Technology in Retail Industry

Shopping' the one word women go ga ga over is slowly losing its sheen. Today the whole experience of shopping is not all that enjoyable. From queuing in traffic to actually getting to the store to find a parking space and ultimately not finding the object of desire that you have wanted to possess, is quite disappointing. Thus in today's competitive market retailers have realised that with the aid of modern technology they can enhance the experience received by customers more than ever before.

Technology enormously drives today's retail industry. It has transformed the sector into a high performance one, achieving its targets by catering to consumers. Retail stores have tried to revamp themselves with the help of technology especially in the U.S. and Europe in various ways. Retailers have adapted technology as a vital element of commerce.

Technology has enabled retailers for greater transparency. Retailers have integrated technology with manufacturers and consumers via customer and sales data. It is easier for them now to track their supplies from their headquarters. Technology also helps to break the national and international barriers and connect with different customers and their demands.

Philip Clarke Chief Executive of Tesco PLC said there has been a "tectonic shift" in the retail industry and has forced companies to adapt themselves to new age technologies.
"We are in the first downturn of the digital age," he said at the World Retail Congress in London on September 9, 2012. "Digital technology gives us the opportunity for a warmer, more meaningful conversation with our customers, local communities, our colleagues and the suppliers we work with."

Retail giants like Wal-Mart have made a huge effort on social networking websites like Facebook that is targeted at making its stores prominent at a local level. It debuted Black Friday sales on the social networking websites.

"Reaching an optimal state of technology utilization is a high bar for almost any business to reach," said Tim Herbert, Vice President, Research, CompTIA, a non-profit association for the IT industry. "But the vast majority of retailers clearly want to improve their technology utilization. For some this will involve adoption of new technologies; for others, improving the use of what they have in place."

"Location-based technologies can give retailers the tools to incentivize in-store purchases, such as special discounts for in-store customers who check-in via an app," he explained in a press release.
"Reliable wireless connectivity, robust security, quality end-points, data back-up and other IT basics cannot be overlooked by retailers anxious to add new capabilities," he said.

An estimated two-thirds of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) comes from retail consumption. To see the U.S. economy's well-being, retail industry is a good indicator. According to the latest annual report from the U.S. Commerce Department, total retail sales in 2011 were $4.7 trillion, which represents an 8% increase over 2010 total retail sales (including food service and automotive).

One of the well known voices of U.S. business, Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks said, "For all the promise of digital media to bring people together, I still believe that the most sincere, lasting powers of human connection come from looking directly into someone else's eyes, with no screen in between."

But he also added "Information can't be from the company to the consumer; it has to be a level playing field where consumers feel that they are opting in and that there is a sharing of information. Cracking the code involves understanding how to create an opportunity for people to feel a sense of pride, a sense of discovery that they want to share, with someone they care about."

Since 2011, attention of the retailers has shifted to mobile, with consumers buying out more smartphones and tablets and their desire to interact with retail consumers. This has now moved to be the indispensable device for most customers in U.S and in European countries. Retails began to address all things via mobile.

Consumers have mobile apps on their smartphones and these offer loyalty points and coupon offer for "checking in" to a particular retail outlet. Mobile has become a favorite place or platform to shop for consumers in the U.S. Retailers are seeing a 4 percent increase in total e-commerce sales solely from smartphones and tablets, said Shop.org and Forrester Research.

Mobile payments have become the in-thing among both consumers and retailers. Mobile payment is referred to mobile money, mobile money transfer, and mobile wallet, generally refer to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device according to Wikipedia. It is basically an alternative payment method apart from cash, check or credit cards. Consumers can pay a wide range of services and goods using their mobiles - music, bus fare, train fare, tickets, books etc. The model for payment can be NFC (Near Field Communication), SMS based, Direct Mobile Billing and Mobile web payments (WAP). Globally, mobile payments might reach an excess of $600 billion by 2013 forecasted Juniper Research.

Technology giants like Apple too have helped retail integrate better with newer technology. Apple came out with EasyPay payment system, an app that turns iPhone into an iWallet. The app uses the user's credit card information from their iTunes account.

Financial institutions and technology companies are investing millions of dollars in the development of mobile payment service. It is also dubbed digital or mobile wallets.
All large retailers in U.S. like Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, 7-Eleven and Sunoco have moved towards developing a mobile payment network service. Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a joint company of more than a dozen retailers will compete with Google's Wallet. This will be supported by mobile operators AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.

Consumers now a faster and less cumbersome payment and retailers believe that building electronic systems that will help in mobile payment transaction will deepen customer loyalty.

In August Starbucks announced it will be investing $25 million in a start-up company called Square Inc. using its technology for mobile payments in Starbucks outlets in U.S.

"Can you imagine trying to pay with a phone at a (restaurant)? They need to be thinking about more than one (payment option)," said Denee Carrington, an analyst at Forrester.

Online companies like PayPal and Amazon too have mobile payment options.
A study done by Javelin Strategy & Research recently said that mobile payment have broken the $20 million mark in 2012 and is expected to increase to $1 trillion by 2017.
"Mobile will define the movement to unify all channels of retail. It is poised to become a tipping point in the quest for a true omni-channel business - and will likely be a predictor of tomorrow's winners," said NRF Stores.

In conclusion, the transformation of the retail industry from a single shop to a chain of stores with a worldwide customer base is mainly due to globalization and advanced information technology. And technology has helped them maintain control and be connected to the various outlets. Technology has helped customers be informed about the prices and to get their desired products and services in an easier and better way.

Live With Comfort With the Help of Modern Technology

As the technology is getting advanced, there are more products that are created to make life easier. With the help of modern technology, people's standard of living also changes. Most of the people do not realize the importance of technology and how it has changed the day to day life. As the centuries have passed by, technologies have developed and have made people's life more comfortable. More people have also chosen several technologies not only to enhance their career but also their health, beauty and wealth. Here are some ways in which one can feel the improvement of technology and how it has changed human life.

Information Technology

Nowadays mobile phones, smart phones, computers have been an important source of communication. Every person needs a mobile phone for day to day purposes. Computers play an important role in every field which includes hospitals, hotels, schools, institutes etc. There are also mobile computer devices like tablets, iPads, and iPods that can be used both as a mobile phone and a computer. These devices help the people to get their basic necessities to be done through a click of a button.

Medicinal Technology

Years before there were no proper treatments for certain sickness. Many people have lost lives because of unavailability of proper devices. Nowadays with the help of technology, several equipment's and treatments are discovered to help in curing diseases easier and faster. These technologies are mainly designed to save the lives of the people and to keep the rate of health go high. Surgeries those are tough and painful are also made easier for both the doctors and the patients.

Gaming Technology

Many people consider the gaming technology as a stress buster. There are several types of gaming consoles available in the market today. Interactive game consoles help people to play the games without any partners. Every individual uses different types of gaming technology. Nowadays gaming technologies are also being functional on mobile phones, tablets etc. Therefore, apart from making calls and texts people can also play games, listen to music and watch movies in their mobile devices.

Transportation Technology

Years ago, the ability to travel for people was limited because there were not many modes of transports at that time. People were not able to travel far because they did not have proper and comfortable travel systems. Nowadays, a person can travel from one place to another in a short period of time with the aid of the different modes of innovative transports that is mainly used to travel long distances. People are not only able to reach the destinations on time they are also able to have a comfortable and relaxed journey.

There are going to be several advancements in the world of technology in the current years. Technologies like using senuti for windows will be upgraded. Several techniques to download senuti for windows will also be enhanced. Keeping on track of the technology advances will help to stay in lane for the years to come.

Having Family Fun With Science Projects

Does your family need more time doing something educational but also to be fun and hold their attention as well? Well here are some ways that your family can do something together, have fun, and even have it be educational all at the same time. Below are some ideas on how to have family fun with science projects.

Family time is very valuable. You want to make sure when you are picking a science project for your family to make it something that will be fun for everyone. You want to make sure to pick something that everyone will be interested in and want to learn more about. This will help assure that all of the family will have a good experience and want to do science projects together more often.

The following are four reasons your family will have fun doing science projects:

1. You interact. You have to talk, theorize, and make decisions, which can create great memories.

2. It is hands on. Unlike watching television, science projects require thinking and action. As a family, you can work together to figure out how something works, test a theory, or build something. It is a great time to bond, and get off the couch.

3. You learn. Who said learning isn't fun? The truth is, when you learn through application it is a lot of fun. Seeing the results of mixing two colors to create a third, or creating a real erupting volcano can be lots of laughs, excitement, and amazement.

4. Your family will spend time together. When a family does a science project together they are working together for a common goal and having fun. What could be better?

One idea for you to try out for family fun with science projects is making soap. There are different ways you can make soap with different ingredients. You can look online and see what different ingredients different soaps use. You could also do a little lesson involving bacteria's and different ways of getting rid of bacteria and germs using soap. This will help your family have fun with science projects and help them to be a little more educated all at the same time.

The second idea for family fun with science projects is making a lava lamp. This can be done by taking water and sticking it into a glass jar. Then add food coloring in the water and mix it together. You take vegetable oil and pour it into the water in the glass jar. Then wait for the oil and water to settle. The water and oil should separate. Then take a salt shaker and shake salt into the oil while counting for five seconds. The salt and oil mixture should sink to the bottom in a clump. As the salt dissolves the oil should float back up to the top. To make the oil go back down to the bottom shake some more salt while counting to five again. You can also use this as a lesson on the laws of gravity.

The third idea for family fun with science projects is to create a funnel like a tornado would make. Do this by giving everyone in the family their own 2 liter bottle with a funnel. Take the funnel and place it in the top of the 2 liter bottle. Then take a pitcher of water and pour it into the funnel to fill up the 2 liter bottle. Do not fill the bottle all of the way up. Then put the lid back on. Then have your family shake the bottle clock wise around and around and then have them stop. This motion will cause the water to spin like a tornado would. You could do a lesson on tornados and what they do and then have this project to go along with it.

There are so many things out there that you and your family can have fun while doing science projects. It doesn't matter what kind of science project you do it is all about the information and discussions given. Showing your family that you are interested in science helps them want to be more involved and will help them be more interested. Ask questions and give answers that will help your family to understand science and the meaning behind the experiments you do. This will help them to remember what they need to know about different science experiments. So take your family and go have some fun with science projects.

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Creative Ways To Get Your Child Interested In Science

Not all kids like all subjects, but it seems that science is the hardest for ordinary kids to get interested in. This could be because that a lot of parents themselves are not interested in science and kids seem to pick up on that. Teachers try everything that they can think of to make their subjects interesting and most of the time it works. Teachers who have passion for their subject are a lot more effective in getting kids interested in a subject than teachers who just sit and lecture a student.

As a parent you might be wondering how you can get your child interested in science. The first step is to become active and interested in what your child is doing. This is probably the most important thing you can do to get your child interested in anything. By showing your child that you are interested in what they are doing makes you child feel like they are doing something worthwhile. Because they are feeling important they will approach science with a new zest for learning.

Here are a few tips to help get your child interested in science.

Tip one:
Do not wait for school to start before trying to teach your child about science. Start teaching them stuff at a young age. The great thing about science is that you can gear it towards any age. For example when you are taking a walk in the spring you can talk with your child about why flowers are starting to grow this time of year.

Tip two:
Take advantage of your child's natural curiosity. Kids love to ask questions, they always want to know how something works, why something does that, how something is made, and anything else that they can think to ask. Rather than telling them the answers simply ask questions of your own. Ask them what they think the answer is and how they came up with that answer.

Tip three:
Do hands-on projects with them to help them learn how to think critically and figure out how things work. For example you can bake cookies with children and teach them about how mixing the ingredients together turn the separate ingredients into something else entirely. You can also teach them about temperatures when the cookies are in the oven. No matter the age you can find some type of hands-on thing to do to relate to science. The key is to engage in conversation with your child and have them think things through.

Tip four:
Help your child get involved in more science related activities at school. Encourage them to participate in the Science Fair and help them with their project. Or if they are involved in Scouts take advantage of their Scouting projects and turn them into a fun science lesson. Your children do not realize just how much science actually affects our every day lives.

Tip five:
Encourage your child to investigate and experiment. The main part of science is investigating what you think and trying to see if it will work. For example if your child wants to play in the snow and build a snowman/snow chair let them try it out. Give them the tools they can use or ask them what they might need and provide it for them. If their idea does not work you can suggest the build the platform first and then put a snowman's head on the back of the platform. But let them try their ideas without discouraging them.

Science does not have to be boring; by taking the time to answer your child's question or by having them answer their own question you are teaching them about science. Buying them that butterfly habitat is also teaching them about science. And the best news is it is all fun and interesting for them.

Just Science Projects is a leading website featuring science projects for kids [http://www.justscienceprojects.com/]. Just Science Projects specializes in helping parents, kids and educators find interesting and fun science projects that will help kids gain valuable science learning and experience. Visit us for more information on Just Science Projects and how you can get dozens of cool science projects and experiments [http://www.justscienceprojects.com/], or call 206-498-6502.

Why Education Is Extremely Important

Education is the process of acquiring knowledge. It is a must for every human being, no matter which part of the world he belongs to. It is the basis of creating a civilized society. Literacy and education are two different things. Being literate means to be able to read and write, while education offers the ability to reason. Every country invests a great deal in making its citizens educated. Education helps a person in earning a better living, living a luxurious life and become a better human being. After food, clothing and shelter, education has become a necessity for every society.

Educated citizens form the backbone of every growing economy. Following points highlight the importance of education in an individual's life:

- Education helps in building a better society - Man is called a social animal. Education teaches him a lot of things like rules, regulations, basic etiquette and ways to behave with others. It helps in building a society of civilized people working for the benefits of each other. Educated citizens can differentiate between what is right and wrong. They are aware of their fundamental rights and duties and follow laws governing the country.

- It helps in earning a better living - Good quality education is must for a person to earn himself a high paying job. If you own a business, being educated helps you to think about new ways to take your business forward. Education offers you financial independence and helps you to afford a luxurious life.

- It helps in contributing to the nation's Economy - Education plays a very important role in taking the economy forward. An educated and economically independent society is an asset to every country.

- It Brings Confidence - Education helps in building self-confidence. It not only gives you the ability to take informed decisions but also helps in communicating thoughts to others in a better and effective way.

- It increases Reasoning Ability - The biggest benefit that education brings is to help people reason against the illogical. It helps in fighting against the superstitions that uneducated people otherwise follow blindly. Educated people can think rationally and make arguments based on scientific reasoning. It keeps you aware of the latest happenings and developments around the world and helps in keeping pace with the evolving technology. It gives you better understanding of the things happening around you

Being educated helps you feel happy from within. It keeps you free from inferiority complexes and gives a better understanding of the world. Education is the key to achieve success in every aspect of life.

The importance of education cannot be denied by anyone. Higher education in India is affordable and job-oriented. Visit our website for more information.

Is There Still A Shortage of Special Education Teachers?

Today, I am a Special Education teacher. However, I can still remember when I was young and back in graduate school matriculated in the social studies teaching program. Since I wanted to be a History teacher, not a Special Education teacher, it's kind of funny that all these years later I am teaching Special Education. How did this happen? Well, the same way it happened for some others too I guess... I had friends who were Special Education teachers and also a few who were enrolled in Special Education teacher-preparation programs who talked me into giving it a try. They told me that Special Education is where the real need was. Basically, they told me that this is where a guy like me could do the most good.

Well, more than two decades later not much has changed. There is still a huge need for Special Education teachers here in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Special Education is among the most high-need fields in schools that service low-income students. The U.S. Department of Education also states that there is a Special Education teacher shortage in 49 out of our 50 states.

In addition, today there are more instances of students with multiple disabilities at a younger age. The National Education Association (NEA) says that there has been a 30% increase in Special Education students since 2006. Finally, throw in the high turn-over rate of teachers in such a demanding field and one can easily see that our country has a problem, and that problem is only going to get bigger.

So, why can't we get enough Special Education teachers? Well, according to National Public Radio (NPR) our country is having this shortage because of the extremely long hours they have to put in and the crushing paperwork that they are expected to complete on top of their everyday teaching. I say we're also having this shortage because being a Special Education teacher isn't for everyone. Only a few people can handle the day-in and day-out uncertainties of the job, and the ever-changing roles they have to play. Not only do they have to take an enormous amount of time to learn the academic side of multiple subjects or scholarly disciplines, which could take five to ten years to fully learn, but they also have to learn about all the different factors that could impact academic performance, and learn the law too, as well as do many administration duties.

In a word, it's overwhelming. Just considering the disabilities side alone, a Special Education teacher has to be able to accurately identify and treat needs that could be based on learning deficiencies or even different styles, as well as the mental, emotional, and even social deficiencies too. Furthermore, Special Education teachers also have to know what to do with the other side of the spectrum too with the gifted students.

Basically, not only do they need immense people skills in dealing with all kinds of students and adults, but they also have to love the unpredictability of the field, and must be a believer in possibilities, as well as possess the highest form of intelligence, which is called empathy. Not sympathy here, but empathy. There is a difference between empathy and sympathy. Special Education teachers need all of these mentioned skills and more in order to just survive the day, let alone an entire career in these education trenches.

So, what can we do about this shortage? Well, some school districts have been creatively working with their local universities and creating special programs where teacher candidates can work full-time as teachers for two years to get teaching experience while they go to school at night to get their degree. Some school districts have offered signing bonuses, stipends and tuition reimbursement in their efforts to attract more teachers. These are good ideas. However, these kind of initiatives are not being done enough. Some school districts are offering young teachers mentors to support their efforts and offer guidance in an attempt to cut down on the attrition rate. Again, this is another good idea, but not enough districts are doing this either.

I personally feel that one of the toughest things about being in this field is the lack of respect for what these unsung heroes do on a daily basis. The lack of respect is causing low teacher morale and driving a lot more teachers out of the education field than I think most of us are willing to admit. And this low teacher morale and lack of respect for our country's teachers is something that is avoidable, and something that we can fix if we want to do it bad enough. Finally, just to get an outsider's perspective, I asked my wife what she thought could be one of the solutions to the Special Education teacher shortage problem and she said, "More pay!"

Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard believes that this country needs to take a serious look at our special education teacher shortage, as well as the teaching profession in general. To learn more about Dan please visit his website at: http://www.GranddaddysSecrets.com

Biofuel Technology - The Cost of Alternative Energy

Certainly consumers are concerned with escalating fuel prices as well as what fossil fuels are doing to the environment. The concern has led many consumers to find out more about alternative energy sources in the way of solar power, wind power and biofuel technology. However, are these technologies new? Certainly not - although now that energy is such a concern the technologies relative to biofuels, wind and solar can no longer be put on the back shelf. That said, this technology is a very old alternative energy solution. The costs of biofuel technology have to be looked at before solutions can be found.

The creation of a biofuel is not some sort of complex science. In order to create a biofuel the following needs to occur. First you will need to take some form of grain or vegetable and thoroughly grind it up. The grain or vegetable is then mixed with water. The grain or vegetable and water is then cooked for a very short length of time. During this short period of cooking time an enzyme is added to the mixture in order that the starch may be subsequently convert to sugar. The cooking process just described is referred to as Hydrolysis.

You next add some yeast. The yeast is necessary in order that the mixture can ferment. The fermentation of the mixture results in the production of Ethanol. A distillation process is applied in order to separate the Ethanol from the other ingredients. You may not be aware of it, but currently with the concern regarding diminishing fossil fuels and the threat they present to the environment there are a fair amount of websites showing various ways to manufacture the product of Ethanol at home. Even though the steps do not sound all that significant there is truly a great deal of time involved and a good deal of work. Further, some have mentioned it is not all that cost-effective to produce Ethanol at home.

However, on a larger scale a good deal of time and financial resources is being spent currently with respect to manufacturing methods pertinent to biofuels. In example, researchers are looking for ways to produce Ethanol by means that prove less expensive than what is incurred when using grains. This assures food sources are not used too frequently. It is not necessary for part of the population go hungry due to the fact food sources are being used over-extensively in the way of biofuel manufacture. Countries that have been manufacturing biofuels for a relatively long time now grow food products high in sugar content; one example of such a food product is sugar cane. Brazil is one country that grows a considerable amount of sugar cane. Brazil has also been producing biofuels for quite a while now.

It may be said, the majority of Ethanol used commercially is the result of manufacture using the by-product yeast. Ethanol is manufactured as well wherein gasoline is used within the production process. However, the majority of Ethanol produced is the result of using yeast. In manufacturing biofuels corn is considered in areas such as North America where its harvest is generous. However, though corn is generally used in the production of biofuels the process is pricey and the conversion into biofuel a good deal more detailed.

Greg has been writing articles for over 5 years. Please visit his latest website about renewable energy ideas at Alternative Energy Sources [http://www.alternativeenergyresource.net], with great information and thoughts surrounding Costs of Biofuel Technology [http://www.alternativeenergyresource.net/costs-of-biofuel-technology.html].