Communication Strategies

A mass media and communication course is very important in the life of human beings and the surrounding environment. There are several activities that happen within the surroundings of human life and this can only be revealed through communication via media. Media in communication involves channels used for storage and transmission of information or data. These channels include the press, radio, internet and television. Since media communication is a delicate matter, individuals are supposed to undergo thorough training so as to have expertise and skill. There are various reasons that make individuals to take media and communication course (Martin, et al, 2002).

Development in  information technology and  evolution of  research methods  are  among the  various reasons why people  study  media  and  communication. The course of media and communication aims at exploring the impact of information communication technologies in individuals life. It  is  through study  of  media and communication that individual come  to understand  activities  that  shape  their  social life (Schorr, Schenk, 2003). The  life  of  human beings constitutes  basically  of social interactions  and this  is  made possible  through the  study of  media  especially information and communication technology.

Through adoption of various changes associated with media, information technology has helped to shape social life of human beings. This is one major reason that has attracted students to take media and communication course. To understand the impact of information and communication technology as an aspect of media, students are taken through an intensive teaching and testing. The study of media has changed positively in the way individuals carry on with their duties and way of life (Caristi, 2005). It is a form of enlightenment and revolution in individuals social life.

The  study  of  media and communication helps  students  to understand  the  importance  of  media  in globalization. There are various theories that explain the importance of media in the entire global community that is only understood through intensive study. Media is one of the major factors that have contributed to globalization and its impact on the lives of many individuals.

Information is shared among individuals through the use of electronic devices such as radio, television, mobile phones and computers. It is therefore important to understand how these devices work hence students have that urge of taking media and communication course. The demand for media and communication course has increased in the past decades due to advancement in technology. Every individual wants to engage in media services that help to communicate activities happening around the world.

Media  and communication course  gives  students the opportunity to understand the  clear  picture  on how  the sector of  media  is  regulated to reveal the positive side of human activities. This involves understanding various key terms, developments, concepts and issues related to media and communication (Christ, 1999). It  is  important  to understand  various aspects and issues that are  related  to media  and  this  can be achieved  through taking a course in media and communication.

Regulatory  policies  help  to shape and regulate  media  so as  to come  up  with a  regulated  media that is useful. Regulation of  media  involves measures  that  are  applied  to make sure that  information communicated  through the  media  is  of quality substance. Any person who has the desire to be a reporter or presenter should undergo some training so as to have thorough knowledge on the regulatory measures, opportunities and challenges of media and communication.

When mere words fail to express unbearably deep feelings, a mixtape composed of songs suffice.
This essay shall tackle a mixtape sampling of three Beatles songs and relate it to the Relationship Developmental Theory Social Penetration Theory. It is the aim of this essay to look into the lyrics of three songs and to see how they reflect the different stages and principles of the Social Penetration Theory. The real-life artifact, a mixtape, lays the foundation for a better understanding of this important communication theory.

The real life artifact is a mixtape comprised of three Beatles songs From Me to You, Help, and We Can Work It Out. The first song is an expression of the persons willingness to be available and open to the other person. It embodies the desire to offer ones self time and emotions, to satisfy the others needs. (If theres anything that you want if theres anything I can do Just call on me and Ill send it along with love, from me to you). The second song, Help, is more expressive of the persons vulnerability. It is an admission of how incomplete and inadequate one feels without the others presence, both physical and emotional. (But every now and then I feel so insecure I know that I just need you like Ive never done before). The third song, We Can Work It Out, expresses how the communication between the two individuals is a product of compromise and mutual understanding. Both individuals must be able to give and receive freely and openly so that the communication can flow and deepen between them. There is a recognition that both must work on the communication otherwise, there will be a breakdown in the exchange resulting in a failure in the relationship. (Think of what youre saying,you can get it wrong and still think that its all right Think of what Im saying we can work it out and get it straight or say goodnight.) These three songs reflect some of the key stages of social penetration as the relationship develops and deepens.

The Social Penetration Theory was developed by Altman and Taylor in 1973. The theory posited that each individuals personality is made up of different layers, in the same way that an onion is made of different layers. When two individuals communicate, the kinds of information and emotion they share are dependent on the layers of personality that they are comfortable sharing and exchanging from the most obvious to the most intimate. There are five major stages in the penetration, with each level of disclosure more intimate than the last
Orientation stage, characterized by general exchanges and small talk Exploratory affective stage, characterized by disclosure of opinions regarding certain topics, Affective stage, characterized by exchanges of private matters and intimate details, Stable stage, at this point, the relationship has reached a level of stability such that the other can predict the reaction of the other, and Depenetration, when the costs of the relationship outweigh the benefits, there is a withdrawal of the disclosure and the relationship is terminated. (cited in www.changingminds.org, 2010)

Social penetration theory also took into consideration the two aspects of each layer, depth and breadth. These two aspects were described and distinguished as Breadth is the array or variety of topics that have been incorporated into individuals lives. Depth is the amount of information available on each topic. On the outermost shell are highly visible levels of information such dress and speech.(cited in  HYPERLINK httpwww.uky.edu.com www.uky.edu.com).

From the perspective of the social penetration theory, the song choices in a mixtape can help guage the level of disclosure that two individuals are comfortable in exchanging. As the relationship deepens through shared thoughts and feelings, layers of themselves are exposed, making the bond of the intimacy stronger. However, when there comes a point that the relationship is no longer beneficial or healthy for one or both parties, the disclosures are withdrawn, the communication breaks down, and the relationship ends.

Workforce diversity is largely attributed to the concept of globalization which is termed as the interaction of people from dissimilar cultures, social orders, and different backgrounds in carrying out assorted business practices with the intention of achieving their objectives such as profitability. Globalization has therefore increasingly disregarded national boundaries and many firms have gone international which has also enabled workforce diversity. The authenticity and existence of the concept of globalization can be observed when patterns of diversity in workforce are considered, for example the Starbucks Corporation has always employed its workforce from different countries apart from those who originate from the host countries where the firm is set up. The existence of integrated financial system has also enabled workforce diversity since employees of various companies can be paid with less difficulty, for example the existence of common exchange rate systems (Sparrow and Hilltop, 1994).

In the year 2020 workforce diversity will still be heavily influenced by new innovations and enhanced infrastructure globally. Workers are now taking advantage of such technology thus the need to look for greener pastures will assist them in developing their careers since many workers like working in challenging environments. Therefore in the year 2020 there will be a continued presence of workforce diversity that will posses different kinda of skills which if combined together yield great results in terms of production purposes. More specifically development in technology together with communication effectiveness and enhanced global relations will contribute immensely to the endorsement of workforce diversity.

This paper will therefore discuss the challenges and successes that the organization Starbucks Corporation is and will be experiencing in the year 2020 while trying to manage a diverse workforce.  The challenges are the negative impacts which experienced managers and owners of different companies undergo while implementing diversity issues and programs in the organization. On the other side, the successes are the actual benefits the organization is able to gain while it implements the diversity of management in the organization. The paper will finally provide some kind of conclusive recommendations of how organizations such as the Starbucks Corporation can utilize both the challenges and successes to benefit their organizations, especially in the near future that is in the year 2020 when the labor force is predicted to be more diverse than before.

Management of diverse workforce was first developed in Northern America in the late 1980s as philosophy. The idea was contained in a report duped, Workforce 2000 which had predicted that in the 21st century, many organizations will be dealing with wide and diverse workforces meaning that some form of strategies must be designed to ensure that the situation is under control.  True to that prediction, many organizations today have diverse workforces hence the topic has gained popularity and it is being studied widely. Since that time, the new management approaches of diverse management have continued to be adopted because of the prevailing economic and social environment (Anderson and Metcalf, 2003).

Diversity Management in Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks Corporation
Starbucks Corporation is a coffee company in Australia which was first opened in July, 2000 in Sydney and at the Central Business District as a subsidiary of the mother company in the United States. Starbucks roasts high quality whole coffee beans and they sell them with other beverages as prepared in the Italian espresso beverages. The coffee drinks are richly brewed to give the customers necessary satisfaction and pleasure. One of the best known drink brands is the bottled Frappuccino which is enjoyed throughout the world. In Australia alone, the organization has been able to expand and now has 89 retail outlets in major areas of the  nation such as Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Tasmania, Gold Coast, South Australia, and Brisbane.

The headquarters for the Starbucks coffee company Australia is at the Frenchs Forest, New South Wales and it serves as the support centre for all the other stores in Australia.  The retail stores offer people the finest coffee sourced from coffee farmers across the world in addition to great entertainment, music, good people and excellent customer service. This organization is the only retail international coffee store that has a unique brand that has a global recognition. Most of the customers get access to excellent room tables, comfortable sofas, chairs, bars and other accessories which fit the needs of everyone from the CEO of a company to the secretary of a company (Starbucks Corporations, 2010).

This company endeavors to produce economic, social, and environmental benefits as a social responsibility stance for the communities it serves. This organization believes that it is possible to be good and do the best at the same time.  Nevertheless, there has been a considerable criticism that Starbucks management has failed to be effective and efficient in its business activities because they have practiced unacceptable managerial activities of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. The company has not ensured that the respective managers of respective departments are well equipped with human, technical, and conceptual skills that give them an opportunity to integrate the managerial activities above in order to produce results expected from their departments. The absence of such skills by managers has led to the companys performance decreasing in some of its potential markets (John and Keith, 1997).

Starbucks Corporation has been criticized for not building a strong diverse human resource relationship with its entire workforce who has failed to enhance the success of corporation. In fact, the research indicates that the company does not recruit its employees based on their qualifications and their competence but on their diverse backgrounds. Our company has not achieved effectiveness and efficiency because we do not develop our workforce through training and we have not adopted proper diversity management systems that have in turn demoralized our employees in their work. Such employees have not been able to cope with effects of competition and thus they have produced poor results (Starbucks Corporations, 2010).

Normally, diverse employees in an organization such as the Starbucks Corporations bring with them patterns of thinking networks or thinking attitudes. Habits and social pleasures which people have learnt within their communities are also brought into the organization. This will result in re-structuring of organization to effectively determine the culture that should be adopted by all people in the organization with a view to creating harmony among all the employees. Proper management of diversity within the Starbucks Corporations is suitable for allowing the diverse people in the organization who share varied experiences or background to effectively combine forces and boost the organizations productivity. The different dimensions that people who are considered diverse include gender, ethnicity, race, color, age, physical abilities, occupation, industry, career, among others.

Sources of Diversity in the Organization
The increasing diversity in most organizations today can be attributed to several factors first, there is a changing demographic structure in our countries due to modernization and technology advances. The demographic structure enables people from different parts of the world to come together in a specific location and live together. Secondly, the importance of diversification to companies is to sustain their profits and long term survival. This entails the recruitment of persons from different parts of the world. Finally, changes within an organization on how work is done contribute to diversity within the organization.

Challenges
Challenges will be experienced in the year 2020 by organizations while trying to manage a diverse workforce. These challenges are more than simply acknowledging the differences people have in their day to day activities. In summary, it involves
Recognizing the value of differences
Mitigating effects of discrimination
Promoting inclusiveness in the organization

Bad behaviors and negative attitudes are barriers to organizational development because they harm working relationships and reduce productivity. These behaviors and attitudes include discrimination, punishment, stereotyping and prejudice, especially when they are applied during hiring and promotions or even firing the employees from the organization. They are considered not only inhuman but also not a good public image for the organization Despite the fact that existence of diversity in the organization is appreciated throughout the diverse sectors ranging from government institutions, universities, non-governmental organizations, multinational firms, industries and other sectors that require a huge workforce, they are only viewed as human protection rights and legal compliance requirements (Michael, 2006).

Diversity as A Potential Performance Barrier-Inefficient Communication
Previous research has shown that the presence of a significant diverse force within an organization such as our Starbucks Corporation can in future lead to a reduction in productivity of some kind of redundancy. This has been attributed to the following reasons to start off the efficiency of communication is reduced within an organization where a diverse workforce is available. The language barrier for example is the best example to describe this. It is difficult for people from all parts of the world to adopt the same language at the work place.

Conflicts
While trying to manage a diverse workforce, the management of the Starbucks Corporations will be experiencing difficulties arising from conflicts. People are naturally jealous or inclined towards people they consider their own. Therefore, employees within the Starbucks Corporations in the 2020 will be diverse in gender, race, education, religion or any other issue of diversity. This means that our employees will be involved in many misunderstandings including the conflict of social disparity, religious conflict or any other form of discrimination. Conflicts are related to all forms of isolation or discrimination and that it is the main contributor to fights, poor performance and lack of cooperation among people in our organization (Sparrow and Hilltop, 1994).

Workplace harassment
Workplace harassment entails the use of abusive language or isolation of specific workers because of their diversity (disabilities, performance record, sex or place of birth) which will hinder the efficient formation of teamwork. Therefore in future the organization is encouraged to create team work which is useful for an organization in that, people are able to share their ideas or problems thereby providing workable solutions to issues. It has been researched that people are from different backgrounds and with varied skills tend to form a strong teamwork. On the other hand, they are more susceptible to workplace harassment which is bad for the Starbucks Corporations.

Workplace harassment practices such as sexual harassment are so inhuman that may result in the breakdown of individual and team relationship in an organization and in most case it is the result of ones race, disability or gender. Harassment is not only directed to junior employees but it can also be directed to a senior member of the group. The consequences of workplace harassment and surveillance are normally severe and it results in mental, physical and emotional illnesses. Our organization in this case has a lot to lose if it does not act quickly. Some managers may want to employ people who are only known to them because they trust that they can work peacefully without any interference.

Low moralemotivation
Organizational development dictates that every individual gives his or her best to the organization they serve. Employee satisfaction is the key to the economic success of any company. Research has shown that a satisfied employee does his job well and in return the companys performance is greatly improved. Some studies have suggested that people with diverse backgrounds find it hard to motivate themselves as a result of the differences in how they approach issues. Employer and employee relations are very important in ensuring that a company realizes its mission and team spirit is built. In fact, it has been researched and found out that satisfied employees usually translate to satisfied customers. Hence, with proper policies and administrative skills, managers can create satisfied employees even without the utilization of teamwork strategies in our organization. This approves that in the year 2020 the Starbucks Corporations will need to have people who posses some form of similarities to avoid misinterpretations of its policies, guidelines and schedules.

Lack of Social Attraction
In addition, a diverse workforce will most likely be having problems of social attraction among the individuals in our organization. Social issues within the organization are important especially when it comes to building workable group work. Lack of social interaction is very costly to the organization. In situations where our organization will want to promote corporate social responsibility in the community, social interaction will be very important as the employees will be the ones to spearhead the activities. If these employees are so diverse that they can not work together mainly because of their religion, language or gender, then it will become difficult for the organization to meet its objectives.

Recruitment Difficulties
During the diversity management process, it becomes difficult to recruit the best on the market. Dealing with people of different backgrounds makes work difficult for the human resource officers especially the rigorous process of selection, interviewing or retaining potential employees in our organization. In many cases the organization will not be able to collect all the people from the different countries or races to come personally to get the necessary selection process. Diversity management therefore will require extensive skills by human resource officers

High costs
High costs are usually incurred while trying to manage a diverse workforce. It is usually very hard to deal with the needs of a diverse workforce. To solve issues arising as a result of differences in ethnicity, race or education, our organization will need the services of a company counselor in order to provide counseling services. Dealing with such issues as conflicts require the company spend a lot of revenue to reconcile and bring people to a harmonious situation.

Unrealistic Expectations
Companies which try to employ diversity tactics in order to fulfill certain targets on international markets may be in for a rude shock as their expectations may be too high. Individual expectation in an organization may also be unrealistic in that people would want to be associated with certain organizations just because of the perceived image either in the press or on the market. Some persons from different regions may for example wish to join our organization as part of a strategy to meet their expectations in terms of technology and finances.  In the process, our organization may turn out to be one of the companies which do not recognize individual differences as the main driving and harmonious force within the company.  Finally, ones career development is partly fulfilled and people will seek for further fulfillment elsewhere. The company will experience high workout rates in the form of resignations because people will be leaving the company because of dissatisfaction.

Legal Suits
Incidences of discrimination have led to increased number of legal suits against many companies. While trying to manage diversity in our organization the issue will most likely arise as a consequence of addressing the negative implications of diversity. When the company tries to discriminate even against the disabled persons in their workforce, it will find itself getting bad publicity and in the long run bad image.

Diversity as Value-Added Activity

Fulfilling Organizational Values
The achievement of core values by exercising fairness to all individuals within the organization is one of the key sections of the mission of any organization including the Starbucks Corporations. Being fair to all members of the organization and respecting each and every employee regardless of the education or position in the organization is in itself a strategic business management. Analysts argue that in the year 2020 a well managed diversity in an organization such as the Starbucks Corporations will add value to the organization through the following
It will increase innovation and creativity among employees
Problem solving will become easier
With better recruitment, selection, retention and dismissal, quality personnel are at one time available  for the organization that will lead to better productivity
Organizational flexibility will be increased
Marketing strategies will at the long run be improved especially those that deal directly with the products and services
The corporation therefore needs a stream flow of ideas and services in order to blossom and we can do this by hiring people of diverse nature, attitudes or even race with a view to ensuring that they reap the best of them.

Problem Solving Ability
Revenues can be reversed through improved decision making and problem solving procedures. Research has shown that a diverse workforce has plenty of experience and broader view of ideas. First, diverse groups are able to critically analyze issues as they arise and with that extensive experience, things can be dealt with accordingly. Good problem solving tactics cannot be just obtained by mixing people of different cultures together but the way the people in this context are proactively managed to deliver is the thing that will bring the desired change. A diverse culture which is trained produces better results than those who were not trained hence it is advisable that a diverse workforce is equipped well on their roles and expectations from the organization in order for them to become productive in the organization (Chevrier, 2003).

Creativity and Innovation
Creativity and innovation are two vital tools an organization such as the Starbucks Corporations will require in almost all sections of its operations in the year 2020. In this competitive world, the innovative ones will survive. Advertisements, new product design and development, quality improvement and process improvement will be vital for our organization. Getting diverse workforce including different genders, races or educational levels will be a plus for our organization because in some circumstances, women can be more innovative than men. Some companies especially in poor countries where corruption thrives believe that an international manager e.g. an American or European could be able to take the company further. Diverse educational standards will assist in the provision of knowledge, research work, analyses of data e.g. accounts, skills and other management duties that the particular persons have gained in their education (Michael, 2006).

Organizational Flexibility
In the year 2020, organizations including the Starbucks Corporation will be required to take time to adjust to the needs of its diverse workforce, it will have to adapt to certain situations which will enable the organization to become flexible when any problem arises. Greater flexibility is normally attained when the organization makes adverse accommodations that homogenous organizations considered detrimental. Women have been proved scientifically to be more cognitive than men hence the need to utilize them in situations which require ambiguity and tolerance. Such cognitive structures on how people are able to respond to information and act accordingly will be important for the operational ability of our organization. Bilingual individuals have also been found to be more complex in the thinking and cognovits than those who are monolingual. Such individuals when available in our organization can add more divergent responses especially when there is a disaster e.g. financial bankruptcy, liquidity, strikes, massive losses etc. Reducing standardization and broadening policies are kinds of a by-product that that will be possibly achieved in diverse organizational workforce. In most cases, this organization will become more fluid and adaptable to harsh environments in more efficient, less costly and faster way. Such situations in the year 2020 will encourage the flexibility of an organization in terms of being able to meet the requirements of all individuals in the organization. If the requirements are more of financial in nature, it will become more difficult but at least it will be handled properly at the organizational level than at the individual level (Mulholland, Ozbilgin and Worman, 2005).

Development of Good Leadership Qualities
It is often said that good leadership qualities including the management skills for many managers will be improved during the process of managing diversity. For example, the ability of a manager to understand clearly the needs of all of the employees within this organization makes him or her become used to the situation until they are able to handle anything. This promotes ones character especially on a long term basis which also promotes career development for the managers. The managers in the Starbucks Corporations will also be able to become role models to the rest of the junior employees.

Diversity management in the Starbucks Corporations is a reflection of how the changing world and market place will be in the future. Diversity will enhance respect for individual differences within the organization and hence create a competitive advantage in the organization. Diversity management in our organization will be able to benefit associates through the creation of safe and fair environment for all. The successes will include getting the best from the labor market, human talent, increased market share, fulfilling organizational values, development of good leadership qualities, organizational flexibility, creativity and innovation, problem solving ability and marketing strategies. Our organizations will be required to undertake the first step to become more diverse in not only its employees but also towards policies, programs and work-life balance. (Fernandez, 1991)

Diversity management in our organization in the year 2020 will become a comprehensive process needed for creating a working environment that will include everyone regardless of their diverse nature. In doing so, the organization will be in a position to reap the benefits of   diversity. Managers and supervisors, for example, will be needed to be very aware of personal biases to be able to critically integrate the employees to the companys values and culture.

Part 1

1.a.
My sister and I got into a big fight long ago before I went to college. They were arguing about my sisters boyfriend. My mother disagrees with the guy that my sister was dating back then. My mother said that she was just trying to protect my sister and sister claimed that my mother is being overprotective. Their relationship prevented worst outcomes like my sister running away.

1.b.
It happened one night at our house when my sister went home a little late from a date with her boyfriend. I think that my mother planned to talk my sister out of it for she was waiting patiently for my sister. My sister, however, was shocked on my mothers reaction against her boyfriend.

1.c.
My mother and sister got into one of their biggest fight. However, due to their relationship, it was discreet. The conflict is one of the turning points of their relationship.

1.d.
The problem was my mothers disapproval to my sisters relationship. My mother do not like the guy my sister is dating and she planned to talk my sister of breaking up with this guy.

1.e.
However, the main problem was my sisters rebellious attitude. Ever since we were little my sister has this rebellious nature and ignore my mothers desires for her. My mother commented that my sister is doing her own ways and neglecting my mothers advices and wishes.

1.f.
The two argued for a few hours through exchange of heated discourse. The conflict management strategy applied is avoiding wherein there are no losers and no winners. My sister walked out and went to her room. My mom was calling her but there was no response. 1.g.
No one win in the situation. Both of them are losers since the conflict left unresolved. Moreover, the conflict caused a gap between my sister and mothers relationship. They did not talk to each other for weeks then.

1.h.
There are things that can be changed and will also change the outcome of the conflict. These are if my sister just followed what our mother said and my mothers approach in attempting to resolve the conflict. My mother could talked my sister out of it in another way. My sister could have asked about my mothers disapproval and can compromise with her. My mother could have talked to my sister in different manner that will persuade my sister that he is not the right guy.

Part 2.

2.a.
I learned that there are different conflict management strategies that can be applied in every situation that can give you your desired outcome. These conflict management strategies are helpful in resolving the problem and maintaining or improving the relationship between the two participants.

2.b.
I also learned in this activity that analyzing the situation is very important in the application of the different conflict management strategies. In assessing the situation, you can formulate the best conflict management strategy that will give you the best result.

The situation at hand is that two people have submitted near identical articles for proofreading.  The first thing that needs to be done is to perform a better verification, provided that it would not consume too much of my resources including time and effort.  This step is unnecessary if the log suffices as an acceptable verification.  Nevertheless, the idea behind performing a verification is to ensure that a fundamental mistake in judgment has not been done from my perspective.  Once a verification is performed, it can be assured whether it is the same article with slight adjustment made by either the senior engineer or the first-year engineer, or, both people have extracted the article from some original archiverepository and then adjusted.  Checking the latter, however, may take additional time for me still, it will aid to reach in a better decision as to what has happened.  Moreover, it will help in evading possible ramifications, either legal or ethical, for mistakenly reporting against a person. Once the person who has done the mistake is found out, I can proceed to decide what actions that I should take.

Once the person who did the mistake is found out, I should be either informing the person directly or my immediate boss.  The decision is largely dependant upon how critical and confidential the article is.  It poses as an ethical issue to report to my boss if the article is less confidential, while I had all the liberty to inform the person in goodwill, because there is every chance that heshe was unaware of the seriousness of the mistake heshe has committed.  It also can cause problems in my stance as an employee especially if it helps to work in friendly manner across all related positions.  Furthermore, I would not be directly talking to my boss, if any strict legal actions that heyshe takes can have an unintentional, bad impact on either the first-year engineer, senior engineer or maybe both.  In such a case, I would rather be speaking to the person directly and confidentially.  However, if this is not the first occurrence of such a situation involved with the same person(s), I will be compelled to inform the boss to whom I report.  It should help me to refer to the organizational code of conduct plus records of previous situations with similar incidents and the actions taken then and their outcomes.

I. Scholastic Sources

Future Trends in Microelectronics The Nano Millennium
This book is a thought provoking publication which addresses critical questions regarding nanotechnology and its future impact on micro electronics. Authors, Serge Luryi, Jimmy Xu and Alex Zaslavsky are not only associated with Americas leading universities but are credit with numerous professional writings. This work is distinguished by the fact that numerous electronic experts from around the globe have addressed wide ranging critical questions providing useful insights into hot topics such as quantum computing and silicon chips. Originally published in 2002, the topics covered are as debatable as they were eight years earlier while solutions provided by experts remain critical for future developments in microelectronics (Luryi, Xu  Zaslavsky, 2002).

The Webolution of Shopping to 2010
Futureconsumer.com is written by best selling author, Frank Feather. The book highlights important traits and trends of future online shoppers and how companies can take competitive advantage by studying consumer behavior. Throughout his book, Mr. Feather tries to build up his viewpoint by relying on real life case studies and research from some of the best known consumer companies. The objective of the writer is to illustrate that future success of online consumer companies lies in learning from past experiences. In doing so, the author has lucidly explained the mechanics of some very profitable enterprises, boldly predicting some little known successful companies (Feather 2000).

Desirable Future Consumer Electronics in Tomorrows World
A future without small electronic gadgets is unthinkable. Jack Challoner offers a glimpse into future by discussing new technologies that may radically change how we perceive electronics. As a public speaker, writer and consultant, Jack Challoner looks at the progress of consumer electronic industry including vital aspects such as artificial intelligence and speech recognition. The book also raises many important questions for those who cant live without their cell phones, PDA and MP3 players. Apart from glorifying this industry, readers will like to read about the challenges that can disrupt current development, possibly altering our perception of the future. It is a must read for young and middle age readers by someone who has extensively written for such audience (Challoner, 2008).

Consumer electronics control system based on hand gesture moment invariants
In this paper, researchers from two prominent Australian Universities offer an innovative alternate to traditional remote controls. Using a neural network design, they propose hand gesturing control system that will allow everyday users to control consumer electronic devices. This intelligent system also ignores irrational hand movements. Initial results, with limited hand gestures, produced 100 results (Premaratne  Nguyen, 2007).

A trust-based consumer decision-making model in electronic commerce.
It is a thought provoking article by international researchers on the factors dictating customer decision to buy consumer electronics, online. The authors demonstrate a theoretical model describing how shoppers make decisions and test that model in a real time environment. Initial results dictate numerous factors including companys reputation and information quality have strong effects on buying decision. Interestingly, third party seals do not gain consumer trust, as previously thought (Kim, Ferrin  Rao, 2008).


II. Internet Sources

For Wireless USB, the Future Starts Now
The author provides lucid information on the current market for wireless USB. He explains that WUSB is destined to become one of the hottest accessories in consumer electronic industry due to elimination of cable and ease of use. Neal Leavitt is the president of Leavitt Communication, a multinational California based company. It is estimated that revenues from WUSB will skyrocket to 4 billion by the end of 2011 due to simple integration with mobile electronic and consumer products. At present, the only large scale obstacle to its marketing is technical reliability which when overcome should overhaul all other barriers to its popularity (Leavitt, 2007).

8 tech trends to watch this week at CES
CNN analyst and reporter, John D. Sutter, provides an overview of the new gadgets in the oncoming annual Consumer Electronic Show CES. He quotes respected personalities such as CEO of Consumer Electronics Association predicting that this show will hold more innovations that any other in history. Mr. Sutter analyses that top attractions will be tablet PC, Internet enabled Smart TV, USB cables and new phone accessories (Sutter, 2010).

Television meets Facebook Social Networks through Consumer Electronics
In a constructive future oriented project, two researchers from MIT utilize consumer electronic equipment to interact and share with the social network website, facebook. The aim of this project is to demonstrate how a simple consumer device can improve user experience by improving communication between multiple users. Using a DVR to share their experience, the project aims to show how these technologies can work together how data from social networks can effectively be diffused into the lives of real time users and simplicity of carrying out these types of tasks (Baca  Holtzman).

Hot Topic Consumer Electronics
This paper highlights current opportunities for engineers, scientists and technologists to rethink how they can use consumer electronics to benefit humanity. Examples illustrate efficient use of these devices in various environments such as healthcare, commuting and learning. Experts recommend that companies produce consumer devices to help improve living standards and address current challenges to society (IEEE Hot Topic Consumer Electronics, 2009).

Trends in Consumer Electronics Products Creating New User Experience
In a series of slides, Yoshihito Koya, Marketing Manager for Rambus Inc. offers a unique perspective on the future of consumer devices in gaming, mobile and computing industries. He proclaims that the new networking media is a merger of technologies such as social network, education, gaming and 3D virtual reality. Amid these new trends, companies need to design innovative products that can address multiple issues and be flexible enough to integrate with other media (Koya, 2009).

I used to think that desert countries are not good place to live in, and boring and dry for that matter. But, I have discovered that natures beauty and amazing wonders are not limited to tropical or cold places.

Ladies and gentlemen, a very wonderful day to all I would like to tell you about my wonderful experiences in a once desert and barren land, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). UAE is a small, dry and barren land which is located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.

Do you know that UAE is composed of seven (7) emirates There is Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai and Umm Al Qwain. These emirates are known as the Trucial States.
The largest city is Dubai and the capital state is Abu Dhabi.

The main entry to the UAE is of course, one of the worlds largest airports, Dubai International Airport.  Almost all intercontinental flights to and from Dubai use the airport as the entry or exit point. There is also the recently-expanded Abu Dhabi International Airport which services the Etihad Airways, the UAEs national carrier.

When I entered UAE, the cold season was about to end, it was in the mid of March, the breeze in the afternoon, evening and early morning was still cold, with temperatures ranging from 17 degree Celsius to 25 degrees in the noontime. The weather was extremely nice for walking around.  So, I was able to get around the city as much as I wanted when I came. This weather, however, would change in the next few months to reveal the sweltering heat that deserted and barren lands experience.
Of the emirates, Dubai is the most cosmopolitan. It has modern malls, hotels, sports facilities, big universities, big city buses, city train and modern apartment blocks. On the side, it has beautiful beaches and pools, which are affordable to most working classes in the city.

There are about 15 big and small shopping malls in the city. The biggest that I have been to is the Mall of the Emirates (MOE), which is located in the Al Barsha area of Dubai. It is a famous mall and shaped like the broken tail-end of an airline because of the Ski Dubai Dome. The mall is strategically located along the equally-famous Sheik Zayed Highway, a four to six-lane highway which stretches from the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah to the emirate of Abu Dhabi. MOE can be accessed through different routes, either through the Sheik Zayed Road via Interchange 4 or through the back roads which run parallel to the main highway.

Inside the MOE, there are various so many types of amenities and facilities which include the grocery, boutiques, sports facilities, gymnasiums, antique shops, bookstores, restaurants food court, cinemas and sitting lounges. The most amazing thing about this mall is the Ski Dubai Dome which enthralls ski goers of a winter skiing adventure. Kids and old people alike enjoy the ski. I satisfied myself by just watching the lively ski goers and the kids sliding in the ice landings because I was afraid of the very cold temperature inside.

There are also many food and drink shops inside. My favorite is Seattles Best Coffee, where I would always order the large cream-whipped cinnamon and the American coffee every time I am visiting the mall.

The best thing that I like about Dubai, though are the beautiful beaches and swimming pools. It is best to hit these beaches and pools in the months between March to May. After that, the temperatures soar to as much as 40 degrees plus so it is quite sweltering to swim in very hot sun. But night swimming during the hottest months of June to September is also nice. I can swim up to the wee hours of morning because it is still humid and warm. From October to February, it becomes very cold so swimming can be impossible especially since I am not used to chilling temperatures at all.
I love going outdoors such as visiting wildlife, parks and mountains, these are also abundant in the UAE.  One of my favorite outdoor hangouts is Al Ain, a part of Abu Dhabi. Al Ain is about 2 hours away from Dubai and 2 about 2 hours away from Abu Dhabi as well. That is, considering a driving speed of about 120 to 140 kph. I just love going to Al Ains popular mountain visited by many tourists. It is called Jebel Hafeet. Vehicles can travel up to the top of the mountain because the terrain is concrete, smooth and wide. The winding terrain up to the mountain top has very sharp turns so caution needs to be undertaken. On the way to the top, there are various breathtaking resting and viewing places where you can eat as well. On top of the mountain, there are restaurants. The view on top is just magnificent and totally amazing, especially at night, when you can see the brilliant lights of Al Ain City.  It is best to go up the mountain when the sun is about to set and stay there until dark so you can see the brilliance of the entire city.

Al Ain has a wonderful wildlife park, visited by both the locals and foreigners, as well. There are various types of wildlife here ranging from crocodiles to giraffes. They are very well taken care of and are relatively healthy. Most of the animals seem to love the cold season because I often visit the zoo during this time and I can see all the animals roaming around, visible to the people. During the hot season, the animals are usually cooling and hiding under shades such as the big rocks and their dwelling places.

There so many places to visit in this city and these places are of various interests. I believe that this is the reason why Dubai or the UAE for that matter, receives so many visitors everyday. I think UAE has emerged to be one of the worlds most visited countries.