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    Lenovo claims world’s lightest 14-inch laptop with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon

    Gadgets Team
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    Lenovo claims world’s lightest 14-inch laptop with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon

    Lenovo recently unveiled the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which the company claims is the world’s lightest 14-inch laptop. This isn’t the same as the ThinkPad X1 that they launched last year. At approximately 2.87 lbs in weight, the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon barely beats out the Apple MacBook Air that weighs 2.96 lbs, and the ThinkPad even has a bigger screen. The MacBook Air models might be slightly thinner, though, at 0.68 inches compared to the ThinkPad X1’s supposed 0.71 inches. Still, that’s pretty close and the new Lenovo laptop is definitely the thinnest ThinkPad ever. So if you’re looking for something like a MacBook Air but want to run Windows—the ThinkPad X1 might be what you’re looking for.

    According the Lu Yan, the senior vice president of the company, the ThinkPad X1 is made from premium carbon fiber material that makes it incredibly thin and light but durable at the same time. Inside its shell is one of Intel’s Ivy Bridge chipsets so it’s certain to deliver the performance you might need. Other features include 3G connectivity, a 720p HD camera, a 1600 x 900 screen resolution, and a Rapid Charge option to boost the battery to 80% in just half an hour.

    LG to release a new user interface called Optimus UI 3.0

    Gadgets Team
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    LG to release a new user interface called Optimus UI 3.0

    LG Electronics is introducing a new user interface called Optimus UI 3.0 for its newest Android Ice Cream Sandwich devices. The company aims to make it faster, simpler, and more convenient through a set of enhanced features such as Quick Memo and unique unlock functions, among others.

    Quick Memo enables users to share their thoughts through social networks, text messages and e-mails more conveniently than ever before. Users will now also be able to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen. They can also preset the most frequently used function, such as the camera, so that it will automatically open once the phone is unlocked. The Voice Shutter feature allows them to capture photos using voice commands, while a special camera feature lets users get the best shot among multiple images including the moment just before they let go of the shutter button. The new user interface will also have an Icon Customizer, a Download category added to the menu, and a simpler version that organizes the main applications for easy access.

    The new Optimus UI 3.0 will debut on LG’s Optimus LTE II device that launches this week in Korea, followed by the Optimus 4X HD in June.

    The Samsung Galaxy S III cometh, pre-orders coming on both Globe and Smart on May 23

    Gadgets Team
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    The Samsung Galaxy S III cometh, pre-orders coming on both Globe and Smart on May 23

    The latest star in Samsung’s Galaxy, the S III is coming to the Philippines, and you’ll be able to chose from two telcos to get it from. Both Smart and Globe has announced that it’ll carry the Galaxy S III, and both telcos have set the same date for pre-orders. Come May 23, both telcos will be taking pre-orders of the Smart version of the Galaxy S III will go live http://www.smart.com.ph/galaxys3, while prospective Globe owners can go to this address (http://www.globe.com.ph/galaxys3) on the anointed date to grab their device. Don’t know what the Galaxy S III can do? well, here’s a bit of a refresher for you: 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos 4 Quad processor, 4.8-inch Super HD AMOLED screen, 1GB RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera and ICS.

    The Piratebay supposedly down, might have been blocked [Update]

    Gadgets Team
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    The Piratebay supposedly down, might have been blocked [Update]

    We noticed today on our Facebook feed that one of the biggest torrent sites in the world, The Piratebay, is supposedly not accessible by users in the Philippines. We tried it ourselves (we’re on PLDT) and we can confirm that TPB is not accessible. Users on Digitel and on Smart also are unable to access the site as well, unfortunately. This isn’t a local problem – users from the community site Reddit have also complained about not being able to access the site from Canda, the US and Tokyo, as well as from a number of other places in Europe. The same thread also outlines a work-around to the site access problem using proxies, which is an indication that the site may have been blocked by our local ISPs using DNS.

    [UPDATE] A Facebook fan pointed out that the Piratebay is under intense, coordinated DDoS attack, which may explain the reason why the site has been unreachable since yesterday. Source: https://www.facebook.com/ThePirateBayWarMachine

    Source: Reddit

    Globe files complaint against users of illegal repeaters

    Gadgets Team
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    Globe files complaint against users of illegal repeaters

    Got a signal booster or repeater that boosts Globe signals yet doesn’t have the official blessing of the telecom giant? Well, you might want to take that down, as Globe is saying that they’ll be filing a complaint with the NTC against the use of illegal repeaters as part of its intensified efforts to track down users and sellers of the equipment that cause network interference for subscribers in a specific area.

    You’re probably thinking that people who installed repeaters are probably doing Globe subscribers by boosting their signal, right? Not so, says Globe. The telco blames illegal repeaters for a significant dip on call quality and clarity because the repeaters hog bandwith from the legitimate Globe network infrastructure. Monitoring reports from Globe Network Group revealed that there was a significant increase in interference cases in the National Capital Region, specifically in Makati over the last 3 months, with over 80 sites affected.

    To combat this, Globe and NTC has conducted joint ocular inspections last February to confiscate illegally installed repeaters and clamp down on sellers of illegal repeaters. NTC issued a show cause order this month to an owner of an illegal repeater in San Andres, Manila.

    “Network and clean frequencies are important components for quality delivery of our services. The use of illegal repeaters in order to get good network coverage at the expense of others has no place in this society. It’s a totally unfair practice especially as it impacts a great majority of subscribers in an identified area,” said Atty. Froilan M. Castelo, Head for Corporate and Legal Services at Globe. “With our strengthened partnerships with the police, courts, and other government institutions like the NTC, Globe will remain relentless in going after and prosecuting perpetrators, both users and sellers, to ensure a stable, consistent, and reliable network for Globe subscribers nationwide.”

    Assemble the Avengers with Petron

    Press Release
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    Assemble the Avengers with Petron

    Petron brings another treat to its customers with its Assemble the Avengers promo, running from April 1 to May 31, 2012, at participating Petron service stations nationwide.

    Fans of the upcoming action blockbuster Marvel’s The Avengers, presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures,  will have a chance to complete their Super Hero set through Petron’s Assemble the Avengers promo.  With every P1,000 single or accumulated purchase of any Petron fuel—Blaze 100, XCS, Xtra Unleaded, Pinoy Gasoline, Xtend, Diesel Max and Turbo Diesel—the customer is entitled to purchase one Marvel’s The Avengers Action Tumbler that comes with a special cup topper for only P60.

    There are four Petron limited edition Marvel’s The Avengers Action Tumblers to collect—Iron man, The Hulk, Thor and Captain America. These may be redeemed only at the participating station where the customer loaded fuel, and the customer must present the single or accumulated receipts when redeeming the toy tumbler. Lost or damaged receipts will not be replaced or honored.

    Marvel’s The Avengers opened at Philippine theatres on April 25, 2012.

    About Marvel’s The Avengers

    Marvel Studios presents Marvel’s The Avengers—the team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow.  When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of a disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment efforts begins.

    Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, directed by Joss Whedon, from a story by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon with screenplay by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series The Avengers, first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

    Marvel’s The Avengers is presented  by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

    Google makes online browsing safer and easier with Good to Know

    Gadgets Team
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    Google makes online browsing safer and easier with Good to Know

    Not everyone is a computer genius. There’s a large percentage of computer users nowadays that don’t realize how dangerous the internet is. Thankfully, sites like Google are more than happy to share easy, actionable tips for protecting and understanding your online information. The Good to Know site (http://google.com/goodtoknow) gives tips to rank internet novices about how to protect yourself online, and allows users to gain insight into how their data is used on Google and around the web, and get tips on managing their family’s online experience. The site is available in a number of languages, which also includes Tagalog. So if you know about someone who uses the same password in every site they go to, or have a friend whose PC is almost always invaded by a ton of viruses and spyware every other week, you might want to point them to this site.

    Asus PadFone benchmarked

    Gadgets Team
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    Asus PadFone benchmarked

    We’re still waiting for Asus’ genre defying gadget, the PadFone to make an official appearance on our shores. We’re pretty sure a lot of you guys are also waiting for this particular device to hit the shelves later this year. To wet your appetite, we’re going to share something that we stumbled on earlier today – benchmark scores of the PadFone. The folks at Netbook News have managed to score their review unit, and wasted no time at all benchmarking the heck out of it. The tech outfit reports the PadFone managed to get a score of 2554 in Vellamo, soundly beating out other contenders. On Quadrant, the PadFone managed to score 5057, which again beats the nearest device by a large margin. Other scores are as follows: NenaMark 1 – 60.4, NenaMark 2 – 60.5, AnTuTu -6458 and SunSpider – 1917. The Asus PadFone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 8260A dual-core CPU running with an Adreno 225 GPU.

    Source: Netbook News

    LG Optimus L7 hands-on, priced

    Gadgets Team
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    LG Optimus L7 hands-on, priced

    We were wondering when LG’s top-tier L style device would arrive here in the Philippines, considering that their budget L3 has been here for a while. Lo and behold, LG has provided us with a demo unit of our very own of the LG Optimus L7, or more formally known as the P705 in the Philippines (P700 in other territories). While the LG Optimus L7’s hardware may not elicit the same wonder as the offerings of its other competitors, the Optimus L7’s unique blend of  features and pricing may just sway you to buy one.

    The Optimus L7 is the top device in the L-series of devices, and uses LG’s “floating mass display” technology, giving users the feeling that the screen is floating as they’ve put the display as close to the protective glass as possible. Speaking of displays, the Optimus L7 uses a 4.3-inch IPS LCD that has a 480 x 800 resolution that’s lovingly protected by Gorilla Glass.

    The overall size of the device is 125.5 x 67 x 8.7mm. While the overall construction and build quality of the device was quite good, the plastic back was a bit disappointing, given the hi-end nature of the device.

    Imaging-wise, the Optimus L7 uses a 5-megapixel camera with flash, along with a LED flash. There’s a secondary camera on the front.

    Hardware-wise, you’re looking at 1 GHz Cortex-A5 processor that’s paired with 512 MB of RAM. Android 4.0 powers the entire experience, along with LG’s own UI overlay. Navigating the device is pretty straightforward – there’s a large, physical home key on the middle which is flanked by two capacitive keys.

    The screen of the device was remarkably bright, and although the L7 only uses a single core processor, we found that the device was responsive enough. Of course, we’re still not happy with the UI overlay of LG, but at least it didn’t really get in the way of the user experience. One thing we did notice about the Optimus L7 is that it uses a large, 1700mAh battery. Combine that with a less power hungry 1 GHz processor, and we reckon this particular device will be able to soldier on even though you forget to plug it in at the nearest socket.

    LG has pegged the price of the LG Optimus L7 at Php 15,990. At that price, we can forgive the lower-end processor used in the device. We gather most people looking for a decent smartphone at an affordable price-point will be willing to ignore it, too.

    That’s it for now. Watch this space for a more thorough review later on.

     

    House of Marley audio products land in Manila

    Gadgets Team
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    House of Marley audio products land in Manila

    The House of Marley collection of premium earth-friendly audio products—such as earphones and headphones—was officially launched at Privé, Fort Strip just last night, May 15, 2012. The line is created by the offspring of none other than the legendary Jamaican Reggae singer—Bob Marley.

    So what makes the House of Marley headphones so special? Firstly, they’re earth-friendly and created from material that is truly renewable and sustainable, including FSC-certified wood from forests that are replenished. Secondly, they bring with them the signature “Marley” sound that incorporates more than 30 years of audio expertise into the design of the acoustics. Thirdly, whenever you purchase them you’re also donating to charity through the 1Love.org non-profit organization. The House of Marley has other products as well, such as watches, bags, and other accessories.

    The launch provided guests with a night of fun—as well as peace and love—as they were served drinks and kept entertained by a set of reggae music from DJ Red-I.

     

    Review: A.C.Ryan ACR-PV73500 PlayON!

    Gadgets Team
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    Review: A.C.Ryan ACR-PV73500 PlayON!

    By Paolo Toledo

    In a world where all media is generously available and downloading is as common as a statement shirt, owning a media player is an absolute must. Gone are the days when you burned CDs and DVDs to enjoy music, movies, TV shows, and home videos. You don’t even have to wonder why you have to watch on your computer, when you have that awesome HD TV sitting idly in the living room. With an HD media player, you can put all your media in an external memory drive, plug it in and sit back while it all unfolds on your home entertainment system.

    A good example of such a convenient device is the AC Ryan ACR-PV73500 PlayON! HD Essential media player. Not only does the PV73500 allow you to play media from external sources, but it can also store thousands of photos, music and videos in a pre-assembled internal HDD that supports up to 2TB. And for those who thrive to tinker just about anything, users can also install any 3.5-inch SATA / SATAII HDD inside the housing. It also offers an optional upgrade to network with the Essential Wireless N dongle, sold separately

    But for most of us “regular” folks, these nice extras are ignorable and can cause more hassle than happiness when compared to simply plugging in a portable hard drive. During the test period, I found myself most comfortable resorting to the aforementioned way of playing media files. True enough, The PV73500 is designed for users who prefer an easy-to-use media player without the fuss of networking.

    The PV73500 boasts to be the world’s first full HD Realtek chipset-based media player, capable of supporting every video format—from the widely used to the rarely seen, including Blu-ray and DVD ISO. It also allows maximum picture clarity of up to HD 1080p, via HDMI and standard component connections. Audio-wise, it serves to stereo, Dolby and DTS—with a full range of audio codecs and subtitle support.

    When it comes to size, the casing is quite big (although smaller than previous models) but it’s largely due to accommodate the expandable internal memory of the device. It’s not a MINI model anyway, and the larger exterior only means that more ports are available for connection. On the side is a media card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, and a single USB 2.0 Slave Port. Outgoing ports are all on the rear panel with connectivity for both 1080p HDMI (1.3) and composite audio/video, with SPDIF Optical TOSlink and SPDIF Coaxial. There is also a power connector located and fan vents on the right.

    The player has a simple and streamlined black matte body, with a glossy front panel that houses a lone power button in the middle. The simplicity contradicts the depth of features and performance that the PV73500 has to offer, and these can be seen in the accompanying remote, which is the only way you can access any and all the controls. Fortunately, AC Ryan has addressed a rather off-putting button layout of its previous models, particularly for the playback functions. It still takes quite a while to get used to but you know have a more conventional looking remote with clearer buttons and a better accessing.

    Diving into the usage and interface, this media player has excellent booting speed and features a clean and simple menu, using the PlayON! GUI 2.0 interface. However, this seems to stop at appearances.

    One of my minor gripes with the PV73500 is that the structure of accessing, organizing and playing files seems to take a while to get used to. The new operating system has an automatic index feature that scans all the contents and files the relevant files into the subsections, but sometimes it includes files you don’t necessarily intend to watch or keep.

    This causes a rather rough user experience when trying to find files, and unless you develop OCD in organizing your media files on your external source, you’ll find yourself jumping in and out of various menus, and tirelessly scrolling up and down. There’s also a bit of a lag in response time but it’s pretty negligible after some time.

    But other than that, this media player is still a solid winner. It was brilliantly convenient, useful, and it delivers on its many features, compatibilities, and most of all, in playing stunning picture quality and crisp audio. Aside from all its possible external and internal media sources, its allowable media format is a complete set that leaves no room for complaint. And given its price point, this proves to be one of the best media players out in the market.

    Specifications
    Physical: 227x165x60mm, 610g
    A/V Out: HDMI 1.3 up to 1080p / Composite Video / Composite Audio / SPDIF coaxial / SPDIF Optical TOSLink
    Video Codecs: MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 / MPEG-4 SP/ASP/AVC (H.264 | x264) / XviD / DivX / WMV9 (VC-1) / RealVideo 8/9/10 (up to 720P)
    Audio Format: MP3 / MP2 / WMA / AAC / FLAC / WAV / OGG Vorbis / PCM / LPCM / MS-ADPCM / LC-AAC / HE-AAC / COOK / RA-Lossless

    What’s Hot
     • Full-featured and convenient full HD media player
    • Supports a full range of popular and rare formats
    • Multiple connection options and external sources
    • Fast booting speed
    • Expandable Internal HDD up to 2TB

    What’s Not:
     • Small lag in response time
    • Auto-file indexing can get in the way
    • Does not include HDMI cable

    Bottomline:
    If you’re in the market for a complete media player, the A.C. Ryan ACR-PV73500 PlayON! HD Essential Media Player should definitely be considered. Its brilliant HD playback is highlighted by a full set of supported video formats and external sources. It’s convenient, complete, and all-around classy.

    Buy Meter: 9.0

    [This review originally appeared in the October 2011 issue of Gadgets Magazine]

    Qualcomm S4 chips in short supply, forcing manufacturers to seek other sources

    Gadgets Team
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    Qualcomm S4 chips in short supply, forcing manufacturers to seek other sources

    DigiTimes is reporting that Qualcomm’s S4 chip is currently in very short supply due to high demand. As a direct result, it has forced vendors and manufacturers like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, HTC and Sony Mobile Communications to look for alternate suppliers for chips for their devices, according to Taiwan-based handset supply chain makers. The main culprit of the lack of supply? According to DigiTime’s source, it’s 28nm foundry of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company which is currently not sufficient and/or the yield rate of the process is not high enough. If the report is accurate, the lack of supply from Qualcomm will mean that other players, such as NVIDIA now have an opportunity to try and nab a few more customers to use their chip solutions.

    Source: DigiTimes

    Nokia releases 1 Series of phones, promises access to the internet for the “next billion”

    Gadgets Team
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    Nokia releases 1 Series of phones, promises access to the internet for the “next billion”

    Nokia has unveiled two new phones for the extreme low-end that are affordable yet still deliver internet connectivity to people who want it. The Nokia 110 and 112 are both aimed at the “Next Billion” of users and have been designed to appeal to young, urban consumers who want to experience a fast, affordable online experience. Both devices have built-in access to both Twitter and Facebook, and uses Nokia’s own browser. The browser basically reduces a website’s footprint to suit mobile devices, and as such deliver 90% less traffic to the device, making access faster for potential owners.


    The Nokia 110 is a dual-SIM deal, and is expected to retail at around $45 (or about Php 1,900 without taxes). The Nokia 112 meanwhile, is also a dual-SIM device that’s expected to retail for about $49 (or about Php 2,000 without taxes). Both devices have single-SIM variants (the 111 and the 113, respectively) and both sport a 1.8-inch display and VGA camera. There’s a microSD slot included, with the memory being expandable up to 32GB. Nokia will also be offering 40 free game titles for people who purchase the new devices, which include Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed: The Run, Monopoly Here & Now, and SimCity Deluxe. No word on the Philippine availability or pricing has been set, though Nokia has confirmed that the Nokia 110 and 111 will start shipping in the second quarter of 2012, while the Nokia 112 and 113 will start shipping in the third quarter of 2012.

    [album: https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/[email protected]/Nokia 1 series/]

    Diablo 3 officially launched in the Philippines thanks to IP E-Games

    Gadgets Team
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    Diablo 3 officially launched in the Philippines thanks to IP E-Games

    12 years. It’s taken 12 years for the follow up to Blizzard’s highly successful RPG, Diablo 2. Now Blizzard has unveiled the highly anticipated follow-up to one of the most iconic games of all time. IP E-Games, the official distributor of Diablo 3 in the Philippines says that this is the first time ever that our country will be officially participating in the launch of a Blizzard game.

    Diablo 3 picks up years after the events of Diablo 2, as we all know you can still play diablo 2 and get in-game d2 items so this might allow for a continuation into the third installment. Diablo 3 allows players to play with five characters – barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk and demon hunter – to battle the forces of darkness and embark on a long and epic journey throught the depths of hell itself. Some notable features of the game include an auction house system where players can buy and sell loot using in-game gold and more importantly, using real world money, a new quest and skill system and advanced social features and functionality.

    The game will be available in a variety of retail outlets, which include iTech, Datablitz, Mineski, Digital Walker, Beyond the Box, PC Hub, PCQuest and a host of others. For a more complete list of official distributors, please go to http://diablo3.e-games.com.ph/where-to-buy. One thing that players need to note is that Diablo 3 needs an active internet connection to work – even if you’re just playing the single player game.

    We asked IP E-Games if they will be offering prepaid cards to use in the game’s auction house (remember, only a fraction of pinoys have credit cards) to be able to buy items. Additionally, unlike Starcraft 2, there will be no other plans available (E-Games previously offered various day passes for Starcraft 2 before) – either you buy the box or you don’t get to play. Diablo 3 retails for Php 3,145.

    That’s it for now, we’ll give you a more in-depth review of the game once we get more time with it.

     

    Apple’s OS is “really vulnerable”, says Kaspersky Lab CTO

    Gadgets Team
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    Apple’s OS is “really vulnerable”, says Kaspersky Lab CTO

    Think you don’t have to worry about viruses or malware when using Apple’s OS? Think again. Tech outfit Computing recently quoted Kaspersky Lab CTO Nikolai Grebennikov as saying that Apple’s OS is vulnerable to attacks. “Mac OS is really vulnerable,” he claimed, “and Apple recently invited us to improve its security. We’ve begun an analysis of its vulnerabilities, and the malware targeting it.”Kaspersky has reportedly been tapped to advise it on the security of its Mac OS.

    If you remember, we reported on a Trojan virus that specifically targets Macs, and Grebennikov said that’s it’s a sign that the firm needs help with its security. “Apple blocked Oracle from updating Java on Mac OS, and they perform all the udpates themselves. They only released the patch a few weeks ago – two or three months after the Oracle patch. That’s far too long,” he said. He adds, “This botnet, which the security community identified, is a huge sign that Apple’s security model isn’t perfect. Our experience tells us that in the near future, perhaps in a year or so, we will see the first malware targeting iOS.”
    Source: Computing
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