The Issue with Issuing Laptops essays

The Issue with Issuing Laptops essays Supplying students across Cobb County with laptops is a bad idea. There is a lot of money going towards this leap in technology. There are some good things about them. Firstly, learning would become more interactive. Secondly, some students would make better grades. There would be more doors opened for learning. Students with problems in their shoulders and backs wouldnt kill themselves lugging books around all day. Now, think for a second about how much money is going towards this project. Now think about that kid who kicked a fifty dollar textbook down the hallway because he was to lazy to pick it up after he dropped it. Who is to say this wont happen to the laptops? What about when books fall off lunch tables? The laptops would be crushed. And the repair rates would be enormous. Remember the money Cobb is proposing to pay to buy them in the first place? Multiply that by two when the replacement and repairing comes into play. Cheating would reach an all time high in the classroom. It would be very easy for a student to sign onto the internet network and email friends answers to tests and share essay topics. That is partly why the students would receive better grades. They would have all the answers delivered to them by other students classrooms away or even a few desks away. It would be almost as bad as issuing each student a cell phone capable of taking pictures and texting across the building. It would be infinitely harder to judge class participation. Teachers would not be able to tell who was doing what unless he or she walked around the classroom to monitor every student individually. The internet connection would be horrible. The internet is a very useful tool in learning, but so many computers would be entering the system at the same time that the server would most likely overload. It would be virtually impossible to keep it running. The issue is that laptops can help, but they can also b...

Cold War overview essays

Cold War overview essays The Cold War is not just one single war taking place in one area, but a large conflict between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union (USSR) and its allies. In this report, I am going to tell you about the happenings of the Cold War between the period of time of 1945 to 1957. The things that were happening around the time that the Cold War began were very important to the U.S. First of all, Hitler had been in power for a while now but his reign was now coming to an end. By July 1944, the German military was desperate to stop loosing all of their forces to the Americans. The tried assaionations on Hitler to end the war and leave with what they had left. Hitler escaped a bomb explosion and had only a few small injuries. He then had most of the people who did it executed, and used them as an example not to betray him. He then insisted that all the Germans that still remained should fight to the death. Shortly thereafter in April 1945, Hitler accused Nazi generals of trying to negotiate with their enemies, and had most of them arrested. Barely 10 days later, Hitler married his mistress, Eva Braun, on April 29th, 1945. The very next day on Hitlers honeymoon, he and his wife committed suicide together, and ordered that their bodies be burned. Hitlers legacy is the memory of the most dreadful tyranny of modern times.1 At this time the Americans were at war with the Japanese and desperately needed a way to put an end to the war. So they put together a project named the Manhattan Project to produce some sort of super weapon to destroy the Japanese, or Japs which is what the army called them. The Manhattan project had been around for a while when the war was just starting. A physicist in Germany at the time named Albert Einstein, had discovered that the fission of Uranium can produce an explosive amount of energy. He warned the President at the time, which was preside...

CSS Virginia (USS Merrimack) in the Civil War

CSS Virginia (USS Merrimack) in the Civil War CSS Virginia was the first ironclad warship constructed by the Confederate States Navy during  Civil War (1861-1865). Following the outbreak of the conflict in April 1861, the US Navy found that one of its largest facilities, the Norfolk (Gosport) Navy Yard, was now behind enemy lines. While attempts were made to remove as many ships and as much material as possible, circumstances prevented the yards commander, Commodore Charles Stuart McCauley, from saving everything. As Union forces began to evacuate, the decision was made to burn the yard and destroy the remaining ships. USS Merrimack Among the ships burned or scuttled were the ships-of-the-line USS Pennsylvania (120 guns), USS Delaware (74), and USS Columbus (90), the frigates USS United States (44 ), USS Raritan (50), and USS Columbia (50), as well as several sloops-of-war and smaller vessels. One of the most modern vessels that was lost was the relatively new steam frigate USS Merrimack (40 guns). Commissioned in 1856, Merrimack had served as flagship of the Pacific Squadron for three years before arriving at Norfolk in 1860. Attempts were made to remove Merrimack before the Confederates captured the yard. While Chief Engineer Benjamin F. Isherwood succeeded in getting the frigates boilers lit, efforts had to be abandoned when it was found that the Confederates had blocked the channel between Craney Island and Sewells Point. With no other option remaining, the ship was burned on April 20. Taking possession of the yard, Confederate officials later examined the wreck of Merrimack and found that it had only burned to the waterline and most of its machinery remained intact. Origins With the Union blockade of the Confederacy tightening, Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory began searching for ways in which his small force could challenge the enemy. One avenue that he elected to investigate was the development of ironclad, armored warships. The first of these, the French La Gloire (44) and British HMS Warrior (40 guns), had appeared in the last year and built upon lessons learned with armored floating batteries during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Consulting John M. Brooke, John L. Porter, and William P. Williamson, Mallory began pushing the ironclad program forward but found that the South lacked the industrial capacity to build the needed steam engines in a timely manner. Upon learning this, Williamson suggested using the engines and remains of the former Merrimack. Porter soon submitted revised plans to Mallory that based the new ship around Merrimacks power plant. CSS Virginia - Specifications: Nation: Confederate States of AmericaType: IroncladShipyard: Norfolk (Gosport) Navy YardOrdered: July 11, 1861Completed: March 7, 1862Commissioned: February 17, 1862Fate: Burned, May 11, 1862Displacement: 4,100 tonsLength: 275 ft.Beam: 51 ft.Draft: 21 ft.Speed: 5-6 knotsComplement: 320 menArmament: 2 Ãâ€" 7-in. Brooke rifles, 2 Ãâ€" 6.4-in. Brooke rifles, 6 Ãâ€" 9-in. Dahlgren smoothbores, 2 Ãâ€" 12-pdr howitzers Design Construction Approved on July 11, 1861, work soon began at Norfolk on CSS Virginia under the guidance of Brooke and Porter. Moving from preliminary sketches to advanced plans, both men envisioned the new ship as a casemate ironclad. Workers soon cut down the burned timbers of Merrimack to below the waterline and commenced construction of a new deck and the armored casemate. For protection, Virginias casemate was built of layers of oak and pine to a two-foot thickness before being covered by four inches of iron plate. Brooke and Porter designed the ships casemate to have angled sides to aid in deflecting enemy shot. The ship possessed a mixed armament consisting of two 7-in. Brooke rifles, two 6.4-in. Brooke rifles, six 9-in. Dahlgren smoothbores, as well as two 12-pdr howitzers. While the bulk of the guns were mounted in the ships broadside, the two 7-in. Brooke rifles were mounted on pivots at the bow and stern and could traverse to fire from multiple gun ports. In creating the ship, the designers concluded that its guns would be unable to penetrate the armor of another ironclad. As a result, they had Virginia fitted with a large ram on the bow. Battle of Hampton Roads Work on CSS Virginia progressed in early 1862, and its executive officer, Lieutenant Catesby ap Roger Jones, oversaw fitting out the ship. Though construction was ongoing, Virginia was commissioned on February 17 with Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan in command. Eager to test the new ironclad, Buchanan sailed on March 8 to attack Union warships in Hampton Roads despite the fact that workmen were still on board. The tenders CSS Raleigh (1) and Beaufort (1) accompanied Buchanan. Though a formidable vessel, Virginias size and balky engines made it difficult to maneuver and complete circle required a mile of space and forty-five minutes. Steaming down the Elizabeth River, Virginia found five warships of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron anchored in Hampton Roads near the protective guns of Fortress Monroe. Joined by three gunboats from the James River Squadron, Buchanan singled out the sloop of war USS Cumberland (24) and charged forward. Though initially unsure what to make of the strange new ship, Union sailors aboard the frigate USS Congress (44) opened fire as Virginia passed. Rapid Success Returning fire, Buchanans guns inflicted significant damage on Congress. Engaging Cumberland, Virginia pounded the wooden ship as the Union shells bounced off its armor. After crossing Cumberlands bow and raking it with fire, Buchanan rammed it in an effort to save gunpowder. Piercing the Union ships side, part of Virginias ram detached as it was withdrawn. With Cumberland sinking, Virginia turned its attention to Congress which had grounded in an attempt to close with the Confederate ironclad. Engaging the frigate from a distance, Buchanan compelled it to strike its colors after an hour of fighting. Ordering his tenders forward to receive the ships surrender, Buchanan was angered when Union troops ashore, not understanding the situation, opened fire. Returning fire from Virginias deck with a carbine, he was wounded in the thigh by a Union bullet. In retaliation, Buchanan ordered Congress be shelled with incendiary hot shot. Catching on fire, Congress burned throughout the rest of the day exploded that night. Pressing his attack, Buchanan attempted to move against the steam frigate USS Minnesota (50), but was unable to inflict any damage as the Union ship fled into shallow water and ran aground. Meeting USS Monitor Withdrawing due to darkness, Virginia had won a stunning victory, but had taken damage amounting to two guns disabled, its ram lost, several armored plates damaged, and its smoke stack riddled. As temporary repairs were made during the night, command devolved to Jones. In Hampton Roads, the situation of the Union fleet improved dramatically that night with the arrival of the new turret ironclad USS Monitor from New York. Taking a defensive position to protect Minnesota and the frigate USS St. Lawrence (44), the ironclad awaited Virginias return. Steaming back to Hampton Roads in the morning, Jones anticipated an easy victory and initially ignored the strange-looking Monitor. Moving to engage, the two ships soon opened the first battle between ironclad warships. Pounding each other for over four hours, neither was able to inflict significant damage on the other. Though the Union ships heavier guns were able to crack Virginias armor, the Confederates scored a hit on their adversarys pilot house temporarily blinding Monitors captain, Lieutenant John L. Worden. Taking command, Lieutenant Samuel D. Greene drew the ship away, leading Jones to believe that he had won. Unable to reach Minnesota, and with his ship damaged, Jones began moving towards Norfolk. At this time, Monitor returned to the fight. Seeing Virginia retreating and with orders to protect Minnesota, Greene elected not to pursue. Later Career Following the Battle of Hampton Roads, Virginia made several attempts to lure Monitor into battle. These failed as the Union ship was under strict orders not to engage as its presence alone ensured that the blockade remained in place. Serving with the James River Squadron, Virginia faced a crisis with Norfolk fell to Union troops on May 10. Due to its deep draft, the ship could not move up the James River to safety. When efforts to lighten the ship failed to significantly reduce its draft, the decision was made to destroy it to prevent capture. Stripped of its guns, Virginia was set on fire off Craney Island early on May 11. The ship exploded when the flames reached its magazines.

Lightweight vs. heavyweight construction and their implication to Essay

Lightweight vs. heavyweight construction and their implication to energy efficiency in non-domestic buildings - Essay Example Since the effectiveness of the above strategies is related to the thermal mass of the building, the selection of the construction type is crucial. Considering that each type of construction has advantages and disadvantages in terms of energy efficiency, it is difficult to indicate which type of construction is likely to be more effective. Nevertheless, energy efficiency may be achievable when the advantages of both types of construction are exploited. It is well known that, almost half of the delivered energy is being used by buildings (Bellew, 2000). Energy is consumed in buildings for space and water heating, lighting, ventilation, air conditioning systems and general electrical services (Nicholls, 2002). In order to meet the above description, which is necessary both for survival and adequate levels of comfort it is important to consider the type of construction that consumes energy efficiently. In addition to this, the aim of this paper is to assess the methods used in each type of construction - lightweight or heavyweight- in order to provide efficient energy performance in conjunction with comfort in buildings. Energy efficient buildings are characterised by maximum utilization of natural means that result in minimised energy demand for heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting (Goulding & Lewis, 1994). According to this, methods such as natural ventilation, passive cooling, day lighting and effective use of external (solar) and internal heat gains are the main natural means that define energy efficient buildings. It is also important mentioning that, energy efficiency is specified by the effective use of natural means on the fabric of the building. As such, natural means present different performance when reacting with different fabrics. Nonetheless, energy efficiency of buildings is achievable when a well-managed combination of

Competitive Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competitive Strategy - Essay Example The offshoot is that film companies or online retail sites such as Amazon.com can afford to analyze each consumer data and provide specific services and product characteristics that meet his profile requirements. The processes involved take a few seconds to finish due to the sheer speed of today's broadband technology. The data generated by Internet technology allows movie distributors to tailor their offerings according to several variables such as the demand, the availability, popularity, and other factors that are revealed in the individual client data. It has become easier, hence, for film companies to introduce price formation, price differentiation and price bundling (Meier and Stormer 2009, 21). The efficacy of the Internet as a film-selling platform is underscored by the research that found about 121 million Internet users per month streamed or downloaded video in the United States back in 2007 and that this was expected to swell to 165 million by 2011 (Plunkett 2009). Anothe r important dimension to e-commerce is the benefit brought about by the digitalization of films. As films are compressed into digital files, Internet users can download them easily besides buying hard copies such as those in DVD and Blu-ray formats. As a result film distributors can now offer different products and could package films either for sale, for rent or for subscription (OPEC 2009, 45).

Chidren with disabilty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chidren with disabilty - Essay Example There are no racial differences in dyslexia. It occurs in all languages, races and religions. Dyslexia is associated with a high level of social and psychological morbidity for the individual and their family. In approximately 40-50% of cases, the disability is persistent into adulthood (Schulte et al, 2007). Reading is a process that synthesizes data from the highly developed visual perception system and transfers it to the highly developed language system via brains network of nerve cells that connect centers of vision, language and memory. This transformation of data involves certain skills like recognizing specific visual symbols as letters, focusing and scanning across the page, recognizing sounds associated with letters and making that connection, understanding words and grammar, building ideas and images, comparing new ideas to what one already knows and storing ideas in memory (Earl, 2006). Dyslexia is a disorder related to the language system and involves deficient processing of individual linguistic units, called phonemes, which comprise all spoken and written words (Tynan, 2006). A child with dyslexia typically has problems with segmentation, the process of recognizing different phonemes that constitute words or with blending these sounds to make words (Tynan, 2006). The disab ility in dyslexia can involve any task in reading. While a significant number of children with dyslexia share an inability to distinguish or separate the sounds in spoken words, others may have trouble with rhyming games, such as rhyming cat with bat or cannot recall seeing a specific word previously and have poor "word confrontation" memory recognition (Earl, 2006). There is a broad spectrum of dyslexia related phenotypes like phonological decoding, phoneme awareness, orthographic processing, short-term memory, rapid naming and basic mathematical

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Journal - Essay Example The market In the recent times, the growth in the smartphone market drives the industry for microprocessors. By 2014, it is expected that the total market size for cell phone users alone shall be 1.7 billion primarily driven by the surge in smartphone demand in emerging nations (Fan, Liu, Zhang and Zhao, 2008). As for the market captured by laptops, they completely acquired sales for desktops and face stiff competition from netbooks and tablets who have reported tremendous rise in sales. There are two basic components that hinder entry into the microprocessor industry is prices and innovative technology. Competitors are spending huge sums in new product development, technological upgradation and innovations that can allow patents and hence target market advantage. Companies also need huge economies of scale in order to compete in prices. Off late the substitution in the phone markets has evolved greatly but the substitution of CPU’s is virtually unavailable. The microprocessor industry is extremely competitive in prices. Product differences between major producers like Intel and (Advanced Micro Devices) AMD are virtually absent. Microprocessor industry is a one that entails huge fixed costs but very low marginal costs. This gives each company, the power to undercut the other. Exit costs of the microprocessor industry are also very high owing to huge sunk costs involved. Technology products are characterised by very short product life cycles. Technology changes and industry standards evolve as rapidly as they expire. Innovation here becomes the key to survive. The case of Apple Inc can be cited as a perfect example of innovation that led to market leadership where innovation of the iPhone took away margins and sliced away profits of other cellphone manufacturers who could not keep up. Competitive Business Strategies The desktop market is characterised by slow growth in the recent times. It is presently the largest and one of the most important microproces sor markets with a total of 150 million unit sales globally. The growth figures don’t seem as impressive. Intel, a leading firm in the microprocessor industry, has significant technological and resource advantage in the segment. The low end segment is price sensitive and so companies like Dell and Intel should keep its strategy aligned to prices to maintain itself as a market leader (Fan, Liu, Zhang and Zhao, 2008). In strike contrast to the desktop market, the laptop market needs an entire different strategy. Here front end technologies and processor performance drive sales for a company. In the fig 1 below, it is observed that concentration of exterior design is not as important as data protection. Figure 1: Consumer Need Preference Hierarchy in the Laptop Market (Source: Fan, Liu, Zhang and Zhao, 2008) With a view to capture the laptop market, key industry competitors are targeting the new generation. The trend requires thin and light laptops that do not need batteries and coolers like in CPU’s. Secondly, firms like AMD are increasingly trying to differentiate their laptops by bundling as done in the Centrino platform. The company also seeks to specialise in technologies, like the vPro to enhance security of data, a huge demand fulfilment of the business class. Thirdly, companies like Intel are trying to take on market leadership in the emerging nations via the price advantage. The use of Atom processor has strengthened Intel’