OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (EXAM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (EXAM) - Essay Example Holding inventory can improve customer service while maintaining independence of the supply chain. The major disadvantage of holding inventory is that it is expensive. The average carrying cost of inventory across all manufacturing is 25-35% of its value. Higher carrying costs result in decreased profits for the firm. In other words, holding inventory is a non-value adding cost. Value of holding inventory is an opportunity cost for the firm where the money is stagnant and not invested. Above all, inventory deteriorates; it becomes obsolete, lost or stolen. Holding inventory increases the firm's risks. The EOQ model minimizes the sum of holding and ordering costs. The model assumes that there is only one product involved. The annual demand is assumed as even and constant throughout the year and the demand requirements are known. Lead time is assumed as fixed and non-varying where each order is received in a single delivery. EOQ further assumes no quantity discounts. c. The inventory control manager of a car factory issues orders for tyres which cost '48 each. He has estimated that stock holding costs about 25% per year while the administration costs about '150 for each order. Given that demand for tyres is reasonable steady throughout the year at 20,000 per month, estimate the EOQ for these tyres. Modelling approach to inventory has advantages in business such as being easy to understand and use, giving good guidelines for order size and easy to implement and automate. Models can find other values such as costs and cycle lengths, encourages stability and allows different circumstances/situations. Question 4 a. Discuss why the design of jobs is an important aspect of operations management. Job design describes the tasks, methods, responsibilities and environment used by individuals to do their work. It finds the best possible way of doing a job. The objectives of job design involves meeting the productivity, quality and other goals of the organisation as well as making the job safe, satisfying and rewarding for the individual. These objectives are extensions of the fundamental task of an operations manager who is responsible for all aspects of the organisation's products and the processes used to make them. Managing operations directly affects performance of an organisation; job design is one of the strategies that would improve performance. b. Chronologically, there has been a series of approaches to job design over the last 100 years. Select any two of the major approaches and discuss the important features of each approach, together with advantages and disadvantages. Job Rotation is an approach of job design where the job each person does is rotated in a certain period so that people do not get into a rut of doing the same specialised job all the time. The advantage of job rotation is that it can give people more varied work and a broader range of skills. The disadvantage of job rotation is that it only gives a temporary improvement as people soon feel they are being switched around a series of equally boring jobs. Job

Quality Transformation of the Veterans Healthcare System Essay

Quality Transformation of the Veterans Healthcare System - Essay Example In the 1990s the VHA had a series of problems that prompted a need for reform. The challenges were with substandard care for older veterans and many of the hospitals were run down and poorly managed. Many doctors lacked the experience to run the hospitals properly and patient needs were not being satisfied (Cannon, 2006). The problem was so great that Congress considered shutting down the hospitals and giving veterans a voucher to go to outside private hospitals (Waller, 2006, p. 1). A restructuring took place in the mid-1990s to focus on taking care of outpatients rather than in keeping them in lengthy hospital stays. Larger hospitals that were not effective were closed in favor of clinics that would concentrate on meeting the needs of the aging veterans. After this time many newspaper reported that the VHA was particularly good for a variety of conditions. The greatest part of the reform was to update their technology and create better systems for managed care. As an example, they created software that would track their patients so they would have access to them as needed instead of having to scramble to find patients information. These measures gave doctors the ability to improve patient care because their records were easily accessible on a laptop computer. The reason this is easy is because the VHA has a system wide database where they keep a total history of each veteran. Within this reform a barcode system was also adopted for prescriptions so that when f illing them a nurse can scan the barcode on the patient and then scan it on the prescription to make sure that there is a match. These changes prompted many veterans to leave private insurance and go back to the VHA which also created more problems for the VHA because the influx of patients created challenges financially that Congress did not provide for in the revamping (Waller, p. 2). In order to deal with the influx they had to limit the amount of people who could take

Journal #1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journal #1 - Essay Example Michael, the owner of the Biomedical Tissue Services had a business plan where he would pay the funeral directors to be granted the permission to access the dead bodies and later resell spines, bones and other tissues to other firms who needed human spare parts. In the year 2005, Michael was exposed by prosecutors for having gained $4.6 million in just three years. He offered undertakers $1000 for providing access to the dead bodies, paid the cutters $300 to $500 for extracting the wanted organs, and afterwards took home around $7000 per body. Later on, the New York Police interviewed the families of 1077 people whose bodies went missing for bones, spines and other tissues. Kristen E. Schleiter, a senior research associate for the Council on â€Å"Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association†, in his article "DONORS HAVE NO RIGHTS TO DONATED TISSUE" explains that one might have surrendering ownership of donated tissues of himself or herself or the person close to him or her. One of the definitions of Autonomy is that it allows an individual to participate in a clinical research and donate the body tissues towards research purposes with the boundaries unclear when the donated tissues depart the body and the recipient accepts them. However, no law has been passed to clearly establish and govern the ownership rights in donated tissues but researchers and institution have made assumptions that they have the right to study, transfer, collect, or get rid of human tissue specimens and the associated patient data such as genetic testing. There have also been assumptions by researchers that they can use the tissue and other respective body parts to develop a genetic sequence, cell lines and other products that may be rewarded financially. Moore v. Regents of University of California case proved that even if the excised cells initially belonged to a certain individual, the cells were legally and factually distinct from the research

Thesis on video games Essay Example for Free

Thesis on video games Essay A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or modified computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device (a television, monitor, etc. ) to display a video game. The term video game console is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machines, which are designed for businesses that buy them and then charge others to play. I. PLAYSTATION 3 The PlayStation family is the worlds highest-selling video game system. Sony Computer Entertainment released the PlayStation in 1995, followed by the PlayStation 2 in 2000, PlayStation Portable in 2004, and PlayStation 3 in 2006. Sonys first foray into the video game market,the PlayStation (codenamed PSX during development, now known as PS one), was initially designed as an add-on for Nintendo’s Super (Super Famicom) video game console as an answer to Segas Sega CD. When the prospect of releasing the system as an add-on dissolved, Sony transformed it into the standalone PlayStation video game console. Sonys follow-up console, the PlayStation 2 (PS2), currently the worlds best-selling console in history, was released in Japan on March 4, 2000 and in North America on October 26, 2000. The PSP or PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console made by Sony Computer Entertainment; a first foray into the handheld gaming market which was previously dominated by Nintendo. Though it has not had as much as of an impact as the PlayStation home consoles, the PSP is noted as being the most successful competitor to Nintendos handheld range yet. The newest console in the PlayStation series is Sonys entry in the seventh generation of consoles, the PlayStation 3 (PS3), which launched in November 2006. It uses a unique processing architecture called the Cell microprocessor, a technology jointly developed by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM. The graphics processing unit, the RSX Reality Synthesizer, was co-developed by NVIDIA and Sony. It is currently behind its competitors, the Xbox 360 and Wii in terms of sales. II. Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendos Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. A prominent feature of the Xbox 360 is its integrated Xbox Live service that allows players to compete online and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies. Major features of the console include its Windows Media Center multimedia capabilities, mandatory support of high definition in all games, movie rentals and game downloads from its online marketplace and the ability to watch HD DVD movies with an add-on drive. The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic. The console sold out completely upon release in all regions except in Japan, and, as of January 5, 2009, 28 million units have been sold worldwide, according to Microsoft. The Xbox 360 is currently available in three configurations: the Arcade, the Pro, and the Elite console, each with its own selection of accessories. III. Nintendo Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsofts Xbox 360 and Sonys PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of both. As of December 31, 2008 the Wii leads the generation over the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in worldwide sales. A distinguishing feature of the console is its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device anddetect movement in three dimensions. Another distinctive feature of the console is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode. The Wii is Nintendos fifth home console, the direct successor to the Nintendo GameCube, and able to play all official GameCube games. Nintendo first spoke of the console at the 2004 E3 press conference and later unveiled the system at the 2005 E3. Satoru Iwata revealed a prototype of the controller at the September 2005 Tokyo Game Show. At E3 2006, the console won the first of several awards. By December 8, 2006, it had completed its launch in four key markets. 1. 1. 2 GPU (Graphics Processing Units). A graphics processing unit or GPU (also occasionally called visual processing unit or VPU) is a specialized processor that offloads 3D graphics rendering from the microprocessor. It is used in embedded systems, mobile phones, personal computers, workstations, and game consoles. Modern GPUs are very efficient at manipulating computer graphics, and their highly parallel structure makes them more effective than general-purpose CPUs for a range of complex algorithms. In a personal computer, a GPU can be present on a video card, or it can be on the motherboard. More than 90% of new desktop and notebook computers have integrated GPUs, which are usually far less powerful than those on a dedicated video card. I. NVIDIA NVIDIA a multinational corporation which specializes in the development of graphics processing units and chipset technologies for workstations, personal computers, and mobile devices. Based in Santa Clara, California, the company has become a major supplier of integrated circuits (ICs) such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and chipsets used in graphics cards, and of video-game consoles and personal-computer motherboards. Notable Nvidia product-lines include the GeForce series for gaming, the Quadro series for computer-aided design and for digital content creation on workstations, and the nForce series of integrated motherboard chipsets. II. RADEON ATI Radeon is a brand of graphics processing units (GPU) that since 2000 has been manufactured by ATI Technologies and subsequently AMD and is the successor to their Rage line. There are four different groups, which can be differentiated by the DirectX generation they support. More specific distinctions can also be followed, such as the HyperZ version, the number of pixel pipelines, and of course, the memory andprocessor clock speeds. 1. 2PROBLEM STATEMENT: â€Å"EXTREME GAMERS’ DEMAND PLAYSTATION 3 RATHER THAN PCs† * Is there sufficient demand and awareness for the higher end console like Sony Play station 3 * Is it better to face the competition with previous Play Station 2 and X box that are already in the market * Is there any know how of Blue-ray technology among the young generation that are more towards console gaming. * How difficult is to grab the existing market of PC gamers to feedt them with Game consoles. 1. 3SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY: * This study evaluates all aspects of the economic viability of the business venture including a description and analysis of your business prospects. * It serves as a benchmark against which, actual performance can be measured and reviewed. * It serves as a helpful tool to uncover weaknesses in the planning process for a gaming business. * It helps the management and / or an entrepreneur to clarify, focus and research their business’s or project’s development and prospects. * It serves as a basis for discussion with third parties such as banks, investors, lenders etc. The major focus of investors is on the risk and return on the investments. This research study would increase their awareness of the major factors that directly or indirectly affect the risk and return on their investments. 1. 4SCOPE AND DELIMITATION: The study has been undertaken to explore the potential customers’ preference between Game Consoles or Gaming PCs in Karachi. Primary data would be collected through prospective Gamers residing in Karachi only. I. LIMITING FACTORS: * Bias opinion of the respondents * Time limitation * PC Gamers II. DELIMITATIONS: The factors that delimit the findings of the study are: * The expected fierce competition from existing DVD 9 and DVD supported consoles and other HD-CD consoles * Lack of awareness from Game titles as most of the titles of Playstation 3 are built upon Direct X 10. 0, where as other consoles are using Direct X 9. 0c * 1. 5DEFINITIONS: Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a full subsidiary of Sony. The company was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan prior to the launch of the original PlayStation video game system. The logo has been used since 1994. SCE is also a developer and publisher of video game titles, and is comprised of biggest markets in: North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. DirectX Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, DirectSound, and so forth. DirectX, then, was the generic term for all of these APIs and became the name of the collection Blu-ray Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is an optical disc storage medium designed by Sony to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage with 50GB per disc. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs. Video game console A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or electronic device that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device (a television, monitor, etc.) to display a video game. The term video game console is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machines, which are designed for businesses that buy and then charge others to play. Seventh generation In the history of video games, the seventh generation primarily focuses on the consoles released since 2004 by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during 2003, and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in the PAL region on September 1, 2005 Nintendo DSi The Nintendo DSi is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS handheld developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The handheld was unveiled on October 2, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan during the Nintendo Conference. It was released in Japan on November 1, 2008, Australia on April 2, 2009, Europe on April 3, 2009 and North America on April 5, 2009. Nvidia Nvidia is a multinational corporation specializing in the development of units and chipset technologies for workstations, personal computers, and mobile devices. Based in Santa Clara, California, the company has become a major supplier of integrated circuits (ICs) such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and chipsets used in graphics cards, and video-game consoles and personal-computer motherboards. Radeon ATI Radeon is a brand of graphics processing units (GPU) that since 2000 has been manufactured by ATI Technologies and subsequently AMD and is the successor to their Rage line. There are four different groups, which can be differentiated by the DirectX generation they support. More specific distinctions can also be followed, such as the HyperZ version, the number of pixel pipelines, and of course, the memory and processor clock speeds. RSX Reality Synthesizer The RSX Reality Synthesizer graphics processing unit is a graphics chip design co-developed by NVIDIA and Sony for the PlayStation 3 gaming console. Unless otherwise noted, the following specifications are based on a press release by Sony at the E3 2005 conference, slides from the same conference, and slides from a Sony presentation at the 2006 Game Developers Conference E3 The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E3, is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). It is used by many video game developers to show off their upcoming games and game-related hardware. The new E3 Expo is run by International Data Group (IDG) instead of by ESA. CHAPTER # 2 RESEARCH- METHODOLOGIES 2. 1RESEARCH DESIGN I. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: An exploratory study is being undertaken for research on â€Å"The intense Gamers’ Demand Game Consoles Rather Then Gaming PCs† which would help in identifying market of the gamers about their preferences and affordability between a Game console and a PC. II. EXTENT OF RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE: Since this study is conducted in the natural environment, the extent of researcher interference is minimal or rather negligible. III. UNIT OF ANALYSIS: Unit of analysis for this research study includes: * Individuals: * PC Gamers * Console Gamers IV. TIME HORIZON: For my research report, data would be gathered just once, therefore the time horizon is cross-sectional study. 2. 2RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY For this research study, the questionnaire is filled by 100 individuals (University Students, Gamers at Game Arenas) and unstructured interview is taken from two Extreme Gamers. The respondents of the study include: * Potential Gamers: Teenagers and Early 20s, residing at Karachi. * Extreme Gamers: PC and Console preferred. 2. 3RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS Two instruments would be used for this research: * Questionnaires * Unstructured interviewing 2. 4SAMPLING Sampling would be done randomly on basis of users of Console and PC gamers. 2. 5SOURCE OF DATA I. PRIMARY DATA Primary data would be collected through questionnaire filled by potential gamers i. e. the target market and unstructured interviews from intense Gamers. II. SECONDARY DATA Secondary data would be comprised of sources like magazines, newspapers, internet etc, which will help in understanding the topic more. 2. 6TREATMENT OF DATA Data that is collected through the research is analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. The data is shifted and organization is a presentable shape through pie charts and tables, with comprehensive explanatory notes to make it easy to understand. The financial plan contains projected financial statements as well as other financial tools to support the analysis. CHAPTER # 3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 3. 1FOREIGN LITERATURE 3. 1. 1PC vs. Console By Dave Spohn, About. com Guide Feb 10 2009 It wasnt that long ago that the PC was the only choice you had if you wanted to play games online. The first console that included a modem for online play was the Sega Dreamcast, which launched in Japan in 1998. The Dreamcast wasnt a big success, however, and went out of production in 2001. It wasnt until the second half of 2002 that PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube introduced online capabilities. Naturally, the latest generation of consoles all has features that use the Internet to enhance game play. Today, online console games are quite common, with Microsofts Xbox Live service leading the way. Sony also has big plans for online content for the PlayStation 3, and consoles are now starting to get game downloads and other applications formerly only available on the PC, such as Web browsers. A few titles can now be played across platforms, such as Final Fantasy XI, in which PS2, Xbox 360, and PC users explore the same online world. That said, PCs still offer the largest selection of online games, and some of the most popular online games, such as World of War craft, are exclusive to the PC. Of course, there are many things to consider before deciding on a gaming platform. Foremost among these is deciding which games you want to play, how much money you want to spend, and whether or not you need a PC for other purposes. Ideally I suppose we would all have both a console and a PC, but if thats not an option, here is quick comparison of the two. Console Advantages The most obvious advantage consoles have over PCs is cost. The majority of consoles sell for well under $500, often with a couple games in the bundle. A PC adequate for running the latest games can easily cost twice that much. The second most obvious advantage is simplicity. Lets face it, PC gaming can be a technical nightmare compared to console gaming. People can actually take a console home and be playing a game within minutes. No operating systems to configure or drivers to update, and better still, no purchasing a game only to find out that it isnt compatible with your PC for some obscure reason. Multiplayer gaming is also made easy with companies like Microsoft offering online services for their product. The Xbox, which came equipped with a network card, raised the bar for consoles in this regard, making it a simple matter to hook it up to a DSL or Cable Internet connection and get into a multiplayer game on Xbox Live, complete with voice chat. Another appealing thing about consoles is that many people prefer to play games sitting on the couch, or they want to play with friends in the same room. While these things are possible on a PC, consoles are extremely well-suited for this right out of the box. Console games are more readily rented than PC games, and more easily returned to the retailer if youre not satisfied with them. Generally speaking, it is difficult to return PC games because they are easy to copy. Console games tend to have a relatively low learning curve. You might need fast thumbs, but you certainly wont need to spend hours in a tutorial trying to learn how to operate basic game functions. Console Disadvantages Although sealing everything into one unit does keep it simple, when some of the components inside the box become dated theres no way to solve the problem without replacing the entire console. In most cases, upgrades that could prolong the life of the system are not an option. Consoles perform only one task really well, where PCs can be used for an extremely wide range of things. Some console manufacturers are trying to make them a little more flexible, but it will clearly be a long time before they support the staggering variety of applications that can be found for PCs. There is a distinct lack of inter-connectivity between the different console brands. Many games are available for one type of console but not others, and when it comes to online play, each is typically restricted to its own network. This means that people with Xboxes can usually only play against other people with Xboxes, so, for example, there is no way for console gamers to jump into a fray on one of the countless PC Counter-Strike servers available. The PS2 has made some progress in this area, forging the way for cross-platform gaming between PS2 and PC users, but only a few titles support this right now. While the PS2 network adapter supports both 56K modem and broadband connections to the Internet, broadband is required for Xbox online play. As well, Microsoft charges a yearly fee for use of the Xbox Live service. PC Advantages One of the biggest advantages the PC has over consoles right now is that there are a lot more games available for the PC than there are for consoles, particularly when it comes to multiplayer online games. Not only are the vast majority of MMOGs designed for the PC, but PC gamers also have the option to play MUDs, email games, browser games, and a wide variety of titles that are distributed digitally or available as free downloads. As mentioned above, another clear advantage PCs have over consoles is that you can use them for a lot more than playing games. Furthermore, if you like to modify games or edit maps for them, a PC is essential, and you have to take a break from gaming sometime to read gaming sites. PCs are always on the cutting edge of gaming technology. The current generation of consoles with high-definition capabilities did briefly narrow the gap, but well-equipped PCs continue to offer superior graphics. Computer monitors can be found with considerably higher resolutions than HDTVs, and the latest multi-core processors and dual GPU solutions make it possible to build a remarkably powerful game system. Even if a console offers incredible technology upon its release, there is no way for it to compete with the rapid hardware advancements that have become a way of life in the computer industry. When it comes online gaming, PCs give people a variety of ways to connect to the Internet, and to each other, which arent restricted to proprietary services or software. Different brands of computer and event different operating systems generally communicate very well with one another. This is quite different from services like Xbox Live, for example, which is the only option available to Xbox users that want to play online, and is closed to everyone that doesnt have an Xbox. Finally, as your PC ages, there is a reasonable chance of extending its gaming life with a component upgrade, although it can get a bit messy. PC Disadvantages While PCs have come down considerably in price over the years, they are still quite expensive compared to consoles. There ways to economize on a PC, such as building it yourself, but its not easy to get the cost of a PC down to a price comparable to even the most expensive console. Computers are also getting a little more user friendly, but eventually every PC gamer will encounter some technical complication that interferes with their gaming, be it a device driver that needs updating or components that are simply incompatible. PCs are also much more vulnerable to viruses and other security breaches. The truth is, installing a game on your computer is always a bit of a gamble. You never really know if its going to work until youre actually playing the game, and even then, in the back of your mind, youre expecting it to crash at any moment. Unlike most console games, PC games have the potential to get ridiculously complicated. This can give a game depth, but it can also result in tedious arrays of keyboard commands and lengthy tutorials which one must endure to learn how to play. PC games are often not well-suited for playing on the couch, especially given that the mouse and keyboard are the preferred PC game controllers. Unlike console games, you also wont find many PC games that support two players on one machine at the same time. Final Thoughts The latest round of consoles has a lot to offer online gamers, and if youre into sports and racing titles, consoles are a good way to go. If you like massively multiplayer games and online shooters, there are a great deal more to choose from on the PC. Online play options for consoles are getting better all the time, but proprietary networks and fees for services like Xbox Live make them a bit less attractive. For the most part, PCs are still the dominant platform for online gaming, and that appears likely to continue for a while yet. 3. 1. 23rd Generation Xbox Specs for 2011 Published: November 9, 2009 by Chairman Steve Its early enough to start speculating on the next Xbox (Xbox 3, Xbox 720). Well need a timeframe for the launch before estimating specs. Q4 2010 would be the earliest, while Q4 2011 I think is the most likely. So lets say Q4 2010 to Q4 2012. Anything in that range would have similar specs. The goals should be (1) low-cost reliable hardware with enough performance and (2) great tools for game developers. In other words, dont put a furnace in the box, dont stuff it with costly unnecessary features, and dont expect developers to fumble with a million threads each with its own 1K local memory. Keep it simple on both ends. I think Microsoft will stick with PowerPC CPU and ATI GPU. There is no reason to switch unless another solution allows lower cost for the hardware and/or software. Maybe AMD could offer a nice deal for a CPU/GPU combo, but PowerPC would allow simple backward compatibility with Xbox 360. The Main Processor The CPU will obviously be multi-core and at least triple-core. I think quad-core is enough with 2MB L2 shared cache. Combine that with an array of smaller cores accessed via an API similar to a PPU or GPU. 16MB eDRAM (or Z-RAM) cache may be something to consider to meet the bandwidth requirement of all those cores. The alternative would be 8 main cores, 4MB L2, and no smaller cores. The Graphics Processor An evolution of Radeon HD (R600) and the Xbox 360 GPU (Xenos) would be fine. Add more shader and texture pipes/processors. Increase the clock speed. And update the shader model (6. 0? ). eDRAM should be enough to fit 19201080 32-bit with 2x MSAA without tiling. Thats 32MB. Memory Advancing memory is simple. Increase capacity and bandwidth. Well need 2GB to 4GB of high-speed main memory. 2GB fast GDDR5/GDDR6 plus 512MB (or 1GB) slower RAM could be interesting. Not everything needs blistering speed. A relatively slow auxiliary memory could be a cost-effective way to maximize the use of main memory. Storage Drives Some next generation big budget games could use more space than DVD, and HD-DVD with a speed of 4x or 6x may be economical in 2011, as long as the format still exists. A holographic format is doubtful but would please the tech nerds on the Net. As for disc bandwidth, 6x HD-DVD would be the equivalent of 19. 5x DVD and not a large leap over 12x DVD from Xbox 360. Too slow for the load time nerds? Games may need large RAM, some auxiliary RAM, or a drive cache to help decrease the number of disc accesses. An option to install to the HDD would be nice. A hard disk drive I expect will be optional and swappable again, but all systems may come with some storage, HDD or Flash. HDD sizes may start at 250GB, while an Elite model has 750GB. Communication Ethernet and WiFi for networking should be standard. USB is the obvious choice for wired peripherals. What about wireless devices (controllers, etc. )? They could use the same proprietary protocol from Xbox 360 and/or Wireless USB. Controller Were you waiting for this part? The decision for what will be the standard controller can wait. Microsoft has time to gauge what consumers want. For now, Ill pencil in a wireless traditional game controller with some improvements such as TouchSense Vibration. A motion sensing wand could also be available separately packed with a casual game. Other options are a standard two-piece (or three with headset) motion controller or a standard 3D camera. Spec Summary 32nm Chip Process Technology IBM CPU at 4. 8GHz (4 Main Cores + Many Small Cores) ATI GPU at 800MHz 2GB GDDR5 Main RAM (~80 GB/sec) 512MB Auxiliary RAM HD-DVD 6x Drive (216Mbps) 250GB 2. 5-inch HDD Ethernet, WiFi, USB Flash Memory Unit Slots 3. 1. 3NVIDIA Tegra Provides The Multimedia Muscle In Zune HD World’s First Ultra-Low-Power HD Processor Behind Microsoft’s Next-Generation Portable Digital Media Player Wednesday, May 15, 2009 NVIDIA today announced that Microsoft’s new Zune HD portable media player is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra processor, which gives it exceptional multimedia capabilities. The Zune HD player, which Microsoft recently announced is available for preorder, is the first portable media player to combine HD-compatible video, HD Radio receiver, full-screen Internet browsing, an organic light emitting diode touch screen, and Wi-Fi. These features will connect consumers to a whole new world of entertainment, while delivering excellent battery life. Working closely with Microsoft and optimizing the Tegra processor, NVIDIA has played an important role in helping to bring the next-generation Zune HD portable digital media player to market. â€Å"Tegra provides the multimedia muscle in Zune HD,† said Michael Rayfield, general manager of NVIDIA’s mobile business. â€Å"Users will love the device’s new design, amazing multimedia features and HD video out capability. Zune HD is a must-have for anyone looking for the best portable digital media player on the market. † Key to Tegra’s rich multimedia features are eight independent processors, each designed for a specific class of tasks among them are an HD video processor, an audio processor, a graphics processor, and two ARM cores. The processors can work together or independently to minimize power consumption. The Microsoft Zune HD uses the following NVIDIA Tegra technology to deliver a unique visual experience: * an HD video processor dedicated to HD video, providing unprecedented picture quality and ultra-smooth, vivid movie playback with low power consumption * an ultra-low power graphics processor for a compelling and intuitive user interface. * NVIDIA nPower technology, which optimizes system power use and enables extended HD video and MP3 playback time Based on NVIDIA’s decade of graphics leadership, Tegra processor has been engineered over the past five years to bring high performance and low power capabilities to the next generation of mobile computing devices such as portable media players, smartphones, smartbooks, netbooks and tablets. Tegra processor-based devices are delivering the experiences that today’s mobile consumers demand, with HD video playback, always-on HD Internet, and intuitive 3D user interfaces. There are 50 active Tegra processor-based design projects currently in the works today. SOURCE: NVIDIA 3. 1. 4Xbox 360 First Gaming System to reach 10 Million in U. S. Console Sales Xbox LIVE tops 12 million members globally as Xbox 360 console sales hit more than 19 million worldwide. July 15, 2009 Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system has sold over 10 million units in the U. S. , making it the first current-generation gaming console to break the 10 million mark in the U. S. The U. S. install base contributes to global sales of over 19 million. â€Å"This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U. S. and abroad,† said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. â€Å"History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry. † This announcement comes on the heels of one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, â€Å"Grand Theft Auto IV,† on April 29, 2008. Gamers eager to experience â€Å"Grand Theft Auto IV† online helped boost Xbox LIVE global membership to over 12 million this month. Fueled by an unparalleled combination of access to friends and family, the best online gaming features, and the best entertainment content, the Xbox LIVE service has doubled in membership in only one year’s time. â€Å"Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the U. S. is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership,† said Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC. â€Å"Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base — 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations. † Xbox 360 leads with the industry’s highest software attach rate, more than any other console this generation, and is home to the best-selling games. With the launch of â€Å"Grand Theft Auto IV† in April, Xbox 360 is now the home to more than 16 platinum titles that have sold through 1 million units or more, including hits such as â€Å"Halo 3,† â€Å"Madden NFL 07† and â€Å"Madden NFL 08,† â€Å"Gears of War,† â€Å"Guitar Hero II† and â€Å"Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock,† and â€Å"Call of Duty 2,† Call of Duty 3† and â€Å"Call of Duty. 4: Modern Warfare,† giving Xbox 360 two times more platinum-selling titles than the Wii and a 16:2 lead over the PlayStation 3 in game titles topping one million in sales. Games not only sell better on the Xbox 360, they play better, too: Xbox 360 has 91 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher, compared with just 22 titles for Wii and 50 titles for PlayStation 3. SOURCE: Microsoft 3. 1. 5Nintendo Wii Fit Makes Fitness Fun pat

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay Example for Free

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay What makes a good manager? What makes an employee motivated? There are different types of leaders and everyone has a place in workplace psychology. What is the role of the managers and employees? In workplace psychology management’s role should be to motivate employees and get the tasks completed. Managers are a key in the workplace; they are role models for the employees. Managers should keep a professional relationship with employees but not be so strict that their employees are scared to ask for help or talk about what they need. The key to being able to talk to managers is a positive for managers and employees. It tells the manager what the employee needs to be motivated and always the manager to know where the employee is. Managers keep some of the pressure of the upper level managers and owners. Motivating employees is a key part of management because it helps get the job done and keep the employees happy. If an employee is not motivated and unhappy with their job then they will not do a good job and their work becomes sloppy, eventually they will quit. In workplace psychology employees have the role of carrying out tasks and helping the company become successful. Employees need a clearly defined task, adequate working environment, motivation, and feedback. I the case of Ayame Nakamura, managers need to talk with her to understand her work style and how she can be motivated to do her best. Each person is different and coming from a non-confrontational culture Ayame needs to work in a non-confrontational environment. Her managers need to give her positive feedback so she knows what she is doing right. Being told what she is doing right and wrong in a positive, non-confrontational way may boost Ayame’s motivation, and she may enjoy work again (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, 2011). Ayame was brought up to avoid being confrontational and always be polite. Japanese are very strict in their business and are very straight forward. If Ayame’s work environment is hostile then she is more likely to think she is doing a bad job. In most cultures, if someone feels they are doing bad then they will try harder, if they never receive the feedback for doing a good job they lose motivation and eventually just stop trying. Ayame comes from a very straight forward culture and does not understand when someone is not straight forward with her. Ayame’s employer needs to change his approach with Ayame to give her more motivation and understand feedback clearly (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, 2011). Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard have a model called situational leadership theory. In Hersey-Blanchard theory there are different types of managers; telling managers tell employees when, where, and how to complete tasks. They also have low relationships with their employees. Selling managers provide detailed tasks and have a high relationship with employees. Participating managers give low detail on tasks and have high level of communication with employees. Delegating managers give little direction and have low level relationships with employees. Ayame’s managers could help make her more motivated by taking time to get to know the way she works. If they talk to her and understand where she is at in her hierarchy of needs then they can come up with a reward system to motivate Ayame. Also, understanding that Ayame needs to have a non-confrontational environment this is another thing that can motivate her. It seems that Ayame has telling manager and she needs a selling or participating manager. Giving Ayame a good relationship and communication will help her know what she needs to do. Ayame relies on feedback from her employer and is not getting it in her current situation (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, 2011). Giving employees what they need and keeping them motivated is the job of the manager. There are many different types of managers and some do not give employees what they need. Managers have responsibility to the company to make it as efficient as possible. Some key things managers should remember is that employees need tasks that are clearly defined, some employees may need more direction then others, and all employees need high level of support. Feedback lets employees know what they are doing well and what they can work on. Having something to work toward keeps an employee motivated. A motivated employee is more likely to be happy on the job and complete tasks efficiently; while, an unhappy employee is more likely to be slower, sloppier, and more likely to quit.

Breast Cancer Gene Mutations Biology Essay

Breast Cancer Gene Mutations Biology Essay Breast Cancer affects nearly 1 in 4 women in the United States each year. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Breast cancer is a form of cancer that originates in the tissues of the breast. Using the latest technology researchers have determined that there is a specific line of genes linked to breast cancer, breast cancer (BRCA) 1 and BRCA 2 genes. The ability to test a patient for these breast cancer genes will help lead to better diagnosis and treatment for those with the gene. Often breast cancer will start from a single abnormal cell that grows into a benign tumor (Mader123). The tumor originates in the milk duct, where an extra lining of cells is formed that fills the ducts, this is known as ductal carcinoma. Another form, lobular carcinoma is when the cancer begins in the lobules, which are the glands that make the milk. Breast cancer is most common in females; however, males can still have breast cancer. In women it is recommended to be screened for breast cancer via self examination or mammograms, depending on age. Women who are over the age of forty are recommended to have a mammogram done every one to two years. Age is another risk because as a person gets older their risk increases. Race and ethnicity is another risk factor; white women are more at risk for breast cancer than African American women. Only about 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, resulting directly from gene defects inherited from a parent (cancer.org). Breast cancer can be classified by either BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene, which defines the mutation of the breast cancer gene. This form of breast cancer is considered genetic, which is when one dominate gene is passed onto subsequent generations and can result in the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene. There are genes that can help with DNA repair, but in this case it is not a damaged gene it is mutated and cannot be repaired. Females who are heterozygous for the BRCA 1 mutation have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. The gene loci for BRCA 1 gene can be found on the 27th chromosome, it is known as a tumor suppressor gene that provides the blueprint for protein that breaks cellular growth**. Families who have history of breast and ovarian cancer have a strong occurrence of the BRCA1 gene and as a result there is a high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Individuals that do have a family history of breast and ovarian cancers tend to acquire these cancers at a young age or acquire the more aggressive forms. The gene loci for the BRCA 2 gene is found on the 13th chromosome; although breast cancer is rare in men, this gene tends to affect males at a higher rate. The gene for BRCA 2 is not expressed as often as BRCA 1, and families who carry this gene tend to be at a lower risk for developing cancer. Men who carry the BRCA 2 mutations are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer by age 70. Breast cancer is more commonly found in families with high male and female breast cancer occurrences. Breast cancer can also be related to ethnic background and specifically families who are of Jewish decent tend to be more likely to develop breast cancer due to a high mutation rate. Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in different ethnic groups in the  U.S. BRCA1 Asian American 0.5% African American African American 1.3-1.4% Caucasian Caucasian (non-Ashkenazi Jewish) 2.2-2.9% Hispanic 3.5% Ashkenazi Jewish 8.3-10.2% Adapted from National Cancer Institute materials  [5]. Figure : Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in different ethnic groups in the U.S. (komen.org) This table shows the percentages of the different ethnic groups and their chance of developing the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Men or women who are considered to be at high risk for breast cancer have the option to be tested. A person is considered to be at high risk if there are two or more family members that have had breast or ovarian cancer. The test for the breast cancer gene is a blood test that checks the DNA to see if there is a mutation in the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene. A positive result of this test means that the patient has inherited the mutated gene. It is not definitive that the patient will get breast cancer as it requires unidentified environmental factors in order for the cancer to develop. However, a positive result means that the patient can pass the mutated gene to their children. If a person receives a negative result of having the breast cancer gene, it does not necessarily mean that they are not at risk for breast cancer, it means that they do not have the gene. In fact, 90 to 95 percent of breast cancer is not a result of BRCA 1 or BRCA 2, and 5 to 10 percent of women have the heredity fa ctor of breast cancer (Schnipper221). Also, The child of a parent who has a positive gene has a 50 percent risk of inheriting the mutation (Schnipper223). Testing for a genetic inheritance of the gene can be very helpful for families to know if they are carrying the mutated gene, and it can also be upsetting to the families who are affected. If a test comes back positive for the gene it will put other members of the family at risk for carrying the gene. Breast cancer heredity is very rare and it does not occur in every family. Age and ethnic background play a huge role in determining if you have a higher risk of carrying the gene. If a Jewish woman younger than 40 has breast cancer, there is about a 33% chance that they will be a carrier of the gene. While those who are not Jewish and have breast cancer before 30 have a 12% chance of having a mutation (Love108). This illustrates that the genetic test is not a good determinant of risk for cancer. Positive results from the breast cancer test have a few options to lower their risk of getting breast cancer. Patients can choose to be monitored closer by their doctors for breast cancer signs by having frequent breast exams, mammograms, MRIs, ultrasounds, blood tests, and also by self examination. A more aggressive step could be having prophylactic surgery, such as a double mastectomy. The surgery is a quite radical surgery and is not a common choice. Research has indicated that those who carry either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation can lower their risk of getting the cancer by keeping up with a physical, healthy lifestyle and by breastfeeding. Although that may not work on everyone, it has shown to help with some patients who carry the mutation. There is not much that can be done to prevent the chances of getting breast cancer besides radical surgery. There are other factors such as carrying the mutated breast cancer gene that can elevate the risk of getting breast cancer, a second primary cancer, which is a second breast tumor that is not related to the first tumor, can also show an increased risk of occurring with patients who carry the mutation. For BRCA1/2 carriers, the chance of a contralateral breast cancer 10 years after diagnosis of the first cancer is about 18 to 30 percent compared to about 10 percent for breast cancer survivors without a BRCA1/2 mutation (komen.org). Surgery, radiation therapy, tamoxifen, and chemotherapy are the most commonly used treatments for breast cancer. The treatment that is used depends on the type and severity of the cancer. A patient will go over the options that work best for them with their doctor to help get the best treatment. Two other surgeries that are performed depending on the patients cancer are Lumpectomy, and Mastectomy. Lumpectomy is a surgery that removes only the cancerous lump from the breast. Mastectomy is removal of the entire breasts to remove the cancer and the tissue that surrounds it. Men and women who have breast cancer as a result of a genetic mutation will go through the same treatments. A patient who has a genetic mutation of breast cancer does not have their own treatment plan. Although they can take precautions to help prevent their chance of developing breast cancer, there is no different treatment if they do have breast cancer. Only five to ten percent of breast cancer patients in the United States are linked to a high risk genetic mutation (komen.org). Men and women who inherited the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene, do not make up the population of those who suffer from breast cancer. Having a genetic mutation is not the only way for a patient to receive breast cancer, there are many other aspects. There are chances that getting breast cancer may be genetically linked, but there is still research being conducted to investigate the occurrence of breast cancer.

Essay on the Importance of Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra :: Antony Cleopatra Essays

The Importance of Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra   In Shakespeare's play, Antony and Cleopatra, we are told the story of two passionate and power-hungry lovers. In the first two Acts of the play we are educated to the fact that they are entwined in an adulterous relationship, and that both of them are forced to show their devotion to Caesar. Along with being introduced to Antony and Cleopatra's strange love affair, we are introduced to some interesting secondary characters. The secondary character most important to the theme of the play is Enobarbus. Enobarbus is a high-ranking soldier in Antony's army who it seems is very close to his commander. We know this by the way Enobarbus is permitted to speak freely (at least in private) with Antony, and often is used as a person to whom Antony confides in. We see Antony confiding in Enobarbus in Act I, Scene ii, as Antony explains how Cleopatra is "cunning past man's thought" (I.ii.146). In reply to this Enobarbus speaks very freely of his view of Cleopatra, even if what he says is very positive: ...her passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love. We cannot call her winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater storms and tempests than almanacs can report. This cannot be cunning in her; if it be she makes a shower of rain as well as Jove. (I, ii, 147-152) After Antony reveals that he has just heard news of his wife's death, we are once again offered an example of Enobarbus' freedom to speak his mind, in that he tells Antony to "give the gods a thankful sacrifice" (I.ii.162), essentially saying that Fulvia's death is a good thing. Obviously, someone would never say something like this unless they were in very close company. While acting as a friend and promoter of Antony, Enobarbus lets the audience in on some of the myth and legend surrounding Cleopatra. Probably his biggest role in the play is to exaggerate Anthony and Cleopatra's relationship. Which he does so well in the following statements: When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart, upon the river of Cydnus. (II.ii.188-189) The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold; Purple the sails, and so perfumed that The winds were lovesick with them; the oars were silver, (II.