants to take advantage of the potential increase in demand for hybrid vehicles (Boschert, 2007). Having been voted the World’s No 1 Hybrid in 2010 (Toyota, 2013), Toyota Motors have made an executive decision to continue producing the Prius, giving the world its first mass-produced hybrid car. As a result, even before launching this new product it is important for Toyota Motors to prepare strategic marketing place so that the Toyota Prius can impact the marketplace. 2. Current Marketing Situation 1. Product Let us take a look at the Prius with respect to its exterior, interior, performance, safety and price (Toyota Company, 2013). Exterior: The Prius has a distinct design shaped by using a comprehensive approach to aerodynamic theory and performance, contributing to its powerful performance and outstanding fuel efficiency. Interior: The interior of the Prius expresses the spirit of innovation which is warm and inviting. The Prius is fully equipped with soft lines which flow around the occupants as passengers and drivers alike relax comfortably. Performance: The Prius is a combination of highly efficient engine with a fully equipped electric motor. The HSD provides a smooth, responsive performance which includes low fuel consumption and low exhaust emission. Safety: The Prius ensures peace of mind. This means that it is fully equipped with active and passive safety measures that integrate the use of advanced technologies; helping to ensure the highest level of safety. Price: The Prius is currently priced at RM 139,915 with insurance for consumers in Peninsular Malaysia. As technology for the Prius increase, Toyota will surely lower its market price so as to make it more affordable for consumers. 2. Market data According to a survey done by J. D. Power published in 2012, almost 23% of respondents have indicated that the next car they would buy or lease would most likely be a hybrid car such as the Prius (Tuttle, 2013). Toyota being the top manufacturing hybrid car company has certainly managed to push beyond its original niche status and become a best seller across the globe. 3. Competition The Prius continues to face intense competition from other automakers. One of Toyota’s main competitors is Ford. Ford has recently launched the C-Max. The C-Max has been impressive recording higher sales than the Prius V (Turtle, 2013). In January 2013, Bloomberg reports that Ford hybrid sales have increased five-fold. Ford has sold 6000 hybrids in January 2013 as compared to only 1200 in January 2012 (Trudell, 2013). Erich Merkle, Ford’s sales analyst has even reported that â€Å"we are looking toward 2013 as being a record sales year for our hybrid vehicles.† Also, Ford’s market share has increased from 7% in 2012 to 16% in 2013. 4. Macro-Environment We will be using the PESTLE analysis as a tool to clearly identify and analyze the key drivers of change in the business environment (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008. As stated by Orfano, this PESTLE tool allows the assessing of the current environment and potential changes (Orfano, 2011). We shall look at these 6 factors based on the research done by Sin and co (Sin, 2012). Political Factors: The Prius has a positive political impact because by manufacturing these hybrid cars, a country reduces the dependence on petrol. This is true for countries that do not produce oil. Economic Factors: Consumers will begin to select the Prius because of the fuel savings over time benefits. Also, the cost of insurance and road tax for the Prius is relatively lower that a normal gasoline car. Social Factors: Since change in the climate is a serious issue, Toyota should produce a vehicle which will not bring pollution to the environment. Although the Prius is significantly higher in value than conventional cars, with technology increasing in the near future it is very likely that the price of the Prius will decline accordingly as the Prius’ technology become more familiar. Technological Factors: Hachman suggests the technology used in Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles is the idea of using the batter powered car. The recharging time is one and a half hours for 240V AC or three hours for 120V AC. The plug-in will switch to hybrid mode, providing an estimated 49 miles per gallon (Hachman, 2011). In order to increase mileage, the Prius is built from a body of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum, magnesium and titanium. Legal Factors: According to the United States department of energy lead programs office (LPO), it encourages advance clean energy technologies. This is to contribute meaningfully to the objectives of including job creation, reducing dependency on foreign oil, improving environmental legacy and enhancing American competitiveness in the global economy of the 21st century (U.S. Department of Energy, 2005). Environmental Factors: The Prius unlike other cars does not produce gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbon and lead which can cause many health problems. Not only does the Prius, provide a public benefit but at the same times it does not compromise on its safety, quality and functionality. 3. SWOT Analysis It is importance to identify Toyota’s organizational strengths and weakness together with its opportunities and threats. The ultimate goal is to identify Toyota’s core competencies – things that Toyota has or does relatively well as compared with competitors (Schermerhorn, 2011). |Strengths |Weaknesses | |Best fuel efficiency of any midsize car |Fuel economy varies and optimization requires careful driving | |Spacious interior |Premium price compared to similar non-hybrid cars | |Good performance compared to non-hybrid vehicles |Other cars are available in the same price range with significantly | |Comfortable |higher performance | |Quiet at all speeds |Requires more energy to build than comparable non-hybrid cars | |Smoother transmission than most other cars | | |Appeal of latest technology | | |Minimal impact on environment | | |Excellent scoring on crash test | | |Opportunities |Threats | |It is likely that petroleum will cost more in the future as supplies|High mileage clean diesel based cars are becoming more available and| |diminish which may increase demand |will grab market share | |Awareness of environmental concerns is growing |Other hybrids such as the Ford C-Max will soon enter the market | |Sales are likely to spread new markets in developing cou ntries over |Toyota’s recent negative press and widespread recalls are likely to | |time |scare some potential buyers. | (Halbright, 2010) 4. Objectives Increase awareness of Toyota Prius by 50% in the next 3 years targeting new markets in developing countries. Increase total sales of Toyota Prius by 40% by the end of 2013 (Refer to Appendix: Note 1) Invest substantially in positioning a distinctive Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) projecting low noise and zero fuel consumption. Start positioning Toyota Prius as an environmental friendly family car. 5. Marketing Strategy Creative Strategy: The Toyota Prius offers features that no other car offers. This in itself is its unique selling point and should be emphasized in market promotions. As a start to achieve the increase in awareness, promotion should concentrate on the education aspect. Communication Mix: As for communicating the Prius, two factors should be considered a) the type of product (high involvement) and the stage in the product life cycle (introduction). With regards to high involvement, personal selling is important because it provides more conviction of purchase. Personal selling will be carried out by the local car dealers who need to have sufficient knowledge on the Prius. Personal selling will also include targeting corporate companies or fleet buying segment. As for the stage in the product life cycle, sales promotion is most effective trigger for a purchase. Sales promotions are useful at the beginning of the product life cycle to increase acceptance or provoke a test drive. Media Strategy: The internet plays an important role. A direct mail will be sent to potential buyers and enable buyers to purchase the Prius online which would include a downloadable e-brochure. All advertisements will bear the Prius web address to make it easy for buyers to find it. Besides that, print adverts will be placed in quality newspapers especially those newspapers with weekend car editions such as The Star, New Straits Times, The Sun etc. Also, since the television is a good medium to target a wider audience it should be a priority. The TV stations would include TV3, NTV7 etc. Not forgetting outdoor billboards positioned at specific junctions. This could be complemented with a TV and print advertising where it is visible for potential buyers to see. Pre-Launch: This is crucial to get potential buyers excited about the new and upcoming Prius. Focusing on the pre-launch could potential determine how well the Prius sells. Consequently, an aura of excitement should be built from social media, direct mail, advertising, television adverts etc. This would also create awareness for the product that has a long purchase cycle and a long decision time. 6. Action Programs Subsequently the action program will be over a span of 3 years. So as to align our action program with our objectives, our marketing strategies will directly plan to achieve the objectives in which we set out. (The breakdown of the action program is attached in the Appendix: Note 2-4) 7. Projected Profit and Loss Statements The Projected Profit and Loss Statement would project a gross profit of RM 172,787.50. This comes from a projected unit sale of 2,500 units. (The breakdown of the Projected Profit and Loss Statement is attached in the Appendix: Note 5) 8. Controls So as to maximize the return on the marketing plan, there needs to be controls in place to monitors the plans progress (Anderson, 2013). Customer Feedback: To monitor the marketing plan, Toyota needs to monitor customer feedback through polls and surveys. Toyota can reach our buyers indirectly through hosting online polls on the Internet. Consequently, surveys can be done with marketing groups or via individual interviews by phone or in person. Target Market Sales: The Toyota Prius sales can be measured by the units sold. This is also done through market survey or at the point of sale. For example, if the target market is male ages 40 to 50, then market sales reports would monitor sales made to that group. On the other hand, if sales are down, then further market research would need to identify sales made to that group. Budgeting: This would include printing expense, travel expenses for trade shows, cost of market research studies and internal personnel costs. These costs would need to be closely monitored to minimize spending and maximize profitability. Market Share: Toyota would need to control market share which is the percentage of consumer sales dominated by the Prius. According to Turtle, the Toyota Prius market share decrease from 68% in 2012 to 60% in 2013 (Turtle, 2013). Subsequently, Toyota would need to increase market share and continue to place the Prius’ stamp in the marketplace.

Artificial Intelligence

One were to take a look around the room they are currently in, chances are there would be some form of artificial Intelligence present. From cell phones to computers – artificial Intelligence Is everywhere and even a way of life. The next generation of people may never know what life is without some form of intelligence embedded into their everyday schedule and routines. Perhaps the coffee pot that brews their caffeinated beverage every morning is programmed in such a way that they don't even have to touch it.Originally, however, it was programmed by a human. Robots may indeed be programmed intelligently, but robots can never replace humans. According to Kevin Money, It Is said that â€Å"Google and a lot of other companies believe robots today are like cell phones back when they were the size of bricks and cost $6,000. It may take 10 or 20 years, but before long everybody is going to have a robot – or several† (Money, 2013). Robots work alongside human beings to ensure accuracy, precision, and skill that human beings cannot perform on their own.Dan Lyons states that, â€Å"From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal carcasses In slaughter-houses, these ever- ore-Intelligent machines are now not Just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs. Automation isn't just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly paid human lawyers. Surely, robots are designed to assist humans, but can they really replace them? Author Michael Brooks writes about Hugh Lobber, a philanthropist from New York, whose goal Is to create total unemployment for all human beings throughout the world. â€Å"He wants robots to do all the work. And the first step towards that is to develop computers that seem human when you chat to them. It's n ot a new idea. Alan Turing is credited with the first explicit outline of what is now called the Turing test.A human judge sits down at a computer and has a typed conversation with an entity that responds to whatever the Judge types. If that entity is a computer, but the judge thinks It's a person, the conversational computer program passes the test (Brooks, 2013). † Human beings are highly flawed creatures and they often make mistakes. Robots, on the other hand, are computers – they execute a skill, time and mime again, without flaw, for the most part. That's why they are often used in medical settings, so that doctors can have the assistance of a robot to help execute a task.Dan Lyons states, â€Å"surgeons are using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations–not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover In less time and have fewer complications, says Dry. Miriam Cure. † However, this doesn't necessarily mean that robots are going to replace humans. â€Å"The surgery bots don't replace surgeons?you still need a surgeon to drive the robot† (Lyons, 2013). Unfortunately, computers are computers, and one day, they will crash. It may not happen right away, but eventually, there will be a glitch, a mistake, or an entire shutdown.Computers do not have a will or desire to complete a task, so they are only as good as they are programmed. In fact, there are many attributes that computers simply cannot intelligent as they may seem. It is inaccurate to think that a computer may genuinely mimic or replace a human, because they simply don't have mental skills. A robot may be programmed to respond to certain types of tones, words, or body language, but he beautiful thing about human beings is that they can come up with their own responses on their own – no matter what the stimulus may be.According to Greg Egan, it is healthier to communicate with a real human being rather than an artificially intelligent one. He states that, â€Å"The art of conversation, of listening attentively and weighing each response, is not a universal gift, any more than any other skill. Honing one's conversational skills with a computer–discovering your strengths and weaknesses while enjoying a chat with a character that is no less interesting for failing to exist–might well lead to better conversations with fellow unmans† (Egan, 2014).This is significant because human beings need this sort of interaction for mental health and stability. If one were connected to a robot, rather than a human, they would get a false sense of reality. Michael Brooks feels the same way about it. He says, â€Å"When we talk to each other, whether it's about last night's TV or the wisdom of a military strike on Syria, we are doing something far harder than sending a rocket to the moon. We did the moon-shot decades ago but we still can't make a machine that will hold a decent conversation† (Brooks, 2013). Human beings make mistakes. It is simply a part of human nature.If a human was around a robot that didn't make mistakes, or wasn't â€Å"human† enough, then the person would become uncomfortable. According to The Economist, â€Å"To keep human workers at ease, collaborative robots should also have an appropriate size and appearance. Collaborative, humanoid robots should generally be no larger than a six-year-old, a size most adults reckon they could overpower if necessary. Large eyes make robots seem friendlier and, crucially, more aware of their surroundings. † This goes to show the relationships that humans have with each other: the bigger and stronger a arson seems to be, the more intimidating they become.There is a trust issue that takes place within the need for big eyes to seem friendlier and the need to be aware of current surroundings. Isn't one of the greatest parts of being human the ability to judg e character and decide, individually, who is frightening and untrustworthy and who is not? The article also adds, â€Å"But overly humanoid features can lead to problematically unrealistic expectations. † So, if the robot were to randomly burst into flames, then the human would no longer trust it. Alas, assuming the robot could be rusted in the first place would lead to unrealistic expectations – expectations that are not human enough to exceed.Robots are unique because they are programmed. Humans are unique because they are not – meaning they are able to think for themselves and make mistakes. The Economist states that it is important to give robots â€Å"A defining human trait–the ability to make mistakes. Amah Salem programmed a humanoid Asimov robot, made by Honda, to make occasional harmless mistakes such as pointing to one drawer while talking about another. When it comes to household robots, test subjects prefer those that err over infallible ones , Dry Salem says. This is significant to see that humans prefer robots to be more human-like by making mistakes because it makes the person more comfortable. It is almost laughable, because a human is such prone to error, so the robot might as well be, they would prefer a robot to make a mistake would mean that they are searching for that connection – a connection that would sound something like, â€Å"we are only human† and they shrug it off and feel comforted again. Although robots are indeed artificially intelligent and have many technological capabilities, they still can never be exactly eke humans or completely replace humans.They may be able to help doctors and surgeons, factory workers, and make life a little easier in the everyday world, but they simply cannot mimic humans. Therefore, the idea of connecting with a robot should be thrown out the window, along with the idea of making a robot make mistakes on purpose for the comfort of the nearest human being. Wha t the nearest human being needs is to connect with the next human being and have a reassuring conversation that they will not lose their Job to a robot – unless they fail to program their robot ropey. Artificial intelligence Artificial Intelligence Is defined as the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. Artificial intelligence has come a long way as our culture has developed.Many people believe that artificial intelligence is in a sense giving these computers sentience or making them alive. What most people don't agree on is that Artificial Intelligence Is hat delightfulness Ass's from humans if they can think critically about situations and form their own opinions. In the movie â€Å"The Final Moments of Karl Brand† we are shown the basic sense of how humans feel about sentient AH systems.Karl Brand a top researcher for a new experimental AH system downloads his memories into a device. Later after he is murdered his friend pulls up the memories he had â€Å"uploaded† and they create a sentient AH version of himself. Most peo ple are greatly disturbed by the fact that AH could possibly become In a sense living and have a unconsciousness, In this movie the cop is deeply disturbed and rushes to pull the plug on the sediment being.This is how most people commonly react to change and constantly improving technology. Everyday Hollywood releases movies like terminator, and Robotic where artificial intelligences go haywire and takeover all of humanity. However, Most artificial intelligences are actually very intelligent and almost have a human like reasoning and logic. It is because of this sense of â€Å"sentience† that most people feel uncomfortable about robots and the growing technological age. Artificial Intelligence Brian Aldiss’ â€Å"Supertoys Last All Summer Long† is an interesting story which was adapted to film by Steven Spielberg in the movie â€Å"AI – Artificial Intelligence. Reading the story initially one would notice that the story ends with a hanging ending. There seems to be no closure in the story except that the audience is left wondering what happens to David since the couple, Monica and Henry, already acquired the license to conceive a real human child. The story is extremely short and would be impossible to adapt to film if not for the additions that have been made in its movie form.However, the short story itself forms the basis for the entire film save for it’s being extended to feature length. The narrative additions in the film were not added just so the basis, which is the short story, would become feature length, instead these additions serve three basic things – they appropriately conduct the story to a logical and closed-ended conclus ion, they serve to explain certain things that have not been explained in the short story because of its length, and they give the story material a more visual feel instead of the almost vignetted presentation in the literary piece.The narrative additions in the film expand the sphere of explanation for the story; something that was not done in the short story version. Noticeably, in the short story, Aldiss focused on the singular scene of the depressing interaction between Monica, David, and the super toy, Teddy. These interactions are limited to the revelations of how David reacts to the obvious disregard of Monica for him. David wonders why he cannot be loved as much by Monica whom he considers to be his mother.While the short story does not explore this fully, the film makes slight modifications by presenting Monica and Henry as a couple who had a child in suspended cryogenic animation. So, with that addition in the film, Monica is given a reason for her depression and her obvio us distance and indifference for the robot kid, David. In addition to this, the re-introduction of Monica’s real child who emerges from suspended animation serves to add another layer of conflict to the story which was surprisingly linear and less complicated in the short story version.Aside from these critical pieces of the story that were expanded and well explained in the film version, the movie also drew from the robot background of the story and created an entire world where humans interact with robots in the film. The only reference to this in the story is the serving-man which David presented to an audience as a new innovation in robotics as well as David who is the young robot boy.Of course it is assumed that with the existence of these two robots in the short story, the setting for the story becomes the future, but the film explores this further by portraying many other forms of robots to establish the idea that in the world where the story occurs, robots are made fo r various and different purposes. So, judging by how the material was expanded as more detailed narratives in the film, such narratives were not superfluous in the sense that these narrative elements had added more details to the story and made it more tangible as opposed to the fleeting and almost fickle clues that were given in the short story version.Another obvious development in the film that explains why the narratives were purposely introduced is the fact that the additions such as the adventure of David in the absence of Monica and Henry made the story more visual. In effect, the short story was merely used as a jump off platform for the movie, hence the phrase ‘based on the story’. This is expected in most film versions because most of the time, short stories create imaginary worlds in the reader’s mind that are far from tangible.So, while most of the narrative elements introduced in the film are no longer found in the short story, all of these elements can be derived from certain features of the short story itself. This is done to give the film a more material existence. Of course film is a different media an in this type of media, the story is told by visual cues and portrayals as opposed to how a story is told in literature which is mostly through mental images or what is known as imagery resulting from the expert arrangement and presentation of words.So, the addition of the narratives is in fact purposeful and intentional, the intention being to give the audience a more effective portrayal of what was initially only perceived through the imagination. The narratives give flesh to the imaginary world that was presented in the short story version allowing the film version to tell the story itself as well as allow audiences a privileged perspective into the world where the short story takes place in. The most important feature that the narratives gave to the film is the existence of a more satisfying and close-ended conclusion to t he story.It will be recalled that in the short story version the story merely ends with the couple ecstatic at knowing that they were now allowed to conceive a real child. While it is implied in the short story version that the couple had planned on disposing David because of this development when Monica says that David was malfunctioning; (Aldiss) in the film version, David pursues his dream of becoming a real boy and in the end, is reunited with his mother, Monica.While the ‘becoming a real boy’ part does not come true for David, he is given the opportunity to live life as a real boy in the end. The ending of the film is more satisfying for the audience compared to the ending in the short story because while there have been many narrative elements added to the film, these narrative elements worked together to effectively conclude the film version. Without the narrative elements the ending would have been strange and totally illogical.This, perhaps, is the most importa nt role that the narrative elements played in the film in relation to the short story version. So, while some might say that the addition of these elements totally destroyed the original story as told in the short story version, the narratives actually serves to expand the story enough for an appropriate ending or conclusion to be made. Had the narratives been absent from the film version, with the same ending that was used, the audience would have been left with nothing to base the ending on.The short story ended with an open ended conclusion in that the readers are left to assume what happens next, none of this occurs in the film largely because of the narratives which effectively told the story from start to finish and gave the ending sturdy foundations in the body of the film itself. So, the narrative elements in the film are not there merely to extend the short story into a feature version because like literature, any addition to a piece is always intentional.The purpose of add ing the narrative features into the film was to allow a more expanded perspective on the material as well as give the story a more visual appeal which is what is intended; but of course, the most important purpose of the narratives was to allow the story to end successfully. It is impossible to compare a short story to a movie when the movie openly admits that it is only based on the short story.In cases where such is in effect, where the movie is merely based on existing literary material, the literary piece may just be a minute portion of the film as a whole. In the case of Aldiss and the movie â€Å"AI† the director of the movie succeeded in his intentions of adding narrative features to the existing material which is the short story while at the same time preserving the integrity of the basis for the film.In many cases, the base material is lost in the telling of the story through film, but in this case both the director as well as the screenplay writer succeeded in prese rving the basic material while offering a film that was both entertaining and water-tight, story-wise. ? Works Cited Aldiss, Brian. â€Å"Super-Toys Last All Summer Long. † N. p. , 2007. Web. 12 July 2010. . Artificial Intelligence Technology keeps on getting better and better time to time. According to the Kondratieff Cycle, the technology changes states in around 50 years and in the early years of this 50 year cycle it builds upon only losses and only in the last ten years it brigs true returns which are actually the costs of adapting the technology being nullified.Artificial Intelligence is the premium technology being practiced today as it has the ability to mimic human behavior. The fact that AI systems can learn make them more viable for race to gain edge over your rivals, therefore firms are readily adapting such systems as they tend to boost performance of the firms.AI, not only helps the firms, but also helps individuals (employees) in understanding the cases and directing strategies efficiently. It also reduces the work load for many employees but at a tactical or top level.AI is more like a nightmare for operational level employees as it tends to destroy the chain to speed up operations. For instance , an efficient AI planted into a manufacturing firm can eliminate the need for manpower in assembling departments.At present, the commercial world is hungry for technology that would ease operations and decision making to the maximum level as the long run costs of maintaining these systems are extremely low as compared to employee management programs.This means that professional jobs are at stake. Further, such systems do not have an aging problem so knowledge can be contained easily. The point still argued is can we rely on machines that work on binary codes i.e. Yes or No options only?Computers can think but can not think rationally as humans may do, computers may be able to comprehend faster but still they can not act intuitively as humans do. References1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jan Goldberg, Mark Rowh, (2003), â€Å"Great Jobs for Computer Science Majors†Edition: 2, McGraw-Hill Professional2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alan Kernoff, Tom Schwartz Associates, (1986), â€Å"Who's who in Artificial Intelligence: The AI Guide to People, Products, Companies, Resources, Schools and Jobs†, WWAI,3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samir Dasgupta, Ray Kiely, (2006), â€Å"Globalization and After†,Sage Publications, Artificial Intelligence The movie Artificial Intelligence: A.I. is written and directed by Steven Spielberg, and stars Haley Joel Osment (â€Å"David†) and Jude Law (â€Å"Gigolo Joe†).   The movie is set in the future in a civilization that has taken drastic steps to ensure the survival and prosperity of society by limiting human population.Wealthy nations stay afloat by limiting the number of childbirths allowed per married couple.   In fact couples who exceed the minimum legal standard for number of children were penalized by law.   Human beings also co-exist with androids, called â€Å"mechas† who perform various functions for their human owners, such as gardeners, nannies, laborers, and, in Joe’s case, gigolos.Traditionally, the androids built by humans were not programmed to feel any emotions.   They were programmed merely to assist in the day-to-day lives of human beings.   This all changes when a company called Cybertonics creates a boy mecha called David, who i s built not only with artificial intelligence, but with emotional intelligence (or EQ) as well.In other words, David can love, looks for love, and responds to love from a human being.   As such, David is an experimental model, since no other mecha had been built quite like him, and Cybertronics selected one of their employees, Henry Swinton (played by Sam Robards) from a list of candidates of possible parents-to-be to take in David and to treat him as his own son.Henry decides to take David home under the advisement of the doctor who was worried about the health of Henry’s wife Monica (played by Frances O’Connor).Their own son, Martin (played by Jake Thomas) was seriously ill and was in suspended animation for a long time.   The doctors did not see the possibility of him recovering.The doctor told Henry that instead of worrying about his son, he should start worrying about the emotional wellness of his wife.   In order to do that, Henry thought that he should fil l the void left by the â€Å"loss† of their son by taking home David to take Martin’s place.At first, Monica (played by Frances O’Connor) is appalled at the idea.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The very thought of taking home an android to take Martin’s place angers Monica in the beginning. Henry then appeases her by telling her that he will take David back.He then informs Monica that there is a code consisting of 7 random words that, if spoken, will enable a mechanism in David to start acting and feeling like a real boy.   He warns her that if that code is enabled, David can no longer be returned.   He will have to be destroyed in the factory because if activated, the android would recognize no other mother and would be worthless.She is initially afraid of David, and tries to ignore him, but her maternal instincts take over, and soon, she warms up to David and starts treating him as her son.One morning Monica decides to activate the code embedded inside David, and he h imself starts to respond to Monica in the way a human child responds to his or her parent.   David does everything he can to please Monica, and she responds with warmth and love.   At the Swintons, David also makes friend with Teddy, a mecha teddy bear who speaks and has taken it upon himself to keep an eye out for David.Unfortunately, David’s happy stay at the Swintons, where he is treated as a real live boy and a son, does not last for long.   Martin, the Swintons’ real son, recovers miraculously from his illness and is sent home to his parents.   Upon his arrival, Martin becomes jealous over the attention and love his mother bestows on David.He starts thinking of ways to get David into trouble, to make his mother Monica love David less, and to give him, Martin, her full love and attention.