The Global Soft Drink Market Situation

The Global Soft Drink Market Situation Executive summary The purpose of this business report is to provide insight on the market trends facing the soft drink industry and a detail strategy for the launch of a new carbonated soft drink Ice-cola in Pakistan. The idea of launching a carbonated soft drink in Pakistan is to change consumer tastes, a growing emphasis on product safety, and enhancing the market shares and profit percentage. Soft drinks are non-alcoholic (carbonated) as well as non-carbonated beverages which can be classified in number of categories. Soft drinks are in high demand and are preferred by almost every category of society in the world. More specifically, the demand for the carbonated soft drinks in Pakistan is highly influenced by certain characteristics like spiky taste, culture and social trends in parties and religious attributes. The strategy of new soft drink Ice-cola (which is going to be launched in Pakistan) will have to face competitive market in terms of other carbonated soft drinks particularly giants Pepsi and Coca -Cola because these soft drinks have already well maintained its positions in Pakistani market for a long time. However the strategy of new soft drink Ice- Cola has also competitive advantages in terms of changing consumer taste and refreshing sparking element that will ensure profitability and quality acceptance in Pakistani society. Introduction Soft drink industry Soft drinks are common preferences among all the individuals in almost every region of the world. The name soft drink especially separates alcohol element from this category and the term drink which includes a number of soft drinks like colas, sparkling water, iced tea, lemonade, squash, and fruit juices are among the most common types of soft drinks. Soft drinks are gradually overtaking hot drinks and other beverages as the major drink sector in the world. However the US remains the biggest market at present and Asia seems to be the main driver of sales growth in the future. Now-a-days soft drink is more favourite refreshment drink than tea, coffee and other hard drinks. Murray (2006) has explained the soft drink industry by stating, For years the story in the nonalcoholic sector centered on the power struggle between Coke and Pepsi. But as the pop fight has topped out, the industrys giants have begun relying on new product flavors and looking to other carbonated beverages for growth. Global Soft drink Market Situation Soft drink industry has a powerful impact on the lives of its consumers from throughout the world. The consumption of the soft drinks continued to increase year by year because of link between healthy diet and soft drinks. King (2010) states that in 2009 Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia are fastest growing regions as compare to developed markets. In soft drinks category, bottled water, carbonated, non- carbonated and other fruit juices are available in the market. Bottled watered drinks have achieved sound sales growth due to distinctive attributes of the product which is refreshing element in hot weather and sugar free flavored water. On the other hand, a number of functional drinks had been also a part of consumers interest. Each soft drink has certain attributes which attracts its consumers. It is reality that some soft drinks remain very popular in the market for certain reasons such as brand image, quality and price. The market size of the soft drink industry has bee n changing with the time being. This industry has 46.8% market shares within non-alcoholic industry. The global soft drinks market was valued at $479bn in 2009 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% to reach $556bn in 2014. According to financial forecast period to 2014, soft drinks sales are expected to increase 39.8% to PKR19.5 billion ($233 million). (Euromonitor Passport GMID) Pakistani soft drink market situation The soft drink market in Pakistan enjoys a dynamic growth in context of volume and value sectors because of Pakistan Government have reduced excise taxes to encourage soft drinks manufactures and importers. The Government of Pakistan has also decided to tax the soft drink industry on the production capacity rather than on actual production. Pakistani market situation about soft drinks achieved a slightly smooth and positive growth during the years. CAGR 4.2 % represent satisfactory line for soft drinks stability in Pakistan. Simultaneously there have been some inflationary pressures on soft drink industry. However still this industry remains stable successfully to keep the strength of market shares (Euro monitors Passport GMID). The cause for the positive market growth for soft drinks and particularly in carbonated drinks is because of the hot climate, peoples preferences and various life trends. Soft drink industry in Pakistan may expect increase of sale growth 30.5%. The price and consumption of soft drinks stand almost in an equal rate among various regions of Pakistan. In rural areas prices of soft drinks are slightly reduced than posh areas (Euro monitors Internationals soft drinks in Pakistan). Carbonated drinks Within the soft drink market, carbonated soft drinks continue to dominate the market, because of the traditional flavoured beverages, sugar- and caffeine-free drinks. Mostly Carbonated drinks are dominated by artificial flavours based on cola, sweetened with sugars or with non-caloric sweeteners. On consumption level, there are some factors which influence the consumers to buy carbonated drinks for certain reasons like, status symbol, taste, variety, brand ambassador and advertising campaign especially in Pakistan. The demand for the carbonated soft drinks is mainly influenced by the taste of the customers, age groups and the demographic conditions. For example the demand for carbonated drinks escalates to high number in Pakistan especially during the summer period and slightly drops in winter. The main target segment for carbonated drinks is the youth. The carbonated cola drinks are high in demand in Pakistan because of a number of reasons for example; all cola carbonated drinks are served in restaurants, hotels and parties within meals and customers enjoy a spiky and refreshing flavour of carbonated drinks which is not possible by other soft drinks (fruit juice etc). Moreover Alcohol is not consumed due to religion restrictions in Pakistan. However on the whole carbonated based drinks like Coca- cola, Pepsi (low caloric cola drinks) have been remained at the top demand in Global soft drinks industry. There could be more significant volume opportunities in future by carbonate taking its enough shares, with carbonates likely to pick up most of the volume growth as previous % shows like 23.8 % and 24.0 % in 2008 and 2009 respectively. (Euro monitors Passport GMID) Soft drinks Chart by Volume Percentage Source: Official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, store checks, trade interviews, Euro monitor international estimate, Euro monitor GMID passport. From the above graph, it could be analysed easily from 2003 to 2009 the volume % of cola carbonates as compare to other soft drinks has achieved higher %. It clearly indicates that cola carbonates (soft drinks) are consumed and produced more than other drinks in the market due to the demand and higher consumption level. Competitors In the present market of soft drinks in Pakistan there are some giant and minor competitors for Ice- Cola in the market. The following classification of soft carbonated drinks in Pakistan in terms of competition can draw a clearer picture. Classification in terms of competition First Preference Pepsi Second Preference Coca-Cola Followers Preferences 7-up, Mountain Dew, Sprite, Marinda, etc The others Amrat -cola etc. Pepsi and Coca-cola Pakistani carbonated soft drink market is dominated by Pepsi. Today Pepsi brand is part of global portfolio of beverages brands which includes carbonated soft drinks, juice drinks, coffee etc. Pepsi is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by Pepsi Co. Now there are a number of Pepsi variants available in the market such as (Diet Pepsi, crystal Pepsi, Pepsi twist, Pepsi max and Pepsi Gold etc) and Pepsi is recognized as No 1 Pakistan National drink. Major competitor of Pepsi is Coca- Cola. Pepsi is bit sweeter than Coca- cola and is liked by all (Pepsico.co). Coca- cola is next to Pepsis competitor and international recognized brand. Coca- Colas basic strength is its brand name. With this brand name the sales growth is increasing ever year and under this trade mark Coca cola,- zero, Diet Cock and Coca- cola Zero has developed its own competitive market. Coca- Cola volume growth is very aggressive in different markets in the world, particularly in three markets Viet nam, India and Pakistan. The volume growth is 27%, 25% and 18% respectively. While Pepsi with its diversification in drinks, packaging and broad market sector is more successful than Coca-cola to maintain its successful position in the Pakistani market. Pepsi and Coca-cola brands have various % in terms of market analysis in different markets of the world. According to Beverage digest report 2009 in the U.S market PepsiCo 30.8 % market share while Coke have 42.67 % market shares. This shows cokes positive strength as compare to Pepsi in U.S market. (Coca-cola .com). (Research proposal for soft drinks) Pepsi and Coca-Cola market scenario in Pakistan Pakistani beverage industry is dominated by Pepsi and Coca-cola brands. These are two major brands in carbonated soft drink industry in Pakistan. Pepsi-co faced initial problems while settling in Pakistan in 1959. However it came again in 1963 with dominant strategies. It used franchised entry mode to develop its market in Pakistan. One of the major reason of its success as compare to Coca-cola in Pakistan is this, it cater a huge segment and due to the diversification of their product line and particularly franchising entry for them to take quick decisions. The taxes that Pepsi saves because of using franchising entry mode enables it to focus more on advertisements and promotions of their products increase sales profit. Availability and meeting the consumer demand is one key factor that contributes to Pepsi success in Pakistan. At first, Coca-cola operated its business in Pakistan in 1950 as a franchise and became the leader of the soft drink industry because there was no competition at that time but in 1960 it has to face competition in the shape of Pepsi. In 1966 coca-cola operated its business in Pakistan as a multinational company and took over all the franchises business at that time. Since that time it became very hard for Coca-cola to maintain its markets shares as previously. Being a multination company it has to pay huge amount (3 times higher than Pepsi) of tax to Government. (PepsiCo, Inc.) SWOT Analysis of Pepsi and Coca-cola Strengths Pepsi Coco-cola Establish name and sound reputation of company International brand image The demand of Pepsi is more high than its competitors Coca-cola bottle image and use of it brand image on various objects International competitive position and more market shares than competitors Broad advertising and promotion opportunities in business world Weakness Pepsi Coca-Cola Pepsi does not offer any discount to its retailers High prices Target consumers are only young people Rare availability in remote areas of Coca -cola in Pakistan Pepsi tins are not available in far remote areas of Pakistan Taste differentiation is not successful and great, almost similar to Pepsi Opportunities Pepsi Coca-Cola Company is thinking to enter rural areas Successful brand image may enhance the opportunity to advertise less popular products Sponsoring many cultural shows and sports give an opportunity to enhance sales growth of Pepsi Increasing opportunities of internet offers Training and service opportunities Company is trying to Threats Pepsi Coca-cola Major competitor is coca-cola, at international level cock brand is more strongly advertised rather than Pepsi Dominant threat to this industry is changing consumers drinking habits in terms of health Imitators of Pepsi brand in Pakistan and customers complaint about the non-availability of original drink Major competitor (Pepsi) has a strong position in the market. Non carbonated drinks such as juices and tea have maintained good position in the market External threats of labor strikes in Pakistan (Pepsi. Com, Coca-cola.com) Performance analysis of Pepsi and coca-cola Make a graph or pie chart here to show Pepsi and Coca-cola Scenario, collect data by your self Sales analysis Market share analysis Expense analysis Financial analysis Analysis in own words Reasons of launching Ice-Cola in Pakistan To increase sales growth, revenue and market shares To maintain good reputation in the market among competitors To introduce a new brand in to soft drink industry Brand Philosophy of Ice-cola Ice- cola would be a new soft drink for the people of Pakistan and for all the other people of the world. Carbonated cola drinks are usually for eradicating thirst and for have a feeling of refreshment. Same is the production philosophy with Ice-cola. It will introduce an innovative and refreshing taste in the soft drink market and enhance the number of carbonated drinks in the industry. Mission Statement Ice-Cola mission is to be the first priority of consumers in soft drinks market and it will provide best and different taste to consumers. Therefore, they can enjoy a fun and refresh feeling after having it. This brand believes in strives for honesty, fairness and integrity in the whole process of launching. Industry analysis of Ice Cola According to Aaker (2009) Market analysis builds on customer and competitor analyses to make some strategic judgments about a market (and sub market) and its dynamics. Ice cola is pure Pakistani product because it will produce domestically and Ice cola will have competitive advantage against the other imported soft drinks like low cost etc. As earlier mentioned it is pure Pakistani drink so the company can take the advantage of be Pakistani and buy Pakistani also. Ice cola can be customized according to the various needs and demand of the Pakistani culture, which may take place from time to time. During the development of the idea of this product the technological changes are kept in mind. Initially during the production of ice cola existing technology will be used. Later on with the passage of the time if there is change in technology then new technology will be introduced for long run after appropriate pre- testing. Currently there are no as such legal concerns about this business. Being a food item there is no as such restriction imposed by the government because as this product is domestically produced and all the ingredients used is HALAL. As there are many soft drinks are available in the local market but Ice-cola focus will focus on the health of the consumer. This product is healthy and it will produce locally so more consumer will replace there other carbonated drinks and energy drinks by some locally produced healthier carbonated drink. Company is forming its own market with the unique taste with cola flavour and original taste without the effect of any harmful chemicals. Over the couple of years the sale of soft drinks in the Pakistan has doubled and the demand of the soft drinks especially locally produced increased within the last three years so the growth rate of the industry would be sound. Over the last three years no new firm has entered in the Pakistani soft drink business and no new product has been launched by the competitors so since last three years. Distribution channels of ice cola. Theory Existing distribution channels can be described by how direct they are to the customer. Trends and emerging channels, new channels can offer the opportunity to develop a competitive advantage Channel power structure for example in case of a product having little brand equity, retailers has negotiating power over manufacturers and can capture more margins. Market segmentation of Ice-Cola According to Ferrell and Hartline (2008) to enter into a new market, any product strategy would follow the criteria of segmentation according to the chosen market scenario. They illustrate that there could be different approaches to segment the market. Various approaches do work in different circumstances. Most of the time it depends that where (chosen market) the product is going to be launched. However it should follow certain characteristics like substantial, accessible and measureable. So it can generate profit. Ice cola will be use different methods of segmentation of product in Pakistan on the basis of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Geographic Segmentation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Demographic Segmentation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Psychographic Segmentation Geographic Segmentation a) Geographic Region Ice cola first of all will target it product in major cities of Pakistan like Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi and then it started targeting its products into different other cities. Then it will target whole country and afterwards will operate in other countries of Europe and East globally. So its geographic segmentation will be large. b) Density Ice cola first operated in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi. Then it will start targeting urban, rural and sub-urban areas of Pakistan. c) Climate This is also fact that climate has great effect in targeting different market segments. Ice cola will mostly target in the hot weather countries like Dubai, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia. Demographic Segmentation Target Market of Ice cola Teenagers Adults Sport persons And also late 50s Total population of Pakistan is 165 million (GDP 2008). Ice cola targeted all genders including males, females especially youngsters. The focus target of Ice cola would be age group between 15-32. Age The focus target age would be 15-32 because it represents the larger portion of the Pakistani population. As it has been estimated from the above figures that target consumers are between 15-32. Therefore highest 39.20 % of total population will consume Ice-cola at the most. The higher the consumption level, the higher the profit would be in the long run. Religion As Ice cola is operating in Islamic country. Therefore it will make its products with HALAL MATERIAL. Because it targets Islamic countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia. As, alcohol and different other materials that are prohibited in Islam, so Ice cola will not use any kind of material in its product. Therefore internationally it will target Muslim Countries first and later it will operate at global level. Psychographic Segmentation This will be the most important segment which Ice cola will use in its product. It will tell us what customer thinks about our product. It describes point of view of customer about the product. It is the science of using psychology and demographics to better understand customers. So when Ice cola will realize the needs of customers. Then it will start working on different products according to customers need and demand. Pakistans climate is usually warm and humid which causes dehydration and increase in thirst. In Pakistan soft drinks are not only considered a liquid intake but considered as a status symbol among friends, colleagues and family affairs. Holidays and particular religious events for example; Eid and fasting month (Ramadan) the sale of soft drinks increase. Moreover in the other seasons (winter) soft drinks sales do not affect highly but keeps a steady progress. For the next coming years (2010-2014) it can be estimated a steady growth overall. Increase in sales growth is expected due to the young Generation favorable approach and sparking fun towards carbonated cola drinks in Pakistan. Market entry strategy and market development Operation plan Operation plan of the product includes inventory, shipping, storage, and inventory control procedure and customer service. Kent (2003) states that inventory are a significant element of any businesss operation plan which gives hold to the structure of business. Inventory is the raw material or stock goods held by any business. Effective inventory management (control) in operation plan can lead the business to generate huge profit and poor monitoring might be in result of disaster of the business. In case of Ice cola just in time inventory will be used in case of product. It will reduce the storing cost which will give us competitive edge against target customers. All manufacturing operations will take place in Ice cola factory. Aaker (2009) illustrates that distribution system include three type of sections. For example; Alternative distribution channels, new emerging channels and powerful channels. He emphasis on this issue that do not consider only existing channels but also think for new potential ones through which product could be more easily available for its consumers and business users. For Ice-cola production outward suppliers will pay the shipping charges for the finished goods. In case of bulk purchase of the goods company will pay only 30% charges, purchase of 50,000 units in a month is the limit for the propose. Trained workers and machine operators will be hired from the other factories as a part time employee at 900Rs. a day and they will train our permanent workers. Finished product of the Ice cola drink will be stored in company retained building which has capacity to store 150,000 units in it. Rent of the building is Rs. 35,000 per month. Ice-cola will maintain the finished goods inventory of 60,000 units at any time including the factory. Kent and Omar (2003) specify the importance of maintenance and customer service particularly in term of new product launching. A new business can take two way benefits. At first, it can make loyal relationship with its consumers by providing guidance and support after a sale. Secondly, it could prove additional positive source of revenue in the form of life time customers. By keeping in touch with customers and providing quality assurance after sale is a key point to generate profit through product. A detail survey could be conducted after six month period of launching the product to find out the market trends, response and consumer demand. Later on product can be changed according to needs. Marsen (2007) narrates certain points in term of facilities in operational strategy to run the business successfully. It is very important to note that how target customers are going to get the product. Key suppliers and transportation facilities might be close to the operation centres according to the nature of the business. These facilities should be positioned adequately to make the profitable way of business. Marketing Plan Product Wilson (2006) illustrates about product and product dimensions that for a number of customers product is only a tangible and physical entity which is placed in the market for buying and selling. However product is main priority of any business organization because through this firm plans to achieve its objectives. Moreover, Wilson (2006) narrates the relationship between customer and product. Product should be designed according to the core market requirement. Price Ferrell and Hartline (2008) strongly advocate the significant value of pricing strategy because this is the only element of marketing mix that leads to revenue or profit and price has a direct connection with customer demand. Therefore, price of a product could be charged in a number of ways such as value, optional, psychological, geographical etc. In case of Ice-cola, the firm will fallow its motto BE PAKISTANI BUY PAKISTANI as a result company will offer a high quality product at a low price. It will allow firm to position as a one of the best quality and price wise best brand. This provides companys partners an opportunity to sell a high quality product, while increasing their margins and selling a high quality product to the resellers. Purchase price of retailer of one can would be Rs 25. Discount Offers In the competition with the other soft drinks available in the market Ice- cola will offer at special reduce prices to gain the market shares in special events like Ramadan, Eid, Basant and other events. Price setting statistical data Promotion Aaker (2009) states that modern marketing has replaced ancient meaning of promotion with the concept of MC (marketing communication) or the coordination of all promotional activities such as ( media advertising, direct mail, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, packaging, store display, website design, personnel) to produce a unified, customer-focused message. Any way of promotional medium could be adapted according to the product development. Ice -cola will be promoted by different communication channels in the Pakistani market. Communication channels TV campaigns (Through cable) Bill board Local news paper Advertising campaign Placement Place deals with the distribution channels and various options for the consumers to access the product. Baines (2008) describes that according to the type of the product placement or distribution channels are positioned. Sometimes middleman may involve in the distribution and placement of the product. This is all about mainly satisfying the consumers and makes convenient approach for consumers to access the product in time. Ice-cola would focus on the big and high growth market cities of Pakistan like Lahore Islamabad, Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan and then Ice cola will also focus on the small cities and rural areas of Pakistan. Therefore Ice cola will available every single grocery store in Pakistan. In future Ice -cola could be launched internationally in Middle Eastern and European countries. People Write it for ice-cola According to Baines and Fill (2008) (people) customer service staff of any firm play significant part in term of product presentation, convince their consumers to take competive advantages of it. They create a corporate image and maintain that image in the minds of consumers which could be the most effective marketing tool to have potentail customers in the long run for market decelopment.   Five ps image should be here like this Positioning Porters value chain model It determines where value is added and for isolating the costs. The cost structure is also helpful for formulating strategies to develop a competitive advantage Use this model according to ice-cola Organisational Plan Ice cola will be partner firm. The partnership will be lie between the founders of the company. Partnership will be according to their share of capital invested in the firm. Profit will be distributed between them as per their percentage share in the firm. The every decision will be taken with the consensus and majority of votes will be required to take the decision. On every important document the signature of at least three members should be there. This will also be implying on the financial matters of the firm. Partners and their contribution to capital are as follows. Name of the partners Contribution Saba Imtaiz 19 % Suhail Ahmed 15 % Asma Zubair 16 % Yasir Ali 19 % Isha Saghir 18 % Wahab Munir 13 % Hierarchal Structure The hierarchal structure of the Ice cola company would be as follows: Board of directors Partners of firms Chief executive officer Asma Zubair Chief financial official Talha Shahid Marketing manager - Nimrha Basheer HR Manager Abdul Hanan Production manager Sidra Zaheer Operational manager Nadia Afzal Organisational Chart Board of Directors CEO Finance Marketing Human Resource Manager Manager Manager Finance Finance Marketing Marketing HR HR Officer Officer Officer Officer Officer Officer Forecast Financial Plan Project financial statement of company (Ice-cola) is given below Performa Income Statement (PKR 000s) Pest analysis Profitable strategy Key success factors These factors help to achieve marketing objectives Access to essential unique resources Ability to achieve economies of scale Access to distribution channels Technological progress These factors could change over time as the product progresses through its life cycle. Critical reflection on the assignment process Conclusion

Essay --

Every day, advances in technology lead us nearer and nearer to fully autonomous robots, but even today, robots play a huge role in our lives. Robots exist obviously in software, just look at your smartphone, but robots in hardware exist too, recently, robots such as â€Å"Asimo,† â€Å"Watson,† and â€Å"Deep Blue† were able to perform actions which were thought to be exclusively human such as scaling stairs, making meaningful conversation, and playing chess. But with so many robots already existing, and the rapid progress we are making in the field of robotics, will robots eventually become the dominant life form? This question has puzzled philosophers and sci-fi authors alike for decades; however, the truth of the matter is that robots already have taken over. Without robots in our lives, we simply could not survive as we are. Additionally, robots are not plagued by consciousness, and would never jeopardise their own existence as humans so often do. Finally, ro bots today have the ability to reproduce themselves; this innate and conventionally biological trait is what turns a mere object into an animate life-form. Robots play an integral part in our society, they run our businesses, maintain our economy and do our manufacturing, without them, the routines we have set would crumble. Robots however, are not dependant on human existence; they could theoretically remain self-sufficient forever. By 2014, active cell phones will outnumber humans. These devices are a prime example of consumer robotics and artificial intelligence; we are connected to them at all times, and could not communicate without them. Furthermore, we rely on our robots to run our industry, manufacturing, business administration and plant automation would not be possible without ... ...anufacture. This is shown in many robotic assembly lines, where robots are able to produce a product, or indeed another robot, in a fraction of the time it would take a human to do so. This vastly superior reproduction process not only qualifies robots as a bona fide life form, but also sets them higher from humans with respect to dominance. Robots play a huge role in the life of the human race, but robots, while they are the servants of the human race, are dominant already. Robots are quicker, smarter and more powerful than any biological life form, pocket calculators will outsmart even the cleverest humans, it is for this reason that we rely on them so much, and with them having a greater survivability and a better reproduction system than humans, it is obvious why robots already are superior, and therefore more dominant in numbers, strength and size, than humans.

Coin Opreated Vending Machine Based on Microcontroller

average vending machines are commonplace at railway stations, airports, fast-food restaurants and even in companies. Press a switch and the machine delivers a cup of your favorite drink. This looks quite a simple operation but has a very complex logic behind it: It involves use of twelve precision timers and four counters apart from physical devices like display, solenoid and motor to deliver water and premixed tea/coffee/soup powder in exact quantity for better taste and in exact sequence.This has become possible because of the use of micro controllers, which allow compact size, higher reliability, lower cost and multiple functionalists. This tea/coffee/soup vending machine controller uses Free-scale latest AT89S52   micro controller chip. The controller is programmable and user friendly. You can set the quantity of the beverages through a button switch provided on the front panel of the controller as per your requirements. Thus, cups of any size can be filled at any time. But you can insert a 10RS.Coin in the system then is working. For human beings, recognizing if a coin is real is pretty easy. We can look at the coin, weigh it in our hand, feel the temperature, listen to it hit the floor, etc. If someone handed you a coin replica made of plastic, you would immediately know it is fake even if it looked authentic to your eyes. If someone handed you a blank steel slug, it would obviously be â€Å"not a coin† because it wouldn’t look like a coin at all. What we take for granted as humans is not so easy for a vending machine.A vending machine needs a relatively inexpensive way to detect if a coin is real. Circuit Diagram: Block Diagram: http://ayusdumaru. blogspot. in/p/vending-machine. html http://www. docstoc. com/docs/134527341/Coin-operated-vending-machine http://www. scribd. com/doc/13916969/Ece-10-Documentation-Vending-Machine Be it schools, colleges or commercial establishments, vending machines, also known as automatic retailing, are ever ywhere. Most of the time, vending machines are used to sell beverages like tea, coffee and sodas, candies, snacks, gumballs, lottery tickets etc. o people. If you look at the history of vending machines, it is believed that the first such machine was actually invented way back in 215 BC by a Greek mathematician and used in Egyptian temples to dispense holy water! Thereafter, the first commercial vending machine was installed in 1880 in England, which was coin operated and sold postcards. It was only in the year 1888, that vending machine business made an entry into New York, America by way of the Thomas Adams Gum Company, which installed these machines at the subway platforms in New York City and sold gum.After that, there has been a no looking back, with everything, right from postcards, cigarettes, sodas, snacks, being provided through them to the customers, with just the push of a button! People would have thought that there can be nothing as convenient as these machines, but now , looking at what the vending machines of the future promise, this thinking will certainly get changed. Let us know something interesting about the future vending machines. Machines that Recognizes Age and Sex!Believe it or not, but there are vending machines installed at a Station in Tokyo, Japan, which can actually recognize a person's age and sex and suggest options accordingly. They have inbuilt cameras which recognize the activities taking place outside the machine. This machine comes with a 47-inch touch panel display, instead of the push-button system which are the usual fare with vending machines. They are controlled by a centralized server, which are in turn monitored by the vending company. When a customer comes in this machine's vicinity, images of various drinks are displayed on the screen.The machine will sense the customer's age and sex and then recommend a few drinks according to that. Also, if the customer wants some more information on a particular drink, such as it s nutritional information, they can actually zoom in and get it! These machines are godsend for marketers as when nobody is within a ten foot radius of these machines, their screens display advertisements! No More Credit Cards! A Massachusetts company who is into manufacturing vending machines, proclaims that soon there will be biometric vending machines introduced in the market.These biometric machines will recognize a person through his fingerprints. Through these customers can actually connect a credit card to the imprint of their thumb! The Massachusetts company predicts that such machines, which make the customers feel engaged will be the new future of vending machines. There are also some talks going around that certain vending machines are being manufactured and tested which will allow retinal scans of the customers. The customers will thus be recognized through their retinas and thereafter, charged for their vending machine purchases.A very useful feature of these vending ma chines, for companies who have installed them, is that they will come with Ethernet connections. This will enable them to recognize real fast when the machine needs to be re-stocked. Also, if the machine is somehow not working properly due to a coin being stuck in it, the monitors will report it immediately and the same fault can be corrected within no time. It is believed that these machines will get installed within the next one year. Looking at their benefits, they are indeed a â€Å"win-win† for customers, companies as well as advertisers!Read more at Buzzle:  http://www. buzzle. com/articles/vending-machines-of-the-future. html The Advantages and Disadvantages of Vending  Machines Vending machines are the most easy to use produce of the recent years. A cashier is ultimately unnecessary when it comes to vending machines, and yet it delivers food of all sorts. All you have to do is to fill the coin slot with the right amount of money, press the button according to what you desire to obtain, and then it comes right out of the machine. Pressing some button is all that it takes for you to gain satisfaction whenever you are hungry.It was already several decades back when the concept of vending machines came to life; it was when a mathematician put a coin in a machine slot, which eventually handed out water. During the industrial era, the use of vending machines have been taken advantaged by the public for the reason that these machines were already positioned in universities, hallways, and in workplaces. It is for the reason that  vending machines  provide you with your necessities almost instantly, that people consider it as a very much reliable choice.Not all people think of that, unfortunately; there are those who consider vending machines as tools that let you waste your hard-earned money to its costly products. People also are indeed dreadful when the item that they want to purchase gets stuck in the machine. This further proves that vending machines can both be beneficial and a waste of time for some people. The greatest benefit of these vending machines is that they are very versatile and convenient. When you find yourself in the middle of closed shops, with a hungry stomach, a vending machine can really come in handy.When you do not have the time in your hands, and you really need something to eat, these vending machines can be the sole answer to your problems. When you talk about vending machines, costly items always come with it, making this one of its major disadvantages. Compared to items being sold in other stores, those items that are on vending machines are way on the high-priced spectrum. Therefore, if you want to, then do not stop yourself from spending so much. Another disadvantage is the harmful snacks that they offer.Teenagers almost always patronize these unhealthy snacks that are constantly available in vending machines. Studies have shown that a great deal of foods and beverages in these machines are low in nutritional values. After knowing the different advantages and disadvantages of  vending machines, only you can make the final decision whether or not you still want to continue using it. Some people may have conflicting ideas when this topic arises. Nevertheless, what matters most is that you learn to stand on what you believe in. Besides, these machines have been designed to increase our comfort, with no other harm intended.

Great Gatsby is a tragic hero Essay

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a classic American tragedy. The novel has all the basic elements necessary to classify a story as a tragedy: a tragic hero, his character flaw, and a twist of fate which results in the hero’s ultimate destruction. Jay Gatsby is the doomed tragic hero, blinded by his irrational dream to relive the past. Fate interferes in the form of the unexpected manslaughter of one character’s mistress by his wife. All these facets of the story come together to cause the end of Gatsby. In order for a character to be defined as a tragic hero, he must be noble in character. Jay Gatsby demonstrates this in his devotion to Daisy Buchanan, whom he has been preparing for a re-encounter with for the past 5 years. When he finally finds himself in her presence again, â€Å"†¦there were twinkle-bells of sunshine in the room, he smiled like a weather man, like an ecstatic patron of recurrent light†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He talks with Daisy, and even after 5 whole years of building her up in his mind, he is still very much in love with her. â€Å"†¦[After speaking with her,] there was a change in Gatsby that was simply confounding. He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the room.† He loves her, everything he does is for her, and there is no characteristic more noble than true love and devotion. The very denotation of a tragic hero is a noble person with a tragic flaw which helps to bring about his downfall, and which may cause the hero to make poor decisions. Mr. Gatsby’s character flaw is his enduring dream of finding Daisy, the woman he met and fell in love with before he was sent to fight in World War I, and reuniting with her. When they met, he was a poor nobody and she was a member of the old-money elite, a match that they both knew could not possibly work. So, even though he knew she was married, when Jay came back from the war, he devoted his life to reinventing himself to make himself good enough for her. â€Å"Out of the corner of his eye Gatsby saw that the blocks of the sidewalks really formed a ladder and mounted to a secret place above the trees — he could climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder.† Basically, his pure, true love for Daisy was reinforced with obsession and encased in determination and wrapped in everything he  could find to make it real again. His love for Daisy outweighed any kind of reality to the point where he could no longer distinguish fact from fiction. â€Å"It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.† Fate, with the tragic flaw, plays the principal role in the undoing of the protagonist. In The Great Gatsby, the turn of fate is when Daisy, driving Gatsby’s car with him in the passenger seat, hits and instantly kills Myrtle Wilson, and in a panic flees the scene, too shaken to stop the car. Myrtle Wilson happens to be the woman who Daisy’s husband tom has been cheating on her with, and Myrtle’s husband George Wilson witnesses the accident. He sees his wife killed by someone driving Gatsby’s car. He find out that the car belongs to Gatsby, who he has never met before, and assumes that it was he who had so violently and recklessly killed his wife. George, in a state of grief-stricken insanity, kills Jay Gatsby in his own backyard the very next day. It didn’t happen a moment too soon, either. The quality of Gatsby’s life had been deteriorating at an exponential rate, ironically, since his dream had come true. Becoming involved with Daisy at this point was upsetting his life — he had learned firsthand of the shortcomings of the woman he loved, had witnessed her weaknesses. It was tearing him up inside that he had spent half a decade on something that would be mostly detrimental to him in the end. â€Å"†¦perhaps he no longer cared. If that was true he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream.† The narrator conjectures of Gatsby that, just before his death, â€Å"He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass.† Gatsby’s intentions were pure, modest, innocent, genuine, but the momentum of his pursuit carried him into trouble when he was forced to stop dreaming because his dream had become reality, a thing to which Gatsby had become unaccustomed after imagining for so long. Once his dream tumbled into a  brick wall and things were sent spinning in disarray, there was no longer a place for Jay Gatsby. He had come to belong only to his dream, and was consumed by it. â€Å"†¦Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.†

Development of Democracy Dbq Essay Example

Development of Democracy Dbq Essay Example Development of Democracy Dbq Essay Development of Democracy Dbq Essay History 8, November 2012 Development of Democracy DBQ The emergence of democracy would change the United States forever. Our country today wouldn’t be what it is today without democracy in place. During the 1820s-1850s democracy truly started to appear in the nation. With ideas of every man should be equal and the uprising of the abolition movements. Women didn’t keep their thoughts out of it either. In 1828 President Jackson was elected and with this he brought the idea of everyman should be equal. He also believed in that whatever he wanted, he would get and take it by any means. Also during this time abolitionist started voicing their ideas about how there should be no slavery and that all slaves are on an equal level as the white man. Woman also felt this was the perfect time to voice their opinion as well. Not all women but some felt like they were being pushed to the side and not even looked at for any decision. The women started protests and took legal action on this and fought for their right to be acknowledged in the social and political society. All these events helped develop democracy. During the early 1820s Andrew Jackson was making a push to become president of the United States. People loved him because of his background. He was from a simple beginning, working his way up through the military and eventually becoming a politician. When he ran in 1824 election, he lost because Henry Clay and john Quincy Adams teamed up and helped Adams become president. This became known as the corrupt bargain. In 1828 Jackson ran again and won the Presidential election. Once in office he saw that the regulations for the ability to vote were too much for some people, so Jackson went ahead and took away the provision of needing to own land to vote. After he did this he saw a drastic increase in voting especially with the poorer people. This is one of the reasons why people loved him and also how democracy was further developed. The people now had a voice. (doc. A) Once in office he looked to help more of the lower class. He noticed that most of the lower class were being cheated by the rich elite people, so he set out to help out the lower class. Jackson felt the second national bank was one of the main causes of the lower class being in poverty and turmoil. When it came down to deciding the outcome of the bank, Jackson vetoed the bank and said that the bank gave wealthy Americans the opportunity to take advantage of poor farmers and factory workers. He believed that the bank could hurt the nation by limiting the loans it gave out and make money tight. (doc. D) Also he believed that the bank could soon alter elections because it favored certain congressman because that congressman would have lower interest loans. doc. D) Jackson wanted to show congress that he was the man going to make the decisions and that they weren’t going to cheat the common man out of money and that they need to do good business for all. The abolition movement kicked off in the early 1830s during Jacksons First presidential term. The movement was dedicated to outlawing or abolishing the institution of slavery in the United States. Opponents in sl avery had always existed in the United States. However abolitionists called for an immediate end of slavery. Many women were involved in the movement and had a particularly active role because they wanted to be part of something that could make a difference. Jackson supported the abolition movement even though he was a slave owner. The south was against allowing slaves to be free. Many abolitionist societies and publications started showing up in the north around the early 1830’s. William Lloyd Garrison wrote a weekly anti slavery newspaper titled â€Å"The Liberator†, he spoke about how he hated slavery and how it should not exist. It was very odd at the time for Garrison to be writing about freeing slaves because he was a white man and that’s something white men don’t do. (doc. G) There were always white people that felt a sense to help because they felt bad but it was mostly in the north and Midwest. They felt that the institution of slavery was bad but the people didn’t let go of their racist thoughts about blacks. Due to the number of free blacks in the north, even though it was a small amount of blacks the Philadelphia area started to see a rise in blacks in the middle class. The blacks started to get jobs as shoemakers, bakers, cooks, and barbers. the white people saw this and this created a â€Å"Negro Phobia†, which was a anti black sentiment created in many ways. (doc. H) Slaves and free blacks were feeling sorrow because they couldn’t understand how whites could do this to another human, another man with a heart. (doc. B) The voices being heard throughout this movement were very ground breaking. This promoted democracy because people were trying to make a change in the social aspect of the government. Another huge reform during this time was women’s suffrage. Women felt they were being pushed aside like rag dolls. They wanted men to know that they mattered to this nation for more than just the ability to conceive a child. It was like how it was when the U. S. was fighting for its independence, the women were looked at with no threat but then once they started fighting back they were taken differently. Men thought of women as very inferior to themselves. Men thought that a women couldn’t handle being in politics because they would get confused and make a mess of things. doc. F) Once women felt the ability to stand up for themselves, they started telling the men what they wanted. Men were looked at on the same level as women by women. (doc. E) The women took a stand against men with the temperance movement. The women wanted their husbands to be sober well men and not become drunks. They saw that if the father is a good man then most likely the son will learn from the f ather. This movement of women caused an uproar but due to the uproar the society finally knew women were here to make a difference.

Stalin - For the good of the State essays

Stalin - For the good of the State essays Assessing Russian Reactions to Stalin's Time Overcoming all of the problems that were inherent during the Stalin years is something that will take generations for the new Russian Federation to accomplish. The inefficient bureaucracy; brutal suppression of individuality, creativity, and opposing viewpoints; personal abuse of authority and exploitation of the lower classes; and the sheer power of a government which struck complete terror into the very core of an entire nation is a seventy-year habit that Russia must work diligently to reverse. Hochschild relates a saying that perfectly describes how the average person felt during Stalin's time (and even into modern times): "If you live with the wolves, you must howl with the wolves" (9). This illustrates how the population sought conformity and belonging. The purported reason for all of the atrocities committed was for 'the good of the State', but in reality, Stalin was the state. Everything else served to support and serve him. In his need for unassailable control, he determine d that he was so great that there must be opposition, and it must be rooted out. And rooted out it was, even if it had to be created by arresting, imprisoning, exiling, and executing the innocent. To this day, still found among the people of Russia, is that desire to belong and conform, but more so is the tendency to be afraid to mention the terrible things that went on during Stalin's rule. How does one describe an entire nation in denial? The answer is: Not very easily. Organizations are springing up in the wake of glasnost and perestroika, and the removal of censorship once rampant in the USSR. These organizations are serving as a means of the displaced, the separated families, and the victims of Stalin's brutalities to comfort, reassure, inform, and remember all that was not only lost, but violently taken away. ...

Antique Wooden High Chair CareÂÂ

Antique Wooden High Chair Care   There is a certain kind of glow in your living room if it has an antique piece of furniture in it. Not only does it give off a sense of history, it also gives off a sense of wealth. Antique furniture is very expensive, and only those who truly love fine art are able to appreciate it. Thus, if you own an antique piece of furniture in your home, you should take all measures to make sure it is preserved. Do not use coarse items to clean it. This means feather dusters are out of the picture. The broken feathers could nick your antique arm chair and cause unwanted marks. While these marks can make your furniture look more antique than ever, it could open up pockets in the woodwork that can cause decay. Spray products are a definite no-no. Simply wiping it with a soft dry cloth will do the trick. It could take a while to get that shine you want, as opposed to simply spraying it with Pledge, but you’re sure to better preserve your antique arm chair’s quality this way. Also, if your arm chair was not really meant to by shiny, don’t force it, or you’ll just ruin its intrinsic beauty. Clean using only wax made for antique furniture. Antique furniture is expensive, so you should only complement it with top quality products, otherwise, you’ll be defeating the purpose. There are high quality beeswax that may be imported from England. However, if you don’t have enough money to import good wax, just wipe the arm chair with a cotton cloth. There is no such thing as â€Å"winging it† with antiques. It isn’t likely that a replacement part for your antique high chair still exists to this day. If an inlay gets loose, keep it in a safe place until somebody, an expert on fixing antique furniture, comes. Do not attempt to do the reworking yourself if you have no idea how. Handle them extra carefully. Antique furnitures have to be placed in certain temperatures only to preserve their value. If your house is dry during the winter, you should get a humidifier. Conversely, if its too humid in the summer, you should get an air conditioner. Antiques require meticulous care. Thus, if you are not prepared with the tedious job of maintaining them, then you shouldn’t get one. Wooden high chairs are one of the most common pieces of furniture, but finding an antique could be a challenge. Once you have one, care for it deeply like you do your favorite pet. You never know how much it can fetch you once you have it appraised.