11/20, 4:20pm
Coders must be careful to avoid tripping flags
A new automatic screening technique Apple is using for the App Store appears to be backfiring, claims developer Rogue Sheep. The screening is believed to be aimed at catching unauthorized APIs, blocked under Apple's submission rules. A number of the apps trapped so far are allegedly ones using Three20, an Objective-C library. Rogue Sheep's Postage has in the past relied on some Three20 code, and so private API calls were removed from the software before submitting a recent update.
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11/20, 4:10pm
MS refutes talk of NSA-made security hole
Microsoft in a response late Thursday rejected assertions that it has put in a security "backdoor" at the request of the National Security Agency. The denial comes after the NSA's information assurance lead, Richard Schaeffer, told a US Senate terrorism subcommittee that the agency had worked with Microsoft to improve Windows 7's "security guide" and sparked fears that the government had deliberately left a secret window the NSA could use to spy on users.
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11/20, 12:15pm
Company's first production computer
A resident of Roseville, California is auctioning off an original Apple I, according to the Detroit Free Press. The computer was the first put into production by Apple, launching in 1976 in a limited run of 200 units. It was distinctive at the time for being produced and sold by a two-man team -- Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs -- and building in its own terminal circuitry, requiring only a separate keyboard and TV set.
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11/20, 10:00am
Nokia cuts 2 percent of research force
Nokia on Friday said it would cut 330 jobs in its research and development group. The reductions are spread between an office in Oulu, in Nokia's native Finland, as well as in Copenhagen. Nokia isn't specific as to the nature of the layoffs and says only that they're meant to reflect the company's "focused portfolio of future products."
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11/20, 8:30am
Gameloft cutting back Android game work
Gameloft today revealed that it has scaled back development of games for Android phones. The French software house made the move as just a fraction of its sales come from the Google platform: it sells 400 times more iPhone games than Android titles, the company's financial head Alexandre de Rochefort said.
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11/19, 5:35pm
Chip choice helps increase gross margin on iPhone
Apple has allegedly established a system to minimize licensing costs for 3G components patented by Qualcomm, according to Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi. While most 3G OEMs are paying Qualcomm roughly 4 percent on the wholesale price of their phones, Apple reportedly dodges most of the fees and pays an estimated 1.6 percent of its iPhone revenue to the chip maker.
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11/19, 4:45pm
MS shareholder meeting shows share worries
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer today warned at a yearly shareholders' meeting that the company needed to improve the standing of Windows in the future. The executive was emphatic that Microsoft was still in a comfortable position with "96 out of 100" choosing Windows worldwide but acknowledged that Apple had cut into Microsoft's share in the past year. He downplayed the amount, labeling it a "a couple of tenths of a percent" but added that even the claimed amount was significant and worth fighting for.
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11/19, 4:15pm
Should aid in common store tasks
Apple Store workers will soon have more apps for their iPod touch-based EasyPay handhelds, a source claims. The devices are currently meant to run Easy Touch, an app which handles roaming checkouts in tandem with an attached card reader and barcode scanner. Apple is gradually retiring an assortment of Windows CE-based checkout units, which have been criticized as slow and unreliable.
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11/19, 1:00pm
Criticizes dev for responding to legal threat
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has chastised a Mac developer in response to a letter regarding a name change, reports say. The CEO of Little App Factory, John Devor, says he was recently served a notice by Apple lawfirm Baker & McKenzie, asking him to change the name of iPodRip, a program used to transfer content from an iPod or iPhone back to a Mac. Devor decided to plead his case with Jobs directly, writing an elaborate e-mail message.
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11/19, 7:35am
Second Apple tablet would have new screen
Apple may have delayed the launch of its repeatedly rumored tablet line to incorporate newer parts that could include an OLED touchscreen, a purported leak claims today. While an often mentioned 10.6-inch version with an LCD is still deemed on tap, the entire line may have been moved to the second half of 2010 to accommodate a 9.7-inch OLED from LG Display. The company may be delaying the launch to wait for OLED prices to fall, as a panel costs $500 today where Apple could save $200 to $300 just by waiting several months.
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11/18, 6:15pm
Wired ready for Apple tablet next year
Magazine publisher Condé Nast today revealed that it's taking the unusual step of optimizing its publications with Apple's rumored tablet in mind. The agency doesn't claim to MediaMemo that it's privy to Apple's design but expects Wired, and later its 17 other magazines, to be ready in a format that works with the device by mid-2010. It will allow both actual-size and optimized formats and should include both mixed media and hooks for social networking.
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11/18, 3:40pm
Number draws on October NPD figures
Apple is likely to sell between 2.8 and 2.9 million Macs in the December quarter, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. The forecast is based on October sales data from the NPD Group, which indicates that the month's Macs were up 7 percent year-over-year. Should Apple meet expectations, overall growth for the December period should be 14 percent.
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11/18, 12:25pm
Exclusivity deals now hampering growth
The iPhone could soon become the UK's most popular smartphone, claims a Canalys analyst. Presenting at yesterday's Canalys Mobility Forum event in London, Pete Cunningham observed that the iPhone was the most popular smartphone in France during Q3 2009, a result of the end of an exclusive deal between Apple and regional carrier Orange. The French government ruled that the deal violated competition regulations.
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11/18, 11:15am
OS likely to have major interface changes
Apple is in early development of the next major version of Mac OS X, evidence suggests. The information comes by way of the open-source launchd framework, which is used to boot Mac OS X and manage its processes. The framework's codebase was recently updated, and a posted changelog contains the entry "< rdar://problem/7386864> 11A47: SecurityAgent no longer visible via Accessibility."
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11/18, 9:15am
Google's own Android phone custom-made
Google's rumored self-developed Android phone is real but has been pushed back, a scoop claimed on late Tuesday. The handset would be built by a third party, most likely LG or Samsung rather than the previously preferred HTC, but would carry only Google's branding and is said by TechCrunch to be designed almost exclusively according to Google's design. It would launch in early 2010 after a delay but would receive heavy marketing as soon as January.
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11/17, 11:30pm
MS' Ozzie claims mobile apps secondary
Mobile apps aren't an important factor in the success of a smartphone platform, Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie claimed today. Interviewed at the company's Professional Developer Conference, the veteran developer tried to downplay apps as a lure and insisted that "all the apps that count" will be available on every smartphone as the time to write and port code is much shorter than on the desktop. Ozzie instead implied that it was the OS itself and its built-in features that would make the difference.
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11/17, 4:05pm
Price target holds at $235
Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf has issued a slight downgrade to Apple stock, dropping his rating from "Strong Buy" to simply "Buy." Apple's share price has grown less than 15 percent over a recent $200 price target, he notes, meeting "admittedly arbitrary" criteria for a lower valuation. Also bearing blame is said to be the economy, which remains in recession and may be the ultimate arbiter of whether Apple makes any gains during the holiday season.
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11/17, 11:45am
Looking to expand first-party game production?
Apple is looking to hire a new game programmer for its Cupertino headquarters, listings show. The person would specifically hold the title of "game/media software engineer," and work with a small team on various entertainment apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. Requirements include three to four years of game development experience, with knowledge of C, C++, Objective-C and/or iPhone programming. Applicants must also have "at least one AAA title" under their belt, and ideally skills in audio, graphics or network code.
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11/17, 11:45am
Dell Minis to ship in bamboo packaging
Dell today boasted an industry first by becoming the first to ship its computers in bamboo packaging. The Mini 10 and 10v will have boxes made primarily of the more efficient material, which regrows much faster than the trees used for cardboard and is more easily renewable. As it takes as much stress as steel, it even provides more protection and replaces not just cardboard but also the foam normally used to cushion against an impact.
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11/17, 10:45am
Greenwich, Connecticut store also en route
(Updated with Greenwich info) Though only recently rumored, plans have already been confirmed for an Apple Store opening in Nashua, New Hampshire. The new location will launch Saturday, November 21st at 10AM, within the Pheasant Lane Mall at 310 Daniel Webster Highway. The Apple Store is on the first floor near the food court.
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11/17, 7:50am
Reliability study has Apple 4th place
A new study published by SquareTrade revealed that the smaller name brand notebook manufacturers are usually more reliable than their larger rivals. Of the top nine, ASUS has the lowest tracked breakdown rate with fewer than 10 percent of its notebooks failing in the past two years. Toshiba, Sony and Apple also have better-than-average performance and are either just over or under the same figure.
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11/16, 11:30pm
iPhone carrier works to ban 3G maps from TV ads
Verizon has filed a response to AT&T's lawsuit which had sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) to ban the "there's a map for that" ads critical of the latter carrier's 3G coverage. Verizon defends its ad campaign, claiming the coverage maps are accurate and clearly labeled as 3G networks. AT&T argues that the ads mislead customers to believe the comparison includes 2G coverage.
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11/16, 6:45pm
Apps rejected for using private APIs
Apple has allegedly expanded its iPhone app review process to include computerized filtering of submissions, according to Daring Fireball blogger John Gruber. The new "static analysis tools" are designed to catch developers trying to use Apple's private APIs, which the iPhone SDK terms explicitly prohibits.
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11/16, 3:50pm
VZ won't give Droid tally but is happy
Verizon today responded to predictions for Motorola Droid sales with only a brief statement on their actual results (subscription required). A spokeswoman for the carrier declined to say whether or not a rough estimate of 250,000 Droids sold is accurate but did say the company is "very pleased" with sales in just over a week since the Android phone reached stores. Verizon doesn't normally provide sales breakdowns for phones and doesn't intend one for the Droid, she says.
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11/16, 1:40pm
App would tie into Apple Store services
Apple is planning to launch a new iPhone app for visitors to its retail stores, several sources claim. So far dubbed "Concierge," the app is expected to mimic the company's web-based reservations system, which lets users schedule Genius Bar and One to One appointments. Users should also be able to monitor various types of membership subscriptions. No date for the app's release has so far been leaked.
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11/16, 10:20am
Nintendo DS 2, PSP 2 nay get fast CPUs
Talk of Nintendo using Tegra 2 gained support today through new sources of information that also point to a faster Sony PSP. Detailed explanations given to DigitalFoundry say the sequel to the DSi should use the future NVIDIA processor and not only see a "colossal" jump in speed versus the DS line but could be as fast as the Wii while supporting more visual effects.
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11/16, 9:40am
Deepening competition between Apple and Google?
Apple took tentative steps towards buying AdMob ahead of the recent Google acquisition, say sources contacted by Bloomberg. Google agreed to pay $750 million in the deal; the combined company will own between 30 and 40 percent of the mobile advertising market. Apple is said to have approached AdMob a few weeks before the Google bid, entering into private negotiations. Both companies have refused to comment publicly on the matter.
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11/16, 7:35am
Samsung Galaxy Spica runs at 800MHz
Samsung started the week by launching its second Android phone on a world level. The Galaxy Spica, or i5700, sits closer to the mid-range but is one of the fastest Android phones ever with an 800MHz proecssor. Its main sacrifices versus the original Galaxy are the use of a less expensive LCD in place of an OLED and a 3.2-megapixel camera instead of the 5-megapixel example on the higher-end phone.
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11/14, 11:30pm
Apple's fastest iMac given a verdict
The 27-inch iMac is already a milestone for Apple through its inclusion of a truly greater-than-HD display, but the addition of Core i5 and Core i7 processors transforms it into a near powerhouse. This is the first iMac in recent memory to come close enough to Apple's workstations that it could replace one of them. Our review of the Core i5-equipped iMac will find out how close it comes to that goal and whether it's a worthwhile option for any other prospective Mac desktop owner.
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11/14, 6:00pm
Judge says Psystar clearly violated laws
Apple this week won a decisive victory in its lawsuit against clone maker Psystar. Judge William Alsup has ruled in a summary judgment that the Florida-based defendant had violated copyright laws, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) through creating and selling PCs with unauthorized copies of Mac OS X. By modifying the Mac OS X bootloader and kernel extensions to allow non-Apple hardware to run, Psystar has violated Apple's "exclusive right" to determine how and where Mac OS X runs, the judgment reads.
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11/13, 7:00pm
Smartphone sales to jump to 60% by 2014
Pyramid Research has released its Q3 2009 Handset Forecasts, projecting a large shift in the US market for new handset sales. Based on the increase in demand for smartphones, the research group estimates the segment to reach 31 percent of all new handsets sold in the US for 2009. The numbers mark a doubling of the 15 percent growth witnessed two years prior. By the year 2014, Pyramid Research predicts that roughly 60 percent of new handsets will be comprised of smartphones.
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11/13, 6:00pm
Old rumor of Nokia buying Palm resurfaces
Palm stock climbed over 8 percent on Friday after speculation that it would be bought out by Finland-based Nokia. Trading was about 15 times heavier than usual in the morning and remained heavy until the end of the day. The spike mirrored a similar increase from late September.
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11/13, 5:35pm
Moto Droid sales may have accelerated
A new set of extrapolated data from location network developer uLocate suggests that active users of the Droid may have more than doubled in the first week of sales. Third-party estimates indicated that Verizon may have only sold 100,000 launch units, but uLocate says it will have detected about 25,000 new Droids on its network by Saturday. As uLocate's information usually represents about 10 percent of the actual user base of a phone when it's new, the figure would translate to about 250,000 total Droid users.
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11/13, 3:25pm
HTC fall to suffer from iPhone, others
HTC this week warned that it should see a significant drop in its fall sales. The company expects its fall sales to sink 15 percent compared to the same season a year ago. It portrays the results as mixed due to strong US sales of Android phones, such as the Hero, being offset by a lack of presence in Europe.
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11/13, 1:05pm
Best Buy Thanksgiving sale flyer leaked
The flyer for Best Buy's Black Friday/Thanksgiving sale has been leaked on the Internet ahead of its official release thanks to a copy posted today. Among the 'doorbusters' are a $300 PS3 bundle that includes two games, while an Xbox 360 bundle with six games will carry the same sticker price. Another front-page deal involves a 46-inch, 120Hz LED-backlit Samsung HDTV with free home delivery, hook-up and recycling for $1,600, or $1,000 off.
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11/13, 12:45pm
Notes company was on verge of collapse
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, speaking on a Thursday-night CNBC program, is noted to have complimented Steve Jobs on his return to Apple, crediting him for effectively saving the company. Gates was on TV as part of a "Keeping America Great" town hall event, paired with billionaire investor Warren Buffett. One audience member asked Gates' opinion of Jobs, specifically in regards to the latter's contributions as a CEO.
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11/13, 10:35am
RIM's BBerry 9900 and WebKit browser
RIM's rumored BlackBerry 9900 and WebKit-based browser gained corroborating evidence today with a research note from Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu. He points to contacts in the industry and parts suppliers who say the touchscreen slider phone is in development and resembles a cross between the Storm2 and one of RIM's non-touch QWERTY devices. It's currently in the prototype stage and is likely to ship sometime in 2010.
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11/13, 10:25am
No need to download iTunes
Without announcement, Apple this week launched iTunes Preview, a new feature of the iTunes Store. The option solves a problem created through the ability to share URLs pointing to store content. Until recently, anyone who was given a link to music and did not already own iTunes would be directed to a generic webpage, simply asking them to download the client.
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11/13, 8:15am
Dell Mini 3 confirmed for Brazil, China
Dell today formally entered the smartphone race by launching the Mini 3. The full-touchscreen phone depends on a customized version of Android and will have different features based on the region. While most details aren't available, the China Mobile version will be limited to EDGE data but use the government-supported OPhone interface and app store. Other countries should get localized 3G and should also have Wi-Fi as well.
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11/12, 5:50pm
Quad-core iMac near 3X faster than past gen
Electronista has received one of the first Core i5 iMacs and is putting it through its paces. Since many already are already familiar with the 27-inch iMac in Core 2 Duo form, we'll provide impressions specific to the faster model. We also have some of the first benchmarks of the system, which is Apple's first quad-core system ever outside of its Mac Pro workstations.
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11/12, 2:50pm
Only RIM, Nokia top smartphone share
Apple has extended its influence on the smartphone market even further, Gartner says in its data for the summer. The combined iPhone platform leapt from 12.9 percent to 17.1 percent of worldwide share in the summer, or third place, where the next-best competitor, HTC, topped out at 6.5 percent after increasing from 4.5 percent a year earlier. Samsung was near-flat and moved up just slightly to 3.2 percent.
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11/12, 12:25pm
Possible Verizon iPhone candidates?
Qualcomm today updated its MDM family of cellular chipsets with some of the first anywhere to support dual, advanced 3G and 4G formats. The MSM7630 supports GSM, HSPA and HSPA+ standards but will also work on CDMA phone networks and support up to EVDO Revision B for 3G on those services. The addition would let a phone work on a CDMA carrier like Sprint or Verizon but still work with AT&T or T-Mobile and roam at speeds of up to 21Mbps on networks from Rogers, other international carriers, and eventually T-Mobile USA.
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11/12, 11:50am
Publich store opening set for November 14th, 10AM
Apple has revealed that its Upper West Side store -- based in New York City -- will open to the public at 10AM on November 14th. The outlet is Apple's fourth in Manhattan and 280th worldwide; it will employ over 200 workers, and on its basement level feature the company's "largest area ever" devoted to training and tech support, for instance incorporating a 45-foot Genius Bar. Normal operating hours will run from 9AM to 9PM Monday through Saturday, and 9AM to 7PM on Sunday.
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11/12, 10:40am
Furthers campaign against Windows 7
Apple has deployed a new Get a Mac ad, this time directed not at TV audiences but at YouTube viewers. Mac (Justin Long) and PC (John Hodgman) stand at one side of the front page, watching security camera footage at the top showing former PC users entering Apple Stores. The people are switching instead of upgrading to Windows 7, Hodgman complains, because Apple is highest in customer satisfaction, and since they would have to migrate files anyway, they might as well switch to a Mac.
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11/12, 8:55am
Dell Zino HD uses AMD to undercut Apple
Dell this morning officially unveiled its most direct attempt at claiming the ultra-compact desktop space currently held by the Mac mini. Shown after multiple teases, the Inspiron Zino HD occupies roughly the same footprint as its Apple counterpart but uses AMD processors to keep the costs low while still supplying options its rival doesn't have. The micro PC is seen as a home theater PC and comes with native HDMI output as well as options of discrete Radeon HD 4330 graphics and a Blu-ray drive.
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11/12, 8:00am
Apple patent hints tablet not finger-only
Apple's rumored tablet may have the option of a pen for input, a US patent filing published today suggests. The application for a patent on getting ink data from "pen-aware computer systems" shows an example device with slight interface cues from the Newton, such as the bottom icon tray, but with a significantly different design and a different engine. Apple in the description makes clear that the technology would be an improvement on the writing systems implemented in the defunct PDA.
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11/11, 11:15pm
Dev "philisophically opposed" to Apple's policies
Developer Joe Hewitt, the driving force behind Facebook's iPhone app, has quit working with Apple's platform to protest the company's review policies, according to TechCrunch. The well-known developer passed off the project to another software engineer, although he will still work with Facebook on projects for other platforms.
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11/11, 7:25pm
Founder denies tech was taken from osx86project
Psystar co-founders and brothers Rudy Kendall and Robert Kendall have shed light on the beginnings of their company, including a claim they cracked Mac OS X on their own, according to an interview with Miami New Times. After growing up in a family that could not afford the early Macs, Robert set out to learn how to run Apple's operating system on cheaper computers.
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11/11, 5:55pm
Change comes after slew of complaints
Apple has unveiled a new system for disclosing the status of App Store submissions, according to Wired. The company's Dev Center website features a chart showing specific dates and times as the app waits for review, reaches the review process, and finally enters the App Store for general availability.
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11/11, 5:05pm
Also addresses security holes
Apple has released Safari 4.0.4, a minor update to the Mac and Windows web browser. The patch makes relatively few changes, but does boost the performance of JavaScript, as well as Full History Searches in the case of a "large number" of items. Stability fixes have been implemented for the search field and Yahoo! Mail.
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