11/04, 1:15pm
Microsoft finishes last despite Windows 7
Apple stock is said to have led the pack in Piqqem's October sentiment ratings, again excelling over Microsoft, which came in last amongst a group of six major technology companies. Apple achieved a score of 3.11, considered high in a scale of 0 to 4. Google was second with 2.88, while Intel ranked third at 2.70. Below the top three were Cisco (2.69), Amazon (2.53) and HP (2.53), followed by Microsoft at 2.27.
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11/03, 12:20pm
Consumer Reports marks electronics shops
Apple leads in brick-and-mortar retail stores but is no match for more universally oriented stores online, Consumer Reports says in its December issue (subscription needed for results). Of all major physical retailers, Apple scores the highest in a reader study. Although tied with Costco for an official 90-point score, it ranks highest through its perceived product quality, customer help and the ease of the buying process.
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11/02, 6:55pm
iPhone to be formidable opponent to the Kindle?
While the iPhone platform has proven attractive to game developers, e-books have begun to dominate the latest apps, according to data collected by Flurry. From August 2008 to August 2009, most of the new apps were released into the Games category. Starting in September, however, the Books category took the lead for the first time in the App Store's history.
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10/30, 5:30pm
Fresh complaints follow iTunes DRM uproar
Norway's Consumer Council, Forbrukerrådet, has spoken out against Amazon's terms-of-service regarding e-books purchased on the Kindle, as detailed in a post on the Council's website. The group's director, Hans Marius Graasvold, claims several points in the e-book agreement violate Norwegian consumer-rights laws.
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10/28, 11:15pm
Google Music Search uses iLike, Lala
Google at a Los Angeles event tonight unveiled its widely expected advanced music search feature. The addition (a video of which is available below) automatically parses regular searches for music from all four major labels and automatically filters it by artist, album or track; users can then either sample or buy the tracks through Lala or MySpace's iLike. Those who use recommendation-based Internet streaming service like iMeem, Pandora or Rhapsody can also find related music.
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10/28, 10:35am
Moto Droid carries Android 2, ships soon
Motorola today officially took the wraps from the Droid, its flagship Android phone and Verizon's primary challenger to the iPhone. The touchscreen slider is the first Android phone anywhere to use Android 2.0 and carries its new web browser, Exchange mail and other boosts. Notably, it also introduces a beta version of Google Maps Navigation, Google's first turn-by-turn app: the service uses voice commands to provide constant, spoken driving directions.
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10/27, 8:55am
Roku HD-XR adds 802.11n
Roku this morning swelled its media hub ranks with two models aimed at the high and low ends. The previously leaked Roku HD-XR adds to the original network video streamer with 802.11n Wi-Fi on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, giving it much more bandwidth for streaming HD sources as well as a frequency pick less prone to interference from cordless home phones. It continues to also support Ethernet for wired networks and uses HDMI and component for HD video playback from Amazon VOD or Netflix; RCA and S-Video output provide analog video, and a USB port allows room for unnamed future expansion.
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10/27, 8:35am
MSI reader due first half 2010
MSI is developing an e-book reader that would use NVIDIA's Tegra processor at its core, the company's chairman Joseph Hsu says today. Confirming an earlier rumor, the executive admits that a device with the fast graphics and ARM chip combo is in progress but has "some problems" that have pushed a formal unveiling back until sometime in the first half of 2010. Other details will likely only be supplied closer to the actual release.
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10/23, 12:40pm
App synchronizes with standalone devices
Following Amazon's announcement of Kindle software for Windows users, the company has acknowledged that it is also working on a Mac version, according to Fast Company. Although the spokesperson did not provide specific details regarding the Mac app, the PC edition allows users to purchase, download, and read content from the Kindle store.
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10/22, 9:25pm
Retailers allegedly selling books at a loss
The American Booksellers Association, a group that represents many independent bookstores, has submitted a letter to the US Department of Justice asking for an investigation into the pricing practices of Amazon.com, Walmart and Target. The organization is accusing the retailers of illegal predatory pricing.
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10/22, 3:00pm
Disney Keychest may have Apple's help
Disney is developing an approach to digital media that would eliminate the need for device-specific rights, the company said late yesterday (subscription required). Unofficially known as Keychest, it would copy protect content but give lifetime permission to access that content a given number of devices. It would behave as a more universal form of the rights management of Amazon Video On Demand and let users save space by streaming content, though downloads wouldn't be an option.
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10/22, 9:10am
Amazon axes US Kindle, drops International price
Amazon today dropped the price of the international version of its Kindle reader to match the US-only version's $259 price tag while merging sales of the two. The lower-priced model is already being offered on Amazon and is a move believed prompted by the recently introduced Nook reader from Barnes & Noble, which also costs $259.
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10/21, 11:05pm
Social networking site expands tools for musicians
MySpace has expanded its music-oriented services to include a new Artist Dashboard utility and Music Video portal, while users can now download tracks directly from iTunes, Amazon or Jamster. The new Music Video hub provides recommendations, browsing tools, and a new video player with "Buy" buttons for ads.
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10/21, 12:05pm
Win 7 Amazon sales beat Harry Potter
Advance sales of Windows 7 at Amazon UK set an all-time record, the online retailer said this morning. Pre-orders for the Microsoft OS, which began in July, have been higher than for even the final Harry Potter book and in sheer numbers has only been outweighed by the release of Dan Brown's Lost Symbol. Windows 7 has also significantly outsold Windows Vista and took only eight hours to exceed what its predecessor sold during its entire pre-order run.
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10/21, 9:15am
Google Audio due very soon
A rumor today hints that Google may be on the verge of launching its own music service. More than one source claims to TechCrunch that a service dubbed Google Audio is "imminent" and that it has involved securing rights from music labels over the course of the past few weeks. At least a US release is supposedly confirmed.
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10/20, 4:05pm
EU deal for Euro-wide music licensing
The European Commission today reached a roundtable agreement with several music stores and labels to ensure more widely distributed music for the continent. Apple, Amazon, BEUC, EMI, Nokia, PRS for Music, SACEM, STIM, and Universal now say they will work with the Commission to desegregate music licensing in European Union countries and have labels produce licenses that work across multiple if not all member states. They will also more freely exchange information so that companies can get rights outside of a musician's home country.
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10/20, 2:50pm
Nook uses AT&T 3G, matches Kindle price
Barnes and Noble lived up to promises today and launched the Nook, its own e-book reader. The device is unique in having both a six-inch E-Ink display and a 3.5-inch color touchscreen LCD that serves to navigate and browse books. Also unlike most other readers in its class, it has both 802.11g Wi-Fi as well as AT&T-driven 3G to download books from Barnes and Noble's online bookstore.
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10/19, 8:15pm
Barnes reader named Nook
Barnes and Noble's rumored dual-screen e-book reader gained credibility Monday night with the leak of a paper ad in advance (subscription required). A full-page placement due for the New York Times' Book Review next Sunday labels the reader as the Nook and says it will ship for $259, reaching the same price as the US Kindle. It also makes a direct reference to the previously leaked e-book lending feature, which would let users temporarily give rights to a book to someone else.
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10/15, 9:55am
Google e-book store due next year
Google today set out official plans to launch its own paid e-book store. Known as Google Editions, the service will be one of the few truly universal stores and will work with any device that has a reasonably modern web browser, including most computers, smartphones and even normally locked-down devices like the Amazon Kindle. Unlike some web book services, Google's store will let users cache a book locally for reading when they're offline.
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10/15, 9:25am
Amazon brings VoD service to Samsung HDTVs
Samsung and Amazon recently announced that Amazon's Video on Demand online video delivery service will soon be offered directly through certain Samsung HDTVs. The Internet-connected TVs will require a free widget download to access the service. This will allow users to access more than 50,000 titles, including over 2,000 HD movies, without needing a separate box.
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10/13, 4:15pm
GlideTV marries AV, computer controls
Catering explicitly to home theater computers, GlideTV today produced an unusual controller known as the Navigator. The bowl-shaped peripheral has a trackpad for mouse pointing but is surrounded by AV controls and a directional pad that ease navigating through common apps. It can steer through Front Row and iTunes on Macs, Windows Media Center, and platform-independent apps like Boxee or SageTV.
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10/13, 3:50pm
Barnes' first e-book reader likely to show
Barnes and Noble this afternoon sent invitations to the press for its frequently rumored October 20th press event. The bookseller is short on details but exactly mirrors leaks in describing it as a "major event in our company's history." Most expect the event to involve Barnes & Noble launching a self-branded e-book reader that would be designed by Plastic Logic.
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10/13, 3:15pm
Plastic Logic says bookstore rep wrong
Plastic Logic today denied reports that it would have a color e-book reader ready by spring. The company tells PCPro that the Barnes & Noble contact was "misinformed" and further insists he wasn't speaking in an official capacity for the American book retailer. A color reader is still in development but isn't due to ship this year, a spokesperson says.
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10/09, 10:35pm
Barnes & Noble reader may ship Oct. 20
Barnes & Noble's first e-book reader should launch soon and could introduce a watershed feature for any reader, a contacts claim this evening. The bookstore supposedly has a "major event" scheduled for October 20th where it's likely to introduce the e-book reader it promised for the end of the year. The device is likely to be a grayscale reader but to use AT&T 3G for downloading books online.
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10/09, 3:35pm
Android-powered Archos 5 now shipping in the US
The Android-powered Archos 5 portable multimedia player is now being offered online through Amazon (links below). The device is equipped with a 5-inch screen that sports an 800x480 pixel resolution. Thanks to its ARM Cortex-A8 processor, the Archos 5 is capable of decoding 720p HD video smoothly and has an optional HDMI dock lets users output the video at its full resolution.
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10/09, 8:00am
Barnes & Noble may be 1st with color e-books
Barnes & Noble spokesman Daniel Joresson at CTIA appears to have confirmed a timeframe in a video (available below) for what's likely the first color e-book reader available in the US. The Plastic Logic device would be smaller than the 8.5x11-inch large model proposed early on and would have just a paperback-sized display. However, it would have its own direct access to Barnes & Noble's bookstore and would be ready by spring 2010, or considerably earlier than an Amazon Kindle with color or most other rivals.
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10/08, 6:15pm
Kindle DX to have HSPA model like Kindle 2
Amazon today confirmed that it should have an international version of the Kindle DX. Company spokesman Drew Herdener explained that the larger e-book reader would follow the strategy of the Kindle 2 international model and switch to HSPA so that it too could be used to download books outside of the US. Little else was mentioned to TechFlash other than that the new hardware would come "sometime next year."
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10/08, 5:35pm
Barnes & Noble reader would have virtual keys
(Updated with Android rumor) Barnes & Noble is developing its own high-end e-book reader to help boost its online store, a source close to its plans purportedly revealed this afternoon. Most features are unknown, but it would have a touchscreen and use an iPhone-like on-screen keyboard for searches and similar tasks. A wireless link is also seen by the Wall Street Journal as a key ingredient, though whether this would involve 3G or simply Wi-Fi isn't immediately evident.
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10/07, 1:35am
US users to see other service charges when roaming
Amazon on Tuesday evening dropped the price of its Kindle 2 reading device by $40, bringing it down to $259, while offering a new Kindle with global wireless access for a $20 premium. Amazon says the combo US/International version uses GSM technology for coverage in over 100 countries, but that US customers traveling abroad will be charged an additional $1.99 fee for wirelessly downloading books or single issues of periodicals from "your Archived Items or the Kindle store while roaming internationally." A $4.99 fee applies for newspaper, magazine, and blog subscription content, while the company will charge $0.99 per megabyte (MB) for transferred personal documents.
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10/06, 10:50am
Case involves embedded web apps
Research and development company Eolas Technologies has filed a lawsuit against over a dozen companies, including major technology businesses such as Apple, Adobe, Amazon, Google, eBay and Sun. Eolas accuses the companies of violating two US patents, 5,838,906 and 7,599,985; the broadest of these is the first, which allegedly covers all "fully-interactive" embedded web applications. The second is an extension, specifically covering embedded apps using plug-in and AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) code.
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10/05, 9:35am
Samsung Behold II coming to T-Mobile
T-Mobile started off the week with word of its first Samsung phone with Android. The Behold II has graduated from a feature phone to a full smartphone and carries the full Google suite of apps as well as Android Market for third-party apps. Unlike the Galaxy it's based on, though, the Behold II is Samsung's first phone to bring its TouchWiz interface and not only has the widget sidebar but a 3D cube menu that provides shortcuts to common tasks like media, the web and the Amazon MP3 online store. Microsoft Exchange sync also adds to what Google would bring itself.
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10/02, 7:00am
AUO to cut e-reader prices in half
AU Optronics (AUO) said on Friday that it hopes to slash the price of e-book readers in half within two years. The Taiwan area company explained to FT that it hopes to use its experience in making LCDs, as well as the sheer scale of its production, to make the e-paper displays affordable enough that they can lead to much less expensive hardware. A $150 reader could be available in 2010, while a $100 reader will ideally ship in 2011.
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10/01, 5:20pm
Amazon shows new rules of deleting e-books
After its recent e-book deletion fiasco and subsequent apology, Amazon has revised its rules regarding remotely deleting e-book content on a user's Kindle reader. The new legal rules give Amazon four reasons that would validate and justify its removal of content. They include a user's consent, a user's request of a refund or failure to pay and a judicial or regulatory order that requires deletion or modification. Lastly, deletion is justified if the operation of the Kindle or the distribution network is threatened by the code, such as harmful code that can include viruses.
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09/30, 9:05am
Apple rumored putting text on iTunes
A second and potentially more significant rumor today claims that Apple has been courting publications with the aim of putting text on iTunes for the sake of its upcoming tablet. The iPhone creator has reportedly talked to the New York Times, an unnamed magazine publisher (possibly Conde Nast or similar) and textbook publishers McGraw Hill and Oberlin Press to bring their content formatted for the iTunes Store.
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09/25, 4:50pm
Palm Pre down to $100 at Amazon
The Palm Pre smartphone is now being offered for $100, its lowest price thus far. The device launched at $199 on a two-year contract from wireless provider Sprint, with Amazon now selling the handset on its site for the record-low price. As always, to qualify for the $100 price, a new two-year contract from Sprint is required.
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09/24, 9:45pm
Proceedings delayed indefinitely
The proposed settlement between Google and various publishing groups has been delayed while both sides attempt to renegotiate new terms, according to the New York Times. The settlement hearing was originally scheduled for October 7th, but US District Court Judge Denny Chin delayed the proceedings indefinitely.
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09/24, 3:40pm
Bookeen keeps prices low of Cybook Opus e-reader
Bookeen has delivered its promised e-book reader, the 5-inch Cybook Opus. It is meant as a simpler and more affordable alternative to the likes of the latest Amazon Kindle and Sony Readers. It lacks a touchscreen and at just a third of a pound is much lighter than either. Internal storage capacity is 1GB, which can hold as much as 1,000 books. A microSD memory card slot lets users expand the memory capacity.
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09/23, 11:05pm
Korean device takes similar form to Amazon Kindle
iRiver has set a local price for its e-book reader, the Story, which is now available to pre-order for Korean buyers. The device carries a price of 358,000 KRW (~290 USD) directly from the company. The package includes a 2GB SD card, folding case, and two free book downloads.
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09/22, 8:50am
Netflix CEO talks iPhone, other systems
Netflix should not only branch out to other game consoles but also mobile devices like the iPhone as well, CEO Reed Hastings said later on Monday. Although Microsoft claims an Xbox 360 exclusive for game systems, Hastings expects the streaming version of his video service to eventually arrive on "all" consoles as well as Blu-ray players and TVs. He doesn't have a timetable for when the exclusivity would end.
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09/21, 2:05pm
Amazon outs own product brand, AmazonBasics
Amazon on Sunday announced the launch of its own brand of products, called AmazonBasics, which thus far includes AV cables and blank DVD media, but will expand soon with more basic consumer electronics with budget pricing. There is no word on what upcoming accessories AmazonBasics will offer, but the company is listening to customer feedback to help it make its decisions.
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09/16, 3:55pm
E-book sales outpace hardcover after release
Dan Brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol, has sold more copies from Amazon as an e-book than a hardcover, according to Kindle Nation Daily. The trend may not continue for much longer, as the Kindle edition was released this morning and the ranking is updated hourly. The hardcover version, however, has been available to pre-order for several weeks.
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09/16, 11:25am
Win Mobile Marketplace can remote delete
The upcoming Windows Marketplace for Mobile will let Microsoft remotely delete apps from Windows Mobile phones without the user's consent, the company said in a presentation as part of its Tech·Ed New Zealand conference. In the event an app is approved but later pulled, Microsoft will automatically wipe the app from every phone that had previously downloaded the app. It's not clear if Microsoft will also automatically refund paid downloads.
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09/11, 9:35am
Time changes mind, to release e-book reader
Time Inc. is planning on releasing an e-book reader in order to compete with Amazon's Kindle and other similar devices, according to a leaked internal document from the publisher. A recent NBC report says the magazine publisher will show the device before the end of the year. Time has previously gone on record to say it will not bring out its own e-reader, but has apparently since changed its mind.
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09/09, 7:35pm
Jobs on Kindle, iPod nano camera, health
Apple chief Steve Jobs today took shots at Amazon while also explaining some of the decisions behind the new new iPods and his own health. The co-founder is famous for having attacked Amazon's Kindle in the past but has now said that the e-book reader's main flaw its specialized role: its cost is too high for a single function, Jobs said. He moreover suggested to the Times that Amazon's refusal to provide definite numbers for Kindle sales was a sign it hasn't succeeded in the market.
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09/09, 5:50pm
XBR10 adds new Wireless HD, more
Sony used its turn at CEDIA to launch a raft of new home theater equipment headlined by the BRAVIA XBR10. An Americanized version of the Japanese ZX5, they have a new 60GHz Wireless HD media box that lets the TV sit completely separately from most video inputs while still playing them at full quality. It can play a 1080p picture at a full 60 frames per second without dropping frames or otherwise showing differences between this and a wired signal.
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09/08, 10:15am
Netgear Digital Entertainer Live
Netgear is adding to its line of set-top boxes with a low-end device that supports 720p HD but lacks a hard drive and built-in wireless. The Digital Entertainer Live relies mostly on its Ethernet-based online access and has built-in support for YouTube, pay-per-view movies from CinemaNow and live internet TV through VuNow. Resembling one of Netgear's internet routers, the small device has both the 100Mbps network link as well as two USB ports for external storage, one HDMI output for digital and one RCA for analog sources. An optional USB adapter brings 802.11n Wi-Fi for those that want it later.
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09/07, 1:40pm
Google pulls Euro books from online deal
Google today agreed to a truce with the European union in its deal to create an online book rights registry. The search engine firm's settlement will prevent Google from offering as public domain any European book that's still listed as commercially available in Europe. Any of those books will still be available in the US, but only if those with rights to the book agree to make it available.
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09/07, 12:50pm
ASUS reader to get two screens, color
ASUS' promised e-book reader debut should not only involve more than one model but could represent a number of rarities or even firsts for the technology. While the mentioned Eee-branded reader would be basic and trade on its price -- an estimate has it costing as little as $164 -- ASUS chief Jerry Shen told the Times a second upscale model would have two color touchscreens and fold like a real book to give users two pages of content at once. It may also have basics like speakers and a webcam to provide simple audio and video conversations online.
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09/04, 4:45pm
Amazon offers $30 or re-delivery of novel
Amazon has made reparations for deleting classic classic Orwell novels Animal Farm and 1984 from users' Kindle readers by sending them a letter of apology and checks for $30 or an Amazon gift certificate in the same amount. Users also have the option of having 1984 re-delivered, complete with any annotations they have made to the text. There is no indication if the other pulled titles also fall under the same deal, but it is likely.
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09/02, 5:25pm
Microsoft on Xbox Elite ads
Microsoft today provided an unusual response to apparent leaks of a $400, 250GB Xbox 360 Elite gaming console on multiple retailers. When queried about the system by CNET, a Microsoft representative neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the system, saying only that the company has made "no such announcement." Such a response doesn't necessarily confirm the console but is uncharacteristic for a company that has flatly denied Blu-ray drive rumors in the past.
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