Differences between Organic and Non Organic Food

Differences between Organic and Non Organic Food ORGANIC AND NON ORGANIC FOOD. Many people today are often brought to this question when entering a grocery store. Its something countless doctors are talking about and recommending to their patients. Are organic foods really any different than non-organic foods? My answer to you is yes, but you dont have to take my word for it. I have plenty of information that will not only show you the difference between the two but will also prove that organic foods are better for you. Organic foods are produced by the techniques that follow the standards of organic farming. Organizations that produce these foods are free of artificial additives, methods, materials, and conditions. Also, some organic food corporations restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in farming. In addition, animals that are used to create organic products like eggs, cheese, meats, etc., are raised eating organic feeds. That means that their food does not contain antibiotics, hormones, and growth-enhancing substances such as steroids. Many people have been saying that organic foods   are really good for your health. Theyve even helped people when trying to diet and losing weight. The benefits dont stop there either. Studies have shown that they can also have a lot of nutrients. The Los Angeles Times covered a study with a headline expressing Organic foods are more nutritious, according to the review of 343 studies. Then an article stated Research is first to find wide-ranging difference between organic and conventional fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Non-organic foods contain chemical fertilizer to encourage plant growth, farmers also spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease, use chemical herbicides to manage weeds, and give animals hormones, drugs, etc., to prevent disease. I personally would not consider this food to be healthy.   Id rather stick with organic foods because I feel more comfortable and its more healthy. Not only that, but it is also more safe. Nowadays non-organic foods cant be trusted because you dont know what theyre really doing. People feel more drawn to buy non-organic foods because theyre reasonable prices. Buyers of non-organic foods have ate these products their whole lives so its what theyre used to. We like familiarity so of course its easier for us to chose groceries weve ate our whole lives versus groceries that were just learning about. Non-organic foods tend to be consistent in taste, texture, and quality. Fast food falls under the category of non-organic food. The thing about restaurant food is that restaurants are not required to reveal everything their food contains. So technically we dont really know what were eating. For example, the meat that most restaurant chains sell contains antibiotics. Although now you can buy a salad at a fast food place, there are still much more unhealthy things on the menu. Obesity, High Cholesterol, and so much more are leading causes to deaths. 1There have been cases where people have died from eating these foods. For example, a couple of years ago there was a case where a four year old boy passed away. He ate three burgers from Jack in The Box then suddenly wasnt feeling good. The boy started having a lot of diarrhea mixed with blood. His parents started getting concerned so they made a doctors visit and found out that their son had E Coli. Twelve days later the boy died. People may not realize it now, but all of those things that are in the food we eat effect us. My girlfriend made a doctors visit about 8 months ago because she was having some health problems. The doctor advised her to stop eating non-organic foods. Of course that didnt cure her from what she had or anything but it did help massively. After looking more into it she is now slowly trying to eat mainly all organic products. E.coli was discovered in 1884 and is known to be very bad disease.   I could tell you many things about it but Id rather just stick to the basics for now. Its an infection, poisoning, septicemia, neonatal meningitis and gastroenteritis. The way the infection starts for E. coli is, it releases toxins into your body that will harm you. This makes the bacterium to bind to the lining of the gut. Feeding the animals food youre not supposed to feed them, not only affects them but it affects the environment. If our fields were pesticide free think about how much that would help the grass and plants. Since no synthetic chemicals are used while farming organic fruits and vegetables it does not pose any risk of soil and underground water contamination. Another fun fact is that organic food production helps preserve local wildlife. Keeping away the toxins helps the wildlife be in its natural habitat. In conclusion this is why we have to stay away from non-organic food. Want to live longer ? Start eating organic food. These pictures tell you a lot, the very first one on the top left about the strawberries is very true because the darker the strawberries are the more flavor they have. The light ones arent too sweet. Bottom left picture of the apples is also very true. You can already tell because the price on the apple. Top one on the right about the chickens, just look closely, look at how healthy the chicken looks on the left side looks and look at the one on the right. Those chickens on the right dont look like theyre in a healthy environment. They are dying from all the steroids and antibiotics they put in their food. All those chickens on the right are just full of chemicals and thats what you want to eat? Thats why we cant eat non-organic food. Last but not least, look closely at the picture on the bottom right. Now this is a good example of organic and non-organic food. That s what your body looks like when you eat healthy food versus when you eat non-healthy food.

Prevention of Employee Theft Essay -- Expository Exemplification Essay

Prevention of Employee Theft Why do employees feel free to steal? Most employee theft occurs because it is too easy. What can a company do to prevent employee theft? What should a company do to employee thieves? The following paragraphs summarize a few ideas. Employee theft is a crime that is costing U.S. companies a great deal of money. Employee thefts are growing in number, partially because the perpetrators really do not see themselves as criminals and rationalize what they are doing in much the same way as taxpayers rationalize income tax fraud. Employee theft is one of many personnel problems that is easier to prevent than to solve. Prevention should begin before an applicant becomes an employee. Some theft prevention might include recruiting trustworthy employees which includes performing background checks to help screen applicants. However, a background check or criminal records check does have its limitations. For example, most people who steal from their employees are never caught. When Acme Company was having a problem with employee theft, the firm found that the prevailing attitude was that corporate losses were normal and even acceptable. Management took a variety of steps to remedy the situation. First, a clearly stated policy was communicated that theft would be prosecuted. A more humanistic approach was developed for employee supervision, and supervisors were trained to be more sensitive to the needs of subordinates. In addition, an anonymous theft reporting hot line was set up outside the company, and rewards were provided when an investigation resulted in a conviction. The program was successful, illustrating that both traditional and innovative steps must be taken to reduce the i... ...f escape with dismissal rather than criminal proceedings. Failure to prosecute employee theft only leads to its increase. Many companies probably think that prosecution will let other current and future employees think that stealing is easy in the company. Depending on the nature of the crime, I think companies need to prosecute employee thieves and/or dismiss the employee and make arrangements with the employee to pay back what was stolen. Works Cited Bassett, James W. "Nursing Homes: Taking A Hard Line Against Crime. " UMI (1996): 13-18 Janssen, Marvin J. "Security Management: The Case of the Missing Money." UMI 11161.00 (1995): 77-79 Price, William. "Security Management: Reeling In Dishonest Employees." UMI 11161.00 (1995): 48-52. Sipes, Leonard Adam, Jr. "Security Management: Tradition Takes A Twist. " UMI 1116 1. 00 (1987): 41-44.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Seven

Bonnie was on the dance floor, eyes shut, letting the music flow through her. When she opened her eyes for an instant, Meredith was beckoning from the sidelines. Bonnie thrust her chin out mutinously, but as the gestures became more insistent she rolled her eyes up at Raymond and obeyed. Raymond followed. Matt and Ed were behind Meredith. Matt was scowling. Ed was looking uncomfortable. â€Å"Elena just left,† said Meredith. â€Å"It's a free country,† said Bonnie. â€Å"She went with Tyler Smallwood,† said Meredith. â€Å"Matt, are you sure you didn't hear where they were going?† Matt shook his head. â€Å"I'd say she deserves whatever happens-but it's my fault, too, in a way,† he said bleakly. â€Å"I guess we ought to go after her.† â€Å"Leave thedance ?† Bonnie said. She looked at Meredith, who mouthed the wordsyou promised . â€Å"I don't believe this,† she muttered savagely. â€Å"I don't know how we'll find her,† said Meredith, â€Å"but we've got to try.† Then she added, in a strangely hesitant voice, â€Å"Bonnie,you don't happen to know where she is, do you?† â€Å"What? No, of course not; I've been dancing. You've heard of that, haven't you: what you go to a dance for?† â€Å"You and Ray stay here,† Matt said to Ed. â€Å"If she comes back, tell her we're out looking.† â€Å"And if we're going, we'd better go now,† Bonnie put in ungraciously. She turned and promptly ran into a dark blazer. â€Å"Well, excuse me,† she snapped, looking up and seeing Stefan Salvatore. He said nothing as she and Meredith and Matt headed for the door, leaving an unhappy-looking Raymond and Ed behind. The stars were distant and ice-bright in the cloudless sky. Elena felt just like them. Part of her was laughing and shouting with Dick and Vickie and Tyler over the roar of the wind, but part of her was watching from far away. Tyler parked halfway up the hill to the ruined church, leaving his headlights on as they all got out. Although there had been several cars behind them when they left the school, they appeared to be the only ones who'd made it all the way to the cemetery. Tyler opened the trunk and pulled out a six-pack. â€Å"All the more for us.† He offered a beer to Elena, who shook her head, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt all wrong being here-but there was no way she was going to admit that now. They climbed the flagstone path, the girls staggering in their high heels and leaning on the boys. When they reached the top, Elena gasped and Vickie gave a little scream. Something huge and red was hovering just above the horizon. It took Elena a moment to realize it was actually the moon. It was as large and unrealistic as a prop in a science-fiction movie, and its bloated mass glowed dully with an unwholesome light. â€Å"Like a big rotten pumpkin,† said Tyler, and lobbed a stone at it. Elena made herself smile brilliantly up at him. â€Å"Why don't we go inside?† Vickie said, pointing a white hand at the empty hole of the church doorway. Most of the roof had fallen in, although the belfry was still intact, a tower stretching up high above them. Three of the walls were standing; the fourth was only knee-high. There were piles of rubble everywhere. A light flared by Elena's cheek, and she turned, startled, to see Tyler holding a lighter. He grinned, showing strong white teeth, and said, â€Å"Want to flick my Bic?† Elena's laughter was the loudest, to cover her uneasiness. She took the lighter, using it to illuminate the tomb in the side of the church. It was like no other tomb in the cemetery, although her father said he'd seen similar things in England. It looked like a large stone box, big enough for two people, with two marble statues lying in repose on the lid. â€Å"Thomas Keeping Fell and Honoria Fell,† said Tyler with a grand gesture, as if introducing them. â€Å"Old Thomas allegedly founded Fell's Church. Although actually the Smallwoods were also there at the time. My great-grandfather's great-great-grandfather lived in the valley by Drowning Creek-† â€Å"-until he got eaten by wolves,† said Dick, and he threw back his head in a wolf imitation. Then he belched. Vickie giggled. Annoyance crossed Tyler's handsome features, but he forced a smile. â€Å"Thomas and Honoria are looking kind of pale,† said Vickie, still giggling. â€Å"I think what they need is a little color.† She produced a lipstick from her purse and began to coat the white marble mouth of the woman's statue with waxy scarlet. Elena felt another sick twinge. As a child, she'd always been awed by the pale lady and the grave man who lay with their eyes closed, hands folded on their breasts. And, after her parents died, she'd thought of them as lying side by side like this down in the cemetery. But she held the lighter while the other girl put a lipstick mustache and clown's nose on Thomas Fell. Tyler was watching them. â€Å"Hey, they're all dressed up with no place to go.† He put his hands on the edge of the stone lid and leaned on it, trying to shift it sideways. â€Å"What do you say, Dick-want to give them a night out on the town? Like maybe right in the center of town?† No, thought Elena, appalled, as Dick guffawed and Vickie shrieked with laughter. But Dick was already beside Tyler, getting braced and ready, the heels of his hands on the stone lid. â€Å"On three,† said Tyler, and counted, â€Å"One, two,three .† Elena's eyes were fixed on the horrible clown-like face of Thomas Fell as the boys strained forward and grunted, muscles bunching under cloth. They couldn't budge the lid an inch. â€Å"Damn thing must be attached somehow,† said Tyler angrily, turning away. Elena felt weak with relief. Trying to seem casual, she leaned against the stone lid of the tomb for support-and that was when it happened. She heard the grinding of stone and felt the lid shift under her left hand all at once. It was moving away from her, making her lose her balance. The lighter went flying, and she screamed and screamed again, trying to keep her feet. She was falling into the open tomb, and an icy wind roared all around her. Screams rang in her ears. And then she was outside and the moonlight was bright enough that she could see the others. Tyler had hold of her. She stared around her wildly. â€Å"Are you crazy? What happened?† Tyler was shaking her. â€Å"It moved! The lid moved! It slid open and-I don't know-I almost fell in. It was cold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The boys were laughing. â€Å"Poor baby's got the jitters,† Tyler said. â€Å"C'mon, Dicky-boy, we'll check it out.† â€Å"Tyler, no-â€Å" But they went inside anyway. Vickie hung in the doorway, watching, while Elena shivered. Presently, Tyler beckoned her from the door. â€Å"Look,† he said when she reluctantly stepped back inside. He'd retrieved the lighter, and he held it above Thomas Fell's marble chest. â€Å"It still fits, snug as a bug in a rug. See?† Elena stared down at the perfect alignment of lid and tomb. â€Å"It did move. I nearly fell into it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sure, whatever you say, baby.† Tyler wound his arms around her, clasping her to him backwards. She looked over to see Dick and Vickie in much the same position, except that Vickie, eyes shut, was looking as if she enjoyed it. Tyler rubbed a strong chin over her hair. â€Å"I'd like to go back to the dance now,† she said flatly. There was a pause in the rubbing. Then Tyler sighed and said, â€Å"Sure, baby.† He looked at Dick and Vickie. â€Å"What about you two?† Dick grinned. â€Å"We'll just stay here a while.† Vickie giggled, her eyes still shut. â€Å"Okay.† Elena wondered how they were going to get back, but she allowed Tyler to lead her out. Once outside, however, he paused. â€Å"I can't let you go without one look at my grandfather's headstone,† he said. â€Å"Aw, c'mon, Elena,† he said as she started to protest, â€Å"don't hurt my feelings. You've got to see it; it's the family pride and joy.† Elena made herself smile, although her stomach felt like ice. Maybe if she humored him, he would get her out of here. â€Å"All right,† she said, and started toward the cemetery. â€Å"Not that way. This way.† And the next moment, he was leading her down toward the old graveyard. â€Å"It's okay, honest, it's not far off the path. Look, there, you see?† He pointed to something that shone in the moonlight. Elena gasped, muscles tightening around her heart. It looked like a person standing there, a giant with a round hairless head. And she didn't like being here at all, among the worn and leaning granite stones of centuries past. The bright moonlight cast strange shadows, and there were pools of impenetrable darkness everywhere. â€Å"It's just the ball on top. Nothing to be scared of,† said Tyler, pulling her with him off the path and up to the shining headstone. It was made of red marble, and the huge ball that surmounted it reminded her of the bloated moon on the horizon. Now that same moon shone down on them, as white as Thomas Fell's white hands. Elena couldn't contain her shivering. â€Å"Poor baby, she's cold. Got to get her warned up,† said Tyler. Elena tried to push him away, but he was too strong, wrapping her in his arms, pulling her against him. â€Å"Tyler, I want to go; I want to go rightnow . †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sure, baby, we'll go,† he said. â€Å"But we've got to get you warm first. Gosh, you're cold.† † Tyler, stop,† she said. His arms around her had merely been annoying, restricting, but now with a sense of shock she felt his hands on her body, groping for bare skin. Never in her life had Elena been in a situation like this, far away from any help. She aimed a spiked heel for his patent-leather instep, but he evaded her. â€Å"Tyler,take your hands off me .† â€Å"C'mon, Elena, don't be like that, I just want to warm you up all over†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tyler, let go,† she choked out. She tried to wrench herself away from him. Tyler stumbled, and then his full weight was on her, crushing her into the tangle of ivy and weeds on the ground. Elena spoke desperately. â€Å"I'll kill you, Tyler. I mean it.Get off me .† Tyler tried to roll off, giggling suddenly, his limbs heavy and uncoordinated, almost useless. â€Å"Aw, c'mon, Elena, don' be mad. I was jus' warmin' you up. Elena the Ice Princess, warmin' up†¦ You're gettin' warm now, aren' you?† Then Elena felt his mouth hot andwet on her face. She was still pinned beneath him, and his sloppy kisses were moving down her throat. She heard cloth tear. â€Å"Oops,† Tyler mumbled. â€Å"Sorry 'bout that.† Elena twisted her head, and her mouth met Tyler's hand, clumsily caressing her cheek. She bit it, sinking her teeth into the fleshy palm. She bithard , tasting blood, hearing Tyler's agonized yowl. The hand jerked away. â€Å"Hey! I said I was sorry!† Tyler looked aggrievedly at his maimed hand. Then his face darkened, as, still staring at it, he clenched the hand into a fist. This is it, Elena thought with nightmare calmness. He's either going to knock me out or kill me. She braced herself for the blow. Stefan had resisted coming into the cemetery; everything within him had cried out against it. The last time he'd been here had been the night of the old man. Horror shifted through his gut again at the memory. He would have sworn that he had not drained the man under the bridge, that he had not taken enough blood to do harm. But everything that night after the surge of Power was muddled, confused. If therehad been a surge of Power at all. Perhaps that had been his own imagination, or even his own doing. Strange things could happen when the need got out of control. He shut his eyes. When he'd heard that the old man was hospitalized, near death, his shock had been beyond words. Howcould he have let himself get so far out of hand? To kill, almost, when he had not killed since†¦ He wouldn't let himself think about that. Now, standing in front of the cemetery gate in the midnight darkness, he wanted nothing so much as to turn around and go away. Go back to the dance where he'd left Caroline, that supple, sun-bronzed creature who was absolutely safe because she meant absolutely nothing to him. But he couldn't go back, because Elena was in the cemetery. He could sense her, and sense her rising distress. Elena was in the cemetery and in trouble, and he had to find her. He was halfway up the hill when the dizziness hit. It sent him reeling, struggling on toward the church because it was the only thing he could keep in focus. Gray waves of fog swept through his brain, and he fought to keep moving. Weak, he felt so weak. And helpless against the sheer power of this vertigo. He needed†¦ to go to Elena. But he was weak. He couldn't be†¦ weak†¦ if he were to help Elena. He needed†¦ to†¦ The church door yawned before him. Elena saw the moon over Tyler's left shoulder. It was strangely fitting that it would be the last thing she ever saw, she thought. The scream had caught in her throat, choked off by fear. And then something picked Tyler up and threw him against his grandfather's headstone. That was what it looked like to Elena. She rolled to the side, gasping, one hand clutching her torn dress, the other groping for a weapon. She didn't need one. Something moved in the darkness, and she saw the person who had plucked Tyler off her. Stefan Salvatore. But it was a Stefan she had never seen before: that fine-featured face was white and cold with fury, and there was a killing light in those green eyes. Without even moving, Stefan emanated such anger and menace that Elena found herself more frightened of him than she had been of Tyler. â€Å"When I first met you, I knew you'd never learned any manners,† said Stefan. His voice was soft and cold and light, and somehow it made Elena dizzy. She couldn't take her eyes off him as he moved toward Tyler, who was shaking his head dazedly and starting to get up. Stefan moved like a dancer, every movement easy and precisely controlled. â€Å"But I had no idea that your character was quite so underdeveloped.† He hit Tyler. The larger boy had been reaching out one beefy hand, and Stefan hit him almost negligently on the side of the face, before the hand made contact. Tyler flew against another headstone. He scrambled up and stood panting, his eyes showing white. Elena saw a trickle of blood from his nose. Then he charged. â€Å"A gentleman doesn't force his company on anyone,† said Stefan, and knocked him aside. Tyler went sprawling again, facedown in the weeds and briars. This time he was slower in getting up, and blood flowed from both nostrils and from his mouth. He was blowing like a frightened horse as he threw himself at Stefan. Stefan grabbed the front of Tyler's jacket, whirling them both around and absorbing the impact of the murderous rush. He shook Tyler twice, hard, while those big beefy fists windmilled around him, unable to connect. Then he let Tyler drop. â€Å"He doesn't insult a woman,† he said. Tyler's face was contorted, his eyes rolling, but he grabbed for Stefan's leg. Stefan jerked him to his feet and shook him again, and Tyler went limp as a rag doll, his eyes rolling up. Stefan went on speaking, holding the heavy body upright and punctuating every word with a bone-wrenching shake. â€Å"And, above all, he doesnot hurt her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Stefan!† Elena cried. Tyler's head was snapping back and forth with every shake. She was frightened of what she was seeing; frightened of what Stefan might do. And frightened above all else of Stefan's voice, that cold voice that was like a rapier dancing, beautiful and deadly and utterly merciless. â€Å"Stefan,stop .† His head jerked toward her, startled, as if he had forgotten her presence. For a moment he looked at her without recognition, his eyes black in the moonlight, and she thought of some predator, some great bird or sleek carnivore incapable of human emotion. Then understanding came to his face and some of the darkness faded from his gaze. He looked down at Tyler's lolling head, then set him gently against the red marble tombstone. Tyler's knees buckled and he slid down the face of it, but to Elena's relief his eyes opened-or at least the left one did. The right was swelling to a slit. â€Å"He'll be all right,† said Stefan emptily. As her fear ebbed, Elena felt empty herself. Shock, she thought. I'm in shock. I'll probably start screaming hysterically any minute now. â€Å"Is there someone to take you home?† said Stefan, still in that chillingly deadened voice. Elena thought of Dick and Vickie, doing God knew what beside Thomas Fell's statue. â€Å"No,† she said. Her mind was beginning to work again, to take notice of things around her. The violet dress was ripped all the way down the front; it was ruined. Mechanically, she pulled it together over her slip. â€Å"I'll drive you,† said Stefan. Even through the numbness, Elena felt a quick thrill of fear. She looked at him, a strangely elegant figure among the tombstones, his face pale in the moonlight. He had never looked so†¦ sobeautiful to her before, but that beauty was almost alien. Not just foreign, but inhuman, because no human could project that aura of power, or of distance. â€Å"Thank you. That would be very kind,† she said slowly. There was nothing else to do. They left Tyler painfully getting to his feet by his ancestor's headstone. Elena felt another chill as they reached the path and Stefan turned toward Wickery Bridge. â€Å"I left my car at the boarding house,† he said. â€Å"This is the fastest way for us to get back.† â€Å"Is this the way you came?† â€Å"No. I didn't cross the bridge. But it'll be safe.† Elena believed him. Pale and silent, he walked beside her without touching, except when he took off his blazer to put it around her bare shoulders. She felt oddly sure he would kill anything that tried to get at her. Wickery Bridge was white in the moonlight, and under it the icy waters swirled over ancient rocks. The whole world was still and beautiful and cold as they walked through the oak trees to the narrow country road. They passed fenced pastures and dark fields until they reached a long winding drive. The boarding house was a vast building of rust-red brick made from the native clay, and it was flanked with age-old cedars and maples. All but one of the windows were dark. Stefan unlocked one of the double doors and they stepped into a small hallway, with a flight of stairs directly in front of them. The banister, like the doors, was natural light oak so polished that it seemed to glow. They went up the stairs to a second-story landing that was poorly lit. To Elena's surprise, Stefan led her into one of the bedrooms and opened what looked like a closet door. Through it she could see a very steep, very narrow stairway. What a strange place, she thought. This hidden stairway buried deep in the heart of the house, where no sound from outside could penetrate. She reached the top of the stairs and stepped out into a large room that made up the whole third story of the house. It was almost as dimly lit as the stairway, but Elena could see the stained wood floor and the exposed beams in the slanting ceiling. There were tall windows on all sides, and many trunks scattered among a few pieces of massive furniture. She realized he was watching her. â€Å"Is there a bathroom where I-?† He nodded toward a door. She took off the blazer, held it toward him without looking at him, and went inside.

Xbox Product Services Innovation Assessment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1901 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Product Services Innovation Table of Contents Xbox Kinect Table of Contents Product Background and History Background Vision/Goals Product Portfolio Milestones and Important Events Scenario Analysis New Product or Innovative Description Market Description and Position Comparison with Competitors Current Competitive Strategy/Outcomes Summary References Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Xbox Product Services Innovation Assessment" essay for you Create order Product Background and History Background Microsoft created and owns Xbox the famous video gaming brand, the brand has a line of different video game consoles. The Xbox brand, also offers applications (games), streaming services, and Xbox Live which is an online service. Microsoft first introduced Xbox on the 15th of November 2001 in the United States. Microsoft is proud to have the first video gaming console to be offered via an American company After the American company Atari Jaguar stopped it sales in 1996. Xbox sold 24 million units by the end of 10th of May 2006. Xbox 360 was the second console to be developed by Microsoft, and was launched in 2005, and sold more than 77.1 million units all over the world, by the end of 18th of April 2013. Xbox One, Microsoft latest console was released on 21st of May 2013. The Xbox One was launched into 21 markets, and was released in China on 29th of September 2014. Phil Spencer is the new head of Xbox after succeeding Marc Whitten by the end of March 2014. Kinect is a motion sensing controller free device developed and distributed by Microsoft. This device works in connection with Microsofts gaming console, Xbox one to heighten the gaming experience. The device began as a necessary part of Xbox One but later was made an optimal device. Additionally the device is being planned to work with Windows PCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also. Gamers can connect the Kinect device to their gaming systems and enjoy a controller free experience. Kinect was bunched in July 2010 with a 500 dollar budget. Microsoft sold 10 million devices in the first year which made it the fastest selling consumer device (Stevens 2011). Kinect has been imbedded with a camera, microphone and depth sensor which enables facial recognition, gesture recognition and voice recognition. The device can track two active players along with four additional people who come in the periphery of the devices vision (Schramm 2010).The device is exposed to direct competition with other motion controllers in t he market such as Play Station Eye, PlayStation Camera and Wii Remote Plus (Greenwald 2010). Kinect Design Figure 1, source: (https://www.xbox.com/en-IN/Kinect) Inside Kinect Figure 2, source: (https://www.xbox.com/en-IN/Kinect) Vision/Goals The vision of Microsoft, Kinects developer, is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential, this is achieved by infusing technology which is accessible to people of all ages and abilities (Microsoft 2014). Microsofts Kinect is specifically focused on not just gamers but also people with impairments and disabilities Product Portfolio Kinects developer, Microsoft has a very strong product portfolio. The company develops and distributes both hardware and software products. The companys software products includes Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office suite, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Azure etc. The companys hardware products include Xbox game consoles, Kinect and Microsoft Surface tablet. Milestones and Important Events Microsoft began working on its Kinect in 2008 after discussing the possibility of a hands free console with Apples CEO, Steve Jobs at a conference In 2009, the company officially announced its motion sensing device project as Project Natal at its annual E3 conference. The company showed a small presentation of the project and announced that certain game developers would be getting the development kits for the project to develop games (Lowensohn 2011). In May 2010, Kinect was launched in North America with an advertising budget of 500 million dollars. The company employed the use of different mediums including print ads, commercials and cereal box advertisements to promote Kinect. The company also organized a midnight bunch event on Times Square where Kinect games and T-shirts were distributed to the audience. In the coming months, the products was launched across different countries globally including Australia and Japan. The company revealed that it had sold 8 million Kinect products in just one year. In July 2011, the company expressed its intention to launch Kinect on a Windows PC. Scenario Analysis New Product or Innovative Description Usually when an innovative product enters into the market, it is quite difficult to predict the success of the products because the need or want for the product is not created among the customers. The company faces a challenging task to make the customers want the product (Bennet Cooper. 1981). The success rate of innovative products is only 25% which shows that not all innovative products are readily accepted in the market (Evanschitzky, et al. 2012). In the case of Kinect, Microsoft did not face many challenges. This was mainly because the company has a strong brand image and is considered to be the leading technology provider globally. The company is associated with bunching the most innovative products and this credibility was automatically extended to Kinect. Kinect was an innovative product. Even though there are other motion sensing devices in the market, they do not quite match with Kinect in terms of their technological advancement. Kinect is a hands free motion sensin g device while the rest of the devices that are paired with other gaming consoles require gamers to hold a controller. Microsoft is also working on the device in order to make it compatible with Windows. This would considerably increase the market for the device and at the same time, position it above the competition. When the device would become compatible with Windows, it would be particularly helpful for people with disabilities since the device transmits gestures and motions onto the television or the computer. Since Windows is still the most popular operating system, the compatibility of Kinect and Windows would considerably increase the reach of the product. Market Description and Position In the recent years, the market for technological products has become mature and saturated. This has resulted in increase in products, a wider range of product lines, more frequent up gradations. Companies have also begun to offer differentiated products in order to remain ahead of the competition (Sanchez, 2003). The same is true for Kinects market. Even though Kinect was an innovative product, it soon began to face competition as similar products began to emerge in the market. Microsoft is also aware that the advantage that it enjoys over Kinect may not remain long as the market is quite volatile. Therefore, the company is working on upgrading the product so that it becomes compatible with Windows operating system. The market for technological products is growing saturated. The market has now entered its growth stage which is characterized by increased competition and also increased demand for such products. Soon the product will enter the maturity stage where demand was becom e stable and market saturation would reach the highest level. In such conditions the company has to ensure that it is able to offer differentiated products in the market. With Kinect, Microsoft has the advantage in the market. Comparison with Competitors Competitor Analysis is crucial for the success of a product in the market since it allows the company to evaluate the positioning for its products (Bergen Peteref 2002). In terms of Kinect. Microsoft is facing competition from two main companies. Sony and Nintendo. The device Kinect is currently compatible with Microsofts gaming console, Xbox. Both Sony and Nintendo also have their own motion sensing device which is compatible with Microsoft Xbox: Kinect gaming console. Sonys motion sensing device is PlayStation Move while Nintendo sells its device under the brand name of Nintendo Wii. PlayStation Move Figure 3, source: (https://asia.playstation.com/move/sg/img/image0.jpg) The biggest advantage that Kinect has over is competitors is that it is hands free. Using gesture recognition, facial recognition and motion recognition, the motion sensing device senses the playersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ actions and sends the required message to the gaming console. In the case of bot h Wii and Move, they come with hand held devices which players have to hold and move to correspond with the action required. The biggest disadvantage that Kinect has over its competition is that its space requirement make it difficult for gamers to practically use it. When gamers use Kinect in connection with Xbox, they have to make room in front of their TV screen to enact their motions and gestures. This makes it difficult for gamers living in studio apartment to use the device without any impediment. Nintendo Wii offers the best advantage in this case since gamers only have to hold the sensing device to translate the required motions in the game. PlayStation Move also have a certain disadvantage because it required gamers to install an additional camera in order to use the device (Ackerman Stein 2010). Other than this, the devices offer many of the same standard features. Both PlayStation Move and Kinect have a resolution of 1080 pixels but the resolution of Wii is much le ss, 480 pixels. PlayStation Move and Kinect offer built-in battery chargers, image and head tracking devices, voice recognition feature and microphones. Current Competitive Strategy/Outcomes Since Kinect was an innovative product, Microsoft worked on creating demand for the product. They used a 500 million dollar advertising budget to create hype for the product. Along with this Microsoft used its Xbox success to sell the innovative product. They made Kinect compatible with Microsofts latest Xbox series, Xbox One. Kinect device was necessary in order to use Xbox One and thus consumers were forced to buy Kinect. However, this strategy did not achieve the expected results since gamers began to shift towards competitor product since buying Kinect with Xbox One made the package more expensive and Kinects space limitation further decreased interest of the consumers (Callahatn 2014). Later, Microsoft realized its mistake and made Kinect optional rather than compulsory (Leadbutter 2014) Summary Kinect is a motion sensing device released by Microsoft in 2010. This device offers gaming consumers the advantage of enjoying a game without a controller. Microsoft, a credible name in the technology industry, released the product with an advertising budget of 500 million dollars and to boost sales made it compulsory with Xboxs latest game console, Xbox One. Even though the product offered the advantage of a completely hands free gaming experience, the strategy failed since Xbox Ones sales decreased. Despite the failure of strategy, Kinect sold 10 million products in its first year which is quite big for an innovative product. Microsoft is also working on expanding the reach of Kinect by making it compatible with Windows operating system. References Ackerman, D. and Stein, S. 2010, Motion control shoot-out: Xbox 360 Kinect vs. PlayStation Move vs. Nintendo Wii Remote Plus, Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news/motion-control-shoot-out-xbox-360-kinect-vs-playstation-move-vs-nintendo-wii-remote-plus/ Bennett, R. C., Cooper, R. G. (1981). The misuse of marketing: an American tragedy.Business Horizons,Vol. 24(6), pp. 51-61. Bergen, M. and Peterf, M. 2002, Competitor Identification and Competitor Analysis: A Broad-Based Managerial Approach, Managerial And Decision Economics, Vol. 23, pp. 157à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"169 Callaham, J., 2014, The Xbox One-Kinect strategy didnt work, and now Microsoft (sort of) agrees, Retrieved from https://www.neowin.net/news/the-xbox-one-kinect-strategy-didnt-work-and-now-microsoft-sort-of-agrees Evanschitzky, H., 2012, Success Factors of Product Innovation: An Updated Meta-Analysis, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Volume 29,Issue Supplement S1,pages 21à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"37, Gree nwald, W., 2010, Kinect vs. PlayStation Move vs. Wii: Motion-Control Showdown, Retrieved from https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372244,00.asp Leadbutter, R. 2014, Why Xbox Ones ambitious media strategy failed, Retrieved from https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-why-xbox-ones-media-strategy-failed Lowensohen, J. 2011, Timeline: A look back at Kinects history, Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news/timeline-a-look-back-at-kinects-history/ 4490917 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 4490715 44907283/20/20151 | Page