Concentrated Solar Power – An Idea Old and New

Although it sounds very "sciencey" to the uninitiated, CPV solar technology – or "concentrated solar power" – is really a very simple concept, as well as an ancient one. In fact, if you've ever had to start a campfire with a magnifying glass and a mirror, you pretty much understand the basics. When the sun's rays are concentrated and amplified, then directed toward solar panels or some type of pipe or duct containing a heat conductor, the generation of solar power becomes much more efficient.

The roots of CPV technology date back over two millennia. Chinese during the Han Dynasty experimented with elements of this energy generation method, and according to legend, the ancient Greeks used mirrors and concentrated solar power to repel a Roman invasion by setting their ships on fire (this was actually replicated by a Greek scientist in the early 1970s).

An early cpv solar generator was built in the late 1860s using a parabolic trough, but it took another century before this was combined with the magnifying glass to create the first workable CPV solar generator. This plant was able to heat water to more than 1,000 degrees, creating superheated steam that could generate a thousand kilowatts of usable electrical energy. Today, the largest such facility is located in the Southern California desert; SEGS (Solar Energy Generating System) puts out a whopping 354 megawatts.

There are a variety of CPV solar systems, not all of which use parabolic troughs. Dish systems employ direct solar heat, while the Stirling Engine – a 21st Century twist on the 19th Century steam engine – uses the energy of fluids and gases as they expand with the application of heat. The most efficient way to use this technology however is to direct the sun's rays onto a concentrated photovoltaic panel – eliminating the loss of heat energy that inevitably occurs during a transfer process. These panels must be mounted on a tracking system that keeps the components facing in the optimal direction as the sun moves across the sky over the course of the day.

With the development of new alloys and materials, the day is quickly approaching when the efficiency rate of these facilities will be as high as 50% of those of fossil fuels, and eventually, they will render fossil-fueled power plants obsolete.

Kyocera Mobile Phone Chargers And It's Batteries

Your mobile phone won't operate if the battery isn't charged enough. The mobile battery takes only 4 to 6 hours to reach up to its high charging. It is something most important part of the mobile phone. You can continuously use your cell phone to talk. The battery is the life line of cell phones without which phone won't operate properly. Cell phone batteries are the need of the every mobile phone that gives the life line to your phone. Motorola, Samsung, Nokia and Siemens are the most famous mobile manufacturing companies that are also manufacturing world class batteries.

Kyocera KX16
It is the extended Li-Ion battery. It has the charging capacity of 1500 mAH that gives the six hours of talk time. The stand-by talk time of this battery is three hundred hours. This battery comes with an extensive back up of 6 hours. They are much thicker pieces.

Kyocera KX16 Lithium - Ion 600-950 mAH
It is a lithium battery that comes with the capacity of 600-950 mAH. They provide the more talk time than any other common battery. This is the standard and good piece that would definitely improve the talk-time and stand by time. This battery is compatible with the Kyocera models Kyocera KX16, KX13, Kyocera 160m.

KX16 TXBAT10085 Extended 1800 mAH
If you are using internet, receiving and sending the e-mails and need extra battery power then I would recommend you this battery. It is one of the best alternate for you. It is an enhanced piece that comes with 1800 mAH charging capacity. It gives the power of 6 hours. The stand by talk time of this battery is 340 hours. It is completely compatible with Kyocera KX16 model.

Kyocera Lingo M1000 TXBAT10155 Standard 750 mAH Lithium Ion
It is a 750 mAH standard battery which is sleek in design and thin light weighted. It offers the constant talk time of 3.6 hours and offers the stand by time of 180 hours. You can use it in S1000 K126c, K132 Velvet Marbl, Deco E1000 and lingo M1000 Wild Card models.

K612 K612B TXBAT10120 850 mAH Standard Cell Phone Battery
This battery comes with capacity of 850 mAH. This is a Li-Ion battery that works on 3.7 Volts and it can be replaced. It offers 200 hours of standby time and 220 minutes of continuous talk time. It is well-matched with the Kyocera K612, K612B and K 21 models.

So this was all about Kyocera mobile phone batteries. These are few features of specific batteries.

HTC Desire HD Deals – Arrived With Great Offers In The Mobile World

The new HTC desire hd deals in the market includes a great device with all the possible latest features and advanced technologies. This amazing device is equipped with 3G network which allows the users to experience high speed internet connectivity with the help of Wi-Fi. There is a great display in the device which has a 4.3 inch wide LCD capacitive touchscreen which supports 16 million colors.

HTC Sense UI, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Multi-touch input method and Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate are the additional features of the display of the phone. Sound system of the device is also great with Dolby Mobile and SRS sound enhancement which provides amazing clarity in the sound quality. The 1.5 GB internal memory of this handset can store lot of your personal favorite like tacks and videos and if required it can be easily extendable upto 32 GB with the help of micro SD card only.

The best part of this great device is the camera which clicks a great quality of pictures with its 8 Mega pixel camera. Auto focus and LED flash are also there with the camera which helps you capturing more clear photographs. Ans when it comes to backup this great device uses Standard battery, Li-Ion 1230 mAh which provide a great backup of Up to 490 h (2G) / Up to 420 h (3G) in standby and Up to 9 h 15 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 30 min (3G) in talk time to the user. This great device can be easily yours with HTC Desire HD deals in which amazing offers are included at completely affordable rates and exciting free gifts along with heavy discounts are also there.

Tracking and Security Purposes Made Easy With Reverse Phone Detective

To nail a prank callers or you want to identify unknown callers behind your phones and many more, so then Reverse Phone Detective can instantly get you the personal details of any phone number you need. Hold on and read through, you will be shock with the information provided here.

Reverse Phone Detective contains the most extensive database includes residential, business, cellular, private, unlisted phone numbers. It also provide info such as address history, house records on that person, anything about tracing you can locate in this system.

This kind of system maintains a bank of phone numbers and facts about the owners in a form of database. The details and information were obtained by extensive research through ample period of time. The collection of these data is updated from time to time that is why it is guaranteed very efficient and reliable to use. This service can assist you in finding background information on certain phone numbers that you need to verify. Most of the time, this is used to get information about prank callers, or to verify addresses and numbers, to find former friends and acquaintances.

If you want to make use of this system, all you have to do is choose from the two subscriptions. You can choose from the regular and the premium subscription. When you register from premium, unlimited privileges will be given to you. While regular you can only get name of the owner and current address on your searches. You can search for any contact information for both cell phone and landline numbers. With this kind of subscription, you can have the most comprehensive background check of any number you key in.

Once you become a member you can start your cell phone number reverse look up right away and get results fro millions of records in this updated system. This database is 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you cannot locate the number in this system, you are entitled with money back guarantee within 60 days.

Reverse Phone Detective is unique in such a way that you are allowed to make an unlimited search, that's why it is not free. That means you get lifetime access to any future phone search you may wish to conduct, but you have to pay a certain amount. This service is not free but the cost is very affordable. This innovation can truly help you in many ways. Availing of this reverse phone detective will surely be one of the wisest decisions you will make in your life. You won't be needing an expensive detective or investigator anymore.

Take A Look At Sharp LC Series 42SB55E LCD

Most people like the look and seem with the Sharp 42SB55E. Even though the set could be larger sized compared with an old LCD because of its integrated canvas, the stand and also frame found above top of the canvas give it an unusually fashionable side. Sharp clearly took a chance here with its style and design, and we all know they put their own resources in the best place. The remote compliments the television having an equally stylish, thigh seem.

The high caliber display appears to be fantastic from usual watching distances (5 to 16 feet) and we just noticed imagine fading and additionally shade reduction with the most severe viewing degrees. Sharp says that a person simply are likely to watch high resolution top quality content material at close to 170 degrees free of image reduction. I loved the image quality a lot from middle and front and was not able to discover the processing difficulties the LCD displayed when it comes to HQV tests. Normally the LC-42SB55E LCD basically can achieve on its promises.

Darks turn out to be a little hazy at side angles yet straight seem a great deal saturated. Detail is normally beautifully bright and even good resolved despite high speed action, and textures are extraordinarily persuading. Speakers stand out too, sounding crystal clear, balanced and also organized. It isn't easy to deliver a broadcast picture this particular size, however the Sharp 42SB55E makes a good stab. It is definitely basically free from noise and has the ability of producing colourful, distinct images. I suspect the anti glare technology introduced towards the telly display generates almost all of the weakness issues with tone adjustments in addition to off perspective seeing. In activity, the LCD's image quality is exactly delightful.

No matter what content is viewed discover low degradation of black depths and also contrast from side watching perspectives beginning at 60 degrees. Shadow aspect is very useful with High definition films as well. The Hi def picture from Blu Ray along with Broadcast High definition ended up being crystal clear, stunning as well as splendid as at all times, but alas the display does not appear as strong as the various far better display we have watching nowadays. For a LCD however, we have been very very amazed while using LC42SB55E possibilities.

Sharp undoubtedly took a chance here through its style, and all of us believe they put companies investment in the best place. The remote compliments the television having an equally clean, comfortable look. We all adore the model and look of the LC-42SB55E LCD TV. Although the television is actually larger when compared with an old LCD because of its integrated canvas, the stand as well as bezel found above top of the canvas give it a very stylish edge.

The HD graphic looks superb from standard viewing distances (8 to 14 ft) as well as we only discovered display fading along with tone damage at one of the most intense viewing degrees. Sharp pronounces that customers easily can view High definition top quality movie material at nearly 170 degrees free of image loss. I actually took pleasure the picture quality extremely from front and center and has been not able to detect the processing troubles the LCD exhibited about HQV tests. Generally that Sharp-42SB55E LCD in fact does achieve on its offers.

In action, the LCD's display quality is exactly terrific. We think the anti glare solutions released into the telly display makes many of the weakness issues with coloring settings and off perspective watching. Audio system shine as well, sounding clean, balanced and additionally organised. It can be hard to produce a broadcast image this dimensions, and yet the LC-42SB55E can make a solid stab. It is generally free from disturbance and capable of creating precise, vivid pictures. Blacks become slightly hazy at side angles however straight appear a great deal saturated. Depth is certainly fantastically bright and good resolved despite having rapid movement, and textures are exceedingly convincing.

The High definition image from Blu Ray and also Broadcast high resolution appeared to be clean, vivid and also colorful as normally, however alas the graphic does not appear as heavy as some of the improved display we have viewing of late. For any LCD even though, we are very very fulfilled when using LC-42SB55E LCD possibilities. Regardless what film is shown there is certainly gradual degradation of black levels as well as contrast from side watching angles starting at 40 degrees. Color details ended up being dense however no overpowering with Hi def movies.

How To Watch Tv Live Streaming Using Satellite Tv?

A new path has opened up in the area of television. The computer or the laptop can be used to watch TV live streaming, sitting in any corner of the world. The availability of free satellite TV has facilitated watching live TV on computer. This feature is facilitated by the development of program and softwares. I will also be discussing a top quality satellite TV to PC software that I am using to watch more than 3,500 HD Channels worldwide for free.

These softwares are available from several companies. This allow you to get connected to thousands of channels from everywhere in the world. The programs you can watch could be news, movies, entertainment, weather and many more channels catering to your needs.

There are many advantages. One of the advantages is that it is user friendly and easy to operate. Also, no additional hardware is needed for running the programs. Usually the software comes with the guarantee that it is legal to download. Ii is best to make decisions about the type of programs; you will be interested to watch. Look for the features, you are keen on and the quality of the TV channel. You can watch high definition quality.

It is legal to watch satellite TV on PC or laptop. The satellite TV is a wireless system in most parts of the system and functions very similar to the cable system. It uses a program in delivering its signal. This facilitates watching your favourite program anywhere around the world.

Use watch TV live streaming to watch your favourite TV shows on your laptop or computer. Access thousands of channels, in many languages of your choice, sitting at home. You can watch television show in French, English, Spanish, Russian and many more languages. The software is required to download these TV channels to allow accessing of these channels.

Onetime payment for purchasing software makes it quite inexpensive to use. There are no monthly charges. The software is easy to install and use. The software comes with after sales service; therefore they can be contacted, in case there is any difficulty. You can watch TV live streaming sitting at home or anywhere in the world. I personally use a satellite TV on PC software that allows me to watch more than 3,000 international television channels online.

Home Entertainment at its Finest through FTA Satellite television Technology

Is there a chance that man can watch hundred of channels right in their very own TV displays for free? Yes, it surely is achievable with FTA satellite television technology. FTA means free to air and it's a satellite technology of today that permits you to view a huge selection of TV programs from different channels via satellite broadcasting right into your very own TV set. FTA television broadcasts can only be enjoyed and acquired if the user will obtain an FTA receiver program as well as FTA files into the receiver.

If you would like to have your own FTA system in your home entertainment, you need to choose the retailer that can give you the top services and also the one who has client's best interest at heart. A good retailer will provide simple to follow instructions that can assist the user to set up the system and update the files fast and easily. There are even those who can provide film instruction guide that will certainly do good for first time users. Since FTA files are crucial in such a process, you have to see to it that the seller will provide file access for a unique FTA receiver in 24/7 at a quick and consistent download speed. A safe and secure server should be also considered so that the system will not encounter problems and it can offer you the better of television technology into your home. As with the FTA files, you may get them online but you have to be sure that it is safe and functional. Erroneous downloads might probably render the receiver useless as it could possibly burn it. There are suppliers that can provide FTA files which have been tested secure for download and installation.

If problems will exist then the retailer must have the capacity to give you a unfailing client support system. Many FTA suppliers supply support for the technicalities of the whole system. There should also be a consistent personnel to handle all of the inquiries and they must accessible 24/7. Retailers, many of them, will provide you with the receiver and you're able to pay once only and acquisition of the files will likely be free of charge. There is no need to pay monthly subscription costs for television broadcast and you can watch your favorite shows all the same. This is certainly placing the future of TV viewing on your hands. With this modern FTA system, you can get the better of TV broadcasting right into your own television set.


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Impact of CCTV camera's

Today's world is full of misdeed and annihilation. People are full of terror and therefore do not consider protected even at their homes. A lot of people own big business and because of this they do not nap contentedly as when they are at residence they get anxious about their business society and when they are at their workplace they could not focus as distressing about their residence and family unit.

The safety measures services in inclination are CCTV security camera and intruder alarms. These are the procedures that people acquire and ought to take. Intruders never inform before coming so it is very important to be alert before they enter the home. CCTV cameras are accessible with a variety of sizes, prices, features and types. The frequently preferred one is the wireless cctv security camera as it can be easily fitted everywhere and can be concealing from the person. It utilizes radio signals to transmit the picture to the head safety board, and by and huge have their own incorporated and rechargeable power supply.

Wireless featured cameras are a recently launched result. We can use it in our association or in our residence very contentedly as its mechanism process is very easy and it does not obtain much time. CCTV monitoring is a vital part against offense. Advances in video technology have brought down the costs of such systems while improving overall quality.

Most people are attentive of the black-and-white recordings from CCTV monitoring. These systems are less expensive than their color counterparts. They also have a benefit of being additional insightful to light, which makes them an enhanced pick for late night monitoring of darkened spaces. CCTV cameras with night vision

capabilities permit us to see in entire darkness. Night vision security camera is capable of producing detailed video in spite of lighting surroundings. When required, they automatically switch to infrared mode without the need of human intervention. There are four significant possessions to keep in mind when dealing with night vision security cameras i.e. resolution, distance, light pollution and sensor type.

Why is it hard to innovate?

Often a change begins with technological innovation leading to new products, services and ultimately new behavior patterns though not necessarily linear in order. Fierce competition is a phenomenon in modern dynamic business environment and the strategies capable of being responsive are essential in order to survive in long run and to remain in the competitive stance in future.

A firm maintaining a monopoly in its industry may not feel any threat to its market share and dominance and is likely to perceive its products and services as a ‘cash cow’. This happens when there is no true rivalry in that industry. The extent of dominance starts reducing as the market changes its mode to an oligopoly. When the industry started to characterize by fierce competition, the buyers get stood in a strong position capable of switching to firms that are responsive to their concerns. The customers initiate a ‘demand pull innovation’ for the firms to critically think of their products.

On the other hand, to succeed in a technology business, where the market is volatile in nature, the firms have to constantly engage in the pursuit of innovation. A firm must come with improvements to its products and services resulting in a ‘supply push innovation’.

Innovation refers to how an invention is brought into a commercial usage. As an example, Henry Ford did not invent the automobile; companies in Europe such as Daimler were producing cars well before Ford founded his company. Henry Ford instead focused on the innovation of automobiles, creating a method (mass production) by which cars could be manufactured cheaply to a large number of customers.

Innovation is a core process of turning opportunities into new ideas and of putting these into widely used practice. It can concern with renewing what the organization offers and the ways in which it generates. The success means accomplishment of the desired goals placed at the beginning of the innovation process.

Innovation started with a good idea will not merely suffice. It requires realization of the idea and converting it into a commercial and practical use. Although there is strong evidence to connect innovation with performance, success depends on other factors as well. This inspires the importance of some kind of a strategically focused innovation in any business firm. The real test of innovation success is not a one-off in short term but sustained growth through continuous innovation and adaptation.

Equally, innovation alone may not lead to business success. If the fundamentals of the business themselves are weak, then innovation will fail. Success depends on an appropriate mix of new ideas and receptive market at the right time. Success also relates to the ability to contribute consistently to growth.

Each year organizations spend a significant amount of their turnover on innovation depending on whether the organization is a cash cow, shooting star, a dog or a question mark in terms of its position on the growth-share matrix. Cash cows are organizations that have low market growth potential and high relative market share. Shooting stars on the other hand have a high market growth potential and high relative market share. Organizations with low relative market share and low market growth rate may receive very little investment. The principle goals required in return for this investment can be improved quality, search of new markets, extension of the product range, reduced labor costs, improved production processes, reduce environmental damage, replacement of products/services, reduced energy consumption or conformance to regulations. These goals dispel a popular myth that innovation deals mainly with new product development.

Despite these ultimate objectives, the efforts in innovation fail to meet them. Some research quotes failure rates of fifty percent while other quotes as high as ninety percent. One survey regarding product innovation quotes that out of three thousand ideas for new product only one becomes a success in the marketplace.

The causes of failure have been widely researched and vary considerably. Some causes will be external to the organization and outside its influence of control. Others will be internal and ultimately within the control of the organization. Internal causes of failure can be divided into causes associated with the cultural infrastructure and causes associated with the innovation process itself. Failure in the cultural infrastructure varies between organizations but the following are common across all organizations as some stages in their life cycle (O'Sullivan, 2002):

(1) Poor Leadership

(2) Poor Organization

(3) Poor Communication

(4) Poor Empowerment

(5) Poor Knowledge Management

Kotter (1996) points out the reasons for the high rate of failed change initiatives. Amongst them are lack of urgency, too much complacency, lack of sensible vision, and leadership issues. The main obstacle to any change-of-direction is what is known as the inertia, the virtual power that keeps moving at the current direction, and rejects any deviation from it. Tidd (2005) highlights it by the metaphor of ‘riding two horses’ when referring to the innovator’s dilemma. Common causes of failure within the innovation process in most organizations can be distilled into five types;

(1) Poor goal definition

(2) Poor alignment of actions to goals

(3) Poor participation in teams

(4) Poor monitoring of results

(5) Poor communication and access to information.

Poor goals definition requires that organizations state explicitly what their goals are in terms understandable to everyone involved in the innovation process. This often involves stating goals in a number of ways. Poor alignment of actions to goals means linking explicit actions such as ideas and projects to specific goals. It also implies effective management of action portfolios. Poor participation in teams refers to the behavior of individuals and teams. It also refers to the explicit allocation of responsibility to individuals regarding their role in goals and actions and the payment and rewards systems that link individuals to goal attainment. Finally, poor monitoring of results refers to monitoring all goals, actions and teams involved in the innovation process.

Innovations that fail are often potentially ‘good’ ideas but have been rejected due to budgetary constraints, lack of skills or poor fit with current goals. Pearson who joined with Mindscape in the emerging market of consumer multimedia was a failure due to unfamiliarity with the technology and market, a misjudged assessment of Mindscape’s position, and lack of awareness of the multimedia activities.

Gary Hamel lists few myths about innovation; that innovation is risky, is mostly about products, is about big ideas, etc – all these myths do act as barriers to innovation.

Early screening avoids unsuitable ideas devouring scarce resources that are needed to progress more beneficial ones. Organizations can learn how to avoid failure when it is openly discussed and debated. The lessons learned from failure often reside longer in the organizational conscientiousness than lessons learned from success. While learning is important, high failure rates throughout the innovation process are wasteful and a threat to the organizations future.

The impact of failure therefore goes beyond the simple loss of investment, upto loss of morale among employees, an increase in cynicism and even higher resistance to change in the future.

Then the issue is how would you successfully manage innovation in a growing technology business? Successful innovation correlates strongly with how a firm selects and manages projects, how it coordinates the inputs of different functions, how it links up with its customers etc. These points inspire managing innovation process in an integrated way. For example, there are firms with a high strength of R&D but lacks the ability to link the innovative potential to their business strategy. Tidd says that successful innovation management involves;

a. taking a strategic approach to innovation

b. using effective implementing mechanisms and structures

c. extending a supporting organizational context

d. building and maintaining effective external linkages.

Successful innovators acquire and accumulate technical resources and managerial capabilities over time; there are plenty of opportunities for learning – through doing, using, working with other firms, asking the customers etc- but they all depend upon the readiness of the firm to see innovation as a lottery than a process which can be continuously improved (Tidd : 2001).

Activity

Signal Processing

Strategy

Resourcing

Implementation

1

scanning environment for technological, market, regulatory and other potential sources for changes and opportunities

choose the change or opportunities that fit with the overall business strategy within technical and marketing competence.

procure solution(s) which realize strategic decisions

develop to maturity

2

develop a mechanism to gather related information and filter them

assess signals in terms of possibilities for action

invent in house through R&D activities

parallel technical development and development of the relevant market.

3

scan forward in time

link with overall business strategy

acquire via external R&D contract

for product development it is external customer market

4

process signals into relevant information for decision making

link with core knowledge base competencies

license or buy in

for process development it is internal user market

assess costs and benefits of different options

technology transfer

launch and commission

select priority options

after sales support

agree and commit resources

plan

A number of models for auditing innovation have been developed to provide a framework against which to assess performance in innovation management.

The first stage in innovation is for someone to generate an idea, which is typically a technical insight into a product or process or thought about a service. Idea generation leads to opportunity recognition where ideas are prodded and tested. Often ideas are improved, merged with other ideas and in many cases abandoned. An important test for an idea is that it matches the goals of the organization and available resources – people and money. If an opportunity is recognized then the idea moves to a new stage where it can be developed further. The development phase may involve prototype development and marketing testing. Many ideas wait at the end of the development phase for market conditions to be right.

There are currently many new products languishing in the laboratories of Philips and Nokia waiting for their moment to begin replacing or even disrupting existing technology. The final stage of the innovation process is realization and in many cases exploitation where the customer makes the final evaluation.

Porter (1990) argues that even global firms who operate businesses worldwide still depend on strategic skills and experience gained in their country of origin. Statistics show that only 12% of innovation activities have taken place in countries outside the firm’s base country showing a high degree of correlation between the area of innovation (industry) and regional base (country). For instance, European firms have had innovation in areas of industries whilst Japanese dominated in consumer electronics and motor cars.

The investment in R&D is amongst the most critical factors that influence innovation. Statistics again show a correlation between the countries investment in R&D as a percentage of GDP. For national firms, patterns of national demand play an instrumental role, in particular the demand pull innovation. Competitive rivalry is dependant on national factors including domestic competencies, and country resources, level of research, rate of literacy, level of higher education etc.

The development of chemical engineering sector in the USA emerged in response to challenges and opportunities of refining petrol are a classic result of the national innovation system. The OECD National Innovation Systems Project is another one, the objectives of which will describe as follows;

"For policy makers, an understanding of innovation systems can help identify leverage points for enhancing innovative performance and overall competitiveness. The concept of national innovation systems directs the attention of policy makers to possible systemic failures that can accompany the more generally recognized market failures in the development of technology. The lack of interaction between the actors in the system, mismatches between basic research in the public sector and more applied research in industry, malfunctioning of technology transfer institutions, and information and absorptive deficiencies on the part of industry may all limit innovation and the diffusion of knowledge. In search of improved interactions, governments can provide the foundations for effective partnering among the elements in the system".

It is evident that in formulating and executing their innovation strategies, business firms can not ignore the national systems of innovation in which they are embedded. Through their strong influences on demand and competitive conditions, the provision of human resources, and forms of corporate governance, national systems of innovation both open opportunities and impose constraints on what firms can do. However although firm’s technological strategies are influenced by their own national systems of innovation, they are not determined by them.

The next issue is how would you allocate resources for innovation? Innovation activities are characterized by high level of risk, uncertainty and instability. The first phase of innovation is basically knowledge building requiring fewer resources and taking long time to complete. Hence, this is the most risky yet the least resource consuming phase.

Competition, mistrust, and scarcity of resources make innovation imperative. Even successful innovations cause incredible booms and busts. People under- or over-estimate the potential profits of innovations. Electricity, the railroad, the telephone, the fax machine, and the Internet are all examples of the chaos that new innovations can cause for people who work with and/or invest in them. The larger an innovation is, (that is, the greater potential gain) the more difficult it can be to manage. More people get involved, more money is staked, and more is put at risk.

In order to capitalize on the innovative capacities within a company, it should have some basic elements that foster it. The way it is provided can be formal or informal, and adapted to the size of the company, but they must be present in some form to truly encourage and leverage innovation. They are direction and alignment between the goals of the individuals and the company, a safe environment to take risks and share ideas, and a compensation system that recognizes and rewards innovation and its close cousin, collaboration.

For innovations to be truly exploited, they need to be shared. Great developments by lone inventors, such as Thomas Edison, are largely of the past- most truly great inventions of today are the result of collaborations. Ideas are usually just starting points. They need to be refined, augmented, and merged with other ideas.

As mentioned, Innovation is the successful exploitation of new ideas ahead of the competition. This results in an organization being able to bring new value added products and services to world markets. The innovation that results from sustained investment in R&D, combined with other related investment at the right levels, is essential in providing innovative environment that is crucial to improve competitive edge. It is equally vital to many companies looking to sustain profits.

The first step in creating a culture of innovation is unleashing the creative potential of the employees. The challenge is getting them to see the world with fresh eyes in order to develop fresh solutions. This is relatively inexpensive research for nurturing expertise in fields that could lead to future opportunities and threats. The key question is what are the potential costs and risks of not mastering or entering the field? For instance, no successful firm in pharmaceuticals could avoid exploring recent developments in biotechnology. Besides market analysis, sound technical judgments are the ones that should matter deciding innovative activities.

Creative ideas are not enough for business to survive. It needs a process and culture that maximize creative assets. This is a discrete innovation capability that helps pull together the best thinking within the company, enabling connect the organizational dots. The most powerful form of innovation is real-time innovation - innovation without any external stimuli. This requires rethinking of all aspects of the business (strategy, processes, measures, competencies, leadership). The result is a culture that thrives on change, flexibility and adaptability. This stage involves applied R&D and feasibility demonstration, in order to reduce technical uncertainties and to build in-house competence so that the firm is capable of transforming technical competence into a profitable venture. This helps determine strategic options open to the firm at a later stage. As usual, costs will be higher than the knowledge building but much lower than the full scale business investment.

The business investment stage involves relatively large scale expenditures to develop, product and market of new and better products, processes or services. The key question in such a project is what are the potential costs and benefits in continuing with the project? Success depends on meeting the user needs and thereby targeted marketing. The external linkages need to be tightly controlled through majority ownership or a joint venture.

Resource allocation should follow the principles of ;

1. Incrementalism – developing gradually and allowing dying peacefully or changing direction, if it is entering a dead-end.
2. building sample rules and models
3. setting criteria for stopping
4. using sensitivity analysis
5. seeking reduction of key uncertainties.

Reference

Burgelman, Robert A (2001) Strategic Management of Technology and innovation, (3rd Edition), McGraw-Hill

Byars, Lloyd, Rue, Leslie, Zahra, Shaker (1996), Strategic Management, Irwin

Cabral, R. (1998) ‘Refining the Cabral-Dahab Science Park Management Paradigm’, Int. J. Technology Management, Vol. 16, pp. 813-818.

Chakravorti, B. (2003) The Slow Pace of Fast Change: Bringing Innovations to Market in a Connected World. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Christensen, Clayton M. (1997). The Innovator's Dilemma, Harvard Business School Press.

Christensen, Clayton M.;Raynor, Michael E. (2003). The Innovator's Solution, Harvard Business School Press.

Tidd, Joe (2001) Managing Innovation, Integrating Technological Market and Organizational Change (2nd Edition), NY: John Wiley and Sons.

Tidd, Joe (2001) Managing Innovation, Integrating Technological Market and Organizational Change (2nd Edition), NY: John Wiley and Sons.

Future Innovations In Food And Drinks To 2015: Npd, Trend Convergence And Emerging Growth Opportunities -Aarkstore Enterprise

Finally, the effect of the economic downturn on product innovation is discussed as well as the most important drivers influencing consumer demand and what this means for future product launches.
Finally, the thorny issue of regulation and repositioning products on a healthy basis is analysed followed by a look at the problems surrounding global food supply.

Key features of this report

•Analysis of how the product lifecycle model is changing
•The report looks at the three major trends impacting on new product development in the global food and drinks sector - health, indulgence and convenience
• The analyzes the evolution of product launches in the global food and drinks market
• Case studies are included illustrating how the innovation environment within the global food and drinks industry is changing fast

Scope of this report

•Understand the key innovations in the food & drink industry and what the major trends will be over the next five years
•Understand crucial areas such as the growing trend for functional foods which is encouraging food companies and pharmaceutical firms to co-operate.
•Evaluate whether you should be looking to refresh your product portfolio in order to take advantage of emerging trends

Key Market Issues

•Over the last decade there has been a massive shift by many of the largest food and foodservice operators to reformulate and re-position products as the health debate has gained ground
• A disconnection exists between the acknowledgement of the need for "breakthrough innovation" and the recognition of the importance of external sources (be it suppliers, retailers or competitors) to be able to achieve that goal
•In many emerging markets multinational operators are facing increasing competition from local players that have started to develop their own premium and even super-premium brands with high quality products, packaging and promotions.

Key findings from this report

• A high level of innovative activity in the soft drinks sector can be attributed to an explosion in new combinations, flavour and tastes driven by indulgence and premiumization trends as well as a shift to new functional, nutraceutical and natural soft drinks lines
• The economic downturn has thrown up some new opportunities for traditional food categories. The shelf stable (canned and packaged) sector, long seen as the dowdy neighbor to more exciting categories such as frozen, chilled and fresh, has witnessed somewhat of a revitalization as consumers downgraded their spending patterns
• Consumers increasingly believe that own label brands are on a par with their branded counterparts.

Key questions answered

1. What are the major trends in innovation in the food & drinks market?
2. Which regions are seeing the most product innovation?
3. What are the best strategies to maximize the efficiency of the product development process?
4. What are the most innovative companies in the food & drink sector?
5. What does the industry consider to be the most important driver for new product development


Table of Contents :
Table of Contents
Future Innovations in Food and Drinks to 2015
Executive summary 12
Drivers of innovation 12
New approaches to innovation and product lifecycle management 13
What's new in innovation? 14
Global NPD launch patterns 15
Case studies 16
Industry opinion survey results 17
Conclusions 18
Chapter 1 Drivers of innovation 20
Summary 20
Introduction 21
The impact of private label 21
Private label is changing the food and drinks marketing landscape 21
Private label penetration 23
Younger shoppers are more receptive to private labels 24
Private label and innovation 25
By increasing their quality private labels are now a credible source of innovation 25
Recession has allowed private label to offer an alternative to eating out 25
Food industry restructuring 26
M&A activity 26
Deal activity has declined, but looks set to increase again in the foreseeable future 26
"Bought in" innovation is part of the rationale for M&A 27
Recession and innovation 29
Innovation rates increased during the recession 29
Recession may actually make it easier to launch products 30
Some companies are now betting on innovation driving future growth 31
Consumer drivers of innovation 32
Two areas are affecting innovation 32
Purchasing criteria are having the greatest impact 32
Simplification and transparency are important trends 33
The health issue and claims regulation 34
Obesity continues to be a growing problem 34
Marketing innovation that backs product development is one way to tackle obesity 36
Regulation of health claims is retarding innovation 37
Rising innovation costs are reducing the rate of innovation 37
Re-positioning products as healthy 38
Global food supply issues 40
Chapter 2 New approaches to innovation and product lifecycle management 44
Summary 44
Introduction 45
Product lifecycle 45
Management of product lifecycles is changing dramatically 45
Time to market in particular is decreasing 45
However, measuring time to market is not seen as such an important metric 46
Types of product innovation 49
The industry believes breakthrough innovation is key however 49
Resistance to open innovation is harming breakthrough innovation 50
Examples of innovation 51
Health breakthroughs 51
Packaging can also play a strong role in offering new health benefits 52
Line extensions 52
Line extensions offer lower risk innovation 52
Line extensions are not risk free however: is Starbucks risking its brand? 53
Other industries are extending into the food and drinks space 55
Varying brands by region can be a powerful tactic 55
Me-toos 56
Incremental innovation is the norm in food and drinks 56
Adopting an open innovation strategy 56
General Mills G-WIN Worldwide Innovation Network 58
Other open innovation examples 60
Consumers' role in open innovation 62
Other examples of open innovation 63
The way ahead for open innovation 65
Chapter 3 What's new in innovation? 70
Summary 70
Introduction 71
Health 71
Functional Foods 72
Kids' specific products 74
Targeting kids with functional foods will increasingly attract scrutiny 75
Weight management 76
Digestive health 80
Beauty-enhancing foods 82
The future for functional foods 84
There are risks as well as opportunities when targeting health 85
Indulgence 87
Specialty gourmet foods 87
Variety in flavor is also growing 88
Ethical retailing 89
Organic food is still the most important segment 89
Simplification of products is also a key area to target 90
Convenience 92
Microwaveable packaging is a key trend 92
Packaging and innovation 94
Offering portion control is important 95
On-the-go is still an important trend 95
Packaging can help to target more specific consumer groups 96
Other areas where packaging innovation can be of benefit 96
Chapter 4 Global NPD launch patterns 100
Summary 100
Introduction 101
Innovation levels by product market 101
Breakthrough innovations by market 101
Breakthrough innovations are becoming rarer, even when innovation rates are up 101
Soft drinks are the one bright spot of innovation 103
Breakthrough innovations by region 104
Europe is the key regions that is cutting back on true innovation 104
Innovation levels by type 105
Formulation is the main type of breakthrough innovation 105
NPD by overall product category 107
Evolution of NPD by region 109
Latin America is an increasingly important region 109
But the industry still sees Asia-Pacific as the most innovative region 110
Overall NPD trends 111
Health 112
Convenience 113
Indulgence 114
Chapter 5 Case studies 118
Summary 118
Introduction 119
New partnerships and alliances 119
Foodservice joins forces with mainstream food 119
Food meets pharmaceuticals and biotechnology 121
Global players tackling open innovation 123
General Mills 123
Kraft 125
Chapter 6 Industry opinion survey results 130
Summary 130
Introduction 131
NPD and building competitive advantage 131
NPD is considered the best mechanism for gaining competitive advantage 131
Key drivers for future NPD 132
Emerging markets are seen as the key driver of future growth 132
Views on scientific and technological advances clash with innovation ambitions 133
Importance of different types of innovation 134
Breakthrough innovations are still seen as the most important 134
Sources of innovation 136
The industry appears resistant to external sources of innovation 136
The NPD cycle 137
The time-to-market for new ideas appears set to fall significantly 137
Innovation success metrics 139
Despite reducing time to market being seen as important, measuring it isn't 139
Trends in innovation 140
Most innovative food and drinks companies 141
Chapter 7 Conclusions 144
Summary 144
Introduction 145
The need for "breakthrough innovation" 145
Reliance on internal innovation ideas needs overhauling 145
Reap the rewards of open innovation 146
Cross-fertilization and innovation 147
Emerging market growth and innovation 148
Consumer pressures on innovation 148
Future NPD trends 149
Health and wellness will continue to be the leading trend 149
Indulgent innovation will focus on offering high quality and specialty products 150
Convenience benefits and innovative packaging will go hand-inhand in the future 151
Ethical products will be very important in the future 151

List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Private label growth ($m) in Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, 2002–2012 22
Figure 1.2: Number of M&A deals (by deal date) in the food and drinks sector, 2007-2009 26
Figure 2.3: Length of average NPD cycle now and in five years 46
Figure 2.4: Importance of innovation success metrics 47
Figure 2.5: Importance of innovation types for food and drink NPD now and in next five years 50
Figure 2.6: Nutricia Forticare 51
Figure 2.7: Rising Beverages Activate functional drinks 52
Figure 2.8: Starbucks Via instant coffee 54
Figure 2.9: General Mills G-WIN website 60
Figure 2.10: External contacts made by Cadbury in open innovation program 61
Figure 2.11: MyStarbucksIdeas website 64
Figure 2.12: Current and projected share of new products developed using external elements 66
Figure 2.13: Key sources of product innovation for food and drinks companies in next five years 67
Figure 3.14: Unilever Amaze kids' specific brain food 76
Figure 3.15: Candia Silhoutte Active 79
Figure 3.16: Campina Optimel Control 80
Figure 3.17: Kraft LiveActive Chewy Granola Bars 81
Figure 3.18: Danone Essensis 82
Figure 3.19: Probi Bravo Friscus 84
Figure 3.20: Goodbon Maple Chunks 88
Figure 3.21: Moulin du Calanquet fruit juice 88
Figure 3.22: Kraft Triscuit 91
Figure 3.23: Bonduelle Vapeur vegetables 93
Figure 3.24: La Demi-Calorie Galettine Moment 94
Figure 3.25: Fleur d'Olive Choc-o-lait 94
Figure 3.26: The reusable milk jug available in Waitrose and Sainsbury's in the UK 97
Figure 3.27: ConAgra Foods Healthy Choice trays 98
Figure 4.28: Share of global breakthrough innovations launched (% all launches within each market), by selected food and drinks markets, 2006-2009 102
Figure 4.29: Share of breakthrough food and drinks product launches by region, 2006-2009 105
Figure 4.30: Innovation by type, 2006-2009 (%) 106
Figure 4.31: New product launches by category (% of overall product launches), 2006-2009 108
Figure 4.32: New product launches by region (% of overall product launches), 2006-2009 109
Figure 4.33: Innovation levels of companies in each region in the next five years 111
Figure 4.34: Importance of selected trends in food and drinks NPD over next five years 112
Figure 4.35: Importance of health sub-trends in food and drinks NPD in next five years 113
Figure 4.36: Importance of convenience sub-trends in food and drinks NPD in next five years 114
Figure 4.37: Importance of indulgence sub-trends in food and drinks NPD in next five years 115
Figure 5.38: Burger King Krinkz fries 120
Figure 5.39: BK Fresh Apple Fries 121
Figure 5.40: General Mills Progresso Light soup 124
Figure 5.41: Kraft Bagel-fuls 127
Figure 6.42: Importance of investment areas for competitive advantage in next five years 132
Figure 6.43: Importance of key NPD drivers over next five years 134
Figure 6.44: Importance of innovation types for food and drink NPD now and in next five years 135
Figure 6.45: Relative importance of different sources of product innovation ideas for food and drinks companies over next five years 137
Figure 6.46: Length of average NPD cycle now and in five years 138
Figure 6.47: Importance of innovation success metrics 140
Figure 6.48: Importance of trends for food and drink NPD over next five years 141

List of Tables
Table 1.1: Total private label penetration in Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, by country, 2002– 2012 24
Table 4.2: Share of global breakthrough innovations (% of all launches within each market) by selected food and drinks markets, 2006 – 2009 102
Table 4.3: Number of global breakthrough innovations (actual) by market, 2006-2009 103
Table 6.4: Respondents' views on the which are the most innovative companies in global food and drinks 142

The Web Design Process Easy To Understand

The best thing that can be done for web design is to leave it to the designers! That is what a lot of folks particularly internet marketers like me believe about the web design process.

When you visit a large web design company the chances are they outsource the work to a freelance website designer just like I do in the majority of cases. You may have a current web site design project, you may be updating an existing site, or just interested in learning new skills. If so then this article will help you with your web design process decision making.

When your field of expertise includes nothing related to computers or the Internet, defining what you need in a web design can feel burdensome. However, I was tired of running behind companies, waiting for their updates on my website design. You must first develop a strategic plan and design your web site accordingly. Prior to designing your web site, you must have a clear understanding as to exactly what it takes to succeed. But these goals are nearly impossible to achieve without learning the rules that govern Web site design. Look for books on web page and web design. Use the web - there are thousands of sites that have tutorials and explanations of every aspect of web site design and implementation.

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The Tyme of Your CPU Life

You’ve got your finger still on the steampunk world, that ever-so-pretty subculture embraced wholeheartedly by these friendly internets. YD’s posted their fair share of steampunk stuff, and that tradition of love for it continues right this very moment. The “Woodguy” contacted us and rung our ears off with his excellent new covers for iMacs. Covers? Why that’s madness, you say, only PC computers can have a new level of design on top, Apple computers are already perfect, aren’t they? No way, no way at all! What they need is more wood.

They need wood, I am telling you that right now. Woodguy’s designed a couple of slick covers for the monitor/computer in 1 iMac series made of a couple different breeds of wood.

There’s the Shaker Style or the Maplewood, both will get your eyeballs in a bind. The Shaker Style is cherry with square peg and crown trim – painted marble base unit and an optional solid cherry accent trim for your keyboard. The Maplewood on the other hand is figured maple with a maple base. Extra special. Extra elegant.

Designer: Woodguy for Old Time Computer