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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 of Half-Life 2 is set to drop in just a couple of months. To celebrate the occasion, Valve is making the entire Half-Life collection free to play through Steam. Announced just moments ago, the free games include Half-Life, Half Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two as well as extras like Half-Life: Opposing Force, Half-Life: Blue Shift and Half-Life: Source. Valve’s post said the games will be free to play from now until the day that Half-Life: Alyx launches which is sometime in March. The team said they believe that the best way to enjoy the new game is to play through the old ones, especially Half-Life 2 and the episodes, hence their availability. Shawn, K. (2020, January 21). Valve makes all Half-Life games free to play for a limited time. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83647-valve-makes-all-half-life-games-free-play.html

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Name game: Metro Redux Bundle Price: $4.49 USD $29.98 (-85%) Metro 2033 Redux + Metro: Last Light Redux = One awesome Steam PC key Link store: Store Link! Offer ends up after 47 hours. Requirements: Minimum: OS: Windows Vista, 7 or 8 (64-bit only) Processor: Dual Core CPU (2.2+ GHz Dual Core CPU or better) Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: DirectX 10, Shader Model 4 compliant graphics cards (GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB, GeForce GTS 250, etc) DirectX: Version 10 Hard Drive: 10 GB available space Additional Notes: 64-bit only Recommended: OS: Windows 7 or 8 (64-bit only) Processor: Any Quad Core or 3.0+ GHz Dual Core CPU Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: DirectX 11 compliant graphics card (GeForce GTX 480 and above) DirectX: Version 11 Hard Drive: 10 GB available space Additional Notes: (64-bit only)

What just happened? While the Opera browser has a number of features that could attract people away from Chrome, Google’s product completely dominates the market. According to a new report, Opera has expanded into loan apps to help bring in extra revenue, but their extortionate interest rates and short repayment times put them in violation of Google’s Play Store policies. The report from Hindenburg Research claims that Opera runs four Android apps—CashBean, OKash, OPay, and OPesa—that are aimed at the “developing” markets of India, Kenya, and Nigeria. While Opera describes the loans’ interest rates as being between 12 percent and 33 percent maximum per year, the actual rate is 365 to 438 percent. Those figures are even worse if repayments are late by just one day, rising to 876 percent. Additionally, the loans are offered over 91 to 365 days, but the actual lengths range from just seven days (for OPay) to a maximum of 29 days for OKash—all significantly lower than the 60-day minimum Google has in place for apps on its store. As unscrupulous as the apps seem, the Play Store reviews make them sound even worse. Some of the apps scraped phone numbers from borrowers’ phones, texting or calling them when payments were late in an attempt to get customers to pay—a practice that stopped last year as it’s illegal. Some of the messages threatened legal action or putting a borrower on a credit blacklist. One of the apps has already been removed from the Play Store, and more could follow, which would have a huge effect on the company’s bottom line. Since the report’s release, Opera’s stock price has dropped from $9 to a low of $6.88. Rob, T. (2020, January 20). Opera reportedly behind predatory loan apps as its browser struggles against Chrome. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83622-opera-reportedly-behind-predatory-loan-apps-browser-struggles.html

Name game: Project Hospital Price: $12.69 USD $24.99 (-49%) Link store: Store Link! Offer ends up after 18 hours. Requirements: Minimum: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 64bit Processor: i3 Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 4000 Storage: 900 MB available space Recommended: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 64bit Processor: i5, 3 GHz Memory: 6 GB RAM Graphics: Dedicated, 1 GB VRAM Storage: 900 MB available space Additional Notes: Recommended display: 24" with Full HD resolution

In brief: The gaming niches of the internet have been ablaze with rumors of Left for Dead 3 recently, a suspected follow-up to 2009’s epic zombie-filled co-op shooter. But Valve has shot-down the idea, confirming that it’s "absolutely not" currently in development. Everyone loves a rumor that involves “Valve” and the number three in the same sentence. The beloved memes about you-know-what-3 have been quelled by the announcement of Half Life: Alyx, but another of Valve’s franchises – Left for Dead – has seen a flurry of speculation recently based on purported ‘leaks.’ These rumors have now been labelled by Valve as ‘misinformation’, as the company has confirmed the game is not in active development. In a statement to IGN the legendary developers said, “We’ve seen rumors to this effect for the last couple of months. We did briefly explore some Left 4 Dead next gen opportunities a few years ago. But we are absolutely not working on anything L4D related now, and haven’t for years." The rumor-mill started turning again after screenshots and some zombie-head renders resurfaced last year. The pace really picked up when regional HTC Vive executive Alvin Wang Graylin referenced Left for Dead 3 in a slideshow on “2020 VR Trends.” Fans immediately jumped on the fact that a VR insider had all-but confirmed the game’s existence, though the confirmation was short-lived. In a follow-up tweet, Graylin added, “the #L4D3 mention is only a personal speculation, and all predictions are my own, and not official view of @HTC.” But the embers of hope glowed still, until Valve’s own statement this week: “It’s clear some people are having fun creating misinformation to spin up the community and other outlets. Unfortunately, for now a new L4D game is not something we’re working on.” Once again, Valve’s allergy to the number after two, but before four, continues. James, M. (2020, January 18). Valve confirms Left for Dead 3 is not in development. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83614-valve-confirms-left-dead-3-not-development.html

Name game: Sword Legacy Ome Price: $5.39 $17.99 (-70%) Link store: Store Link! Offer ends up after 5 Days. Requirements: Minimum: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 64-bit Processor: Intel i5-760 @ 2.8GHz / AMD Ryzen 5 1400 Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GTX 650 / AMD Radeon HD 6850 Storage: 2 GB available space Recommended: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

Name game: Turmoil - Steam Game Price: $3.49 USD $9.99 (-65%) Link store: Store Link! Offer ends up after 17 hours. Requirements: Minimum: OS: Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 Processor: 2,5 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM

What just happened? In a bid to reduce notification spam, Google has quietly decided to do away with Play Store notifications that let users know when an app has been updated. From now on, they will only see a notification for an app update being installed, which will disappear automatically after the process is complete. Despite the wealth of granular controls for managing notifications on our smartphones, the tiny bits of information and alerts can still get overwhelming sometimes, requiring plenty of unnecessary swipes from the user. Google has taken another step in reducing this clutter and will no longer display Play Store notifications that inform users of when an app has been updated. Apparently, the change had been undergoing testing since November, leading several users to believe that it was a bug, irrespective of their preference for auto or manual app updates. Google Play now hides app update notifications While the notifications did come back later in December, they disappeared again this week. The confusion was addressed recently by Google when it officially reached out to Android Police to confirm that the change was, in fact, an intended feature and not a bug. Google's decision would ultimately result in a fewer number of notifications. However, users who like to be particular about app updates and the associated information (changelog, improvements) will need to dig slightly deeper by manually going to the 'My apps & games' section in the Play Store. Humza, A. (2020, January 16). Google Play Store will no longer notify users when an app has been updated. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83574-google-play-store-no-longer-notify-users-when.html

Name game: SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising Price: $5.99 USD $19.99 (-70%) Link store: Store Link! Offer ends up after 15 hours. Requirements: Minimum: OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista or higher Processor: Intel Celeron G1820 2.7 GHz / AMD FX 8320 3.5 GHz Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 460, Radeon HD 5770, 768 MB Vram DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 600 MB available space Recommended: OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista or higher Processor: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6 GHz / AMD QC A8-7670K 3.6GHz Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 560+ Series, Radeon R9 270+ DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 600 MB available space

In brief: Once it became evident that computers were going to be a major part of the daily lives of millions, device makers started focusing on ways to cater to this emerging market. Ergonomic designs like the Microsoft Natural Keyboard briefly gained traction but largely gave way to more promising (and lucrative) avenues. With its latest offering, however, Logitech is revisiting the trend. The new Logitech ERGO K860 Ergonomic Split Keyboard promotes a more relaxed and natural typing posture to work more comfortably and ultimately, enhance productivity. For those not up to speed, an ergonomic keyboard like the K860 is typically one that orients the layout in a way that better aligns with how your hands and arms would naturally come to rest in front of you. According to Logitech, use of its new board results in 54 percent more wrist support while reducing wrist bending by 25 percent. It may be hard to see the short-term benefits of ergonomic improvements but over a lifetime of use, it could make a real difference. The K860 has also been certified by United States Ergonomics and carries a rated life of 10 million keystrokes. It is versatile, too, as it works with both Windows and Mac operating systems and can connect to up to three devices via Bluetooth Low Energy. Battery life is rated for up to two years from the two AAA batteries. The Logitech ERGO K860 Ergonomic Split Keyboard is set to arrive later this month priced at $129.99. Shawn, K. (2020, January 15). Logitech challenges Microsoft with new Ergo K860 split keyboard. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83562-logitech-challenges-microsoft-new-ergo-k860-split-keyboard.html

What just happened? If you use 2FA for your online accounts, good for you. If you use a physical key fob, even better. Android devices gained the ability to be used as physical authentication keys last year. Now, iPhones using Google's Smart Lock app can have the same functionality, albeit with some limitations. Google just pushed an update to its iOS "Smart Lock" app that allows iPhones to act as a physical two-factor-authentication (2FA) key. Now when logging into first-party services in Chrome, a notification is sent to the phone so users can verify their identity through the Smart Lock app. The authentication key is sent via Bluetooth rather than messaging the user a code, which could be intercepted. This method also thwarts SIM-swapping attacks since the scammer would have to have physical access to the device. SIM swapping is arguably 2FA's main weakness since attackers can generate 2FA codes after they have control of the victim's number. Despite that, it is still one of the best ways to protect your online accounts. It is made even stronger by using physical authentication methods. This functionality has been available on Android devices since last April, but is the first appearance on the iPhone. It uses the iPhone processor's Secure Enclave, which stores encrypted security keys on the device. Secure Enclave was introduced with the iPhone 5S, so it will not work on earlier models. The Smart Lock app also requires iOS 10 or later to work. Google updated its 2FA Security Key support page with setup and usage instructions. After users have added their iPhone's authentication key to their Google account, they can sign into any Google service, such as Gmail, as long as they are browsing with Chrome and have their phone nearby. Alternative browsers like Microsoft's Edge or Apple's Safari are not supported. The Verge notes that if you try using it in these browsers, you will be prompted to insert a key fob. Google was not forthcoming on whether support was coming for other browsers. Cal, J. (2020, January 15). iPhones can now be set up as physical authentication keys. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83570-iphones-can-now-set-up-physical-authentication-keys.html

Name game: Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughte Price: $7.49 USD $49.99 (-85%) Link store: Store Link! Offer ends up after 22 hours. Requirements: Minimum: OS: Windows 7 64 Bit / Windows 8.1 64 Bit / Windows 10 64 Bit Processor: INTEL Core i3 3.6GHz / AMD FX Series 4.2GHz Quad-Core Memory: 6 GB RAM Graphics: 1024 MB 100% DirectX 11 compatible AMD Radeon HD 7790 / NVIDIA GeForce 460 GTX DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 20 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Recommended: OS: Windows 7 64 Bit / Windows 8.1 64 Bit / Windows 10 64 Bit Processor: INTEL Core i5 2100 3.1 GHZ / AMD A8-7600 3.1 GHz Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: 2048MB 100% DirectX 11 compatible ATI R9 270X / NVIDIA GeForce 760 GTX or higher DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 20 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

Why it matters: Lots of higher-end, standalone digital cameras these days offer various levels of waterproofing but much of it is enabled by the rubber plugs that slot into ports when they aren’t being used. The added bit of flexibility afforded here could be the difference between getting the shot and not. After all, the action doesn’t always stop if the weather isn’t cooperating – the show goes on. Sony on Tuesday announced a new shooting grip for select mirrorless camera models that connects to the body wirelessly via Bluetooth. The grip, officially known as the GP-VPT2BT, is designed to give content creators peace of mind. By connecting wirelessly, you avoid any clumsy cables and are able to keep your camera’s ports sealed and protected from the elements. Curiously enough, the grip itself isn’t guaranteed to be 100 percent dust and moisture proof, so keep that in mind. Sony’s new grip additionally features a photo button, a movie button, a lock switch and a customizable button as well as a zoom rocker and provisions for adjusting the angle and camera orientation (for self-shooting purposes). Sony notes that the grip can even be transformed into a tripod by expanding the bottom portion for hands-free, rocksteady shooting. It is compatible with the Alpha a9, a9 II, a7R IV, a7R III, a7 III, a6600, a6400 and a6100 as well as the RX100 VII and the RX0 II cameras, we’re told. Look for the Sony GP-VPT2BT shooting grip to ship in North America later this month priced at $140. Shawn, K. (2020, January 14). Sony's new wireless shooting grip for mirrorless cameras adds peace of mind. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83546-sony-new-wireless-shooting-grip-mirrorless-cameras-adds.html

In context: If you are still running on Windows 7 (and I don't blame you), you are now officially out to pasture. However, if you don't mind treading on some gray areas of licensing agreements, you can still take advantage of Microsoft's free Window Upgrade offer even though it was technically taken off the table a few years ago. Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 7 on Tuesday. The company will no longer push out security updates, with the exception of enterprise customers paying for extended support until 2023. To avoid becoming vulnerable to future exploits and weaknesses, users are advised to upgrade to Windows 10. Going regular routes, Windows 10 Home will set users back about $140. The Pro version will cost them about $60 more. There is a loophole, however, to get the upgrade for free. ZDNet notes that if you go to the Windows 10 ISO download page and grab the media creation tool, you can run the wizard, select "Upgrade this PC now," follow the prompts, and get a valid Windows 10 activation key. This works as long as you have a legit Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 installation. It even works for Pro and Ultimate versions. No matter what you do, be sure to make a backup before starting and keep in mind that when upgrading from W7, it will wipe your settings and some apps. It's a good idea to note the apps you use most often so you can re-download the W10 versions later in the event they don't transfer over. Windows 8.1 rolls smoothly into W10, so this is not a concern. In its push to get Windows 10 installed on "one billion" devices by 2018, Microsoft employed several tactics from overly aggressive nag popups to downright deceptive window modifications. The silver lining was that at least the upgrade was free for Windows 7 and 8.1 users. Microsoft officially ended its gratis offer in 2016 but continued it for Assistive Technology users through most of 2017. It appears that while Microsoft removed its official free download pages, it left the media creation tool online and never changed it to exclude Windows 7 or 8.1 keys. This may have some wondering if this is even legal or if Microsoft will invalidate their install down the road. This may indeed be something that slipped by Microsoft. In its FAQ, it states that to use the media creation tool, you will need a valid Windows 10 product key, but this is not true since valid W7 and 8.1 keys still work. According to a Redditor who claims to be a Microsoft engineer, the company does not run license audits on individual PCs. It is more concerned with volume licensing. He adds that execs care more about upgrade stats than licensing revenue. "That whole 'free' upgrade for a year was fully marketing fluff," the Redditor said. "Terry Meyerson cared more about his upgrade stats than license revenue as Windows isn't Microsoft's cash cow anymore." At the time, Microsoft was aiming for a billion upgrades. As of last September, it was sitting at 900 million Windows 10 installs globally. Of course, if taking the word of a basically anonymous Reddit user is not enough to clear your conscience, perhaps you should go ahead and pay for a copy of Windows 10. Cal, J. (2020, January 14). Windows 7 users can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/83541-windows-7-users-can-upgrade-windows-10-free.html