11/04, 3:00am
Crystal mode makes Windows disappear, 300 percent
The Parallels 5 launch marks the latest salvo in the ongoing battle for those who run Windows on their Macs. The virtualization software has been updated with significant interface and speed improvements aimed at keeping the company's market share lead over the recently updated VMware Fusion. The new software adds substantial interface improvements, allowing users to choose how much, or how little, they want to see of the Windows interface. Parallels 5 is faster, while graphics performance has been substantially increased.
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10/27, 9:35am
Concentrates on graphics, 64-bit core
Formally announced earlier this month, VMware today began shipping Fusion 3, an updated version of its Mac virtualization software. The app runs Windows programs within a Mac environment, reducing or eliminating the need to use Boot Camp. Upgrades in v3 include a new 64-bit core engine, claimed to improve performance for both Snow Leopard and the recently-launched Windows 7.
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10/22, 5:45pm
Software assists DIY Mac clones
Psystar has begun offering its Mac virtualization technology in a software package, Rebel EFI, that allows users to install Snow Leopard on their own PC systems. The utility supports generic Intel hardware based on Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, i7 or Xeon Nehalem CPUs. The Darwin boot loader can also be used to load Linux and Windows XP, Vista or 7.
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10/06, 12:00pm
Should also increasing 3D graphics support
Developer VMware has announced the upcoming release of Fusion 3, the next major iteration of its Mac virtualization software. The program lets users run Windows apps from within Mac OS X, eliminating the need to boot into a separate session. Version 3 is designed around Snow Leopard, and uses a new 64-bit engine, which not only increases multicore performance but better supports Windows 7.
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10/05, 3:45pm
Likely to draw fire from Apple
Mac cloner Psystar has announced a new OEM licensing program, designed to spread the company's virtualization software. Subscribers to the program gain access to the company's Darwin Universal Boot Loader (DUBL), which allows users to install Mac OS X on a PC, instead of just an Apple-branded Mac. Users can in fact have up to six operating systems on a computer, but hardware certified by Psystar must at least have Linux, Windows Vista or Windows 7 pre-installed.
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09/02, 2:35pm
CrossOver Games 8 ships
CodeWeavers has released v8.0.0 of CrossOver Games, its specialized virtualization software. Users can play Windows games inside of Mac OS X, without needing a license for the former. New in the eighth edition is support for Snow Leopard, and tweaks which enable Shader Model 2.0 and 3.0 rendering by default. A memory management problem has been fixed that should eliminate crashes in Team Fortress 2.
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06/17, 4:30pm
MailServer for Parallels
Kerio says it is bringing MailServer to hardware running Parallels' Mac virtualization software. With MailServer Virtual Appliance, Kerio uses a preconfigured version of CentOS 5.3 Linux as the core operating system, packaged specifically for Parallels. The software can run on any Intel-powered Apple system, including the Xserve and Mac Pro, as long as they are also utilizing Mac OS X Leopard Server.
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06/16, 5:55pm
CrossOver update
CodeWeavers has released an update to its Windows virtualization software, CrossOver Mac 8.0. The latest version now supports a number of new programs including Internet Explorer 7 and Quicken 2009. Performance has been improved while running Microsoft Office 2007, particularly with Outlook. The company attributes a significant portion of the expanded compatibility to the growing Wine Project, an initiative that is working to allow Windows-coded programs to work on other operating systems.
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05/15, 9:30am
Mac OS X 10.5.7 issues
Leopard owners upgrading to Mac OS X 10.5.7 have been experiencing critical errors, discussions on Apple's support forums show. At times problems have begun as early as installation, with digital signatures being registered as invalid despite multiple download attempts. Other users have reported subsequent looping errors, which may require powering down a system and rebooting one or more times before control can be regained.
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04/17, 2:55pm
CrossOver 8.0.0 beta 1
Codeweavers has published an initial public beta for CrossOver 8.0.0, an upcoming release of its virtualization software. Users are able to install and run a number of Windows applications from within Mac OS X, eliminating the need to dual-boot a system or confine Windows software to a single window. Selecting a Windows-only file in Finder triggers the appropriate program automatically.
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04/03, 10:20am
VMware Fusion 2.0.3 update
VMware has released a new patch for Fusion, its Mac-based virtualization software. Although only described as a maintenance release, the download solves several major issues, for instance by restoring printer sharing. Mac printers should once again be accessible within Windows virtual machines; the compatibility was temporarily broken as a result of Apple Security Update 2009-001.
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03/05, 12:20pm
VMware Fusion vs Parallels
MacTech has released a benchmark study of virtual machines on the Mac, comparing Parallels Desktop with VMware Fusion 2.0.1. The tests were run on four different systems including the white MacBook, unibody MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro. The white MacBook was equipped with 2GB of RAM with a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo processor, while the unibody Pro contained 4GB of RAM and a 2.53GHz chip. The iMac ran at 2.66GHz with 2GB of RAM, while the Mac Pro utilized 4GB of RAM and an eight-core 2.8GHz CPU. Over 2,500 tests were completed with Windows XP and Vista virtualizations, gauging factors like file and network IQ, footprint, application launch and 3D and HD graphics.
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02/12, 9:30am
CrossOver Games 7.2.0rc1
Codeweavers has released a minor release candidate update for CrossOver Games, one of its virtualization utlities. The software is used to run Windows games on Mac and Linux systems, whose normal virtualization tools may lack the optimization needed to achieve reasonable framerates. Users can install and run Windows games without having to own a copy of Windows.
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02/03, 11:45am
VMware View Open Client
VMware has posted the View Open Client, an open-source version of its virtual desktop tool. The software accesses Windows desktops hosted in a remote datacenter, allowing users to carry personalized settings across multiple machines. Though only Linux clients are supported in the initial release, VMware is actively encouraging businesses to develop clients for other platforms.
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01/10, 3:10am
iPhone runs Windows
Developers at Citrix have been doing some guerilla marketing at Macworld Expo, holding impromptu demonstrations of forthcoming app allowing iPhone users to run Windows. The app is actually an iphone version of the company's XenDesktop thin client software. The virtualization software supports most Windows XP and Vista applications.
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11/14, 3:55pm
Citirix apps iPhone-bound
Citrix will bring its XenDesktop and XenApp applications to the iPhone, the company has announced. XenApp is used to virtualize individual Windows programs such as Excel or SAP, which can then be run remotely in a client-server configuration; XenDesktop expands this concept to cover an entire XP or Vista system. For the iPhone the software will be mainly be tweaked to use multi-touch commands, such as pinching and panning.
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11/13, 5:30pm
Parallel 4.0
Ever since Apple switched to Intel processors, Macs have been able to run the most popular operating systems for the x86 architecture including Linux and Microsoft Windows. Apple offers Boot Camp for free, which lets you create a dual-boot partition, but forces you to choose between Mac OS X or Windows each time you turn on your computer. For a solution that lets you switch between Mac OS X and any other operating system without rebooting, you need a virtualization program such as Parallels 4.0.
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11/11, 12:25pm
Parallels Desktop 4.0 out
Parallels has officially released Parallels Desktop 4.0, the latest edition of its virtualization software for the Mac. The program lets users run operating systems such as Windows and Linux within Mac OS X, eliminating the need to dual-boot. The fourth edition is said to improve integration with operating systems, in particular Windows, as it now supports graphics technologies such as DirectX 9, Pixel Shader 2.0 and OpenGL 2.0; these are de facto in many modern Windows games.
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10/28, 9:50am
One-day CrossOver giveaway
As a result of a promise if gas prices fell to $2.79 in the Twin Cities, developer CodeWeavers says it is giving away free licenses of CrossOver, its Windows virtualization software for the Mac. The software places Windows apps into virtual containers called "bottles," which lets users run the apps without having to load Windows separately or as a complete virtual machine. Under the terms of the giveaway, people visiting the CodeWeavers site between 12AM on October 28th and 12AM on October 29th can pick up a special serial code entitling them to one free copy of CrossOver.
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09/18, 1:55pm
VMware ships Fusion 2.0
VMware has officially released Fusion 2.0, the latest version of its Mac virtualization software. The software adds a host of new features, such as multiple and/or automatic "snapshots" of virtual machines, which let users regress to earlier states as needed. Others include automatic detection and use of multiple displays, and the ability to open Mac files and URLs in a virtual machine, or vice versa.
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09/18, 10:05am
First Look: Fusion 2.0
No matter how much you may love your Mac, there may be at least a handful of Windows programs that don’t have an equivalent Mac OS X version. Rather than buy a separate machine, of course, you can always use Boot Camp to turn your Mac into a PC. However, a more practical solution may be to run Windows inside a virtual machine using Fusion 2.0.
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09/08, 12:10pm
DiscCloud for Leopard
DiscCloud has announced the release of its namesake Virtual Appliance app, a virtualization platform for Mac clients. The software runs through VMware, and allows PCs to function as desktop servers for Leopard clients. The client speciifically runs as a virtual machine on VMware Server and ESX-class products, allowing it to support numerous PC variants.
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09/04, 4:35pm
Brin on Chrome for Mac
The Mac version of Google's Chrome web browser should arrive in "a matter of months," says Google co-founder Sergey Brin. The executive, interviewed by Wall Street Journal writer Kara Swisher, claims it is "embarassing" that a Mac version is not already out, since both he and Swisher use Macs. To cope with the situation, Brin says he is relying on virtualization software from VMware. At present Chrome runs only on Windows.
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08/26, 4:30pm
Apple enterprise share
Apple has managed to almost quadruple its share of the corporate OS market within a short space of time, says Ben Gray of Forrester Research. The analyst notes that while in January 2007, just 1.2 percent of operating systems recorded in an online client survey were Mac OS X, current figures suggest an adoption rate of 4.5 percent. The figure is more remarkable, says Gray, because Apple does not generally market to the enterprise world and offers little software for it.
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08/05, 11:30am
Apple gains corp. traction
Apple is beginning to pave significant paths into the corporate world, says the research firm Yankee Group. Following a recent web survey of 750 global IT administrators and C-level executives, the firm says it has discovered that approximately four out of every five businesses have Macs running on their network. In general, says Yankee analyst Laura DiDio, adoption of Apple computers is said to be growing at a "steady and sustained pace not seen since the late 1980s."
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07/30, 9:20pm
VMware Fusion 2.0b2 posted
VMWare on Wednesday released VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 2, a new free public beta of its software for running Windows (and other operating systems) within Mac OS X. The update brings better utilities and performance, support for multiple screenshots, better gaming, full 1080p HD video acceleration at near-native speeds (with less CPU utilization), and support for Mac OS X Leopard Server. Adding more Windows-integration features, users can now share applications between Windows and Mac, launch Mac files with Windows applications (as well as Windows files with Mac applications) and also set web, email, and other links for to default to either Windows or Mac. In addition, VMware's new Mirrored Folders map the contents of the Desktop, Documents, Music, and Pictures folders to the Windows Desktop, My Documents, My Music, and My Pictures folders users can now use the Mac keyboard to send custom keystroke combinations to the virtual machine. The free beta is available online along with a key.
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06/26, 8:05pm
Macs in US business
Apple's exposure in the corporate world is exploding according to a recent survey by Yankee Group Research, finding that Macs reside in one form or another at almost 80-percent of US companies. According to Computerworld, the figure has almost doubled in two years, with 47-percent of corporate IT departments claiming the use of Macs in early 2006. The increase comes mainly from Apple's well-documented reliability, as well as the virtualization capabilities that the Intel migration has opened.
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06/19, 4:30pm
First Look: CrossOver Mac
No matter how much you may love your Mac, there may still be programs that you may need to run on Windows. The simplest solution is to buy a copy of Windows to use on Boot Camp, Parallels, or VMware’s Fusion. Unfortunately, Boot Camp only lets you run either Windows or Mac OS X, but not both at the same time. Parallels and Fusion let you run Windows at the same time as Mac OS X, but all three solutions still force you to buy a separate copy of Windows. To avoid the cost and hassle of buying and using Windows, just get CrossOver Mac 7.0.
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06/17, 9:40pm
Parallels Server for Mac
Parellels on Tuesday formally announced the availability of Parallels Server for Mac, software that the company claims to be the first server-level virtualization tool for Intel-based Macs. Parallels Server offers the company's hypervisor-based virtualization techniques for Macs running Mac OS X Leopard Server, and can serve a multitude of Leopard Server-, Windows- and Linux-based virtual machines. Parallels Server is currently available from the company's website for $1000.
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06/12, 3:35pm
Fusion & Leopard Server
VMware has announced that the next beta version of Fusion 2.0, its Mac virtualization software, will officially introduce support for virtualizing Mac OS X Leopard Server. The company has been working on the project since January, following modifications to Apple licensing which allowed Leopard Server to be run in a virtual machine on a Mac. For end users, this should mainly permit running multiple servers for different networking tasks.
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06/12, 2:05pm
Parallels Desktop 5608
Parallels Desktop Mac Build 5608, the latest build of the virtualization environment for Mac OS X, has been released. This build adds support for guest Parallels Tools for Linux in the latest Linux distributions (including Ubuntu 8). It also includes added support for running 3D graphics in your Windows VM on Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.3. If you're already using Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac, this new build is free download it via the Check for Updates option in the Parallels Desktop Help menu.
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05/09, 8:15pm
Fusion 2 Beta
Since switching over to Intel processors, the Mac is now capable of running practically any operating system. The simplest option is to use Boot Camp to create a dual-boot system that can run Mac OS X or Windows XP/Vista. A more flexible solution is to run Mac OS X and one or more additional operating systems at the same time. To run another operating system within Mac OS X, you’ll need a special virtualization program like Fusion. Although the program has been available for over a year, the company has recently released a version 2 beta to give you a glimpse of its upcoming features.
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05/09, 10:05am
Parallels Desktop update
Parallels has released a new update to Desktop, its side-by-side OS virtualization app. The software is now at build 5600, and adds "full support" for the latest editions of Microsoft Windows; Vista is now handled up to Service Pack 1, while XP compatibility extends to Service Pack 3. Parallels has also improved compatibility with the MacBook Air.
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05/06, 1:00am
VMware Fusion 2.0 beta 1
VMware today unveiled VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1, a free beta preview of the next major update to its OS virtualization software, which introduces many new features, including true multi-display support for virtual machines. In addition to using multiple displays, the beta also introduces experimental support for DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2, allowing users to run complex 3D software in a virtualized environment. When it ships, VMware Fusion 2.0 will be a free upgrade for all existing v1.x users, while new users can purchase Fusion for $80.
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05/01, 3:45pm
Parallels Server Beta 4
Parallels has released the fourth beta of its Server for Mac software. The program provides hypervisor-based server virtualization, which helps save costs by supporting multiple platforms through the same hardware. Beta 4 is notable for reintroducing Leopard Server virtualization, which had been temporarily removed. The upgraded beta means that Leopard Server can once again be run under a virtual machine on XServe systems, or any other compatible Apple hardware.
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04/22, 12:05am
Macs work well in IT
Apple's growing marketshare among end-users is helping push the Mac's acceptance in corporate America. InfoWorld notes the Macs are spilling out of its traditional areas of marketing departments and media companies and into wider array of business environments, thanks to, what it calls, "the confluence of a number of computing trends, not the least among them a rising tide of end-user affinity for the Apple experience." The trends, the column says, are "making it easier for tech departments to say yes to the Mac by facilitating IT's ability to provide enterprise-grade Mac management and support." In particular, the article cites growing browser competition, a move toward universal Web-based computing, virtualization, more standard connectivity, advanced enterprise management software, and more, but concludes that Macs are "close, not equal."
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03/25, 4:15pm
CrossOver Games
CodeWeavers today unveiled CrossOver Games, a new optimized version to its Windows virtualization software designed to function exclusively with games. The software is already compatible with a number of different Windows game titles, such as World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Team Fortress 2, Counterstrike, and Civilization 4, among others. CrossOver Games is available for both Mac and Linux platforms for $40, which includes one year of support and updates.
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03/05, 2:05pm
Parallels Server beta 2
Parallels today announced it is offering Parallels Server beta 2 for public download, after positive feedback based on private testing. Parallels Server takes advantage of hypervisor-based virtualization techniques, and supports over 50 different x86 and x64 operating systems, including Windows Server 2008. The beta also features Parallels' toolsets for enhancing, transferring, and backing up the resident virtual machines. Parallels Server beta 2 is available from download from Parallels' website.
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01/29, 1:20am
Fusion 1.1.1 fixes
VMware today unveiled Fusion 1.1.1, an update to its virtualization client, adding in numerous features and bug fixes. Fusion now remaps hotkeys between the Mac and the virtual machine, equating Command-C with Control-C in the VM, for example. This remapping works for the following keys: Z, C, V, X, P, A, and F. On European keyboards, the Enter key now properly gives the AltGr command, and will not be influenced by NumLock. Fusion 1.1.1 is available for download from VMware's website.
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01/23, 3:15pm
Logica family of icons
In brief: Parallels partners with Equinix for virtualization VPN, a new Logica family of icons has been released, Ken Scott grooves have debuted, the ToneCore DSP Developer Kit ships, and new Webinars describe how to build a FileMaker Website for the iPhone and a shopping cart ... equinux and Parallels have partnered to allow business professionals with Parallels Desktop for Mac to securely connect to their remote networks using VPN Tracker 5, equinux's market-leading IPsec based VPN client for Mac OS X. Users can now take full advantages of using their Parallels Desktop virtual machine and the high security standards that come with using VPN Tracker 5. "It's no longer an issue for business users to go from Windows to Mac OS X," says equinux CEO, Till Schadde. "Basically, every Windows application that can be used with Parallels Desktop for Mac can access a highly encrypted VPN Tunnel under Mac OS X provided by VPN Tracker 5."
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01/21, 3:05pm
Parallels Server for Mac
SWsoft gave Macworld Expo patrons a demonstration of its upcoming Parallels Server for Mac – a product that earned it the expo's Best of Show award. Due to ship in the coming weeks, Parallels Server allows users to run any number of different virtual machines on the Mac, including Apple's own Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Server. The new software will be also be able to run on a server cluster, according to Benjamin Rudolph, director of corporate communications for SWsoft.
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01/15, 5:00pm
Leopard Server & VMware
VMware has announced that as a part of its presentation at the Macworld Expo, it is demonstrating a completely unmodified version of Mac OS X Leopard Server running within a virtual machine. This is due to a change in Apple licensing policy, which recently allowed Mac OS X Server to be installed multiple times on the same computer so long as each copy has its own valid license. VMware further notes that all of the device drivers being used are stock, including those for USB peripherals, hard drive controllers, and a Gigabit Ethernet adapter.
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01/11, 7:50pm
VMware Importer Beta 2,VPC
VMware today unveiled VMware Importer Beta 2, its tool for converting virtual machine disk images to work with Fusion, which now supports Virtual PC disk images. Users with Virtual PC 7 on their PowerPC-based Macs can now transition to Fusion on a new Intel-based Mac; the importer supports installs of Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, XP Service Pack 2, and Server 2003 in VPC 7 disk images. VMware is offering the update on its website, available for users of its Fusion virtualization product.
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01/09, 3:30pm
Parallels Server beta
SWsoft today released the beta version of Parallels Server, the company's hypervisor-powered server virtualization software. Parallels Server is the first virtualization solution designed to run on Apple hardware -- including Mac Pros and Xserves -- and is the first to run multiple copies of Mac OS X Server 10.5 Leopard on a single Apple computer, according to the company. Parallels Server is available in private beta testing, and the company is accepting registrations for new beta testers.
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12/18, 11:45am
Vine 3.0 released
Redstone has released v3.0 of two interrelated programs, Vine Viewer and Vine Server. Viewer is a client-side application that allows users to access and control computers anywhere in the world, so long as they are connected to a matching Virtual Network Computing (VNC) server such as the Vine equivalent; this gives people the ability to administrate or troubleshoot systems regardless of their operating system.
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12/04, 9:05am
Parallels Desktop Premium
Parallels has released a new Premium Edition of Parallels Desktop 3.0, its popular virtualization software. Introduced with the program is the latest Leopard-compatible build of Desktop, which is now also a free, automatic update for owners of the regular package. The Premium Edition bundles three applications for users' Windows virtual machines: Acronis Disk Director Suite lets users move, merge and recover partitions, while Acronis True Image Home lets users backup all Windows data, including the OS and settings.
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