Best custom ROMs for Redmi Note 4

Best custom ROMs for Redmi Note 4 This article is dedicated to all those tech savvy people out there who want to know which all are the best custom ROMs available out there for the latest device from Redmi, the Redmi Note 4. With great processing power and exquisite features, this is one of those devices that can be tweaked by users to utilize its maximum potential. Installing Custom ROMs is one of the best and easiest ways to make your mobile phone work much better than how it does in stock ROM. Installing custom ROMs allows you to have much more features than the company provides and also helps to provide a smoother and better interface. Here, we are listing some of the best Custom ROMs for the REDMINOTE 4, the latest entrant in the smart phone market. LineageOSIf you are already familiar with custom ROMs, chances are that you have already heard about the CyanogenMod. LineageOS was introduced right after CyanogenMod had announced that they have stopped all their services and development. The Lineage 14.1 ROMlooks somewhat similar to the CyanogenMod Oss and their performance too are quite similar to those from CM ( quite good ). TheLineage 14.1 is based on the Android 7.1 Nougat and thus allows the users to get all the features that Nougat produces on a device that run son Android Marshmallow! Cyanogen Mod 13Even though CM has stopped all their services, CM13 is still available online. Based out of Android Marshmallow, the CM13 is one of the fastest, smoothest and most user friendly custom ROMs out there. With features that gives its customers a lot of customization options it is probably the best custom ROM out there if you like the Marshmallow basic features. Resurrection Remix When you look for new Custom ROMs, stability of the OS is something you have to be wary of because there are a lot of custom ROMs out there that are not stable. This is exactly where the Resurrection Remixscores maximum points. With a very stable and user friendly user interface this is a good custom ROM. Combined with this is the fact that it has a very intimidating look that is easily customizable. The fact that they have combined the best features from various Custom ROMs has made this one of the best custom ROMs out there. Dirty Unicorns Like most other user friendly custom ROMs available in the market. Latest version of the Dirty Unicorns available out there right now is the10.4. The simple features that can be tweaked according to personal tastes quite easily make it popular among custom ROM lovers. Definitely worth a try if simple User Interface is what you are looking for. XenonHD If you are one of those people who think performance of a device is the most important aspect, look no further. This is one of the most lightweight and ultra fast custom ROMs available! With simple features that keeps the ROM simple, the XenonHD is quite attractive. Even though the ROM is simple and lightweight make no mistake as this has an easy to customize User Interface with various options for the same. PAC-MAN ROM Like the name suggests, this is an extremely fun to use ROM that provides features which makes the user experience quite good. The ROM seems to be very stable and bug free which makes it very attractive! MIUI ROM The MIUI custom ROM has been developed by the developers team from MI who knows quite well that not everyone uses stock ROMs. They have been constantly providing stable, user friendly and exciting custom ROMs on a constant basis. With an attractive user interface and lot of features to play with, this is a very attractive custom ROM and is definitely worth the try.

Advanced Nursing Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advanced Nursing Role - Essay Example n FNP is an educated professional possessing a Masters Degree in Nursing and credentials as per the state board of nursing or national certification offered by several agencies i.e. American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. From this education, the FNP provides ample medical care to children and adults. Depending on the setting, the degree of independence for an FNP varies. This means that an FNP at times may work together with a physician and at other times completely independent of a physician. According to Poghosyan et al., (2013) independent advanced nurses produce impeccable results in the workforce, promoting ideal practice and services (p. 325-334). The role and other medical duties of the FNP range as per the state of the licensure. Below are the roles of an FNP as discussed by Poghosyan et al., (2013); Hansen-Turton et al., (2009); Jones et al., (2011) The nurse practitioner provides direct health care services. An FNP gets health histories of patients as well as performs the necessary physical examinations. Moreover, this health practitioner also performs functional, development, and psychosocial assessment. The FNP has the capability of interpreting any medical situation. An FNP also has the role of performing minor surgery or procedure for any age group. These duties outline the role of health promotion, disease prevention, health protection, and treatment (Hansen-Turton et al., 2009). An FNP’s duty is to diagnose and develop a management plan for chronic such as HTN, diabetes, asthma and acute conditions such as cardiac diseases and neuromuscular conditions as well as monitor the patient’s response (Poghosyan et al., 2013). An FNP has the power to order and interpret any diagnostic study, and come up with a therapeutic plan. This is inclusive of prescribing medications as per the given case study. However, the prescription of medication is dependent as per state regulation. An FNP ought to handle situations well in the achievement of improved

Exam 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exam 4 - Essay Example Some of the whites still look down upon the blacks and more so the women whose status in society is reduced on a bilateral scale (because they are women and hence considered minority and incapable and because they are black a minority race). This therefore leads to the white males subjecting the black women to different forms of sexual violence and especially sexual harassment, sexual assault and even rape (Gardiner, 2002). Most of these cases go unreported for fear by the women of the repercussions (this is especially so if the sexual violence takes place in a workplace and the perpetrator has higher authority and uses threats). Black males (most of them) as a result of the low status accorded to them by the white race engage themselves in sexual violence in order to regain their machismo and ego (Gardiner, 2002). The perform different sexual violence acts especially rape and use sexual words directed towards the white female as a way to intimidate them and even force them to respect them let alone accord them higher status. They therefore target the white women they are close to and whom they know well and in most cases whom they â€Å"want to teach a lesson† to. Most of these cases are reported and it is no wonder there are more black males associated with sexual violence in prison. The other shocking statistic according to Postmus, 2012 is that whites lead in sexually violating their fellow white more than the blacks sexually violate their black. Even though this is not broken down to which gender is the perpetrator and which the victim, it is obvious both genders are involved both as victim and perpetrator but this depends on the type of sexual violence. The reason for this high statistic is because of the lenient and less conservative society the whites have which allows them to openly challenge each other and failure results to sexual

Strategy Recommendations for Franchise Opportunities for Mr. Empanada Research Paper

Strategy Recommendations for Franchise Opportunities for Mr. Empanada - Research Paper Example Empanada include reducing operational costs while also drawing new customers (Mr. Empanada). The restaurant may not have the option often enjoyed by larger franchises of lowering the prices of offerings. Another challenge is in handling business in such a way that the restaurant remains productive even during quiet times (Mr. Empanada Franchise Corporation). Often, restaurants make a lot of profit during busy times but face challenges when there are not many customers. The Mr. Empanada also has to find more advanced ways of advertising is products in a way in which it will be able to reach distant customers. Another challenge lies in finding ways to retain current consumers. The Mr. Empanada restaurant creates products that are unique in taste as well as fare. To maintain its reputation as the best producer of Empanadas, the restaurant’s owners have to find ways of entering into agreements with the suppliers who provide them with the best raw materials. Signage To remain relev ant, Mr. Empanada also has to use the latest technology in order to retain customers who are impressed with the quick and efficient service. Good signage is one way of achieving this because it can increase a business’s opportunity for success. For instance, Mr. Empanada can utilize digital menu boards in its operations. Digital menu boards ensure that employees constantly have access to the latest information. This means that they will be able to improve productivity, efficiency, and patron satisfaction. Digital menu boards are easy to customize and can even be utilized as training devices because they can assist prospective workers in learning how to gather pertinent information relating to the restaurants and its assorted operations. Digital menu boards can also assist customers to observe their waiting times. It is a known fact that customers are often less frustrated about waiting for long periods of time when they have distractions. Customers can also learn about the co ntents of their orders through the digital menu boards. These implements will not only reduce the time in which people order, but also reduce the number of irritated clients that the staff has to handle. Location Location is quite important for any restaurant. Good food or even excellent service may not be enough to bring about the success of a restaurant if it is located in a bad neighborhood or area with no traffic. The best location is one that is easily accessible. Mr. Empanada, which is seeking to expand into new regions, should consider accessible sites that also do not require a lot of capital. Another option could be leasing space. In such cases, it is best to use the services of lawyers and consultants who understand the details of the fine print. Brokers should also be consulted on the best sites to situate a restaurant business. The management should also investigate the traffic in the selected area, as well as their dining habits. To attract new customers, Mr. Empanada c an invest in new locations that have potential customers such as working people or college students who often return home or purchase food from supermarkets during lunchtime. Shopping malls Mall culture has grown to be perceived as an avenue for big business, as malls have been transformed into multi-storied sophisticated structures that contain diverse shops. There are some reasons why investing in a branch that is ensconced within a shopping mall could be beneficial for Mr. Empanada. One of the most critical is

Portrayal Of Vampires In Literature

Portrayal Of Vampires In Literature His face was a strong, a very strong, aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils, with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth (Stoker, 1897). For many centuries this crude, bloodcurdling image prevailed what is now known to us as the blood sucking vampire. This description of Dracula, as illustrated by Bram Stoker in 1897, compares nowhere near the handsome, romantic, and charming figure vampires have become in modern day film and literature. Yet what is most interesting, in a rather peculiar way, is to see the irony of such a thoughtless creature becoming a prevalent reflection of modern culture; their unchanging, dead existence representing the ever-changing situations of our conscious and unconscious fears. This essay will seek to critically analyse two well known lit erary texts portraying vampires. Through the description of the vampires appearance, role, function and purpose and the several motifs and cultural myths such portrayals and images are drawn upon, this essay hopes to provide several reasons for the human fascination of such creatures and further suggest vampires represent several cultural beliefs and actions implemented by human society. An obscure sort of figure and a likely representation of both erotic anxiety and corrupt desire, the literary vampire is one of the most powerful archetypes bequeathed to us from the imagination of the nineteenth century (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Yet, interestingly as times change it seems each age embraces the vampire it needs (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Prior to the 1970s, the ideal vampire was a portrayal of Bram Stockers Dracula; the captivating, cultured, yet evil Eastern European Count. Since then, as a result of numerous novel publications, including Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles and Stephanie Meyers Twilight, the illustration of the vampire has changed, due to the ongoing transformations in the broader cultural and political mise-en-scene (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). It is mainly through certain motifs and cultural beliefs, both of the past and present, in which the figure of the vampire has transformed. As a prominent figure of time, vampires have represented metaphors for sex uality and power. As of late, while still powerful and appealing, vampires have become a symbol for alienation, choice, societys attitudes towards illness, their definition of evil, and can also act as representations for individual obsession, free agency, self-control, sacrifice and faith. Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire (1976) and Stephenie Meyers Twilight (2008), are just two texts incorporating the fascination of the vampire. However, the texts present several differences; each utilising contrasting ideas in the illustration, function, roles, and purpose of the vampire. Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire accounts the life of a 200-year-old vampire, Louis du Pointe du Pac. Turned into a vampire at the age of 25 by Lestat, Louis story gives audiences two representations of the vampire. Rice steers away from the old portrayal of the creature, captivating this through Louis and Claudia, while also using Lestat as an illustration of the evil, crude, and self-centred vampire. Lestat and Louis are two different vampires; in their appearance, their function, their roles, and their purpose. Louis is the good vampire; humane, genuine and honest. Depicted as beautiful, with utterly white and smooth(Rice,1976) skin, his face a seemingly inanimate as a statue, except fo r two brilliant green eyes( Rice,1976), his hair black, the waves combed back over the tips of the ears(Rice,1976), his shoulders broad(Rice,1976), his figure tall and slender (Rice,1976), his lips silken and delicately lined like any persons lips, only deadly white(Rice,1976), Louis is the image of a different vampire from the one normally envisioned. Lestat, on the other hand is described little in the novel. He is however the opposite to Louis. Illustrated in this book as being 6ft tall with curly blond hair and grey eyes, a short and narrow nose and a mouth that is slightly large for his face(Rice, 1976)), Lestat is charming, attractive and charismatic, but evil. Throughout the novel, Louis relives the moments of how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life (Rice, 2010). He also describes his longing to not hurt but rather to comfort Claudia, who is his only friend and his life. He somewhat becomes a father figure to her, taking it upon himself to care and love her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside (Rice, 2010). Both Louis and Claudia struggle to understand themselves, their purpose, their hatred of Lestat and both become desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand (Rice, 2010). This is in contrast to Lestat who believes vampires are killers Predators. Whose all seeing eyes see a human life in its entirety, not with any mawkish sorrow but with a thrilling satisfaction in being the end of that life, in having a hand in the divine plan(Rice, 2010). He believes his life has no purpose, a least none that involves being honest and caring, but rather a killer and a monster. Similarly, Twilight, a novel written by Stephenie Meyer, further illustrates the idea set by Anne Rice in her novel. When Bella Swan moves back to her childhood home in order to be with her father, she discovers some things that she never thought were possible. She meets the very mysterious Edward Cullen, who while irresistible and charming, has a certain past which he would rather keep hidden. Determined to find out his dark secret, Bella befriends Edward and the two become close. What she does not realise is that the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk (Meyer, 2008). Although Edward warns her on several occasions that he is not the good guy he seems to be, soon Bella puts together the pieces and comes to the evident conclusion that is a vampire. Meyers vampires are in certain ways very different from Anne Rices image in Interview with the vampire. While chalky pale, palest of all the students(Meyer, 2008), with dark eyes(Meyer, 2008) yet all their features were straight, perfect and angular(Meyer, 2008), their faces all similar, yet different; devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful(Meyer, 2008), as Louis in Rices story, the Cullens are humanised with features most cannot resist. To add to the already humanistic vampire image, Meyer also gives her characters gifts above and beyond the norm (Meyer, 2008). In subtle ways these gifts represent their role and function, and as Edward explains their strongest human traits (Meyer, 2008). Each character brings their gift for good; Edward with his ability to read minds, Alice with her gift to see the future, Carlisle brings his compassion, Esme her ability to love, Emmett his strength, Rosalie her tenacity and Jasper his ability to control peoples feelings and emotions. As with the characteristics of the vampires, Meyer challenges the image of the old vampire by means of changing their purpose. Part of the story revolves around what is means to be a vampire. Constantly, Edwa rd is reluctant to befriend Bella as he still believes deep down he is not superhero, but rather the bad guy. He struggles with his existence, describing himself as the worlds best predator, dangerous (Meyer, 2008) and even at one point he confesses to Bella of his struggle to keep himself from killing, to control his thirst for blood. He does still however feel, as any human, revealing to Bella numerous times he cannot live with himself if he killed her(Meyer, 2008), sounding in a way confused and saddened at the prospect. It is important to also mention the Cullen philosophy. It is explained through Edwards father, Carlisle Cullen that their kind are not killers. Carlisle rebelled against being a vampire, he went to great lengths to destroy himself (Meyer, 2008), fighting hard to resist drinking other peoples blood and looking for an alternative to being the vile monster he feared(Meyer, 2008), finding a way to exist without being evil (Meyer, 2008). Both Interview with the Vampire and Twilight, utilise several motifs, metaphors, and cultural beliefs to illustrate the existence, images, and purpose of vampires. The vampire can in several ways, provide a metaphor for sexuality and power, but can also represent alienation inflicted by society, societys attitude towards illness, its definition of good and evil and can even reinforce individual feelings of obsession, free agency and choice, self-control, sacrifice and faith. Present in both texts, however more profoundly in Anne Rices novel, the original representation of the vampiric metaphors, images and purpose related to sexuality and societys attitudes towards illness are explored. It is interesting to see the close similarities between the idea of death from a vampires bite and the death by disease, associating to a vampires wasting, with paleness, with blood flow from the mouth, night restlessness and alternate burning and chills (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Interview with the Vampire is of the two texts more inclined to present audiences with the vampire-as-a-disease metaphor, coincidently incorporating cultural events and beliefs present in America at the time. Rice utilises the metaphor to illustrated societys awareness of AIDS and homosexuality. This changing metaphor of sex and violence leads to the homoeroticism of Least and Louis' (Grey,2003) relationship, encouraging mainstream audiences to accept this new way of society and accept homoeroti c protagonists with fewer qualms that normally evincible (Grey,2003). It also uses sexuality to reinforce the image of the old vampires seduction, its ability to attract both men and women, and of the vampire taking the life of its victims. Twilight however, while describing Edward as attractive and mesmerising, it is important to note the metaphor of a vampire being a crude creature is not heavily present in this novel. Instead, Meyer uses the vampires as metaphors for kindness and sincerity, even in some respect using Edward as a figure of goodness and love. Their romance, cosmically disproportionate, is a parable or transparency of the inequalities and responsibilities of the divine-human synergy (Granger, 2009). Edwards love for Bella is forever unchanging and respectful, while Bellas love for him in return is selfless and sacrificial. Written from a religious point of view, the choices which both Edward and Bella make support the idea of free agency; the power for humans to mak e their own decisions and at the same time be responsible for these choices. Both of them pay the consequences for their choices, whether good or bad. In earlier vampire literature, it is important to note vampires were considered related to the Devil. Very few people befriended such creatures, rather using certain symbols to eliminate them. As a result, the belief of faith and religion can be related to the figure of the vampire. The most common for victory were few: armed with crucifixes, wooden stakes, holy water, garlic and occasionally fire and sunlight, good always prevailed (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Before long anything capable to fend off the vampire, meant those against them possessed great faith. This implied that symbols of faith, when handled by those of less-than-perfect or non-existent faith, might prove ineffective. (Gordon Hollinger, 1997) As in the 1960s and 70s, culture took on a secular view of the world, victims died because of their lack of faith. But as society quickly confronted its loss of faith, vampires lost their ability of their magical arsenal (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Little is seen of a vampires ab ility to transform into bats and wolves, to crawl on surfaces and disappear in a puff of smoke. And as Louis explains in Rices novel, no such myths exist any longer. The more contemporary vampire exhibits little of the metaphysical, magical, anti-Christian act, but rather his/her own acts are expressions of individual personality and condition (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). This decrease in focus on the vampires metaphysical and religious status supports a loss in the past folkloric characteristics of the vampire. The change from the metaphoric Anti-Christ to secular sinner, from magical to mundane permeates the appearance of and indeed, permits the existence of good as well as bad (Gordon Hollinger, 1997) vampires. And as Edward states in Twilight just because weve been dealt a certain hand it doesnt mean we cant choose to rise above- to conquer the boundaries of destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can. (Meyer, 2008) Many argue the contemporary vampire story often represents the very intriguing condition of what we now known as postmodernism, this idea of good and evil. And what better example than the most central motif present in Anne Rices novel. Lestat represents the vampire of the postmodern era; he dismisses any faith, except faith in himself. On the other hand, Louis is the vampire which struggles against becoming the postmodern, evil creature, taking his loss of faith as an illustration for his loss of humanity. The book also portrays Louis as being aware of the question of good and evil, of struggling to accept Lestats philosophy and belief. Claudia also finds herself in a situation where she is caught between two different examples of what a vampire could be and as a result becomes determined to find out the origin of her existence. Good and evil also appears a central theme within Twilight. Meyer uses the Cullens as the good vampires, who harm no one, and James and Victoria as the bloo dsuckers and murderers. On a more personal level, Edward battles between good (his human desire to not harm) and evil (the fact that he is a vampire) suggesting an example of a conscious and human thought process. Thus, it is not what you are born as or what you are made to be that defines your existence, but rather what choices you make based on your own ideas and identity. The vampire today has transformed from an figure of super evil to being simply an alien other, no longer embodying metaphysical evil, no longer a damned soul (Gordon Hollinger, 1997), but rather an metaphor for our awareness of multiculturalism merely ethnic, a victim of heredity (Zanger, 1997 in GH). Both Interview with the Vampire and Twilight depict vampires as outsiders. In Twilight Bella describes her feelings towards this alienation, feeling pity towards the Cullens, pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted (Meyer, 2008). The idea of being alone is also evident in Edwards distance from his family and his school friends. While his brothers and sisters have moved on and formed close relationships, he remained alone. Incidentally, vampires are forced to live away from society in order to keep their existence a secret. Interview with the Vampire also suggests Louis and Lestat are not accepted within society, constantly being illustrated as outcasts, needing acceptance from society but it seeming as if this acceptance can only be found in another of his kind. This theme speaks to almost every individual, as almost everyone has felt alone or alienated at some point in their lives and illustrates societys attitudes towards certain groups of people. Sacrifice, self-control and obsession are several other themes which vampires represent in both texts. Sacrifice is a dominant theme throughout Twilight. While Bella sacrifices everything to be with Edward, it is Edward who makes a decision to be with Bella, to trust her and her intention of keeping his secret. He sacrifices his secret to be with Bella, and while he may be at a loss, his sacrifice can be seen as acceptable when it may be a free choice to gain something greater. Again, the same takes place in Interview with the Vampire, when Louis makes a decision to leave Lestat and sacrifice his life to take care of Claudia and to find more of his existence. Self-control is equally evident in both of the texts. Self-control is very important in Twilight, as it is closely linked to free agency. In order to have free-agency, the Cullens must have self-control, and as a result self-control is in this case a way of overcoming their instinct and a way to create ones wanted life and princ iples. Vampires in both of the texts are not saints, but just like real people they have flaws. And just like real people, they are under the driving force of obsession. Bellas love for Edward, Louis cling to humanity and Lestats belief to kill goes beyond reason, beyond practically. In a way all of these attributes apply to society today, from the ways we make choices, to the sacrifices we make for those we love and our obsessions with love, humanity, and death. The literary vampire has entertained and captured audiences for many years, changing but never completely disappearing. For it is evident every ages does seem to embrace the vampire is needs (Gordon Hollinger, 1997), guiding us along our paths of socialisation, separations and individualisation. Whether the fears are personal, societal, internal, or external, the vampiric metaphor transforms as time passes. The themes of sexual desire, disease, political and social indifference, religion, alienation, good versus evil, and many more represent the vampire figure. All of the themes discussed mirror our current views of boundaries between individuals and society, between one group and the rest. How intriguing it is to see that such social anxieties and personal beliefs are represented through such a creature, one that breaks boundaries between life and death, good and evil, love and fear. And how interesting it is, that the vampire lives on in this modern society of constant conflict, b etween what is real and what is not, between what is private and what is public, in such a way as helping to dissolve the numerous conflicts and the fixed boundaries by means of representation and example. Vampires encourage creative thought and emotional stability, they act as beings we would all rather be, even examples of how we should be. Providing us with a desire to be good rather than evil, vampires have captured the imagination of the twenty-first century. Like flowers perfuming our dreams and beliefs, vampire will continue to capture us with anticipation and dread for years to come.

God Has the Cure Essay -- Religion, God, The Church

Throughout the ages great thinkers and men with revolutionary ideas have been changing the world of understanding. During the Renaissance men like Vesalius, William Hervey, and Paracelsus revolutionize the understanding of medicine through the use of dissection and constant studying. However these men did not find change easy, the Christian Church was set in their ways and was reluctant to change. People where dying from unknown causes and the church had no answers. The Renaissance was a time for enlightenment and rebirth of new ideas, but the church inability to adapt and adopt the new discoveries and knowledge of medicine left society in the dark ages. The Church was not all prayers and hope when it came to medicine. They did believe in a set of ideas which came into effect, â€Å"3,000 years ago when Hippocrates and Galen created four humors: Blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile† (Dawson 8-9). These humors were what doctors used to diagnose patient’s illness based on the balance of each humor. If the patient felt ill, then the doctor would drain blood from the patient and send them on their way. Now medical science knows that blood is responsible for the curing of ailments and by draining that patient’s blood, they are even less likely to recover. The church agreed with Galen because, â€Å"His view was in line with the Christian belief that God had created human beings and therefore the human body must be a perfect creation† (Dawson 14). The church also agreed with Hippocrates because he had gathered his knowledge of human anatomy from the dissection of animals because, â€Å"The human body was seen as sacrilege and doctors faced legal and censure if dissection was attempted† (Kate 2). With this information patients of the Renaissanc... ... looking for hope and finding nothing from the church. The churches inability to change delayed the new understanding and medical advancements for thousands of years. Many questions arise when thinking about this time period, what would our world be like if the great thinker of the time were allowed to work freely? Would there be more cures for deadly disease? And how many lives could have been saved with this knowledge. Those questions will never be answered but the question still stand. The idea of religious freedom from education has been an issue even to this day. Seeing how it worked out for the Renaissance thinkers it will stay as an issue. When one is told what to believe and not to question, they should stop and ask why. Because faith is based on knowledge and knowledge is something that is acquired thought to constant questioning of old ideas.

Marketing and the Apple Watch Essay

Marketing occurs within an organisation when consumers needs, wants and demands are met with the exchange of a product (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991). The concept is organisation wide, and particularly important when new products are introduced within a market. Customer value is an important aspect of marketing, as it aids in exploring what the consumers perceived needs and wants are. Customer value can be defined as the benefits gained, and sacrifices made in order to purchase a product. The main sources of value created by the organisation are functional/instrumental value, experiential/hedonic value, symbolic/expressive value and cost/sacrifice value. In this paper we will be looking towards the fore coming Apple Watch as an example. Marketing is an extremely broad concept. Therefore when attempting to define the term, the diverse meanings it has for many different people and groups must be acknowledged. (Kotler, Shaw, FitzRoy, Chandler, 1983). The term at its core relates to much more than just the selling and advertising of products. The desired aim is for products or services to be revealed in a stimulating manner for both indirect and direct customers of the organisation. The common misconception of the term â€Å"marketing† is that its core element is to simply sell a product or service. However, marketing as a business philosophy is adopted throughout the whole organisation, and through all levels of management (Keelson, 2012). It is an approach where the customers’ wants and needs must be the primary concern throughout all business decisions. Kotler et al (1983) explores the term further by arguing that marketing is the process of using activities and institutions that enable communication, deliverance and the exchange of offerings that provide value for a wide array of customers, as well as society at large. Marketing has some fundamental notions attached to it – the first and foremost being human needs, relating to people feeling deprived by not possessing goods or services (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991). Human needs are intricate and come in abundance, and from these perceived needs human wants are established. Human wants are largely dependent on the needs of humans, as they are molded by individual cultures and development (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991). Once an  individual desires a product and has the capacity to purchase it, these wants are converted to demands. Most importantly within the process is the exchange, observed as the underlying principle of marketing (Woodall, 2004). Relating to procurement, acquiring the favourable product from a person whilst offering something in return. A product is essentially anything offered to the market in order to satisfy their perceived needs and wants (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991). In this case the Apple Watch will be discussed. The product or service will be directed at a specific market, which comprises all potential and actual buyers (Kotler et al, 1983). The Apple Watch is being targeted at the general public, but more specifically a hyper focus towards previously established Apple users and fans with a propensity for superior goods. These notions are important components of marketing as they provide information for the organisation to determine what goods and services to offer. Marketing is hugely important to any organisation, regardless of size or type of product and service on offer. The aim of undergoing marketing is to deliver a standard of living to people, providing them with products for when and where they need them (Kotler et al, 1983). The concept of marketing is more often than not propelled by revenue; businesses want to add to their profits by satisfying customer needs. Without properly executed marketing functions in place, where the customers needs, wants, and demands are not aligned within the transaction, then the organisation has little chance of achieving a competitive advantage, as well as gaining value for themselves. (Keelson, 2012). Using the example of the Apple watch, which has been in production for some time, Apple have been assembling their ideas, whilst observing the results of other rival companies releasing similar versions of the product. Apple have been carefully honing in on the customers needs and wants, and are finally r eady to release the end product to expectedly enthusiastic consumers. Customer value essentially is the perceived benefits concluded by the customer, derived from obtaining the product held up against the sacrifices  being made to acquire the product (Weinstein, 2012). Organisations creating value, furthermore customer value is progressively being seen as a fresh and up to date source of competitive advantage (Woodruff, 1997). Because of this, the creation of customer value is an incredibly significant central concept within marketing (Patterson & Spreng, 1997). However there is not one single agreed upon definition that may be used for customer value, as well as no distinct definitive theory or framework used to emphasize customer value (Weinstein, 2012). Adopting the way in which organisations are able to create value, Smith and Colgate (2007), have developed an innovative framework where four types of value created merely by the organisation are acknowledged – these being functional/instrumental value, experiential/hedonic value, symbolic/expressive value and cost/sacrifice value. Functional and instrumental value refers to the buyer purchasing the product and having it complete the function it is designed to do (Smith & Colgate, 2007). More so concerned with the product’s attributes, performance and outcomes. In order for the Apple watch to attain this value, the smart watch has to possess all features including accurate time, Wi-Fi, and user-to-user connectivity in a way that is easy to operate and understand, as well as reliable for the consumer. This assessment of value may vary between individuals. The experiential / hedonic value is more removed from the product itself, and more related to the sensations we receive from the product. More specifically linked to the feelings and emotions we receive, as well as suitable experiences for the customer (Weinstein, 2012). Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple has titled the Apple watch as the most personal and intimate product yet (Apple, 2015), with the watch alerting you of notifications through a small vibration to your skin. Continuing with sensory value within the watch, Apple have worked with high fashion designers and stylists to ensure the product looks great, as well as releasing a wide array of styles suitable for anyone. Furthermore, the smart watch being one of Apple’s most aesthetically pleasing products to date, it is believed that consumers will purchase due to pleasure of possessing it (CNET, 2015). This sense of joy and experience holds emotional value for the buyer. Symbolic and expressive value is duly concentrated on the degree in which the customer will bestow or associate psychological meaning to a specific product. Moreover in terms of self-identity, and whether the product enables the buyer to express their personalities, as well as attaching social meaning (Smith & Colgate, 2007). There are a large variety of Apple watches that may be purchased with differing prices and styles. This gives the buyer plenty of choice, and an ability to express themselves in terms of design in colours, shape of watch, and wristbands. Addressing self-worth and self-identity, aforementioned the watch comes in many styles with different price tags, the 18 carrot gold apple watch could appeal to a person wanting to symbolize prestige, and status, and therefore make the buyer feel good about themselves. However personal meaning is incredibly specific to individuals, and for marketers this can be very difficult to achieve. The cost and sacrifice value related to the things we give up in order to obtain the product, involving time, money, personal investments and the risks involved (Slater & Narver, 1994). Apple has provided a wide array of prices ranging from AU $499 to $24,000 (CNET, 2015), meaning that people are able to choose the dollar amount they pay. As this is Apple’s first attempt at marketing a product designed to be worn, the actual purchase experience will vastly differ. Apple employees have been trained to be much more customer focused, asking questions and making the buyer feel comfortable (Apple, 2015). However the product has a high level of personal investment, and risks attached to the actual purchase of product. As the watch remains a part of the modern digital electronic world, there is always the chance that technology will revolutionize quickly and the product will be outdated. Moreover along with purchasing the watch, the buyer must have one of the latest versions of the IPhone in order for the device to be compatible, this limits the market of people buying the product. Whilst the Apple watch may carry a lot of symbolic, and expressive value, there are still a lot of risks and costs attached to the product. The relationship that exists between marketing, and customer value is apparent. Organisations are aware that suitable marketing needs to involve more than just promotional hype. It needs to be intertwined with providing  real value to customers. Prior to the actual release of the Apple watch, the brand has been able to find a balance between employing large-scale ads on television as well as high class magazines to gain attention and to conjure interest from the public, whilst still educating consumers on the uncapped features and functions that the watch possesses. Woodruff (1997) alludes to customer value having long acted as a vital principle within modern day marketing as a means to not only gain customer satisfaction, but brand loyalty as well. Organisations employ different philosophies of marketing as a way to discover what the customers’ needs and wants are, to gain a more complex understanding of what customers’ value (Slater & Narver, 1994). By having an organisation comprehend their specific target markets, the delivery of customers anticipated satisfactions can be completed in a more efficient and effective manner. In conclusion marketing and customer value are intertwined with each other in terms of achieving organisation success. The consumer’s needs and wants are delivered through an exchange of product that provides real value to the customer. The consumer will then weigh up the product in terms of costs and benefits. The apple watch has perceived customer value, with the product providing symbolic / expressive value, as well as functional / instrumental value to consumers. However as with any product there are still risks associated with purchasing the product, as well as sacrifices having to be made. References Apple,. (2015). Apple – Apple Watch. Retrieved 1 April 2015, from https://www.apple.com/watch/ CNET,. (2015). Apple Watch Release Date, News, Price and Specs – CNET. CNET. Retrieved 22 March 2015, from http://www.cnet.com/au/products/apple-watch/ Keelson, S. (2012). The evolution of the marketing concepts: Theoretically different roads leading to practically same destination!. 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