What a bargain: Goodbye invite codes — now anybody can create a Google Stadia account. Beginning today, anybody joining Stadia will get two free months of Pro and can cancel that subscription any time before the trial ends without being charged. If you do cancel, you can still use the service for free, but with lowered resolution and sound quality.

On Wednesday, Google finally rolled out the free version of its Stadia game-streaming service. All players need is a Gmail address and a compatible controller or keyboard and mouse

In brief: The Coronavirus pandemic has caused a significant change in our relationship with technology, from the way we work and study to the way we get our news and entertainment fix. It turns out that having our computers close in hand makes us less likely to pick up our smartphones.

As of writing, the number of confirmed cases of infection with the novel Coronavirus is quickly approaching the 1.5 million mark. Countries around the world have been shutting down their borders, imposing travel restrictions and enacting lockdown orders for large

Editor's take: Sleeper PC builds – those packing serious power in an otherwise unassuming chassis – are among my favorite. These projects often involve some creative thinking in order to get modern hardware to physically fit. Such was the case with another type of build I recently stumbled upon – repurposing old hardware for a completely different use.

YouTuber Tech By Matt a short while ago set about building a competent gaming PC inside of an old GameCube chassis. After picking up a broken console on eBay, he disassembled the system to

The big picture: Apple has set up a $50 million fund to help independent record labels pay their artists and maintain operations during the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. The funds will be covered by future earnings but for many, they need money right now and this helps achieve that goal.

The fund comes in the form of advances on future royalties and will be available to labels with a direct Apple Music distribution deal that meet a minimum quarterly threshold of $10,000 in Apple Music earnings

In a nutshell: Gearbox developers have added an intriguing new minigame to Borderlands 3. It is called Borderlands Science, and you can find it aboard Sanctuary III in the infirmary. It looks like an old-school arcade cabinet (above).

Borderlands Science itself seems somewhat mundane. It's a tile-matching game not unlike you will find in the thousands on any mobile app store. What makes the game interesting is that it is a backdoor to a crowdsourced project that is mapping the human gut biome. Every

In brief: If you’ve got an idea for a Cyberpunk 2077-themed PC case, now’s your chance to make it a reality—and win a high-end Alienware gaming PC or laptop in the process.

Cyberpunk 2077 dev CD Projekt Red has announced the Cyber-up Your PC contest , in which entrants have to submit concept case designs based on the Alienware Aurora chassis (below). You don’t need any experience in building cases; you just need

Why it matters: Foxconn, best known for manufacturing Apple’s iPhones, is partnering with medical device company Medtronic to produce ventilators at its controversial Wisconsin plant, helping address a global shortage of the machines, which are vital in the treatment of severe cases of Covid-19.

Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak revealed the partnership in an interview with CNBC , adding that the ventilators will be based on its PB-560 design and manufactured in the next four to six weeks.

Ishrak never said how many of the

In context: Perhaps even more interesting are the overall metrics associated with the world’s billionaires. Covid-19 has taken a toll on global equity markets, wiping out massive fortunes in just a matter of weeks.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has topped Forbes’ annual list of the wealthiest people in the world for the third year in a row, even after giving ex-wife MacKenzie Bezos $36 billion worth of Amazon stock as part of their divorce settlement.

Forbes calculated Bezos’ net worth at

In a nutshell: Wondering how you’re going to fill the hours while stuck at home over the next few days? You could always play through Gears 5, which is free on Steam and the Windows Store up until Sunday, April 12.

Gear 5 gained plenty of positive critic and user reviews when it arrived last September—we named it as one of our Best PC Games (You Should Be Playing) . It sticks with the same cover-based shooting action fans know and love, and introduces Jack