And the verdict is…

September 13th, 2010

A $1.5M grant to Herdict from the Omidyar Network.

What is Herdict?

Well, “Herdict is the brainchild of Professor Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of the Berkman Center, and was launched in 2009 under his direction. The platform’s name is derived from blending ‘herd’ and ‘verdict.’  Herdict enables Internet users to report web outages and website inaccessibility through the Herdict website, an Internet Explorer or Firefox add-on, or Twitter.  The crowdsourced assessment of real-time experiences informs potential reasons for the outages and inaccessible websites.  Herdict can be used in five languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, Persian and Russian – and has received reports from nearly every country around the world.  Users of Herdict’s data include website operators, activists, journalists, researchers and government agencies that are active in international Internet freedom initiatives.”

And this means?…

It means institutions and investors are beginning to see the possibilities and consequences of real-time technologies. Soon, not only will we be sharing up-to-the-minute locations but also digital experiences. If you live in Romania and notice YouTube is down, you can instantly report the outage and let others around the world in on the issue. Consequently, a person in Estonia can log on to YouTube with no difficulties and report their success.

Think how useful this will be to companies in the future. This information will help them isolate issues and concerns almost instantly allowing them to target resources and save both time and money. The downside, if and when these companies have issues…the whole world knows about it.

So, we ask the question…what’s your verdict?

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A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation: VOl. 23, No. 07

March 19th, 2010

ISSN 1062-9424

effector: n, Computer Sci. A device for producing a desired change.

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In our 530th issue:

* EFF CELEBRATES SUNSHINE WEEK, a national initiative to highlight the importance of government transparency and freedom of information. On Thursday, EFF urged the White House to fulfill its promises for open government during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meeting on open government. In addition, EFF has posted a fascinating comparison of a censored FBI document and the uncensored version of the same FBI document, highlighting the Bureau’s attempts to keep information under wraps even as EFF (and other government agencies!) fight for oversight and accountability.

For more about the redacted FBI documents:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sunshine-week-2010

For the side-by-side comparison:

http://www.eff.org/pages/sunshine2010

For more about our congressional testimony:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/eff-testifies-congress-transparency-tells

* EFF IS DEMANDING BETTER PRIVACY PROTECTIONS FOR ENERGY CUSTOMERS RECEIVING “SMART METERS,” new devices that measure your home’s energy use in unprecedented detail. Energy usage data, measured moment by moment, allows the reconstruction of a household’s activities:
when people wake up, when they come home, when they go on vacation, and maybe even when they take a hot bath. Without strong protections, this information can and will be secured by civil litigants (like divorce lawyers or insurance companies), criminals, law enforcement, and more. The states and the federal government should ensure that energy customers get the protection they deserve at their homes — where privacy rights should be strongest.

For more about smart meters and privacy:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/new-smart-meters-energy-use-put-privacy-risk

* EFF BUSTED APPLE’S GAG ON IPHONE DEVELOPERS by making a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to NASA, which responded with a relevant version of the “iPhone Developer Program License Agreement.” The content is troubling and provides some background to the hotly circulated statement from programmer Tim Bray about the iPhone platform:
“It’s a sterile Disney-fied walled garden surrounded by sharp-toothed lawyers. The people who create the apps serve at the landlord’s pleasure and fear his anger.”

For the troubling provisions of the iPhone developer
agreement:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/iphone-developer-program-license-agreement-all

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EFF Updates

* Thousands Petition FCC: “Remove the Copyright Loophole”
More than 7000 individuals echoed EFF’s concerns that the “reasonable network management” loophole could allow overbroad copyright enforcement to target lawful applications.

http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/03/04

* Government Investigations of Your Online Data EFF asked the government for information about how law enforcement agencies use social networking sites to gather information in investigations. So far, we’ve seen some interesting documents from the IRS and the Justice Department.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/eff-posts-documents-detailing-law-enforcement

* Wiring Up the Big Brother Machine… And Fighting It AT&T whistleblower Mark Klein’s journey, from quiet cubicle technician to personal enemy of the White House and Pentagon, is amazing, moving and eerie.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/wiring-big-brother-machine

* EFF Protects Anonymity of Online Critic A candidate for public office in Illinois wants to uncover the identity of an anonymous critic who spoke out on a local newspaper’s website — but anonymity is a key aspect of free speech and is protected by the First Amendment.

http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/03/15-1

* Better U.S. Net Rules for Iran, Cuba and Syria The regulations implementing United States sanctions against Cuba, Iran and Sudan are now more clear in allowing freedom-enhancing Internet communication services, like email, instant messaging, and Twitter, to be provided overseas.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/better-u-s-net-rules-iran-cuba-and-syria

* Federal Intellectual Property Enforcement Gears Up The Obama Administration has been giving a lot of attention to the interests of the entertainment industry and little attention to the public good. EFF and others want to see more balance.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/fed-ip-enforcement-gears-up

* Unintended Consequences: 12 Years Under the DMCA The report aims to catalog instances where the DMCA’s ban on tampering with DRM has been abused to stymie fair use, free speech, and competition, rather than to address so-called “piracy.”

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/unintended-consequences-12-years-under-dmca

* YouTube’s Content ID (C)ensorship Problem Illustrated Poor design decisions in YouTube’s “Content ID” system have resulted in the over-blocking of videos that remix copyrighted materials — this time targeting a lecture by Professor Larry Lessig about the cultural importance of remix creativity.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/youtubes-content-id-c-ensorship-problem

* Italy’s Personal Attack on Intermediary Liability An Italian magistrate convicted three Google employees for an Internet video that none of them had produced, uploaded, or even seen, providing a powerful example of the increasing pressure on “Internet intermediaries”
that threatens the openness of the Internet.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/02/google-three-italys-personal-attack-intermediary-0

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Oh Yelp!!

March 3rd, 2010

Oh Yelp, such a timid name and such a daring game. It’s interesting that, in the wake of the many business owner complaints of Yelp’s coercive business tactics, the world continues to gasp in surprise. It is indeed unfair and probably unethical to offer to fix pages for companies that buy advertising so that any bad reviews would be gone or buried. But surprising? Just because a business headquarters in laidback San Francisco, doesn’t mean it is without ambition. It reminds me of those “top ten” lists we see so often in fashion magazines. Do the top ten mascaras get decided with pure unbiased reviews – or is it possible that the giant full page ad purchased on the opposing page had some influence?

Perhaps the problem is that Yelp’s marketing strategy was all about honesty and forthrightness. “You decide,” they proclaimed; the unwashed masses would be in full control. And so now, we’re a little disappointed to learn it was all just marketing phooey. Yelp is as interested as anybody in making money and advertising is their only source of income. Overly ambitions salespeople may be to blame for some of the shady deals, but I’m sure the overarching company theme was – make the sale, whatever it takes! Because that is basically the company theme wherever you go.

Yelp was definitely onto something. Their mistake was bringing in a demographic group of participants who liked the company mostly for being honest and forthright. Those folks will gladly go back to reading professional reviews (or get personal reviews somewhere else) than stick around to receive Yelp advertising that amounts to nothing more than bribery. Once the number of site hits plummets, as I’m sure is in the very near future, even those hardcore sales folks won’t be able to convince businesses that advertising on Yelp is a sound investment. 

Naquib

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Popularity is Everything

February 11th, 2010

When the technology is cutting edge, when the potential for consumer benefits is extensive, when the advertising industry is licking its chops in anticipation – when all of these factors are aligned in favor of location based mobile applications, why aren’t they more popular?

Popularity, as any high school girl knows, is everything. Take the movie industry for example. To be a financial success, it’s not enough to make a fantastic movie; a large population has to agree that it is fantastic.  Once this group agrees to the movie’s awesomeness , the attitude becomes infectious.  More people are willing to chance viewing a movie they otherwise wouldn’t have chosen. More people are predisposed to enjoy the movie, since doing otherwise would make them part of a minority. And more people will promote the movie with their friends and family – viral advertising.

With this model in mind, it is easy to understand why location aware applications can employ incredible technology and be extremely useful and yet not be economically viable. The movie industry has been in the business of popularity for decades, and the LBS (location based services) industry should take a few notes while reviewing their proven tactics.

  • Advertising: Before film came with sound, there was advertising. Posters were first, followed by radio commercials and previews for upcoming films shown at theatres. Today, included in that list are previews aired on television and the internet. The bottom line is that a lot of money is spent to foster an awareness – hype! – of an upcoming film and every media available is employed from posters and newspapers to online buzz sites.
  • Product Placement: Remember a Medium episode named for an SUV model? How about the motorcycle from I-Robot? Ad execs love a two-for-one deal. Appropriate research to find two similar demographics (such as Medium viewers and SUV drivers) will be necessary, but imagine if there had been an awesome location aware application used in an X Files film or if the good crew from MythBusters incorporated a great use for a LBS while on the job. This not only makes the product visible, but by aligning one name with another one that is already popular, the infection begins.
  • Research:    
  • Positioning Studies: In the film industry this is used to compare a film with other films coming out at the same time to give a film its best chance at a profitable opening weekend. The same should be done for location aware apps. Comparing an application to those currently available will illuminate the “newness” of an app and will go a long ways towards convincing consumers that it is worth trying.
  • Test Screenings: Instead of watching a film, our testers will use the product and report back. Remember the “popular” factor hasn’t had a chance to take hold, however the feedback will go a long ways towards avoiding major consumer dislikes and promoting usability.

The bottom line is that you might be able to convince a small core group of technologically adventurous consumers to try a new application, based solely on its capabilities, and they may even like it. But it’s unwise to leave the entire future of the company’s popularity in their small hands. A wise developing company will pave the way for this core group, make it a little easier for them to bring up the new application around the water cooler, leave a little less for them to have to explain over and over again, and make it so they feel cool when talking about the new application. Leave them to fight an uphill battle alone and they’ll give up no matter how cool the application is. Popularity is everything. It’s time to acknowledge this truth (distasteful as it may be) and learn a few lessons from a greater and greedier industry. Advertising, product placement, and research are all about paving the way before the grand unveiling – paving the way for an infectious kind of popularity.

Naquib

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Tablets and Tidbits

January 1st, 2010

The New York Times’ Bits Blog predicts that 2010 will be “The Year of the Tablet.” Rumors abound about Apple’s soon to be unveiled device that will offer the ultimate crossover experience between iPhone and MacBook. With a bigger screen than the iPhone but a similar “tablet” design (one plane, no keyboard) this new technology will make web browsing and reader applications more accessible. It will take a few more activities we now rely on laptops for and make them mobile friendly. But will a “tablet” be a complete enough convergence of computing and communication technologies to fully replace both phone and laptop?

The answer, as it stands to reason at this time, is probably not. There are numerous complications to this type of technology which according to a source cited on The New York Times blog has been in development for more than five years. Problems arise concerning battery life, compatible operating systems, and affordability. Chances are the first tablet released will not adequately overcome each obstacle to the point that the average consumer will be ready to chuck their laptops and mobile phones into a landfill.

Nonetheless, it seems to be an exciting time for mobile technology. Will our capacity for innovation ever be limited? With the advantage of hindsight, it’s ironic to remember that at every stage we feel as if we have pioneered something cutting edge, something irreplaceable. Can anyone else recall the 90’s excitement over faster and faster processors? Was anyone else informed by those helpful electronic store sales people that the Intel 486 was all the computer they’d ever need?

In light of our recent history, it would be foolish to completely write off technologies that combine mobile phones and laptops. As mobile phones become more streamlined, as the technology needed to run platforms and software for laptops become smaller, as consumer demand becomes more widespread, inevitably there will be technological evolution. And what would be cooler than a single device that could sync with any GPS, any printer, and any online or telecommunication network?

Apple will be a leading contender, because, well, it’s Apple, but also because it already employs a name brand that crosses the computer/ mobile device barrier. There won’t be two corporate execs dragging their feet over which brand name will get etched into a fully portable tablet computer/mobile communications device breakthrough. If for no other reason, they will be first because bureaucracy is on their side.

When that day comes, the application adaptations will be something truly amazing to behold. Cell phones already employ GPS technology and are potential hosts for a number of truly cutting edge location based services. This will appeal broadly to tech-loving consumers, but it is in the location based advertising that telecommunication companies will find their gold mine.  Wise software developers are already planning for the day when consumers look to their mobile devices for advice on where to print, where to publish, where to meet, where to eat, whom to engage and whom to employ. Location aware software will likely be as essential to the new wave of technology as portability, and probably a great deal more versatile.

Naquib

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The Future of Social Networking

December 13th, 2009

It is impossible to pinpoint just how much time the average American spends on social networking sites these days. Polling data would only indicate the amount of time one is willing to admit to spending on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and others. What is it about the opportunity to learn the small and insignificant details of our “friends’” daily activities that so draw us to our computers multiple times a day? Or is it the more narcissistic enjoyment derived from sharing our own minute daily details that is so addictive?

Whatever lies at the core of our fascination, it seems clear that online social networking isn’t going anywhere. But neither is it prudent to ignore the potential for an evolution of sorts within the social networking realm. As newer and quicker mobile technologies emerge, the social network will no doubt become widely portable. Some mobile customers are utilizing high functioning (and high priced) mobile devices to view their social networking sites, but those are a smaller demographic – a group used to pursuing the best and newest phones and software available. However, as we’ve learned from past and pricey innovations, once the new technology becomes affordable for the everyman, every man (and woman) will think they need one.

Quite possibly, this type of trend will continue. Most mobile customers have camera phones with MP3 players and soon, most mobile customers will have GPS enabled phones capable of running software at a rate currently reserved for that small technologically savvy demographic today. And when that kind of technology becomes as common as the household computer, social networking will undoubtedly need to metamorphose in order to stay relevant.

Will mobile consumers remain content accessing their social networking sites through mobile versions of the internet, or will they want something simpler and more streamlined, something that is a part of their phone not merely a part of the world wide web?  Imagine an application as accessible for the mobile phone consumer as accessing the current camera phones – a button, an option, an application that opens up an entirely new kind of mobile social networking.

To take this futuristic idea further, imagine a social networking application capable of tapping into the mobile phone’s GPS. We are only beginning to hypothesize the many ways GPS might alter our perception of social networking. Some programs currently alert mobile phone users when one of their contacts is within a specified proximity; others offer the ability to search for new friends within a certain regional network. But with GPS capabilities, these two will undoubtedly become more entwined functions. Eventually, the layman mobile user will be able to search for new friends, perhaps those interested in the same activities, academics, or profession as himself, within his current proximity. Imagine a college student arriving on campus for his first week of freshman year. Who might know the best biology professors for a burgeoning scientist? Who might be interested in joining student government, organizing a protest, pledging to a fraternity? These questions can be used to channel a mobile phone user’s personal preferences in order to help him make new contacts with the press of a button.

Social networking will evolve from a system that helps people keep in touch with those they already know, to a system that also allows individuals to search out people that would like to know. Where it will go from there is anyone’s guess and the fortune of a lucky few.

Naquib

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Application Inundation

November 4th, 2009

Does anyone else feel as if the dam broke on a river of cell phone applications this past year? Ok, so admittedly computers have been running applications…or apps (if we must) since those first box- monitor Apples. So I suppose there is some sort of justice in Apple being the mobile manufacturer to take a solid lead in the mobile apps market.

The iPhone Apps store is impressive, if a little overwhelming. They’ve tried to make things more accessible by breaking down their thousands of available apps into categories: “Apps for Cooks,” “Apps for Music,” “Apps for Students,” and, my personal favorite, “Apps for the Great Outdoors.” (Now iPhone can even improve time spent in nature away from it all…umhmm.)

Currently there’s not much that can compete in quantity and, arguably, quality with the apps offered by Apple. Nokia’s Ovi Store announced they were making some major overhauls in the hopes of becoming more competitive with the iPhone store, but we won’t know for sure how well they have met their goal until this spring.

What’s interesting is that this flood of apps seems to be focusing more on providing a lot of choices for the same kind of thing (how many variations of the basic Tetris principle are really necessary?) or making easy, everyday tasks something you now need a program on your mobile to support (making a grocery list?… your phone can be a timer?….really?). That’s not to say there aren’t some truly fantastic applications available for iPhones. The most interesting and innovative apps tend to be those that utilize the iPhone’s GPS capabilities. Some of the fitness applications like iMapMyRide, which allows a cyclist to keep track of distance and speed, or Distance Meter Pro which basically does the same thing for hikers, rely on GPS technology and turn the mobile phone into an undeniably cool multi-technology gadget.

It’s surprising, however, just how much junk one has to wade through in the iPhone Apps Store to find innovative ideas that work alongside GPS. Despite being on the cutting edge of technology and maintaining a reputation for reliable hardware and, let’s face it, just being today’s cool brand, the few really cutting edge iPhone apps are nearly buried in a sea of apps written for the bored and the aimless.

When new software developers like Mobiqu set out to create unique location based applications that utilize GPS technology, they will be sure to make them iPhone compatible (and Nokia compatible, and Blackberry compatible and, well you get the picture). Perhaps that’s what the folks at iPhone are banking on. Perhaps from their comfortable perch at the top of the techie food chain, they’re counting on hungry, young companies to generate the ideas that will help them stay there. 

Naquib

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Location Based Services and Tourism

October 18th, 2009

LBS and Tourism

When it comes to the vast potential for Location Based Services, right now feels a little like the brain storm before the calm. The possibilities are so numerous that pinpointing specific uses for specific demographics is like writing a market list of futuristic pastimes.

However, some of these possibilities seem so… possible, and so potentially lucrative, it would be ridiculous to overlook their potential. Partnerships between existing businesses or publications would be an enormously useful way to prep the public to trusting and understanding new location based technology. One such industry that needs a technological breakthrough the way a fish needs water, is the tourism industry.

Guidebooks still sell relatively well on Amazon.com, but it’s clear that this industry isn’t performing to its fullest potential. LBS developers would be wise to seek partnerships with existing tourism or guidebook franchises. Off the Beaten Path, for instance, is one of those franchises that has found its niche. Each book for each different state or area focuses on the things you don’t see on billboards and road signs. How much more popular could this concept be when paired with location determination technology. No longer does the user choose their destination based on guidebook information – now he tailors his guidebook info to his destination. He doesn’t have to drive back and forth across town to find all the points of interest; he simply looks for interesting things near his current location.

The streamlining of information and the simplicity of such a partnership will appeal to a broad demographic. If the guidebook information is at a user’s fingertips at any moment – if each new state or urban area guide is available for instant purchase – if tourist activities can be organized by a user’s proximity – who could refuse such a service?

The fact is, technology developers abandoned the tourism industry long ago and a partnership between two companies will be essential. The greatest asset of such a partnership will be the use of a franchise name.  A technology company without reputation or a loyal consumer base could simply slap an existing guidebook franchise name on its software and instantly be deemed reputable.

There are current shadows of this kind of partnership in the works.  A subscriber can find highly rated restaurants and hotels near his location….and maybe a good night club, but we have yet to see this kind of information integrated with the detailed descriptions of tourist activities and points of interest that guidebooks are so well-known and loved for. The only question now is, who will be the first?

Naquib

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When I call, I phone, when I jam, I tune, and now when I write …iPad?

September 16th, 2009

It appears so. Apple’s recently announced tablet the iPad may have a seriously unappealing name, but the technology is certainly attractive. The question lies in whether or not its technology differs it enough from the iPhone or a laptop to be buy-worthy.

While other hardware designers were focused on making mobile phones smaller and smaller, Apple was quietly designing the iPhone. They understand that usability was more appealing pocketability. This knowledge led to huge profits for Apple and a deserved reputation for smartphone innovativeness.

When comparing the iPad to laptops, One has to wonder whether management forgot the lessons of the iPhone or if they merely thought themselves to be above common pitfalls of mobile technology. The iPad is smaller than laptops and, well, hmm…. Is there anything else?

When comparing the iPad to the iPhone, things really start to get murky. The reason the iPhone was successful even though it was larger was because it could do more. The iPad is larger than the iPhone (some have gone so far as to call it an iPhone on roids), but does it do enough to make the bulk worth it? Besides being bigger and heavier than the iPhone what makes the iPad different?

•    Higher Capacity (up to 64GB is highest model)
•    No video editing application (why?)
•    A bigger screen with better resolution.
•    Some have GPS and some don’t.
•    iWork available.
•    More expensive.

So as far as differences between iPad and iPhone – they’re about half good and half bad. That’s without even mentioning the obvious lack of a phone or camera. Is 50% incentive enough to make an iPhone and iPod fanatic spend an additional $500? Maybe, if they’ve got the cash to burn. The rest of us will probably wait for something more impressive to come along.

iPad vs. iPhone                    iPhone vs. iPad
iPad vs. iPhone, worth the cash?        iPhone vs. iPad, worth the cash?
iPad vs. iPhone, is it an upgrade?        iPhone vs. iPad, is it an upgrade?
iPad functionality                iPad functionality, worth it?
What iPad can do for you            iPad and what it can do for you

Naquib

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Location Based Services (Part 2)

July 17th, 2009

In part one of this series, we laid the groundwork for understanding Location Based Services by examining existing technologies of determining a mobile phone’s (and therefore, its user’s) location. The two most common are GPS (Global Positions System) and cell phone tower triangulation.

What we need to examine from here are how these two technologies will begin to overlap and how new and innovative software will begin to rely more and more on these types of location determination technology.

The future of LBS lies in combining several techniques with GPS. When GPS technology is integrated into mobile phones it can work with the telephone network, a location server, or a differential GPS network. A differential GPS network relies on a series of reference stations to correct GPS errors. If these reference stations are connected with mobile phone network cell base-stations, data from the differential GPS service can be shared with the mobile user at his request. Another less likely possibility for location determination technology is a privately funded network of location information. Currently, however, it would seem that the estimated cost is prohibitive.

So now that we understand just how it is that our cell phone provider (and the police) can determine our location with fairly accurate results, it is easier to contemplate the commercial applications of this technology. LBS already exist in the forms of weather and traffic updates for many mobile users. There are currently several applications that allow the user to search for restaurants, ATM’s, or theatres, within a specified radius to the user’s location.

On the horizons of LBS are location based advertising and location based social networking, such as Motion Matters’s Loc8Pro. Both of these have enormous commercial potential. It seems more than likely that location based advertising will quickly develop into a multi-billion dollar industry.  Advertisers will view this possibility of reaching their consumers instantly and directly as impossible to resist. Imagine a group McDonald’s ad execs drooling over the thought of sending coupons to every subscribed mobile user as he or she approaches each McDonald’s location.

Secondly, the exceeding popularity of social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, seem to suggest that technologically supported social groups are the way of the future. It only makes sense to create a location based version of these social networks. Can you imagine an application that would allow you to consistently scan for old friends, or fellow model car enthusiasts, or whatever happens to interest you, wherever you happen to be? That is what Loc8Pro developers are promising.

Truthfully, discovering the many potential uses for LBS and understanding the minute technical details that allow them to function would take months of in-depth course work. But knowing the basics and understanding enough to be an informed consumer is definitely doable. Don’t give up before you even try. Location Based Services are the future and Motion Matters is thrilled to be here to guide you.

Naquib

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