Animal testing Essay

Animal testing is used for many products worldwide. Also animal testing is used for a wide range of things, such as items in houses and medicines. Many places test on animals, such as private facilities, universities, and government laboratories. A big debate in today’s society is whether or not scientist should use animals for testing. Most of the animals die during or after the testing. Typing animal testing on images on the Internet it is most likely that gruesome images of rabbits, mice, cats, and dogs being used as test subjects will appear. Some people believe that animal testing has improved the world and continues to do so. They look, at the good side of what animal testing has done for humans. People want to make sure that the product that they are using is safe and won’t affect them in a negative way. Most people believe that it is okay as long as the animal is put to sleep while being tested on and if the animals feel no pain then it doesn’t matter tha t they are being tested on. Most people think that since most people eat animals; why not use them for testing, which can help humans. But other people think that there are better ways to conduct these experiments. These people can’t stand the fact that millions of animals die because of testing. Haugen, David Animal Experimentation A lot of animal testing is used for cosmetics. Items such as mascara and shaving cream are common cosmetics. The most used animals for animal testing are rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice or rats. It is important for some people to know that their cosmetics were not used to harm animals. However, other people say that they would rather have their products tested by animals because they would rather be safe and to make sure that they wont be affected by the product in a negative way. Another main reason for animal testing is for medical research. Medical research has helped technology. Scientist, want to make sure that they are testing with the most current technology and at this moment its animals. The study of animals helps scientist understand better. Ways that Animal testing has helped medial research is that it has helped find a cure for breast cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, and many others. Now days it seems not ethical for humans to be tested on, but in the past people in mental hospitals or prisons have been used as â€Å"guinea pigs†. In the past this behavior was acceptable. Humans that are tested subjects these days are able to speak up for themselves where animals are not capable of that. Most people that agree with animal testing have never been forced to do something that they didn’t have a say about and didn’t have rights. Darwin has showed that we share a common lineage with other animals, and a subsequent genetic research has shown the closeness of evolutionary links. This means that we are very similar to animal. Boines, The use of curari in a repository medium in the management of acute poliomyelitis. Most of the animals that are from the streets or animal shelters that are being used as test subjects. Scientists believe that if the animal is going to no use, then it should be used for testing. Some laboratories hire people to drive around to find animals on the street. Most people don’t believe that this is right because that animal could be someone’s lost loving pet. In the past there have been cases of animals being stolen for testing and even trades happening for testing. Jmett, The student roos Animal testing has decreased. The main cause of it decreasing is that people have become more aware of it and what the side effects are to animals. Also a lot of people spend most of their time protesting against it and making other people aware of it. The push of stopping animal testing has affected businesses. For example cosmetic, companies have lost customers because the customers that believe that animal testing isn’t ethical don’t want to buy their pro ducts from a business that test on animals. This has pushed many large cosmetic companies to quit animal testing, but some of them don’t tell the complete truth. People have found that companies that say they are â€Å"animal testing free† usually have other companies test their products on animals for them. They can get away with having the other company willing to test for them because the companies that sell â€Å"animal tested free† products can get away with double or tripling the actual value because they know that customers want to see the words of animal tested free and then the company will share the profit with the other company that tested the products on the animals for them. n.p, A Critical Evaluation of Animal Research People read articles and the description of how they actually test the animal and it shocks them and they think that animal testing should be banned forever, but most of these people also don’t realize that animal testing has helped us with our medical research. Most people that have been sick or are close to someone that is seriously ill and animal testing is one of their only hopes for getting better; then they all of a sudden are all for animal testing. A big question is, ‘is animal testing worth it†? Some people say no because more than half of the animals end up dying after testing. And the testing is usually for the humans and their bodies can react different than the animals, so most people believe that testing isn’t even worth it. The other side of the people believes that testing is worth it because even though animals die there is still progress in today’s medical research. The more that animals get tested on the more we come closer to a better society. They believe that scientists need to start with something and that something is testing on animals. Botting, The history of thalidomide. Drug News & Perspectives, Evaluation of the potential effects of ingredients added to cigarettes. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 40 There have been multiple cases where animal testing has affected animals differently than it affected the humans. When cigarettes first came out, they tested them by animals to see if they were safe. If they went by just what animal testing showed about cigarettes, it would be wrong. For animals to inhale cigarette smoke is okay and it won’t harm them, where it would harm humans. Cigarettes also didn’t cause cancer in animals, which they actually do in humans. This shows that cancer is different for animals and humans. Another example is the drug Thalidomide, which was to help prevent nausea and morning sickness for pregnant mothers. Thalidomide was tested on many animals and all of the animals showed the drug as being safe and okay. The drug ended up being unsafe, which caused babies to be born with deformities. The main deformity from this drug caused â€Å"flipper limbs†. This was when the legs and arms were really short and were joined at the hip and shoulder joints. The reason that all of the animals showed this drug to be safe was because the drug was not correctly tested. To be correctly tested they would have had to test the drug on pregnant animals to show accurate results, which shows another way that animal testing isn’t always effective and doesn’t always show the most accurate results. This is just two out of countless documents where animal testing failed to work. All the products were initially tested on animals and were thought to be safe for humans, but when given to humans, major consequences took place leading to deaths and deformities. Animal testing was disproven to be accurate in these tests. This leads people to believe that animal testing is not safe and that people shouldn’t always trust that animal testing would be accurate. Allanou, Public availability of data on EU high production volume chemicals. Some people believe that animal testing has slowed the process of medicine. They believe this because they think that scientists waste time by testing on the animals. They could waste time because some animals react diffe rent then humans and most animals end up dying. Others believe that it is worth the time and that great things can come out of animal testing, which is very true. Humans should be very thankful for what scientist have accomplished. Because of animal testing, scientists have been able to create medicines, vaccines, and insulin that can cure humans. Animal testing has also helped physicians. Animal testing has helped them by making it more accurate for them to perform surgeries, such as heart and lung surgeries. Testing has allowed doctors and scientists save many lives. â€Å"Animal research has played a vital rise in virtually every major medical advance of the last century – for both human and veterinary health. From antibiotics to blood transfusions, from dialysis to organ transplantation, from vaccinations to chemotherapy, bypass surgery and join replacement, practically every present day protocol for the prevention, treatment, cure and control of disease, pain and suffer ing is based on knowledge attained through research with lab animals.† The Foundation for Biomedical Research. This makes people believe that if animal testing were to slow down then advancements in modern medicine would significantly slow down. There are about 450 ways to replace animal testing. For some reason many people believe that animal testing is the only option, but that its wrong. The reason we haven’t completely stopped testing on animals is because it would cost a lot of money to replace it, but in the long run it would probably save us money. Also, animals are easier to obtain in labs because scientist are so used to working with them. It’s easy to keep their day-to-day habits instead of changing their whole research and starting over. Also people see that animals die everyday from being tested and they couldn’t imagine seeing humans die occasionally from being experimented with. The rate that society is going, animal testing will always happen, but as time goes by it will be improved and become more humane. Some people believe that animals do not feel pain. Scientists assume though that they do feel pain. An animal has a vertebra back bone just like humans, which leads scientist to believe that they have the same nerves as us. This means that the animals might feel the same or similar to what we feel. Some scientists do believe that if the animal is in intense shock from the testing it won’t feel any pain. This information makes people aware of the effects of animal testing. Some people argue and say that instead of testing on animals test on humans because animals have no say in what happens to them as where humans have a voice and can speak up for themselves. The other side of the argument is that a human’s life is more valuable than an animal’s. Humans are more advanced than an animal, which leads people to feel more compassionate about the human.Crawford The schizophrenic career of a â€Å"monster drug† Some people view animals as equals to humans. The common thing that most people think is that humans are on a higher level than animals because humans have control over their lives and more characteristics, such as humans are more intelligent, creative, aware, technologically advanced, able to understand and speak an language, and able to make moral choices. These rights are what lead people to believe that humans are higher than animals, but the other side of the argument can prove this wrong in their own way. The other side of the argument says that since animals can feel pain they are the same equally as humans. People don’t think that humans and animals should be separated into different groups because they both suffer and can both die. People also point out that not all humans are capable of having all the characteristics that a normal human would have, such as infants or handicapped humans. These people that have less characteristics sometimes might even have less than an animal so an animal would be higher on power. Also since infants don’t have high levels of characteristics many Americans believe that they should be given equal power, which is the same power as a grown adult. They think this is right because their parents value them. But then that doesn’t work for pets if a human values them. This is very inconsistent it shows that life isn’t fair at times. But to be fair everything that is valued by an adult should have rights not just one half. One of the biggest issues that people use to defend animal testing is that the animals are going to die eventually anyway. They say that in nature animals would end up killing each other or dying of natural causes. This is very true, but the other side can argue and say that the way the animals are getting tested on is not â€Å"natural†. The animals end up dying, but a painful death that wasn’t planned to happen. Some humans torture other humans without their consent; such as rape and that it is looked down upon and is not acceptable in our society. Also people for animal testing say humans hunt the animals and kill them to eat, which is true. The other side states that it’s not the same because hunting is for a benefit to survive. They understand that animal testing could be for our benefit for example it can be good for medical research. Even though it can be beneficial, it still is different than hunting because animal testing can be a painful process for the animal and not every company uses it for benefits. LyonTobacco smoke and involuntary smoking, monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. International Agency for Research on Cancer Most people are unaware that animal testing is actually beneficial to animals themselves. Animals need to have the best nutrient and if anyone has an animal as a pet more than likely the animal isn’t going to go out and hunt for its food in the wild, which would make sure it got all of its necessary nutrition. So to make sure the pet has the best nutrition it has to get all of it in its dog food that people buy at the store for them. To make sure all of the right nutrients is in the dog food and won’t harm the animal scientists have to test the product on animals to get the best result. Scientists have also used animals for testing on worms, which is a medical problem for animals and have come up with a result that helps pet’s lives. Most people agree that this is right because it is actually benefiting the animals and their lives weren’t just a waste. I believe that animal testing isn’t ethical. I am an animal lover, but it’s not just that. I disagree in what takes place in the labs. I believe that humans and animals are equally on the same level. So when you see an animal cramped up in a tight, small cage think to yourself what if they were one of your friends or a family member? These animals never get affection so I imagine what life would be like growing up as a child with no one there to support me or lead the way for me. Animal testing has been around for years and people are just now realizing that it is harmful. I also don’t believe that animal testing is accurate. Rabbit’s eyes are different than ours. Rabbits feel more pain in their eyes than humans and the pain effects them longer and it takes a long time for the substance that we put in their eyes to go away. A rabbit’s eye is ten times more reactant to hydraulic solution than our eyes. After the rabbits are tested on scientists wait 14 days until they clean the solution out of their eyes. Whenever I’m in the shower and I get shampoo in my eyes I make sure that I clean them out right away, which is normal they shouldn’t have to have solution sitting in their eyes for two weeks when us humans cant even stand it for a minute. The rabbits are extremely affected by this test. The chemical causes swollen eyes, irritated and cloudy eyes, and inflamed skin around the eyes. Also they might endure ulcers, bleeding, or blindness. Once the test are finished the rabbits die. I believe most cosmetic companies are frauds. They say they are doing animal testing to make sure that the products are safe and that they care about their customers. In reality they just perform the animal testing so any customers don’t sue them. Many cosmetic companies say that the law requires them to perform test on animals to make sure their products are safe, but the companies don’t make that a law. So millions of animals suffer and die for selfish companies not wanting to get sued by their customers. I also believe that in the past when new products were first coming out it was okay because we didn’t even know how these products would affect anything. In general I think every cosmetic companies knows what’s right and wrong for their customers. Works Cited Hansen, Allanou R. Public availibility of data on EU high productions volume chemicals. N.p.: Jont Research center, 1009. Print. American Practice. Boines, 3 May 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. James, Botting J. The History of thalomide. N.p.: Food and Chemical Toxicoigy, 1991. Print. Lane, Crawford C. The schizophrenic carrer of a â€Å"monster drug.† N.p.: Pediatrics, 1993. Print.

One Tragic Defeat

The poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, illustrates the perfection of a knight throughout his life. Sir Gawain the perfect knight goes on a Christmas game quest provided by the Green Knight which tempts his purity and eventually ruins the ideal knight he used to be. In the criticism, â€Å"A Psychological Interpretation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†, the critic Stephen Manning argues that the poem centers on Gawain’s feeling of guilt. On the other hand, P. J. C. Field a critic who wrote, â€Å" A Rereading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†, argues that Gawain’s sin in accepting the lady’s girdle is minimal. The remainder of the criticism portrays the comparison between the two critics mentioned. The feeling of guilt occurred once during Sir Gawain’s life; this one time happened to be the day a faultless knight receives his first sin. Sir Gawain holds the situation seriously, and it affects the rest of his life. For example, the green belt Gawain wears, â€Å"symbolizes both [his] shame and his self-knowledge† (Manning 158). Manning explains the color green as a symbol of rebirth, therefore the green belt Sir Gawain carries around resembles the revival of on his short comings. Gawain discovers he is not perfect and learns from his mistakes, thus he becomes a finer, more superior knight which he wishes to become. For instance, Gawain illustrates himself as evil thus informs his peers, â€Å"for evil to exist, it must exist in the good† (159). Manning describes Gawain as a perfect person, one without sin, as if he were a god. Gawain’s peers strive to become like him, so his sin exhibits the impurity and imperfection of human kind. Gawain reveals to his peers that everyone makes mistakes, and should not dread or guilt over them. Guilt demonstrates the psychological feelings of Sir Gawain in the poem. Accepting the girdle for the Lord’s lady is temptation, therefore a mortal sin, but for the predestination of oneself, keeping the girdle was a hard decision to make. Venial sin refers to sin that accidentally happens, whereas mortal sin conveys a sin as one that was supposed to happen. If one commits mortal sin, she or he must visit a priest for penance; but if one commits a venial sin, she or he must ask for forgiveness through prayer. Altogether when anyone asks for forgiveness he or she is forgiven and remains pure. Thus, Gawain only commits a venial sin but, â€Å"venial sin is evil: absolutely, for a man who wants perfection; for a man who is near perfection; and for a man who is possibly†¦ habitually free even from venial sin† (Field 260). Manning argues that to Gawain, a venial sin is evil because he has never committed a sin in his flawless life as a knight. Manning also acknowledges that Gawain takes his first sin solemnly and holds it against himself. He eventually notices that all the pain and suffering he has been through had a reason. Consequently, Gawain returns with a green belt to, â€Å"the court to which [he] returns must be taken as giving the judgement of humanity† (261). Manning implies that through Gawain, everyone in the court shall learn from his mistake and should be prepared and knowledgeable in the future. Through the suffering of a noble and perfect knight, everyone benefits from their courteous peer. Entirely, the acceptance of the lady’s girdle was a venial sin or minimal sin because he did it for the sake of keeping his life. The acceptance of the lady’s girdle led to the guilt of Sir Gawain and the judgement of others. â€Å"But accepting the girdle is not a sin in the theological sense† (Manning 157). Manning is insinuating that the girdle is not a mortal sin but instead a chivalric sin. Therefore Gawain should not be humiliated through guilt as it is not a theological sin, which makes him a perfect man religiously but not through the state of chivalry.

Kimbell Art Museum Essay

The Kimbell Art Museum at Fort Worth, Texas houses some of the most exquisite and fascinating art pieces. The museum boasts of its wide array of collection of paintings, sculptures, potteries and other historical and cultural artifacts from all over the world. Visiting this place is like going through a time machine because of the many artworks from different periods in history that you can see and even touch. Visitors can enjoy both the beauty of the old and the new and at the same time comprehend the perspectives of the traditional and the avant-garde. Ancient masterpieces that date back as old as the prehistoric period are displayed alongside modern artworks. Most of the collections exhibited at the museum had existed way before I was even born. Meanwhile, there are also items that are so recent that I am not even aware of them. The diversity of paintings, sculptures and other artworks is so overwhelming that it inspires the visitors to be in touch with their creative or â€Å"artsy† side. The various collections and exhibitions are not the only attractions of the museum because the museum itself is also considered as a work of art. The modern design of the building and the manner the space and the natural light were utilized â€Å"enhanced the experience of the art (Kimbell Art Museum). Moreover, when I was looking around in and out of the museum, I stumbled upon a collection of a few Greek art pieces. In this part of the museum, there was this one object that caught my attention and interest. To feed my curiosity, I went closer to see the object up-close and to learn more about it. It was a black vase with red graphics painted on it. According to the description, the vase was credited to Brygos Painter which was made around 490–480 B. C. during the late archaic period (Kimbell Art Museum). Back then, the red-figure and black-figure vases were the prominent works of art made by skilful artists. These vases were constructed based on their specific functions for everyday and ritual activities. Meanwhile, the â€Å"pictorial decorations provide insights into many aspects of Athenian life and complement the literary texts and inscriptions from the Archaic and, especially, Classical periods. † This particular vase is called the â€Å"lekythos or the one-handled oil jug. † Moreover, Brygos Painter was considered as a â€Å"second-generation master of the red-figure style. † Most of his masterpieces exuded â€Å"freshness and vigor of Late Archaic art† (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). On the illustration painted on the vase, it displayed the image of a Greek god called Eros who is also known as the â€Å"god of love. † In this particular visual representation, he was portrayed as an archer with wings with a bow and arrow. Also, Eros was nude with only a mantle covering his shoulders. Meanwhile, the facial expression was stoic but with a hint of serene concentration as Eros get ready to draw his bow. In this period, the mastery of human form was not that evident but artists were able to provide a close depiction of the human body which was shown in the muscular definitions of the body of Eros specifically at the chest and torso area. More so, the figure lacked depth emphasizing the two-dimensionality feature of the painting. The position of Eros, with the right foot slightly bent with the left foot stretched and combined with the extended arms pointing to the left holding the bow and arrow, showed motion. Through this body gesture, the artist was able to create movement for the figure which at that time was considered as a sophisticated painting technique. Additionally, the series of repetitive intricate patterns drawn all over the vase gave the painting texture making it more interesting and visually appealing. Also, the floral design on the base of the neck of the vase provided fluidity to the overall painting because of the curves and various shapes incorporated. Works Cited â€Å"About the Museum. † 2008. Kimbell Art Museum. 19 November 2008 . â€Å"Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure Techniques. † 2008. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 19 November 2008 . â€Å"Greek. † 2008. Kimbell Art Museum. 19 November 2008 .

How Does a Type of Media Shape the Future of a Given Society? Essay

Any communications mass medium has three primary functions: to inform, to educate and to influence. These primary functions contribute in shaping a given society. In the context of community organizing, there is a triad of an ideal society. In order to develop a society, there must be justice, participation, and empowerment. At the heart of the triad is human dignity. The triad depicts a development vision. It guides both the community organizers and the participants to mold and execute a collective action into shaping their society into an organized and influential community, based on justice, equality and mutual respect. Media can play a crucial role in the process of shaping a community, a society. The process of shaping is challenging and wide-ranging. In other words, there are many and varied hows. But, a society, must first determine its whys. Why should the people shape their community? The answers can also be varied but they all boil down to the essential characteristics of any given society. Every society evolves. Development goes along with the process of evolution. Once every member of a given society is deeply moved by the whys, s/he takes action. This action, or any action for that matter, is part of the hows. His/her action may involve the media. S/he can be informed, educated or influenced by the media. Media, one of the major sectors of society, can be both an independent body and a participant in the process of shaping. As the former, media has the watchdog responsibility. For the latter, media serves as a participant by transmitting relevant information that can move the members of a society into action. Media, then, is significant. Media organizations must embody the characteristics of beings the advocates of the people they serve. They are involved in business but the public and its interests must take precedence. The public, after all, is the main consumer of the information they transmit. Now, the danger comes if a media organization becomes corrupt. It becomes dangerous if it seeks to gain more profit than public accountability. On the brighter side, if the media organization is a genuine advocate for people empowerment, it uses its available technologies to provide the public with messages that correspond to the thrusts toward development. For instance, TV remains to be the most consumed medium because far more than appealing to the sense of sight and sound, it affects emotions. Emotions are powerful. A person may be roused to anger. Anger about his/her current situation, stricken with poverty and injustice. This anger can fuel his/her desire to do something about his/her situation. Another danger, thought, is what kind of action will he/she take? Will the action be moral or immoral? Legal or illegal? The power of TV in affecting emotions of its viewers can help in shaping the society. To illustrate, here is a given and realistic scenario. The seat of the Philippine government is in Manila. Some people even call it the Imperial Manila. But what about the Filipinos from Visayas and Mindanao? At this point, media enters. It is media that informs, educates and influences the people beyond the territories of Imperial Manila. It is media that transmits information about governance and politics in and about Imperial Manila. Recently, there has been an on-going word war between Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Allan Peter Cayetano. This war is in Manila, but Filipinos outside Manila come to know about this war through the media. Filipinos, then, become divided on the issue. Some may be pro-Enrile, while some may be pro-Cayetano. Their emotions drive their opinions, as influenced by the media. Elections are fast-approaching. It will be on May 13, 2013. Through the media, every Filipino becomes introduced to political candidates without actually seeing them in the flesh. Media becomes their source in formulating their opinions. Their source may lead them to make their decisions. A Filipino from Cagayan de Oro City sees a lot of campaigns on TV. He notices one candidate because of the latter’s prominence brought about by millions-worth of TV airtime. The former is illiterate. After seeing on TV for so many time this â€Å"prominent† politician, he begins to feel comfortable. On May 13, 2013, he writes down the name of this candidate because this politician comes into his mind with a lot of ease, much thanks to TV.

Performance of Fresh And Hardened Concrete Essay

Performance of Fresh And Hardened Concrete - Essay Example The researcher states that today there is an increasing trend for using recycled materials to create new concrete in order to increase sustainability and decrease costs among other factors. The effects of the recycled aggregates on the created concrete can be minimal to significant depending on a host of factors. The properties of concrete are affected both in the fresh state and in the hardened state and so there is great need to understand how the use of recycled aggregates affects concrete. The various kinds of recycled aggregates in use include recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), recycled wash glass sand, recycled rubber tyres and others. This text will attempt to analyse the effects of recycled aggregates on the fresh properties of concrete and on the properties of hardened concrete. Based on the investigations and results presented above it is obvious that the addition of recycled aggregates affects the properties of concrete significantly. The inclusion of recycled aggregates t o concrete helps to increase the sustainability and reduce the cost of the build but compromises on the strength achieved. Therefore concrete created with these methods can be utilised for less demanding tasks that require lower loading. In some cases however, the addition of aggregates has helped improve some of concrete’s abilities especially fresh concrete’s workability and other properties. More investigation into creating concrete with the inclusion of aggregates can help to boost sustainability and decrease costs further.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING - Coursework Example rkers and in the employment of workers safeguarded by the union, it is therefore important to know the statutes that need to be considered to ensure a smooth running on either sides. The Public Law Act passed by the congress in 1964 is categorical in defining the way a worker should be handled and the procedure that need to be followed in cases of firing. It discourages discrimination on any basis that include race and sex. The Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created to ensure that the legislations created in regard to the same are adhered to and the law is being enforced effectively without favor or fear. Knowing the statutes and the acts that describe the employer-employee relations is important and so I would advise the management to be cognizant with them before the agreement is done. This will be critical in avoiding tussles when any of the parties breaches the contract and the other seeks the intervention of the

Netflix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Netflix - Research Paper Example programming distributors, direct broadcast satellite providers and telecommunication providers; (3) entertainment video retailers; and (4) DVD rental outlets and kiosk services (â€Å"Netflix, Inc. Form 10-K,† 2012). According to Aaker (2007) market analysis can be viewed at through seven dimensions: market size, market growth rate, market profitability, industry cost structure, distribution channels, market trends and key success factors. According to Datamonitor (2012) the global movies and entertainment market generated total revenues of $109.4 billion in 2009 which represented a 0.2% growth rate from 2005-2009. This industry spans multiple sectors and is highly dynamic. The major growth driver for this industry is the rapid evolution of platforms and delivery methods epitomized by smartphones, tablets and the social Web. Analyzing an organization’s value chain makes it easier to identify where value is added and/or where the organization could develop a cost advantage. Online businesses such as Netflix benefit from the Internet’s ability to lower the costs in much of their value chain especially in inbound and outbound logistics, operations and distribution channel. However, in order to develop competitive advantage online companies must invest, innovate and grow competencies in technology, infrastructure and service. Also, these companies have to operate on low-cost models given the market’s expectation for lower products prices. Plunkett Research (2012) identified increased consumer demand for more control over what they read, listen to or watch as the premier factor that will drive changes in this market in the near future. According to them, issues of control will be manifested through portability, pricing and delayed viewing or listening. Portability refers to the ability to view and share content across multiple platforms such as iPads, Android smartphones, digital TV and desktop operating systems. Pricing for content is important given