Valve makes all Half-Life games free to play for a limited time

Bottom line: Odds are, most serious fans already own most of these games but on the off chance that you’re missing an expansion pack, now is your chance to give it a whirl. And if you’re brand new to the Half-Life franchise, this is the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss is about.

Half-Life: Alyx was one of the best surprises of late 2019. Announced in mid-November , the VR exclusive that takes place before the events


Uber sold its food delivery business in India to local rival Zomato

The big picture: Uber's Eats business in India isn't helping the company improve its bottom line, so it decided to offload it to one of its local rivals in exchange for a stake in their business. As a result, Uber can focus on other locations where it can make a profit. It's now also the owner of 9.99% of Zomato.

Uber's rapid global expansion has been far from perfect, and lately the company has been trying to cut its losses wherever

Continue reading...

Did Sega steal the idea for its Dreamcast VMU from this N64 prototype accessory?

Through the looking glass: Galden said he hoped to sell the device for around $20 or pack it in as a value item alongside a sports title. Unfortunately, neither of those scenarios materialized as the Secret Screen never made it into production... or did it?

The Nintendo 64 is arguably the last great cartridge-based home console . For many, it came during their formative years and for enthusiasts, has provided a wealth of historical information over the years. But even some of the most diehard

Continue reading...

Apple dumped plan to fully lockup iCloud backups at FBI's request

Bottom line: While Apple remains firm on not creating a way for law enforcement to get into an iPhone, the agency can still request access to data from the cloud and gets it most of the time. The tech giant reportedly had plans to secure iPhone backups stored on iCloud but nixed the idea after the FBI intervened.

Currently, iPhone data is encrypted on the phone and iCloud. While Apple does not have keys for physical devices, it does have them for backups in the cloud. It claims this is for customer

Continue reading...

Federal court overturns $10 million Wii Remote patent judgement against Nintendo

In context: We all know court cases can take a while to resolve, but some last considerably longer than others. Indeed, gaming giant Nintendo has been fighting one legal battle that began way back in 2013. Now, almost seven years later, that fight has come to an end.

Nintendo today announced that a Dallas federal court has ruled in its favor regarding a 2013 patent dispute filed by iLife Technologies Inc. The court says the patents asserted against Nintendo's technology, the Wii

Continue reading...

Lego's latest Idea creation is the International Space Station kit

In a nutshell: The Lego Idea platform has delivered once again. This crowdsourced hub for “the next big hit” on Tuesday introduced the International Space Station kit that’s sure to dazzle Lego collectors and space buffs alike.

The 864-piece kit features the space station itself complete with two rotating joints and eight adjustable solar panels as well as a posable Canadarm2 robotic arm. The

Continue reading...

Disney+ will launch a week early in the UK on March 24

In brief: Disney’s new streaming service is set to launch in the UK on March 24, a full week earlier than originally scheduled. The powers that be have also revealed pricing - locals will pay £5.99 per month for access, or a discounted rate of £59.99 when paid annually.

That is in line with US pricing which is set at $6.99 per month (£5.35). According to Tom Harrington with Enders Analysis,

Continue reading...

Microsoft WordPad might soon display ads for Office web apps

In a nutshell: A recent discovery in an Insider Preview of Windows 10 has revealed that Microsoft is experimenting with ads in its WordPad app in a bid to encourage users to try out the web versions of its Office productivity apps.

The humble WordPad is one of the oldest applications to ship with Windows and remains a simple yet effective word processor for basic needs. Although its feature set is unlikely to grow in the future, Microsoft seems to be testing an update for the app that displays ads for the company's


Uber testing new feature that lets California drivers set their own fares

In brief: Uber is testing a new feature that allows some drivers in California to set their own fares, which could be up to five times more than those set by the ride-hailing company.

Earlier this month, Uber started making changes to its app in California to better comply with Assembly Bill 5 , or AB5, which forcefully reclassifies many gig workers in the state as employees, entitling them to benefits they would normally miss out on, such as sick leave, minimum wage, and unemployment insurance. It

Continue reading...

AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT Review: Navi at $280, RTX 2060 down to $300


The Radeon RX 5600 XT is a respectable product that has pushed for lower prices and better performance at $300. For that alone, we commend it. The GPU won't blow your socks off and yet it's better value than the Radeon RX 5700 and makes the RTX 2060 Super a...

Continue reading...
Menu