Another Recall?

Again?

As many of you have probably heard already, there’s another recall going around. Ford Motor Company announced on Saturday September 27tth, that there were recalling 850,000 vehicles in North America due to a systems glitch that can stop air bags from deploying in a crash.

What Happens

“Ford issued the recall following problems in the restraints control module. Which is a key part of its safety system that takes information from front crash sensors and other sensors and activates air bags and seat-belt pre-tensioners. In the vehicles being recalled, the module can experience a short circuit, which can prevent air bags and other protections from functioning.” (article 1)

Cars Affected

2013-14
Ford C-MAX
Fusion
Escape
Lincoln MKZ

Cost

Ford’s recall of 850,000 vehicles cost the company $500 million and reduce its revenue position for the year. Ford’s stock price also took a plunge by 7.5 percent and sank by $1.22 (lowest it has been since March). And on top of this recall Ford has some more bad news, a $1 billion predicted loss in South America and a $1.2 billion loss in Europe. (article 2)

Other Recalls in 2014

It seems like this year there is a new recall every week. In fact on September 29, 2014 Toyota just recalled 690,000 Tacoma pick-ups that could catch fire. General Motors of course had the ignition problem and recalled 6 million cars alone. It seems that this year is not the year for cars. Nissan recalled 1 million Sentras and Altimas, Honda recalled 900,000 Odyssey minivans, Toyota recalled over one million units in a few recalls, Volkswagen recalled 150,000 Passats, Chrysler recalled 644,000 Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees. Even though Ford has not been doing well this year, neither has the competitors. (article 3)

Question

Does this influence your choice when/if you buy a new car? Which car company would you choose when comparing all the different recalls that have happened in 2014 and why?

New Wristband Enhances Fan Experience at Ryder Cup

By: Trent Sullivan 

This past weekend the European team defeated the United States in the Ryder Cup for the third time in a row. The 40th Ryder Cup was hosted in Scotland at the Gleneagles Golf Course. It was the second time the event had been hosted in Scotland, but a first for the fans to enjoy the event with advanced technology. When fans purchased tickets for the 2014 Ryder Cup they received a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wristband, which enhanced the fan experience through social media and activities around the course. 

When fans enter the course they can show who they are cheering for through a virtual “high five” using the RFID wristband. The wristband encourage spectators to view the whole course by and interactive game called “Walk the Course”. The fans who walk the whole course where rewarded by souvenirs and being entered into different drawing and competitions. The RFID wristband also allowed fans to connect with family and friends around the world with automatic social media updates on Facebook and twitter. The wristbands were also used as a method to make payments at certain places around the course. 

Antonia Beggs, Operations Director for The 2014 Ryder Cup said:  “Ryder Cup Europe and the key stakeholders wanted to deliver the best possible spectator experience. As social media, smartphones and mobile internet have become a part of everyday life, the RFID technology seemed a natural choice to lift the event beyond the standard set previously.”

As social media interaction has become a huge part of our society do you think that this increases the enjoyment of the fans experience? Golf is not the most popular viewed sports, but do you that the social media interaction to people not at the event sparked more of an interest to fans to tune into the Ryder Cup on TV? 

http://www.rydercup.com/europe/news/new-technology-give-ryder-cup-fans-best-experience-ever

Xperia E3

Santiago A. Romero

With the most recent release of the Apple iPhone 6, a lot of commotion has been stirred about the new qualities, additions and the continually advancing technology. The eye popping features and accessories that are being promoted are great and all but could it be too much? When you sit and think about what you really want in a phone what comes to mind? A simple design, durability, 4G speed, good battery life, photo quality and maybe a good size not to big/heavy. All of these features and more could be found in the new Xperia E3 Dual by Sony, it has a quality design, it’s slim and lightweight and includes super-fast 4G. The 4.5” display screen is scratch resistant and the corners are crafted for extra resilience, so there are no worries of dropping your phone and no need for a big bulky case for protection. This easy to handle Xperia E3 can also benefit your social media status with its effortless photo taking at any time with a shake to start app, making it quick and simple to launch the camera. Another feature easy to use is the stamina mode to keep your, already long lasting battery, going longer which can enable extended usage time from 0% to 14%. A last feature, sort of like the iPhone, is the ability to share amongst other Sony smartwear, Headphones/speakers, TV, or other mobile devices or laptops by a simple touch to activate the capabilities. People want simple and easy, and maybe the apple iPhone 6 is just too much for some but the Xperia E3 could be perfect for everyone.

Sony Mobile has unveiled its premium Xperia Z3 series including the Z3, Z3 Compact, and Z3 Tablet Compact alongside a new mid-range Xperia E3 smartphone and two new additions to its SmartWear product line, the SmartBand Talk and SmartWatch 3.

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/phones/xperia-e3-dual/#tabs

http://www.iclarified.com/43609/sony-unveils-new-xperia-z3-tablet-and-smartphones-e3-smartphone-smartband-talk-and-smartwatch-3