Wednesday, December 25, 2019

5 Student Competitions You Can Take Part in with Your Project Samples

Honing your skills is an important part of maximizing your educational experience. There are numerous competitions available for students. These competitions enable you to show off your talents while making your resume much more interesting. Participating in these competitions will give you additional valuable experience, help build your portfolio and give you the opportunity to win excellent prizes. Entering these competitions now can have a major impact on your future, including your long-term career. ASHRAE Student Design Competition The Student Design Project Competition is sponsored by ASHRAE to encourage students to design energy-efficient HVAC systems. ASHRAE will present the awards at the 2017 ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., January 28 – February 1, 2017. There are four categories – HVAC Design Calculations, HVAC System Selection, Integrated Sustainable Building Design (ISBD) and The Applied Engineering Challenge. The student competition for 2016 focuses on a new two-story government building in Beijing, China. To learn more about the project requirements and guidelines, visit their website. The deadline for electronic entries is May 4. Siemens PLM Software Student Design This is a monthly contest that gives winner’s global recognition. Winners are featured on the Siemens website and receive a prize. The designs must be created using Siemens PLM software. It provides you with the opportunity to impress peers, teachers and prospective employers. To enter the contest, or to get more information about it, visit the link. Greenpower Greenpower is a company dedicated to the promotion of engineering and technology in prospective careers for students who want to put their project samples into use. Students from 9 to 25 years old in part-time or full-time educational settings can compete in the hands-on building of an electric race car. Participate now! F1 in Schools F1 in Schools (Formel 1 in der Schule) is for students from 9 to 19 years old. Participants use CAD/CAM software to analyze, design, manufacture and then race miniature gas-powered cars made from balsawood. This interdisciplinary competition is part of Seimens’ support for schools. Google Science Fair Open to grades 8 to 12, the Google Science Fair is open to students worldwide. The deadline is in May of each year. Projects are submitted online and there are interviews for finalists. Group participation is permitted for the competition. For current rules and project guidelines, visit the website. Show your creativity and enter a competition or two to show off your skills. Entering these competitions can significantly impact your educational future and your career. It can be a great topic of discussion or a boost for college and job applications. Every student should take part in competitions as it is a way to show off existing talent while learning more about your field of interest.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Great Writer And Creator Of Short Stories By Edgar...

Great American writer and creator of short stories, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. According to Charles E. May, a literary scholar, who specializes in the study of the short story, â€Å"Poe is very important in the history of American culture †¦ , he developed short fictions as a genre that was to have a major impact on American literature†¦ in nineteenth century† (May 5). Despite the huge amount short stories written and sold, Poe unsuccessfully tried to fix his financial situation. Poe s life experiences, including his poverty, alcoholism, depression, and the deaths of those he loved, greatly influenced his short story writing. From birth in an impoverished actor’s family and during all his life, Poe fought with poverty as his heroes fights with poverty in his short stories. â€Å"Lack of copyright laws made the work of the great English writers readily available at low cost,† observes May in his â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† article (May 5). Poe’s bibliographer, J. Lasley Dameron, comments in his â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† article that John Allan, Poe’s foster father, died without leaving anything in his will, though Poe counted on getting something from him, but he was not lucky in that either (Dameron 5). Poe’s financial problems are reflected in some of his short stories; for example, Mr. William Legrand, in the tale â€Å"The Gold Bug†. The main hero, Mr. Legrand, is a descendant of a wealthy family that became bankrupt after of failure follows him. However, Legrand’sShow MoreRelatedLife Darker Than Night By Edgar Allan Poe961 Words   |  4 PagesDarker than Night Great American writer and creator of short stories, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. According to Charles E. May, a literary scholar, who specializes in the study of the short story, â€Å"Poe is very important in the history of American culture †¦ , he developed short fictions as a genre that was to have a major impact on American literature†¦ in nineteenth century† (May 5). Despite the huge amount short stories written and sold, Poe unsuccessfully tried toRead MoreEdgar Allan Poes Influence on Literature1191 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Allan Poe’s influence on American literature was nothing short of great; not only was he the creator of the detective story and the horror thriller, but he also influenced many great writers, among those William Faulkner and Fyodor Dostoevsky. While Poe is best known for his horror thrillers, being the creator of that particular genre, he has also fashioned two other literary genres, like the detec tive and the science fiction genre. Throughout his life, Poe read, reviewed, and critiqued manyRead MoreThe Tell-Tale Heart and the Similarities With Edgar Allen Poe952 Words   |  4 PagesWho came first? The mentally-ill person, or the man who only wrote about them? Edgar Allan Poe truly experienced the bittersweet symphony with being a writer of his caliber; he wrote with such proficiency that he often would become unable to escape the dark world, filled with the aspects of gothic literature, in which he created. He also faced numerous obstacles throughout his lifespan, which seemed to plague him by always returning right after the previous issue have been resolved. From povertyRead MoreThe Father Of American Detective1923 Words   |  8 Pagesof American Detective Short Story-Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is far more than a poet and short story writer of the early 19th century. Poe is, in many ways, the most crucial writer of the period. The inventor of the detective story, and the creator of Gothic horror stories. He continues to capture the imagination and inspire literature more than one hundred and fifty years after his death. In examining his life, the critical reaction to his work, and his short story masterpiece â€Å"The CaskRead MoreThe Great Authors And Poets Of History2014 Words   |  9 Pagesasked to think of the great authors and poets of history, many think of names like Walt Whitman, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde or Ernest Hemmingway. Few people would consider the nineteenth century poet Edgar Allan Poe. Poe wrote countless poems and short stories of the horror genre. Poe’s early life, military activity, romantic relationships and life as an author all played a significant role in his writings and the formation of his career as an author and poet. The work Poe did years ago still impactsRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Life1954 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout the many works that Edgar Allan Poe has written in his lifetime, whether the work is a poem, novel, analysis, or critique, Poe has incorporated many reoccurring themes that define him as a writer. A theme that has brought much criticism upon Poe is his Classicist aspect of writing. Poe was very clear and detailed when he wrote in prose. This way of writing proved him to be somewhat of a rebel and veered off the beaten path when it comes to form. In Poe’s time the Gothic style was notRead MoreMurder Of The American Detective1694 Words   |  7 PagesMorgue is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s more famous literary works. Arguably. Poe may be called the father of the American detective story with his trilogy involving Det. Dupin in Murders in the Rue Morgue, the Purloined Letter, and the Mystery of Marie Roget. Poe uses the peculiar eccentricities of hero Detective C. Augustus Dupin to make these mysteries enthralling to the reader. Dupin is purported to be the forerunner to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s genius detective Sherlock Holmes. Poe created a new genreRead MoreJadon Vanderslice.. Ms. Glass. English 1213. 5 February1715 Words   |  7 PagesJadon Vanderslice. Ms. Glass English 1213 5 February 2017 Poe Edgar Allan Poe, arguably one of the best poets ever, has wrote many great and deep-meaning poems, such as â€Å"Annabel Lee,† and â€Å"Dream Within a Dream.† Both putting off a rather dark image and goth-like elements, a way of writing Poe loved best. Mostly known for â€Å"The Raven†, Poe’s Poems all have real deep and mysterious meanings that make people think a bit more to figure it out. The way he expressed terror, the suspense, the heighteningRead MoreEssay Edgar Allan Poe3220 Words   |  13 PagesEdgar Allan Poe The boundaries which divide Life and Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one ends, and where the other begins? Edgar Allan Poe, The Premature Burial (Bartlett, 642). To venture into the world of Edgar Allan Poe is to embark on a journey to a land filled with perversities of the mind, soul, and body. The joyless existence carved out by his writings is one of lost love, mental anguish, and the premature withering of his subjects. Poe wrote in a style thatRead MoreThe American Renaissance Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesThe Unitarians and Universalists are closely related today and â€Å"although both sects remained relatively small, they exercised a powerful influence over intellectual life, especially in New England.† (Tindall 494) Romanticism in America â€Å"Another great victory of heart over head was the Romantic movement in thought, literature, and the arts.† (Tindall 503) This movement was known as Romanticism. Romanticism has very little to do with things popularly thought of as romantic, although love may occasionally

Monday, December 9, 2019

Human Computer Interaction Design Principles

Question: Discuss about the Human Computer Interaction Design Principles. Answer: Introduction The purpose of the report is to analyze the website https://www.myer.com.au/ on the Human-Computer Interaction design principles. The desktop version of the website has been used to conduct the analysis. The main features of the website along with the positive and negative aspects of the same have been highlighted in the report. Recommendation and suggestions along with the reviews from two other users has also been illustrated in detail in the report. Website Overview The website https://www.myer.com.au/ for the brand MYER is an online retail store that provides the customers with the products belonging to fashion, beauty and lifestyle domain. It also includes a blog that lists some of the latest trends in these fields to assist the users to pick up right choices (Myer, 2016). Main Features The website is mainly divided in to four broad sections as Header, Menu, Body and Footer. The header displays the brand name clearly along with the Search ability to directly reach to the desired option. Along with these, the header comprises of login functionality and the buttons that link to store locator, catalogue, wishlist and bag. Header Section The menu present below the header section has the following options: Women Men Miss shop Beauty Kids toys Home Electrical Sale Myer one Blog Each of the menu option has sub-options present under it with links to the product category. Mouse hover on any of the menu option displays the sub-options present under the same. The body section of the website consists of a number of product images arranged neatly and the links to buy the same. The footer section consists some of the common links which the user looks out for such as Contact Us, About Us, services and offers. The bottom right of the footer section displays a link to the popular social networking platforms. The right most vertical pane gives a link to the store location for Myer. Footer Section The following wireframe displays a basic design of the home page of the website. Positive Aspects The website has been designed with HTML and JavaScript and scores pretty well on the interactive and usability aspects. To add presentation information to the web pages, style language called CSS has been used (Sklar, 2014). The positive aspects of the website are as listed below: Efficiency and Usability The website has been designed for the user to look out for and shop the products from the fashion, beauty and lifestyle categories. It lists out all the products neatly specific to the categories (Preece, Sharp and Rogers, 2015). Reduction of short term memory loads The displays that have been chosen for the website are kept simple and the multiple page displays are consolidated correctly (Designprinciplesftw.com, 2016). Navigation Navigation is an important aspect of usability in the web design which is a trump card in this particular case. The web site allows easy navigation between all the pages present within. Ease of usage The components of the web site are self-explanatory in nature and the web site is also easy to use in terms of information present and clarity of the same. Look Feel The entire look and feel of the web site is appealing with its correct choice of theme and colors that goes well with the purpose of the web site. Hierarchy of Control The hierarchy of influence between the various elements and components of the web site are clearly visible and apparent (Trenchard-Seys, 2010). For instance, the zoom feature is enabled in the map that is displayed on the Store Locator page. Negative Aspects There are a few negative aspects about the web site which are as listed below: Inconsistency The web site should maintain consistency across all of the pages which are one of the prime HCI design principle. However, there is a bit of inconsistency in this case on the catalogue page which does not have the same header and menu section as the rest of the pages. Header Section for catalogue page Link: https://catalogues.myer.com.au/catalogue/a-fresh-start/57b68d7yg.html?pid=promotedCatalogue#pageNo=0 Error Handling The website also does not score well on the error handling. One instance to support the same is, if a user does not enter anything in the Search box and attempts to search, there is no action that is performed by the site. However, an improved solution would be to display a message informing user to enter a search value in the search box. Readability of text The font size, color and style that have been chosen for the web pages allow easy visibility, clarity and readability. However, there is overlapping of text on a few pages that would not look good to the end user. Overlapping of text Link: https://www.myer.com.au/shop/mystore/StoreLocator Website Review Other Users Review 1 The first review was done by a friend, Sarah. Sarah is a fashion designer and is 35 years of age. She was particularly impressed with the layout and listing of products on the site. She however felt that since the website belongs to the domain of fashion and beauty, the color scheme that has been used could have been a little brighter that would go in contrast with the body and content. She was looking for more of reds, yellows and greens on the site. She was pretty content with the overall user experience. According to me, the point that is raised by Sarah is quite valid and should be followed considering the theme of the web site. Use of brighter colors will go with the same. Review 2 The second review was done by another friend Jacob. Jacob is a banker and is 45 years of age. Jacob found the web site good in terms of the design, color scheme, theme and layout. He however felt that the options such as About Us and Contact Us should have been present on the top of the site rather than at the bottom. He also felt that all-caps text scheme should have been used for the 10 menu options rather than all of them written in small characters. According to me, the text that is used in the menu options is fine the way it is. However, the other point of concern raised by Jacob is valid. Customers do like to see the Contact Us and About Us options right in front as soon as they open a web site. These shall be move to the header area. Recommendations On the basis of the analysis of the web site and the comments received during the review from other users, following improvements have been suggested. The images that are present on the website should have an alt-text that can be incorporated easily in the HTML tag for images. The user also finds it comfortable to feel connected with the web site through the features such as Contact Us and About Us. Hence, these options should be moved in to the header section of the site. The consistency should be maintained across all the web pages. Header and footer section must be kept the same on all the pages. The background of the web site can be turned a little more interesting rather than the choice of keeping it all white. A background containing a self-pattern or a different color such as peach or turquoise would make the site more attractive and appealing to the user. Conclusion The website for Myer scores well on the interactivity and usability design principles. It fulfills some of the basic requirements of the HCI design principles. However, there are some of the minor issues that were found in the site in terms of consistency and error handling. The review from the two other users also suggests that the web site fulfills the user expectations and has received a good feedback in terms of the user experience. Some of the recommendations such as use of alt text, improvements in terms of consistency, readability and the background color have been suggested to improve the interactivity and usability aspects of the site. References Designprinciplesftw.com. (2016). Shneiderman's "Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design" | Design Principles FTW. [online] Available at: https://www.designprinciplesftw.com/collections/shneidermans-eight-golden-rules-of-interface-design [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016]. Myer. (2016). Myer. [online] Available at: https://www.myer.com.au/ [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016]. Preece, J., Sharp, H. and Rogers, Y. (2015). Beyond human-computer interaction. [online] Available at: https://workgroups.clemson.edu/AAH0503_ANIMATED_ARCH/879Readings/Interaction%20Design%20-%20Beyond%20Human-Computer%20Interaction.pdf [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016]. Sklar, J. (2014). Principles of Web Design. [online] Available at: https://www.nelsonbrain.com/content/sklar28705_1111528705_02.01_chapter01.pdf [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016]. Trenchard-Seys, P. (2010). 11 Principles of Interaction Design explained. [online] Paul Trenchard-Seys / the Short Bored Surfer. Available at: https://shortboredsurfer.com/2010/08/13/11-principles-of-interaction-design-explained/ [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].

Monday, December 2, 2019

Satisfying all stakeholders when the business is competing in mature product markets is difficult Essay Example

Satisfying all stakeholders when the business is competing in mature product markets is difficult Essay The business dynamics at play in a mature product market is quite different from that of newly introduced products. Companies dealing with mature products will have to employ different manufacturing and marketing tactics than those adopted for trendy products in order to succeed. One of the concerns facing the management is satisfying all involved stakeholders, including shareholders, customers, vendors, and to a lesser extend the society-at-large. Satisfying this diverse group is arduous at the best of times, but it gets close to impossible during an economic downturn or an industry-wide recession. Another handicap facing mature products is that the markets they operate in are likely to be mature as well, making growth prospects for the product as well as industry very tough. The rest of this essay will present various factors that have a bearing on stakeholders when a business is competing in mature product markets. Shareholders are one of the main (if not the most important) stakeholders to a company’s prospects. And equity markets are the arena where they can hope to claim their rewards. But increasing share price on a consistent and non-volatile manner is very difficult in mature product markets. For example, â€Å"Equity markets both reward companies that outpace growth in their sector and that show significantly higher price/earnings multiples than their competitors. But, since 80 per cent of equity markets grow only as fast as their country’s gross domestic product – that is, at a rate that rarely pushes beyond the low single digits, an organization that seeks to outpace a mature equity market and achieve double-digit revenue growth faces a steep uphill climb. A company can attempt to take market share, but competitors in a mature market will work just as vigorously to defend their customer base. Higher revenue does not always signal success anyway, since revenue gains almost always hurt margins, and can precipitate a price war that devalues the entire market.† (Magrath, 2005) We will write a custom essay sample on Satisfying all stakeholders when the business is competing in mature product markets is difficult specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Satisfying all stakeholders when the business is competing in mature product markets is difficult specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Satisfying all stakeholders when the business is competing in mature product markets is difficult specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The telecommunications industry offers opportunities for studying marketability of mature products. This is so because, although digital and satellite communications technology were invented only a couple of decades ago, the rapid rate of growth ensured maturity of both the industry as well as its products. The recent developments in the telecommunications industry in the Middle East illustrates common challenges faced by mature products and mature markets. The quarterly performance of these telecom companies after the first quarter of 2009 shows how growth can be stagnant or in decline for mature product markets. During this period, Saudi Telecom reported a whopping 69 percent dip in its net profit figures. Etisalat, another major firm in the region, reported a 20 percent drop in profits in the same period. Smaller players too, including Maroc Telecom and Zain, performed likewise. (Hadfield, 2009) These examples illustrate how difficult it has become for managements to satisfy st akeholders in a mature product business. It is a sign of problems identified with mature markets that investors are looking at opportunities in emerging markets. An increasing share of the world’s capital is now being directed to equities and other derivative products in emerging economies. In the era of globalization, the flow of financial capital is a vital parameter. Financial products and derivative products transacted via stock exchanges trans-nationally have matured as a product over the years. This means that there is now vast empirical data to draw theories upon. This has also had the effect of increasing the degree of volatility in these markets. Investment firms and individual investors look toward emerging markets despite their high volatility due to the following reasons: higher average returns, lower correlations than developed markets, and more predictable returns. Each of these characteristics has made the volatility of emerging markets an acceptable risk and a topic of ongoing research. In the Middl e East, for example, the six countries in Arabian Gulf Cooperation council (AGCC) are now recognized as emerging markets. (Fayyad Daly, 2010) Research studies conducted on data from these markets lead to interesting inferences. They weigh the pros and cons for companies dealing with mature products in entering emerging markets: â€Å"Many small companies have niche (and sometimes mature) products for which much of the potential is in emerging markets. But these markets also have higher political risk and macroeconomic fluctuations. For example, Turkey would be an excellent market for a small company in the microelectronics industry due to Turkey’s modernization efforts in the 1990s, the establishment of a large military sector, and governmental support for high technology. Despite its small size and unstable political environment, Israel also offers significant potential for high-tech products due to its high level of technical expertise and trading relationships with the electronics industry in the United States and Europe. In developing countries such as India, China, and Brazil, due to their industrialization efforts, they often have pent-up demand for high-tech products from the industrialized world.† (Alon, 2004) Companies like Coca-Cola, Boeing, Intel, Daewoo, Nestle, Avon, Microsoft, General Electric, Fed-Ex, etc have a vast portfolio of products. While some of them are recent inventions most of their offerings come under the mature product category. With global markets being open and allowing free flow of capital, these companies have set their goals to worldwide domination in their respective specializations. These companies, dealing mostly in mature product markets are â€Å"investing fortunes in condensed time frames to obliterate the concept of ‘geographical markets’.† (Kahn Lanchner, 1997) As they seek a dominant presence instantly in countries virtually worldwide, they are ushering in the Age of the Global Titans. Without question, global domination is an unconventional and risky concept. The danger of spreading both financial and managerial resources thin is painfully real. And the likelihood of entering markets not understood by management is a given.† (Kahn Lanchner, 1997) These companies also have to overcome cultural, economic, regulatory and currency barriers to their success. Hence, in the face of these challenges the odds are stacked against them delivering impressive returns to stakeholders.