Crystal Charm Company makes handcrafted silver charms that attach to jewelry such as a necklace or bracelet. Each charm is adorned with two crystals of various colors. Standard costs follow: Standard Quantity Standard Price (Rate) Standard Unit Cost
Silver 0.40 oz. $23.00 per oz. $9.20
Crystals 5.00 $0.40 crystal 2.00
Direct labor 2.00 hrs. $12.00 per hr. 24.00
During the month of January, Crystal Charm made 1,530 charms. The company used 577 ounces of silver (total cost of $13,848) and 7,700 crystals (total cost of $2,926.00), and paid for 3,210 actual direct labor hours (cost of $36,915.00).
Required:
1. Calculate Crystal Charm’s direct materials variances for silver and crystals for the month of January.
2. Calculate Crystal Charm’s direct labor variances for the month of January.

While cell phones with holographic keyboards are currently in the introduction stage of the industry life cycle, tablet computers are in the growth stage. in the context of this scenario, which of the following statements is true? a. the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards will face greater competition than the tablet industry. b. while the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards will focus more on product innovation, the tablet industry will focus more on process innovation. c. while the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards can reap the benefits of economies of scale, the tablet industry will experience no such benefits. d. the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards will face price competition, whereas, in the tablet industry, the mode of competition will be non-price.