Best Tech of 2019: Our Favourite Purchases, From Zomato Gold to Realme Earbuds

On our best-of-2019 list of favourite tech purchases, there’s everything from new phones to gaming consoles. The list features Zomato Gold, iPhone 11 Pro and XR, iPad Pro, Google Home Mini, Amazon Echo, Microsoft Surface Go, PS4 Pro, and realme Earbuds among other picks.

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Reliance Jio trick: How to recharge with Jio plans at old prices

The telecom industry is in a deteriorating state with revenues of most telecom operators falling and their ARPUs hitting an all-time low. However, the telecom operators Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea recently increased the pricing of their tariff plans and, in some cases, the prices increased by about 40 percent. While Airtel and Vodafone-Idea initially placed a cap on calling, they later removed it. However, Jio users still need to pay for ṭhe IUC charges, which are being levied by ṭhe telco. Now, a members of DreamDTH forum spotted an option that enables Jio users to buy recharge options at old prices. 

Jio users need to log in to the Jio website in order to avail the offer. As per the report, one needs to head over to the Settings menu after logging in, which will be available via the Settings cog on the upper right area. We tried to access the old plans. You can spot the settings cog from the screenshot below. Now, tap on the Tariff protection option, which is the last tab on the right and you will be redirected to a webpage where you can still opt for old plans. It should be noted that the option is available only for Jio users who currently don’t have an active plan. We tried it but it showed us an error.

As per reports, this workaround is possible due to tariff protection guideline that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has imposed upon the telcos. Under the rule, it is mandatory for telecom operators to make their recharge plans available for a minimum of six months. This means that Airtel and Vodafone-Idea must also still have their old plans available deep in some submenu somewhere. If you spot plans featuring old prices for Vodafone-Idea or Airtel, let us know in the comments. 

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Realme XT, Realme C2 new update brings December security patch, dark mode toggle in notification centre and more

The Realme XT and Realme C2 have started receiving a new update that brings the December security patch to the two devices. The new ColorOS update also brings a new toggle that lets users switch to dark mode swiftly. The new toggle will appear in the notification centre. The Realme C2 is receiving a host of features alongside the security patch in the new update.

As for Realme XT, the official community forum post says that the latest ColorOS update carries the build number RMX1921EX_11_A.14. It is being rolled out in a staged manner. However, if users haven’t received the update notification yet, they can download the update files manually from this page. Aside from the December Android security patch and the dark mode switch in the notification centre, the update also improves the nightscape algorithm of the front camera and fixes the probabilistic black spot issue. The update also adds the ability to change the font in the Theme Store.

Coming to the Realme C2, company’s budget offering, the official community forum post mentions that the latest ColorOS update carries the build number RMX1941EX_11.A.21. It is also being rolled out in a staged manner. This means Realme C2 users in India should receive the update in a few days. Aside from getting the December Android security patch, the changelog mentions that the update adds the ability to go back to the launcher page by tapping on the blank area in the recent task interface. Users can now also enable flash notification feature for incoming calls on the Realme C2.

The Realme C2 ColorOS update has also fixed an issue that caused the volume bar to get blocked by the camera in horizontal orientation. The update is still based on Android 9 Pie and not Android 10.

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Google resumes rollout of Chrome 79 after catastrophic bug

Google is urging users to charge their passwords after fixing a vulnerability reported in the Chrome 79 bug. The new update to the internet browser was automatically rolled out to millions of users around the world, and a bug in the update was deleting data from Android apps with access to Android’s built-in WebView.

According to 9to5Google, users and developers called the bug a “catastrophe” and a “major issue” in the comments on Chromium’s bug tracker. According to a Google developer active on the Chromium tracker, Chrome 79 changed the location where it stores web data, and data was getting deleted because of a botched up migration process. The rollout was paused as a result, but Google acknowledged the update had already reached 50 percent of devices by then.

This week, Google realised it was a dire situation where any potential fix would require either rolling back to Chrome 78 and risk losing over a week of data or, push through with Chrome 79 and delete potentially years of user data.

However, a few days back Google announced a fix for the bug days ahead of schedule along with claiming the bug hit just 15 percent of users instead of the potential 50 percent it feared. Google also said it managed to recover the data that was feared lost. Google has resumed rollout  of Chrome 79 now.

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IBM Research says its new battery chemistry ditches heavy metals, outperforms Li-ion

Since its commercialisation in the early 1990s, the lithium-ion battery technology has been growing in popularity and hasn’t stopped. You see lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in many electric vehicles and portable devices, possibly including the one on which you’re reading this news article. But that could soon change because IBM Research is working on a new battery chemistry that is claimed to be cheaper, better performing, and more energy-efficient. The best part is that it is completely free of heavy metals, which have been present in the construction of batteries in the past.

IBM Research believes that heavy metals, such as cobalt and nickel, are often sourced from Central Africa for battery making at great risk to the environment and workers in the extraction process. It’s one of the reasons why it started working on a new battery chemistry. According to an IBM Research blog post, the company’s new battery employs three new and different proprietary materials. They contain no heavy metals and face no issues in sourcing at the moment. The materials, in fact, are extracted from seawater.

“Discovered in IBM Research’s Battery Lab, this design uses a cobalt and nickel-free cathode material, as well as a safe liquid electrolyte with a high flash point. This unique combination of the cathode and electrolyte demonstrated an ability to suppress lithium metal dendrites during charging, thereby reducing flammability, which is widely considered a significant drawback for the use of lithium metal as an anode material,” writes IBM Research in its blog post. According to IBM Research, the battery in its lab regained 80 per cent of its total charge capacity in less than five minutes. For reference, a typical smartphone takes somewhere between an hour and two to finish charging completely.

IBM Research says that this design puts it ahead of the lithium-ion battery in terms of cost, charging speed, power density (over 10,000 W/L), energy density (over 800 Wh/L), and energy efficiency (over 90 per cent). The electrolytes are also less flammable, making it more ideal for use in electric vehicles. The American multinational also says it is currently collaborating with battery experts such as Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America, Central Glass, and Sidus to push its new battery tech from the research stage to commercial development. If IBM Research’s new battery tech is as good as it claims in the blog post, we should see a remarkable improvement in the way the battery inside our everyday devices performs in the near future.

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Steam Winter Sale 2019 Is Here: Get Discounts on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Red Dead Redemption 2, and More

The Steam Winter Sale is back, and is offering discounts on a tonne of acclaimed games from franchises such as Far Cry, Monster Hunter, Mortal Kombat, and more.

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Steam winter sale is here with big discounts on games like Mortal Kombat 11, DMC 5, Resident Evil 2 and more

The past few years have been great for gaming. We saw some absolutely fantastic games that take our breath away, were disappointed by some, and some games left us wanting more. With the Steam winter sale underway, we list for you the best deals on PC games you can cash in on. The sale brings with it high discounts on AAA franchises. The sale is currently underway and ending on January 2. Below we’ve shortlisted some exciting deals on games we think are definitely worth a go, especially considering the sale price. 

DARK SOULS III

Do you believe you are a true gamer? Can you withstand frustrating difficulty in a video game? Do you want to prove your might and boast of your capabilities in front of your friends? Then you can give the Dark Souls franchise a go. There is a 75-percent discount on Dark Souls 3 for the standalone game and the Deluxe edition. Give it a go if you dare. The is available for Rs 1047 and Rs 1229 respectively. 

DEVIL MAY CRY 5

All good things come to those who wait and fans of Devil May Cry have waited more than a decade for a sequel to DMC 4. I’m happy to say that the wait has been totally worth it. The game lets you play the story from the perspective of three different protagonists and the newest of them, V, has a unique play style that mixes up the game mechanics. Familiar yet new is the best way to describe DMC and that's just how we like it. The game has a 67-percent discount and is available at Rs 989.

LIFE IS STRANGE 2

After a tragic incident, brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz run away from home. Fearing the police, and dealing with Daniel's new telekinetic powers, the boys head to Mexico. Their journey is in your hands. The first episode of this game is available for Rs 115 and the complete game will cost you Rs 1135.

ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN

Take to the sky Top Gun style! The game not only puts you in the shoes of a fighter pilot but also gives you diverse locations to explore. The game in on 50-percent discount at Rs 1249. 

XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is the sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Earth has changed and is now under alien rule. Facing impossible odds you must rebuild XCOM, and ignite a global resistance to reclaim our world and save humanity. The game is available at a 75-percent discount at Rs 749.

RESIDENT EVIL 2

The remake of Resident Evil 2 is proof that if a classic game is remade the right way, it has a chance to stand out from the crowd. The visuals of the game look fantastic on a 4K HDR TV and the atmosphere in the game will ensure you sleep with the lights on for a few days at least. The story of the game, along with its simple yet elegant puzzles and the intimidating Mr X are more than enough to keep you engaged. The cherry on the cake is the fact that you can play the campaign from two different perspectives and the second playthrough is different from the first. The standard edition of the game is available for Rs 989.

RESIDENT EVIL 7

RE7 is by far one of the scariest games we have played to date. The first person perspective adds to the immersion. The atmosphere, soundtrack and memorable boss fights will keep you coming back for more. The game is available for Rs 999.

MORTAL KOMBAT 11

Looking at the visuals of Mortal Kombat 11, one would be hard-pressed to believe that the game was made using the Unreal Engine 3. Not only does the game look stunning, but the developers have also reworked some of the mechanics to spice up the gameplay. In MK10, you could pull the two triggers on your controller once your special meter was full to perform a special attack. In MK11, you can do so once per match and only when your health is critically low. This mechanic, in addition to reworked defensive and offensive special attacks, makes MK 11 a fresh experience. The game can be yours for a mere Rs 539.

CALL OF DUTY: WWII

Call of Duty games may not have the longest single-player campaign but the gunplay and multiplayer are more than enough to keep you hooked. The game is available for Rs 1599.

EVERSPACE

If a space combat game is what you are looking for then you can check out Everspace. The game combines fast-paced combat with roguelike elements. It takes you on a challenging journey through an ever-changing, beautifully crafted universe full of surprises. The game can be yours for Rs 109.

HALO: THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION

All the Halo games before Halo 5 under one roof. That includes Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. All for Rs 899. Need we say more?

GTA V

Considered one of the best open-world games and one of the best GTA games, GTA V sets the benchmark for the diversity of content in an open-world game. At Rs 1049, this definitely one for the collection. 

FAR CRY 5

Hope County, Montana is a lot of fun to explore. Not only that, but Far Cry 5 is also one of the best Far Cry games. If you haven't played a Far Cry game or haven’t played one for a while, this is a good opportunity to get back in. The game is available for Rs 749.

THE WITCHER III: WILD HUNT - GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION

The Witcher III is one of the best fantasy open-world games out there offering nearly 100 hours of content. Add to it the fact that the DLC’s are ass large ass full games themselves and you have a package that will keep you hooked for a very long time. The game along with all the DLC’s can be yours for a mere Rs 299 is definitely a steal.

DOOM 2016

While we eagerly await the release of Doom Eternal in 2020, we can revisit the reboot that made us fall in love with the game that started it all. Doom, which released back in 2016, is still a great FPS game and if you haven't played it, can be yours for Rs 479.

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