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LBS

(LBS) is a graduate located in , , founded in as the London Graduate School of Business Studies. It operates as an independent institution with a focus on postgraduate and , offering programs such as a full-time MBA, specialized Masters degrees, PhDs, and short courses for professionals across career stages. The school's curriculum emphasizes practical business applications, global economic dynamics, and interdisciplinary research in areas including finance, strategy, and operations. LBS distinguishes itself through its international orientation, with a student body and drawn from over 160 countries, fostering a diverse that prioritizes development. Its MBA program, launched in the 1960s to professionalize in the UK, has produced influential who lead major corporations and worldwide. The institution maintains strong ties to 's financial district, enhancing opportunities in consulting, , and , while its research output influences policy and industry practices through centers dedicated to topics like and . In global rankings, LBS frequently places in the top tier for , reflecting its emphasis on analytical rigor and real-world impact over ideological conformity. Notable achievements include pioneering models and alumni contributions to , such as former PepsiCo CEO , who credits LBS for sharpening strategic decision-making. While the school has expanded online and hybrid offerings to adapt to technological shifts, it upholds a commitment to in-person immersion in London's business ecosystem as core to its value proposition.

Units of measurement

Pound (lbs)

The (symbol: , commonly abbreviated lbs in usage) is the primary of in the and customary systems, defined as exactly 0.45359237 s since the agreement of 1959. This definition ties the directly to the () prototype maintained at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. The consists of 16 ounces or 7,000 s, with the historically defined as the weight of a single but now fixed at 64.79891 milligrams. It differs from the , used for precious metals and gemstones, which contains 12 ounces and weighs approximately 0.373 kilograms—about 82% of an —due to the being heavier (31.1034768 grams) than the (28.349523125 grams).
UnitGrams (exact)Relation to avoirdupois pound
Grain0.064798911/7000
Avoirdupois ounce28.3495231251/16
Troy ounce31.1034768N/A (troy system)
Troy pound373.2417216≈0.8229 avoirdupois pounds
Kilogram453.592371
In the United States, the pound remains a legal unit of mass under federal law, with customary units mandatory for consumer packaging labels alongside metric equivalents, though metric is voluntary for most scientific and engineering applications. In the United Kingdom, the Weights and Measures Act 1985 permits imperial units like the pound for specific retail sales (e.g., loose produce), but metric units have been required for most packaged goods since 2000, with ongoing public preference for pounds in informal contexts like personal weight despite official metrication efforts since the 1960s. The pound's persistence reflects practical inertia rather than formal resistance to metrication, as both nations define it in SI terms to ensure international consistency.

Science and technology

Location-based services

Location-based services (LBS) consist of software applications that utilize a device's geographic to deliver context-specific , such as directions, nearby points of interest, or targeted advertisements, primarily through devices connected to networks. These services rely on geolocation data derived from various positioning technologies to enable functionalities that would otherwise lack spatial relevance. The core mechanism involves determining the user's , , and sometimes altitude, which is then processed to generate personalized outputs, distinguishing LBS from non-location-dependent applications. The development of LBS traces back to the early 1990s with prototype systems like the Active Badge indoor positioning tool, which used infrared signals for tracking office workers, though widespread adoption accelerated in the early amid advancing mobile internet and GPS integration. A pivotal driver was the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's E911 mandate in 1996, requiring wireless carriers to locate emergency callers within 50-300 meters accuracy by 2001, spurring infrastructure investments in carrier-based positioning. By the late 1990s, cell tower emerged as an early method for approximate location in urban areas, evolving with the of GPS receivers in devices around 2000. The convergence of affordable smartphones, broadband mobile data, and satellite navigation systems like GPS—initially operationalized by the U.S. military in the 1970s but fully civilian-accessible after 2000—propelled LBS into mainstream use, with global market projections estimating over $318 billion in value by 2030. Key technologies underpinning LBS include the (GPS), which provides outdoor accuracy of 5-10 meters under open skies via satellite signals, supplemented by assisted GPS (A-GPS) for faster fixes in weak-signal environments. Indoor and hybrid positioning often employs triangulation, leveraging signal strengths from access points for 10-50 meter precision, or (BLE) beacons, which offer sub-meter accuracy in controlled spaces like retail stores through proximity detection. Cellular network methods, such as Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD), use tower timing delays for broader coverage with 50-200 meter accuracy, while emerging options like (UWB) enable centimeter-level precision for . These systems typically aggregate data from multiple sources—known as hybrid location engines—to mitigate individual limitations, such as GPS's ineffectiveness indoors or 's dependence on dense infrastructure. Applications of LBS span navigation apps like , which processed over 1 billion daily active users by 2023 for route optimization, to proximity where geofencing triggers notifications within virtual boundaries, as seen in retail campaigns boosting foot traffic by 20-30% in targeted zones. systems track vehicles in , reducing costs by up to 15% through optimized routing, while emergency services integrate LBS for rapid response, fulfilling E911 requirements with phase II accuracy standards of 50 meters for 70% of calls. Social and entertainment uses include location-sharing in apps like Glympse for ETA predictions, and monitoring via geofenced alerts for elderly wanderers, though adoption varies by region due to infrastructure disparities. Privacy challenges in LBS arise from persistent tracking, which can infer sensitive patterns like home addresses or routine visits to clinics, with surveys indicating 55% of users expressing concerns over by third parties without explicit . Unauthorized access risks include or profiling, as location histories enable reconstruction of personal narratives, prompting regulatory responses like the EU's mandating opt-in for non-essential tracking since 2002. Mitigation techniques, such as anonymization via algorithms that obscure individual data within groups of k similar locations, have been proposed, yet empirical studies reveal persistent vulnerabilities to inference attacks, underscoring the tension between utility and user control. Despite these issues, LBS deployment continues, with device permissions and encryption as standard safeguards, though critics argue that default-enabled services in operating systems like and facilitate over-collection by app developers.

Educational and professional organizations

London Business School

(LBS) is a graduate and a constituent college of the federal , specializing in in , , , and related fields. Founded in 1964 as the London Graduate School of Business Studies, it opened with 36 students under the leadership of Principal Dr. Arthur Earle and adopted its current name in 1968. The institution emphasizes global perspectives, drawing on London's position as a financial hub, and serves over 2,200 degree-seeking students annually from more than 100 countries. LBS offers a range of programs, including a two-year full-time MBA with core courses in , , and , alongside electives and ; a one-year MBA variant; the Global Masters in Management; Masters in Finance and Financial Analysis; Executive MBA options delivered in , , and other locations; and PhD programs across seven departments such as , , and . Short executive education courses focus on areas like , , and , attracting mid- to senior-level professionals. In the Financial Times 2025 MBA rankings, LBS placed 7th globally, while its programs topped the FT's open and custom rankings for participant quality and expertise. The main campus is located at Sussex Place in , adjacent to , with facilities expanded by 70% in 2012 to include modern teaching spaces and the Taunton Centre for executive programs. LBS maintains a of internationally recognized scholars in fields like decision sciences and , contributing to peer-reviewed publications and policy advisory. Notable alumni include , founder and CEO of ; , chairman of the ; and , vice chairman of . The school's alumni network exceeds 50,000 members worldwide, supporting career outcomes with median MBA salaries reported above £100,000 three years post-graduation in recent FT data.

California State University, Long Beach

(CSULB) is a public in the system, established in 1949 as Los Angeles-Orange County State College with an initial class of 169 students in a converted apartment building. It evolved into Long Beach State College in 1950 and adopted its current name in 1972, occupying a 322-acre campus in , approximately 25 miles south of . As one of the largest campuses in the 23-university CSU system, CSULB serves over 42,000 students annually, including around 35,800 undergraduates and 5,300 graduate students as of fall 2024. The university offers more than 300 degree programs across eight colleges, emphasizing undergraduate education with bachelor's, master's, and select doctoral degrees in fields such as , , health sciences, and . Notable strengths include its College of Business, which ranks among the top programs nationally, and programs in , , and that attract significant enrollment. CSULB maintains a student-faculty of about 22:1, supporting a commuter-heavy population with practical, career-oriented curricula aligned with regional workforce needs in , , and industries. The student body is diverse, with approximately 50% Hispanic or Latino, 20% Asian, 15% White, and smaller shares of Black, multiracial, and other groups, reflecting the . In-state tuition and fees for the 2024-2025 total $8,312 for undergraduates, while non-residents pay an additional $444 per unit, bringing out-of-state costs to around $19,856; about 79% of first-year students receive need-based aid. CSULB's grew rapidly post-founding, reaching tens of thousands by the 1970s, driven by accessible admission standards and proximity to job markets. In recent assessments, CSULB ranked 43rd among U.S. institutions in the Wall Street Journal's 2025 evaluation, factoring in graduation rates, salary outcomes, and levels, up from 67th the prior year. It competes athletically in as the Long Beach State Beach (or Dirtbags for ), with successes in and , though program funding has faced cuts amid state budget constraints. The campus emphasizes , contributing to regional through research centers in and .

Other uses

Informal abbreviations and slang

In informal online communication and texting, "LBS" commonly abbreviates "laughing but serious," a phrase used to convey amusement at a situation or statement while underscoring its underlying gravity or truth. This usage signals to the recipient that the sender finds humor in the content but maintains a sincere intent, often softening potentially awkward or blunt remarks. For instance, in response to an exaggerated , one might reply "LBS" to acknowledge the funny elements without dismissing the core message. The emerged in digital contexts, particularly within messaging apps and , as a variant of indicators like "" but with an added layer of qualification to avoid misinterpretation. It differs from purely humorous by emphasizing balance between levity and earnestness, reflecting nuanced interpersonal dynamics in text-based exchanges. While less ubiquitous than standalone s, "LBS" appears in informal English-speaking online communities, though its adoption varies regionally and platform-specific. Less common interpretations, such as "let's be serious" in niche contexts, exist but lack the prevalence of the primary texting usage.

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