Navy Pays $9 million for Windows XP- Natalie Rodriguez

June 26, 2015

Navy Pays $9 million for Windows XP

    The issue in the article is that a very important protective service like the Navy should have access to the best resources in the market and should without a doubt not be over paying the ridiculous amount of $9 million a year for a software that is outdated. There is evidence from Microsoft putting out a statement that they have decided to pull support for Windows XP sometime in the past year. The company will no longer be making updates or fixing any errors that come up on the software. They have abandoned the dated software and don't believe there is a consumer demand to need to fix and bugs that can come up in the future. Their actions say it would be best to make a transition to Windows newest programs.

    The Navy is funded by our nation’s federal government, and the federal government gets its funds from the people. We need to realized that tremendous amounts of money are being poured down the drain by using a software that is not up to pare and doesn't support the Navy with the best available resources. They continue to pay into a costly contract with the software company that could trap the Navy in spending up to $31 million for the same product next year. This issue is bad for the economy because these millions could be invested into a better product and be condensed to use the possible new extra funds for other needs in the nation like relieving some weight from our huge whole in national debt. 

    The inflation of Windows XP is not in the benefit of the Navy. If they dont change their primary software provider soon, then they will overspend in an out-of-date software just to be stuck with problems that Windows no longer feels the need to fix.  Continuing with this providers will increase the overall Gross Domestic Product. The Navy should be more cautious with their funds; they have the opportunity to save money while being able to provide a better computer system to the noble men and women that devote their life to the force. They need to find an appropriate software that will grant suitable resources to this advanced system of United States protection. Officials need to break away from this doomed contract with Windows XP and utilize their dollar with updated software. The supply isn't up to pare so why should the Navy stand around to be the demand?

http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/26/technology/microsoft-windows-xp-navy-contract/

Starbucks Hiking Prices Again -Natalie Rodriguez

July 6, 2015

Starbucks Hiking Prices Yet Again 

Starbucks coffee, the largest coffee chain and one of the largest chains in the U.S. has reported that they will be raising some of their drink prices by 5 to 20 cents. Although the company didn't specify which drinks they would be raising, they did state that it would be mostly hot beverages and bigger sizes of drinks that would be affected. On the other hand, items on their menu like food, packaged coffee products, and  Frappucinos wouldn't be raised in price.

    The only problem is for the people that make up the untouchable demand for Starbucks coffee. If the demand is high enough, consumers will be forced to pay more and more for their regular product. However, if the demand goes down due to the unattractive spikes in price and new punches to their wallet, the company will be on the bad end of the deal and be forced to lower prices to original prices. The only way Starbucks is able to change pricing is because of the steady flow of the relationship between supply and demand. The supporting evidence fro Starbucks and their actions is that they reported $4.6 billion in net earnings last year in net earnings despite other company challenges. They are also proven the largest of America’s coffee shop chains and have recently opened six hundred new storefronts within the past year. The competition between Starbucks and their biggest competitor Dunkin' Donuts have increases dramatically since Dunkin’ Donuts’ costumers surveyed and said their satisfactory as risen while Starbucks satisfaction from costumers have dropped since last years reports. The raise in prices will effect the economy in a good way for the corporation of Starbucks and for their employees because income will increase, employees will be paid with better benefits, and there will be more available funds for their tuition reimbursement program. 

    This change in pricing can also negatively affect the economy for the common, middle class people that regularly buy Starbucks products. More of their money will be going into a want item, yet addicting item like coffee. When some selective goods do up in price, other companies have to raise prices too when respect to resources and how they are being utilized to produce. This results in a higher Consumer Price Index. In this trend, national GDP will also change in negative ways for consumers. It can start as wanted products raising in price to much needed products raising in dollar. This will leave the people spending more for their usual needs while being stuck in a financial rut because their income is not keeping up with their new spending expenses.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/06/news/companies/starbucks-price-hike/index.html

Rip that Price Tag Off My Phone! Natalie Rodriguez

August 14, 2015

The Biggest Cell Phone Ripoff

    The four largest smartphone providers are overcharging for their products. they can pay as little as a sixth of what they are charging their customers for. The area where they ripoff people the most is in their storage space on the devices. The phone companies fully understand and manipulate the demand for storage.
    The issue is that customers are overpaying while only four companies are sailing in business. This could lead to worse conditions and monopolies in the phone industry. People quickly fill up the memory on their phones with personals like photos, apps, music, videos, and other files. Instead of looking for alternative ways to store their personal likes, they feel as if they are forced to pay more for what they want.
    The evidence on this issue is that companies only pay an extremely low percentage of what they are selling. Apple for instance only pays $7.55 for every 16GB they program into a phone compared to the consumer price that jumps from $299 for a 16GB to $399 for a 64GB. These facts come from a patent consultant that tears down gadgets, Putting this problem in an overall sense, it is a $53 production difference between Apple's base model phone and top-of-the-line model while it costs consumers $200. This is an example of a too high Consumer Price Index. Customers are paying too much while already huge companies are making outrageous profits.
    However, with a demand this high and consumers so niece, the company is making dependable business which makes for more dependable jobs to come. The supply is matching the demand and cell phone providers are surely working the system to their benefit. Inflation is steadily rising in cell phones, and without the people gaining proper knowledge about how much their cell phone is worth, conditions will proceed to go in this direction.

Link to article: http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/14/technology/cell-phone-storage-ripoff/index.html