The popular battle royale game, Fortnite, was down for a few hours. TechCrunch reports that players reported long load times when queueing, which eventually time out, as well as issues when logging into Fortnite’s servers. The company has acknowledged the issue and says that it has since rectified it. “We've deployed a fix addressing the issues encountered earlier today. Login and Game Services have been restored and the elf is back on the shelf. Players who have earned the Take The Elf Emote will now receive it as a gift or immediately after completion,” the company tweeted. An employee of Epic Games explained the problem on Reddit. According to the post, the problem stemmed from another bug that caused the Elf Challenge reward to not be granted. This apparently exposed a latent bug in the profile migration code that fixes up players. This caused players to be kicked and triggered the waiting room. The company notes in the reddit post, “Quick summary is that deploying a fix for elf challenge reward not being granted exposed a latent bug in our profile migration code (the code that fixes up players). This caused players to be kicked etc and triggered our waiting room. We fixed the issue and deployed a new backend, however didn’t see recovery in login success. This ended up due to “sticky session” configuration having been lost on our waiting room load balances when moving them to ALBs. This meant that there was a 90% chance of having to requeue after hitting the front of the line. D’oh. This should all be fixed now and we are seeing recovery in numbers / login throughout / waiting room / etc,” The outage came around the time of the holidays. So it did lead to some outrage amongst the players who planned to game in their free time. Thankfully, Epic Games managed to fix the problem within a few hours. We've deployed a fix addressing the issues encountered earlier today. Login and Game Services have been restored and the elf is back on the shelf. Players that have earned the Take The Elf Emote will now receive it as a gift or immediately after completion. — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) December 26, 2018 
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Highlights: Reliance Jio is reportedly working on a large-screen affordable smartphone for current 4G feature phone users. Jio is also in later stages of testing its VoWiFi service VoWiFi will let users place phone calls through wireless networks in areas where there is no cellular connectivity After the success of the JioPhone2, Reliance Jio is working to launch an “affordable large screen smartphone” to cater to the mass of users who intend to upgrade to a 4G-enabled smartphone. According to a report by ET, Jio is working with partners to release the phone. An earlier report had revealed Jio might be working with US contract manufacturer Flex to locally manufacture a batch of 100 million smartphones in a bid to rapidly expand market share by acquiring the feature phone users as its user base. “We are trying to work with partners who can bring in affordable large screen smartphones for a large mass of customers who are yet to make a shift to 4G smartphone, so that they can experience the right kind of connectivity as well as the right kind of content on devices which are affordable,” Reliance Head of Sales and Channel Development, Sunil Dutt told Economics Times. Reliance Jio was also spotted testing its VoWiFi (voice over Wi-Fi) service once again after news surfaced about the third-largest telco in the country testing the feature back in July. Back then, it was reported that the feature will be rolled out in the next few months. A report by TelecomTalk stated Jio was testing the feature across multiple circles including Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Kerala. A user reportedly shared a screenshot of the feature with a publication from Madhya Pradesh. In the screenshot, an iPhone can be seen with Jio’s VoWiFi service turned on. This indicates that Jio is in later stages of testing and the feature launch is imminent, possibly in January 2019. VoWiFi or voice over Wi-Fi lets subscribers make calls over wireless networks using Wi-Fi in places where there is no cellular network. The feature will be aided by the Government’s plan to install free public Wi-Fi hotspots around the country. When launched, smartphones can become even more accessible to people living in areas that have unstable cellular connectivity, and could be a chance for Jio to increase its market share among 4G feature phone users. An earlier report stated that Jio had already completed testing the security as per DoT’s rules. Airtel and Vodafone have also passed that stage and will be rolling out VoWiFi on their respective networks The move comes after DoT updated the license requirements to allow internet telephony in India back in June. According to the draft, VoWiFi will be made better with the government’s open Wi-Fi project. And with Jio all set to deploy the feature, other telcos shouldn’t be too far along. Related Links: Reliance Jio ready with VoWiFi service, expected to debut with JioPhone 2 JioSaavn is officially here with free 90-day Pro access for Jio subscribers Airtel Vs Reliance Jio Vs Vodafone Vs Idea: Best prepaid plans compared
The Vivo Y81i is launched in India a few weeks back with a 6.21-inch screen and a MediaTek Helio chipset. The phone has been priced at Rs 8,490 in India. On the other hand, we have the RealMe U1, which is the world’s first smartphone that comes with a MediaTek Helio P70 processor and sports a water drop notch on top of it. Let’s do a quick specs comparison to know which device would be the right buy in terms of specifications. Let’s do a detailed comparison of the two to know the difference. The RealMe U1 sports a 6.3-inch FHD+ display that sports a dew-drop notch on top of it. On the other hand, the Vivo Y81i sports a slightly smaller 6.22-inch display that offers a resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. When it comes to the processor, the RealMe U1 is the world’s first device that is powered by a MediaTek Helio P70 processor, which is coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. On the other hand, the Vivo Y81i is powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 octa-core processor, which is clocked at 2.0GHz. The phone packs 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory that is expandable to up to 256GB. As far as the cameras are concerned, if you’re looking for a device with a dual camera setup then the RealMe U1 might be the smartphone you can look forward to. The phone has a dual 13MP + 2MP camera set up at the back along with a 25MP sensor on the front. The Vivo V81i has a 13MP sensor at the back with a 5MP unit on the front. The RealMe U1 comes with two variants 4GB/64GB and 3GB/32GB, while the Vivo Y81i is available in 2GB/16GB storage model. The RealMe U1 3GB/32GB variant is available in India for Rs 11,999, while you can get the Vivo Y81i for Rs 8,490.
Your New Year plans could be cool, but what NASA’s spacecraft New Horizons has in store is way cooler. The unmanned spacecraft flew past the dwarf planet Pluto for the first time in 2015 and is now about to get a close view of Ultima Thule (2014 MU69), the farthest known object in the Solar System. New Horizons will fly by the irregular-shaped Kuiper Belt object on its optimal path from a distance of 3,500 kilometres. It will be at its closest viewpoint on January 1 at 11:03 PM IST (12:33 PM EST). Ultima Thule orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.6 billion kilometres from Pluto. The twelve-member hazard watch team that remotely monitors and controls New Horizons confirmed on December 15 that the spacecraft was on the right path towards Ultima Thule. The team used the spacecraft’s telescopic Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) to look for rings, tiny moons, and other potential dangers along the way. “The spacecraft is now targeted for the optimal flyby, over three times closer than we flew to Pluto,” commented Alan Stern, the team’s Principal Investigator in a news release. “Ultima, here we come!” Yesterday, New Horizons entered Encounter Mode, a sort of safe mode that ensures mission objectives are carried out even if the spacecraft malfunctions, explains CNET. Normally, the spacecraft would call home in case something went wrong. But now, as each signal takes 12 hours to reach Earth, the spacecraft will continue on its own as instructed until the mission is complete. The spacecraft recently captured the highest resolution image of Ultima Thule yet from a distance of 10 million kilometres (seen above). We’ll know more about this mysterious object when New Horizons gets close to it next week. Ultima Thule is officially designated 2014 MU69 but got its nickname earlier this year from the New Horizons team. Ultima Thule is a traditional name for any place that’s beyond the known world. Ultima Thule has an orbital period of over 295 Earth years around the Sun and a low inclination compared to other objects in the Kuiper Belt. It was originally discovered by the New Horizons team on June 26, 2014 using the Hubble Space Telescope. The object supposedly measures 30 kilometres in diameter. Whether it has a ring system or any moons is something we’ll know only when New Horizons performs its flyby on New Years Day. Godspeed, brave little spacecraft! Cover and inline image courtesy: NASA
Highlights: Realme A1 may launch as an entry-level smartphone May have MediaTek Helio P60 or a Snapdragon 600-series SoC Expected to launch in the first quarter of 2019 Since it got separated from Oppo earlier this year, Realme has been bullish in the Indian market and has been launching smartphones to flood the affordable phone segment in India. It has already launched a number of devices in different price segments and is now looking to introduce another one, rumoured to be called the Realme A1. This device is reported to be an entry-level phone and may be priced around Rs 6000. According to DroidShout, the specifications of the rumoured phone are not known but it may be powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 or a Snapdragon 600-series chipset. It is also reported that this particular phone may come with a dual-camera setup at the back and an AI-powered selfie snapper. In terms of software, the Realme A1 is expected to run Android 8.1 Oreo-based ColorOS 5.2 out-of-the-box. The smartphone may launch sometime in the first quarter of 2019. Realme already has a phone, the Realme C1, which belongs to the under-Rs 10,000 price bracket. Priced at Rs 7,499, the Realme C1 comes with a glass back and sports a 6.2-inch HD+ display with a notch. The device runs Android 8.1 Oreo with Color OS 5.1 on top. The Realme C1 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor coupled with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB. When it comes to camera, the smartphone features a 13MP + 2MP dual-rear camera setup that supports capturing images in portrait lighting, bokeh and super vivid modes. It can also record slow-motion video at 90fps in HD resolution. On the front, the handset features an AI-powered 25MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and a 1.8um pixel size. The front camera supports Hybrid HDR, group selfie features, selfie bokeh effect and AI face detection. The phone is backed by a 4,320 mAh battery. Related Read: The 4GB RAM version of the Realme U1 on sale The Realme U1
Key Highlights: Nokia X5 is now receiving the Android Pie update in China The device’s global variant, Nokia 5.1 Plus, is also expected to get the update Both phones were launched running Android Oreo HMD Global is rolling out the Android 9 Pie update for its China-exclusive Nokia X5 smartphone. As the phone is now receiving Android Pie update, its global variant, the Nokia 5.1 Plus is likely to receive the update as well. The Nokia X5 was launched earlier this year running Android 8.1 Oreo, and the Nokia 5.1 Plus was announced in August running the same flavour of Android. The news of the update being rolled out for the phone has been confirmed by Nokia on Weibo. The new patch is around 1467MB in size and is said to consume 2940MB of the device’s internal storage. It should be noted that while the Nokia 5.1 Plus is an Android One device running on stock OS, the Nokia X5 features a layer of customisation atop the Android OS. Nokia X5/Nokia 5.1 Plus specifications The Nokia X5 is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 platform (four Cortex-A73 clocked at 2.0GHz and an equal number of Cortex-A53 clocked at 2.0GHz). It features a 5.86-inch HD+ display (720x1520 resolution) with a 2.5D glass protection and 19:9 aspect ratio. On the back, the handset features a dual-camera setup that is aligned vertically and below them sits an LED flash. There is also a fingerprint scanner on the rear, along with the Nokia branding. In terms of optics, the device sports a 13MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP secondary depth-sensing camera on the back. On the front, it comes equipped with an 8MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture. The phone is backed by a 3,060mAh battery. As mentioned earlier, the Nokia 5.1 Plus comes with the exact same specs, but runs stock Android OS. The phone was announced at a price of Rs 10,999 in India. Related Reads: Nokia 5.1 Plus Review 
Highlights: The Honor V20 features a punch-hole display It comes with a 48MP rear camera, first for a Huawei phone The phone was launched in China and it also sports the Link Turbo technology Just a day after Honor View 20, or Honor V20, was launched in China, the company has announced its plans, via Amazon, to bring the device across the border in India. A dedicated microsite has been spotted on Amazon.in stating that the smartphone will be exclusive to the online retailer and will be "Coming Soon" to India. The Honor V20 comes with an All-View Display featuring a punch hole camera, a company first 48MP rear sensor and Link Turbo technology, which is claimed to enable faster download speeds by leveraging both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. Honor View 20 was first showcased at an event in Hong Kong and it is the company’s first device with an in-display selfie camera and a 48MP rear camera, to launch commercially. The Amazon listing does not mention the device's price, but in China, the Honor View 20 (or Honor V20), is priced at CNY 2999 (approximately Rs 30,000) for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. Its 8GB RAM with 128GB storage variant will cost users CNY 3499 (approximately Rs 35,500). Honor has also launched a special Moschino Edition of the V20 with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage for CNY 3999 (approximately Rs 40,000). The phone is expected to be priced around the same or slightly lower in India. Honor View 20 specifications The Honor View 20 features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ All-View display with a resolution of 2310x1080 pixels. The All-View display is a screen with punch hole measuring 4.5mm in diameter and it incorporates a front-facing shooter. There is a glass back panel with V-shaped pattern underneath and the smartphone was announced in blue, black and red colour models. It is powered by an octa-core Kirin 980 flagship chipset, which is manufactured using the 7nm fabrication process. The device also has GPU Turbo 2.0, a technology that the company says boosts performance and graphics during gaming sessions. There is a NINE Water liquid cooling system on the phone to keep the CPU temperature under check. In the camera department, the Honor View 20 features a 48MP Sony IMX586 CMOS sensor on the back. The sensor uses pixel binning technology to give a 1.6 micron pixel. The second TOF 3D sensor of the dual rear camera is for depth sensing. The punch-hole in the display houses a 25MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture. The handset is backed by a 4,000mAh battery with super fast charge support and the phone runs Android Pie 9.0 with Magic UI 2.0 on top. Related Read: Honor View 20 Maserati Edition Samsung Galaxy A8s launched with Infinity-O display
