Great Ideas in Designing Greeting Cards

By Martha Killian

When it comes to marketing your business, one of your primary goals is to present your business in the most exciting and interesting way. It should be distinct and captivating so people will notice you and remember you long after you have closed the sale or ended your meeting. The more people remember you, the easier it is for you to convince them to purchase again.
But as much as getting remembered is important, you need to maintain good communication with them so you keep your business on top of their mind. That's easy enough to do. You can just send them your card every month or so, and they will instantly remember you. As easy as it may seem, customers are looking for personal attachments these days. They want the business they deal with understands them and communicates with them on a more personal level.
Now, that can be a bit tough to do especially if you have been used to doing impersonal communication. But no need to worry; there's a tool you can use that will help you touch your customers on a personal level. That's no other than greeting card printing. Greeting cards are simple enough to do. They will let you convey your message to your audience lightheartedly so they won't look at your card as just another ad.
It's important that you design your greeting cards impressively so they will represent your business well. Strive for a consistent design so your recipients will easily know that the card is from you. Remember that uniqueness is the key. If you can make your design distinct and original, the more people will be drawn to it. To help you come up with cool and impressive greeting cards, here are some ideas for you to follow:
1- Get straight to the point. Are you greeting your customers on their birthday, anniversary, or the holidays? Whatever the occasion is, be sure to let your cards illustrate it straight to the point. There's no point in beating around the bush considering that your greeting card has only one purpose, and that is to greet. Create a simple and concise message that can be understood at a glance. Remember that your customers are busy individuals. If they can't understand your message at once, they won't bother reading your card again.
2- Create oversized cards. Large cards will always be noticed first. They will be opened first, so you have higher chance of deliver your message across. Remember though that an oversized card will cost you extra not only in printing but in mailing as well. So, be sure that your budget can afford it before creating it.
3- Personalize. Getting immediate response can be achieved easily if our card's design is personalized. It will look like a message from a friend so they will feel drawn to it. If you can include a handwritten message in your card, that would be better. It will show the recipient that you value him.
It's easy enough to design impressive greeting card templates through simple means. Because they will be one of the important marketing tools you will ever use in your business, it's crucial that you invest enough time and money on them. Get them right, and your business is sure to stay on top of your customer's mind.

Martha Killian has been writing articles online for about 2 years now in a trusted printing company. You can also visit this website for more practical ideas about creating custom greeting card printing online, and get your free greeting card templates carefully crafted for you.

Choose the Best Exhibition Design

By Samra Mandeep

Have you ever visited a trade show or exhibition? What kind of display materials did you find at the company stalls? The participating companies use portable display materials to transport them from one event to the other easily. These companies hire various advertising and designing companies to create unique display designs for exhibitions. These advertisers offer different exhibition displays to the companies to showcase their products and services at the event. They conduct a thorough research about the company and then select the best suitable exhibition design for their clients. Modular stands are in trend these days; the advertisers take care of all the features and requirements of the displays according to the theme and event. They take responsibility of all the aspects in creating the display materials for their clients.
The designer considers all the factors to select the best design for the company's booth; they could present their reputation through a video, folder or giveaway items. The planning of the exhibition displays could be done after deciding whether they need a permanent display or a temporary one. These could be assembled and dismantled in a few minutes, and could be carried easily in a storage bag. This would save the cost of creating new displays for different products. The exhibition design could help the company in gaining reputation in the industry among the other competitors. These could be the attention grabber and thus it is worth making the investment.
Hiring an experienced designer to create custom displays would definitely yield positive results for your business. Another most important feature of the exhibition displays is its portability and ease of transportation with the help of a carrying bag. The use of magnets or pins would give a temporary solution to attach different graphic panels at the trade shows. These stands are flexible and can be easily adjusted even in a small space. These are best suitable for short-term fairs or trade shows as they generally have either much less or much more space for the exhibition design. These types of displays are strong and sturdy; they do not plummet easily with a small breeze. Snap-to-lock poles are used to display different graphics suiting the requirements of the company and the event. Content of these displays complements the look of the booth. These might include furniture or the storage stand that could be readily available or custom designed by the professional designer. The customized displays depend upon the size, shape and different requirements of the exhibiting company.

The exhibition design could be created with the help of a professional advertising company. These companies have extensive knowledge about the various options available in the market; they choose the displays according to the client's requirements. Portable exhibition displays help the company to assemble and dismantle the booth in least time.

How To Sketch People And The Human Figure

By Ethan Nguyen

The Foundation Of How To Sketch People
Learning how to sketch people and the human form can be somewhat challenging but the techniques remain the same as with regular sketching.
To sketch a person, first you should pay attention to the main lines and the direction of movements. At first, try to disregard the details.
Just take a quick look at the figure and sketch out the overall shape. Then fill in the angles where they fit into the shape.
At this stage of learning how to sketch people, you are more interested in the proportion of the figure and getting that right than you are with all the extra details. You can practice this by making quick sketches of poses.
Don't be embarrassed if your quick sketches doesn't come out perfect. We all have to start from somewhere. We all are beginners who didn't have a clue about how to sketch people at some point and mistakes help us get better.
How To Sketch People Using Templates
As you continue to practice doing these sketches, you'll find that you develop a template for the different body types: man, woman, child.
This is good. It means that you are developing a feel for drawing the human figure. Use these templates to help you draw the outline of your sketches of people and then fill the details.
Here are some quick things to notice about the human figure that you should include in your sketches of people: as we age, our body begins to droops. Our head and arms will also sag a little.
As a beginner, try to avoid making your sketches too small. Smaller sketches are more difficult to draw as you have to make very fine details.
But in addition, you won't learn as much with smaller sketches because it will be harder for you to spot your weak points. For this reason, larger sketches tends to be better.
Sketching Hair
Many people find it hard to sketch hair. The good news is that sketching hair is a lot easier than drawing hair. The key to sketching hair is to do it with delicacy and to look for stray hairs to break up the mass of hair.
Remember to make your pencil stroke in the direction of the hair flow. To sketch long and straight hair, use swinging strokes that are close together.
Also, if the people that you are sketching are in motion be sure to ruffle up the hair to make it look like it's moving.
Hair also changes with age. Younger hair tends to be thicker and will thin out as you age. Be sure to depict this in your sketches.
How to sketch people is a complex subject and it is impossible to cover everything in one short article. I've done my best to lay out some important points that you should keep in mind when sketching people.
Keep these drawing tips in mind and you should find that sketching people will become a much easier task.

And if you'd like more tutorial on how to sketch people, just head over to http://howtodrawpeoplefaces.org/. There you find tons more FREE drawing tutorials on how to draw people.

10 Sketching Tips To Improve Your Pencil Sketching Skills

By Ethan Nguyen

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Improve Your Sketching Using These Sketching Tips
In this article, I'm going to give you 10 quick and easy sketching tips to help you become better sketching artist.
Becoming a skilled sketching artist requires many hours of practice and studies but I've notice a number of common mistakes that beginning artists tends to make. I've turned these common mistakes that I've notice and turned them into this list of sketching tips. As you read through these sketching tips, try to see which one applies to you and make the necessary corrections.
So, without further ado...here is your list of sketching tips:
Quick And Easy Sketching Tips:
Tips #1: Don't stress out over making one big sketching masterpiece. Sketching is all about being free and expressing your creativity. But so many artist stress out about coming up with a really big and complex sketch drawing. Don't do this.
You will benefit more from doing a bunch of little sketches than you will from drawing one big elaborate sketch.
Tips #2: Train yourself to see lines in everything that you look at. Look for the horizontal and vertical lines. Follow the curves and focus on them.
By practicing this sketching tip, you will teach yourself to draw what you see and you'll begin to draw naturally as it becomes a habit.
Tip #3: Be aware of the position of your head while sketching. The slightest movement of your head can chance the perspective of what you are looking at and alter the look of your sketch.
I'm not saying there is a right and wrong perspective, but if you start out a sketch with one perspective, you need to make sure that it stays consistence.
Tip #4: It's normal to stare at a blank piece of paper and be intimidated by it. If you find yourself in this position, simply draw a light border on your page. Not only will this break you out of your paralysis by moving your hand, but the border will help you choose a subject that will fit into the area.
Tip #5: If you want to make an object look lighter, there is a way to do it without using an eraser. Simply put something darker next to it. This is the contrast principle at work and the brain can not tell the difference.
Play around with this sketching tip and you'll find that you can do a lot of cool things.
Tip #6: Before you drive into a sketch, make light outlines of the shapes to make sure that everything will fit into the page. This way your proportions will look better and you won't find yourself running out of space in the middle of your sketch.
Tip #7: Sketch faster. Practice sketching faster and you'll improve how you see and also your understanding of lines and form. Plus your strokes will look more fluid and smooth.
Tip #8: If you are trying to sketch something that look complicated, don't be intimidated. Just break it down into different shapes. Everything a comprised of the basic shapes: square, round, cylinder, and cone.
Tip#9: A great tool to have with you while sketching is a Q-tip. It smalls and easy to carry around. Plus it works great for blending your pencil strokes.
Tip #10: Pay attention to the light source when you sketch. Shading is crucial to making a drawing look realistic so make sure you get it right. If the light source is on the right of your subject, then the shadows should be consistently on the left.
These sketching tips might seem simple (and they are) but don't underestimate their importance. Keep these sketching tips in mind while you draw and your works will come out much better.

And if you like more FREE sketching tips and drawing tutorials, just head over to my website at http://howtodrawpeoplefaces.org. There you find tons more articles and tutorial about how to draw.

Retail Merchandising Planograms - How to Use Them Effectively

By Romeo Cliff Richards

What are the benefits of Retail Merchandising Planograms?
The perception is that if your product is good, it will sell itself. However, visual merchandisers nowadays know better - effective advertising and displaying of merchandise are as important as quality. They understand the importance of planograms; the sketches outline the placement of products on a store shelf or retail display. Planograms ensure consistency of product placement between locations, and suppliers use the sketches to enforce the display of their product which results in higher sales volume. Independent retailers owners utilize planograms to maximize shelf space and enhance the look of merchandise. Starting with an effective planogram is one way to ensure products are restocked and maintained in a way that enhances display quality.
What are Retail Merchandising Planograms?
A planogram is a diagram or model that indicates the placement of retail products on shelves in order to maximize sales. Also known as plano-grams, plan-o-grams, schematics and POGs, planograms are a tool used in visual merchandising.
How is a Retail Merchandising Planogram prepared?
There are various pieces of software available which help to create planograms. Planogram software helps retailers to draw three dimensional diagrams of the store and help them visualize the overall image of the store.
How to Implement a Planogram:
Below are guidelines for effective planogram implementation:
1. Determine the desired effect of the planogram. If you're a clothing retailer, your objective might be to hang tops at an angle that shows off their beauty, and to make space for folded and stacked stock such as sweaters and pants. If you run a general merchandise store, displaying as many brand options as possible on your shelves might be the desired result.
2. Sketch the backdrop of your planogram. This is the space on or within which you'll place your product, be it a section of shelves or the floor plan of the entire store. Make your sketch to gauge and include measurements of every section of space; this will help you calculate how many products you can allocate to each space.
3. Organize your products in the planogram. Draw numbered representations of each item onto the planogram space; include a key to provide a description of each product, including brand and SKU. If your aim is to maximize space, compare various product combinations and use the one which allows you to display the most products.
4. Place your products on the shelf or store floor according to your diagram. Modify the planogram as you see fit; a product placing which maximizes space might also appear crowded and make it difficult to shop.
5. A planogram which aims to feature a line of clothing might not appear well under certain lighting arrangements or in a particular section of the store.
6. Arrange and rearrange the product placement using actual products until you are satisfied that it is well arranged and you have utilized your store space well.
7. Finally, change the planogram to reflect the changes you made at store level and ensure the format is replicated in other store locations of similar measurement.

Click on the below link to get instant access to your shoplifting prevention videos: http://www.theprofitexperts.co.uk/lnd/ShopLiftingPrevention/
Romeo Richards is the CEO of The Business Education Center: http://thebusinesseducationcenter.com/ the consultancy division of Richards International Group. The Business Education Center provides the most in-depth and comprehensive business coaching and training to professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, business consultants, private security firms and retail executives.
Romeo holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and is the author of eight ebooks, a book and numerous articles, whitepapers and best practices on retail loss prevention and profit protection. His upcoming ebooks and books on Retail Store Design, Visual Merchandising, Retail Loss Prevention and How to make 7 Figures Annually as a Lawyer, Accountant, Business Consultant, Private Security Firm, Private Dental Practice, Private Medical Practice and NGOs & Public Sector Finance Management will be published in January 2012.

How to Maximize Retail Display Space

By Romeo Cliff Richards

Why Maximize Display Space?
Have you ever experienced visiting a supermarket and only coming home with half of what you had on your shopping list? This is quite disappointing especially when you expect to get everything that you need. The next time you go shopping, you will probably go to another store.
One of the keys to getting ahead of the competition in the retail industry is to provide all the shopping needs of the customers. In retail merchandising, the concept of "out of sight, out of mind" applies. When customers see the item in the product display shelf, they will most likely buy the product. They seldom ask whether a product is available or not. With the increasing need of the consumers nowadays, and the constant change in trend and consumer preference, it is a wise move on the part of the vendor to maximize the potential of their merchandise display. The more product variations there are in the store, the more attractive it is to the consumers. This could result in increased customer satisfaction, sales and profit.
What Are the Benefits of Maximizing Display Space?
Maximizing display space can give the store owner multiple benefits. The most important benefits are the following:
• More products SKUs. The more space you have to display merchandise the more products you can stock in your store.
• More supplier support. With tough competition in the retail business, all suppliers want their products to be allocated a space in a store, preferably in the most conspicuous area. Most suppliers are willing to bargain for marketing support and higher space rental just to get the space that they want.
• More organized and controlled displays. An organized and well-controlled display area results in the maximization of space. When your store is well-organized it is easier to monitor your stock. There are also less incidents of pilferage and theft.
• Increased consumer satisfaction. Aside from good quality products and services that the store offers, availability is also very important to the consumer. Product prices prove irrelevant in comparison to convenience and quality.
• Increased sales and profit. With increased consumer satisfaction, increase sales and profit follow. A word of mouth based on personal experience is the oldest but still the most effective marketing tool.
How to Maximize Display Space:
Maximizing display space does not necessarily mean overcrowding of stock. Disorganized and rambled stock are a total turn off to customers. It does not provide the appropriate mood for a wonderful shopping experience. When maximizing display space, a retailer must bear in mind that the main goal is to properly allocate a space for as many products as possible. All merchandise inside the warehouse must be displayed on the store floor. A good result begins with a good plan and a good plan is a result of a knowledgeable, well-informed and creative mind. The first thing therefore is to equip one's self with the concepts of retail and visual merchandising.
How to Implement Display Space Allocation:
In maximizing display space, the following simple suggestions can be proved effective.
1. Clean the shelves and remove products that are either expired, over stocked or discontinued.
2. Categorize your stock according to size, type, usage or brand.
3. Tighten up peg proximity if possible. Products should be so close as to almost be touching.
4. Avoid too much product duplication.
5. For clothing, check the sizes. Display only one unit of the item for each size available.
6. Use display fixtures that can hold several items such as shelves, drawers, hooks, etc.
7. Check the warehouse. Be sure everything is represented on the sales floor.

Click on the below link to get instant access to your shoplifting prevention videos: http://www.theprofitexperts.co.uk/lnd/ShopLiftingPrevention/
Romeo Richards is the CEO of The Business Education Center: http://thebusinesseducationcenter.com/ the consultancy division of Richards International Group. The Business Education Center provides the most in-depth and comprehensive business coaching and training to professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, business consultants, private security firms and retail executives.
Romeo holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and is the author of eight ebooks, a book and numerous articles, whitepapers and best practices on retail loss prevention and profit protection. His upcoming ebooks and books on Retail Store Design, Visual Merchandising, Retail Loss Prevention and How to make 7 Figures Annually as a Lawyer, Accountant, Business Consultant, Private Security Firm, Private Dental Practice, Private Medical Practice and NGOs & Public Sector Finance Management will be published in January 2012.

Inilah Bocah Pengganti Steve Jobs

Reza Wahyudi | Wicaksono Surya Hidayat | Selasa, 22 November 2011 | 12:52 WIB

Steve Jobs - Thomas Suarez (kanan)

KOMPAS.com - Setelah meninggalnya visioner dan founder CEO Apple, Steve Jobs, semua orang bertanya-tanya siapakah yang mampu menggantikannya. Bukan untuk menggantikannya sebagai CEO Apple, karena Apple telah menunjuk Tim Cook untuk ini.
Steve Jobs terkenal dengan pesona, kejeniusan, dan visi masa depannya. Karakter dan sifat Jobs inilah yang menjadi fokus semua orang, sehingga memunculkan pertanyaan, siapa "The Next Steve Jobs".
Pertanyaan tersebut sepertinya akan segera terjawab. Dalam sebuah acara sharing teknologi TEDx ManhattanBeach, seorang anak yang masih duduk di bangku kelas 6 SD tampil memukau saat mempresentasikan produk ciptaan dan perusahaan startup-nya ke audience, dengan penuh percaya diri dan bahasa tubuh yang mengingatkan publik akan mendiang Steve Jobs.
Anak ini bernama Thomas Suarez, seorang anak berusia 12 tahun asal California, AS. Dia adalah pendiri sebuah perusahaan startup CarrotCorp yang saat ini sedang mengembangkan aplikasi untuk sistem operasi Apple iOS.

Seperti yang dikutip dari Daily Mail, Thomas Suarez ternyata memang seorang pengagum Steve Jobs, telah tertarik membuat program komputer sejak taman kanak-kanak dan belajar secara otodidak beberapa bahasa pemrograman, seperti Phyton, C, dan Java.
Karya pertamanya, yaitu Earth Fortune hadir di akhir tahun 2010 lalu, sebuah program yang memungkinkan perubahan warna bumi berdasarkan peruntungan penggunanya.
Saat ini, Thomas tetap fokus menimba ilmu di sekolah formal sambil tetap mengelola perusahaan startup-nya, CarrotCorp.
Presentasinya di TEDx ini juga sedang memaparkan produk-produk yang dihasilkan oleh perusahaan startup-nya itu. Selain memukau seluruh audience yang hadir, Thomas membuat penasaran dengan memamerkan sebuah tagline yang berbunyi, "Uploading pictures will never be the. Coming soon".
Apakah Thomas Suarez dapat menggantikan idolanya itu, Steve Jobs? Setidaknya dia mempunyai potensi untuk menuju ke arah sana.
Berikut penampilan Thomas Suarez di acara TEDx ManhattanBeach,

How to Get Rich as a Cartoon Animator

By Neal R Warner

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I was a professional animator and animation director for television series and major motion pictures for thirty years and I was the Instructor of Character Animation for the Freshman class of Cal Arts for a couple of years. As an independent producer of animated films I followed my muse and made award winning* animated music videos. So I have some experience in the Animation Industry.
My students at Cal Arts would occasionally ask how one gets rich as an animator. Back in the Second Golden Age of Animation newspapers reported that Disney animator Glen Keane made a million dollars and the students came to believe this was the going rate. I pointed out that Glen Keane's salary made the news because it was the exception, not the rule. Also, the papers didn't give details. The million could have been a potential if the films he worked on became exceptionally profitable, he might have been given royalties and his million may take the rest of his life to accrue. It made a big impression on the students never the less so I tried to answer their question of how to get rich in animation.
The quick, easy answer is; you don't. Again, Glen Keane was an extremely rare example and very, very few individuals will ever attain his status. He rose to the top of his field when the field was blossoming into what became known as "The Second Golden Age of Animation" and was during the economic boom time of the 1990s. Like the good old times of the Clinton years, the Animation Industry in America is long gone for pen and pencil artists but I did develop a plan to give the students back then that I would still recommend today.
To get rich in the field of Animation one must own a character that becomes a "star". Please notice, I said "own" and not "create" since there is a not too subtle difference. Most of the famous and successful animation legends we remember from our youth did not actually create their signature characters but hired a designer to do it for them. Does anyone remember who actually designed the character of Fred Flintstone for Hanna- Barbera?
First, you need to have a character with "star" potential which means a unique enough concept that is readily identifiable. An example might be my former Cal Arts student's creation for Nickelodeon Studios, Dexter of Dexter's Lab. Take one quick look at him and you can instantly tell he is a "child scientist". Or another student's show, The Power Puff Girls who are super heroes that are in Kindergarten. In both of these cases they took a simple character; a little boy and three little girls, and gave them "jobs" traditionally belonging only to adults; scientist and super heroes. Instantly understandable and funny. It is also extremely important that these characters are of very simple graphic design, easy to animate, easy to recognize at a distance and easy to print onto a Happy Meal cup.
In the world of animated music video, the studio that created Paula Abdul's cartoon costar, MC Scat Kat tried to catapult him into his own cartoon show. The attempt wasn't successful but they had the right idea. More often it's the live action musicians who get their own cartoon shows when turned into animated characters themselves.
Back to the plan. Secondly, don't even try to pitch your new character to animation producers, they pay good money to have employees working in nine to five jobs to come up with show ideas, they're not going to buy one from off the street. The best you'll get is a show that looks amazingly like yours coming out a year after you pitched it and were told, "Thanks, but no thanks."
So, what do you do? You do what a professional would do if you in fact did have a show. You would create merchandise based on your character and sell it as many ways as you could. You could start by publishing a small children's book starring your character, print up copies and give those copies away for free to every daycare center, pediatrician's waiting room, pediatric dentist's waiting room, grammar school library and anywhere young children are given books to share. This way you "test market" your character and when you then take T shirts, other articles of clothing, toys, lunch boxes and whatever other merchandise and products on which you can print your character's likeness to the local children's clothing boutiques you can claim that every kid in the city already knows, and hopefully loves, your character. Of course, you've also included a website address in all the books from which the parents can buy more products directly. With sites like Cafe Press it isn't even necessary to produce these products yourself. It can be done on demand with no up front costs at all.
Sure, beside the talent needed to create your star and write and illustrate his adventures you'll have to bust your hump distributing your freebies, soliciting vendors and collecting whatever moneys are owed to you which is about a half dozen separate full time jobs, but once your character proves his power as a product spokesman, or spokeswoman, or spokesturtle or spokesrabbit or whatever it is, television producers will come to you. Think of a cartoon show as just another revenue stream for your character, and one of the last.
* The Gold Plaque in Music Video from the Chicago International Film Festival

Neal Warner is an artist, writer, filmmaker, member of the multimedia band, The Tooners and founder of Director's Clip, The Internet and Music Video Sponsorship Site (http://www.directorsclip.com) and Rock & Roll Rehab, For The Control of Rock & Roll (http://www.rocknrollrehab.com).

Counting the Cost - 3 Mistakes the Entrepreneurs Make

By Bruce Hoag

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You probably know this already, but before you start a new business, you need to think about what the cost will be to you. That's so that you don't get half way through the process and find that you don't have enough to get you all the way through it.
Costs can take on many guises: they can be for tangible items or intangible items of high value, such as intellectual property. They can be for consumables, such as stationery and printer cartridges. Personnel can double your expenses in no time at all. If office space or another kind of workplace is required, then that, too, can considerably increase your expenses.
One area that is overlooked routinely is the value of the expertise that entrepreneurs bring to their new enterprise. Most people make three mistakes in this respect, all of which concern their time.
1. The first mistake that entrepreneurs make is assuming that time is money. Nothing could be further from the truth. An hour of your time doesn't have the same value as an hour of someone else's time. So comparing units of time is similar to comparing apples and oranges.
2. The second mistake is assuming that people buy time and not value. Apart from as quickly as possible, no one cares how long it will take; they only care about what they'll get for their money. Why force them to think of what they buy in terms of the time it took to produce it?
For example, imagine going into a showroom to buy a new car. Instead of seeing a sticker price that listed the cost of the car, dealer prep (which is nonsense anyway), shipping & taxes, you saw a different list: 47 hours in the molding room at $20.36 per hour, 29 hours assembling the engine at $57.42 per hour, 10 hours in the paint barn @ $69.20, etc. What would you think about that? When you buy a car, you want to know the price of it, not how long it took them to put it together.
3. The third mistake made by entrepreneurs is assuming that their expertise is free.
Just because it's your business doesn't mean that the expertise you bring to it is free; or to think of it another way, is worthless. There's a thing called "opportunity cost" that needs to be evaluated as well. The cost of the opportunity for you to do something else with your abilities and skills needs to be compared to the long-term cost of using them in the new business that you are proposing.
If you had to hire someone to do what you will be doing, there would be a cost for that. When, then, should you assume that if it's your expertise, that makes it free?

By the way, if you're thinking of starting a business of your own, then you might be interested in http://www.terrydeaninterview.com.
Or, if you'd like to learn more about staying employed, then download my new FREE ebook. You can get it at http://www.p-advantage.com/freeEBook.html.

Bangunan 'Piramida' Tertua Ditemukan di Garut

Rachmadin Ismail - detikNews

Jakarta - Tim katastropik purba menduga ada bangunan berbentuk piramida di Desa Sadahurip dekat Wanaraja Garut, Jawa Barat. Dari temuan itu, ada fakta yang cukup mengagetkan. Apa itu?

Dari hasil penelitian intensif dan uji karbon dipastikan bahwa umur bangunan yang terpendam dalam gunung tersebut lebih tua dari Piramida Giza.

“Dari beberapa gunung yang di dalamnya ada bangunan menyerupai piramid, setelah diteliti secara intensif dan uji karbon dating, dipastikan umurnya lebih tua dari Piramida Giza,” terang Staf Khusus Presiden bidang Bantuan Sosial dan Bencana Andi Arief dalam rilils kepada detikcom, Minggu (22/11/2011).

Sekedar catatan, Piramida Giza selama ini dikenal sebagai piramida tertua dan terbesar dari 3 piramida yang ada di Nekropolis Giza. Dipercaya bahwa piramida ini dibangun sebagai makam untuk firaun dinasti keempat Mesir, Khufu dan dibangun selama lebih dari 20 tahun dan diperkirakan berlangsung pada sekitar tahun 2560 sebelum Masehi.

Andi menerangkan, dalam beberapa waktu ke depan, Tim Katastropik Purba akan melakukan paparan ke publik tentang temuan-temuannya tersebut. Tak hanya soal temuan piramida di Garut tersebut, tim ini nantinya juga akan memaparkan temuan istimewa di kawasan Trowulan, Batu Jaya, beberapa lokasi menhir di Sumatera dan lain-lain.

“Ada temuan mencengangkan tentang uji karbon dating pada 3 lapis kebudayaan di kawasan Trowulan yang terlanjur kita sebut Majapahit pada zaman sejarah masehi itu. Juga tentang temuan-temuan lapisan sejarah di Lamri Aceh dan sekitarnya,” terang Andi.

Terhadap temuan ini, sambung Andi, Tim Katastropik Purba juga akan terus berkoordinasi dengan bidang kepurbakalaan, antropologi, arkeologi, pakar budaya, ahli sejarah dan lainnya. D isamping akan terus berkoordinasi lintas ilmu kebumian sehubungan dengan temuan-temuan sejarah bencana-bencana lokal dan global untuk dicari mitigasinya.

Sekedar catatan, beberapa hasil penelitian Tim Katastropik Purba ini telah disampaikan kepada publik. Diantaranya, rekomendasi agar 3 gunung di Jawa Barat yakni Gunung Kaledong, Gunung Putri, dan Gunung Haruman dijadikan sebagai cagar budaya.

Rekomendasi itu atas dasar penelitian melalui metoda ilmu kebumian, meneliti sumber-sumber bencana alam dan melacak informasi dari masa lalu yang berkaitan dengan kejadian bencana alam katastropik.

Obyek penelitian lain yang berada pada jalur-jalur patahan gempabumi dan gunung api di sepanjang Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa timur, Sumatera, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Kalimantan sampai Papua, terus dikaji secara ilmiah.

“Hasil penelitian-penelitian lanjutan tentang ini akan disampaikan ke publik,” pungkas Andi.

Mengenal Tipe-Tipe Sepeda Gunung

Pada dasarnya terdapat lima jenis sepeda gunung atau MTB: cross country, trail, downhill, freeride dan dirt jump. Tiap jenis dirancang untuk medan yang berbeda.

Tiap-tiap jenis sepeda memiliki manfaat dan kerugiannya masing-masing. Saat memilih sepeda gunung (MTB), ketahui dimana Anda akan mengendarainya dan jenis rintangan apa yang akan Anda hadapi.


1. Cross country

Sepeda ini juga dikenal dengan sebutan XC. Sepeda ini dirancang untuk jalur off-road dengan rintangan minim hingga menengah. Sepeda ini dibagi menjadi dua yakni, hardtail mountain bike yang suspensinya hanya berada di depan dan full-suspension mountain bike (fulsus) yang meiliki dua suspensi, depan dan belakang.

Menggunakan hardtail mountain bike, Anda bisa memiliki teknik mengayuh yang baik tanpa perasaan seperti memental. Sepeda ini jauh lebih awet dibanding full-suspension mountain bike dan tak terlalu menuntut perawatan.

Pada full-suspension mountain bike, suspensi depan dan belakang terintegrasi pada rangka sepeda. Sepeda ini jauh lebih nyaman dikendarai dibanding hardtail mountain bike. Di beberapa sepeda, suspensi belakangnya (dan juga depan) bisa dimatikan atau tidak berfungsi.



2. Trail

Sepeda ini pada dasarnya merupakan modifikasi cross country namun menggunakan sistem suspensi yang lebih halus untuk mengatasi rintangan yang lebih sulit dan lebih teknis.

Kekurangannya, kayuhan sepeda ini butuh sedikit usaha yang lebih dari pengendaranya akibat meningkatnya suspensi. Tapi saat ini sudah ada teknologi suspensi belakang dan depan yang bisa dimatikan jika tak dibutuhkan.



3. Downhill

Sepeda ini dirancang untuk menuruni bukit. Sepeda ini dibuat seringan mungkin sehingga cocok untuk balapan turun. Karena sepeda ini dirancang untuk menuruni bukit, hal ini membuat sepeda ini sulit menaiki bukit.



4. Freeride

Sepeda ini mirip sepeda downhill namun dirancang agar lebih mudah untuk dikayuh. Sepeda ini merupakan perpaduan cross country dan downhill. Namun, sepeda ini tak akan bekerja sebaik kedua sepeda tersebut jika Anda menginginkan fitur tertentu.



5. Dirt Jump (DJ)

Sepeda ini digunakan untuk melompat, dikendarai di jalan dan balap slalom. Beberapa orang menganggap sepeda ini merupakan versi besar BMX yang memiliki suspensi depan. Sepeda ini dirancang agar kuat menahan beban saat melompat.

Bra Pertama Anti Nuklir

Bra alias BH ternyata tak cuma berfungsi sebagai penyangga payudara agar wanita bisa nyaman beraktivitas. Namun ia bisa menjadi perangkat yang sangat vital untuk menyelamatkan manusia dari radiasi nuklir.



Ide 'bra ajaib' ini datang dari Elena Bodnar, seorang doktor yang tinggal di Hinsdale, Illinois, AS, yang memiliki pengalaman lolos dari petaka kebocoran pembangkit nuklir di Chernobyl Rusia pada 1986 lalu.

Tak hanya berfungsi untuk mengamankan posisi payudara wanita, bra besutan Elena juga bisa menjadi masker yang mampu memfilter partikel-partikel radiasi berbahaya seperti partikel Iodine-131 saat peristiwa Chernobyl.

Paten bra anti radiasi nuklir

Di AS, wanita asal Ukraina ini, terlibat pada beberapa riset klinis di Electrical Trauma Research Program pada University of Chicago. Ia juga bekerja sama dengan World Health Organization dan International Atomic Energy Agency pada beberapa proyek terkait dengan tragedi nuklir Chernobyl.

Ide Bra besutan Elena ini berhasil memenangkan penghargaan Ig Nobel 2009 untuk kategori kesehatan publik.

"Hadirin dan hadirat, bukankan suatu hal yang indah, bahwa wanita memiliki dua buah payudara, bukan hanya satu? Dengan bra ini, kita, wanita bisa menyelamatkan nyawa seorang pria di dekat kita," kata Elena pada acara penghargaan Ig Nobel, dikutip dari situs CNet.

Elena telah mematenkan hasil temuannya itu, dan kini bra itu telah siap dipasarkan secara komersial mulai 28 September mendatang, di Museum MIT Cambridge, Massachussets, AS.

Diharapkan efek mematikan dari musibah yang terjadi pada instalasi nuklir, bisa dikurangi dengan fungsi ganda bra temuan Elena. Dan yang pasti, kata Elena, ukuran bra -baik ukuran kecil maupun ukuran besar - tidak masalah.

10 Inovasi Transportasi Manusia Di Masa Depan

 10 Inovasi Transportasi Manusia Di Masa Depan

Masa depan transportasi kita sangatlah unik dan luar biasa. Ini mungkin masih konsep, tapi sangatlah tidak mungkin bahwa akan terealisasi.

1. Robot Sepeda Untuk Mengayuh Sepedamu

Ingin berkeliling dengan sepeda? menikmati angin di pagi hari, tapi anda terlalu malas untuk mengayuh sepeda?Santai ini jawabannya, dengan sepeda ini anda tidak perlu mengayuh sendiri, karena sepeda ini diayuh oleh bantuan robot. Robot ini akan ada dibelakang anda, anda hanya perlu naik sepeda dan biarkan sang robot melakukan pekerjaannya. Berat sepeda dan robot sekitar 200 kg, jadi ini tidak naik ringan, tetapi itu adalah gaya - tarik menarik, dan konsep yang menakutkan.


2. Transportasi Monorail Manusia



Sebuah monorel orang yang bisa dikendalikan kemanapun.
Saat ini hanya di sebuah taman hiburan Selandia Baru, monorel pedal ini terdiri dari rel panjang dengan 'pod' individu tergantung ke bawah, yang bisa naik sampai 30 mil per jam.



3. Kendaraan Pemandangan



Ini adalah mobil yang di design untuk melihat pemandangan.
Untuk orang yang ingin memiliki mobil pribadi tapi tidak ingin menyetirnya sendiri, mungkin ini adalah jawabannya. Dengan mobil ini pengendara cukup duduk di kursi dan kendaraan akan berjalan sesuai arah tujuan anda, Dengan ruang untuk 7 penumpang, dan dinding transparan yang bisa melihat pemandangan dengan leluasa. Para designer memperkirakan mobil ini akan keluar pada tahun 2040 gan !!


4. Mobil Mewah Bertenaga Solar



Dengan fisik ramping yang sangat mirip dengan yang lain konsep kendaraan futuristik listrik, Lovos BMW tetap menonjol dalam salah satu cara utama: memiliki sisik. Skala Solar, tepatnya, yang berfungsi sebagai produsen energi dan rem angin-hambatan udara. Dibuat oleh Anne Forschner, lulusan Pforzheim University di Jerman, konsep ini mungkin bukan kendaraan listrik paling praktis atau realistis yang pernah didesain, tapi jelas memiliki tampilan yang unik.


5. Modifikasi Baru Mobil Subaru



Dengan suspensi serius ditingkatkan dan mesin supercharged dapat membuat Subaru ini kemana-mana, tidak ada Subaru lainnya mungkin: off-road, ke salju dan es kecuali subaru terbaru ini yang bernama Subaru Impreza WRX majorly diubah IMS, diciptakan oleh rally mobil sopir Amerika Ken Block, mudah ritsleting melalui pemandangan musim dingin dan menggiring para snowboard untuk lebih ke atas gunung.


6. Emisi Mobil Dari Renault



Sementara mobil Amerika masih memperdebatkan pro dan kontra dari penjualan kendaraan semua-listrik, Renault merek Eropa memulai debutnya dengan empat mobil listrik di 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Sebuah mobil keluarga SUV dan lima-penumpang "city car". Semua keempat mobil tersebut akan tersedia untuk dikeluarkan pada tahun 2012.


7. Sepeda Lipat



Apa yang membuat lebih bisa ramah lingkungan, kecuali dengan berjalan sendiri dengan dua kaki dan mengendarai sepeda. Untuk orang-orang yang tinggal dekat dengan tempat kerja, atau tinggal di apartemen kecil, transportasi sepeda akan ideal jika saja sepeda itu cukup kompak praktis. Dan para penemu pun membuat sepeda yang bisa disimpan dilipat dan disimpan di lemari !! Setelah dilipat, sepedapun dengan mudah dapat ditarik di jalan dengan salah satu ujung setang nya.


8. Mobil Robot Elektrik



Sama seperti kereta bayi di mal, kendaraan listrik stackable bisa disewa di kota-kota besar dan kemudian kembali ke kios untuk diisi ulang. CityCars sangatlah kecil, dengan ruang untuk dua penumpang dan jumlah minimal koper, dan dapat lebih kecil lagi dari tempat parkir. Dibuat oleh para peneliti di MIT, konsep CityCar mungkin datang ke kota di AS lebih cepat karena General Motors saat ini sedang bekerja pada prototipe.


9. Sepeda Anti Pencurian



Sepeda ini tidak bisa dicuri, dengan alat "pembaca sidik jari" yang hanya memungkinkan pemilik untuk naik itu. Ban ini tidak akan pernah bengkong. Sepeda yang tampak futuristik ini dirancang oleh pengendara sepeda Olimpiade Chris Boardman menghapus banyak alasan orang untuk tidakmenggunakan untuk memiliki sepeda, tetapi harga sepeda cantik ini sekitar $ 4.000. Saat ini hanya konsep, dan Boardman mengharapkan 2 dekade kedepan sepeda ini akan keluar di pasaran.


10. Kendaraan Segway



Ini adalah kendaraan dengan konsep futuristik.Meskipun masih hanya berjalan sekitar 12mph dan butuh waktu sekitar satu jam untuk diisi ulang.

Tips Memilih Jurusan di Perguruan Tinggi setelah Lulus SMU

Tips Memilih Jurusan di Perguruan Tinggi setelah Lulus SMU - Ujian nasional sudah berakhir dan menghasilkan lulusan-lulusan yang bakal menuju jenjang perguruan tinggi atau masa kuliah maupun yan memilih untuk bekerja. Bagi yang mau melanjutkan kejejang perguruan tinggi sudah saatnya memikirkan jurusan-jurusan yang bakal di pilih nantinya . tak semua siswa bisa masuk ke perguruan tinggi negeri , atau tidak terpilih sebagai siswa undangan atau yang tidak lulus ujian UNPTN Untuk itu saya ada sedikit saran bagi yang lagi bingung memilih jurusan di perguruan tinggi yang akan di jalani untuk menggapai masa depan, yaitu :

1. Karena masa kuliah itu memakan waktu yang lama, maka Tanya dulu pada diri kita sendiri apa yang jadi minat kita , jurusan apa yan kita sukai dan yang mampu kita kuasai , apa yang kita bisa karena dengan memilih jurusan yang berdasarkan kemauan , maka semangat kita untuk menjalani dunia perkuliahan itu akan terasa enteng dan kita tidak merasa terbebani, jika masih bingung juga menenentukan pilihan, bagi orang islam laksanakan sholat tahajud untuk meminta petunjuk dari Allah SWT

2. Jangan penah mengikuti jejak orang lain, jadilah diri sendiri, karena sifat ikut-ikutan tidak akan bertahan lama yang akan membuat kita putus di tengah jalan.
3. Sebelum benar-benar memilih jurusan kuliah khususnya perguruan tinggi swasta, pelajari dulu latar belakangnya, sudah terpecaya atau lihat apakah lulusan perguruan tinggi disana menjanjikan atau tidaknya untuk masa depan kita.

4. Cara info lewat para kerabat kita yang pernah kuliah, tanya mereka semua hal yang menyangkut tentang masa kuliah tesebut,serta tanyakan apa saja yang bisa kita jadikan patokan dalam memilih serta mempersiapkan hal-hal yang harus ada

5. Lihat keuangan keluarga kita, jangan memaksakan keadaan , pilihlah jurusan atau perguruan yang terjangkau oleh keuanga keluarga kita

6. Jangan menyerah pada keadaan, gali terus informasi , banyak bertanya pada yang telah berpengalaman, pasti kita menemukan jalan yang akan membawa mimpi kita menjadi kenyataan.

Moga tips sederhana ini bisa jadi masukkan buat rekan-rekan yang akan melanjutkan pendidikan kejenjang perguruan tinggi maupun yang lagi bingung memilih jurusan apa yang bakal dipilih nantinya.

Wow!! Titus Bonai Ternyata Dulunya Juga Juara Atletik

Bakat Titus Bonai alias Tibo di dunia olahraga tak hanya sepakbola. Terbukti saat dia duduk di bangku SMP I Jayapura Utara, Tibo justru sering ikut perlombaan atletik seperti lempar lembing, tolak peluru dan lompat jauh. Bahkan banyak piala yang dia peroleh dari ketiga cabang atletik di atas.

"Lihat saja ini beragam piala yang dia dapatkan," kata Agus Bonai, Ayah Tibo sambil menunjukkan belasan piala yang terpampang rapi di lemari ruang tamu rumahnya. Agus Bonai seorang pendeta di gereja mengisahkan, ketika duduk di bangku SMP, Tibo menggeluti beberapa olahraga di atas selain sepakbola. "Di sekolah, dia selalu terpilih masuk tim sepakbola," kata Agus.

Atas prestasinya yang menonjol itu, ketika Titus masih duduk di bangku kelas 2 SMP, Pusat Pendidikan dan Latihan Pelajar (PPLP) Jayapura meliriknya, kemudian diambil untuk dididik bersama atlet lainnya. Sejak SMP dia masuk asrama PPLP sampai tamat SMA. "Sejak itulah Tibo semakin terasah dalam dunia sepakbola, dan menjelma menjadi pemain profesional seperi saat ini," kisah Agus Bonai diiyakan sang istri.

Perjalanan Ekstrim Siswa SD Suku Uyghur ke Sekolah

Pernah mendengar orang tua atau kakek nenekmu menceritakan betapa sulitnya perjalanan mereka waktu sd dulu untuk ke sekolah? Sekarang kamu bisa tunjukan video di bawah ini ke mereka.


Lho? Harus kemana lagi ini, Pak guru?

Masih ingat lagunya ninja Hatori? ...mendaki gunung lewati lembah... Mungkin lagu itulah yang dinyanyikan oleh anak-anak SD dari desa Pili di daerah otonomi Xinjiang Cina ini. Karena mereka suka tidak suka memang harus mengamalkan lirik lagu tersebut.

Setiap semester, anak-anak ini, dengan dikawal guru-guru mereka harus berjalan sejauh 200 km untuk menuju lokasi tempat belajar mereka. Gila memang, tapi jika melihat foto diatas, kelihatannya jarak sejauh itu bukan kendala utama yang harus mereka hadapi.

Tantangan sebenarnya ada pada tebing curam dengan jalur setapak yang hanya selebar telapak tangan, sungai yang sangat dingin, dan jembatan-jembatan yang disini hanya akan kita temui di tempat outbond.


Cara paling efektif agar para murid tidak kelupaan membawa prnya

Untungnya, sekolah mereka merupakan boarding school yang menyediakan asrama untuk mereka menginap. Jadi perjalanan nan panjang ini hanya perlu dilakukan dalam setiap pergantian semester.

Ya, paling tidak anak-anak ini jadi malas untuk bolos sekolah bukan?sumber

10 Tumpukan Batu Paling Seimbang di Dunia

Di dunia ini ada banyak sekali hal menarik dan unik. Salah satu di antaranya adalah batu! Yaap batu, mengapa batu bisa begitu menarik? salah satu alasannya karena batu itu sangat seimbang dan bertumpuk – tumpuk. Mari kita lihat 10 batu yang sangat seimbang dan unik ini.


10. Balanced Rock Colorado

Sama seperti namanya, batu ini berlokasi di the Garden of Gods dekat Pike `s Peak di Colorado springs , Colorado.

9. Balancing Rock, Digby, Nova Scotia, Kanada

Batu ini memiliki tinggi sekitar 30 meter yang berlokasi di Nova Scotia, Kanada. Keseimbangannya sangat menakjubkan! Lihat saja dia tetap bisa berdiri di sana kan?

8. Idol Rock, Moor Brimham, North Yorkshire, Inggris

Batu Idol ini menurut sumber memiliki berat sekitar 200 ton dan hanya diganjal oleh batu yang sangat kecil di bawahnya.

7. El Torcal de Antequera, Andalucia, Spanyol

Torcal el de Antequera adalah sebuah menara batuan kapur.Karena pelapukan yang disebabkan oleh angin maka batu tersebut menjadi berbentuk seperti pancake. Lihatlah betapa seimbangnya batu pancake ini

6. Kjeragbolten, Norwegia

Kjeragbolten atau Kjerag Boulder adalah sebuah batu seluas 5 meter persegi batuan. Batu itu berada di ketinggian di atas 1.000 meter udara selama ribuan tahun. Kata orang di sana, aman untuk berdiri di atas batu tersebut kok. Tapi jangan lihat ke bawah yaahh karena sangat tinggi dan menyeramkan

5. Peyrou Clab, Sidobre, Perancis

Peyro Clabado terletak di Languedoc, Perancis. Batu ini mulai terbentuk dan terkikis sedikit demi sedikit pada 300 tahun yang lalu. Batu ini mencapai berat 780 ton!.

4. Mushroom Rocks, Kansas, USA

Batu ini dapat ditemukan di Mushroom Rock State Park , di daerah Hills Smoky . Jamur Rock State Park berukuran seluas 5 hektar.

3. Chiremba Balancing Rocks, Epworth, Zimbabwe.

MChiremba Balancing Rocks terletak hanya beberapa mil dari Ibukota Zimbabwe atau dari Harare. Batu ini dibuat oleh kikisan angin.

2. Mexican Hat Rock, Utah, USA

Dari jauh batu tersebut akan tampak seperti topi sombrero dari Meksiko. Meksiko Hat terletak di luar Monumen Valley selatan-pusat San Juan County, Utah. Batu ini memiliki lebar 60 kaki dan tebal 12-kaki .

1. The Steady Hand Of Man

Batu ini dibentuk oleh seorang seniman, Daliel Leite. Dia mendapat inspirasi dari objek batu yang seimbang daru seluruh dunia dan ia mencoba untuk membuat batu seimbang oleh tangannya sendiri dalam skala kecil.

Bagaimana Jadinya Kalau Kita Harus Jago Main Game Biar Cucian Cepat Selesai?

Terkadang amatkah sulit bagi orang tua menyuruh anak remaja mereka untuk mencuci. Namun berkat penemuan seorang mahasiswa, pekerjaan mencuci pakaian sekarang dapat lebih menyenangkan.
Lee Wei Chen, seorang mahasiswa berusia 27 tahun di Kingston University, London, telah menciptakan kombinasi cerdas antara video game dan mesin cuci.


Mesin unik ini terdiri atas dua bagian, yakni sebuah game mengemudi yang dioperasikan dengan koin pada bagian atas, dan sebuah mesin cuci di bagian bawahnya
.

Namun yang paling menarik, pemuda asal Taiwan ini telah menghubungkan kedua mesin ini kedalam satu sirkuit, sehingga siklus mencuci tergantung pada kemampuan dari gamer.
Mengalahkan berbagai tingkat permainan dengan skor yang tinggi dan tanpa kehilangan nyawa, cucian pun akan selesai dalam waktu singkat, dan kebalikannya jika anda payah dalam memainkan game, maka begitu juga yang terjadi dengan cucian anda.


Mesin cuci ini akan berhenti beroperasi dan akan menolak untuk melakukan cucian lagi sampai sang gamer menambahkan koin dan terus bermain.

“Saya menyadari bahwa keterampilan saya di dunia maya tidak berguna di dunia nyata. Dan aku bertekad membuat mereka berguna di kehidupan nyata.” tutur gamer berusia 27 tahun ini.

Robot Dengan Hati Nurani Buatan Spanyol

Kemajuan teknologi pada saat sekarang ini benar-benar berjalan dengan sangat cepat, termasuk dalam perkembangan dunia robot yang berhasil diciptakan oleh manusia. Spanyol telah merancang terobosan baru berupa robot pertama di dunia dengan “hati nurani” dan bisa menghibur, mengajar dan menjadi pendamping bagi manusia yang membelinya. AISoy 1 yang akan dijual pada Agustus ini merupalan android sosial pertama yang dikembangkan oleh perusahaan Spanyol AISoy Robotics yang sekarang sudah terealisasi di laboratorium. “Robot ini tampak seperti fiksi ilmiah, tapi sebuah kenyataan,” kata Diego Garcia, salah satu pencipta robot ini dan merupakan kepala produk rekayasa dan divisi pengembangan AISoy. AISoy 1 dibuat untuk menghibur dan menemani penggunanya, namun tujuan utamanya adalah “untuk hidup,” seperti makhluk lain yang merasakan emosi dan membuat keputusan. Robot ini memiliki tinggi 25 cm dan berat 1,5 kg. Robot ini memiliki aktivitas yang sama sebagai makhluk hidup, ia memiliki otonominya sendiri dan hati nurani, katanya. Mulai Agustus, setiap keluarga akan bisa membeli robot ini di mana sedang dalam tahap akhir produksi, dan robot ini akan dijual melalui situs web AISoy 1. Meskipun harga robot rumah tangga ini belum diumumkan, perusahaan mengatakan akan lebih murah dari prototipe yang dikembangkan oleh perusahaan lain. Mungkin suatu saat manusia akan menjadikan robot sebagai asisten dalam mendampingi hidupnya.

INI DIA TIM SEPAK BOLA TERLEMAH DI DUNIA

Coba KLIK link berikut ini  http://youtu.be/0UwOHBYWlnM

Langkah Pertama: Manufacturing Hope!

Setelah sebulan menjadi Menneg BUMN, industri inilah yang saya akan bangun lebih dahulu.

Minggu, 20 November 2011, 20:06 WIB

Karaniya Dharmasaputra

VIVAnews - Industri apakah yang harus pertama-tama dibangun di BUMN? Setelah sebulan menduduki jabatan Menteri Negara Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) dan setelah mengunjungi lebih dari 30  unit usaha milik publik ini saya bertekad untuk lebih dulu membangun industri yang satu ini: manufacturing hope! Industrialisasi harapan.
Itu bisa saya lakukan setelah saya berketetapan hati untuk lebih memerankan diri sebagai seorang chairman/CEO daripada seorang menteri. Kepada jajaran kementerian BUMN saya sering bergurau "lebih baik saya seperti chairman/CEO saja dan biarlah wakil menteri BUMN yang akan memerankan diri sebagai menteri yang sebenarnya".
Sebagai Chairman/CEO Kementerian BUMN, saya akan lebih fleksibel, tidak terlalu kaku dan tidak terlalu dibatasi oleh tembok-tembok birokrasi. Dengan memerankan diri sebagai chairman saya akan mempunyai daya paksa kepada jajaran korporasi di lingkungan BUMN. Meski begitu saya akan tetap ingat batas-batas: seorang chairman bukanlah seorang presiden direktur/CEO. Ia bisa mempunyai daya paksa tapi tidak akan ikut melaksanakannya. Tetaplah penanggungjawab pelaksanaannya adalah presiden direktur/CEO di masing-masing korporasi BUMN.
Dengan peran sebagai chairman/CEO itu saya tidak akan sungkan dan tidak akan segan-segan ikut mencarikan terobosan korporasi. Ini sesuai saja dengan arahan Presiden SBY bahwa menteri yang sekarang harus bisa berlari kencang. Dengan memerankan diri sebagai chairman/CEO saya akan bisa memenuhi harapan itu.
Tengoklah misalnya bagaimana kita harus menghadapi persoalan hotel-hotel BUMN kita yang ada di Bali. Semuanya sudah berpredikat yang paling buruk. Inna Kuta Hotel sudah menjadi yang terjelek di kawasan pantai Kuta. Inna Sanur (Bali Beach) sudah menjadi yang terjelek di kawasan pantai Sanur. Inna Nusa Dua (Putri Bali) sudah pasti menjadi yang terjelek di kawasan Nusa Dua yang gemerlapan itu. Bukan hanya yang terjelek, tapi juga sudah mau ambruk. Padahal di zaman dulu, hotel-hotel itu tergolong yang terbaik di kelasnya. Kini, di arena bisnis perhotelan di Bali, hotel-hotel BUMN telah menjadi lambang kemunduran, keruwetan dan kekumuhan.
Memang pernah ada upaya untuk bangkit. Direksi kelompok hotel ini (Grup PT Hotel Indonesia Natour) pernah diperbaharui. Bahkan tidak tanggung-tanggung, jajaran direksinya diambilkan dari para profesional dari luar BUMN. Dengan semangat profesionalisme, grup ini  ingin mulai merombak dua hotelnya: di Padang dan di Kuta. Tapi dua-duanya mengalami kesulitan. Yang di Padang over investasi. Yang di Kuta sudah enam bulan mengalami slow down. Yang di Padang itu bisa disebut over investasi karena  jumlah kamarnya jauh lebih besar dari pasarnya. Ini akan sangat sulit mengembalikan investasinya. Sedang yang di Kuta ada persoalan desain yang cukup serius.
Mengapa yang di Padang itu bisa terjadi over investasi? Ini tak lain karena kultur BUMN yang belum bisa menghindar dari intervensi. Begitu ada perintah untuk membangun hotel dengan skala yang sangat besar, direksinya tidak mampu meyakinkan bahwa skala itu kebesaran. Terutama dilihat dari kemampuan perusahaan. Yang di Kuta masalahnya lebih rumit lagi karena ketambahan masalah birokrasi.
Dua proyek itu kemudian menjadi isu yang ruwet. Ujung-ujungnya direktur utama yang didatangkan dari luar BUMN itu  tidak tahan lagi dan mengundurkan diri. Dalam suasana ruwet seperti itu tidak mungkin perusahaan bisa maju. Bahkan moral manajemen dan karyawannya pun bisa rusak, down dan lalu putus harapan.
Maka dalam kesempatan tiga hari menghadiri KTT Asean di Bali pekan lalu, saya manfaatkan waktu untuk manufacturing hope. Selama di Bali saya tidak tidur di hotel bintang lima di komplek KTT berlangsung, tapi memilih tidur di Inna Hotel Kuta yang katanya terjelek itu. Saya ingin ikut merasakan kesulitan manajemen dan karyawan di hotel ini. Saya ingin mendalami persoalan yang menghadang mereka. Pagi-pagi saya turun naik di proyek setengah jadi ini. Menjelang senja kembali turun naik lagi entah sampai berapa kali. Saya ingin, kalau bisa, menerobos hambatannya. Setidaknya saya ingin agar mereka tidak merasa sendirian dalam kesulitannya. Bahkan di malam kedua, saya tidur di kamar mock-up di tengah-tengah proyek yang lagi slow-down itu. Saya melakukan ini tidak lain untuk manufacturing hope.
Hasilnya insya Allah cukup baik. Di hari kedua semua persoalan bisa teruraikan. Proyek hotel yang sangat grand ini bisa dan harus berjalan kembali. Bahkan tahun depan harus sudah jadi. Diputuskanlah hari itu: Sebuah hotel baru, dengan nama baru (Grand Inna Kuta) akan lahir dan menjadi sangat iconic. Apalagi letaknya hanya di seberang Hard Rock hotel dengan posisi yang jauh lebih baik, karena langsung punya akses ke pantai Kuta.
Pun, selesai upacara pembukaan KTT Asean (selesai melihat cantiknya Perdana Menteri Thailand yang baru, Yingluck Sinawatra) saya copot jas, ganti sepatu kets, dan langsung meninjau luar dalam Hotel Inna Putri Bali. Lokasinya tidak jauh dari gedung megah untuk KTT Asean di Nusa Dua itu. Saya perhatikan mulai dari dapurnya, ruang cucinya, kamarnya, kebunnya, pantainya dan cottage-cottage-nya.
Ternyata benar. Bukan hanya telah menjadi yang terjelek di Nusa Dua, tapi juga sudah mau ambruk. Di sini, saya juga harus manufacturing hope. Tahun depan hotel yang sangat luas ini harus sudah mulai dibangun ulang.
Usai membuat keputusan soal Nusa Dua, malam ketiga saya memilih tidur di Sanur. Hotel seluas (duile!) 41 ha ini juga perlu dibangkitkan. Inilah hotel berbintang yang pertama di Bali. Inilah warisan Bung Karno. Kondisinya sudah kalah dengan tetangga-tetangganya. Hotel ini memiliki garis pantai matahari terbit sejauh 1 km! Alangkah hebatnya. Mestinya. Saya tentu menginginkan tahun depan hotel besar ini juga ikut bangkit.
Mengapa?
Karena tiga-tiganya berada di Bali. Sebuah kawasan wisata yang pertumbuhannya sangat tinggi. Memang Grup Inna Hotel masih punya puluhan hotel lainnya di seluruh Indonesia (dan umumnya juga dalam keadaan termehek-mehek) namun sebaiknya fokus dulu di tiga hotel itu. Dari sinilah kelak hope akan ditularkan ke seluruh Indonesia.
Tiga hotel besar inilah yang lebih dulu akan jadi titik tolak kebangkitan entah berapa banyak hotel-hotel BUMN ke depan. Saya sebut "entah berapa banyak" karena banyak BUMN yang kini juga memiliki hotel. Grup Inna punya banyak hotel. Garuda Indonesia punya banyak hotel. Pertamina punya banyak hotel. Kontraktor seperti Perusahaan Perumahan punya banyak hotel. Bahkan Jasa Marga konon juga lagi menyiapkan banyak hotel. Karena itu keberhasilan tiga pioner di Bali tadi akan besar artinya bagi BUMN.
Memang sebulan pertama ini baru hope yang bisa dibangun. Tapi kalau sebuah hope bisa membuat hidup kita lebih bergairah, mengapa kita tidak manufacturing hope. Bahan bakunya gampang didapat: niat baik, ikhlas, kreativitas, tekad dan totalitas. Semuanya bisa diperoleh secara gratis!

Retail Store Design Psychology - What You Must Know to Succeed

By Romeo Cliff Richards

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Why you need to know this:
Every retail store has a distinctive and unique design that creates individual trademarks which entice customers into the store. Retail stores are designed to generate an easy and delightful shopping experience for customers. The most important element of retail store design is the psychology that underpins the design. The large windows enveloped with aesthetic designs, aisle widths and rack heights are carefully detailed to create a positive aura that will definitely lure customers into the store.
Store design elementary psychology
Store design psychology helps retail designers to plan an effective look for a retail store to ensure it stands out amongst competitors. All four corners of the store must be viewed and evaluated accurately. The wall colors, signage, checkout counters, racking schemes, displays, and other areas form part of the store layout. The interior design of a retail store plays a key role in attracting customers and increasing sales. Proper placement of props such as mannequins, racks helps the store appear more attractive. Creating a theme also helps create a vibe that entices customers.
How to apply this:
A well-decorated or pop-up shop design attracts customers and makes them feel more welcome. Implementing these effects makes it convenient and easy for customers to shop. When a shop generates a design scheme that matches the products they are selling it makes it easier and appealing for the customers to determine the store's products. Furthermore, having a color scheme that collaborates with the products adds more pleasure for customers to shop.
The color scheme creates a positive mood for the customers when shopping. For example, a baby clothing line should use light pastel colors so that it reflects the target market.
The design of the space layout should also be considered. The majority of people derive pleasure from shopping in a light and spacious environment. A spacious and clutter-free store is also an advantage for you and your employees. It becomes easy for your staff to watch over products and reduce shoplifting. Placing tables in the central areas and locating cabinets and shelves towards the back walls creates the illusion of a more spacious store.
Step One
Display fixtures are essential components of a retail store design consequently, it is imperative that store fixtures are incorporated into the store design blueprint.
Step Two
Lighting plays a crucial role in a retail environment therefore lighting has to be a part of the store design blueprint. There needs to be adequate lighting to enhance product appearance. The placement of the lights should be considered as lighting will need to be easily adjusted to accommodate a new store layout and climatic conditions.
Step Three
Fittings such as a hanging chandelier in the middle of the room, a large clock at the rear of the counter, and other designs complement the store's overall appearance and add good vibes for shopping.
However, fittings need to be kept to a minimum to avoid confusion. The focal point of the store should be on the products not the store design.
Step Four
Maintaining the ideal design of a retail store would result in increased sales and brand awareness. Always ensure that you create a lighter aura and a clutter-free store design.

Click on the below link to get instant access to your shoplifting prevention videos: http://www.theprofitexperts.co.uk/lnd/ShopLiftingPrevention/
Romeo Richards is the CEO of The Business Education Center: http://thebusinesseducationcenter.com/ the consultancy division of Richards International Group. The Business Education Center provides the most in-depth and comprehensive business coaching and training to professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, business consultants, private security firms and retail executives.
Romeo holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and is the author of eight ebooks, a book and numerous articles, whitepapers and best practices on retail loss prevention and profit protection.
His upcoming ebooks and books on Retail Store Design, Visual Merchandising, Retail Loss Prevention and How to make 7 Figures Annually as a Lawyer, Accountant, Business Consultant, Private Security Firm, Private Dental Practice, Private Medical Practice and NGOs & Public Sector Finance Management will be published in January 2012.