Author: Anthony M. Smith

Mac

iphone7jetblackdesignThe smartphones also launch in Ukraine on October 7, and in South Korea and Thailand on October 21, according to local news reports.

In India, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available through online shops Flipkart, which began accepting pre-orders earlier today, and Infibeam. Pricing starts at Rs 60,000, with trade-in deals available.

In South Africa, the smartphones will be available through Cell C, iStore, and select other carriers and resellers in the country. Pricing starts at R12 999 for iPhone 7 and R15 499 for iPhone 7 Plus.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launched in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other first wave countries on September 16, followed by over 30 more countries on September 23.

 

 

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Latest Internet News

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel has slashed effective data rates for its pre-paid customers, offering upto 67% more benefits for the same price, tracking a similar move by rival Idea Cellular a couple of days back as the scramble for users of mobile broadband intensified approaching Reliance Jio Infocom’s 4G launch.

Vodafone India, India’s No. 2 carrier, is also planning to make similar moves in the coming days in a bid to be “in line with the market trend,” a person familiar with the matter told ET. A Vodafone India spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

Last week, No. 3 telco Idea Cellular had also slashed effective data rates by offering up to 45% more data benefits for its prepaid users in India who use less than 1GB, as incumbent telcos stepped up their efforts to attract new users and ring fence existing data customers ahead of Jio’s 4G services launch widely expected next month.

“These refreshed data packs will help drive consumption and boost the uptake of mobile internet in the country,” Ajai Puri, Director – Operations (India & South Asia), market leader Bharti Airtel said.

The initial rate cuts, as announced by the telcos, are just for the prepaid customers that currently makeup more than 90% of these companies’ respective subscriber bases in the country, and considered more vulnerable to switching operators than post-paid users

Analysts note that telcos aren’t reducing rates directly, but offering more bang for the buck, a strategy which will help them protect their crucial average revenue per user (ARPU) but at the same time, make their offers more attractive for users.

But they add that for the new entrant or any other existing players to expand or alter the affordability curve and expand the data user market, at some point the data tariff may itself have to go down.

“This is a preemptive move by telcos who are trying to retain their customers and increase customer sickliness as the new entrant looks to launch services in coming months,” Rohan Dhamija, partner and head of India and South Asia at consulting firm Analysys Mason said.

They are trying to “replicate” in a pre-emptive manner what the new entrant might itself do, to begin with in terms of giving more for the same, Dhamija said, adding that the incumbents are trying to make it difficult for Jio to poach their customers.

Explaining Airtel’s possible strategy in the event of a price war, Gopal Vittal, Bharti Airtel CEO for India, South Asia, had told ET previously that what matters was the average revenue per user, or protecting the headline revenue. And for that, it could offer additional bandwidth to higher-paying users even though it would pressurize its returns form data Web Posting Pro.

According to an industry insider, Mukesh Ambani-owned Jio is unlikely to disrupt the pricing, rather focus on offering more for the same—which the incumbents have started to do—or try to differentiate on the product with the content play.

But the bigger risk would be if Jio makes voice calling free with bundled data to get the short term market share if it fails to get users organically.

“By cutting price data price, followed by giving voice free, Jio might well disrupt the voice market,” the person said.

 

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Mac

Los Angeles, Oct 6 (IANS) Singer Ariana Grande is reportedly planning to marry rapper Mac Miller, whom she started dating in August.
According to a source, Grande, 23, always wanted to marry at a young age, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“Ariana has always wanted to be married by 25, and Mac checks all of her boxes,” the source told Life & Style magazine.
“She thinks he’s cute, sexy and he makes her laugh all the time,” the source added.
According to the insider, the couple is moving fast in their relationship due to their compatibility.
“Mac and Ariana have a lot in common. They’re both from the East Coast, they’re close to their families and they love a lot of the same music, TV shows and films,” the source said.
“They would both love it to be outdoors, on an island, surrounded by a dozen bridesmaids and groomsmen. She wants a one-of-a-kind designer dress, white with diamonds, off the shoulder, with a veil and the longest train ever. And she wants Mac in a white tux,” the source explained.

 

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Mac

Evernote has confirmed in an email sent out to its users that a serious bug in some versions of its Mac OS app has resulted in “a small number” of users losing their data.

In the email, Evernote says the bug is causing images and attachments to be deleted, though text remains unaffected. Good news for anyone who only uses text, less great for anyone whose text requires images for context.

Not every Evernote Mac user is experiencing the bug as it’s only appearing in the version of the software released in September and, less frequently, the versions released since June.

Even within these versions, the glitch only appears to be triggered “under specific conditions” of use, such as skimming quickly through a large number of notes.

Buggin’ out

Evernote is recommending all of those who receive the warning email to immediately update to version 6.9.1 released in October to avoid losing their data.

You can update to the latest version from within the app by clicking on the ‘Check for Updates’ option in the ‘Help’ section, through the Mac App Store, or even through the Evernote website itself.

For those who have already lost data, Evernote says it has tried to implement a solution to restore it, but unfortunately, it’s not been possible to automatically restore all attachments.

In this case, Evernote is suggesting there’s a possibility of accessing these lost attachments through the note history feature in its Premium service Add Crazy.

Not every user affected by the issue is signed up to use the premium paid version of the service, though. In light of this, the company has decided to offer all affected users a year of free access to Evernote Premium to give them a chance of getting their data back.

The bug might have only impacted a small number of Evernote’s users but it’s still not great for the company. Considering many people use the note-taking app to store important information related to their work and education, the knowledge that there’s even a risk of data loss could easily drive them towards another service with a stronger reputation.

 

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Mac

 Apple announced MacOS Sierra back in June and it will start rolling out to compatible devices today, i.e Sep 20 at 10:30PM I.S.T.
This comes right after Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 7 alongside the iPhone 7 Plus and the Apple Watch: Series 2 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on Wednesday.
OS X is now macOS Sierra
After 16 years of service, Apple has finally retired the name OSX in favor of macOS, in order to streamline its naming strategy. The unique names remain, though, and this version will be called ‘Sierra’.
macOS Sierra brings with a multitude of new features and changes. The most important of them and the one we have all been waiting for a long, long time is the introduction of Siri on the mac.
Additionally, macOS Sierra also brings with it the ability to use Apple Pay through Safari, brings a raft of updates to Continuity and the ability to unlock your Mac using your Apple Watch.
Supported Devices
MacBook (late 2009 and after), iMac (late 2009 and later), MacBook Air (2010 and later), MacBook Pro (2010 and later), Mac Mini (2010 and later), and Mac Pro (2010 and later).
However, not all of these devices will be able to take advantage of all the features of macOS Sierra partly due to their age and partly due to planned obsolescence.
To enjoy the full macOS Sierra experience, you need to be running these Mac’s:
Mac Pro (late 2012 or newer), iMac (late 2012 or newer), Mac mini (late 2012 or newer), MacBook Pro (mid-2012 or newer), MacBook (Early 2015 or newer), MacBook Air (mid-2012 or newer)
Install requirements
Your Mac must be running OS X 10.7.5 or later.
You’ll need 2GB of memory.
You’ll need 8.8GB of available storage.
To use iCloud, iTunes, and the Mac App Store, you will also need an Apple ID.
Release Date
September 20, 10:30 PM I.S.T.
New Features
Siri on the Mac!
Mac OS Sierra brings with a couple of new features, the most important of them being Siri integration. Apple might be late to the game, with Windows 10 bringing in Cortana in 2015, but Apple promises powerful Siri integration across the operating system.
It will be available in the dock as well as in the top-right corner near spotlight and would be able to search the web, the computer, find photos, answer questions, set up reminders and so on. Apple also highlighted how Siri could understand the context and follow-up questions in a conversation string.
mac OS Sierra also brings with it the ability to use Apple Pay through Safari. As the current generation of Mac hardware lack touchID, users will be able to authenticate their transactions through an iPhone or their Apple Watch.
Apple Pay is currently available only in the USA, UK, Singapore, Canada and Australia, though Apple is working hard to increase its coverage Alie Nation.

Apple also introduced a way for users to unlock their Mac’s seamlessly by using their Apple Watch for authentication and a way to make space on their macs by moving old and unused files to the cloud. Apple could bundle in higher capacity SSD’s, but that’s another story altogether.

Updates to Continuity
In addition, macOS Sierra also focuses on interoperability across devices or ‘continuity. Sierra introduces a feature called Universal Clipboard, where users can copy and paste content across all Apple devices. One can copy text on the iPhone and then paste that text anywhere on their Mac!
Continuing their ‘continuity’ theme, macOS Sierra will also allow you to share your desktop across devices as well as save it to the cloud.

Should you upgrade?
A new update always brings with it the possibility of bugs, compatibility issues with current applications and some issues.

However, I have been using the beta for quite a while now and it’s been going great. And macOS Sierra has been in testing for quite a while. Still, I do recommend taking a full TimeMachine backup of your Mac before installing Sierra.

How to Install?
At 10:30PM Sep 20, just simply head over to App Store > Updates, click on the Sierra update and you’re good to go!

 

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Mac

Amazon, Amazon Great Indian Festival, Amazon Festival, Amazon Laptop deals, Amazon Apple MacBook Air Discount, Apple laptop discount, Amazon HP Laptops deals, HP laptops Amazon deals, Lenovo Amazon Laptop, Micromax Lapbook Discount deal, technology, technology newsAmazon’s Great India festival continues till October 20, and there are discounts/exchange offers on smartphones like Moto G4 Plus, Moto G4, OnePlus 3, etc. Amazon is also hosting deals on laptops and tablets, and here’s a quick look at some of the best offers. Apple MacBook Air, HP, Lenovo, Dell and Asus laptops are available at discounts, as well as the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Most of these discounts have a time limit, so you’ll need to claim them quickly. Here’s a look at the best deals on laptops, tablets.
Apple MacBook Air: Apple MacBook Air is available at Rs 59,799 during the deal well below the Rs 80,900 asking price. This one comes with a 13.3-inch display, Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM + 128GB SSD, Mac OS X which can be upgraded to MacOS Sierra as well Integrated Graphics. If you’ve been waiting to buy an Apple MacBook Air, now is the time to hit buy as the extra RAM is always worth it. But do note you’ll be sacrificing storage space on this one.
HP Pavilion 15-AU006TX: This laptop from HP is available at a deal price of Rs 53,747, down from Rs 62,386 which is the MRP. It runs Intel Core i5 processor (sixth gen), comes with 8 GB RAM, and 1TB storage space. It runs Windows 10 Home and also has dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 940MX with 4GB DDR3 RAM for Graphics. However, the 15.6-inch display has a 1366 x 768 resolution, which means you won’t get 1080p. It comes with a full-size island-style backlit keyboard with numeric keypad, as well as B&O PLAY.

 

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Computer

Lenovo is refreshing its consumer personal computer (PC) product line-up ahead of the festive season, to boost demand amid slowing growth in the Indian PC market.

On Monday, the company launched eight products across price points under its new range of consumer laptops, targeting professionals, gamers, and students.

Lenovo India Marketing Director Bhaskar Chaudhuri said: “We are refreshing our PC line-up. The PC market in India is not growing much. So in order to create demand, we are rolling out innovative PCs that bring more to the table for consumers and address the unmet needs of consumers. This is in line with the company’s evolving philosophy of increasingly launching products that can be differentiated from the rest, by giving consumers improved user experience.”

The company was looking to bring new users and expect some increase in demand because of the festive season, said Chaudhuri. “Normally, we see a spike in sales when schools and colleges start, which is when a lot of students buy PCs. With our new portfolio, we are targeting students as well as those who like to watch HD quality videos, gamers, professionals on the go and those who like fashionable products.” Lenovo had witnessed a decline in market share in India and in the global market.

According to International Data Corporation, Lenovo stood third with 16.1 per cent of the PC market share in the second quarter of 2016, witnessing a decline of 12.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter over Q1 2016. HP came first with 28.4 per cent market share, followed by Dell at 22.2 per cent. Overall PC shipment for Q2 2016 stood at 2.14 million units, declining 2.2 per cent over Q2 2015 Atticus Blog.

Globally, Lenovo maintained the number one position in the worldwide PC shipments in the second quarter of 2016, despite a 2.2 per cent decline in units over the last year, said research firm Gartner Inc. This was the fifth consecutive quarter of declining global PC shipment for Lenovo.

The computer maker had 20.5 per cent market share in the global PC market in the second quarter of 2016, followed by HP and Dell, which have market shares of 19.1 per cent and 15.2 per cent, respectively. Worldwide PC shipments had declined 5.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 over the previous year.

Lenovo acquired IBM’s personal computer business in 2005 and became one of the leading players globally in the personal computer business. The company is now eyeing the number one position in the India market, said Chaudhuri.

“Similar to the Indian smartphone segment, where players have brought premium features to affordable products to appeal to the mass market segment, we are trying to bring premium PC features like the Yoga form factor (convertible laptops that can be used as tables as well), better video quality and better gaming experience to the affordable range of consumer PCs. In the long run, we are eyeing the leadership position in India,” he added.

 

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Gaming

Contending that legalizing sports betting was one of the ways to deal with the paucity of funds faced by sports bodies in the country, the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) is mulling petitioning the Niti Aayog in this regard.

The newly-launched apex body to manage the gaming industry in the country has already sent recommendations in this regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cited the example of Britain, which finished second in the Rio Olympics medals tally, benefitting from betting-permitting laws, an AIGF release said on Friday.

This comes close on the heels of Niti Mayo’s 20-point plan of action which identifies 10 priority sports with a target to win 50 medals at the 2024 Olympics.

“While I glanced through media reports, one headline which caught my interest was about the Sports budget allocated to Agra school kids by the government which comes to 30 paise per student for approximately 3 lakh students. No wonder, with a budget allocation like this, India gets to witness the kind of performance we saw at Rio Olympics this year,” AIGF CEO Roland Landers told IANS.

“This clearly indicates that we have learned nothing from the latest Olympics fiasco. If things don’t change, we will have another appalling performance in the next Olympics in spite of the fact that the country holds an immense talent base.”

According to Landers, legalization of betting will help the government earn a revenue of Rs.19,000 crore per year which can then be utilized for training Indian athletes and for various talent development programs at the grassroots level Blog Express.

“It is important to note that various industry bodies and jurists like Justice R.M. Lodha have recommended legalizing sports betting as an important measure to improve sporting facilities and eliminate fraud/cheating in sports. A report prepared by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) indicates that Rs.19,000 crore can be earned annually by imposing a 20 percent tax on sports betting and gaming activities,” he said.

“Although sports, betting and gambling fall in the state list, the central government can provide advisories/suggestions to all the states and implement this idea. Further, the central government can also start the process of framing a model law under Article 252 of the Constitution on regulating sports betting and providing better sporting facilities,” Landers added.

“What we are proposing is nothing inimitable and we have already seen countries like Britain benefit from such collection of funds which are utilized for the promotion of sport in Britain. It targeted 350 million pounds ($454.3 million) on supporting participants in the Rio Olympics and Paralympics.”

 

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Gaming

Reviewing a new iPhone is always a long-term affair. After all, with a number of new features packed into each iteration–from its processing prowess to the new camera to an improved display–there is much to dissect and experience over the course of discovering and using each new capability.

This time around, we got to spend quality time with the flagship iPhone 7 Plus 256GB variant in the all-new black colour, and it so happens that the bulk of the phone’s capabilities ups the ante by way of dual cameras, the faster A10 Fusion processor, a brighter and more colourful screen, stereo sound and more. So we decided to first deep dive into two key areas of use these specifications are honed toward photography and gaming.
The all-new camera(s)
Clearly, the most standout feature of the iPhone 7 Plus is its dual lens camera system. With a 12MP resolution, the camera is actually composed of two separate f/1.8 lenses–one wide angle and the other telephoto. Switching between the two is a simple matter of tapping the ‘1x’/’2x’ icon on the camera interface, enabling re-composing your subject in two different frames. The camera also features a wider color gamut that lets it capture more hues than most smartphone cameras.
and our of a marketplace at noon, the camera impressed with its ability to reproduce natural tones while nailing the exposure even during challenging lighting situations such as backlit subjects or mottled light that shines through trees. Also, the optical image stabilization made for razor-sharp shots of fast moving subjects (a toddler, in my case) which would otherwise result in blurry pictures in cameras without this feature.

And when roaming around the outdoors hunting for the next photo op, the one new feature that unexpectedly came in handy is its IP67 dust and water resistance. A sudden downpour? Passing lorry kicked up a dust cloud? The ability to just carry on using this phone in such scenarios is a huge plus–more for peace of mind than anything else.
Even the front camera made for vivid selfies with its support for the wide color gamut capabilities in its sensor. Apple does state that about 100 billion computer operations go into the capture of each photo. And while it’s not really possible to verify this, the results certainly do reflect.

High-def gaming
The new A10 Fusion processor in this phone is supposedly twice as fast as the one in the iPhone 6, with higher battery efficiency to boot. To put it through its paces I played a fair bit of the new Oz: Broken Kingdom game–one that is known for its intense graphics and character detail. This became especially evident in the phone’s HD screen and wide color gamut capability–the fight sequences seemed to pop with the specular lighting effects and in the hundreds of flying monkeys Blogging Kits.

Teamed with the phone’s Haptic feedback, stereo sound (a first for the iPhone, with speakers at both ends of the device,) gameplay was both responsive and immersive. With its increased abilities as a gaming platform, it’s clear that the iPhone 7 will enable game developers to push the limits on what they can deliver.

There’s plenty more to talk about on this phone, but my initial experience has been very positive. There happens to by a forthcoming update–iOS 10.1–which will add the much-anticipated ‘Portrait’ feature to the camera, enabling the kind of depth of field otherwise only reserved for DLSR photos.

We’ll be covering this and more as we continue to experience the new iPhone–stay tuned for more.

 

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Gaming

online-shopping-paymentIt’s day two of Amazon’s Great Indian Festival sale, and there are still many deals one can take advantage of. Buyers have access to deals across categories like smartphones, mobile accessories, home appliances, and even gaming among others. Amazon India is also offering buyers additional discounts if they use a Citibank credit or debit card to buy a product — 10 percent on a website, and 15 percent on the app. If you are looking to buy electronics like mobiles, tablets, laptops or even home appliances, you can take advantage of exchange bonuses of up to Rs 15,000. Other offers include no cost EMIs for Bajaj FinServ card holders and early access to deals for Amazon Prime users. Following are some of the deals you shouldn’t miss out on day two of Amazon’s Great Indian Festival sale.

Coolpad Note 5: Coolpad launched the Note 5 last month, and the smartphone is available for the first time today on Amazon India. It is on sale for Rs 10,999, and in this segment, it competes against the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, LeEco Le 2 and Lenovo Vibe K5 Note to name a few. The new smartphone features a 1080p display, Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera, fingerprint scanner and a 4,010mAh battery. Amazon India is also offering an exchange bonus of up to Rs 8,325 that can potentially bring the price tag down to Rs 2,674. Buy the Coolpad Note 5 for Rs 10,999.
Lenovo Vibe K4 Note: The Lenovo Vibe K4 Note was available on Amazon India yesterday with a 17 percent discount, which brought the price tag down from Rs 11,999 to Rs 9,999. The e-commerce company is today offering Rs 1,000 worth gift card with the purchase of the smartphone. There is also an exchange bonus of up to Rs 7,793 that could bring the price tag down to Rs 2,206. At this price tag, you get a device that offers 1080p display, MediaTek octa-core SoC, 3GB RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera, and fingerprint scanner. Buy the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note for Rs 9,999.

Apple iPad mini 2 (16GB Wi-Fi): If you are looking for a tablet that is not too heavy in your pockets, you can’t miss out on Apple‘s iPad mini 2. After the 32GB variant was listed on Amazon India yesterday with a discount, today it is the turn of the 16GB variant. With a 19 percent discount, the price tag comes down from Rs 21,990 to Rs 17,599. This discount is only applicable on the 16GB Wi-Fi only variant in Space Grey color. Buy the Apple iPad mini 2 16GB Wi-Fi Space Grey for Rs 17,599.

Lenovo A8-50 Tablet: In case you are on the lookout for a budget tablet with voice-calling capabilities, you should consider Lenovo‘s A8-50. Available on Amazon India with a 37 percent discount, the tablet’s price has come down from Rs 14,990 to Rs 9,499. For this price, you get an 8-inch tablet with MediaTek quad-core SoC, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, 4,200mAh battery, and Wi-Fi, LTE and voice calling support. Buy the Lenovo A8-50 for Rs 9,499.

Micromax Canvas Lapbook L1160: Micromax launched the Canvas Lapbook L1160 earlier this year, which is among the cheapest Windows 10 netbooks available in India. Launched for Rs 10,499, the laptop is currently listed on Amazon India with a 29 percent discount that brings the price tag down to Rs 8,990. The 11.6-inch laptop features an Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a 4,100mAh battery. Buy the Micromax Canvas Lapbook L1160 for Rs 8,990.

Micromax 40-inch full HD LED TV: Micromax‘s 40-inch full HD LED TV is available on Amazon India at a tempting price tag of Rs 18,990. This is, in essence, a 53 percent discount on the launch price of Rs 39,990. The TV offers 1920×1080 pixels resolution display with a contrast ratio of 3500:1. For connectivity, you get two HDMI ports, one VGA port, and two USB ports. Buy the Micromax 40-inch full HD LED TV for Rs 18,990.

TCL 40-inch full HD L40D2900 LED TV: If do not manage to get your hands on the Micromax TV, you could check out the 40-inch full HD LED TV from TCL. The TV is available with an 18 percent discount that brings the price down from Rs 21,990 to Rs 17,990. At this price you get a TV with 1920×1080 pixels resolution, and 3000:1 contrast ratio. As for connectivity, you get two HDMI ports, two USB ports, and one VGA port. Buy the TCL 40-inch full HD LED TV L40D2900 for Rs 17,990.

Xbox One with Kinect – Halo: The Master Chief Collection Bundle: For gaming enthusiasts, the Xbox One with Kinect and Halo: The Master Chief Collection bundle is available after discount for Rs 28,989. The console available on Amazon India is the 500GB variant, and the price will go down further if you are to use either a Citibank debit or credit card. Buy the 500GB Xbox One with Kinect – Halo: The Master Chief Collection Bundle for Rs 28,989.

ANTVR Headset: With the Vibe K3 Note, Lenovo had also launched the ANTVR headset. While the headset was launched for Rs 1,999, it is now available on Amazon India for just Rs 299. The VR headset is compatible with Lenovo’s smartphones like the Vibe K3 Note, Vibe K4 Note, Vibe K5, Vibe K5 Plus and the Vibe X3. These smartphones support Lenovo’s TheaterMax technology. Buy the ANTVR Headset for Rs 299.

Iota Lite Smart LED Bulb: Cube 26 launched its ultra-affordable Iota Lite Smart LED bulb in India towards the end of last year with a price tag of only Rs 1,599. What impressed us was the Iota smart LED bulb offered much of the functionality that is offered by more expensive smart bulbs from the likes of Philips offer, at a very pocket-friendly price. The smart bulb is currently on sale on Amazon India at a discount that brings the price tag down to Rs 1,499. Buy the Iota Lite Smart LED bulb for Rs 1,499.

 

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