The Benefits Of Laptops And Wireless Cards :: Technology Computers Papers

The Benefits Of Laptops And Wireless Cards The CEO of Viacom/Blockbuster was once quoted for saying, â€Å"The information superhighway is a dirt road that won’t be paved over until 2025† (The Freeman Institute). Obviously, this was an erroneous quote. The information age is currently at its peak. The use of technology and the Internet are an essential part of higher education. In the past few years, colleges have begun providing laptops to all students. A few colleges have even developed programs that use wireless network cards to access the Internet from anywhere on their campuses. Giving students a laptop and a wireless network card has increased the learning possibilities at schools nationwide. This is a very recent idea being practiced by hundreds of colleges around the United States. However, this idea is one of controversy. Despite the many benefits, these laptops have their flaws. They create problems such as maintenance efforts, depreciation value, classroom misuse, faculty training, and rai sed tuition (Beebe 2-8). Another issue is whether or not the laptops actually benefit the students or just distract them. There are many benefits of using laptops over conventional personal computers. Some of the benefits include portability, access, PowerPoint Presentations, slideshows, e-mail, using the Internet, and online notes. All of these advantages are put together to make a very economical and beneficial laptop (Shafer). One of the biggest advantages is portability. A Minnesota State student Timothy Huebsch says, â€Å"On a nice day, we don’t have to be cooped up† (Ojeda-Zapata). One can take his or her laptop to the library, cafeteria, or even to class. The students have all the advantages of a PC without having to sit at a desk working on assignments. Students at Buena Vista University have the capability of accessing the Internet from the residence halls, football stadium, and even the docks on the lake. In other words, it is a major convenience for all the students to have a laptop to write a paper rather than waiting in a line to use a computer lab (Dean). Rick Shafer, who is Buena Vista’s Director of Integrated Technology, summarizes the advantage of portability by saying, â€Å"The main purpose of the laptop program was so that student could have access to computers. Prior to this program students had to wait in line often to use a computer.

“Non dare call it education” by John A. Stormer: a review

The vast majority of American children are educated in public schools. Now, many parents start asking themselves: what’s happening to our schools. Why do schools produce children, who are unable to read, write or calculate, why do schoolchildren risk to be killed in shooting, what are the reasons for dramatic fall of moral between American teenagers. The book â€Å"Non Dare Call It Education† by John A. Stormer was aimed to investigate the adverse events, which take place in the public schools throughout America. The author brings in â€Å"horrible examples† of ignorance, illiteracy, criminal activities (including shooting at schools), alcoholism, drug addiction, moral downfall, early pregnancies and other failures inside our educational institutions. Having analyzed statistics, tests data and newspaper reports, witnessing the above stated, the author makes a conclusion, that American educational system appeared in a state of deep crisis, caused by crude educational innovations. Stormer determines two basic reasons for degeneracy of school system. The first reason is simplification and primitivization of teaching process. For example, no attention is longer paid to correct spelling. Children are encouraged to guess how words are pronounced and written, when they look at the pictures in spite of being taught to read and write the word. Correct spelling in such approach is said to be a work of computer. Mathematics textbooks teach children, that correct calculation is also not important, because it can be done by computers, so children are tolled to guess of the result, not to count it by themselves[1]. Downfall of students educational level results in downfall of teachers level. Stormer brings an example of Massachusetts’ testing for incoming teachers in 1998, where 56% of candidates failed. In order to help more teachers pass, the State Board of Education had to lower the standards of tests[2]. The second problem with recent educational reforms is that even the smartest children have to undergo manipulative techniques, which change their thinking values. They have to adopt faulty â€Å"humanistic† and â€Å"universal† values, to become future leaders of â€Å"new social order†. Stormer points, that there are many devoted teachers at schools, however, the system of education itself is ill due to government attempts not only to educate, but to change the thoughts and feelings of students to make them â€Å"correct†. The most destructive element of such manipulative changes, as Stormer believes, is undermining of traditional values, resulting in destructive social processes. Comparing textbooks, which were issued 40 years ago and modern ones, the author pointed 12 basic values, which appeared to be undermined, including marriage an family, paternal authority, substitution of situational ethics with absolute terms of good and bad, change of attitude towards national independence and sovereignty. In chapter 2 he gives an example of Illinois State Board of Education, which gave a test to 11th grade students in Illinois schools with provoking questions about their sexual behavior. The tests caused much public indignation, and the newspapers blamed, that educational bureaucrats were â€Å"determined to force their vision of permissive sex education on parents and students – even when the vision conflicts with Illinois law†. However, almost no reaction of authorities followed, and an information was passed, that the Illinois State Board of Education acted under instructions of supreme bodies[3]. Stormer specially notices, that he does not write about a conspiracy, because educational reforms are conducted openly with a declared aim to substitute intellectual development with vocational development. Public schools are substituted with Schools-to-Work. As Henry Hyde a Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee noticed, â€Å"Behavior modification is a significant part of restructuring our schools. School children will be trained to be â€Å"politically correct,† to be unbiased, to understand diversity, to accept â€Å"alternative life-styles..[4].† The modification of school system under Stormer is a systematic action, openly and deliberately conducted by the government to change the entire American society. The main value of the book is that it attracts attention to the destructive phenomena in our education and provides a good factual summary of such phenomena. Stormer attempts to explain those trends systematically and in a way succeeds. However, he does not provide any strategy of actions to overcome the situation. The book is written from traditional position and attributes all failures to â€Å"undermined values† and government efforts, not taking other factors into account, such as massive migration of poorly educated persons or objective factors of social change in the postindustrial era.   Moreover, the book concentrates only on the worst things, not analyzing positive effects of educational reforms, therefore, it appears to be a little overweighted. References John A. Stormer (1998), None Dare Call It Education, Florissant MO, Liberty Bell Press [1] John A. Stormer (1998), None Dare Call It Education, Florissant MO, Liberty Bell Press, p.- 17 [2] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p- 21 [3] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p-56 [4] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p-117

I-phone advertisement Essay

An enormous amount of potential as well as an enormous amount of controversy is associated with the new age of recorded music and especially regarding how the new digital technology pertains to artist’s royalties and corporate profits. The problem is basically one of free-access and the debate over file-sharing and free downloading which has been raging for many years now. With new products like the I-phone further establishing digital access and portability at the top-tier of consumer demand, the controversy regarding corporate and artist royalties and issues of copyright promises to extend far into the future. The I-phone is represented in a recent ad as almost as a natural force of nature — and implies that those who have not experienced its capacities are, in fact, living a lesser-life; (I-pod, 2007) in fact the new age of music is upon us regardless of whether the next turn in technology will expand or restrict access for consumers. The overall problem can be broken into two sub-problems 1) file sharing by consumers which results in royalty â€Å"losses† for the corporate or artist’s interests and 2) the issue of fan-made â€Å"remixes† of artist’s material which may result in a radical alteration of what the artist originally intended. In order for both issues to be addressed simultaneously it will be necessary to adopt some form of free file-sharing which is not wholly free, and which we will presently discuss. Proposal My proposal is that all major-label record companies include the option of a limited number of file-share downloads which are available for those who purchase a specific number of products and/or pay a fee to access this service. What this means is that each major label would post the music on their label online and allow free downloads of a portion of their catalog while leaving the hottest newest releases or niche market products in a state of buy-only. Simultaneously, the labels could offer on online â€Å"DJ† or radio service which should function similarly to the Yahoo online Jukebox or other similar sites. The free access of samples of the record labels’ catalog would also be a form of music sharing but not file sharing as the files could be heard on-site but not downloaded. Opposing Views The new-wave of technology has not only made it harder for headline artists to ensure that their due royalties are paid to them for their music, but it has made it much more difficult for big-name artists to ensure that anyone is even listening to their music at all. The idea that small-time musicians and even un-signed musicians and bands can attract downloads as well as those acts and bands which are backed by huge corporations. The new environment is a dual â€Å"challenge to music industry players[†¦] First, with so much music available, the greatest threat to big record companies is not that listeners will consume their music illegally but that they will consume, whether legally or illegally, someone else’s music entirely† (Drew, 2005; p. 543) which may be the most exciting promise of all from a consumer’s perspective. Research sources indicate that the radical evolution has just begun and will have far-flung consequences that can’t be presently predicted. One authoritative source, â€Å"Edgar Bronfman Jr., the head of Universal, the world’s biggest music company,†(Mann, 2000; p. 39) said the following regarding the future of the entertainment industries: â€Å"a few clicks of your mouse will make it possible for you to summon every book ever written in any language, every movie ever made, every television show ever produced, and every piece of music ever recorded. † In this vast intellectual commons nothing will ever again be out of print or impossible to find; every scrap of human culture transcribed, no matter how obscure or commercially unsuccessful, will be available to all. † (Mann, 2000; p. 39) Of course to Bronfman and others like him with a vested interest in the consumption of entertainment products, particularly music, the new technologies are viewed as an evil threat. This threat is financial in nature: â€Å"the thought of such systems spreading to films, videos, books, and magazines has riveted the attention of artists, writers, and producers† (Mann, 2000; p. 40) all of whom are, obviously, looking to preserve and extend their lucrative financial holdings into the new age. Conclusion It would be impossible to completely shut-down file sharing of music online or to completely stop online music piracy. However, a similar situation existed and still exists for movies, television shows, and video games all of which can be illegally recorded and shared as well as â€Å"ripped† without due pay to the companies and artists who produced them. By adopting new approaches to free-share options, record companies and artists might at least begin to recover some of the lost revenue base they have experienced as consumers migrate to illegal sites for file downloads. References Anonymous. â€Å"I-phone advertisement,† archived You-Tube; accessed 11-26-07 ; http://youtube. com/watch? v=FLxB4pHH_GY Mann, Charles C. â€Å"Heavenly Jukebox: Rampant Music Piracy May Hurt Musicians Less Than They Fear. the Real Threat – to Listeners and, Conceivably, Democracy Itself – Is the Music Industry’s Reaction to It†; The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 286, September 2000. p. 39+ Drew, Rob. â€Å"Mixed Blessings: The Commercial Mix and the Future of Music Aggregation;† Popular Music and Society, Vol. 28, 2005. p. 533+

Compound Plurals

Compound Plurals Compound Plurals Compound Plurals By Maeve Maddox Most English nouns form their plurals by adding -s: boy/boys; house/houses. When the noun is compound, the question sometimes arises as to which word should get the plural ending. In regard to American usage, the Chicago Manual of Style recommends that writers consult Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for â€Å"tricky† compounds like fathers-in-law, courts-martial, and chefs d’oeuvre, adding, â€Å"For those not listed, common sense can usually provide the answer.† I have a lot of respect for the Chicago Manual of Style, but recommending common sense to determine correct usage seems a bit optimistic. Compound nouns are of three kinds: open, closed, and hyphenated. Not all authorities agree as to which is which or where the plural goes. Open compounds are written as separate words: Grand Jury Knight Templar post office court martial free lunch The principal word in the compound takes the plural: Grand Juries Knights Templar post offices courts martial free lunches Note: According to the OED, court martials is incorrect; M-W gives courts martial as the first plural, but also accepts court martials. Most closed compounds form the plural at the end of the word: toothbrush / toothbrushes haircut / haircuts grasshopper / grasshoppers blackboard / blackboards bedroom / bedrooms BUT, passerby / passersby Like open compounds, hyphenated compound nouns pluralize the principal wordif there is one. The principal word will be a noun. Some compounds have more than one noun; others have none. When the compound has two nouns, common sense will have to tell you which one is the principal word. mother-in-law / mothers-in-law man-of-war / men-of-war merry-go-round / merry-go-rounds (no principal word) forget-me-not / forget-me-nots (no principal word) stand-in / stand-ins (no principal word) Some compounds are hyphenated in the Oxford English Dictionary and written as one word in Merriam-Webster: set-back (OED) setback (M-W) drop-out (OED) dropout (M-W) hold-up (OED) holdup (M-W) half-sister (OED) half sister (M-W) Some speakers have trouble with nouns that end in -ful, puzzling, for example, between cupfuls and cupsful. This is a case in which common sense should probably advise against consulting M-W. Although the M-W entries for cupful, handful, and armful list the plurals cupfuls, handfuls, and armfuls first, they give cupsful, handsful, and armsful as alternative spellings. In addition, the spelling handfull is in there as an â€Å"also.† My American spellchecker does not countenance any of these alternatives. Cupsful doesn’t cut it because compound nouns are made up of two or more words that can be used on their own. For example, the words in the compound policeman can be used separately: â€Å"The man called for the police.† The element ful in cupful is not a word; it’s a suffix. Common sense tells me that cupsful is incorrect. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Greek Words You Should KnowHomonyms, Homophones, Homographs and HeteronymsI wish I were...

Automobile in America Essay Example

Automobile in America Essay Example Automobile in America Essay Automobile in America Essay The automobile managed to change American culture dramatically in a short period of time. It allowed many people to move away from the overcrowded, stuffy, and dirty urban areas into less populated places with more space and air. The suburbs were born and single-family houses sprang up to replace the apartment tenements of the cities. People were now able to commute to work and also visit friends and family who lived further away. The automobile was also a hit with the younger crowd, who saw it as a new way to have fun and achieve freedom. The huge demand for cars also boosted the American economy, as the automobile industry was born. The economy in the United States was roaring in the 1920â„ ¢s. Workers became more efficient and very productive. Between 1922 and 1927, the economy grew by 7% a year (Nation of Nations, 6th Edition, Volume II, chapter 24, Pg. 694). Technology was growing and construction companies started building taller and taller towers. The success in all industries was affecting each other in positive ways in a chain. There was an increase in all industries and the industry that boomed the most was the automobile industry. Henry Ford organized mass production in his companies, which led to affordable cars. He also believed in making all the cars to look the same so cost would reduce the cost so buying cars would be affordable. Ford reduced the working hours and days of employees, employed African American people, and gave them respectful positions in his company. He had his employees educated on how to speak and dress properly. Many owned cars and this opened more business for real estate, re staurants, motels etc. (Nation of Nations, 6th Edition, Volume II, chapter 24, Pg. 694-695). From Fords ideas, the car was transformed from a luxury item into a necessity, and this is what made him more successful than any other competitor during that time.

A View of the Mexican- American Battle and the Reasons behind the Involvement of the United States

A View of the Mexican- American Battle and the Reasons behind the Involvement of the United States U.S. History Honors The Mexican-American War DBQ â€Å"Was the United States justified in going to war with Mexico?† This is a trigger phrase similar to watching two siblings fighting over who gets to play the Xbox. â€Å"It’s MY Xbox.† â€Å"But you ruin the whole game.† In this case, Mexico owns the land of dispute and the US is eager to take it. In my opinion, the US should not have gone to war with Mexico for these reasons: the US provoked the war; gaining Texas was another way to spread slavery; and the annexation of Texas would make America a bigger threat, scaring Mexico along with other countries. The â€Å"US Invasion† was just part of the US’s plan to gain land in the early 1800s, once again because of the same excuse, Manifest Destiny. Mexico’s idea of convincing American settlers to move in to even out the contrasting social population of rich and poor backfired and right after winning their independence from Spain: a Mexican horror story! â€Å"[T]he troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor arrived at the Rio Grande†¦ (Doc. C)† From Mexican perspectives, the border between Mexico and the United States was the Nueces River. When the Americans crossed over to the Rio Grande, which was below the Nueces River, Mexico burst into flames. This means that the US initiated the war, forcing the Mexicans to the last straw until they had to finally start defending themselves. â€Å"Polk saw Mexico’s treatment of [the envoys] as an opportunity [to go to war]. He felt America’s honor had been challenged. When word arrived†¦ that Mexican soldiers had fired upon Americans on the ‘Texas side’ of the Rio Grande, President Polk had a reason for going to war (BE).† I think this is full of baloney because previously, the quote implies that the US had a reason for going to war, so why would Mexico attack first? This unlikely event intimates a few element changes of the history of the war . â€Å"A current of emigration soon followed from the United States. Slaveholders crossed the Sabine (river between Louisiana and Texas) with their slaves, in defiance of the Mexican ordinance of freedom. (Doc. D)† This quote makes the US seem very ironic since the US was â€Å"the land of opportunity and freedom† that many people of ethnic groups rushed to yet many slaves did not have opportunity nor freedom. In Mexico, slavery was illegal, so in a way, Mexico was even more free than the US. The Mexican-American War was just another product of Manifest Destiny, an excuse from â€Å"God† to gain land from the Atlantic to the Pacific to spread democracy which eventually turned into an excuse for spreading slavery. If the Americans took over Texas (which happened anyway), the territory would be back to square one: slavery. Considering the fact that Texas was still theirs, Mexico tried to prevent the slavery opposition from being obsolete. â€Å"The combination of American troops at the Rio Grande and the attempt to buy a large part of their country angered the Mexican government. [Polk’s envoys] were asked to leave Mexico City (BE).† How casually the author mentioned that the envoys were asked to leave may hint that the US doesn’t want to admit to looking like a bad guy. This also illustrates that Polk was ambitious to gain this land and maybe even pushy when the offer was bluntly rejected. The quote: â€Å"Imbecile and distracted, Mexico never can exert any real governmental authority over such a country†¦ (Doc. A)† shows how highly the US thought of itself. They shouldn’t be so quick to rise conflict, the US and Mexico being young countries alike. Having Texas secede wasnt so terrible in Mexican eyes, but having Texas secede to join the US was a major problem. Mexico was content if Texas was its own country since Texas alone wasn’t much of a threat; however, the annexa tion of Texas to the US would mean more land, meaning more power. Every other country would rather have the US care for itself and be uninvolved in matters outside of their business. This is the way people thought about England, which means the US eventually became what the Founding Fathers feared. Furthermore, â€Å"America’s wars have often been controversial [with small approval rates] (BE).† The idea I’m getting is that although in many wars citizens opposed going to war, the government doesn’t listen and goes to war anyway, which isn’t being very representative like the way it is defined. So who are the US to say that Mexico can’t govern themselves properly? All in all, I support the Mexicans’ viewpoint on the war. The US deliberately had shots fired at Mexico to own Texas and California. The United States clearly had no business in trying to take over land that originally belonged to the Mexicans. The USs pushiness, impatience, want for more slaves, and rising reign of terror connected to their were not valid reasons to go to war with Mexico. Even though I am American, I have to say that at the time, the US was being a bit snotty for wanting to take over as much as they possibly could. The war is shameful to our history, acknowledging the fact that the US always seemed so glorified and perfect when really, we have committed some of our own sins and went back on our words of equality and justice for everyone.

Service marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Service marketing - Essay Example People factor in the service encounter gains an even more significant position. Thus a company can move from a position of stability to one of a complete unstable stance as it acquires different means of gathering the market and its driving factors that come along with it. The firm has to change its position with the changing times otherwise it will literally vanish away from its competitors and more so the customers, for which it actually exists. It must bring about certain efforts which are geared up to make it sound, look and eventually feel different from the rest of the lot and in the long run, have a selling proposition in it and in its products that help it in winning the customers time and time again. For getting on to this track of success and achievement, it is significant to understand that having the most sought after employees and workers in the market is necessary since they will give the most productivity in the toughest times possible. (Varey, 2001) Within an organization, the current needs in the training regimes require the employees to get themselves acquainted with the ever changing role of Information Technology and the like within the business quarters as well as learn for their own betterment the different mechanisms through which they can make use of the business processes and management activities in a steady and quick manner. This means that they must align themselves with the advanced technological applications and that too in a quick way because the corporate world of present times is on the move. Thus the training needs are very much required within any organization since the same would ensure that all the employees understand what they are doing and there are as such no hiccups in the office place so to speak. (Cappelli, 1999) More than anything else, the workers must know what the end