Commercial banks Essay Example for Free

Commercial banks Essay ABSTRACT This report is based on corporate social responsibility. This project report contains the meaning of CSR which includes the advantage of CSR towards bank, society, responsibility of corporate houses, objective of CSR, motive of CSR, responsibility towards customer. This document is all about multidimensional growth of customers for which the bank liable for their service selling. This process leads to upliftment of people life. The banks are not bind to do so but the do these kind of activities for creating a goodwill sense among their customer which leads to growth in lifestyle of the overall society. This gives better environment to the society in which the bank is working. Hence, the present study titled â€Å"A STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS CUSTOMERS OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN MADURAI†, has assumed greater significance. INTRODUCTION Corporate social responsibility ( CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/Responsible Business) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulation mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. CSR is a process with aim to embrace responsibility for the banks actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Banks play an active role for the economic development of any country. In a present competitive environment bank needs to retain its customer for effective development in any sector. Hence there arises need for corporate social responsibility then only it will leads to development of society as well as growth in bank sector. The present study aims to know the effectiveness of CSR in commercial banks with special reference to Madurai. In this context following questions arises. To measure the level of social obligation To measure the level of effectiveness of corporate social responsibility towards customers of commercial banks. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: To study the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility towards customers of commercial banks. METHODOLOGY The present study is an empirical one based on the survey method. First hand data was collected from the field through interview schedule. Data relating to various customers of commercial banks in Madurai was gathered through interview schedule. The schedule structured was extensively pretested. The survey envisaged the application of convenience sampling. Thus a sample of 300 respondents was decided upon nature of the commercial banks in Madurai. The survey was conducted during 2012-2013 in commercial banks from state Bank of India, Indian bank, Canara Bank, Karurvysya bank, HDFC bank, Axis bank, ICICI bank in Madurai. ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION GARRET RANKING Garret Ranking is used to find out the ranking for respondents opinion towards the enhancing customer value for public sector, private sector, and New generation banks. Step I:  Ranking given by respondents opinion on enhancing customer value TABLE 1 RANKING OF RESPONDENTS opinion towards enhancing customer value. S.No.AttributesRankTotal 12345 1.Sharing bank details1866231129300 2.Comfortable0120524880300 3.Time management00018282300 4.Man management1515765270300 5.Filling forms22120539213300 Source: Primary Data Step II : The assigned ranks by the respondents were converted into percent position value by the formula given below. For each percent position, Using Garrett’s table, corresponding Garrett’s table value is obtained. Formula Per cent Position = 100 (Rij – 0.5) / Nj Rij = Rank given for the ith variable by the jth respondent Nj = Number of variables ranked by the jth respondent. GARRETT’S TABLE VALUE RanksCalculationPercentageGarrett’s Table Value I Rank=100*(1-0.5)/5= 10= 75 II Rank=100*(2-0.5)/5= 30= 60 III Rank=100*(3-0.5)/5= 50= 50 IV Rank=100*(4-0.5)/5= 70= 40 V Rank=100*(5-0.5)/5= 90= 25 Source: Computed data. Step III: Scores are obtained with reference to Garrett’s Table value, and each percentage position value is converted into scores. Here each aggregated ranks are multiplied with corresponding the Garrett’s value obtained in the table. AGGREGATED RANKS Sl. No.AttributesRank 12345 1.Sharing bank details1395037201550840225 2.Comfortable07200260033602000 3.Time management00012607050 4.Man management113253420325018900 5.Filling forms1650720026506440325 Source: Computed data. Step IV: Summation of the scores is worked out for each rank column and means scores calculated by dividing the total score by the number of respondents. Finally, overall ranking is obtained by assigning ranks 1, 2, 3 †¦ in the descending order of mean score. OVERALL RANKING for respondents opinion on enhancing customer value S. No.ReasonTotal ScoreAverageRank 1.Sharing bank details2028567.6I 2.Comfortable1526050.53IV 3.Time management831027.7V 4.Man management1988566.28II 5.Filling forms1826560.89III INFERENCE It is observed from the table Sharing bank details† has been ranked as the first for the Man management has been ranked second, Filling forms third position, followed by Comfortable in fourth rank with Time management ranked as the fifth that influences the respondents opinion on enhancing customer value the in bank’s CONCLUSION Although creating customer satisfaction is not a prime motivation for instituting corporate social Responsibility programs , research linking CSR strategies with positive customer outcomes, such as loyalty, has led to the expectation that these strategies generally have positive flow-on effects for customers. Banking industry surveys have led to the identification of a mismatch between consumer satisfaction levels and massive spending on CSR programs. Further research is warranted. In view of research suggesting that retail banking customers prefer initiatives that create direct customer benefits compared to those that have broader social impacts. To conclude the CSR activities in all the three study banks are not effective. It is proper time on their to promote CSR related activities.

The Capital Structure choice of Pepsico

The Capital Structure choice of Pepsico The collection of securities that the firm issues to raise capital from investors is the firms capital structure. Equity and debt are the most commonly used securities by firms. The amount of debt determines the firms leverage. The firm should always use a capital structure which will maximize the total value of the securities issued. In order to determine the capital structure of a firm, It is also necessary to determine the different ratios such as net debt ratio, fixed coverage ratio, interest ratio, long term debt ratio, cash flow ratio, etc, to evaluate the effects of the ratios on the on the firm. These ratios are useful for comparing analyzing with other competitor firms. Ratios help the firm to determine their position in terms of the market value, book value, market capitalization, debt value, revenues, etc. The  Modigliani-Miller theorem states that, the firms value is unaffected by the way it is financed in the absence of taxes, bankruptcy costs and asymmetric information in a perfect market.  It does not matter if the firms capital is raised by issuing  stock  or by selling debt. It does not matter what the firms  dividend  policy is. Therefore, the Modigliani-Miller theorem is also often called the  capital structure irrelevance principle. We will look at this theory in detail in capital structure. In this report we look at the different theories (pecking order theory, trade-off theory, asset substitution theory, modigliani-miller theory) capital structure choice of PepsiCo by determining various ratios, comparing PepsiCo with its competitors. Analysis of the results and recommendations provided. INTRODUCTION Pepsi was originally named as Brads Drink, after its creator, Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist from New Bern, North Carolina. Pepsi was created in 1893 and was later renamed as Pepsi Cola in 1898. Pepsi contained the digestive enzymes pepsin and kola nuts used in manufacturing Pepsi. Bradham had thought about creating a drink for people that was delicious and would help in digestion and boost energy. PepsiCo Inc. is an American Multinational Corporation headquartered in New York. The company manufactures markets sells a range of salty sweet grain based snacks. It also produces carbonated non-carbonated beverages and other food products. PepsiCo has approximately 285,000 employees working in over 200 countries. Pepsi Cola Company began in 1898, but it only became known as PepsiCo when it merged with Frito Lays in 1965. Until 1997 it also owned KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. In 1998 2001 PepsiCo bought Tropicana Quaker Oats. In 2005 PepsiCo surpassed Coca-Cola Company in market value for the first time in 112 years since both companies began to compete. Over the years PepsiCo has become a global beverage, snack foods company. PepsiCo owns 5 different billion dollar brands such as Pepsi, Tropicana, Frito Lay, Quaker Oats Gatorade. PepsiCo also owns other brands such as Diet Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda, Ruffles Potato Chips, Aquafina Bottled Water, Pepsi Max, Mountain Dew, etc. Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi has been the chief executive of PepsiCo since 2006. PepsiCo delivered some solid financial performance in 2009, Its Net revenue grew by 5%, Core division operating profit grew by 6%, Core earnings per share grew by 6%, Management operating cash flow excluding certain items reached $5.6 billion up by 16%, Annual Dividend raised by 6%. PepsiCo estimated worldwide retail sales of $108 billion through all the products. In 2009 PepsiCos Net Revenue was $43,232 million, mixed net revenues of 37% from food products and 63% from beverages. Net Revenues generated according to operations in US and outside US are 52% in US and 48% outside US. Net Revenues generated through PepsiCo and its subsidiary companies are 48% by PepsiCo Americas Foods, 23% by PepsiCo Americas Beverages, 29% by PepsiCo International. 2.1 PepsiCos Strategies for driving growth Expand the Global Leadership Position of Snacks Business Ensure sustainable profitable growth in global beverages. Continue to deliver environmental sustainability goals and commitments. Cherish associates and develop the leadership to sustain growth. 2.2 PepsiCos Competitive Advantage Strengths PepsiCos competitive advantage lies in their talented, dedicated and hard working work-force, that work on its huge brands, innovating producing differentiated products, using excellent marketing methodologies. PepsiCo also uses cost saving initiatives in operations. All these factors help them to sustain a competitive advantage in the market. PepsiCos strength lies in its brand name recognized all over the world, huge range of food and beverage products, marketing style in different regions according to the place culture segmentation, and huge marketing budget. CAPITAL STRUCTURE The most fundamental question of corporate finance is how a firm should raise capital from investors. A firm must determine the type of security it will issue to the investors. Capital structure refers to the way a firm finances its assets through some combination of equity, debt, or other securities. There are different theories to determine the capital structure of the company. (3.1) Pecking Order Theory (developed by Stewart Myers, 1984) states that the firms have a preferred structure for financing; the factor with a high preference uses internal financing such as retained earnings before opting for any external financing. External financing uses debts, convertible securities, preferred stock common stock. So the firm first uses its retained earnings for operations or investments or expansions and then if required they can opt for external financial resources. (3.2) Trade-Off Theory states that the firms are financed partly with equity and partly with debt. Debt financing is preferred here due to the tax benefits of debt. Debt financing also bears bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy costs. Further according to the theory marginal cost of the debts increases as the debt increases and marginal benefits decline as the debt decreases. (3.3) Agency Cost Theory states that there are 3 different agency costs related to a firms capital structure, they are asset substitution, cash flow underinvestment. Asset Substitution states that as the debt to equity ratio increases the firm gets more freedom to invest in new projects, this leads to the decline in the value of the firm which results into wealth being transferred from debt holders to shareholders. Underinvestment problems occur when debt appears to be more risky, in this scenario of the firm the returns from the investment in projects will be directed towards the debt holders rather than the shareholders. This may lead to the firm declining to start any new projects, and there is a potential to increase the firms value. Free Cash Flow states that free cash flow is also a problem for the firm if the cash is not returned to the investors. Doing so will disrupt the value of the firm. (3.4) Modigliani-Miller Theory (developed by Merton Miller Franco Modigliani) states that it is assumed that there are no transaction costs, no taxes and there is a perfect market condition. They also stated that the value of a firm is determined by adding up all the debts and equity of the firm. This can be viewed through an example Firm A Firm B Debt value 0 2,500,000 Interest on debt 0 5% Expenses on debt 0 125,000 Share 1,000,000 500,000 Price per share 5 5 Market value of equity 5,000,000 2,500,000 From the above table we can see the market value of Firm A is 5million (only equity), Firm A is only financed by shares, therefore the value of Firm A is 5million. Market value of Firm B is 5million (equity + debt), 50% financed by shares and 50% by debt, but Firm B has to pay interest on the debts which is 5% of the debt value which is 125,000. Therefore the returns on equity for Firm B will be its earnings minus the value of interest on debts. Returns per share for Firm B will be returns on equity divided by earnings. If Firm B would have sold its stock at a premium rate then it could have made arbitrage profits. Modigliani Miller theory states that the value of a firm in a perfect market is not affected by the way the company is financed but it is affected through the sort of capital structure the firm utilizes. PEPSICOS NET DEBT RATIO Debt ratio that indicates the proportion of debt a company has relative to its assets. The measure gives an idea to the leverage of the company along with the potential  risks  the company faces in terms of its debts. If debt ratio is higher than 1 then the firm has more debt than assets, if debt ratio is less than 1 then the firm has more assets than debts. The formula for calculating debt ratio is, Debt Ratio = total debt / total assets. Debt Ratio helps to measure the risk a bank or financial institution will take if they are financing a firm. Net Debt is the measure of a firms overall debt by taking the net value of debts and cash. Net Debt is calculated as, Net Debt = (long term debt + short term debt) cash cash equivalents. According to PepsiCo, they measure net debt ratio on market-value basis where net debt equals total debt. PepsiCos Net Debt Ratio (L*) = (D + PVOL CMS) / (NP + D + PVOL CMS). D is the market value of total debt (long term debt plus short term debt), PVOL is the present value of operating leases, CMS is the cash marketable securities, N is the number of common shares, P is the common stock price. From the assignment referring to exhibit 2 exhibit 4, all values in millions dollars except for the common stock price, D = 9215, PVOL = 479 * 5 = 2395, CMS = 1498 and reduce it by 25% for remitting to US therefore CMS = 1123.5, N = 788, P = 55.875. L *= [(9215+2395) 1123.5] / [((788*55.875)+9215+2395) 1123.5] L* = 19.2 % (PepsiCos Net Debt Ratio is 19.2%). Now to analyze this we can ask some questions as how much debt really exists? If we consider exhibit 2 in the assignment there are other factors like accounts payable, short term debt other current liabilities which constitute of total current liabilities plus long term debt other liabilities, all this together shows that the total liabilities are 18,119million dollars, which is a bit high according to the market situation. That is why this shows the Moodys rating of PepsiCo is A1/A. PepsiCo will have to reduce their liabilities in order to gain a rating of Aa3/AA of Coca-Cola. What kind of debt is it, long term or short term? Firstly let us talk about short term debt, if we talk about short term debts then we can assume it can be included in current debts, so according to the balance sheet in exhibit 2, total current liability is 5230million dollars, while total long term liability is 12889million dollars, so the total long term debt is very high compared to total current liabilities. PepsiCo will have to reduce its long term debts more effectively in order to increase its ratings and also increase its assets. Can the company afford the debts if  it runs into financial trouble? Let us calculate the debt ratio as explained above in the beginning, Debt ratio = total debt / total assets (both values are in million dollars) = 18119 / 25432 = 0.71. If the debt ratio is less than 1 it means that the firm has more assets than debts. So PepsiCo can afford to be debt financed at a certain level. Looking at the current assets if the company runs into financial trouble then it can clear all its debts by selling off its assets. RATIO COMPARISON ANALYSIS Table of calculated ratios referring to values given in exhibit 5 in assignment, RATIOS PEPSICO CADBURY SCHWEPPES COCA COLA COCA COLA ENTERPRISES MCDONALDS INTEREST COVERAGE 4.565 4.896 16.911 1.444 7.379 FIXED CHARGE COVERAGE 3.094 4.287 16.911 1.406 3.588 LONG-TERM DEBT 0.165 0.090 0.011 0.517 0.112 TOTAL DEBT TO TOTAL ADJUSTED CAPITALIZATION 0.176 0.146 0.016 0.521 0.125 CASH FLOW TO LONG TERM DEBT 0.427 0.569 2.730 0.155 0.539 CASH FLOW TO TOTAL DEBT 0.395 0.330 1.839 0.153 0.474 Lets look at each ratio one by one in detail and analyze it. (5.1) Interest coverage ratio is used to calculate the firms ability to pay interest on the debts. If the ratio is low the firm has huge debt expenses. If the ratio is less than 1 then it means that the firm is unable to generate revenues to incur the interest expenses. Interest coverage ratio = earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) / interest expense. According to the table above, we can see that interest coverage ratio of PepsiCo is 4.565 which is very higher than 1 and is considered as good. Comparing it with other companies in the table, we can see that Coco Cola has the highest ratio of 16.911 which is very impressive, but Coca Cola Enterprises has a ratio of 1.44 which is a caution alarm for its investors. To be on a safer side if the ratio is 1.5 or less then firms ability to meet its interest expenses can be questionable i.e. the is not able to generate sufficient returns to meet the interest expenses. (5.2) Fixed charge coverage ratio is used to calculate the firms ability to pay its fixed-charges such as rent and interest on debt without increasing the debts. If the ratio is less than 1 then the firm is not able to pay its fixed charges and vice versa. Fixed-charge coverage ratio = (EBIT  + fixed charges before tax) / (fixed charged before tax +  interest). According to the table above, we can see that PepsiCos fixed charge coverage ratio is 3.094 which is greater than 1. Comparing it with other companies in the table, Coca Cola has the highest ratio of 16.911 which is very impressive, but for Coca Cola Enterprises is 1.406 which is very less. PepsiCo should decrease its debts in order to reduce its fixed charges which will help to increase the value of the ratio. (5.3) Long term debt ratio is used to calculate the firms leverage. Higher the ratio, higher is the firms leverage. Firm with a high ratio is considered more risky for investors to invest because they have more liabilities than equity and vice versa. Long term debt ratio = long term debt / (long term debt + preferred stock + common stock). According to the table above, PepsiCos long term debt ratio is 0.165 which is less. Comparing to other companies in the table, Coca cola has a ratio of 0.011 which shows that it has more equity than liability, but Coca Cola Enterprises has a ratio of 0.517 which shows that it has almost 50% equity and 50% liability, so investing in Coca Cola Enterprises is more risky. (5.4) Total debt to total adjusted capitalisation ratio is used to calculate the firms leverage which includes long term and short term debts. Total debt to total adjusted capitalisation ratio = (long-term debt + short term debt) / [(long-term debt + short term debt) + preferred stock + common stock]. According to the table above, PepsiCos total debt to total adjusted capitalisation ratio is 0.176. Comparing to other companies in the table, Coca Cola has a ratio of 0.016 which shows it has more equity than liability, but Coco Cola Enterprises has a ratio of 0.521 which is again very risky. (5.5) Ratio of cash flow to long term debt is used to calculate the firms ability to generate cash in comparison with the long term debts. Ratio of cash flow to long term debt = cash flow / long term debt. According to the table above, PepsiCos ratio of cash flow to long term debt is 0.427 which is not good enough. Comparing it with other companies, Coca Colas ratio of cash flow to long term debt is 2.730, which is very impressive. PepsiCo has more long term debts than its annual cash flow while Coca Colas annual cash flow is 3 times the value of its long term debt. Firms with a high cash flow after interest and taxes are in a better position to distribute cash dividends. Firm with high cash flow can also use the cash to invest in other projects, buy assets, reduce debts etc. (5.6) Ratio of cash flow to total debt is used to calculate the firms ability to generate cash in comparison with its total debts. Ratio of cash flow to total debt = cash flow / total debt. According to the table above, PepsiCos ratio of cash flow to total debt is 0.395. Comparing it with other companies, Coca Colas ratio of cash flow to total debt is 1.839 which is very good. PepsiCos total debt is more than twice the value of its annual cash flow while Coca Colas annual cash flow is 2 times the value of its total debt. After considering all the ratios in the table, we can say that PepsiCo needs to reduce its debts by a huge margin and generate more cash so that it can use this cash to pay out more dividends to its investors, increase equity and reduce liability, invest in more products, buy assets, etc. Coca Cola is the largest competitor of PepsiCo, so PepsiCo needs to improve its equity in order to compete more effectively with Coca Cola. If company has less debts and liabilities people will invest more which will provide PepsiCo with a good rating as Coca Cola. PepsiCo can easily borrow money from the market for investments and also it can easily pay it back. Even in financial or economic crisis it will be the least affected company. Capital structure of PepsiCo has debt and equity. According to the net debt ratio we can say PepsiCo has about 20% 25% debt and 75% 80% equity. PEPSICOS RATING OBJECTIVE Ratings are given to companies depending on various factors such as its debt value, equity value, sources of finance, stock price, number of shares, profits, dividends, etc. Moody rated A as upper-medium grade, subject to low credit risk,  but that have elements present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment over the long term. PepsiCo has a rating of A1/A which places it in the upper medium grade category. A1 is the high quality rating given to PepsiCo, Aaa is the highest rating available. Coca Colas rating is Aa3/AA shows that it has much better ratings then PepsiCo. If PepsiCo wants to have a net debt ratio of 20% 25% then it will have to increase its debts and reduce equity, if this happens the Corporate Debt Rating of PepsiCo might fall to Baa which is lower medium grade. This will show a bad image of the company in the market, investors will find it risky to invest in PepsiCo. This means people will not buy shares of PepsiCo and it will not be able to raise funds through the issue of share to decrease its debts or to invest in the business. As a result of which they will have to borrow from the banks, Banks would also lend them funds to a certain limit where their assets are equal to liabilities, Banks would like to make sure that PepsiCo are able to pay back the funds with interest before lending them the funds. PepsiCo should reduce their net debt ratio to at least 15% instead of increasing it, due to this they will have more cash flow, reduced debts, can easily pay back dividends to investors, they can easily raise funds through issue of shares instead of borrowing from banks or other financial institutions. This will overall help PepsiCo to increase its ratings from A to Aa. CONCLUSION

Service Learning: Working at the Youth Detention Center (YDC) Essays

This semester I have been volunteering at the Youth Detention Center (YDC). YDC is a youth center for those youth ages 13-18 that have committed crimes, from running away from home to cutting the hydraulic brake lines of their parent's car. When is is concluded that the youth can no longer be active members in their communities, they are sent to YDC. There are four different units: H is for the youth that are in court right now but cannot stay at home, E is the girls unit, G unit is for the boys who committed minor crimes and felonies, and F unit is for the boys who committed major crimes and felonies such as sexual assault and dealing drugs. What first drew me to YDC was the fact that an ex-boyfriend of mine almost went there in the eighth grade, and was a troubled kid just like them. I could see a little bit of him in each of the residents and by trying to help them it felt like I was helping him in some strange way. Being a nursing major also makes me think that I can just mothe r the world, so I wanted to work at a service learning site that made me feel like I was fulfilling my mothering goals. The building itself is designed in a circular shape with an enclosed courtyard in the center for activities such as kickball, volleyball, and even skating in the winter. In each unit there are three separate living facilities. Fortunately only two of the facilities are used leaving the other free for different activities. The living quarters are made up of a living room, kitchenette, and an office area for the employees. Surrounding this area are rooms for each of the residents. In their room they have a bed, desk, and toilet; they are allowed to have two books and a Bible, a pair of sneakers, and shower shoes. All three of the li... ...s better understand how to raise their children, I can help kids get out of bad homes, and generally just be there to facilitate in any way possible. Although YDC did not change my career choice it helped me see how I can maximize the effectiveness of my profession to help others. Anytime someone asks me if YDC is a good place to volunteer at I always tell them that it is the most rewarding experience and that everyone should have the opportunity to go. One of my friends, after I told her about YDC, told me that it takes a special person to do what I do each week. I disagree though, anyone can go in for two hours and play cards each week, you get out of the experience what you put in, but I guarantee that going to YDC will affect you in some way. Works Cited Wade, C., Tavris, C., Garry, M. (2011). Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

The Evil Iago of Othello Essay -- William Shakespeare, Character Analy

Evil masterminds are always successful in their diabolical schemes, but each one does it in their own special way. Some may be highly ranked and powerful, but some may be simple people in a simple community. In the play Othello, the simple ancient, Iago is very successful at his schemes. Iago is able to get the trust of everyone around him, and to appear honest. He is also driven to continue with his schemes and to never quite. From the first scene of the play to the last, Iago is able to be trusted by everyone. This is one of the many reasons why Iago is so successful in his schemes, he is always trusted. In the first scene of the play we learn that Iago is helping Roderigo, win the love of Desdemona. Roderigo is trusting Iago with his own money to gain the love of a woman, which is already loved by another man. Roderigo is not so smart to realize that he will not be able to get Desdemona, but Iago is able to get his scheme moving. We continue to see how much trust Roderigo puts into Iago because later on in the play we learn that he gave jewelry to Iago to give to Desdemona. Iago...

3g :: essays research papers

Verizon Wireless at the show launched Vcast, a consumer-focused multimedia service that will run on its 3G EvDO network. Vcast will let consumers access video, games and music on 3G handsets. Among the new, so-called next- generation phones touted at the show was Samsung's i730 handset, which supports 3G 1xEvDO data. Packed into the device, which runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC, is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 64MB of RAM for applications and an SDIO (SD input/output) memory card slot for expansion, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 2.8-inch QVGA 65K color display, and a speakerphone. The i730 will ship in the first quarter from Verizon, said sources. Pricing is not yet available. Also at the show, BenQ America Corp. showcased its forthcoming PalmOne Inc. Treo look-alike, the BenQ P50 Pocket PC smart phone. The quadband GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) phone has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a 2.8-inch color screen, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a built-in keypad, 64MB of memory and an SDIO expansion slot, and a speakerphone. The P50 will ship next quarter. Pricing and carrier have not yet been determined. New 3G phones weren't the only gadgets on display at the CES that could prove compelling to business users. Another new Samsung phone, the SPH-A800, includes a 2-megapixel camera and scanner capabilities that let a user scan a business card and automatically upload contact information to the phone. The SPH-A800 will be offered from Sprint this quarter. Pricing is not yet available. Samsung at the show also unveiled a handset for users who like the nonintrusiveness of sending text messages but abhor the tediousness of keying in messages. The p207 lets users verbally address, compose and send SMS (Short Message Service) messages or e-mail. The p207 is due in March through Cingular Wireless. Pricing is not yet available. Mobile business professionals got a glimpse into their future last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where faster third-generation networks—and the gear designed to work with them—suggested a world of fewer dropped calls, improved Internet access, better image quality and lower prices. ADVERTISEMENT To fulfill such promises, carriers will be making significant improvements to their networks in the coming year. Verizon Wireless at the show announced it was expanding its 3G EvDO (Evolution Data Optimized) network to 12 more cities, with plans to further extend the network this year to cover 150 million users.

Colonization of Africa

Conquests, colonization, the slave trade, and the spread of consumerist society have shaped and formed the grounds for which developing countries find themselves today. The countries of the developing world subjected to colonialism have been faced with a number of impediments throughout the years which have hindered social and economic growth, and laid the foundation which bred cultural conflict. Colonialism, however, too bought Western civilization and all its attractions to underdeveloped countries during the process of colonialism.The following essay will highlight the effects of colonialism on the developing world from an economic, political and social perspective. The colonization of Africa has a long history, and can be explained as being set in motion as early as 200 AD, with the migration of Bantu speaking Africans from central Africa to the south of Africa due to the agricultural boom and overpopulation of tribes, known as one of the largest human migrations in history (ref) . Following the migration of the Bantu language group was the spread of Islam from 750 – 1500 AD, which was first accepted in West Africa by the Dya’ogo Dynasty.Following this spread, the establishment of empires throughout the continent transpired which created extensive trade networks throughout North and West Africa, allowing a peaceful medium through which Islam could broaden through the merchant class (Akosua Perbi, 2001). The Trans-Saharan and internal trade occurring in the same time period contributed to the diversity of inhabitants as a result of the ongoing slave trade through Ghana from the 1st to the 16th century. The first stage of European colonialism occurred during 1500 – 1880, and was based on the gold and slave trade.The Portuguese arrived on the coast of West Africa in 1471 to find a rapid trade in slaves and other goods between Ghana and its neighbouring coastal countries (Akosua Perbi, 2001). Portugal then continued to partake in the trade, and for 100 years were the only European country which traded directly with Ghana and its neighbouring countries (Kimble, 126). Wars often waged between neighbouring countries, with which captives were possessed as slaves and traded in Ghana for gold (Kimble, 126).The most important phase of colonialism, known as the European scramble for Africa, occurred during the 19th and 20th century following the collapse of the slave trade and the expansion of the European capitalist Industrial Revolution (Iweribor, 2002). It appears that three factors drove the push for European Imperialism, including economic, political and social motives. Driving the economic factor, the demand for assured sources of raw materials and the search for guaranteed markets and profitable investment outlets were the catalysts to the European scramble and the resultant conquest of Africa (Iweribor, 2002).The political force derived from the impact of inter-European power struggles between Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain too played an important role in the process of colonisation. To exhibit superiority, acquisition of territories around the world including Africa was essential to national pre-eminence. The social factor presented the third major element in the push to colonise. As a result of industrialization, extreme social problems appeared in Europe that included unemployment, poverty, social displacement and homelessness as not all people could be absorbed by the new capitalist industries (Iweribor, 2002).The acquisition of colonies enabled European countries to send this excess of population into what would then be established as settler-colonies in Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola and some central African areas like Zimbabwe and Zambia (Iweribor, 1). The interplay of these economic, political and social factors led to the crazed attempts by European agents to declare and establish a share in African territory for trade and claims to control of waterways and commercial routes throughout parts of Africa.The extremity of the scramble forced the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck to convene a summit of European powers to avoid the possibility of inter-imperialist conflict, known as the Berlin Conference held from November 1884 to February 1885 (Stilwell, 2002). The conference fabricated the Berlin Act, a treaty with provisions to lead the conduct of the European imperialist opposition in Africa. This treaty, drawn up without African participation, provided the grounds for the successive separation, invasion and colonisation of Africa.It presented European powers an open market for trade that bought more from colonial power than it sold overall (Shillington, 2005). From this stage, African territory was divided randomly between the European countries. France and England had a significant influence in reshaping the colonies. Britain as well as Germany utilized the idea of ‘Imperial Monachy’, while t he French struggled to incorporate Africans into republican traditions (Grinker, 2010). During this process, some of the local values and institutions were replaced by more modern/western ones.Furthermore, colonisation obstructed the internal process of state formation and development in Africa, leaving legacies of corruption and political instability (Tangie, 2006). Africa experienced extreme cultural clashes which were resultant from the influence of political, economic, social and religious factors on the indigenous societies of Africa. Along with the occupation, the Europeans brought with them traditions and religions to implement and utilize as a justification for their presence in Africa at the time (Tangie, 2006).The effects of colonialism can be reflected in the changes touching various aspects including cultures and institutions. The exploitative utilization of Africa as a means of economic prosperity for the superior minority projected Africa as an inferior race. Colonizat ion was a means of displaying racial arrogance that humiliated African leaders and their people (Toyin, 2005). It encouraged competition and conflict between ethnic groups based on the ideals and principles that had been implemented in the various countries. With violence, colonialism created new frontiers and developed new economic and political objectives.New governments expressed their desire to maintain the colonial boundaries created during the colonisation period, however, it appeared that governmental institutions, good governance skills and experience to rule lacked. These boundaries created back-up zones for guerrilla groups to harass legitimate governments, and also made it impossible for internal unity and identity to be generated among African states (Jacobson, 2007). The imposition of a western system of governance has created many problems that have been difficult to solve over the years.The western system deviated from the culture and traditions of Africa, which were inherently dictatorial, starting from the family system and ending with the government. A gap was created between the tradition system of governance and that of the Western model, with minimal or no effort made to create a blend between the two. Therefore, as a result, all efforts were towards replacing the traditional systems that were identified as primitive, which veered off from the tradition and cultural norms of the people, contributing to a loss in identity (Jacobson, 2007).After the end of colonialism, a border dispute has become one of the most critical causes of conflict in Africa, particularly manifested in the boundary disputes between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and Nigeria and Cameroon as examples (Teshome, 2009). These lengthy periods of conflict and war, along with famine and droughts detrimentally affected the economy as well as the populations well-being. As a result, the output per head in Africa is the lowest of any major world region, and has expanded slowly only sinc e 1960 (Teshome, 2009).The negative effects of colonialism on education can be identified in some colonial countries such as Ethiopia. The Ethiopian educational system faced many obstacles due to the history of educational traditions, as for a long period of time religion was spread by Christian and Islamic missionaries. When Italy invaded Ethiopia, the educational system collapsed and the government was forced to rebuild the system from scratch, and by 1974 only 15. 3 percent of children were attending primary school.The main issues were related to the problems of quality, equity and relevance (Teshome, 2009). Another example relating to education is that of the Senegal case, which illustrates how little is possible when the education system has been affected. According to statistics, two thirds of children enrol in primary school and of that almost a quarter drop out later on (Teshome, 2009). While literacy for children was 49. 1 percent in 2004, in the same year the literacy for adults was only 39. 3 percent (Jacobson, 2007).Over half of the population are unable to read and write, which means over half of the population are unable to acquire jobs. Although colonialism created various obstacles to economic growth, it too introduced integration to the international system for Africa, abolishing the popular slave trade that existed in Africa preceding colonisation (Siemensen, 1999). Colonialism also created a rich diversity in Africa, with a mixture of people, languages, religions and customs which has created the ‘rainbow nation’ that we are identified with today.The process of colonialism also introduced many Western ideals and practices that are still implemented today that have positively influenced economic growth and social welfare. In conclusion, it can be identified that the effects of colonial rule over African countries has contributed significantly to the issues facing developing countries today in relation to economic growth, educatio n, development as well as war and conflict created through policies and ideals implemented during the process of colonialism by European countries.

Future Energy

Future energy Have you ever thought about the energy providing you electricity for your daily life that nuclear power could take you off from this world (it is not clear what you mean here)? What was your feeling when you watching news about the Fukushima nuclear crisis? What do you think when you see how victims of Chernobyl disaster live today? Good start – the questions are a very good way to get your reader's attention. ) All of those issues are just because of one reason – the safety problem of nuclear power.The question is: Can we control it completely? This question is not only for some people or some groups; the /a specific government (or governments? as with your other essays on this topic, be clear about what you mean. Are you thinking about one specific government? Governments in general? ) should consider their citizens and, even every single species living on this planet. Apparently, some countriesy could not dominate nuclear power so that tragedy was happe ned and severely affected on millions of people.For this reason, I think government (again, be clear – one specific government? Governments in general? should replace nuclear power by alternatives such as solar electrical energy ? Is this supposed to be here? generation and wind electric power generation. Sustainabilityle is the most important index for every type of energy resource. People argues that nuclear is the most sustainable energy resource they have. The fuel of nuclear power cost that uranium and plutonium is the precious metals in the nature (? It is not clear what you mean here).But people who support nuclear power seems to have ignored the fact that the storage of precious metals is very low; it has some day that exhaust from the Earth (awkward – perhaps â€Å"will some day be exhausted from the earth†? ). People know that wind energy and solar energy all have been exploited (this is really the heart of your argument in this paragraph, but this par t of the sentence is not clear. What do you mean they have been exploited? This sounds like a negative thing, not a positive thing as you argument should suggest. ). The fuel cost of those two energy resources is zero.They are enduring energy resources, unless the sun disappears from sky and the Earth stops revolving. Spinning. So for the issue of resources (you started the paragraph with the idea of sustainability. It would be a good idea to end your argument in this paragraph with that as well. ), solar energy (what about wind energy? ) is better than nuclear power. Other than sustainabilityle, the cost of running and maintaining a nuclear power plant is the important point that people find? interesting. For every power plant, people will spend money on planning, designing, constructing, running, maintaining it.Every single step in this process will cost amount of money to make sure the plant will works well. And the cost of materials and cost of maintenance is the significant chu nk of the whole cost (what is the cost comparison? Do you have some statistics/figures that support your argument here? ). People (who are these ‘people' you keep writing about? Do you have some support from experts on this topic that you could bring into your argument? ) are saying that traditional electric plants will cost too much money on materials and maintenance. So they think nuclear power plant is the best choice for finance.For nuclear power plant, it will cost only less than a hundred tons of nuclear material for every year; nevertheless, the cost of designing and planning a nuclear power plant is much higher than traditional electric plant. It cost huge number of money on safety, but it still does not work well. However, for solar electrical energy generation and wind electric power generation, it cosst much less on designing and constructing than nuclear power plants, even none on fuels. I suggest government to calculate the price-performance ratio of setting a pla nt. O. k.Good suggestion, but what is the cost comparison? How do you know that these differences in cost exist? For every factory or plant, people always focus on how its productivity is. But the hot potato of pollution is getting more necessary (? I am not sure what you mean here). They might think more about how much discharges will it waste and how to dispose of those discharge more thoroughly. It has been argued that the most important advantage of nuclear power plant is its low discharging. And people who holding this opinion think nuclear power plants are very eco-friendly for environment.They contend that there is no gaseous pollutants discharge from nuclear power plants. But we can not ignore that the nuclear radiation from nuclear power plant waste is much more dangerous than gaseous pollutants that very harmful for the human and the nature. For the human body, when the radiation value get overtakes more thanthe threshold, it will damage the tissue in the body. People stil l haves no effective method to dispose of the Radioactive Nuclear Waste that all this three method can not restrain the radiation come out (? this is unclear).It will damage the soil and the ocean andthat threatens the other species. Even today, the nuclear radiation from Chernobyl disaster continues to influence on the soil and water. Ukraine has millions of victims affected by this accident. And now, some of them died by cancer, some of them are still living under the shadow of the Chernobyl disaster. Nevertheless, there is no problem on discharge of solar electrical energy generation and wind electric power generation. (you need to say more about this – give more of a comparison in order to make your argument stronger.So I am highly recommending that government should consider the future of human race. In conclusion, people who support nuclear power strongly are holding strong reasons (â€Å"have good reasons†? So that you don;t repeat ‘strong'). But it is not suitable for nowadays anymore. People should learn to embrace new technology to replace the old one. The Government should use new energies to make sure people’s life can be proceeding and secure, and human race can be inherit prosperous. As Meador (1978) says: â€Å"There is no way to know absolutely about the future until we make the journey†. , said by Meador (1978).This is a great way to end, Mike. Mike – You make a number of good points in this essay and you have organized it well. You have all of the elements of a good essay: a clear thesis statement, focused paragraphs with topic sentences and generally good connections between ideas. I have made a number of comments throughout your essay, though, of places where improvements are needed. My main comment is that you need to give more specific examples of the statements that you make. This means: – – Eliminating your use of â€Å"They† and â€Å"People† to describe those who hol d opposite views to yours.These are large generalizations that make it easy for your reader to question the reality of what you are saying. If there are experts who hold these opinions, then be specific about who they are. – Use sources and statistics to back up your arguments – I have noted a number of places where you make some statements that are generalizations. These generalizations make your argument weaker than it could be. However, if you use statistics or confirmed facts to back up your generalizations, that would strengthen your argument.Source: You have a source listed at the end of your essay that seems like it might be a good one to support some of your arguments. Why didn't you use more information from this source throughout your essay? Mark: 60/100 Reference: Meador, Roy. (1978). Future Energy Alternatives. Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Inc. 3, 112. This book talks about energy crisis and why we need energy alternatives. The book shows several types of alternatives such as solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy, peat, heat pumps, and hydrogen energy. Then it gives what are the benefits of those alternatives.