Questions
Please read case and answer the questions thank you. Voice-controlled devices and utilities are growing more...

Please read case and answer the questions thank you.

Voice-controlled devices and utilities are growing more popular as smartphone and cloud technology become more robust. Apple’s Siri, Android’s Google Now, and Windows’ Cortana digital assistants are all powered by voice recognition, and Amazon entered the fray with voice controls for its Amazon Fire TV technology. Amazon’s latest voice-controlled technology offering, the Amazon Echo Bluetooth speaker and virtual home assistant, raises the stakes even further. Echo was released in 2015 to mixed but mostly positive reviews, which emphasized the future potential of the device. Amazon Prime members could buy Echo for just $99, while normal Amazon customers had to pay $199.Currently, Echo’s functionality is simplistic, but useful. The device is always on, but requires its ‘wake word’ to prime it for interaction – the only two choices are “Alexa” or “Amazon” at the moment. You can ask Echo questions, have it play music, create a to-do list, or get the weather. Echo can also play a digest of the biggest news stories or play reports of specific issues that users ask to hear. The Echo companion app allows you to customize settings, keep a record of your queries and the answers to those queries, and view the shopping and to-do list items that you’ve previously dictated to Echo. Amazon is also developing a developers’ kit to allow developers to create Echo apps, which are likely to make it even more multi-functional in the future.Echo is a move by Amazon to enter the voice-controlled technology space, but it also has potential as a “smart home” appliance, which is a growing market. Echo might someday be able to integrate with your home appliances, adjusting the temperature, locking and unlocking doors, and turning lights on and off. Amazon might envision a future where Echo is a kind of “hub” where you can manage and connect with all of the smart appliances in your home in one centralized location.Echo lacks a battery option and has to be plugged in to function, limiting its portability. It’s also able to glean information from Wikipedia, but not from Google or other search engines. That will likely change in the future as both Amazon and Echo’s developers gain more familiarity with the device. The speaker quality is also limited, with testers reporting distortion at higher volumes. Users report that Echo experiences some confusion with queries that don’t fall within its narrowly defined specifications, although Echo also learns from its mistakes and adapts to the types of queries you most frequently make.It’s not currently clear how Amazon uses the information it gleans from users’ questions and commands, or whether there’s any capacity for storing things you say that aren’t directed at Echo itself. From Amazon’s perspective, the Echo could be an invaluable new tool for learning more about its customers, with an ability to generate heaps of granular data about the routines and preferences of each individual user.On the other hand, privacy advocates have ample reason to be concerned about a device that can quickly transmit your every word to the cloud, where it can be stored along with the rest of Amazon’s trove of your personal information and used to make product recommendations and generate marketing materials. However, Amazon notes that any users uncomfortable with the collection of their data can simply go into their “History” using their Echo app, and delete queries either individually or in bulk, which will also delete the information from Amazon’s servers.At this point, there’s no telling what the Amazon Echo of 2020 will look like compared to the launch version of 2015. It could be a staple in homes across the country, or it could flame out like the Amazon Fire phone long before then. Amazon seems poised to commit the necessary resources to ensure the former.

1. What functionality does Amazon Echo display during the video?

2. What kind of technology does Amazon Echo use?

3. Why does Amazon Echo make sense as a hub for home appliance automation?

4.What might be some privacy concerns involving Echo? Are these well founded? Why or why not?

5. Why is releasing a developers’ kit for Echo important for Amazon to keep pace with services offered by Apple, Google, and Microsoft?

In: Operations Management

Using the Payback Method, IRR, and NPVTop of FormBottom of FormAssignment ContentTop...

Using the Payback Method, IRR, and NPV

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Assignment Content

Top of Form

Resource

Corporate Finance

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to allow the student to calculate the project cash flow using net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and the payback methods.

Assignment Steps

Create a 350-word memo to management including the following:

  • Describe the use of internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), and the payback method in evaluating project cash flows.

  • Describe the break-even point and its importance.

  • Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Calculate the following time value of money problems:

  1. If you want to accumulate $500,000 in 20 years, how much do you need to deposit today that pays an interest rate of 15%?

  2. What is the future value if you plan to invest $200,000 for 5 years and the interest rate is 5%?

  3. What is the interest rate for an initial investment of $100,000 to grow to $300,000 in 10 years?

  4. If your company purchases an annuity that will pay $50,000/year for 10 years at a 11% discount rate, what is the value of the annuity on the purchase date if the first annuity payment is made on the date of purchase?

  5. What is the rate of return required to accumulate $400,000 if you invest $10,000 per year for 20 years. Assume all payments are made at the end of the period.

Calculate the project cash flow generated for Project A and Project B using the NPV method.

  • Which project would you select, and why?

  • Which project would you select under the payback method? The discount rate is 10% for both projects.

  • Use MicrosoftÂź ExcelÂź to prepare your answer.

  • Note that a similar problem is in the textbook in Section 5.1.


ï»żï»ż

“Table showing investments and returns for Project A and Project B. Project A has $10,000 initial investment with $5,000 returns in each of the first 3 years. Project B has $55,000 initial investment with $20,000 in each of the first 3 years.”

Show all work.

Submit the memo and all calculations.

In: Finance

You are required to write an abstract and title using the below information. Submission requirements: -...

You are required to write an abstract and title using the below information. Submission requirements:

- Word length: 300 words (strictly enforced) -

-Information -

A number of case studies using data about disasters that had significant economic consequences were undertaken by the researchers, and these studies looked at the investment advice provided by the Home Budget Management System and whether it actually proved to be accurate.

- In this paper a new Domestic Budget Management System called the Home Budget Management System is proposed

- The Home Budget Management System figures out when it is really important for households to conserve funds and gives them accurate advice about how to do this as well as about safe-harbour investments in a crisis and this makes the home budget’s resilience to unanticipated events like the COVID-19 crisis, stronger.

- For homeowners to be able to insulate themselves from the worst of a crisis, they need to know when a crisis has occurred and how they can conserve funds and what strategies can enable them to achieve this. They also need to know about any safeharbour investment options that might exist at that precise time.

- It was concluded by the researchers that the Home Budget Management System helped build households’ resilience to economic crisis caused by disaster by directing when funds needed to be conserved and predicting how they could be best invested in safeharbour investments at critical moments, accurately.

- We are facing a global climate of increasing risk of disaster and the accompanying risk of economic consequences. The COVID-19 crisis has been a good example of this. We need to build up household resilience to economic disaster

- When to advise homeowners to begin insulating themselves is decided automatically by the Home Budget Management System. The Home Budget Management System undertakes really good and thorough monitoring of real-time data on global disaster occurrence.

- As disasters occur it is useful for households to be able to access accurate information about the risk of the economic fall-out accompanying a given disaster so that that they can make decisions about how to best insulate themselves and build resilience

– Domestic Budget Management Systems can help them do this.

In: Finance

On a trip home during the summer break, you pay your Uncle Davea visit at...

On a trip home during the summer break, you pay your Uncle Dave a visit at his record store. When you walk in, you notice there is not one single customer. “I have run this store since the 1980s,” Uncle Dave says with a sigh. “We were the first store in this whole town to sell compact discs! But now, it feels like we’re at least a decade or two behind the times. No one buys records anymore—or even CDs! I have thought about just closing down the store and retiring a little early. But I can’t stand the thought of doing that just yet. I wish there was some sort of new direction I could take things in.”

You explain to Uncle Dave that the best idea would be retooling his marketing plan. “Now, you know I don’t know anything about doing that,” he replies. “My business had always sold itself until just a few years ago. I had no need for marketing.” Suddenly, a light bulb goes off in your head. Since you’re studying business in school, why not put the skills you have learned to work by helping out Uncle Dave?

Before leaving, you tell Uncle Dave you will be working on a marketing plan for him. Write a professional 1-page (300-500 word) plan that addresses all four elements of the marketing mix:

  • Product: What new products and/or services might Uncle Dave start to offer at his store, since—in his own words—no one buys records or CDs anymore?

  • Price: Would lowering his prices help Uncle Dave? Or, for that matter, would raising them give him a slight boost?

  • Place: Should he start using other channels for distribution, or positioning his products differently?

  • Promotion: Are there any new IMS techniques that Uncle Dave might not be using, but should use? What target audiences may be unaware of his store and its offerings?

In: Operations Management

The daily changes in the closing price of stock follow a random walk. That is, these...

The daily changes in the closing price of stock follow a random walk. That is, these daily events are independent of each other and move upward or downward in a random matter and can be approximated by a normal distribution. Let's test this theory. Use either a newspaper, or the Internet to select one company traded on the NYSE. Record the daily closing stock price of your company for the six past consecutive weeks (so that you have 30 values). Decide whether the your 2 data sets are normally distributed by creating a histogram or a boxplot. Please attach your histogram or boxplot as a Word document in your post. Please do NOT answer the discussion in your attachment; answer on the discussion board. Discuss your results. What can you say about the stock with respect to daily closing prices and daily changes in closing prices. Which, if any, of the data sets are approximately normally distributed? NYSE - GE Date Closing Stock Price 1/2/19 8.05 1/3/19 8.06 1/4/19 8.23 1/7/19 8.74 1/8/19 8.56 1/9/19 8.5 1/10/19 8.94 1/11/19 8.94 1/14/19 8.9 1/15/19 8.73 1/16/19 8.98 1/17/19 9.14 1/18/19 9.06 1/22/19 8.66 1/23/19 8.73 1/24/19 8.78 1/25/19 9.16 1/28/19 8.93 1/29/19 8.9 1/30/19 9.1 1/31/19 10.16 2/1/19 10.19 2/2/19 10.21 2/3/19 10.63 2/4/19 10.47 2/5/19 10.06 2/6/19 9.81 2/7/19 10.03 2/8/19 9.81 2/12/19 10.31 Sample Size 30 Mean Median Standard Deviation Minimum Maximum

In: Statistics and Probability

Redstone Clayworks, Inc. is located in Sedona, Arizona and manufactures clay fire pits for patios. They...

Redstone Clayworks, Inc. is located in Sedona, Arizona and manufactures clay fire pits for patios. They are one of about two dozen firms around the world that manufacture and sell clay fire pits for retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Front Gate, and other upscale home product chains. There is virtually no product differentiation. A clay fire pit is a clay fire pit.

Assume that the world market demand and supply curves for clay fire pots intersects at $300 per unit.


The spreadsheet below gives some of Redstone’s production cost data. A template for the spreadsheet is provided in the Course Materials.


Q
TC
TFC
TVC
0
6,000
6,000
-
100
12,000
6,000
6,000
200
15,000
6,000
9,000
300
21,000
6,000
15,000
400
33,000
6,000
27,000
500
48,000
6,000
42,000
600
65,000
6,000
59,000
700
83,000
6,000
77,000
800
102,000
6,000
96,000
900
123,000
6,000
117,000
1000
158,000
6,000
152,000

Add columns to show, respectively, average fixed cost (AFC), average variable cost (AVC), average total cost (ATC), and short-run marginal cost (SMC). Then, add columns to show, respectively, total revenue (TR), marginal revenue (MR), total profit, average profit, and profit margin.


Place your completed spreadsheet in the Drop Box,and use it to answer questions 1-7. Your spreadsheet and calculations are worth 15 points and count as 500 words toward your word count requirement.

Your spreadsheet must include formulas showing how you arrived at the calculations. As an alternative, you may also submit a document showing your step-by-step calculations for each of the cells. You will not receive credit if you do not show your work using one of these two methods.

For Questions 2, 4, and 5, be sure to employ both of the General Rules for Implementing the Output Decision in your explanations.


A detailed explanation should be given for each question.

SaveSubmitted
1.

If Redstone wishes to maximize profit margin, how many units should it produce?   

edit

In: Economics

Are all cereals created equal? Brand Type Calories Total fat (g) Sodium (mg) Kellogg’s Rice Krispies...

Are all cereals created equal?

Brand

Type

Calories

Total fat (g)

Sodium (mg)

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies

Rice

120

1g

170mg

Earth’s Best Whole Rice Cereal

Rice

50

0.5g

0mg

Organic Brown Rice Crisps

Rice

110

1g

85mg

Cereal Rice Puffs

Rice

50

0g

0mg

Nature’s Path Organic Crispy Rice

Rice

30

15g

100mg

Kellogg’s Rice 24ozs

Rice

130

0g

190mg

Arrowhead Mills Rice

Rice

60

0g

0mg

Cream of Rice

Rice

150

0g

0mg

Rice Chex

Rice

110

0.5g

240mg

Organic Cream of Rice

Rice

150

0.2g

3mg

Quaker Oats Squares Cinnamon

Oat

210

2.5g

190mg

Arrowhead Oat Bran

Oat

140

2g

75mg

Honey Bunches of Oats

Oat

120

1.5g

135mg

Honey Nut Whole Grain Oat

Oat

110

1.5g

160mg

Bob’s Red Hill Oat Bran

Oat

150

2.0g

0mg

Hodgson Mill Oat Bran

Oat

150

3.0g

0mg

Nature Valley Oat Bites

Oat

210

6.0g

160mg

Quaker Simply Granola Oats, honey and Almonds

Oat

200

6.0g

25mg

Arrowhead Organic Oats

Oat

140

2.0g

75mg

Nature Valley Oat Clusters Cereal Honey

Oat

230

3.0

140mg

In the data that you have collected, assume that the data is normally distributed for all cereals.

2. Perform a hypothesis test for the difference of the two means for each of the following questions at alpha = .05. List the Ho, Ha, give the observed value of the test statistic, p-value, and write a word conclusion.

a) Is there a difference in the calorie count for the two types of cereals?

b) Do the rice cereals have less fat grams per serving than the oat cereals?

c) Do the rice cereals have more sodium (mg) per serving than the oat cereals?

3. Based on your research, which type of cereal would you prefer? Why?

In: Statistics and Probability

Internal Control Case Study Harper Theater is located in Midtown Mall. The cashier’s booth is near...

Internal Control Case Study

Harper Theater is located in Midtown Mall. The cashier’s booth is near the entrance to the theater. Two cashiers are employed. Once works from 1-5 pm, the other from 5-9 pm.   Each cashier is bonded. The cashiers receive cash from customers and operate a machine that ejects serially numbered tickets. The rolls of tickets are inserted and locked into the machine by the theater manager at the beginning of each cashier’s shift.

After purchasing a ticket, the customer takes the ticket to an usher stationed at the entrance to the theater lobby some 60 feet from the cashier’s booth. The usher tears the ticket in half, admits the customer, and returns the ticket stub to the customer. The other half of the ticket is dropped into a locked box by the usher.

At the end of each cashier’s shift, the theater manager removes the ticket roll from the machine and makes a cash count. The cash count sheet is initialed by the cashier. At the end of the day, the manager deposits the receipts in total in a bank night deposit vault located in the mall. The manager also sends copies of the deposit slip and the initialed cash count sheets to the theater company treasurer for verification and to the company’s accounting department. Receipts from the first shift are stored in a safe located in the manager’s office.

Required: using Microsoft Word, answer the following questions and attach the document to this assignment:

  1. Identify the internal control procedures and their application to the cash receipts transactions of the Harper Theater. You will find the Internal Control Procedures (Proper documentation, Adequate insurance, Separation of assets from custody, Separation of duties, and Use of technology). For each Internal Control Procedure, identify any Internal Control Procedures that Harper Theater has in place and/or is missing. Be specific and use at least 300 words for your answer.
  2. If the usher and cashier decide to collaborate to misappropriate cash, what actions might they take? For each action, what internal control might be employed to stop the misappropriation of cash? Be specific and use at least 200 words for your answer.

DO NOT COPY PREVIOUS ANSWERS THEY ARE INCORRECT

In: Accounting

Imagine the following goal of Lenin/Stalin at the beginning of the Soviet regime in Russia: to...

Imagine the following goal of Lenin/Stalin at the beginning of the Soviet regime in Russia: to overtake (i.e. equal) and surpass the world’s industrialized economies in terms of GDP per capita. To achieve this goal, the main instrument of control is the fraction of national production that is devoted to building the nation’s productive capacity: new machines, factories, transportation equipment, and roads. That is, the main instrument to achieve this goal is what fraction of GDP to devote to investment. The rest of national production is used for consumption, i.e. to produce consumer items like clothing and food. The country begins with relatively little capital, being mostly rural and non-industrialized. Assume each of the following:  GDP per capita starts in USSR at $300/year.  The world’s industrialized economies start with GDP per capita of $5000/year.  Population growth rates are 2% everywhere in the world.  All capital depreciates at 8% per year. For parts c.-e., assume the basic growth framework of Harrod-Domar, and that 1 ruble’s worth of capital always produces 0.5 ruble’s worth of output (i.e. A=0.5). Also, assume inputs are used more efficiently in the industrialized countries, so that A=0.6 there. c. What fraction of national output must the USSR devote to building new capital goods in order to attain the growth rate of part a.? What fraction would be left for consumer items? [Hint: another word for the fraction of output devoted to building new capital goods is the investment rate, i.e. the ratio It/Yt. And, remember that savings equals investment, so the investment rate equals the savings rate.] d. At what rate are the industrialized countries saving if they are growing at 2% per year? e. What would you calculate the ratio of consumption per capita in the USSR to consumption per capita in the industrialized countries when the USSR overtakes the industrialized countries (i.e. when GDP per capita is equal)? Assume the savings rates of parts c. & d. What would the ratio be when the USSR reaches double the industrialized nations’ GDP per capita?

I need an answer for part e.

In: Economics

Here is some additional information on this, I can also provide what I have already, what...

Here is some additional information on this, I can also provide what I have already, what is in bold is what needs to be taken care of. Gentry Inc. is a mid-sized tech firm (200 employees and $300 million in revenue) and has been privately held since the firm’s inception ten years ago. The organization’s board of directors is keen on expanding the operations globally to take advantage of a growing market. Based on reports from the research and development team, the organization can increase its profitability metrics by 15 to 25% if it expands the operations to China, Japan, and Germany. Becoming a multinational organization will not be easy. To finance this expansion, the board of directors has decided to take the organization public and issue some bonds to raise an additional $50 million. The research team has already determined that the organization meets the financial requirements outlined by the Securities Exchange Commission. The goal is to maximize the Initial Public Offering (IPO), and the leadership must efficiently manage the capital, measure the risk of the investments, and ensure the financial metrics are robust relative to similarly sized organizations.

1) Please help determine what the optimal capital structure should be for Gentry. Please determine how much equity (common stock) the company will offer in the IPO and how much debt the company should assume in their global expansion to meet the goal of $50 million.

If you could make recommendations in word document please! I had someone try to do this in an excel sheet and it was awful.

Also, if you could show how you were able to determine what capital structure will work best with the initial assessment. Describe the structure using the ratios

Please include the dollar amount of equity (common stock) the company should issue in the IPO and how much debt the company should use for this expansion to reach the $50 million goal. Explain your rationale. Note: there is no single answer to the question of the firm’s optimal capital structure. Your assessment is weighted more heavily toward your logical explanation rather than having the correct values for debt and equity.

In: Finance