Apple brand Essay

Apple Inc. uses the Apple brand to compete across several highly competitive markets, including the personal computer industry with its Macintosh line of computers and related software, the consumer electronics industry with products such as the iPod, digital music distribution through its iTunes Music Store, the smart phone market with the Apple iPhone, magazine, book, games and applications publishing via the AppsStore for iPhone and the iPad tablet computing device, and movie and TV content distribution with Apple TV. For marketers, the company is also establishing a very strong presence to rival Google in the advertising market, via its Apps business and iAd network. Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-Founder, described Apple as a â€Å"mobile devices company† – the largest one in the world (Apple’s revenues are bigger than Nokia, Samsung, or Sony’s mobility business). For several years Apple’s product strategy involved creating innovative products and services aligned with a â€Å"digital hub† strategy, whereby Apple Macintosh computer products function as the digital hub for digital devices, including the Apple iPod, personal digital assistants, cellular phones, digital video and still cameras, and other electronic devices. More recently, the full impact of a very well throught out brand strategy has come into focus – and one in which customer experience is central: the Mac is no longer the hub of all things Apple. Now, Apple offers a harmonised, synchronised, and integrated user experience across all of its main devices (iPad, iPhone, and Mac), using iCloud as the hub. It is in the process of extending this experience outside Apple-controled environments by introducing deep integration with Facebook and Twitter on iPad, iPhone and Mac. Apple’s core competence is delivering exceptional experience through superb user interfaces. The company’s product strategy is based around this, with iTunes, the iPhone (with it’s touch screen â€Å"gestures† that are re-used on the iPad), and the Apple Apps store all playing key roles.

Context in Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay

The context of the time of writing is an integral part of a text’s composition and ideas. This notion is evident in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction film, Blade Runner. They both address ideas contemporary at the time, but are both interconnected through a common questioning of what may happen if humans attempt to play god. As a romanticist, Shelley condemns Frankenstein’s intrusive attempt to play the creator. Scott spurns man’s ruthless ambition through a dystopian environment created through ruthless quest for profit by commercially dominant, greedy corporations. Both texts employ techniques such as allusion and characterisation to depict similar dystopian visions ensuing from man’s dereliction of nature. Composed during the Industrial Revolution at a time of increased scientific experimentation, Shelley warns and forebodes her enlightened society of the consequences which come about from playing god. She uses Victor Frankenstein as her platform, whose self-exalting line â€Å"many excellent natures would owe their being to me† represents a society engrossed with reanimation. Recurring mythical allusions to Prometheus, â€Å"how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge† portray Victor as a tragic hero; a noble character whose â€Å"fatal flaw† of blind ambition ultimately results in his own downfall and dehumanization, â€Å"swallowed up every habit of my nature†. In addition, Victor’s impulsive rejection of his grotesque creation, leads to the Monster’s rebellion (â€Å"vowed eternal hated and vengeance to all mankind†). Despite the mismatch in time and context, Scott also incorporates similar elements of horror, but procures a man-made cataclysm that is a product of his own desire to achieve commercial dominance. Unlike Shelley’s moralistic warning, the flames in the opening scene highlight a dystopian world that has already reached an undesirable outcome. Revising Victor’s undermining of God’s prerogative, Scott conveys Tyrell’s capitalist fixation through his mantra â€Å"commerce is our goal†. The composer reinforces this through multiple low angle shot of Tyrell’s monolithic corporation, highlighting its command over its depressing urban surroundings. By doing so, Scott denounces the arrogance of corporate giants and their reckless disregard for the proletarians. Furthermore, Scott’s reflection of a society engulfed within Cold-war paranoia of a potential nuclear disaster is depicted through Tyrell’s violent death at the hands of his own creation, Batty. Here, Tyrell’s scream as Roy ruptures his myopia-riddled eyes, a metaphor of his blind ambition, creates an ambience of utmost horror as responders construe how man’s hubristic desire to achieve utmost power results in his destruction. However, unlike Shelley’s critique of heedless scientific pursuit, Scott’s perspective has shifted to that of man’s capitalist voracity and is a reflection upon the 20th century’s rapid expansion of multinational corporations. In comparison to Shelley’s discourse, Scott’s manifestation of a plain, industrialised world is his suspicion that technological progression has already discerned man’s divergence from nature. In the film’s opening sequence, Scott portrays his dystopian society through film-noir style of perpetual darkness, where the superficial world’s only source of illumination is from the glow of man-made neon lights. Moreover, the composer’s representation of a world ravaged by technological expansion is symbolised through the absence of authentic fauna and their substitution with artificial fauna. However, in light of Shelley’s embrace of sublime nature, Scott also conveys how the presence of nature can facilitate the hope of spiritual renewal; proposing its entire restoration. The composer denotes this through his transient but vivid depiction of Deckard’s fleeting unicorn dream. Contrary to Shelley, however, Scott’s depiction of nature within a subliminal dream is metaphorical of his belief that rapid technological innovation has already superseded the position of nature. Therefore the film’s 20th century context encompassing fears ecological degradation evokes his admonition that rapid technological progression may already have made impossible a possible return to nature.

Substance abuse term Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Substance abuse term - Essay Example It is not clear why some people develop alcohol use problems and others do not, although there is a strong genetic link. Initially, alcohol is often used to soothe pain or hide insecurities. Over time, abuse and dependence can develop. Many people often fail to understand the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol abuse occurs when you repeatedly drink alcohol even though it causes significant problems in your life. Abuse disrupts your relationships, causes you to miss work (often due to hangovers), and neglect personal and work obligations. It can lead to legal problems, such as being arrested for disorderly conduct or drinking while driving. You don't have to drink daily or drink large amounts of alcohol to have an abuse problem. Whereas if alcohol abuse continues, it can lead to dependence - a physical and emotional addiction to alcohol. You may not be able to quit drinking on your own, even when you want to. With dependence, you feel compelled to drink, and it dominates your life. You may plan your activities around alcohol and may drink secretly or hide the amount that you drink. Over time, it will take larger amounts of alcohol before you feel its effects. You may get irritable, start to vomit, sweat and shake when you are unable to drink or try to quit on your own. Alcohol Alcohol abuse can be present if these symptoms exist: One of the early signs of an alcohol problem is having blackouts-periods of time where you were awake but do not remember what occurred while you were drinking. For example, you are injured while drinking but don't remember how it happened. Having unexplained injuries related to alcohol use or continue to drink despite the problems it causes. The person may also become physically aggressive when intoxicated. Many people who abuse alcohol deny they have a problem and consider themselves "social drinkers" because they do not drink every day. Alcohol abuse can develop in a short time or gradually over your lifetime. In the beginning, your drinking may not appear to be any different from the way other people drink. Some people drink only occasionally but drink a lot (binge drinkers), which can lead to alcohol abuse. Over time, your drinking may become a way for you to feel normal or to cope with life's problems. There are certain risk factors which increase the chance of alcohol abuse. Having a family history - this includes a genetic link - and exposure to alcohol at a place where the person grows up. Using alcohol at an early age proves to be dangerous because the earlier the exposure, the higher the risk of developing alcohol use problems as an adult. Using or abusing other substances such as nicotine, illegal drugs, or prescription medications may also increase abuse of alcohol. Mental Illness - Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness in which a person's mood alternates between extreme mania and depression. Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depressive illness. When manic, people with bipolar disorder feel intensely elated, self-important, energetic, and irritable.

Tobacco Horror Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tobacco Horror Show - Essay Example Throughout the article, an attempt has been made to conclude which of the means, literal or visual, is most effective when it comes to delivering ‘the right’ information. The question is, what is more important, the tobacco companies business that will be affected or public health that is always put on the line due to their tobacco production and products? The answer is simple and in my opinion, a smoker needs to be conveyed a message, in a way, that it actually delivers neutralized related aspects such as bad lungs, cancerous cause, short breath, addiction and eventually a shorter span of life. Moreover, a literal message might not have the same effect as compared to the one that is visually displayed as it can be adequate for the smoker to develop the right understanding. The motive should be to educate smokers and to help them overcome the smoking practice or addiction. Displaying images that depict the internal and overall destruction of a human body will make a smok er think twice. Works cited Fish, Stanley. "The Tobacco Horror Show."Â  New York Times. 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. . The Age of the Superfluous Worker America’s survival in the global economy today is questioned as the unemployment ratio has consistently climbed, as observed. As the situation worsens the estimated jobless ratio has now hiked to almost 15% of the overall work force. These statistics include the type that has now given up their search for work, the superfluous workers. These issues, when combined, severely contribute to the ever-increasing surplus pool. If present-day capitalism continues to eliminate a greater number of jobs as compared to what it creates, soon, along with the addition to surplus labor, majority of workers will eventually turn into superfluous workers. If a considerable proportion is continued to be expelled from within the American work force, soon America will transform into a disturbed society. This age has rightly been named ‘ the age of the superfluous worker’. Where there are less job opportunities for every American citizen, most of them transform into superfluous workers. According to my point of view, government needs to focus more on creating jobs and providing earning opportunities to its own people. If unemployment continues to climb heights, the youth is estimated to reach the ‘surplus state’ at an early age. If out-sourcing offices to lower waged countries continues, an ongoing addition to superfluous workers is never likely to halt. Other than the government concentrating more on creating jobs, employers also need to play a considerable role. They need to understand the fact that if they continue to outsource businesses, soon a time will come when the nation’s youth will be mentally challenged. Works cited Fish, Stanley. "The Age of the Superfluous Worker."Â  The New York Times. 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. . Moving Beyond Civil Rights Initially, civil rights mad e America a united and fair nation yet in the present, civil rights have failed to bring about any changes in the lives of many minorities, women and the unemployed. Due to the initial successful implementation of civil rights laws, Americans perceive every issue of social injustice

Porter's short story the grave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Porter's short story the grave - Essay Example The development of the story from beginning to end is such that it keeps the readers interested in the story at all times. ‘The Grave’ communicates many themes and we will, in this essay, attempt to highlight some of those themes in detail. The story is mainly telling that there is always life after death, and that life is of a cyclical nature. We will attempt to prove this through our analysis of the story. The story is about two siblings Paul and Miranda, and their experience which they gained from a hunting trip. The story has many themes hidden in its portrayal of Miranda. The two siblings found two items, a dove and a ring, from the emptied graves of their grandfather. After this discovery, they went to hunt and Paul was successful in hunting down a rabbit, which turns out to be a pregnant female. This hunt gave Miranda an experience of womanhood that overcomes her innocence forever. The maturation of Miranda, the cyclic nature of life, and death and recovery are th e three major themes dominating the story and each will be discussed in the paper in detail. Maturation of Miranda: From Innocence to Womanhood The character of Miranda is the main focus of the story. She is a nine year old girl that is out on a hunting trip with her brother, but seems to be more interested in firing than hunting. She is out to hunt but actually is fascinated by the sound of gunshot and likes to walk around. Her brother is a hunter and acts as a protector of Miranda. The portrayal of Miranda in the beginning depicts the innocent nature of the girl. She is child that is fascinated by travelling on foot and shooting. She is also keen to discover new things. Overall she is introduced in the story as an innocent child that is free from all defects. The innocence of Miranda is clearly depicted during the hunt when her brother tells her not to fire aimlessly at anything. She is an innocent child that, even tough is on a hunting trip, escapes the brutality we generally ass ociate with hunting of animals. But author only builds up the innocence of Miranda to depict her transformation to womanhood. When Miranda finds a dove in the empty grave of her grandfather she is excited. But what excites her even more is the ring that her brother found in the grave. The mere exchange of the two items beautifully depicts the transformation of Miranda from an innocent child to a woman. The ring makes Miranda feel like a woman as she wears the ring thinking about her inappropriate attire. She immediately felts a need of a fresh bath and changing of clothes, both of which are evidence of her newly found womanhood. The transformation of Miranda is not immediate but it happens in a step by step manner. The last stage of maturation of Miranda from an innocent child to a woman comes when her brother kills a pregnant rabbit. The mere sight of the baby rabbits in the belly of the mother invokes strange discomfort in the mind of Miranda. She becomes aware of the process of r eproduction and how her own body can give birth to other human beings. The sight it seems snatches every bit of innocence from Miranda and marks the beginning of her journey to womanhood. The maturation of Miranda signifies the continuity of life after death. The death of the female rabbits is followed by the realization of Miranda about her own ability to give life. The author attempts to portray that death is followed by life, and both are a continuing process. The dead rabbit

Antitrust Legislation in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Antitrust Legislation in the USA - Essay Example The company had employed predatory strategies to ensure that other market players cannot operate freely without considerably favoring Microsoft.   In identifying instances of antitrust violations, the Free Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for determining whether a given market player has, either intentionally or unintentionally, manipulated the market to either mitigate or limit entry of competitors into the market (Hylton, 2003). The FTC has the duty of quantifying to what extent the given market player has violated the freedom of entry into the market. FTC controls this by regulating the issuance of patents and enforcing the legality of these patients.   The Stark Act prevents antitrust within healthcare by ensuring that physician referrals of certain DHS (Designated Health Services) for Medicaid and Medicare patients cannot be executed if, and only if the physician in question or an immediate or close relative of the physician has a vested financial affiliation with the patient in question. (Leslie, 2011) This ensures that physicians cannot refer one patient from one medical institution to another if they stand to gain financially. Similarly, the Anti-Kickback law has made it illegal to refer a patient to another Medicaid or Medicare-covered services and receiving financial compensation   In conclusion, the main aim of the antitrust legislation is to identify instances where one market player has immense market power to the point where they control and manipulate the market to gain abnormal profits and limit access into the given market or industry.

Starbucks Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Starbucks Case Analysis - Essay Example The object of analysis for the purpose of this assignment is Starbucks, a vibrant international organization that offers a variety of products in the market, with its core business being the production and sale of coffee-based products. The company’s products are quite varied and include Frappuccino, double shot products, chilled cup coffees, canned and bottled coffees, coffee ice creams, fresh brewed coffee, customer CDs, and books. The company has an international market and features in countries including China, USA, UK, Europe and Canada. The company’s initial mission was to be the World’s premier purveyor of finest coffee without compromising its core principles. Currently, the company’s mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. The company’s vision is to open 300 net new stores locally and internationally. The company strategically intends to position itself as the undisputed coff ee authority with a global presence. Like every other organization, Starbucks has its strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of any organization propel it toward greater success while its weaknesses pose a challenge to its continued success and existence. Yet again, every business organization exists in an environment what impacts its activities either positively or negatively. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis will be applied in analyzing the position of Starbucks relative to its competitors and success. Strengths Starbucks as a company has a long history having been founded in 1971(Shah and Thompson, nd). The company has undergone significant growth over the years establishing itself as a preferred band across geographical and territorial borders. Having been in operation with a history of success and a good reputation, the company is bound to achieve more success as it can easily capture a greater market share. The company’s success histor y has been overseen by a dedicated management team. Under the leadership of Howard Schultz, the management team has seen the company achieve significant growth in various lines of business. Orin Smith, Jim Donald and other directors of the company had a wealth of experience in their various specialties their weaknesses not withstanding. Currently, Howard Schultz remains the CEO of the company, his dedication and brilliant management and leadership skills bound to make the company retain its success path. Starbucks endevours to be a great place to work(Shah and Thompson, nd). In this respect, it has taken several measures to ensure employee motivation, satisfaction, and dedication. The company’s employees are knowledgeable about the company’s products and services and are free to communicate their ideas and feelings to management without the fear of facing reprisals. Some of the benefits that the company’s employees enjoy include healthcare coverage, opportunity to own stock, and good work environments. Furthermore, the employees are trained on various aspects in respect of the company’s products and services. Their contributions to the company are well recognized as the company has a recognition program. The situation that the company is in as a result of these measures is healthy considering that motivated and satisfied employees are never easy to lose. The company’s turnover rate is significantly low which means that it benefits a lot in terms of high reputation as a good employer, provides high quality service due to its highly experienced workforce and suffers low hiring and training costs. The company has a strong and loyal customer base across different countries. The company is bound to glide in success with such a level of trust from its huge customer base. The company has instituted a number of measures to ensure that its customers are served wherever they are by opening several stores in various locations and throug h its franchises. Starbucks has a strong mission and is guided by principles that are