How to Extend (or Decline) an Invitation in French

There are a number of different ways to extend, accept, and refuse invitations in French, with a tone that is either formal or informal.   The verb choice, word choice, and sentence structure  all play a big part in how invitations and responses are expressed. Role of Verb Tense and Mood, Person, Tone, and Structure Formal: In more formal invitations and responses, the speakers seek the highest standards of politeness and so choose sentences using the very polite conditional mood in the main clause. Whats more, the polite vous of the main verb is preferred, and the language is more elevated throughout.  Sentences also tend to be more complex in more formal communications. Informal: In informal invitations and responses, the simple present tense in any part of the sentence or phrase  is adequate to convey the intended message, meaning, and casual mood. Whats more, the main verb uses the informal tu form, and the language is light and often breezy.  Sentences or phrases tend to be short and to the point. Extending an Invitation In the phrases that follow, the blank ___ must be filled with an infinitive in French. In English, however, youd add either an infinitive or a gerund—depending on the verb that precedes it. Again, notice the difference in sentence structure for formal versus informal invitations and responses. Vous nous feriez trà ¨s plaisir si vous pouviez nous consacrer une soirà ©e. (formal) We would be delighted if you could spend an evening with us.Nous serions trà ¨s heureux de vous accueillir chez nous. (formal)   We would be very happy to welcome you to our home.Je vous invite à   ___ (formal) /  Je tinvite à   ___  (informal)   I invite you to ___Êtes-vous libre ? (formal) /  Tu es libre ? (informal) Are you free?Avez-vous envie de ___ (formal)   Do you want to ___?Tu as envie de ___ ?  (formal)   Do you feel like ___?Ça te dit de ___ ? (informal)   How does ___ sound?Et si on (mange, voit un film)  ?  (informal)   How about (eating, seeing a movie)?Venez donc ___ (formal) /  Viens donc ___  Ã‚  Come and ___Rà ©ponse souhaità ©eRSVP  (Rà ©pondez sil vous plaà ®t) Accepting an Invitation   Bonne idà ©e  ! (informal)   Good idea!Ça va à ªtre gà ©nial  ! (informal)   Thatll be cool!Ça va à ªtre sympa  ! (informal)  Ã‚  Thatll be nice!Cela me ferait grand plaisir.   I would be delighted.Cest gentil (de votre part).   Thats kind (of you).Daccord.   OK.Jaccepte avec plaisir.   I accept with pleasure. / Ill be happy to come.Je viendrai avec plaisir.   I will be glad to come.Je vous remercie. I  thank you. / Thank you.Oui, je suis libre.   Yes, Im free. Declining an Invitation Je me vois malheureusement obligà © de refuser. (formal)  Ã‚  Unfortunately, Im obliged to decline.Cest dommage, mais ___  Ã‚  Its too bad, but ___Cest gentil, mais ___  Ã‚  Thats kind, but ___Dà ©solà ©, mais ___  Ã‚  Im sorry, but ___Jai quelque chose de prà ©vu.   I have something planned.Je ne peux pas.   I cant.Je ne peux pas me libà ©rer.   Im unavoidably busyJe ne suis pas libre.   Ã‚  Im not freeJe suis occupà ©.   Im busy.Je suis pris.   Im otherwise engaged. Invitation-Related Verbs accepter (avec plaisir)   to accept  (gladly, with pleasure)  accueillir to welcomeinviter   to inviteune invitation   invitationrefuser   to decline

The Experience Essay examples - 1969 Words

The Experience Though famous psychologists such as Freud claim that early childhood shapes and molds who a person will become the person I interviewed did not have his life changing experience until his mid twenties. This is past the years of infancy, early, middle and late childhood even adolescence. He was a full fledged textbook adult when he experienced a pivotal moment in his life. Certain theories of personality claim that personality is stable, even temperament in infancy can help determine one’s future actions. Yet this event took place after any physiological developments were still taking place. This event caused him to reflect on life and change his actions in profound ways. I interviewed my father. He is now 57 years old.†¦show more content†¦After the doctors fought to keep the patient alive, even resorting to CPR the man did not live. My father was shocked and humbled by this experience. He realized after this that he would never think such thoughts about a patient again. To do this day, no matter what time it is in the morning, he gets up without a grumble and does what needs to be done. Even I have personally felt the effects of this event on our family life. Be it from driving separate cars to dinner or the movies so he can leave a moment’s notice or rarely seeing him when he was on call as a child. Out of the Big Five factors of personality this event caused his conscientious to be permanently altered. Conscientiousness is described as organized, careful and disciplined. There is no doubt that he already was highly conscientious, yet this event further caused this trait to be further expressed in his work.(cite santrock personality chapter) In order for him to cope with the finality of death he has diligently made patient care and needs priority. He does not simply go through the motions like a â€Å"medical mechanic,† a doctor who could be sees his job akin to a plumber with no respect for the humanity of the patient. He is fully conscience and aware of the whole person and life of the people he treats. Theoretical or Textbook Interpretation In order to understand what caused this permanent alteration in his personality one must look the consequences one facesShow MoreRelatedPersonal Experience : My Experience920 Words   |  4 PagesMy Personal Experience Whatever experience, we have either good, bad or ugly; our experience reflects on our behavior or action. In life everybody has their own experience; as Lewis N. Roe said â€Å"personal experiences are probably the most convincing reason to believe for any individual who has had them†. My personal experience is the 1st hand experience that belongs to my private events that have taken place in my life. This personal experience is what makes me who I am and shape me the way to reactRead MoreMy Experience With My Learning Experience953 Words   |  4 Pagesone another, which made it a really pleasant experience. However, at the age of 15, my parents and I moved to Quito, Ecuador looking for better education and job opportunities. Even though it was very hard at the beginning, I believe I could adapt very quickly to a new culture and its people, which I began to appreciate. During my high school years, I had the opportunity to take Psychology as a class for the first time. Although my learning experience consisted of concepts of personality and socialRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Unconventional Experience1202 Words   |  5 PagesUnconventional Experience Nineteen years ago I was born in a little town in southern New Jersey called Manahawkin. It is a tourist town, and even today is genuinely only known for the island that it is attached to, and even saying that it is â€Å"known† is a stretch. Typically, tourists do not even know the name of my town while driving through it. When I arrived at college, I had to constantly answer the question of where I am from. Eventually I learned to just fib a little and say that I am from â€Å"LongRead MoreChildren And Adolescents Experience With Peers2012 Words   |  9 Pages Children and adolescents’ experience life different ways, whether with family or with peers. The concept of children and adolescents experience with peers is that the children’s interactions with their peers plays a huge role in their development socially. Although this concept is very true and accurate, in some cases, this concept can encounter some issues when applied to everyday situations. Life sit uations can alter or rearrange the way the concept of children and how they learn from their peersRead MoreThe Experience Machine By Nozick897 Words   |  4 Pagesscenario where we can get a maximum amount of pleasure by plugging into an â€Å"experience machine† that allows us to undergo anything we wanted while we are in a tank with electrodes attached to our heads. One will be plugged in for two years at a time but while one is attached, the experiences are going to seem like they are actually happening. He takes this machine to disprove the hedonism view that says consciously experience pleasure is the most important thing to living a good life. In his opinionRead MoreChildren And Adolescents Experience With Peers1896 Words   |  8 PagesChildren and adolescents experience life different ways, whether with family or with peers. The concept of children and adolescents experience with peers is that the children’s interactions with their peers plays a huge role i n their development socially. Although this concept is very true and accurate, in some cases, this concept can encounter some issues when applied to everyday situations. Life situations can alter or rearrange the way the concept of children and how they learn from their peersRead MoreThe Work Of Belbin And My Personal Experiences988 Words   |  4 PagesThe work of Belbin and my personal experiences The Financial Post (2015) stated teamwork is key to success; this is true in the context of building careers as at some point you will have to work in a team, which is sometimes challenging. Steve Jobs also believed in the importance of teamwork â€Å"Great things in business are never done by one person they’re done by a team of people.† (BusinessNewsDaily, 2013). There are many different aspects of teamwork for example; skills, team conflict and groupRead MoreThe Experience Of Missing Someone For A Short Note On1049 Words   |  5 PagesContext: The experience of missing someone for S3 occurred within the context of leaving her father and boyfriend in the United States, to spend a semester in Ireland. Tone: The tone in S3’s protocol is one of initial excitement mixed with trepidation, however, when she arrived in Ireland, her mood changed to feeling alone, empty and overwhelmed. The tone was sorrowful. Her protocol ends on a more positive note, though still with mixed emotions while she endeavored to see her experience as a positiveRead MoreHumans Do Not Experience Life And Events1995 Words   |  8 PagesSteven Huynh PHIL 150 Humans do not experience life and events in a purely objective manner. To fully understand the many facets of this claim and its meaning, we must â€Å"break down† the sentence and know of each word’s meaning. Humans refer to people; it references human beings. While people live, they experience life and events. In other words, they act and react, causing and participating in events, and learning from or ignoring things that happen his or her life; they undergo events in life.Read MoreA Particular Leadership and Character Building Experience1123 Words   |  4 PagesA particular leadership and character building experience I would like to highlight is my 5-year participation in the Southwestern Company Sales Program while in college from age 16 through 20. As Independent Dealer and Student Manager, I successfully surmounted the obstacles distinctive of the program such as selling door to door; organizing my own business; working at least 75 hr. a week every week of the summer; recruiting, training and motivating my own team; and, at the same time, overcoming

Human Impact on the use of Drones

Questions: 1. What is the human impact on the use of drones?2. Do individual rights and the common good conflict? Answers: 1. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are pilotless aircrafts that are either controlled using a remote control by a human operator or by onboard computers. Though now mostly operated for military purposes, they are also used for civil, commercial, scientific, research and recreational purposes. The ethical dilemmas associated with the use of this technology are on a rise because of the more widespread use of it these days. There are various concerns related with the use of drones which is being discussed. Security: When used for military and police surveillances, it is more penetrable and gives a clear picture of the various threats for which surveillance is being carried out. The loss of life that is caused while undertaking this activity can be minimized. Dangerous areas can be surveyed with minimum exposure and minimum damage to life and property. But, if the technology is obtained by terrorists and other anti-social elements, this very aspect will be the most affected. They can make use of the system to know the movements and plans of the law enforcers and plan accordingly. Another important concern is that, it makes use of computers and information technology that can be hacked and misused by the miscreants (Carvin, 2015). Privacy: The mostly voiced concern associated with the use of drones is the violation of the right to privacy. When not properly regulated and when the users are not held accountable UAVs can be used to spy into the normal lives of people for purposes like gaining access to rival companies plans and data, lives of spouses, lovers etc. and simply random snooping. This action can disrupt the peaceful and smooth lives of people and affect their basic rights (Kennedy and Rogers, 2015). Otherwise inaccessible areas are made accessible using this technology. This ranges from vast natural world to the man-made wonders. Many wonders of nature can be captured without jeopardizing the lives of people and complete picture of hazards can be got with the help of these electronic bees. For the various news agencies and investigative journalists this is a boon. Drone technology is now being widely used in journalism by many media giants like bbc and also is taught as course for budding journalists (Whetham, 2015). This technology is real and very much there. The governments around the world should devise methods to prevent its misuse. They should make laws and regulation for ensuring fair and judicious use of drones is it for any purpose and by any people. Care should be taken for preventing the technology being acquired by wrong people. Since this is a technology that has the potential to be harmful for the normal lives of the people, the sale and purchase of drones should be properly monitored. The users should always keep the rights of other people in mind while putting to use such sensitive technologies. 2. All those rights that are available to an individual without interference from government or other individuals and are necessary for the individual to lead a free and fulfilled life can be termed as individual rights. Common good is referred to all that is shared and beneficial to almost all members of a society. Individual rights and common good are meant to work in tandem with each other (SUTROP, 2011). But there are circumstances when this does not happen and conflict between the two occurs. Such incidents occur mostly when individual rights are exercised selfishly by a few people in the society without taking into account the harms that their action can bring. A few examples of such instances are being explored below: Every individual in a free society should have the right to express freely. But when this right is misused and is made use of to instigate violence in the name of community, race, sex, religion etc. by few, it disturbs the lives of masses and creates chaos and destructions. Freedom of press is enjoyed by organizations when being used by them to insult and embarrass their rivals (political, religious etc.) creating hurt for large groups of people is another instance of the individual freedom being misused and thus working against common good. In any secular country, people have the right to follow any religion they please. However, when a few people choose religion as a means to instigate violence and create troubles for the society as a whole, the concept of common good gets in conflict with individual rights (SCU, 2016). Undemocratic countries and places without rights are a proof for the importance of individual rights and the problems one can face in the absence of these. But when these rights which are meant to work in close relation with common good happens otherwise, it creates a threat to the entire society. Thus, the governments worldwide have to bring in controls and curtail these rights in just and fair manner to ensure that they dont interfere with the collective rights of the society. Even democratic governments which place a lot of importance for the individual rights practice this kind of restraints on the rights to ensure a smooth flow of life to the entire citizens. Every individual should keep in mind that their freedom ends where the freedom of others begin. And then they would make it a point not to interfere with the common good and then the spirit of both will be maintained. It should also be remembered that rights and common good is subjective and depends on the perspective from which the analysis is made. Conclusion Justice and fairness in all the actions undertaken would ensure that the world is a better place to live for all the present generation and future generations to come. Thus, every people making use of the modern technologies and amenities as well as exercising the rights should take care not to interfere with others rights and freedoms and also the common good of the society. References Carvin, S. (2015). Getting drones wrong. The International Journal Of Human Rights, 19(2), 127-141. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2014.991212 Kennedy, C. Rogers, J. (2015). Virtuous drones?. The International Journal Of Human Rights, 19(2), 211-227. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2014.991217 SUTROP, M. (2011). Changing Ethical Frameworks: From Individual Rights to the Common Good?. Cambridge Quarterly Of Healthcare Ethics, 20(04), 533-545. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0963180111000272 Whetham, D. (2015). Drones to protect. The International Journal Of Human Rights, 19(2), 199-210. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2014.991215 SCU. (2016). Justice and Fairness - Ethical Decision Making - Ethics Resources - Markkula Center for Applied Ethics - Santa Clara University. Scu.edu. Retrieved 26 May 2016, from https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/justice-and-fairness/

Street Car Named Desire By Williams Essays (924 words) -

Street Car Named Desire By Williams Our lives are consumed by the past. The past of what we once did, what we once accomplished, and what we once could call our own. As we look back on these past memories we seldom realize the impact these events have on our present lives. The loss of a past love mars are future relationships, the loss of our family influences the choices we make today, and the loss of our dignity can confuse the life we live in the present. These losses or deaths require healing from which you need to recover. The effects of not healing can cause devastation as apparent in the movie A Streetcar Named Desire. The theme of A Streetcar Named Desire is death. We encounter this idea first with the death of Blanche and Stella's relationship as sisters. Blanche and Stella had a life together once in Bel Reve and when Stella decided to move on in her life and leave, Blanche never could forgive her. This apparent in the scene when Blanche first arrives in New Orleans and meets Stella at the bowling alley. Stella and Blanche sit down for a drink and we immediately see Blanche's animosity towards Stella. Blanche blames Stella for abandoning her at Bel Reve, leaving Blanche to handle the division of the estate after their parents die. As result of Stella's lack of support, we see Blanche become dependent on alcohol and lose her mental state. Blanche comes to be a a terrible reck through out the movie as we learn of the details of her life at Bel Reve. Her loss of the entire estate and her struggle to get through an affair with a seventeen year old student. This baggage that Blanche carries on her shoulders nips at Stella through out eventually causing the demise of her relationship. As Blanche's visit goes on with Stella, the nips become too great and with the help of Stanley, Stella has Blanche committed to a mental hospital, thus symbolizing the death of the realtionship they once had. The next death we encounter in the film is the death of Stella and Stanley's marriage. Our first view of Stanley is of an eccentric man, but decent husband who cares deeply for his wife. However, as as Blanche's visit wears on, we come to see the true Stanley, violent and abusive. Stanley is a true man of the fifties, he is sexist and depedent on his wife's submissive attitude in order to acheive what he wants accomplished. This attitude is first apparent when Stanley and his buddies have their first poker game while Blanche visits. Blanche occupies her time in the other room decorating the walls and decides to turn on the radio. At first Stanley is slightly annoyed by the music and tells Stella to turn it down. Then as his rage builds after she doesn't turn off the radio, Stanley rips the radio down from the wall and throws it. We view Stanley as a beast who waits to erupt at any second. Stella is not typical of the normal woman of the fifties. She will not take the abuse to a point and when Stanley hits her, she reconsiders her options. We again view Stanley's rage as he yells, "Stella! Stella!". Stella's strength proves to be weak when she returns to Stanley arms later, however their relationship was still in trouble. Stella finally endures enough when she learns of Stanley's abuse of Blanche and leaves Stanley in the final scene of the movie; the death of their marriage. The last main example of death in A Streetcar Named Desire is the death of Blanche and Mitch's relationship. Death is the factor that drew the two together, the death of Blanche's life at Bel Reve and Stanley's dying mother. Their realtionship prospered for a while as Blanche and Mitch connected, finding a common ground they could relate two. In the scene at the boatdocks, we view the impact of the death of Blanche's husband on her current relationship with Mitch. Mitch wants Blanche to the point of marriage and Blanche's obsession with the past hinders Mitch's plans. This common ground proved to weak when Mitch learned of Blanche's life at Bel Reve and her premiscious lifestyle. When Blanche sits by the phone waiting for Mitch's call, we view the impact of death on Blanche's life. Blanche's past relationships which caused so much pain where now resurfacing in Mitch. Mitch love Blanche dearly, but could not overcome this

Why making a lot of money won’t necessarily make you happy

Why making a lot of money won’t necessarily make you happy A number that has been thrown around in recent years as the ideal salary to aim for is $75,000. Economist  Angus Deaton and psychologist  Daniel Kahneman performed a study in 2010 where they determined that it doesn’t matter now much more than this magic salary number you earn- your happiness and satisfaction levels won’t noticeably increase. Why wouldn’t earning in the six figures make life absolutely fulfilling? Well, it turns out: money isn’t everything. There are plenty of other factors that affect your life satisfaction in any given job.Here are a few reasons why salary doesn’t necessarily correlate with happiness.Career success doesn’t always mean more money.Very often what makes a person happy is the ability to do what they do well and to gain influence, recognition, and job security. Success can mean rising to manage teams or organizations, making an impact, feeling valued in a crucial role for a company, or just knowing that the future is stable. None of these happiness factors necessarily require a high salary.Experiences matter.It’s not all about earning and spending, either. Sometimes job satisfaction results from meeting daily challenges head on, or simply trying and learning new things. Jobs that are not satisfying beyond pay day will leave people who crave these more elusive factors feeling empty. Though money can help you buy things in your free time, you won’t be able to enjoy those things without any free time. A career with a punishing schedule certainly won’t allow you the time for many of the experiences outside of the office that constitute a fulfilling life.People often make the job.If you thrive on collaborative environments, client-based work, or sales teams, then a job that lacks human interaction can leave you feeling isolated no matter how much it pays. Interacting with other humans is one of those crucial things that help us to feel human, though some people require this more than others.You have to do what suits you.Similarly, if you’re a traditional person, you won’t be happy in a well paying gig that thrives on innovation and busting up the status quo. If you’re into science, tech, or data- hard facts and numbers- you won’t do well in a creative gig. If you require the freedom to be creative, you should not languish in a job that requires stifling your most genius ideas.You might thrive on doing good, not making more.If you’re an altruistic sort who really needs to make a positive difference in the world, you’d probably hate a high-power, high-paying job that doesn’t serve anything but a few corporate interests and your bank account. A job that allows you to make the world a better place will be infinitely more fulfilling than one that simply earns you a higher salary.Oversatisfaction isn’t all that great.If you deny yourself nothing and give yourself all the best of everything all the time- the best food, the finest clothes, the biggest house, the nicest travel perks, the fanciest car- then you’ll lose touch with the simpler pleasures in life. Stuff, especially nice stuff, can be a powerful addiction. But it won’t necessarily make your life a happier one. Being realistic about what is really valuable to you will help you choose the career that best suits you.Constant chasing isn’t fun.On a similar note, if your days are just spent trying to make more to be able to afford this or that,  chances are you will feel empty in the long run. Ask yourself this tough question: When will you be done and able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor? If the answer is something close to â€Å"never,† it might be time to consider a career change, even if you haven’t reached your goal yet. After all, pie-in-the-sky goals will never improve your life if you are miserable during the long process of fulfilling them. Be happy now in a care er that truly satisfies you.

Using the Spanish Word Seguro

Using the Spanish Word Seguro As a cognate of the English word secure, seguro has most of the meanings of secure as well as a few of its own. It is used most often to refer to safety, security, dependability, and certainly, concepts that overlap. The most common translations are secure, safe, and certain, although others are possible. Seguro Referring to Safety Some examples of seguro as an adjective referring to safety: Segà ºn las estadà ­sticas, el avià ³n es el medio de transporte ms seguro. (Statistically, the airplane is the safest form of transport.)Los padres quieren saber que son seguros los juegos que estn jugando sus hijos.  (The parents want to know that the games their children are playing are safe.)El hotel cerca del aeropuerto es el à ºltimo lugar seguro. (The hotel near the airport is the ultimate safe place.)Necesito un silloncito seguro para el bebà ©. (I need a safe chair for the baby.)Haz tu casa segura para tu familia. (Make your home safe for your family.) ¿Alguien sabe de una fuente segura de medicina? (Does anyone know of a safe source of medicine?) Seguro Related to Security Seguro is commonly used as an adjective when referring to various kinds of security, both physical and virtual: Sus datos estarn seguros. (Your data will be secure.)La ciudad tiene una estacià ³n de trenes segura y accesible. (The city has a secure and accessible train station.)Los telà ©fonos mà ³viles ya no son seguros. (Cellphones still arent secure.)La Sala de Situaciones de la Casa Blanca posee sistemas de comunicaciones seguras. (The White House Situation Room has secure communications systems.) ¿Se puede lograr que una ciudad sea segura contra los terroristas que utilizan vehà ­culos como armas? (Can a city achieve being secure against terrorists who use vehicles as weapons?) Other Meanings for Seguro In some contexts, seguro can refer to reliability or trustworthiness: No puedo arriesgar la vida de mis hombres en un plan poco seguro. (I cant risk the life of my men on an undependable plan.)Necesito respuestas seguras porque me muero de nervios. (I need reliable answers because Im dying of anxiety.)La biometrà ­a est creciendo como mà ©todo seguro de identificacià ³n de usuarios. (Biometrics is in creating as an effective  method of user identification.) Seguro can refer to certainty: La etimologà ­a de la palabra no es segura. (The etymology of the word isnt certain.)No estoy seguro de cà ³mo ayudar a alguien con problemas financieros. (Im not sure how to help someone with financial problems.)Pasaron tres o cuatro minutos, no estoy seguro.  (Three or four minutes passed, Im not sure.) Note again that the meanings above can overlap, and context may be necessary to determine what is meant. For example, one of the  sentence above - Los telà ©fonos mà ³viles ya no son seguros - came from an article about the security of information transmitted over the airwaves. But in a different context, the same sentence might have been referring to whether such cellphones can cause cancer. Seguro as a Noun As a noun, el seguro can refer to a safe place in general, or more specifically as a safety latch or other device that keeps something or someone safe. (In some regions, it can refer specifically to a safety pin.) A seguro can also refer to an insurance policy, especially one covering health or protection for injuries. Muchos alpinistas prefieran los mosquetones con seguros de acero. (Many climbers prefer carabiners with steel screw locks.)El seguro casero se requiere en cualquier prà ©stamo casero. (Homeowners insurance is required for any home loan.)Tiene seguros especiales para que el bebà © se quede fijo a la hamaca. (We have special devices so the baby can remain attached to the hammock.) Related Words and Etymology Words related to seguro include asegurar (to assure, to insure, to secure, to make sure), segurar (a shortened version of asegurar), seguridad (security, safety), and seguramente (securely, surely, probably). Seguro comes from the Latin securus, which had a similar meaning. The most closely related English words are secure, sure, and security, although there is also a more distant relationship with secret (secreto in Spanish). Key Takeaways Seguro is related to the English word secure and usually is an adjective that conveys the idea of safety or security.In some contexts, seguro can convey the idea of certainty or usefulness.As noun, seguro often refers to insurance or a thing that provides for safety.

Does data and analysis present a good argument Debating the research Assignment

Does data and analysis present a good argument Debating the research method of an article - Assignment Example The large size of sample is associated with biasness during presentation due to the work load involve, a confirmation that differences are as a result of size bias not mode selected. Sampling mistake arises in the sampling procedure itself as not all parties of the outline population are assessed (Easterby-Smith et al 2003). Normative model is used during web surveys as opposed to paper and pencil procedures. What I could have suggested for the authors of the article is to reduce the sample size. By using accommodating sample size it is easy to manage the sample bias. Normative model presents an opportunity for participants not to pay much attention as compared to face to face or telephone surveys (Easterby-Smith et al 2003). I would suggest combining normative model with instrumental model to improve sample bias and check ramifications of low response rate (Vieira et al 2002). The research relied mostly on qualitative research rather than employ mixed research method. Vieira, W., De La Tour, K., & De La Tour, S. (2002). Projectiology: a panorama of experiences of the consciousness outside the human body. Brazil, International Institute of Projectiology and

Define both faith and reason Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Define both faith and reason - Essay Example Reasoning is the name of explanation with justification. Justification in turn is drawn from universally acknowledged facts and beliefs. Almost always, there is no ultimate reason that can be raised in support of a particular faith. Many reasons can be offered to justify a faith, and there acknowledgement varies from individual to individual depending upon the individual’s way of thinking and perception of the world. Relationship between faith and reason: There is a very strong relationship between reason and faith. Reason is the fundamental element that supports faith but it can never take its place. It is not possible for faith to exist without any reason, though faith can and does exist quite frequently without the existence of a profound knowledge or reasoning in its support. It is important to note that reason and faith are never antithetical. Reason and faith are never opposite. They are also never mutually exclusive and are hence, inseparable from each other (Albl 1). T herefore, it is quite normal and rational to find reason for having faith. Description of faith: â€Å"Biblical faith is having the belief and assurance from God in something that is unseen and/or not yet realized which has some probability of being correct, where the probability is determined using the brain and the intellect as guided by God† (angelfire.com).

Oliver Cromwell and Opinions of Him Essay Example for Free

Oliver Cromwell and Opinions of Him Essay Interpretations of Oliver Cromwell have changed over time, from a mass murderer to a hero. These interpretations have changed over time as a result of; -Certain events that affected people; laws etc: e.g. the execution of Charles I and the massacres of Drogheda and Welford etc. -The country they were in and how the people who had most of the power thought of him: e.g. Charles II etc. -What type of person you were classed as: e.g. lord, servant etc. -What religion you were and what experiences that religion have had: e.g. Catholic, Puritan etc. These are the main things that affected what people thought and how they acted towards him. So what did people think of him over times? In most of his earlier years Oliver Cromwell was a middle class citizen, however this changed when he received an inheritance from his uncle. This not only changed him financially but from then on he was recognised as a wealthy man who owned land and money. To add to this he also joined parliament which soon lead to him being in the civil war, making him recognised as a hero and a great cavalry leader by most of the public. This soon meant that he was one of many to sign the letter for the execution of Charles I for high treason and were recognised as heroes. Soon after he helped England become a common wealth county with the rest of the parliamentarians. Meaning he was recognised as a saviour of England! When Oliver Cromwell was in the army he was a cavalry leader and became known as a great one because of his knowledge and it was this that lead him to win many battles against rebels and many other armies, making him known as a hero but by some a murderous tyrant. He was also known for treating his army men well as well as respecting them for example when some of his own men rebelled he did not kill them but only the four ringleaders to set an example. This made people think that he was a powerful and proud military leader. However he was accused for ordering the massacre of 3000 men, women and children in Drogheda and 2000 in Welford both in Ireland because they were Catholic. This changed the thoughts of people to become twisted about Oliver Cromwell and made him seem more like a murderous tyrant than a hero. When Oliver Cromwell grew in power he created laws which some people liked and others disliked. These laws obeyed the daily laws in which a puritan lives their lives. Although the puritans liked it, many people felt offended because they had to obey the rules of a religion in which they did not worship and felt as if they were ordered to do it. To add to this some of the laws were outstandingly strict, for example you were not allowed to walk for leisure. This made people think of him as a saviour to some but a tyrant to others. When Oliver Cromwell was awarded the role of Lord Protector many people like the Puritans liked it although the Catholics disliked it. In this role he had the task of ‘healing and controlling’ the land. Also although people did not like this they could not argue as he was the ‘Lord Protector’. When Oliver Cromwell died many people mourned including his family and many Puritans, however other people celebrated such as the Catholics. Although the funeral was the most important part of it because it would show how important he was and because his funeral costed nearly  £70,000 he was mourned upon by many people as this costed more than some kings’ funerals. And so to some then he was remembered as a murderous tyrant however to others he was remembered as a hero. When Charles II came to power he mocked Oliver Cromwell in every way he could because he was one of many MPs to sign the treaty to accuse his father of high treason. To add to this the Dutch were on his side, as he fled there for his life when his father was executed and spread rumours of Cromwell bringing corruption in England, Scotland and Ireland. This made people think that Oliver Cromwell was evil and had changed some of their interpretation by rumouring. In the Victorian era Oliver Cromwell was hated and despised upon by many people because many people who worked in most of England’s more liberating jobs were Irish. And so on one occasion when Queen Victoria was planning to visit Manchester she did not because there was a statue of Oliver Cromwell situated there, this was a bad thing because if she went she might be despised by the Irish for liking him as a person making Oliver Cromwell seem a tyrant. This also occurred in the 1900 when Oliver Cromwell was compared to Hitler and mocked upon. In the twenty first century we have mixed thoughts about him because although comments have been made about him we cannot justify most things such as the massacre in Ireland as there was no proof that he ordered the soldiers to kill the people or that he was even involved in any of this. And so we can sometimes only have opinions that have no justifications. In my opinion Oliver Cromwell was a stern puritan although he did revolutionize most things and even become Lord Protector. So I think he was a noble man who was wrongly mocked and despised of!!!

Free Things They Carried Essays: Syntactic and Paratactic Interpretation :: Things They Carried Essays

Syntactic and Paratactic Interpretation of The Things They Carried  Ã‚  Ã‚   The syntactic and paratactic styles of interpretation are both needed to interpret Tim O’Briens â€Å"The Things They Carried†.   The syntactic aspect of interpretation deals with the imaginary or the things that aren’t said, but that are implied or that happen outside of what is said.   Paratactic interpretation deals with the concrete details that stand out and are specifically stated.   The media, although it didn’t change the outcome of the war much because it provided coverage of both negative and positive aspects, it was the first war to be covered by the media and therefore what it did cover, people believed. This can be observed in Tim O’Briens novel on the coverage of how the war started and how it was covered after the war started.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The historical approach to this novel with respect to the syntactic aspect can be observed if one looks at what the media said had started the war.   The media stated that the war had been started because U.S. ships had been fired upon in friendly waters by hostile warships. Paratacticly this makes sense and should have started a war in which we sent over troops that felt that they were protecting their country, which might have actually changed the outcome of the war.   Syntactically, though, the story was that we had been in two previous tiffs (Cuba and Laos) and had lost.   This caused the president to be looked at in an unfavorable light, which made him and others in power, to stage a war that he thought we could win.   In reality there were no known hostile ships anywhere near the area that our ships went down and he was blindly following a belief that communism should be contained in order not to have a domino effect.   The media later portrayed t his portrait of the war, but it was too late for many young teenagers that had just gotten out of high school. Another example of syntactic analysis is where the media reported a death count.   Paratactically the death count represented the number of bodies dead, but this is misleading.   The death count, for one thing, is misleading because the entire country was covered with mines and these explosives killed both friend and foe. After they had gone off, there was little left of the body.   This leads to miscounting because if the body is blown into microscopic pieces it is hard to tell if one, two, or three people died, and who’s side they were on.

HRM&D

Training and development activities begin when a new employee enters the organization usually in the form of employee orientation and skills training. Employee orientation is the process by which new employees learn important organizational values and norms, establish working relationships, and learn how to function within their Jobs. The HARD staff and hiring supervisor generally share the responsibility for designing the orientation process, conducting general orientation sessions, and beginning the initial skills training.Skills and technical training programs then narrow in scope to teach the new employee a particular skill or area of knowledge. Once new employees have become proficient in their Jobs, HARD activities should focus more on developmental activities specifically, coaching and counseling. In the coaching process, individuals are encouraged to accept responsibility for their actions, to address any work-related problems, and to achieve and to sustain superior performan ce.Coaching involves treating employees as partners in achieving both personal and organizational goals. Counseling techniques are used to help employees deal with personal problems that may address such issues as substance abuse, stress management smoking cessation, r fitness, nutrition, and weight control. HARD professionals are also responsible for coordinating management training and development programs to ensure that managers and supervisors have the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective in their positions.These programs include supervisory training, Job rotation, one-day seminars, or college and university courses. 1. 1. 2 Organization Development (DO) the well-being of its members through planned interventions that apply behavioral science concepts. DO emphasizes both macro and micro organizational changes: macro changes are intended to ultimately improve the effectiveness of the organization, whereas micro changes are directed at individuals, small groups and teams . The role of the HARD professional involved in an DO intervention is to function as a change agent.Facilitating change often requires consulting with and advising line managers on strategies that can be used to effect the desired change. The HARD professional may also become directly involved in carrying out the intervention strategy, such as facilitating a meeting of the employees responsible for planning and implementing the actual change process. 1. 1. 3 Career development Career development is an ongoing process by which individuals' progress through a rise of stages, each of which is characterizes by a relatively unique set of issues, themes, and tasks.Career development involves two distinct processes: career planning and career management. Career planning involves activities performed by an individual, often with the assistance of counselors and others, to assess his or her skills and abilities in order to establish a realistic career plan. Career management involves taking the necessary steps to achieve that plan, and generally focuses more on what the organization can do to foster employee career development. There is a throng relationship between career development and T activities. 1. Other HARD Roles and outputs for HARD Professionals HARD professionals perform nine distinct roles, which are described below: The HER strategic adviser consults strategic decision makers on HARD issues that directly affect the articulation of organization strategies and performance goals. The HER systems designer and developer assist HER management in the design and development of HER systems that affect organization performance. The organization change agent advises management in the design and implementation of change strategies used in ransoming organizations.The organization design consultant advises management on work systems design and the efficient use of human resources. The learning program specialist (or instructional designer) identifies needs of the learn er, develops and designs appropriate learning programs, and prepares materials and other learning aids. The instructor/facilitator presents materials and leads and facilitates structured learning experiences. The individual development and career counselor assists individual employees in assessing their competencies and goals in order to develop.The performance consultant (or coach) advises line management on appropriate interventions designed to improve individual and group performance. The researcher assesses HARD practices and programs using appropriate statistical procedures to determine their overall effectiveness and communicates the results to the organization. Strategic management involves a set of managerial decisions and actions that are intended to provide a competitively superior fit with the external environment and enhance the long-run performance of the organization.It involves several distinct processes, including strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and co ntrol. In particular, HARD executives and professionals should demonstrate the strategic capability of HARD in three primary ways: 1 . First, HARD executives should contribute information, ideas, and recommendations during strategy formulation and ensure that the organization's HARD strategy is consistent with the overall strategy. 2.Second, HARD professionals should provide education and training programs that support effective strategic management. Training in strategic management concepts and methods can help line managers to develop a global perspective that is essential for managing in today's highly competitive environment. Finally, HARD professionals must ensure that all training efforts are clearly linked to the goals and strategies of the organization. 1. 4 Supervisor's Role in HARD Supervisors play a critical role in implementing many HARD programs and processes.Many organizations rely on line supervisors to implement HARD programs and processes such as orientation, traini ng, coaching, and career development. The HARD executive/manager has primary responsibility for all HARD activities. One of the important tasks of the HARD executive is to promote the value of HARD as a means of insuring that organizational members have the competencies to meet current and future Job demands. 1. 5 HARD process HARD programs and interventions can be used to address a wide range of issues and problems in an organization.They are used to orient and socialize new employees into the organization, provide skills and knowledge, and help individuals and groups become more effective. To ensure that these goals are achieved, care must be given when designing and delivering HARD programs. Designing HARD intervention involves a process, which includes a four-step sequence: needs assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation. Needs Assessment phase HARD interventions are used to address some need or gap within the organization.A need can either be a current deficiency, such as poor employee performance, or a new challenge that demands a change in the way the organization operates. Employee performance. This information can be used to: Establish priorities for expending HARD efforts Define specific training and HARD objectives Establish evaluation criteria. Design phase The second phase of training and HARD process involves designing the HARD program or intervention. The following activities are typically carried out during this phase:Selecting the specific objectives of the program Developing an appropriate lesson plan for the program Developing or acquiring the appropriate materials for the trainees to use Determining who will deliver the program Selecting the most appropriate method or methods to conduct the program Scheduling the program The design phase also involves selecting and developing the content of the program. This means choosing the most appropriate setting for the program (e. G. On the Job, in a classroom), and the materials to be used in delivering the program (workbooks). Implementation phaseThe goal of the assessment and design phases is to implement effective HARD programs or interventions. This means that the program or intervention must be delivered or implemented, using the most appropriate means or methods. Evaluation phase Program evaluation is the final phase in the training and HARD process. This is where the effectiveness of the HARD intervention is measured. Careful evaluation provides information on participants' reaction to the program, how much they learned, whether they use what they learned back on the Job, and whether the program improved the organization's effectiveness.This information allows managers to make better decisions about various aspects of the HARD effort, such as: Continuing to use a particular technique or vendor in future programs Offering a particular program in the future Budgeting and resource allocation Using some other HER or managerial approach to solve the problem It is im portant that HARD professionals provide evidence that HARD programs improve individual and organizational effectiveness. Armed with this information, HARD managers from other areas of the organization when discussing the effectiveness of their actions and competing for resources. Unit questions:Management development is one of the most common HARD activities. Although management development has been defined in many ways, the following definition best captures the essence of management development as it can and should be practiced in organizations: â€Å"an organization's conscious effort to provide its managers (and potential managers) with opportunities to learn, grow, and change, in hopes of producing over the long term a cadre of managers with the skills necessary to function effectively in that organization†. This Unit will address Management, Organizational as well as Career development in detail.

Imperial Administration in Han China and Imperial Rome

Analyze similarities and differences in techniques of imperial administration in TWO of the following empires: Han China (206 B. C. E. -220 C. E. ) Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B. C. E-550 C. E) Imperial Rome (31 B. CE-476 C. E. ) While imperial administration in Han China from 206 B. C. E to 220 C. E. and Imperial Rome from 31 B. C. E. to 476 C. E. had their similarities like the family roles that the government encourages, living under one ruler who gives the people some control, and the general idea of equalization, they also had their differences.One of these differences being in how each ruler gave their empire control and where they put themselves according to the rest of their empire. Both Han China and Imperial Rome are controlled under one central leader. Both of these leaders give the citizens some form of control and contribution to their empire. The difference is how they give the citizens power. In Imperial Rome, Augustus keeps the reliable forms of the Republic such as the offices, honors, and privileges of the senatorial class as a base for his new restored Republic now called the Principate.In keeping the form of the Republic he still gives power to the Senate. In China, Gaozu kept the Qin Empire as his influence to keep choosing district officials to hold some of his power. In addition, Augustus includes himself as an ordinary citizen. What he altered from the Republic to the Principate is the reality of power. He never called himself the emperor or dictator but called himself â€Å"princeps† meaning first among equals. Gaozu was called the emperor and didn’t disagree in having ultimate power.Instead, he equalized the rest of the people and just put himself on top. Both empires believed in generalization of the people, Augustus just took it a step farther by including himself. A major similarity in both Imperial Rome and Han China is the idea of having the leading role of the family the eldest male and the women having no place in pol itical issues. In Later Han, families believed heavily in respect, obedience, and loyalty to the elder male of the family.In both empires, women stayed home to raise the children and do household chores while the men were soldiers, doing business, and discussing politics. Although women had no role in legal proceedings, they still had a great influence on the male’s decisions. Women gained greater personal protection and economic freedom over a course of years and many influenced and helped shape history. In conclusion, I think the reason that Chinese emperors believed they were of ultimate power was because of the previous dynasties who thought the same thing.The Han Empire had previous influence from all the Chinese dynasties before it. On the other hand, The Roman Empire was younger and might have seen that other empires weren’t happy with the emperor being the central control. Augustus might have taken this as influence to do something different and decided to incl ude himself in the people. Overall, Imperial Rome and Han China are two very similar empires that have the same general idea of how they wanted their empires to be.

New Product Development (NDP)

New Product Development (NDP) Introduction Products act as the main source of monetary benefits that organisation organisations enjoy upon availing them to willing clients. An organisation may decide to increase its sales returns by colonising new markets. Due to differences in the needs of the target consumers in different markets, it may be compelled to either improve or develop completely new products to suit a market (Kim Wilemon, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on New Product Development (NDP) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This strategy is perhaps largely workable for Google when it chose to enter the Chinese market. Considering that the goal of new product development (NPD) entails coming up with products that succeed in a target market, using the case of Google China, this paper investigates the processes of developing such commodities. Purpose This paper discusses new product development at Google China. The discussion borrows fr om various theoretical frameworks for developing new products in organisations. The paper also conducts interviews on customers and company employees about the reception of Google China’s new products with the aim of developing an understanding on the effectiveness of NPD practices of the company. Background First led by Kai-Fu Lee, Google China began as a subsidiary of Google Company in 2005. It ranks the third position in the Chinese market after Soso and the Baidu. Carsten (2013) informs how it controlled a market size of about 338 million people in 2009. Over the years, the company has been struggling to expand its market. However, it has encountered immense challenges akin to the various legal regulations on search engines in China’s mainland. In 2010, Google searches were prohibited for some time in China’s mainland. Mobile searches and others yielded DNS errors (Carsten, 2013). Hong Kong does not censor search results for various search engines. Google Ch ina found it the most appropriate location from where to control the sharing of networking and information resources across the internet with Google customers who are located in the China. Marketing successful Google products elsewhere across the globe in the Chinese market is incredibly difficult because of censorship and other regulations on information sharing. The company endeavours to search new products that fit the Chinese search marketplace.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, it presumes that the software for android Smartphones has a high potential to succeed in the Chinese market. Google had controlled 29 percent of the total search market in China by 2010. However, this trend declined by 24 percent over 2012 before settling at 1.7 at the close of 2013 (Carsten, 2013). This poor performance attracted the necessity for the development of new pr oducts that suit the Chinese market. This case has been given priority if Google China has to operate in the market with success in the future. Scope New product development comprises all approaches that are applied to avail new products in all markets where an organisation’s operations are established. These strategies include idea development, design of the products, its engineering, marketing research, and promotion analysis. The scope of this paper is limited to product design, idea development, and engineering. The other two aspects (marketing analysis and research) focus on ensuring acceptance and performance of the products in the marketplace. Methodology This research uses both primary and secondary resources. Direct online interviews, which are conducted on employees and customers of Google China, are the sources of primary data. The interview questions are designed to eliminate ambiguity. This situation enhances clarity so that interviewees can respond accurately. T he interviews (as shown in appendix 1 and appendix 2) focus on determining the reception of Google products, which the Chinese people search consumers. The questions also target at determining the implication of censorship upon the consumption of the product. This information may provide an opportunity for benchmarking or reverse engineering in the development of new products that suit the Chinese consumers. A sample of 20 people (customers and Google China employees) was interviewed. Primary data is important in helping develop thumbnails for products that are likely to succeed in the Chinese market.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on New Product Development (NDP) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the development of the actual products requires the deployment of an appropriate NPD conceptual model. Therefore, a wide range of secondary data on frameworks of NPD becomes important. The most appropriate framework is then selected for analysis of Google China’s NPD processes. Assumptions The models deployed in the discussion of NPD are borrowed from secondary resources. Such models are developed for application in general organisations without considering specific needs in some markets. This research assumes that upon generation of ideas that measure up to the needs of the Chinese market, Goggle China can follow such models to create products that will succeed in the Chinese marketplace. The research also assumes that no other recent or better NPD models exist in unpublished scholarly works and/or stored in a form that is inaccessible through online libraries. Limitations Using online interviews to collect data in a nation where there is regulation of freedom of expression through online media is one of the major limitations of this research. Fear among the interviewees on the purpose or use of the information that is sought from them may increase their reluctance to participate in th e interviews. This situation has the implication of lowering the accuracy and reliability of the research findings and the offered recommendations. The approaches deployed by Google in NPD may also differ from those applied by other organisations. Thus, the process of generalising and applying the recommended NPD processes in other organisations is another limitation of the research. Frameworks Sequential Model The sequential model depicts the process that leads to the development of new products. It comprises a number of sequentially organised steps (Smith Reinertsen, 1998). Application to the Organisation Sequential model in figure 1 shows that NPD initiates with the development of the concept or a product idea before examination of the feasibility of the products. This case makes the model highly applicable in Google China since the challenge of developing new products that meet the needs of the China’s search market requires compliance with China’s rules and regul ations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The feasibility of the product must be evaluated in the context of legal and regulatory environment so that a failure to pass the feasibility test calls for a re-examination of the concept before any other effort to develop the product further. Aspects such as the quality of the product and its capacity to satisfy of customer needs are also accomplished at the feasibility stage (Smith Reinertsen, 1998). In fact, at Google China, organisational resources can be wasted if software and applications developers initiate NPD process without total assurance of the likelihood of acceptance of the new product as it progresses in each stage of development. Overlapping Model The overlapping model approaches NPD process through the interactions of various professionals and work teams from the beginning to the end. Rather than operating through specialised stages, contribution of all players in the development process ensures attention to varying ideas since the development process takes place (Ulrich Eppinger, 2004). Under the model, each of the stages of NPD initiates before the end of the preceding stage (Ulrich Eppinger, 2004). Additionally, new product developers at one stage pre-visit the previous stage in an attempt to incorporate various changes to eliminate cascading bugs in the current stage from the previous stage as illustrated in figure 2 below. Figure 2: Overlapping Model in Product Development Source: (Ulrich Eppinger, 2004) Application to the Organisation While developing new Google China’s products, several variables may influence the success or failure of the overall development process. While implementing a phase in the NPD process, it important to consider the necessary changes in the previous phases in an effort to incorporate them in the second phase to increase the probability of success of later phases. For instance, it is important to evaluate a phase in the context of the likely omissions of legal requirements as they apply in Chinaâ⠂¬â„¢s search industry. Innovation Value Chain Framework Source: (Hansen Birkinshaw, 2007) Projected by Hansen and Birkinshaw (2007), the innovation value chain scheme presents four chronological stages, namely creation of thoughts, selection of the appropriate idea, transformation, and idea execution. The model provides an in-depth examination of an organisation’s efficacy through KPI constraints for gauging production capacity. The framework may be fruitful at Google China since it can be tailored to diverse production stages within the company Application to the Organisation The usability of the value chain framework to different sectors within Google China makes it feasible to gauge the circulation of various production strategies across many systems while at the same time weighing production at different departments that make the company. The framework can come in handy while determining production at Google China by enlightening its expenditure in IP security and/or i n structuring its status to advance its production volume. High-Tech model Google China operates in a technology intensive industry. This environment underlines the necessity for considering NPD models that are applicable to such an industry. Cooper and Edgett (2010) assert that high-tech organisations need to establish NPD models that incorporate their business objectives and specific goals. They suggested an NPD model that concentrates on these aspects. NPD comprises various stages, namely thought formation, plan selection, model testing and expansion, industry scrutiny, beta testing, bazaar investigation, methodological execution, commercialisation, and pricing of the new product (Cooper Edgett, 2010). However, the plan deviates from the sequential and overlapping models. It features a special concept, namely strategic arena, which only applies in high technology organisations (Cooper Edgett, 2010). This aspect refers to the particular business-oriented bazaar, trade, applicati ons, merchandise category, technology, or simply efforts that are concentrated on a new product (ZemlickienÄâ€", 2011). The model also highlights the importance of the use of strategic maps in the NPD process. Application to the Organisation Strategic maps help in assessing the most effective and important strategic arena (ZemlickienÄâ€", 2011). This claim suggests that they offer mechanisms of evaluating and visualising the mechanisms of addressing various factors that influence the NPD process. For Google China, strategic maps provide a room for incorporation of environmental factors that control the company’s success in the Chinese search market. In this sense, the model provides mechanisms for ensuring the development of customised Google products that are likely to boost the organisation’s competitive advantage in the Chinese market. Diamond Production Framework The diamond framework, which makes part of Porter’s work that sought to address the issue of c ompetition disparities with reference to different products, has five key production elements, namely product upgrading and technology plan, idea-to-launch procedure administration, portfolio supervision, atmosphere, traditions, headship, and new product performance. Source: (Rugman DCruz, 1993) Application in the Organisation Using this framework, Google China can think about three foremost matters, i.e. the availability of a premeditated product arrangement to advance its production levels, configuration of the plan with the company’s approaches, and the existence of reputable systems for ensuring successful execution of business strategies Critical Analysis Gaps Identified The aim of approaching the problem of NPD in the context of a conceptual model that has various decision loops or algorithms is to ensure a reduction of bugs that result in failures of new products either in the development process or soon after completion of the entire process. Identifying gaps in the organisation’s approach to NPD can help conceptualise an alternative approach to NPD, which will lead to the development of new products that have a higher probability of success in the market (Ulrich Eppinger, 2004). Google China uses NPD plan based on the standardised NPD model deployed by its parent company across all other markets, notwithstanding special laws and regulations in the Chinese market. This gap may explain the reduced success of Google success in China between 2010 and 2013 as discussed before. Strengths Although different NPD models have their strengths and weaknesses, consideration of strengths and weakness of the organisation in any market, which prompts the development of a new product is incredibly important. Google China has a large resource base support from the parent company akin to its successful global operations (Carsten, 2013). The resources can be utilised in marketing research to identify specific attributes for search engines that are valued by Chinese search consumers. This information can be deployed as inputs of idea conception stage, which is common to sequential, overlapping, and high-tech models, to enhance utility levels of new products in the market. Weaknesses Due to declining competitive advantage in the Chinese market, the company may encounter challenges while trying to place its new products successfully in the Chinese market. This possibility is a significant weakness upon considering that it has a low presence in the social media advertising. New media advertising constitutes one of the growing ways of communicating a product to consumers (Kotler, Adam, Denise, Armstrong, 2009). The company has no capacity to solicit for relaxation of Chinese laws and regulations on search engines. These inabilities create uncertainty on whether the nation will enact new laws that can create a non-conducive political climate for success of new products that are developed consistently with the provisions of the current l aws. Recommendations In a market where the existing products of an organisation perform poorly, introduction of new products becomes the only option to re-energise its operations. Developing a new product begins with the identification of an appropriate NPD model. Google Company approaches NPD from the context of examining ideas from its people. It prioritises the top most100 ideas, utilises agile approaches, promotes visibility, and/or pays attention to usability of its products. This approach fails to incorporate regulations such as censorship. The model generally applies in nations that have higher levels of freedom for expression and sharing of information. Thus, it is recommended for the company to incorporate this consideration while at the same time deploying either high-tech or overlapping NPD approaches in the Chinese market. Conclusion Organisational products undergo different phases, namely the development phase, the preamble stage, rapid growth stage, maturation, and dec line phase. At the decline phase, re-engineering or developing new products is important to prevent a total collapse of the organisation in a given market. Google China recognises the importance of developing a new product that will renew its fortunes in the Chinese market. NPD starts with identifying an appropriate model. The paper has discussed three NPD models together with their applicability at Google China. Reflection Any organisation that seeks to gain a competitive advantage in a market that is characterised by competition and statutory regulations must not only focus on compliance, but also look for products that meet consumer needs better than the competitor products. Through this assignment, I have learnt that introducing organisations’ operation in a new market requires the development or modification of products to meet specific needs of the market. The objective of any organisation is to deliver value to its owners. This value is normally expressed in terms of t he returns on investments. Organisations face the pressure of delivering value to not only to the owners, but also to other stakeholders who have stakes in the performance of the firm (Cooper Edgett, 2010). This goal cannot be achieved without high-performing products in the market since sales act as the main way of generating income in a profit-making organisation. By studying the case of Google China’s struggles in establishing itself in the Chinese search market, I have leant that total assessment and analysis of the organisational operation environment is important in avoiding failures in placing products in the new marketplace. Through the assignment, it is evident that the rules of new product development change with the changing external forces as an organisation ventures into different markets. This situation has altered my perception of new product development process as encompassing a holistic approach, which can be applied within any organisation with success. Ini tially, I viewed product development as a process that constitutes all steps that are necessary for ensuring that a new product satisfies the needs of the target market in terms of usability. However, it is now clear that although a product may be highly usable, a regulatory force can prevent its consumption in the market. Google Company has been successful in the global search market. Many organisations, especially software and networking applications companies, have benchmarked their NPD processes with those of Google. I believe Google Company is one of the global organisations whose products have received positive reception in all markets. However, through the assignment, it is clear that no single company’s NPD strategies can lead to the creation of new successful products in all markets. Thus, although benchmarking is essential, it is important for an organisation to approach new markets in an open-minded manner. This case ensures that the input for idea conception, anal ysis, and testing only depends on the anticipated environmental variables, but not on other variables that apply in another market segment. This assignment has provided a learning opportunity on how product development process occurs in real-life. It is not a straightforward approach, but an approach that requires many iterations and examination of probable products through several algorithms to enhance their positive reception in the market. For instance, through the interviews, potential customers of Google products in China unanimously agreed that if Google searches do not return DNS errors, which occur because of blocking of some sites due to censorship of the products to comply with China’s regulations, they could consume them. In this extent, focusing on a particular organisation has provided an opportunity to appreciate how a particular context in which an organisation influences its NPD conducts. Reference List Carsten, P. (2013). Microsoft Blocks Censorship of Skype in China: Advocacy Group. Retrieved from www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/microsoft-blocks-censorship-skype-china-advocacy-group-f2D11664965 Cooper, G., Edgett, E. (2010). Developing a product innovation and technology strategy for your business. Research Technology Management, 53(3), 33-40. Hansen, M., Birkinshaw, J. (2007). The Innovation, Value Chain. Harvard Business Review, 85(6), 87-98. Kim, J., Wilemon, D. (2007). Sources and Assessment of Complexity in NPD Projects. RD Management, 33(1), 16-30. Kotler, P., Adam, S., Denise, S., Armstrong. (2009). Principles of Marketing. Australia: Prentice Hall. Rugman, M., DCruz, R. (1993). The double diamond model of international competitiveness: Canadas experience. Management International Review, 33(2), 17–39. Smith, P., Reinertsen, D. (1998). Developing Products in Half the Time. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons. Ulrich, K., Eppinger, S. (2004). Product Design and Development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ZemlickienÄâ€", V. (2011). Analysis of High-Technology Product Development Models. Intellectual Economics, 5(2), 283-297. Appendices Appendix 1: Interview questions Are you an employee or potential customer of Google China? Employee customer/potential customer If you are an employee, what is your experience with Google China? Always occupied in troubleshooting networks and directing customer traffic Hardly occupied in troubleshooting networks and directing customer traffic If you are customer/potential customer, have you ever used Google China search products Yes No If your response to question 3 is No, why? Highly censored Always returns DNS error If your response to 4 is b, can you consider using the products if Google China search products do not return DNS error or when censorship is limited? Yes No Appendix 2: Interview Reponses Question Response a b 1 4 16 2 0 4 3 3 13 4 5 8 5 8

Explore Fascinating Facts About Forest Biomes

Explore Fascinating Facts About Forest Biomes The forest biome includes terrestrial habitats that are dominated by trees and other woody plants. Today, forests cover about one-third of the worlds land surface and are found in many different terrestrial regions around the globe. There are three general types of forests- temperate forests, tropical forests, and boreal forests. Each of these forest types differs in climate, species composition, and community structure. The forests of the world have changed in composition over the course of evolution. The first forests evolved during the Silurian Period, about 400 million years ago. These ancient forests were very different than present-day forests and were dominated not by the species of trees we see today but instead by giant ferns, horsetails, and club mosses. As the evolution of land plants progressed, the species composition of forests changed. During the Triassic Period, gymnosperms (such as conifers, cycads, ginkgoes, and gnetales) dominated forests. By the Cretaceous Period, angiosperms (such as hardwood trees) had evolved. Although the flora, fauna, and structure of forests vary greatly, they often can be broken down into several structural layers. These include the forest floor, herb layer, shrub layer, understory, canopy, and emergents. The forest floor is the ground layer that is often covered with decaying plant material. The herb layer consists of herbaceous plants such as grasses, ferns, and wildflowers. The shrub layer is characterized by the presence of woody vegetation such as bushes and brambles. The understory consists of immature and small trees that are shorter than the main canopy layer. The canopy consists of the crowns of mature trees. The emergent layer includes the crowns of the tallest trees, which grow above the rest of the canopy. Key Characteristics The following are the key characteristics of the forest biome: largest and most complex terrestrial biomedominated by trees and other woody vegetationsignificant role in the global intake of carbon dioxide and production of oxygenthreatened by deforestation for logging, agriculture, and human habitation Classification The forest biome is classified within the following habitat hierarchy: Biomes of the World Forest Biome The Forest Biome Is Divided Into the Following Habitats Temperate Forests Temperate forests are forests that grow in temperate regions such as those found in eastern North America, western and central Europe, and northeastern Asia. Temperate forests have a moderate climate and a growing season that lasts between 140 and 200 days of the year. Precipitation is generally distributed evenly throughout the year. Tropical Forests Tropical forests are forests that grow in tropical and subtropical regions. These include tropical moist forests (such as those found in the Amazon Basin and the Congo Basin) and tropical dry forests (such as those found in southern Mexico, the lowlands of Bolivia, and the western regions of Madagascar). Boreal Forests Boreal forests are a band of coniferous forests that encircle the globe in the high northern latitudes between about 50Â °N and 70Â °N. Boreal forests form a circumpolar ecoregion that stretches across Canada and extends across northern Europe and Asia. Boreal forests are the worlds largest terrestrial biome and account for more than one-quarter of all the forested land on Earth. Animals of the Forest Biome Some of the animals that inhabit the forest biome include: Pine Marten (Martes martes) - The pine marten is a medium-sized mustelid that inhabits the temperate forests of Europe. Pine martens have sharp claws are good climbers. They feed on small mammals, birds, carrion, as well as some plant materials such as berries and nuts. Pine martens are most active at dusk and during the night.Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) - The gray wolf is a large canid whose range includes the temperate and boreal forests of North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa. Gray wolves are territorial carnivores that form packs of a mated pair and their offspring.Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) - The caribou is a member of the deer family that inhabits the boreal forests and tundra of North America, Siberia, and Europe. Caribou are grazing herbivores that feed on the leaves of willows and birches, as well as mushrooms, grasses, sedges, and lichen.Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) - Brown bears live in a variety of habitats including boreal forests, alpine forests and meadows, tundra, a nd coastal regions. Their range is the most extensive of all bears and includes northern and central Europe, Asia, Alaska, Canada, and the western United States. Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei) - The eastern gorilla is a species of gorilla that inhabits the lowland tropical forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. Like all gorillas, the eastern lowland gorilla feeds on fruit and other plant materials.Black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus) - The black-tailed deer inhabits the temperate rainforests that blanket the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. Black-tailed deer prefer the edges of forests where understory growth is sufficient to provide them reliable food resources.

Sociology - Discuss the argument that the family is in decline Essay

Sociology - Discuss the argument that the family is in decline - Essay Example school of thought contests this view and a third argument states that nothing has changed and that the family unit remains largely unchanged (Gillies, 2003). This paper explores the argument that the family is in decline. Firstly, a definition of family will be provided. Secondly, three theoretical perspectives will be presented in regards to the family being in decline. Finally, a conclusion will synthesize the main points raised in this paper, and provide recommendations for future research. Defining what a family is is a highly contentious issue. In 1949 George Murdock defined a family as a group of people that includes two of both sexes, at least tow of who have a legally sanctioned relationship, and one or more children. This view was upheld by functionalist theorists such as Parsons and Goode (Parsons & Bales 1955, Goode 1963 cited in Levy, Widmer, & Kellerhals, 2002). However, over time the variety of families in industrialised societies has increased dramatically, hence its definition has been modified. Macionis and Plummer (2002) define a family as a social institution that can be found to exist in all societies. The function of the institution being to unite people into a cooperative group, to enable survival and raising of children, socialization of children and a regulation of the sexual activity of the people within the group. The family unit being a social group of two or more people who may be related through blood or marriage, or through adoption or by vir tue of cohabitation or family by choice, and so share in the economic and social responsibilities (Macionis & Plummer, 2002). In 21st globalised society numerous forms of family structure exist: the nuclear family remains, with two parents and children, although the term has been extended to include same sex couples who may not be married; the reconstituted family that combines two one-parent families; single-parent families; and the extended family which may be â€Å"vertical† in that

Possible entry modes strategies into china for australian beer product Essay

Possible entry modes strategies into china for australian beer product and examine the key strategic issues that need to be considered - Essay Example FDI, and then to cost-orientated FDI; Technology and marketing factors combine to explain standardization, which drives location decisions’ (Buckley et al., 1998, 539) The decision of a firm to entry a foreign market is depended on a series of factors. According to Gaba et al. (2002, 39) ‘firms face three interlocking questions with regard to international expansion: what market to enter (entry location), how to enter (mode of entry), and when to enter (timing of entry)’. On the other hand, it has been considered by Zacharakis (1997, 23) that international expansion involves ‘risks, including political instability in the target market, expropriation, social unrest, fluctuating exchange rates, poor infrastructures, host government regulations, differing language, norms, religion, and legal systems’. The presentation of the above factors however does not exclude the possible existence of other elements that can influence the company’s decision to enter a foreign market. In accordance with the views stated in the literature, a firm’s decision to enter a foreign market could be possibly analyzed using certain theoretical models. One of these models (Agarwal et al., 1992, 2), the normative decision theory suggests that ‘the choice of a foreign market entry mode should be based on trade-offs between risks and returns; A firm is expected to choose the entry mode that offers the highest risk-adjusted return on investment’. On the other hand, behavioral evidence indicates that a firms choices may also be determined by resource availability and need for control; Resource availability refers to the financial and managerial capacity of a firm for serving a particular foreign market while control refers to a firms need to influence systems, methods, and decisions in that foreign market’ (Agarwal et al., 1992, 2). Entry mode has been characterized as ‘the cornerstone of a firms market entry strategy’ (Au et al., 1997, 780). Moreover, in accordance

Euthanasia in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Euthanasia in Australia - Essay Example Presently, in Queensland, the only two laws that deal with end of life are Advance Health Directive and the Power of Attorney Act 1998. In fact, both the laws are insufficient to seek the help of others for assistance. Compared to other states in Australia, Queensland has more restrictions on the use of Advance Health Directive, which result in hindering individual freedom to healthcare. While other states use Advance Health Directive to overcome the restrictive statutory regime, Queensland uses the statutory regime to restrict the freedom under Advance Health Directive. Thus, Queensland authorities are more orthodox about the sanctity of human life than other states are. However, the mere fact is that through the amendment to the Queensland Criminal Code 1899, the territory has unofficially allowed room for euthanasia. It becomes evident that the existing laws in Queensland show double standard. On the one hand, it stands totally against the right to end ones own life unlike other s tates in Australia. This is evident from the fact that it has imposed greater restrictions on Advance Health Directive. On the other hand, it introduced amendments to Criminal Code to help health practitioners escape prosecution by allowing palliative care to the extent of foreseeable death but not intended death. However, the mere fact is that these rules and regulations are not water-tight. In other words, there arise a lot of legal issues associated with the present day stance of the authorities in this regard. It becomes evident that the Criminal Code of 1899 as amended in 2003 gives room for euthanasia on one hand, and punishes the ones who help in the same on the other. The Advance Health Directive and statutory regime- a failed purpose Admittedly, the only purpose of Advance Health Directive (AHD) is to allow individuals to decide their future course of treatment if they are incapable of taking independent decisions in future. As Willmott (2007) points out, unlike other state s, Queensland has more rules and regulations regarding the applicability of AHD. The Power of Attorney Act (1998) (QLD) declares that in order to proceed with the AHD to remove life-sustaining measures; one of the four conditions should be met: the patient has a terminal illness from which death is certain; the patient is in a vegetative state; the patient is permanently unconscious; or the patient has such an illness or injury from which patient is highly unlikely to recover. Thus, the Queensland regulation evidently kills an adult’s right to self-determination as the legislation shows more attachment towards the medical principle of sanctity of life. Davis (2009) argues that a look into the English law proves that the right to self-determination is given more importance than the principle of sanctity of life. In the case, Bland was in a vegetative state and the court allowed removal of life-supporting treatments to facilitate his death (ibid). However, in Queensland, an adu lt can fill advance health directive but it will operate only if it is in harmony with the common law. That means, in Queensland, for an advance health directive to operate, it should meet criteria like a sufficiently poor state of health, lack of prospects of recovery, and consistency with good medical practice. However, in other states, it is irrelevant to consider the fact that the adult would have lived for an extended period of time and made a full recovery if life-sustaining measures were given. In other words, if there is a valid AHD, the medical practitioner would not legally be allowed to provide such good medical practices which could prolong or save the life of the patient. Another important limitation, according to Willmott et al (2006) is that in Queensland, self-determination

Forensic Analysis Of A Playstation 3 Console Information Technology Essay

Forensic Analysis Of A Playstation 3 Console Information Technology Essay researching all the information that is available to me about the playstation 3 gaming system, from what the console connects to, the file structure of the hard disk, what features the system has e.g. internet, chat, email, online gaming. The deliverable that will be present at the end of this would be detailed research about the gaming system with everything that is needed to know to progress with the project. 2.2 Analysis the objective that I have for my analysis is to perform all the tasks that I have talked about (playing online games etc) then after each of these stages will then make an image of the hard disk of the system and look at the image in FTK to see if any changes have been made to the disk after the task has been completed. To illustrate an example of this would be to start a chat message with someone, then turn off the system remove the hard disk, image the hard disk, then load the image into FTK and look to see if any traces of the chat are present on the hard disk (date/time stamps). When writing up the findings of the investigation a document will be presented with all the processes went through, what tools used. The deliverable that I expect to have at the end of this objective would be disk images of the various tasks with a detailed report of my findings and a document showing all processes and tools used, and also a set of guidelines of how I found the evidence on t he system. If no evidence can be found on the HDD of the console then other areas of analysis will have to be explored from using different tools such as scalpel and photorec and also using different types of hardware like Bus Doctor. 2.3 Evaluation the objective for the evaluation is to forensically wipe the hard disk to the Playstation 3 system that was used, then giving this along with my guidelines and tasks completed to another person. The other person will go ahead and complete the series of tasks that were previously performed on the system, follow the guidelines and see if the they can find the same evidence as previously found, if the person can find the evidence that is in my guidelines then this proves that the guidelines created are correct. The deliverable at the end of this objective would be the test data of the other person which will then be written up, to show whether my guidelines are correct/incorrect. 3. Why gaming systems are an issue. In the recent years games systems have evolved immensely allowing the gamer to experience more realistic graphics and sound quality. This is because the systems have been updated to such a high standard some of what like a standalone computer, giving the user a lot more gigabyte/terabyte storage space, because of this the user has more room to store data on the disk whether it be images, videos or music. In relation to this the old Ps3 systems that were first released had the option to add another OS (operating system) on the hard drive so you could have Linux running on the system this means that the system can be used as a normal machine, Sony have no disabled this feature on the most current firmware of the console. A news report that was found on the ABC news website (http://abcnews.go.com/technology/story?id=7009977page=1) describes of how a user used his Playstation 3 system to get a young girl aged 11 to send dirty pictures of herself from her Playstation to his. It also says how the criminal threw his computer out as he didnt need it anymore. Using this example that has been found shows how criminals are adapting to the new technology and using it to their advantage to commit crimes. The growth of these gaming consoles means that they are more like a standalone computer coming standard with massive hard drives and encryption on the disks meaning that as forensics examiners it makes it harder to retrieve data from some of these devices and takes longer for the imaging process to complete. In regard to a forensic examiner the game systems are a big problem because the development of the consoles have evolved over the years and now contain multiple CPUs and graphics cards, and with the onboard storage that the same of a desktop computer users are able to save their pictures, music and video to these devices. Also using the features of the console from downloading and install the most current firmware and streaming media from a different network location. With the Playstation 3 you create a user/s for use with machine, so when the system is turned on it asks which user you would like to sign in as. With relation to the Xbox 360 console where hacking communities have found loopholes which allow the Xbox console to run unsigned code which means that the Linux OS can be booted up onto the machine allowing this console to be used just like a desktop PC. If Linux can be booted up onto the machine then this means it could be used for illegal usage example (file storage), although the first release of the Playstation 3 allowed this feature Sony have now stopped the boot of Linux and other Operating systems on its machines, but if a hack or loophole was found in their security then this would mean that this system could be used for malicious ways just like and Xbox or standalone PC. A post from January 26th, 2010 explains how hacker George Hotz has hacked the PS3 he revealed on his blog that he has achieved read/write access to the entire system memory and HV level access to the processor. If this is true then this means that the playstation can be used to run unsigned code and other o perating systems can be loaded onto the device, meaning that full desktop usage can be applied storing all kinds of information on the system. Also the Jailbreak that was leaked online was able to fool the system into thinking that a game was being played from a Blu-ray disc, but it was actually playing from the HDD, this could only be the start, people are making small but beneficial steps into fully hacking the Playstation 3 console. 4. Research 4.1 About the Playstation 3 The project that will be created will be about the analysis of the hard disk drive of a Playstation 3 console which is the most up to date console alongside the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. The Sony Playstation which is the next step in the gaming world provides the gamer with a new console to experience the most up to date graphics and high definition games and movies with the help of the consoles Blu ray drive. Since the console release in November 2006 the unit has sold over 38.1 million worldwide according to (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ps3-has-sold-38-1m-units-worldwide). Since the release of the console there have been many different models of the system from USB ports, Flash card readers and hard drive support, this means that the system and its components are always changing. All the games and movies that the console play are in the format of Blu ray this mean that the content that you are playing or watching are in the high definition format giving a more crystal clear picture and sound. 4.2 Online gaming. DSCI0056.JPG FIGURE 1 Picture of Playstation Store menu. The Playstaion 3 system offers the use of the internet whether it is a wired or wireless connection, because of this it is giving the user full access to the World Wide Web meaning they can access all the information that they would access on a standalone computer from social networking sites, videos, pictures etc. While playing games on the console you have the option on many games to play online this gives the user the capability to play the game of choice with other users of the game all over the world. To be able to do this you need to have a multiplayer capable of online game play, you must also have a Playstation network account which will give you access to other users and also need the Playstation to be connected to the wired/wireless internet. You can also create a Playstation network account where users are able to play online games with any person/s all over the world, they can add buddies and stay in close contact with the people they meet online either by email or chat. Because of the email and chat facilities available on the console it is just like a social networking site where people are able to exchange information with each other and possible pictures and other bits of material that can be deemed as illegal or offensive. The console also comes with full internet access via the browser the user can access any website that he/she wishes from the console and even downloading images, videos to the consoles hard disk drive. 4.3 The Hard disk. The hard disk in the Playstation 3 can come in various sizes from 40gb all the way up to a massive 320gb (factory), but there is an option to easily remove and replace the hard disk of the system, this can be done by purchasing a 2.5 5400rpm SATA hard drive which is the same hard disk used in laptop computers. To replace the hard drive of the system photocopies of the instruction manual are below. img013.jpg img014.jpg img015.jpg After these steps have been completed you then have a new HDD in your system whether it is a higher or lower capacity. Because the hard disk of the console is the same as the ones that they store in laptop computers the capacity of these disks can be great allowing a great deal of information such as images, videos or music to be stored on the disk to view with the console. A website was found (http://dcemu.co.uk/psgroove-payload-released-that-decrypts-firmware-files-by-graf_chokolo-346424.html) Where Graf_Chokolo has released a version of PSGroove payload, this allows the developers to see full details of the PS3 system firmware complete with decrypted contents. Graf_Chokolo goes onto to explain how to put the source code onto the system, he goes onto explain that my payload has two stages. The 1st stage is actually a PSGroove payload, which initializes the gelic device and allocates memory needed for the 2nd stage. Compile the 1st stage binary, convert it to C hex array and replace the PSGroove payload. (Appendix 16) Graf_Chokolo goes on to explain the second stage, this stage decrypts the CORE_OS_PACKAGE.pkg from a PUP file, it then runs some isolated SPU module or dumps FLASH, the binary of the file is then sent over the Ethernet with sendfile. The 1st stage receives the data and then stores it in a memory region of size 64kb, after the upload is complete, the 1st stage code jumps to the 2nd stage code and executes it. (Appendix 16) Another piece of information from this website is to be able to decrypt packages from a PUP file, first you need to extract a revoke list for the packages from PUP file 3.41 e.g. (RL_FOR_PACKAGE.pkg), then extract it convert it to C hex array and paste it into rvk_pkg_341.c. (Appendix 16) 4.4 Playstation 3 system updates With the use of the internet in the Playstation there is an option to keep the software of the system up to date this will provide you with the latest security updates, parental controls and the display options. By updating to the latest update you will enhance what the console is capable of. If you would like to find out the current software that your system is currently running you go to the settings category and then from there select system settings then system information within this the current system software will be displayed. You can update the current software of the system in a number of ways this is shown by the following methods. System update if the ps3 is connected to the internet got to settings then system update then click update via the internet the console will then check to see if there is an update available for the console if there is an update available it will download and install the update for you. There is also another option to update via the pc this is done by visiting the website eu.playstation.com you then follow the on screen instructions to download to the pc. After the download has finished you will then need to save the update to a ps3 compatible device either a memory stick/duo, USB drive or even a PSP console. Before putting the update into the system you will have to create a folder called PS3 then a folder called UPDATE once it has then been connected to the system you then navigate to system update then update via storage media. By allowing or accepting the system update new security can be put in place on the system, because Sony regularly release new firmware updates for the console the security of the device is constantly being updated. 4.5 Specifications Below are the specifications of the Playstation console. CPU Cell Broadband Engine GPU RSX Audio Output LPCM 7.1ch, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC Memory 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM Hard disk 2.5 serial ATA 320GB Inputs/Outputs Hi-speed USB, USB 2.0 Networking Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 100BASE-T) x 1 IEEE 802.11 b/g Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) Controller Wireless controller Bluetooth Resolution 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i HDMI OUT connector 1 AV MILTI OUT connector 1 DIGITAL OUT connector 1 BD/DVD/CD drive Read rate BD x 2 (BD-ROM) DVD x 8 (DVD-ROM) CD x 24 (CD-ROM) Power AC 200 -240 v, 50 / 60 HHHHz Power consumption Approx 230w External Dimensions Approx 290 x 65 x 290mm Mass Approx 3.0kg Operating temperature 5 35 degrees The Playstation 3 Console also includes RSA BSAFE Cryptographic software from RSA security Inc. RSA BSAFE software provides the security functionality necessary to allow developers to meet the stringent FIPS 140 and Suite Requirements for offering products to the U.S. government agencies. (Appendix 18) Many leading companies including Adobe, Oracle, Hypercom, Skyworks, Sony and Nintendo rely on RSA BSAFE software to provide the foundational security functionality by their respective software and device applications. (Appendix 18) RSA security protects the integrity and confidentiality of information throughout his lifecycle, RSA offers industry leading solutions in identity assurance and access control, encryption key management, compliance and security information management and fraud protection. (Appendix 18) http://www.rsa.com/node.aspx?id=1204 4.6 File Sharing The Playstation 3 console also allows the ability for you to share files via the console and your desktop computer, to be able to do this you need to make sure that both your computer and console are connected to the same network. If you would like to stream all the media from your windows media player like music, videos and pictures. You can do this by going into tools and options of windows media player and selecting library, then configure sharing you then check the box that says share my media to and your Playstation 3 will be in the list. In the settings tab of this you can then select which media that you wish to share music, pictures, video you then click ok. If you then turn on the console you will then see thumbnails of the compatible media that can be played on the system. http://www.wirelesshdadapter.com/wp-content/uploads/Media%20Server%20Ps3%20Software_2.jpg (Appendix 17) 4.7 previous work While completing research to find out if any other analysis of the Playstation console was carried out a paper was found published by the University of Central Florida where they conducted a Forensic Analysis of a Sony Playstation 3 Console, where they conducted a number of tests on the machine to see if any of the data could be extracted from the console. The tests that they completed where the following; An encryption test this test was to determine if it was possible to locate a picture once it had been copied to the console. The steps they took in completing this were to copy a image to a removable media, then plug this into the console and copy the image to the hard drive of the system, shut the console down and the image the hard drive. The next stage was to analyse the hard drive in FTK using its use of a data carving feature to see if the picture could be carved out of the image, although stated that FTK was unsuccessful in identifying files and folders on the partition (Appendix 6), even though only one tool was used while completing this task if other tools were used then maybe a different outcome would be found the tools that could be used alongside FTK to find the image could be scalpel or Photorec which are both data carving tools. The paper also talks about a write blocker test, where the hard drive was placed behind a write blocker before connecting the hard disk to the console, the consoles hard disk was then removed then placed behind a write blocker, then plugged into the console, the console was then turned on and they found that the console would power up but not boot up, by replacing the write blocker with a bridge the console was to power and boot up as normal. (Appendix 6) The test result then explains that the console must be able to write to the hard drive before it will boot up, though it also shows that the hard drive does not have to be directly connected to the console (Appendix 6) regarding the result of this test a write blocker cannot be placed between the hard drive and the console or the console will not boot up. Although many other tests were performed on the console all the test results were inconclusive or negative form this paper, they concluded in the end that Sony has successfully locked-down the PS3 By using other tools that are an alternative to FTK, these tools might be able to identify something that FTK is unable to do thus providing more information to data on the HDD of the console. Another paper called Xbox 360: A digital forensic investigation of the hard disk drive (Appendix 4) was written with details and findings of the hard disk drive of the Xbox 360, where a USB drive was plugged into the machine and using Bus Doctor to analyse what was being written between the Xbox console are the hard disk drive. And states that it is seamless and not as intrusive as mod chipping or installing other operating systems (Appendix 4). This method could be applied to the Playstation 3 console to see what is being written between the console and the hard disk drive of the Sony console. 4.8 Playstation 3 security architecture A pdf file was found that detailed the security architecture of the Playstation console, http://www.ps3news.com/PS3-Dev/playstation-3-security-architecture-pdf-released/ , the paper details that the system controller for the console if CXD2973GB and this is the hardware that is responsible for powering up the CBEA processor and it is directly connected via BIO/IF hardware bus. The console also contains a secure boot the secure boot of the CBEA includes random selected SPE in order to avoid sniffing per boot, a fake encryption/decryption state in all other SPE during secure boot to add fake sequence, a root key which is used to then decrypt the key vault and or the boot code (Appendix 15). The key vault of the Playstation 3 is an encrypted file containing all the keys to trust devices and processes, hard disk AES keys (Appendix 15). 5. Summary The research that has taken place shows all the relevant information about the Playstation 3 console, explaining what the machine allows you to do and how to update the firmware of the system. Although the system seems to be very secure, the images taken will be analysed to see if any relevant data can be taken from the disk these will be the objectives previously proposed, failing finding anything on the images of the HDD the console will be connected up to Bus Doctor a protocol analyser to see what is happening when the system is booted up and what data can be captured. Although a paper has been written on the analysis of the Playstation 3 console (appendix 6) new hardware and software have come to market since the paper was written in 2009, the PS3 Jailbreak has made its way by being able to run unsigned code on the console and giving the user power to copy games to the hard drive of the console. 6. Future Work/Where next After and image of the Playstation HDD was taken, it was then loaded into FTK forensic toolkit where the contents of the disk was looked at. After loading it into the software immediately it could be noticed that the hard disk was encrypted, searches were completed to see if any string of text and data carved items could be found on the disk the result was negative. More images of the hard disk will be taken when performing tasks then loaded into the FTK toolkit program if no strings of text can be found another approach will have to take place, the use of other programs that are available Scalpel and Photorec can be used to identify any interesting information on the HDD of the console. Another approach would be to try and capture what is going on with the system when it is booted up because the encryption must be deactivated when the system is booted up to allow the system access to the hard disk. The other data carving tools that could be used in combination with FTK will be scalpel and photorec. Scalpel which reads the database of the header and the footer definitions and extracts matching files from a set of image files or raw device. Scalpel will carve files from FATx, NTFS, ext2/3 or raw partitions. (Appendix 12) Photorec which is a data recovery tool to recover lost files on hard disks and other media, Photorec ignores the file system of the media and goes after the underlying data, so the software will still work if the medias file system has been severely damaged or reformatted.(Appendix 13). Bus Doctor which allows to capture what is being called/written to the hard disk when the console has been turned on this can provide good information to find out what is happening when the console is turned on. during the research a website was found that describes how the psjailbreak now supports 3.42 and 3.50, which allows the user to run unapproved content on the system (pirated games), and also allows for the running of the Linux OS on the system. They sister site of this company (www.psdowngrade.com) allows the downgrading of the firmware of the system, if the psjailbreak is applied to the console maybe the decryption key can be found and then lead to the decryption of the HDD of the system. This could be done by plugging in the psjailbreak and finding out what calls it makes to the system and possibly the decryption can be found from this method. Another method would be to connect the Playstation system up to a protocol analyser (busdoctor) this will capture what data is written when the system is booted up.