Motorola's Moto E smartphone slated as budget bet

The Moto E, expected to be launched next week, is reportedly the most affordable smartphone to come out of Motorola as per a report from the Times of India. Referencing findings from,the database of Zauba, a website that tracking goods imported in India, "has revealed that at least 1,300 units of Moto E have been brought to the domestic market."

Specs are expected to be modest but durable with a 4.3-inch screen, 720p HD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor,  1GB of RAM, a 5MP camera and a 1,900mAh battery. Storage is expected at 4GB onboard expandable with a microSD card slot. Android 4.4 KitKat is expected to be on tap as the OS. The Moto E is also expected to be thinner than its more expensive brothers, the Moto X and Moto G and reports of a water-resistant and dustproof enclosure are in tune with Motorola's own event announcement. All things considered, this looks like a great model to field in the emerging markets sector and the entry-level of the market. Although the water and dust resistant features as well as the addition of a microSD slot are traditionally premium features. Dual-SIM functionality was not mentioned but is most certainly a consideration for emerging markets.

Price point, a big factor for a new smartphone in this segment, is expected to be very aggressive although we won't know the price until the event next Tuesday. Stay tuned here are we report live from Motorola's launch event on Tuesday, their very first as a subsidiary of Lenovo.

Source: Times of India

24,889 Honda Odyssey minivans recalled for non-deploying side airbag glitch

Honda is recalling 24,889 Odyssey minivans in North America from the 2014 model year to fix a defect where the side air bags may not deploy during a crash. Honda will start notifying owners May 16. The  flaw iscaused by a shorting terminal, Honda has had  ongoing problems with airbag defects on some of its cars.

Source: CBC News

GM recalling 51,640 SUVs due to defective fuel gauges

GM is recealling 51,640 SUVs from their Buick Enclavee, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia lines from the 2014 model year. The recalled models were built between March 26 and Aug. 15 of 2013. The key defect is the engine control module software that leads the fuel gauge to read inaccurately. This could result on sudden stalling when the vehicles run out of fuel.  

GM doesn’t know of any crashes or injuries related to the problem and  dealers will reprogram the software for free, starting immediately. The company will also notify owners by mail. This follows an earlier recall in March for faulty airbag wiring that  illuminates the airbag warning light while leading to failure of deployment.

Source: TIME

Yahoo to create original shows, livestream Live Nation concerts with new media direction

Yahoo's getting into the video content creation and broadcasting game. At the 2014 Digital Content NewFronts, Yahoo! Inc. unveiled the first of its new original long-form shows, a new partnership with Live Nation for live streaming concerts, the all new Yahoo Travel digital magazine, and new advertising opportunities and measurement capabilities.

“Yahoo is focused on connecting artists, storytellers, great content producers and brands with the audiences they want -- at scale, across devices, every single day.”

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, CMO Kathy Savitt, and Ned Brody, head of Americas, presented Yahoo’s vision to make digital video more inspiring and entertaining for consumers and advertisers. They were joined onstage by a star-studded lineup including Executive Producer Mike Tollin; Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves; Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan; the stars of Comedy Central’s “Broad City,” Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer; and Kraft Foods Executive Vice President Jane Hilk.

Click to read more ...