5 Core WordPress Features That You Should Use More Often

WordPress is the worlds most popular content management system, and even with its minimalist out-of-the-box functionality, it is  far more powerful  than you might think. Were  not just talking about the notion of using plugins like Jetpack to extend the platforms core functionality either there are probably  built-in core WordPress features you  are unaware of.In fact, its possible that you have functionality-boosting plugins installed on your WordPress website right now that, in reality, dont need to be there. Fortunately, all core WordPress  features are easy to find, and are ready to be used on your website right now.In this post, we reveal five core WordPress features that you probably dont know about, but should definitely make better use of.  Lets get started:Core WordPress features to use more often:1. Distraction-free writing modeResisting distractions and battling procrastination are part and parcel of a bloggers daily routine. To help you focus on your writi ng, WordPress has a handy distraction-free writing mode built right into its native editor.Where to find itThe distraction-free writing mode button can be found within the TinyMCE editor on any edit page. Simply click the icon located in the top-right hand corner of the editor, and WordPress tucks away both the meta boxes on the right,  and the dashboard  menu on the left. It even dims the bar at the top of  the page to ensure your eyes dont wander.All of this serves to  bring the editor itself to the forefront, enabling  you to focus on putting pen to paper (so to speak).2. The Theme CustomizerCustomizing your WordPress theme – especially within the context of a complete redesign –  can  quickly bog you down. There are plenty of theme developers who have noticed this and created custom dashboard editors in an attempt to relieve users of the strain.However, the often overlooked WordPress Theme Customizer still has its place, and is  a great way  to ma ke quick theme modifications without trawling through the options in a custom solution. More than that, its actually the recommended way of customizing a theme.Where to find itThe WordPress Theme Customizer can be found under  Appearance / Customize within the WordPress sidebar. From here you have access to  a number of customizations, depending on the theme youre using. At the very least, youll be able to change your websites  title and tagline, logo, menu structure, and color scheme.With  the  recent WordPress 4.5 update, WordPress Theme Customizer has seen  a number of new additions,  making it an even more viable alternative for quick customization. In fact, we love the WordPress Customizer so much weve created a comprehensive guide  on how to use it to spruce up your websites design.3. The category and tags converterThe structure of your WordPress website may change over time. As you learn more about how to  organize your website, youll discover new ways to ut ilize categories and tags to help users to  find related content.As such, you may eventually find yourself needing to convert your websites categories into tags (or vice versa). This process can help to restructure the way your blog posts and pages are served up to your readers – particularly if youre thinking about  swapping your WordPress theme for something a little more snazzy. And this is where the next one of our core WordPress features comes into play.Where to find itThe Categories and Tags Converter can be found by heading to the  Tools menu, then Import.  You can choose convert  Categories to Tags or Tags to Categories  before making your individual selections. After clicking the Convert button, WordPress will then handle the  technical stuff.4. CSS classes for menusHave you ever wanted to customize the look and feel of individual menus, submenus, and menu buttons? WordPress already has you covered!By activating custom CSS classes for your WordPress men us, you can easily add CSS code without having to exit the Menus  edit page. Its a quick and easy way to go deep on customizing the design of your menus, all from a familiar interface.Where to find itBefore you can use the CSS Classes option, youll need to activate it from the Screen Options tab at the top of the Menus screen. Click the tab, and it will open out to display several checkboxes. Click the CSS Classes box under the Show advanced menu properties section, and  youll see the field  appear within any menu items options.5. The Press This toolPress This is a bookmarklet that  can be dragged and dropped into your browsers bookmark bar. By  clicking the button whenever youre browsing an interesting web page, you can quickly post a link and a short commentary  directly to your WordPress website. Its then immediately published in the form of a blog post.Its a fantastically quick, easy, and smart way to alert  your readers to exciting content as and when you find it around the internet.Where to find itYou can  access the  Press This button by navigating  to the  Tools menu, then the  Available Tools tab. Simply drag it to your browsers bookmarks bar, and its ready to go. You can also access Press This for mobiles using the Open Press This button, adding it as you would any other bookmark on your device.ConclusionWordPress is already a powerhouse content management system, but by making use of some relatively unknown core  functionality, you can make it go the extra mile without having to resort to plugins.To recap, here are the five core WordPress features you could  make better use of:Distraction-free writing mode:  For a more focused writing experience.Theme Customizer:  To modify WordPress websites quickly within a familiar interface.The Category to Tags Converter:  For re-structuring the categories and tags that make up your WordPress website.CSS classes for menus:  For adding custom CSS code to your menus, submenus, a nd individual menu buttons.Press This:  To help you quickly share newly discovered  content with your audience, directly from your browsers bookmark bar.Are there any other core  WordPress features that dont get the props they deserve? Share them with us in the comments section below!

Richelsons The Wizards of Langley Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review

Richelsons The Wizards of Langley Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review Richelson offers an authentic account of the development and evolution of directorate of science and technology at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). CIA started its work in reports’ department before becoming an agency of scientific intelligence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Richelsons The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The agency adopted science and technology as part of clandestine surveillance in its events in 1968. Some of the most noteworthy facilities acquired by the agency included the Corona photographic reconnaissance satellite and U-2 airplane (Richelson 54). These programs faced much criticism at first. However, the intelligence technology through use of satellites finally caught the hearts of officials in 1960 and later in 1980’s, after they realized that the programs did not leave any room for s usceptibility. Some of these officials of CIA were Allen Dulles who was the director and Eisenhower, the President. These two officials turned into firm supporters of the programs after they learnt that no gap for planned bombing prevailed as the U-2 missions revealed. The deals of the agency went on well until it ruined Bay Pigs in 1961. This annoyed the then U.S. president John Kennedy and what followed was the firing of Bissell who was a leader in the team that directed the attack. Bissel had also played a key role in developing satellite and aerial survey mediums to keep an eye on the Soviet tactical challenge. Following the Cuban fiasco, Wheelon became the directorate of the intelligence programs. Land and Killian nominated him when they realized that Kennedy wanted to stay far from the CIA. Their argument was that the programs were too intricate for military managers and that it was necessary to merge science and technology in a fresh CIA directorate. Following appointment, Wh eelon aided construction of a first class scientific laboratory, which executed advanced research in intelligence, medicine and military.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The agency’s scientists also came up with systems for measuring the level of activity in Soviet atomic spots as well as a method of identifying breast tumor. Other systems developed by CIA scientists included retrieval machines as well as systems for translating languages. These scientists also created systems for identifying ghost aircrafts as well as human faces. Production of apparatus that could detect people’s faces was an excellent defense strategy in fighting terrorism. Later, CIA experts steered the killings of Fidel Castro and Lumumba. CIA technicians made pills with poison as well as strange murder arms, which they used to assassinate the two heroes. The agency handed the pills to mafia who plotted the killing of Fidel. CIA continued with producing drugs at science and technology directorate until when the media uncovered this deal. Later, an army man who was responsible for drug production at the agency committed suicide. Richelson gives an account of how the agency made use of science and technology for surveillance through tradecraft. The agency created apparatus that could mask voices and alter their bodily looks. Another scheme involved wiring a listening device to a cat so that it could record transmitted information from different areas. However, this scheme failed after a vehicle hit it hard in Paris. As explained by Richelson, successes of science and technology directorate were extraordinary, since their technical group was very efficient. Policy makers used information from surveillance to make regulations about disarmament. The directorate ensured that all arms sold to the Soviet Union underwent scrutiny by the CIA.Advertising We will write a c ustom essay sample on Richelsons The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The intelligence collected by CIA assisted in winning many fights. For instance, the agency offered satellite intelligence to President Nixon and he succeeded in signing an accord pertaining arms control against the wish of the military. The agency also led to the signing of ABM treaty after persuading critics that the Soviet-surface-air missile apparatus was different from an anti-ballistic apparatus. Richelson depicts the CIA as a super agency. However, anyone will wonder why the agency did not foresee the collapse of the Soviet Union. The politicization that occurred during the reign of Casey and Gates addresses this query. The leaders manipulated estimations of CIA on Soviet militia power to rationalize the huge spending in U.S. defense force. For instance, the amount that Gates clai med to have spent on defense program differed from photography results. Thus, the CA failed to consider the information collected by photography and this shows that the CIA betrayed its role as an agent between policy and intelligence. Another thing that Richelson fails to consider is the fall of science and technology at the CIA, after the directorates of intelligence failed to realize the value of scientific unearthing. During the reign of Casey and William Colby, critics attacked the directorate leading to its fall. Richelson, however, does not mention or consider this occurrence in his work. Severe failure followed the decline of the agency’s science and technology directorates. For instance, both Chinese embassy and Sudan experienced bombing in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The nuclear program in India also lacked supervision. In addition, CIA directorate explains that the agency was not able to endorse the test restriction treaty and this made Clinton‘s government to lose senate endorsement.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Presently, the CIA is unable to stay advanced in the field of communication intelligence due to control by military. Terrorists have advanced systems of communications, which they use to send swift messages and this undermines the intelligence when gathering information. This shortcoming together with the incompetency of the intelligence communities when it comes to analyzing all collected data led to the failure of CA to predict the attacks staged against America in 2001. The fact that the senate select committee on intelligence has ignored to weigh reasons that led to the fall of science and technology directorate is quite sad. The senate select committee supervises the CIA and therefore, it should have investigated the reason behind the fall as well as the effect of this fall on the scientific side of the intelligence society. The cases of Land, Killian and Wheelon should act as reference point to the committee on how to apply science on intelligence. Besides, the committee shoul d scrutinize the behavior of directors who made first research to end paving way for scientific application. In conclusion, Richelson describes various achievements of the CIA. The agency is the root of most accomplishments of intelligence technology. Some of the most noteworthy facilities acquired by the agency include the Corona photographic reconnaissance satellite and U-2 airplane. Use of technical systems like satellites and reconnaissance aircraft has assisted in watching over arms control and this has solved many disputes among nuclear powers. CIA has also led to many scientific advances especially in the medical field. Thus, we cannot ignore the contributions of CIA to modern intelligence technology. Richelson, Jeffrey. The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Boulder, MD: West view Press, 2002. Print.

UK Mail industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

UK Mail industry - Assignment Example On the other hand, the problems, which the Royal mail has recently faced, made consumers think about the necessity to make the mail market competitive and open for the new participants. As soon as the decision to open the mail market for new companies from the beginning of 2006 has been taken, two questions appeared: will Royal Mail stand the competition and is the competition a threat to its operations and position In order to answer this question, the position of Royal Mail on the British market should be considered from the following viewpoint: is the leading position of Royal Mail connected with the high quality of its services or with the impossibility for the similar companies to enter this marketing segment To my mind, the quality of Royal Mail service in the recent years has somewhat decreased and new competitors may create a serious threat to the Royal Mail leadership, though new companies will have to break the resistance of those consumers, who rely on their constant preferences and are not willing to change the supplier of universal mail services. Royal Mail still carries several advantages and meets some challenges, which help it to keep its profitable position. It is noted among the most reliable employers of the UK, having over 193,000 workers in its staff, which is almost 1% of the working British population. (http://www.royalmail.com) The number of addresses serviced by Royal M ail is the biggest in the country, making up to 84 million deliveries a day. As Royal Mail itself quotes, 'Since then we've undergone a huge transformation, turning losses of more than 1 million a day three years ago into a 537 million profit fromoperations in 2004-05. And we are delivering our best quality of service on record with world-class performances. This success has given giving us a base to meet the next challenge of full competition in the UK mail market from 1 January 2006. We will fight hard for every single letter. We are determined to compete successfully in the open market - but in order to do so we need a fair regulatory regime and the ability to invest in the modernization of our business.' (http://www.royalmail.com) The key words here are 'modernization and investment', which are the urgent needs of Royal Mail today to stand the competition. Despite the serious organizational changes, through which it went in the year 2001, Royal Mail is still fully owned by the Government, thus the need of about 2 billion to renew the equipment, technologies and premises should be invested from the state budget, which now seems problematic. The open mail services market becomes a threat to the Royal Mail and its profitability. Modern customers choose speed, quality and reliability, especially when it concerns such services as mail, which are in fact the foundation of everything. Mail services all over the world face the decrease of the mail volumes, with the wide spreading of emails. Speed is often a decisive factor in relation to the universal mail services, thus new technologies are crucial for Royal Mail to stay a leader on the British market. (Cohen & Waller, 2000) It can be said, that Royal Mail has 'subscribed' on receiving its competitors, as it now faces the

Monopolies and Oligopolies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monopolies and Oligopolies - Essay Example However, this competitor does not fit the definition of close substitute and has difficulty entering the market. Apple has recently introduced the Windows Operating System on its machines and has reinforced Windows as a monopoly. Consumers are tied to Windows for practical reasons as well as the piece of mind that familiarity brings and they can find no close substitute. When consumers can find no close substitute and are locked into a data processing system, it allows Microsoft to charge whatever the market will bear. In the Microsoft model, they have priced their software at the level that will produce the greatest returns without effecting demand. This has allowed them to optimize their pricing based not on demand, but as price setters. This is another indication that they are a monopoly. People will no sooner switch from Windows than they would buy a rhinestone engagement ring as a substitute for a DeBeers diamond, no matter what the cost. The fact that they have a barrier to entry, can set the price on their own terms, and have a consumer base that will not accept a substitute makes Microsoft one of the largest monopolies in the history of the world Similar

Has racism ceased to be a major problem in the world Essay

Has racism ceased to be a major problem in the world - Essay Example What is even more worrying is that it is not restricted to the apartheid promoting continents and nations alone. It has made its ubiquitous way into the very fabric of almost all continents. Racism is a complex phenomenon and cannot be wished away. Discrimination on the basis of colour, race or religion entails the subjugation or oppression of a section of people within a community. To be able to eliminate this social malady one needs to understand the reasons that give rise to discriminatory behaviour of which racism is a major manifestation. Discriminatory behaviour can arise out of feelings of insecurity, fear, hatred and an acute desire to dominate. People who support intolerance towards others usually operate in gangs or groups and target those who are weaker than them. Imperialism and the rise of colonialism from the 15th century onwards have given credence to racial superiority and discriminatory practises based on this perceived superiority. This led to the complete alienatio n of the people who have been colonized. The prevalence of racism was experienced in Africa, Asia and America at first, and then spread through colonialism to the rest of the world. Racism is manifested through behaviours that encourage separatism, hatred amongst groups and racial or religious intolerance. Racists are unable to accept and/ or tolerate the exclusiveness and distinctiveness of ethnic or cultural groups other than theirs.

The history and spread of probation in America

The history and spread of probation in America The term probation comes from the Latin verb probare, meaning to prove or to test. Throughout history probation has been used in various forms. From its earliest American origins probation has broadened and expanded immensely in its function within the criminal justice system. The terms and conditions of probation continue to evolve, as well as the various consequences imposed if said conditions are not closely adhered to. Probation is a privilege granted to particular law violators in lieu of imprisonment. Just as the root word derived from, probation is a test issued to an offender, offering them a chance to prove themselves. HISTORY Elements of probation can be seen throughout history. There is reference in Mosaic Law to the right of sanctuary. Right of sanctuary offered cities of refuge to killers seeking to escape retribution. While probation as we know it today is not an escape from punishment, it can be seen as a sort of sanctuary in that probationers are offered the opportunity to atone for their crimes and maintain in the free society. The suspended sentence, commonly used in the Middle Ages in England, mirrors probation in that it can be revoked and a prison sentence imposed if the offender fails to stay out of trouble for the amount of time specified. Suspended sentence at this time, however, did not include any kind of supervision, nor were there any set goals of reform. There was also a form of temporary release used by the courts during this time. Binding over for good behavior offered offenders an opportunity to secure pardons or lesser sentences. Matthew Davenport Hill was a English barrister and judge in Eighteenth Century England. As Recorder of Birmingham, a judicial post, he instituted a practice for individuals who did not appear to be hopeless cases. In witnessing the sentencing of youthful offenders to the custody of their parents for supervision, Hill decided that those offenders who showed hope of rehabilitation could also be placed in the hands of willing guardians. As part of this arrangement these willing guardians would receive periodic visits from local police to stay current on the progress of the released offender. JOHN AUGUSTUS John Augustus, credited as the Father of Probation, embarked upon a journey that would revolutionize the field of corrections in America. His efforts began when he persuaded a local court in Massachusetts to release into his custody an adult drunk, instead of imprisoning him. This challenge was met with great success. A shoe cobbler in Boston, Augustus supervised the man, paid his fines, and helped him achieve sobriety. His efforts broadened to and he began taking responsibility for juveniles. Again his efforts were fruitful and the court was pleased with his results. Reform became a true possibility. Over the course of his eighteen years as a volunteer probation officer [1841-1858], Augustus bailed 1,946 men, women and children. A mere ten of this number forfeited their bond. The first probation statute was passed in 1878 shortly after his death. Augustus work was a remarkable accomplishment when measured against any standard. (New York City Department of Probation) THE SPREAD OF PROBATION By 1900, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, and Illinois passed probation laws; by 1910, 32 more states had passed legislation establishing juvenile probation; and by 1930 juvenile probation was legislated in every state except Wyoming. (Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives) Every state in the country offers probation to both adults and juveniles today. While the structure may vary from state to state the possibility for reform remains a strong and solid objective. Probation not only offers the offender incentive to change it saves the public enormous funds as the cost is minimal when compared to the increasing costs of incarceration. Probation also serves to abate the current concerns of overcrowding in prisons. THE USES/GOAL OF PROBATION Probation has many practical functions in the field of corrections. As mentioned above, probation is privilege not a right. One of the many aims of probation is protecting the public. Probation is generally issued to low risk, non-violent offenders. Often these offenders are open to the idea of treatment and rehabilitation in an effort to avoid becoming professional offenders. Until recently, probation was predominantly used for first offense misdemeanants, however, with the implementation of get tough laws and the war on drugs saw the court system becoming more and more bogged down with cases and the prison system became increasingly prone to overcrowding. Depending on the sentencing guidelines for the crime committed, the accused may offer to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Probation is a valuable tool for the offender, the district attorney, and the court system. If the criteria of a case make the offender eligible for probation a presentence investigation report is ordered to determine if probation could be a valid and effective punishment. The presentence investigation report includes the offenders background and their disposition to their charges as well as other useful information. CONDITIONS OF PROBATION/INTERMEDIATE SANCTIONS If probation is granted, several conditions may be imposed. These conditions will be specifically designed to the individual based on their criminal record and the nature of the crime they have pled guilty to. There are various levels of probation. The lowest level of probation is unsupervised. This is when the offender is placed on probation and perhaps ordered to pay fines and court costs but is not obligated to a regular interaction with a probation officer. They are generally ordered to call in on arranged dates and update the probation officer as to their progress as well as maintain gainful employment in the community. Supervised Probation requires the offender to report to their local probation office on an established number of days per week or month, depending on the level of supervision. Often supervised probation will contain conditions such as: reporting regularly, failing to engage in any further criminal activity, submitting to searches, abstaining from using drugs, abstaining from owning a firearm, limiting alcohol intake, abstaining from associating with known criminals and notifying their supervising officer of any major changes such as relocation or job change. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) The probationer is required to pay a monthly supervision fee and a schedule to pay other fines and court fees imposed is set up between the offender and the probation officer. Certain individuals have specific conditions of probation to which they must adhere. This is sometimes as a result of the crime they committed (including factors of the crime, such as drug abuse). Specific conditions include (but are not limited to): methadone maintenance, taking Antibuse, attending 12-Step meetings, drug testing, treatment (inpatient or outpatient), and vocational training. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) These conditions are imposed to aid the probationer in successful completion of their court ordered term of supervision. There has been an adequate success rate with these programs to date. Special conditions of probation are additional punishments ordered by the courts and act to strengthen supervision. The goal is to reduce recidivism by addressing the underlying cause of the individuals criminal behavior as well as protect the local community. Special conditions of probation are: house arrest, electronic monitoring, intensive supervision, halfway house residency, boot camp programs and split sentences. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) Imposing these special conditions is at times the last line of defense for keeping the offender out of prison. In some cases, if probation is violated, additional conditions can be imposed in an effort to get the offender back on track. REVOCATION OF PROBATION Failure to adhere to these conditions, excessive violations of these conditions or failing to remain current on court mandated payments can result in probation revocation. When an offender is sentenced to a specific amount of time in jail or prison, that sentence is sometimes suspended in favor of placing the individual on probation. Repetitive violations or new charges can be cause to revoke that probation and resentence the offender or activate the sentence that they are currently on probation to avoid serving. There are a variety of reasons offenders are unable to comply with the conditions of their probation. Some are indifferent or hostile, being unwilling or unable to cooperate with their supervising officer or the court. Some are too immature emotionally to comply with directions. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) Technical probation violations require the offender to re-appear in court in front of the judge. If the probationer fails to appear a warrant will be issued for their arrest. Revocation is a serious matter and the probationer has the right to counsel for the hearing. SUMMARY The use of probation in our nations criminal justice system is widespread. Probation allows the offender the freedom to earn a living and support their family, it allows the community to feel safer knowing that these individuals are under close supervision, it saves the state money that could better be spent on reform rather than incarceration and the building of new prisons. The number of Americans currently on probation is astounding. According to the United Stated Department of Justice at the end of 2008 there were better than 4.2 million adults on probation and another almost 830,000 on parole. That number indicates that 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. is currently under community supervision. These figures show the importance of probation in America today.

The Kohen Gene :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Kohen Gene In a world where Jews have assimilated so much into other cultures, is it possible to trace the lineage of an elite group of Jewish men all the way back to a man who lived three-thousand and five-hundred years ago? According to Karl Skorecki, a scientist at the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, and Michael Hammer, a geneticist from the University of Arizona at Tuscan, the possibility is alive (1). In Jewish tradition, as written in the Hebrew Bible, the Children of Israel were split into three groups. The Kohanim (the singular is simply Kohen) were the priests. The first Kohen was Moses' brother, Aaron, and all Kohanim since then are said to be descendants of Aaron. The second group was the Levis, of which Moses himself was a part of, and the third group was compiled of the remaining eleven tribes (of which ten have said to be "lost"), simply called the Israelites. Since the Kohanim were the priests among the Jewish people, their duties were the holiest and most important. They were in charge of the sacrifices brought to the Temple, and thus had the most intimate relationship with God, aside from the prophets such as Moses. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., and thus the secession of sacrificial offerings, the role of the priests became ceremonial. However, despite the fact that their strict duties do not apply today, all Kohanim, according to Jewish tradition, must still obey many commandments that pertain directly to them. The hope is that one day, a new Temple will be built, and their service will be required once again (1). According to Jewish tradition, the role of each individual (Kohen, Levi, or Israelite) is passed down patrilineally from father to son. In traditional and orthodox Judaism, a woman is known as "the daughter of a Levi" (if her father is a Levi) until she marries, and then she is "the wife of a Levi." So, the concept of a "kohen gene" can only pertain to Jewish men who have not converted into the faith (1). A gene is a sequence of DNA that is used by cells to create protein. It has all of the information needed to make a protein. It knows when to make these protein and where to begin and end. The functions of a cell are then carried out by the proteins.

Assessing A Company’s Future Financial Health Essay

Google is a multinational corporation that serves thousands of consumers worldwide. Through Internet related products such as Internet searches, maps, emails, mobile apps, and other online contents for users Google became the company it is today. Every employee of Google is different in his or her own way; making it a well-diversified organization similar to the global audience they serve. Google’s mission statement is to organize information from all around the world and make it universally accessible at a quick and orderly fashion. This means creating a search engine smart enough to understand the difference between Jaguar, the car, and jaguar, the animal. Google went public in 2004 and has been doing exceptionally well ever since. It has an estimated number of over three hundred million servers using the search engine every day. From these statistics it is easy to say that Google is number one in the Internet information industry. This industry is considered to be one of th e most important economic sectors due to the fact that it is for industries that are information intensive. Although there are many search engines similar to Google, such as Yahoo, Facebook, Groupon, Microsoft, and Pearson education, Google seems to be the one consumers use more frequently. The analysis of this paper will discuss the current financial status of Google, conditions relevant to the market, competitors, and recent news. One way to measure the financial health of Google’s current status is to analyze the S.W.O.T analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This being said Google should maintain its current strengths of a successful audience which helped reach a high of $13,100,000,000 operating income for the current fiscal year. With the growth of the company over the last five years Google’s net income, gross profit, and revenue have gradually increased. Hitting a low point towards the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 then rising again in 2010. Even  during a recession, a time of need, Google remained lucrative through its assets, liabilit ies, stable stock price, and efficiency for paying back debt. Google’s total assets have steadily increased from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. The stock price during the recession drastically decreased for many companies but this was not the case for Google. In 2008, the beginning of the recession, Google’s stock price increased by $7; every year since the recession the stock price has risen and is predicted to continue rising for future years. Google also remains a strong company because of their efficiency on paying back their debt with their cash received from operations. This can be shown by their operating cash flow to total debt ratio. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is 2.56%. Meaning cash is double the amount of debt issued. Therefore, Google is able to pay back their debt fairly quick. Although Google has some strength’s the company also has some weaknesses. A key factor that contests Google’s respected reputation is its bond rating. In 2011 Google started to issue bonds; they received a rating of AA, the fourth down level of ratings a company can receive. However, the double a rating still means the company is a high credit-quality investment. According to credit rating Agency Moody’s, who gave the rating, Google received the rating due to their substantial financial flexibility as well as its conservative financial philosophy. For the year ending December 31, 2012 for Google, it finished with $60,454,000 in current assets. This is a big increase from 2011, which had $52,758,000 in current assets, a total increase of $7,696,000. The bulk of this increase is due to net  receivables, which could be the result from selling advertising space on credit or one of the many products Google offers. Cash and cash equivalents also had a major jump of $4,795,000, which could be the result from selling phones, advertising, apps, and other cash generating assets Google owns. This is a promising sign to investors because if they can sustain the growth hopefully enough cash will be retained and dividends will be offered. Assets 2012 2011 2010 Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents14,778,000 9,983,000 13,630,000 Short Term Investments33,310,000 34,643,000 21,345,000 Net Receivables 9,729,000 6,387,000 5,261,000 Inventory 505,000 35,000 – Other Current Assets 2,132,000 1,710,000 1,326,000 Total Current Assets 60,454,000 52,758,000 41, 562, 00 Google’s total assets have steadily increased dating back from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. Google has a total asset turnover of .6%. The total asset turnover can be interpreted to mean the amount of sales, that each unit of assets can generate. Simply, it’s smarter to get more sales on the assets that you are deploying to a business. The higher the total asset turnover, the better the business is doing. Therefore, Google’s percentage of .6% is an indication that the company is below the average industry of .7%. The current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay short-term liabilities. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its liabilities. Google has a current ratio of 3.94, in comparison to the industry average of 4.8%. Due to the fact that Google is under the industry average it means that Google can pay  back its short-term debt but not as quick as other companies in the industry. The quick ratio is very similar to the current ratio; in the way it also measures the company’s ability to pay of short-term liabilities. The only difference is that it adds the inventory of the company to its calculations. Google maintains a quick ratio of 3.7, which still shows it, is efficient in paying off its short-term obligations. The debt to equity ratio indicates wha t proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. Google has a debt to equity ratio of 11.61%. This is considered high and means that the company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. The high number can result in inconsistent earnings as a result of additional interest expense. Google has a return on assets of 10.5%. This is an indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. Since Google maintains an ROA below the industry average, of 15.6%, this shows that the company is earning less money on investments. Google has ‘day’s sales outstanding’ or DSO of 49.8. This means that Google takes a relatively long time to receive revenue once a sale has been made. This could be because most of their sales could be done on credit. With the expansion of the industry, Google has an opportunity for growth. The current growth rate for 2012 for Google is 11.29% and it is predicted to increase to 17.43% in 2013. The reason Google is predicted to grow over the next year or so is because the demand for online use is more predominant. With the growth of this industry it is vital that Google is aware of the threats it may encounter. One of Google’s biggest competitors, Microsoft, has introduced a newly organized search engine called Bing. The search engine Bing is gradually growing and advancing their technology making them a threat towards Google. Whenever Google advances their technology Bing turns around and does something to make their search engine better, creating a war between the two. Google is generally strong in its ability to cover debt. It has a current ratio of 3.94%, meaning it can efficiently cover its short-term liabilities. The company also has a debt to assets ratio of .07%. This number measures the company’s financial risk by determining how much of the company’s assets have been financed by debt. Since Google’s number is equal to industry average it is easy to infer that Google has average financial risk because its assets are significantly higher than its short and long term debt. Google also shows a strong ability to pay off their  interest because their EBITDA to interest ratio is extremely high at 154.64. The operating cash flow to total debt ratio measures how well the cash generated from Google’s operations covers current liabilities. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is also high at 2.56. This is a good sign and means Google is able to generate a large sum of cash to pay off debts. When a company with operating cash flow is considerably higher than its net income the company is considered to have high quality. This is the case with Google. In 2008 Google’s net income was $6,632,000,000 and its operating cash flow was $7,853,000,000. Over the last five years both net income and operating cash flows have increased. Net income increased to $13,339,000,000 and the cash from operating activities increase to $15,874,000,000. Since Google is generating a good amount of their money back they have been able to reduce debt alo ng with buying backs some of their stock. Google investing activities primarily consist of information technology, consumer discretionary, and financials. In 2008 Google’s investing activity started out at $5,319,000,000 and gradually increased over the last five years till it reached $19,041,000,000 in 2011. In the beginning of 2012 Google’s investing activities decreased to a $12,101,000,000. In 2012 Google’s main investment was information technology with a hint utility research. Over the last few years Google has spent an exceptional amount of money on capital expenditures, items that last a long time to keep the company running. Over the last three years Google spent an average of $2,755,333,000 on capital expenditures. Cash from financing activities measures the movement of cash between a firm, its owners, and creditors. Financing activities consist of issuing dividends and issuing or selling stock. In 2008 and 2009 there was no long-term or short-term debt issued but in 2010 Google issue over $5,246,000,000 worth of debt and only paid back $1,783,000,000 of the debt. The following year Google issued $10,179,000,000 dollars’ worth of debt and repaid more then 2/3s of the debt, making them a credible company. Over the last few years Google did not have any dividends. In 2010 Google repurchased a stock of $801,000,000 because they felt their stocks were undervalued. When a company buys back stock they increase their earnings per share and increase the market value of the outstanding shares. From 2009 to 2010 cash from financing increased drastically, from $233,000,000,000 to $3,050,000,000,000. With a CAPM beta of 1.23 and a P/E ratio of 21.65 Google is a riskier firm. Google’s beta of 1.23 is above average making it riskier than other firms in the industry due to the amount of debt issued. However, firms with higher risk have higher return. Google’s P/E ratio is also currently under the industry average of 28.70% making the stock undervalued. Over the next year Google had predicted that their P/E ratio would decrease to 17.88. Return on equity or ROE, shows a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. Relative to the industry average of 15.30% Google has a relatively high ROE of 17.18%. Meaning Google generates a strong profit with the money shareholders invested in the company. In comparison to Google, Microsoft has a ROE of 24.5%, EBay has a ROE of 21.28%, Akamai Technologies has a ROE of 8.94%, and Baidu with an exceptionally high ROE of 53.6%. Another way to compare Google to its competitors is to compare benchmarks. Benchmarking of Google’s competitors would be measured in terms of profit margin. The higher the profit margin the more profitable a company is. Google has a profit margin of 59.92 % while its biggest competitor Microsoft has a profit margin of 75.23% and Apple has a profit margin of 43.87%. This means that Microsoft has a competitive advantage of cost control compared to Google, Apple, and other com petitors in this industry. Throughout the years Google has remained a strong well-known company that supplies organized information from all around the world to thousands of consumers every day. Through exploiting strengths, executing opportunities, fixing weaknesses, and distinguishing threats Google can remain a top-notch company and continue to dominate the Internet Information system. Some recent news for this company is the mind-blowing lawsuit between Apple and Google. Within the last year Apple had sewed Google for seeking unreasonably high license fees for patent use on wireless technology. Apple claimed that Motorola was in violation of their patent by seeking a license fee of 2.25 percent of the price of devices. Over the last week Google was  pleased to hear that this lawsuit was dropped due to the fact that there was no basis for the claim. References: â€Å"Google Inc.† Yahoo Finance. Yahoo, n.d. Web. . â€Å"Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results Investor Relations Google.† Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Investor Relations ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Google.n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Reference for Business.† Google, Inc.N.p. n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

DDoS Attack

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is one in which a multitude of compromised systems attack a single target, thereby causing denial of service for users of the targeted system. The flood of incoming messages to the target system essentially forces it to shut down, thereby denying service to the system to legitimate users. In a typical DDoS attack, the assailant begins by exploiting a vulnerability in one computer system and making it the DDoS master. The attack master, also known as the botmaster, identifies and identifies and infects other vulnerable systems with alware.Eventually, the assailant Instructs the controlled machines to launch an attack against a specified target. There are two types of DDoS attacks: a network-centric attack which overloads a service by using up bandwidth and an application-layer attack which overloads a service or database with application calls. The Inundation of packets to the target causes a denial of service. While the media tends to foc us on the target of a DDoS attack as the vlctlm, In reality there are many vlctlms In a DDoS attack the final arget and as well the systems controlled by the intruder.Although the owners of co- opted computers are typically unaware that their computers have been compromised, they are nevertheless likely to suffer a degradation of service and not work well. A computer under the control of an intruder is known as a zombie or bot. A group of co-opted computers is known as a botnet or a zombie army. Both Kaspersky Labs and Symantec have identified botnets not spam, viruses, or worms as the biggest threat to Internet security

Free Essays on Contradicting The Stereotypes Of Youths In South- Central, L.A.

Contradicting the Stereotypes of Youths In South-Central, Los Angeles The essay, â€Å"Jobs Illuminate What Riots Hid: Young Ideals†, by Sara Rimer, begins with a good-will gesture from Disney officials, offering young adults in South- Central the opportunity to work at the â€Å"happiest place on earth.† The Disney officials are surprised to find educated, ambitious, young black adults willing to make sacrifices to work for the Disney Corporation. The author establishes there is a negative stereotype connected to the young people who live in South-Central Los Angeles. He uses appeals to ethos and pathos to convince his readers- the young people living in South-Central are not all looters, drug dealers, and gang members. Rimer uses an appeal to ethos to build her credibility in the beginning of the essay to persuade the reader(s) that the youths in South-Central are not all depraved. Greg Albrecht, a spokesperson for the Disney Corporation, commented on how wonderful and outstanding the kids were, and their eagerness to work for Disneyland (Rimer, A1, A12). She has to make us believe that if the Disney Corporation is willing to hire these young adults, maybe the kids from South-Central really aren’t that bad. Using statistics helps build her argument also. The principal of Washington Preparatory, Marguerite LaMotte, one of South-Central public high schools, is quoted saying there are â€Å"118 graduating seniors planning on attending four-year colleges and 131graduating seniors going to two-year colleges (Rimer, A1, A12).† Rimer further states that â€Å"the world knows about the gang members; estimates put the number at 100,000 across Los Angeles County, and last year there were 771 gang-related homicides (A1, A12).† No one has tried to count the success stories of the young people trying to make a better life for themselves (Rimer, A1, A12). Giving statistics and using quotes by a spokesperson from an influential corporation like... Free Essays on Contradicting The Stereotypes Of Youths In South- Central, L.A. Free Essays on Contradicting The Stereotypes Of Youths In South- Central, L.A. Contradicting the Stereotypes of Youths In South-Central, Los Angeles The essay, â€Å"Jobs Illuminate What Riots Hid: Young Ideals†, by Sara Rimer, begins with a good-will gesture from Disney officials, offering young adults in South- Central the opportunity to work at the â€Å"happiest place on earth.† The Disney officials are surprised to find educated, ambitious, young black adults willing to make sacrifices to work for the Disney Corporation. The author establishes there is a negative stereotype connected to the young people who live in South-Central Los Angeles. He uses appeals to ethos and pathos to convince his readers- the young people living in South-Central are not all looters, drug dealers, and gang members. Rimer uses an appeal to ethos to build her credibility in the beginning of the essay to persuade the reader(s) that the youths in South-Central are not all depraved. Greg Albrecht, a spokesperson for the Disney Corporation, commented on how wonderful and outstanding the kids were, and their eagerness to work for Disneyland (Rimer, A1, A12). She has to make us believe that if the Disney Corporation is willing to hire these young adults, maybe the kids from South-Central really aren’t that bad. Using statistics helps build her argument also. The principal of Washington Preparatory, Marguerite LaMotte, one of South-Central public high schools, is quoted saying there are â€Å"118 graduating seniors planning on attending four-year colleges and 131graduating seniors going to two-year colleges (Rimer, A1, A12).† Rimer further states that â€Å"the world knows about the gang members; estimates put the number at 100,000 across Los Angeles County, and last year there were 771 gang-related homicides (A1, A12).† No one has tried to count the success stories of the young people trying to make a better life for themselves (Rimer, A1, A12). Giving statistics and using quotes by a spokesperson from an influential corporation like...

Cryptology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cryptology - Assignment Example Hash functions are arguably the most important of all the encryption algorithms since they help in the prevention of external attacks. They are usually used in most of the applications that require very high security. They are also widely used in the specification of most communication protocols like IPsec and WAP. They typically serve message authentication codes and also help in provision of digital signatures or in some cases, they generate random numbers. MD5 and SHA-1 are the most common of the hash functions (Biham and Chen, 2004). MD5 Algorithm Data filling The MD5 algorithm usually adds the supplement immediately after inputting of the data thereby making the whole length of the mod 512=448. This can be represented as K*512+448 BITS WHERE K IS an integer. Add length Usually, a sixty four bit data b is used to dente the original length of the data while an independent b is used to two thirty two bit blocks. In the event that b>264, we will have to extend the length to multiple s of five hundred and twelve. This implies that the length will become times of sixteen double bytes. MD5 algorithm usually saves the data in an array. The syntax of such an array is given by M [0†¦N-1] Where N is in time of sixteen. Initialing of variables If four thirty two but variable named A, B, C, and D were to be defined, they would be initialized as A=0*01234567, B=0/889abcdef, C=0*fedcba98 and D=0*76543210. In this case, the data will be output in the same sequence that is, A, B, C, D. SHA-1 Algorithm This is also an important hash algorithm which is actually based on the MD4 principle. The algorithm actually produces 160 bit output which means that SHA-1 usually needs a set of five thirty two bit registers. However, the similarity between SHA-1 and MD5 is that both of them use a similar approach to message digesting. The SHA-1 algorithm has a total of four distinct rounds of iterative. Each of these rounds has its own twenty steps of operations. If you were to initial ize five variables namely A, B, C, D, and you would have:- A= 0x67452301 B=0xefcdab89 C=0x98badcfe D=0x10325476 E=0xc3d2e1f0 SHA-1 was traditionally thought to be the most secure hash algorithm and it is probably one of the main reasons why it is the current FIPS secure hash standard (Merkle,1990). Principle of operation of the two algorithms Generally the design of the hash algorithms is usually based on the Merkle-Damgard iterative structure. This is since the structure allows for arbitrary length in the messages that are sent. The hash algorithms typically work by dividing the input into different blocks of predetermined lengths. Each of the blocks that are formed is then affixed to the previous state using a form of a compression function in order to compute the updated state. This entire process is usually referred as chaining of a variable. After the processing of the message is completed, the output is given as the last step of the process. The state

COMPANY STRATEGIC ANALYSIS- Starbuck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

COMPANY STRATEGIC ANALYSIS- Starbuck - Essay Example An enterprise needs, at the very least, to define its role in the value chains based on its unique mix of strengths and weaknesses and design its processes, supporting assets and organizational structure and decision making. Firms create value for their customers by establishing a value chain within the organization. When customers recognize these values as being superior to the firm's competitors, the firm has established competitive advantage within its marketplace. Porter describes two broad ways in which firms can deliver this value: lower cost and differentiation. A lower cost emphasis is one where the firm can provide a good or service more efficiently than either the client or other competing firms; a differentiation emphasis is one where firms create superior value in the form of product or service quality. Starbucks Coffee is the leading coffee shop globally. It manages over thousands of branches across United Kingdom, Ireland, Central Europe and Asia. This study explored the competition inside the coffee shop industry. Starbucks Coffee is the most competitive company in the coffee shop industry. ... The study arrived to the conclusion that Starbucks Coffee is continuing to be the most competitive coffee company, however, since there are some competitors in the industry, Starbucks still needs the aid of Michael Porter's five forces, generic studies and cost leadership in order to stay on the top in the retail industry Company Background Starbucks, the coffee company, is the perfect example of a product that could have gone the route of a shallow brand. After all, what is so special about serving coffee As the Starbucks brand proves, this is a question that other retailers would have benefited from asking. Starbucks is full of warm, rich colors and shapes and is set up so customers have a lot to look at while waiting for their order. It is visually stimulating in a way that is pleasant to most people. Compare this to a typical coffee shop, where the customer is often subjected to bright, harsh lighting and is often in the way of traffic flow, making him or her feel vaguely uncomfortable. Accommodating fast growth also meant putting in systems to recruit, hire, and train baristas and store managers. (Student Resources:2005) Starbucks' is simply looking for passionate people who love coffee, diverse workforce which reflects their community and who enjoys what they're doing and for whom work is an extension of themselves. 16 Some 80 percent of Starbucks employees were white, 85 percent had some education beyond high school, and the average age was 26. All positions are filled internally about 60-70%. Automated staffing services between hiring managers and staffing teams and Starbucks has a user friendly field sourcing and selection tools in place. Internal movement processes and systems in place and broadly understood. (Student Resources:2005)