Recommendations for Chevrolet 2.0

      In terms of application of the internet and how General Motors and Chevrolet is utilizing the web 2.0 tools for advertising, they have the idea down. With the multiple blogs, youtube videos, twitter accounts, facebook pages and website Chevrolet and the other General Motors brands have a substantial web2.0 footprint. When compared to other brands such as Mercedes Benz or Dodge or pretty much any brand out there for competition, in all honesty they are on par. Every competitor of Chevrolet has the same web 2.0 tools in use. The one thing that Chevrolet has over the competition is the advertisement endorsement from celebrities and public figures. They do have Youtube channels for multiple European, Asian and American  subscribers, which some competitors do not, which I found a key advantage. The backbone of the web 2.0 strategy for Chevrolet is their website, I think they have enough consumer support and application of web 2.0 accessible multimedia and resources linked to thier main page. Overall as I stated, due to the utilization of external Web2.0, in the sense of external usage, GM has a solid strategy.

   Internally, I noted that they regulate the terms of employee participation with the policy document I found. As far as other internal usages of web 2.0 I found GM to not really be using much of them. I believe they use wikis for corporate purposes. Also they are developing that real time supply chain model for future use but other than that there is not much internal web2.0 usage, most of the web2.0 usage by GM is external.

Note the European slogan "Make it Happen"

    My recommendations for utilizing the external web2.0 tools are simply to continue on path with what they are doing and to capitalize on the advertising resources of public figures. The blog that they provide on their website is also available only in English, for Europeans, this may cause problems for fans to read the GM FastLane Blog. I do believe they should get their twitter accounts multilingual as well. Related to twitter, more hastag usage could be implemented with tweeting, they do not always utilize the hashtags. In addition to that, they could make their mobile applications more available to other smartphones users, such as android. MyChevy is only an iPhone application.

Sources not used before:

ChevroletInEurope

iPhone 4S Sold Out?!.....in China

  

   Last Friday, November 11th, the iPhone 4S hit stores in Hong Kong. Within the first 10 minutes of being sold, Apple reported that they were out of stock. This was caused by pre-orders and consumers walking in to purchase the phones. The phone has yet to hit the shores of China, however it is predicted that the same situation will occur. The iPhone 4S will be released in China in December. Also the iPhone 4S is to be released in Korea soon, and the Korean Daily News reported that the country's 2 largest telecommunication firms had already began pre-selling the phone with numbers as high as 200,000 and 130,000 for both.

Apple's Hong Kong Store

   This is good news for Apple and the shareholders. This furthers the proof that the company will survive in the wake of Steve Job's passing. Although it may be soon to say so, the company will in my opinion maintain status quo and its foot hold within the technology industry, if not continue to exceed expectations. As far as the iPhone is concerned, it may have been the most anticipated phone for the Asian countries.

Source:

Apple 2.0 

BF3 outsells Steve Jobs

  

   Steve Jobs was the man who help found a company many recognize today as one of America'd greatest computer manufacturers. I am of course speaking about Apple Inc. 19 Days after his death, his biography hit the bookshelves both electronically and in paper form. The biography sold 379,000 copies, earning a whopping $13.2 million in one week alone. Jobs's biography jumped to the number 1 position on the New York Times bestseller list, positioning it to be 2011's bestseller. What is an interesting comparison that humbles this accomplishment came two Tuesdays ago: Electronic Arts released the videogame Battlefield 3.

   Battlefield 3 sold 5,000,000+ copies in the first week and generated $300 million in sales alone. Battlefield 3 places the gamer in a first person shooter perspective of a fiction journey. The campaign mode pits the player against a terrorist organization set on bombing NYC. The gamer is a US Marine and a special operative of Russian special ops. This achievement is miniscule compared to what analysts are projecting compared tho the sales gap that Jobs's biography will have against next Tuesday's release of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. COD Modern Warfare 3 is expected to outsell Battlefield 3 with a ratio of 2:1. What make this interesting is the analysis of how books are being neglected for videogames now a days. Although books are still a $40 billion business in the US, its interesting how a videogame can outsell someones biography like Steve Jobs.

Source:

VG outsells SJ Bio

Chevrolet Runs Deep Online

   

   The first use of web2.0 tools, by General Motors, that I was able to locate in terms of internal communications was an article i found where they designed and tested a Capability Maturity Model Integration for Acquisition process. While collaborating with the Carnegie Melon Software Engineering Institute and the Department of Defense, GM developed a study where they looked at teenagers usage to communicate via web 2.0 technologies. The results of the study revealed an undisclosed web tool that allows collaboration between the main oil supplier and the manufacturing plants in real-time while utilizing common terms between said suppliers and CIOs. 

  Through research I was able to find the user policy for GM employees that applies to all who utilize media such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, user-generated video, and other technologies collectively known as social media....the following are their guidelines:

1. Follow GM’s established business conduct policies as outlined in Winning with Integrity, and the Corporate Policy Manual.
2. Identify yourself. Be transparent.
3. Make it clear that you’re speaking for yourself and do not officially represent GM.
4. Be aware of the legal liabilities involved.
5. Don’t discuss GM Information that is not already publicly disclosed, and don’t discuss GM’s financial performance, competitors or GM Dealers. Keep all GM Information confidential.
6. Do not comment about GM financial performance -- ever.
7. Respect and protect GM customers, employees, business partners and suppliers.
8. Respect copyright and fair use laws.'
9. Be the first to respond to your own mistakes.
10. Be judicious about using GM Information Resources.

 As for external representation and utilization of web2.0 resources, GM has a twitter account, facebook fan page (for multiple vehicles and brands), myspace account, Youtube account, in addition to their website. Chevrolet has its own facebook page as well as multiple model fan pages. Fans of certain models of GM cars have also created forums online that are reviewed by GM for discrepancies. Camaro5 is a good example where fans of the fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro can meet online and discuss mods or problems they experience. Podcasts for GM cars and the company in general can also be found on iTunes. General Motors (Chevrolet) is seriously invested into the web 2.0 concept.

   An interesting discovery I came across while conducting research was a blog that GM created. It is called the GM Fastlane Blog. This Blog allows executives from multiple departments to blog about innovative ideas and discoveries or even promote the company or models through event announcements. For the smartphone application of the web2.0 aspect, GM offers applications such as MyChevy or MyCadillac, basically any of the 4 major brands they make in the US. The application allows the owner to interactively mark their car on a Google map mashup on their phone to remember where they parked. Also available for smartphones is the OnStar application which allows the GM cars equipped with OnStar to be located via GPS for parking purposes as well as remote start and for certain models, it can do a diagnostic of the vehicle. This application, however is limited only to iPhone and Android users. Other than the smartphone application of the web2.0 benefits, GM uses the web to simply advertise and educate the public.

Sources:

Web 2.0 lessons and GM

www.camaro5 

FB-GM 

FB-Chevrolet 

twitter
FastLane Blog 

iTelevision

   With Apple's successful iPhone 4S mowing down the smartphone competition, it seems that Apple has decided to enter a new market....The Television market. Although there is a current Apple-TV product, this Apple TV is quite different. Rather than the setup of the current Apple TV, which is a set-top box add-on to third party televisions, this new product (still in development) is a standalone Television offered by Apple. Recently Apple has acquired a few patents related specifically to television screen and broadcasting menus. Included in these patents are Digital Video Recorders, Personal Video Recorders, browsing software, and a fully functioning display. The former CEO, and late Steve Jobs was quoted by Walter Issacson, his authorized biographer that he (Jobs) would like to create an integrated television set that synced seamlessly with all Apple devices the user owned via the iCloud technology. Current;y the iCloud technology allows iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple computers to share information and store data off site.

   With the passing of Steve Jobs and the release of the iPhone 4S this further proves that Apple will continue to maintain it's greatness. However, it should be noted that this product was in the process of development before Steve Jobs passed. The question Apple must answer is, will it have other great ideas that Jobs did not coin before passing. Stakeholders must think about these factors while dealing with Apple in both the computer and IS/IT industry, smartphone industry and possibly in the near future the television industry.

Also below id Siri's first TV commercial:

Sources:

Apple Developing TVs

Chevrolet's Web 2.0 footprint

*The main website home: note the twitter, facebook and youtube links at the top

   

   Chevrolet's main website, www.chevrolet.com, focuses on their newest accomplishments or events. Currently the 5 topics that scroll across the main page are: 1) The new Chevrolet Sonic going skydiving, 2)The Chevrolet Volt winning 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year, 3) The Silverado HD winning 2011 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, 4) Chevrolet's investment and policy for reduction of their CO2 footprint across the nation, and 5) Thier Celebration of turning 100 years in November. At the top of the website they have different tabs that can be hovered over revealing their Cars, Corossover/SUVs, Trucks/Vans line ups, Pricings and special offer, culture and owners features. To clarify the Chevy Culture tab includes the following: innovation, history, environment and news links. The owners features are: owner's customized login, certified service, warranty explanation, accesories, manuals and videos, my volt and track your order. 

*What the website displays after selecting the 2011 Camaro model

    The owner links are pretty much all the support an owner needs online, the links have manuals for every car since 2008 in PDF format, warranty information is clearly explained, the certified service center helps owners locate dealers and certified auto repair shops, as well as gives special deals for savings on service. The accesories link takes you to another website that allows owners to select thier car and view all available acessories that General Motors makes for thier automobile, complete with photos and pricing. 

*What the website displays after selecting the 2011 Camaro Coupe model/trim

    The pricing and offers links contains links that allow potential buyers to: view current Chevrolet offers, calculate their monthly payments on a viehicle, an estimated trade in appraisal (via blackbook), view an estimated credit score, apply for credit through ally.com, and finally it has a buying guide. The pricing and offers tab is essentially for non Chevrolet owners but are potential Chevrolet owners. Utilizing these other website and service providers, Chevrolet.com is able to provide links to the companies that offer the services, putting customers and potential customers in touch with the right companies. This allows Chevrolet to leave an impression on future and current customers, in turn building loyalty. As previously stated the other links have the line ups of all the categories of automobiles manufactured by Chevrolet and outlines the models. The links allow potential customers to build models and get a quote as well as locate dealerships for the specific model they desire. Once a model is selected, the different trim levels are introduced and a potential consumer can read on the highlights offered by each trim level. Models can be compared and once the potential consumer decides on the trim level, the next step is to build and customize the model and locate a dealer. The website also offers an estimated price for the specific model with all the add-ons the consumer has selected. Also limited editions are displayed under the main page of the selected model. 

*Chevrolet's Youtube Channel

   As for other web 2.0 participation, if a potential owner or  a current owner has a Facebook, one can log in using facebook credentials. There is a facebook fan group for General Motors, Chevrolet and multiple individual models. Chevrolet has a youtube channel that any youtube user can subscribe to. Also Chevrolet and General Motors have twitter.com accounts. In addition to the company created web 2.0 channels, many owners have created wikis and blogs for different models.

*Facebook group screen shot

Sources:

Youtube

Chevrolet.com

Facebook Group 

iResults are in!

   Monday, Apple announced that it had sold over 4 million iPhones which is an 135% increase over the previous iPhone 4 model. This was better than analysists had predicted, most analysists projected around little over 3 million was to be the number sold by now. The features included with the iPhone 4S have been a highly effective marketing feature, the biggest of which is Siri. Siri is a virtual assistant that helps you set up appointments as well as remind you to do things. Siri will also literally text via voice recognition. Other features such as the iCloud and other iOS 5 features are available for iPhone 4 users to upgrade to, however the iPhone 4S brings more to the table. Besides Siri, the iPhone 4S also has the dual cored A5 processor, making it the fastest iOS 5 3g capable device. The iPhone 4S also is capable of switching antenna sides for better reception, a problem that was prevalent with the iPhone 4.  The iPhone 4S comes in 3 models both available in either black or white for a suggested retail price of $199 for the 16GB model, $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399  for the new 64GB model. The carriers are: AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. Branching out to Sprint and making the iPhone international has helped the numbers grow as evident in the statistics.

  This is important information because even after Steve Jobs passed away, this proves to shareholders that the company is still worth value. Many thought the company would suffer in sales from the passing of Mr. Jobs, however this does not seem to be the case. The iPhone is also currently being utilized as an option for smartphones by the US military. I am also a current iPhone 4 user and have upgraded my phone to iOS 5 which comes standard with the iPhone 4S and I must say with the features includeds and the upgraded hardware I am not surprised the iPhone 4S is selling so well.

Sources:

Apple 2.0

Chevrolet can't be stopped

   The major competition that General Motors (Chevrolet's mother company) has to deal with consists of both fereign and domestic automotive companies. For the domestic market the major competitors are the mopar companies (Dodge, RAM, Jeep and Chrysler) and the Ford Motor Company (Ford, Lincoln and Mercury). In terms of the foreign market the major players for competition include Toyota (Toyota, Lexus and Scion), Hyundai, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and most other mid-level priced cars and trucks to upper-level luxury cars and sports cars. Rather than cover all competition I will focus on the direct competition of Chevrolet's, hybrid vehicles, affordably priced cars, trucks and thier more expensive sports cars. Chevrolet does not manufacture a car classified as luxury as Cadillac (chevrolet's sister company) is General Motors's main luxury company. 

   For  the hybrid category the main competition for the Volt comes from the Toyota Prius line and the Nissan leaf electric car. For the subcompact category Chevrolet's compact Sonic and Cruze get competition from automobiles such as the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, Dodge caliber, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Toyota's Yaris and Matrix as well as other vehicles that fit the subcompact class. The crossovers and SUVs of Chevrolet compete with Ford's Escape, Edge, Explorer and Expedition, Dodge's Caliber and Nitro, Nissan's Rogue, Juke, Pathfinder and Armada, Toyota's 4Runner, Land Cruiser and Sequoia, and many other large SUVs and crossovers. For Chevrolet's full and midsize cars category  Malibu and Impala major competition comes from BMW,  Volkswagen, Chyrsler's 300 and 200, Ford's Fusion and Tarus, Dodge's Charger and Avenger, Nissan's Sentra, Altima and Maxima, Hyundai's Elantra and Sonata, and Toyota's Corolla, Camry and Avalon, in addition to any other foreign auto manufacturer of full size and mid size cars. Chevrolet's Colorado and Silverado competes in the small and fullsize truck category against Ford's Ranger and F-150, RAM's trucks, Nissan's frontier and Titan, and Toyota's Tacoma and Tundra. For the musclecar/pony car category Chevrolet's Camaro competes with only Dodge's Challenger, Ford's Mustang, Nissan's 370 Z and Hyundai's Genesis. For sports cars Chevrolet's Corvette competes with highend automobiles such as Dodge's Viper, Lamborghinis (owned by Volkswagen), Ferraris, Porsches (owned by Volkswagen), Nissan's GTR, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. 

   The corporate structure of Ford and Dodge are similar to General Motors in terms of them consisting of a chain of command of executives. The foreign automakers, however are ran more like regimes. The Asian auto makers Nissan, Hyundai and Toyota are all more of a centralized government structure. This also helps them manage their partnerships better as well as maintain the market shares in other countries. The Asian automakers tend to create partnerships with American Automakers and hire representatives and liaisons to coordinate agreements between both parties. The European Automakers are somewhat ran similar to the American Industry in that they have a chain of command of executives, however the companies are not as free to make decisions. This is due because of the European Manufacturers being so structured from prior that the executives are more like elitists or elected and appointed rather than earning the spot they are more elected. This is true with Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, and Volkswagen as their executives are appointed, not promoted. Also European automakers tend to buy out other companies opposed to creating partnerships.

 

Sources:

Toyota
Nissan USA

Hyundai USA 

Dodge 

Ford 

Volkswagen AG 

MB USA 

Chrvrolet 

iOutsell My Predecessor

   

   The iPhone 4S was officially released today, October 12, 2011. Many are on thier way to Verizon, Sprint and AT&T stores and pre-order customers. Today's topic is about the number of pre-orders of the iPhone 4S. The new iPhone 4S sold over 1,000,000 in only 24 hours of being anounced. The previous record was 600,000 for the iPhone 4. This is an interesting point because the iPhone 4 was a whole new unit, whereas the iPhone 4S was simply an improvement on an existing product. The new iPhone 4S has a faster processor, longer lasting battery, an improved camera, Siri the smartphone assistant and comes with iOS 5 installed already. Although this is 67% increase over the iPhone 4, it should also be noted that the iPhone 4S was made available to foreign markets as well as the domestic market, a factor that the pre-orders of iPhone 4 lacked.

  The iphone 4 will also be able to update to iOS 5 and have some benefits that the iPhone 4S has. This brings me to my second topic for today's blog. The iOS 5 Update is done by simply plugging ones iPhone 4, iPad, or iTouch into their computer and updating via iTunes. The major issue with this is that the server has been overloaded almost since the update has been out. Error 3200 is wreaking havoc on Apple's idealistic worldwide update of iOS 4 to iOS 5. The problem that Error 3200 is in simple English is the Apple updating servers are becoming overwhelmed by the multiple users trying to update their devices. 

   With the iPhone 4S's high pre-order numbers, this can prove to Apple stockholders that the company is still worth some money. Also the market share in the smartphone industry has shifted to iPhone as more users have signed up and bought the product. The days of RIM's "Crackberry" (Blackberry) are coming to an end and Apple has its targets set for those Android users. As for the iOS 5 error, this is simply a setback for those who want the update now. Once more and more people get their devices updated the demand will drop and the servers will not be overwhelmed. Personally I had to try to update for 30 minutes before I was able to update. Was the wait worth it? I guess I will have to address that question on my next blog. So far it seems to have the benefits of a notification center and a few updated apps that work with the cloud.

Sources:

iPhone Sales

iOS 5 Problems

GM: Chevrolet's Mother Company

   

   Chevrolet is a division of General Motors Company. The structure of General Motors is a centralize hierarchy. The current key players in the North American hierarchy are: Daniel Akerson- CEO, Stephen Girsky- Vice Chairman, Corporate Strategy, Business Development, Global Product Planning, and Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, Thomas Stephens- Vice Chairman Global Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Mark Reuss- Vice President and President, North America, Mary Barra- Senior Vice President, Global Product Development, Daniel Ammann- Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Cynthia Brinkley- Vice President, Global Human Resources, Nick Cyprus- Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and Controller, Robert Ferguson- Vice President, Global Public Policy, and Terry Kline- Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. There are others within the corporate structure that are key players in the company's sucess but for the global sucess. I wanted to focus on the North American structure. The CEO, Daniel Akerson took his position January 1, 2011, prior to joining General Motors he was a managing director of The Carlyle Group. Akerson's resume displays that he served as chairman, chief executive officer, or president of several major companies, including General Instrument, MCI, Nextel, and XO Communications.

   Chevrolet being a divison has cetrain products that General Motors wanted the company to focus on for a market share. The goal of Chevrolet was to introduce new customers to General Motors products with affordable prices and to give said potential customers the best value for thier money. This strategy leads to gaining loyal customers. General Motors hopes that younger customers or lower class customers will fall in love with thier Chevrolet and as thier incomes grow, the customers will be loyal and  inturn purchase the more expensive General Motors (GM) brands (such as Cadillac). The vehicle line up is as follows:

Cars- Sonic, Camaro, Corvette, Cruze, HHR, Impala, Malibu, and Volt.

Crossovers and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV)- Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe and Suburban.

 Trucks and Vans- Colorado, Silverado, Avalanche, and Express.

These vehicles are all offered in multiple colors, and with a plentiful number of options that can be added for reasonable prices. Engines range from inline 4, V6 and V8 with intelligent cylinder technologies for fuel efficiency purposes. 

   Due to the North American Free Trade Agreement, some of the vehicles are assembled in both Canada and Mexico. Most of the parts are shipped from factories in the United States, if the vehicles are assembled in the foreign countries. The majority of the vehicles are built in the United States by Americans in the Detroit plants. For example the pickup trucks and SUVs are generally built in Michigan. Also, the proving grounds for their test vehicles is in Arizona, and in my opinion this proves that of all the "American" car brands, GM has the most impact on the American way of life by being one of the biggest employing American Workers. Partnerships are primarily for the purpose of gaining global market share. For example GM has partnerships Daewoo, Wuling, and Jiefang for the Asian Market, Isuzu for the Japanese and Indian market, Holden for the Australian Market, Vauxhall for the United Kingdom Market, and Opel for the European Market. Due to those partnerships, GM can sell their products globally, however those partnerships employ the citizens of the areas in which they are established.

   Financially GM was bankrupt recently and was given assistance by the United States Government, however recently the Company has fully repaid it's debt. Currently a share in the company is worth $21-$22 a piece. Last year according to the financial records (10-k report) GM had a net income of: $6.172 billion and it's total assets were valued at: $138.898 billion. They currently employ 209,000 employees globally. For a recession in the United States, in my opinion although they filled bankrupcy, they are recovering well and display the true spirit of what an American Automobile Industry giant feels during a national hard time.

  

sources:
http://www.gm.com/company/aboutGM/GM_Corporate_Officers.html
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar
http://investor.gm.com/stockholder-information/

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Originally I was going to blog about the release of the "iPhone 5" or iPhone 4S but after today's headlines of Steve Jobs passing away I decided to make today's blog in honor of him. . Steve Jobs was 56 years of age when he passed away, he was suffering multiple health issues. His illnesses included pancreatic cancer, hormone imbalances due to medical treatments and a liver transplant. Jobs served as the CEO for Apple, Inc. for 15 years (1996-2011) and was credited for leading the company to the current state it is in via multiple successful products. Among the Apple co-founders company leading achievements: Apple I 1976, Apple Macintosh 1984, iMac 1998, iPod 2001, iPhone 2007, and Macbook 2010. His last statement as CEO when he stepped down in August this year was: “I have always said that if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s C.E.O., I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.” -Mr. Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was such an influence on the company that upon his resignation as CEO, many of Apple's stockholders began to sell. His selected successor Tim Cook was Job's fill-in CEO while Jobs had pancreatic surgery (2004) and the liver transplant (2011). This event will definitely change the industry in terms of innovation and breakthrough thinking, as Jobs was seen as the forerunner for both. Most companies in the IT/IS industry maintained the status quo when compared to Apple. It is now up to Mr. Cook to carry the torch of Apple and lead the company to similar successes. The first product released under the new CEO was the iPhone 4S. Due to the fact that I dedicated this blog to Steve Jobs rather than my original theme, I felt it necessary to  include a video from Apple on the iPhone 4S:

Also my favorite video blogger talking about Steve Jobs (warning vulgar language but its dedicated):

sources:

NY Times: Steve Jobs Dies at 56

Apple: iPhone 4S 

The Bowtie Brand

   
   Chevrolet was founded on November 3, 1911 by race car driver Louis Chevrolet and William Durant (co-founder of General Motors). At the time that Chevrolet was first created Durant had recently been ousted from the management of General Motors and he desired to prove himself to potentially regain a foothold within the company. He assisted Louis Chevrolet in the design and development of the the first Chevrolet Automobile the Series C Classic Six. It was soon after the production of the Series C that Chevrolet adopted the bowtie emblem (1913). In 1915 Louis Chevrolet had become disgruntled with Durant and decided to sell his shares of Chevrolet Automobiles to Durant. Also around this time the company had become so profitable that in 1916 Durant was able to buy a controlling interest in General Motors Corporation.  In 1917 Chevrolet Automobiles and General Motors Corporation merged and Chevrolet became the first division under the General Motors (GM) Holding Company. By 1918 Chevrolet introduced the V8 engine into production and was the leading seller for V8 powered automobiles with their Model D.  As the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s progressed the most affordable automobiles were Plymouth Ford and Chevrolet, offering the most for the least amount of money. As the GM Holding Company grew, procuring Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, GMC Trucks, Cadillac and other brands, Chevrolet remained the brand that targeted the broadest market offering the most affordable vehicles. The GM business plan was to get people to buy Chevrolet and move up the lineup of divisions progressing to more luxurious brands such as Pontiac and Cadillac. In 1953 the revolutionary Corvette was born and began to represent Chevrolet with performance unmatched by any other brand. Since then and continuing to today, the Chevrolet Corvette is America's super-car. Also notable in 1955 Chevrolet developed the basic small-block V8 design, which has been utilized since its debut each year only with slight modifications, similar to a platform with beta updates in the web 2.0 webspace. In 1966 the Camaro was released to compete with the popular selling Ford Mustang. Also during the muscle car era the Nova, El Camino and Chevelle were released. 

    Today, Chevrolet produces the Silverado pick-up truck, Colorado sub compact pick-up truck, Avalanche mid-size pick-up, Express van, Sonic, Cruze and Aveo sub-compact cars, Malibu and Impala full-size cars, Camaro muscle/pony car, Corvette sportscar, Equinox and Traverse crossovers and the Volt for the growing hybrid market. I currently own a Camaro and it has been the nicest automobile I have owned for the amount of money I paid. My father owns a Silverado that was just as impressive. Chevrolet truly embraces the American Spirit.

iOctober 4....are you iReady?

With the iPhone 5 debut only 7 days away, Apple submitted a few clues to the media through a cleverly created collage of icons. The icons used were the ones from the iPhone OS that everyone who has ever looked at n iPhone is familiar with. The first icon was the calendar icon displaying Tuseday: 4 (indicating Tuesday October 4, 2011). The second icon was the clock icon displaying 10:00, followed by the map icon and a pin on the location of the Apple headquarters (where the event is to be held). The final most misunderstood icon was the phone icon with a red number 1 (usually used to indicate the number of missed calls). Then the words: "Let's talk iPhone."Analysts from digital magazines and online sites have been trying to figure out what this last icon is supposed to indicate. The most accepted theory is that although consumers and carriers have been hoping for a low end iPhone: that could be sold to carriers for cheap and inturn be sold to users for lower prices is still just a dream. Many thought that Apple would release a low end iPhone because it would offer affordable, unsubsidized phones that could potentially be use by carriers to penetrate more target markets. Also most analysts anticipate that the focus of the event on Tuesday October 4, 2011 will be focused on the unveiling of the iPhone 5, its projected A5 processor (same as iPad 2), and its new design features as well as iOS 5 and the cloud computing capabilities of iOS 5.  The final element many believe that Apple will stress is the fact that iPhone 5 will be available for AT&T, Verizon and now Sprint in the US and its availability in China. The "iCollage" can be seen below:

The relevancy to the industry in this case shows that with the release of the iPhone 5 only being the singular subsidized model, Apple is missing the opportunity to get into the lower class market share. If they create a low end model, as suggested by many analysts, both carriers and Apple would benefit. As an iPhone user, i frankly do not feel effected by this as I have Verizon and therefore am bound by contract. 

sources:

What to expect Oct 4 -Apple 2.0 CNN Money
Let's talk: 1 new iPhone, not 2? -Apple 2.0 CNN Money

Decepticons? No Problem!

I Drove It To The Levy But The Levy Was Dry

       Chevy! Who? Chevy! The company I decided to select for my analysis on web presence was Chevrolet, the division of General Motors. The major factor for my selecting this company was because I own a Chevrolet have not been happier with my purchase. Although many consider my buying the Chevrolet Camaro was an ill planned purchase, I feel I made a good decision and do not have buyer's remorse. This is not my first experience with Chevrolet or let alone a General Motor's (GM) product. In fact I have experience other brands such as Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Lexus and Chrysler. Growing up my family was not the best off and my parents could not afford the expensive American cars, this is when I had my first experience with Nissan and Toyota. Although both cars were reliable, they did not offer much for interior amenities without adding more money. The next purchases my family experienced in terms of automobiles was a Ford F-250 pickup truck and a Ford Thunderbird coupe. Although both had nice interior amenities, both suffered engine troubles almost monthly, I took note of this when I began to age around my teens. The next set of automobiles my parents bought were a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup and a Chrysler LHS. The Silverado was extremely affordable and had almost all the amenities plus add-ons available, it truly was a cowboy's Cadillac. The Chrysler, however was a bit pricey and suffered interior problems: within months the window motors failed and the speakers blew. 

    Once I was old enough to purchase my first automobile, I found a 1998 Pontiac Trans Am (a former GM product) that I owned for nearly 6 years before I sold it. The only reason I sold it was because I was offered the Coast Guard Academy loan and had my sights set on the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. The Pontiac was still running strong when I sold it with no major issues at the age of 12 years. Currently as I stated I own a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro,  my mother owns a 2006 Lexus GS450, and my father owns a 2006 GMC Sierra (another GM product) as well as the 2000 Chevrolet Silverado which still runs strong and has only had 1 interior issue.

1998 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 "Priscilla"

   It is my belief that you can tell a lot about a person by the image they portray and that includes the car they drive. I myself consider my fascination with cars to be a hobby, as I like to work on my cars modifying them and maintaining them. It is for this reason I believe Chevrolet is a great fit for my needs of both image and lifestyle, thus leading to the reason I chose the company to analyze.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS "Nickki"

iReturn Soon

The new, highly sought after iPhone 5 is planned to be unveiled October 4, 2011 at a special event. The next question after the unveiling will inevitably be 'When can I buy the new iPhone?' In an attempt to answer this question, John Paczkowski of All Things Digital (a department of the Wall Street Journal),  analyzed the lag times of previous Apple products. The following was discovered:

As can be seen on the chart to the left, the original iPhone took 171 days to become available from the time it was unveiled. That time frame was reduced with the iPhone 3G which took 32 days, and the iPhone 3GS with 11 days. The iPhone 4, however took longer than the 3GS with 17 days from unveiling to release. Analyzing these figures was important for Mr. Paczkowski to estimate the availability of the iPhone 5 from the release date of Oct 4.

Paczkowski estimated that based on the trends from the chart that the iPhone 5 will be available in the month of October. He estimates roughly 2-3 weeks after the special event that wireless phone providers such as Verizon and AT&T will have the product on their shelves ready for purchase. Another factor that Paczkowski utilized was the fact that Apple will be now selling the iPhone 5 through 228 carriers world wide, including the Republic of China. With this many potential buyers, Paczkowski believes Apple will be more likely to reduce the lag time between the unveiling and the sales periods.

This is important again once to me as a potential iPhone 5 buyer but also to corporations. The corporations are beginning to reanalyze the use of smartphones in the industry. Many companies are switching from RIM's Blackberry to Android and iPhones. I have seen also many potential clients in the entertainment industry, as my uncle sets up events for high profile clients of his hotel company. With the release of the iPhone 5 the market share will probably shift and Apple stocks will rise.

iWin.....again

The highly anticipated iPhone 5, rumored to be released sometime after October has proven to be on many iPhone 4 users' wish lists, at least for those 2,200 surveyed by ChangeWave. The revolutionary Apple iPhone 5 is confirmed to be available to Verizon and AT&T customers with a rumor of availability to Sprint subscribers. The iPhone 4 was released in 2010 and when the same survey was conducted the numbers showed promise of many purchasing the iPhone 4, with the new survey the numbers are higher than the previous. The results are displayed below:

From the chart on the Left it is obvious that the iPhone 5 is anticipated to out sell its predecessor. Those reporting to "somewhat likely" buy the iPhone increased by 5%. Also the "very likely" category also increased, however only by 1%.

Even with Sprint only being rumored to carry the iPhone 5, 54% of those surveyed (that were Sprint customers) said they would likely switch from their current phone to an iPhone 5. Of those surveyed who were already iPhone users, 66% said they were likely to switch to the newer iPhone 5 upon release.

Why is this relevant to industry and business? Well consider the fact that a majority of people nowadays utilizes a cellular phone. Also consider the fact that Apple's CEO Steve Jobs just retired. Also consider the fact that most executives carry cellular phones. This article is especially relevant to me because of the fact that I own an iPhone 4 and am a fan of Apple products. I believe that Apple stocks will succeed from the much anticipated release of this product.

source: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/09/13/survey-shows-unprecedented-demand-for-apples-iphone-5/

Defining 3 Brands That Define Me

Today's automobiles offer a multitude of options and come with many standard features that often define or set the brands appart from one another. Chevrolet is no different, although it may be  celebrating it's 100th birthday in November. As an automotive company, Chevrolet always strived to offer above average experiences and options to everyday priced vehicles. Founded by race car driver Louis Chevrolet and William Durant, the company was to offer Chevrolet auto bodies with Buick engines, but soon both automobile companies were under General Motors Holdings. This offered Durant a new opportunity to evolve Chevrolet into the affordable auto brand. As General Motors grew in size via aquiring companies, Chevrolet became the company known for making technology and performance affordable, a description which is still known today. In the late 1950's the small block V8 was introduced to the world by Chevrolet and with it's arrival the auto industry was revolutionized as small blocks were producing more horsepower than before. The break thru was so advanced for it's time that even today similarly based small block V8 engines are used in models today such as the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette. The company offers a range of vehicles for the buyers' needs, trucks, vans, SUVs, sedans and sports cars. The company offers car sales service, repair service and financing service through General Motors, as Chevrolet is a brand or division of General Motors. (http://www.chevrolet.com/culture/article/chevrolet-centennial/)

Computers are supposed to make life easier but how does someone who has been described as a techno-phobe survive in an IT world? simple solution, as I myself can be considered a techno-phone, I use Apple Inc. 's Macintosh Computer on a daily basis and I get my work done. Since 1976, Steves and Steve Wozniak's co-founding company ha revolutionized the way the user experiences the personal computer. The first Apple product was the Apple 1 which was a basic motherboard that required the buyer to build into a computer for use, later down the line the Apple product line up offered a fully complete computer known as the Macintosh, or MAC in 1984. It was during the 1984 Superbowl that the company released a provocative advertisement for their product which would forever symbolize them as a major player in the computer market. Since then, the computer lineup has been as follows: Macintosh II (1987-1990), LC(1990-1995), Powerbook Laptop G1-G4(1989-2005), Power Macintosh PC Tower(1995-2006), iMac(1998-present), Mac Pro(2006-present), Macbook and Macbook Pro(2006-2011). The company also specializes in Mp3 players with the iPod line up and the tablet market with the iPad as well as the cellular phone market with the iPhone line up. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.#History)

When a young man or woman wants to accessorize themselves with a product that sets them appart from the crowd, most tend to opt for jewelry. When they do opt for jewelry a lot of people will try to find the best looking watch or chain. Nixon Watches offers the best watches at great prices. Since 1997, the Nixon watch line up has far exceeded expectations of a surf and skateboard watch company in quality and extravagance. Founded by surfer/skateboard Chad DiNenna, and his friend Andy Laats, a mechanical engineer with a degree from Cornell University, Nixon has separated themselves from the normal outdoor companies when it comes to making watches of quality or even accessories of quality. Their lineup includes but is not limited to: The Player, Automatic, Regent, The Mayor, The Ticket and many other models. Nixon also makes wallets, jackets, purses (for females) belts and beanies.

(http://www.nixonreviews.com/history-of-nixon-watches/  and http://www.nixonnow.com/home/)

All three companies are for profit organizations and all three companies were chose for a reason. The reason I picked Chevrolet, Apple Inc, and Nixon is because all three companies influence my life through style and I utilize their product on a daily basis. These brands define me as myself therefore I chose to highlight them from the crowd of brands and companies as they do so for me with the crowd.

2011.5 Last Semester Underway Making Way

So for my ITO class I was instructed to research blogging websites to figure out which one I liked the best. The answer came easy to me since I am a Mgmt major....I already have a blog that I use therefore I will just reuse the same website. BLAH-DAH!!! So on with it:

I can't think of much to talk about at the current time so imma go ahead and speak my mind. I have 103 days left of school and being in the 17.5th grade I'm happy to say finally I'll be done with it soon. I just gotta stick to my friends and mind my own...as far as Im concerned haters gonna hate and lovers gonna love so as I always say GET IN WHERE YOU FIT IN! This is important because I have PECS (formerly known as ICE <ghey class>), Maritime Law Enforcement (yawn), Atmospheric Science (double yawn), Personal Finance, and ITO. I'm a lil nervous but I figure that's good cause if not I'd probs be goofing off too much. Also I feel ITO and PECS can help me fight my frustration with computers. Aight den no more talk gotta blog on another site....until next time PEACE!!!!!

Parked in Paradise

So ive had an eventful last 2 weeks, had a slight mishap in the snow (that I don't want to talk about) but basically I had to make up for that mistake and it wasn't a highlight of my senior year. In addition to the bummers in life, positives can accompany them. My classmates all got their duty assignments, 4 of my friends even ended up at the same unit (BROBOAT) but yeah I was allowed to join the ceremony with my class even though I'm not graduating with them. It was pretty legit to see everyone get pretty much one of their top 10 choices. Congrats to USCGA class of 2011...as for me 2011.5 I'll be seeing them out there soon....c/o 2011.5 motto "we party harder"...anyway just figured I'd share what's up. Currently living my alternate life (non-CG) in Puerto Rico on Spring Break. Well that's all I got for now...till then BOTTOMS UP!