‘Stranger Things’ VFX artists show how imploding rats came to life

The three breakdown videos give a glimpse into how Rodeo FX created virtual environments (including a digital Starcourt Mall), imploding rats and moving blobs of goo. Others offer some insight into melting humans and the gloopy hospital monster -- including a man in a red spandex suit and silver helmet the production team used as…

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Surface Neo and Duo hands-on: Our dual-screen future

Both devices scream quality, especially when it comes to their 360-degree hinges. Over the years, we've seen Microsoft refine the hinges on its Surface devices, and that experience definitely came in handy with the Neo and Duo. Opening, closing and propping both devices at certain angles felt silky smooth, with none of the awkwardness I…

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The Surface Pro 7 vs. the Pro 6: What’s changed?

Price starts at $749 $899 / $1,199 / $1,499 / $1,899 / $2,299 Dimensions 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 (29.2 x 20.1 x 0.85 cm) 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches (29.2 x 20.1 x 0.85 cm) Weight 1.70 pounds (775 g) 1.73 pounds (790 g) 1.71 pounds (775 g) 1.75 pounds (792 g) OS…

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The Surface Pro X is Microsoft’s return to ARM-based Windows

From a distance, the Surface Pro X looks like the Surface Pro 7 -- albeit one that's been on a diet. It's 5.3mm thin and weighs 1.68 pounds, which is definitely ultrabook territory. The outer shell is made from anodized aluminum and the kickstand can support any angle up to 165 degrees. Your eyes will…

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Samsung phones now connect to Android Auto wirelessly

If you've been waiting to connect your non-Google phone with wireless Android Auto, today's your lucky day. While Google initially said -- more than a year ago -- that Android Auto would work with any phone running Android 9.0 or higher, it's been restricted to its own Pixel and Nexus devices. Until now, it seems.…

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Rio’s Defunct Gondola Tells a Tale of Transit Style Over Substance

Visitors landing at Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão International Airport are greeted by a spectacular skyline that includes two gondolas. One is for tourists headed to the top of the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain. The other is for public transit, connecting one of the city’s sprawling favelas to the rest of the city. Only one of them…

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Do You Want Your Apps to Know About Your Last Doctor’s Visit?

It sounds amazing. You sign up for an app that tracks your robust heart rate, your 10,000 daily steps, and other minute-by-minute data, and then, with a few short clicks, you can also download the years of medical records that show your struggles with cholesterol and the procedures you’ve had with a variety of specialists.…

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Even a Small Nuclear War Could Trigger a Global Apocalypse

Stipulated: A nuclear war would be real bad. But, like, how bad, exactly? What if it wasn’t all-out, the United States and Russia throwing thousands of warheads at each other, but instead something more limited? Longtime adversaries India and Pakistan have a couple hundred bombs each, tops, according to the best intelligence. Obviously it’d still…

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Microsoft Surface Duo, Surface Neo, Surface Phone: Details, Specs, Release Date

No matter what you do, do not call the new Surface phone a phone. You can call it a Surface, a mobile product, a dual-screen device, a new kind of 2-in-1, a pathway to the all-important cloud. But Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer, doesn’t want you to call it a phone.Never mind that the…

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Microsoft Surface Pro X, Surface Pro 7, Surface Laptop 3, Surface Earbuds: Price, Specs, Release Date

“It’s not just that you learned; it’s not just that you failed. It’s did you take the learnings and apply them?” Panay says. “I think when you look at Pro X today—yup, you’re looking at an ARM- based architecture, a mobile chipset. But ultimately we transformed that part and made it a full PC architecture…

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