Alternative, short term for mergers and acquisitions.

Using mobile communication devices like cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDA) to transact electronic commerce, ecommerce.

Refer to money supply.

Refer to money supply.

Refer to money supply.

Refer to money supply.

Refer to money supply.

Refer to money supply.

Telecommunications giant AT&T’s old, nostalgic name. Originally called Ma Bell because it was the primary service provider of telephone services and seen as the mother of the industry. The company adapted to the AT&T name after dismantling the original bell system company.

In 1938 US academic Frederick Macaulay defined this tool. A fixed-income financial instrument’s approximate measure of its price volatility and interest rate-sensitivity. An interest bearing bond is an instrument example. Calculated as weighted average time left until a series of cash flows from the instrument are received. The weights are the present cash flow value divided by the instrument’s price. Also refer to modified duration.

One who adopts, conducts oneself or follows the philosophy of Niccolae Machiavelli (1469-1527) whose cynical beliefs and name stand for deception and duplicity by management and statecraft in popular perception. Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy, and became its second chancellor. In 1531 he wrote the book ‘The Prince’. It depicts human nature in a pessimistic view, condoning opportunistic, unethical methods of manipulating people. “Whoever desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature” is a famous quote as a suggestion. How nation-state rulers gain and control power in various ways is presented and discussed in the book. Regardless, “The Prince” has some keen and practical insights into human behavior.

Being easier to cut, drill, grind, and shape are typical of this material’s characteristics.

1. In General, this is a device, semi or fully automated, that performs one or more operations, magnifying human physical and/or mental capabilities.
2. In Mechanics, this is a device that applies force and effort at one end, overcoming resistance or load at the other end, making mechanical work easier.
3. Systems: Purposefully organized set of components whose interconnections and inner workings are known or apparent. The behavior of a properly functioning machine is entirely predictable: its present state determines its next state, and the same inputs always yield the same outputs.

Typical in large, established organizations that have formalization and specialization at a high degree. Top level making decisions, lower levels mechanically carrying then out is this type of management structure.

Machine language as a programming code, either written by man or compiled, to be executed directly by a machine, the computer, with no further conversion or translation. Also known as an executable. Nearly all commercially-sold shrink-wrapped software is an executable, in machine code. Any defect or bug necessitates a code change, typically back at the software owner’s shop.

No intervention by an operator is typical of total machine control of the machine’s work cycle segment.

Machine controlled time’s measurable subdivision.

Measured as one machine working for one hour. Not a labor hour. Used in mechanized production to apply overhead costs to work-in-process inventory. Necessary for cost accounting,

A program’s operation commands. Usually a compiled machine-native code. Also known as machine code. A computer, robot, or computer-driven machine recognizes these and executes them.

Programmed language directly understood and executed by a machine, typically a computer. Requires no conversion or translation. English-like languages, known also as high level languages, are industry-renown: Basic, C, Java, and the like. These are coded as programs, then converted into a machine language, known as a low level language, by an assembler, compiler, or interpreter. It is different for each type of CPU, often having unique operation sets. These are in native binary language, comprised of only two characters: 0 and 1. It is difficult to read, less likely understood by humans.

Using repetition and experience as how humans seem to learn. Using software whose operations mimic these methods, employing artificial intelligence techniques to enhance the ability of a machine to improve its own performance.

Data or instructions readable through a computer’s electronic device. This input is ready for interpretation and manipulation. Bar codes, magnetic ink, or disk are sources of this data or instructions. Laser scanners, magnetic stripe readers, or disk drives are the reading devices.

An optical device reads printed materials and transfer into digital format as electronic data input. Optical character recognition (OCR) technology is used.

Non-portable, power-driven industrial device. Machine tools are ‘machines that make machines.’ Abrading, cutting, drilling, forming, grinding, nibbling, or shaping of a piece of metal or other material are examples of tool operations.

Abrading, cutting, drilling, forming, grinding, and/or shaping of a piece of metal or other material are operations performed by lathes, power saws, and presses, which are machine tools.