Thursday, October 22, 2009

Latest Tips from MakeUseOf.com

Latest Tips from MakeUseOf.com

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Cool Websites and Tools [October 21]

Posted: 21 Oct 2009 05:01 PM PDT

cool websites Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For more cool websites and web app reviews subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory.

 

(1) Zuplo – If you want to make your emails a little more attractive and original, head to Zuplo.com. This new web service offers a huge database of email stationary backgrounds to compose your messages on. You can even create personal backgrounds using your own pics. Read more: Zuplo – Cool Stationary Backgrounds for Your Emails

(2) Offeretti – Cool local search engine that lets you find offers, deals and promotions from retail shops and businesses in your area (US only). You can search for local business discounts by keyword or location (city, state or zipcode) and refine results by category, valid period, week day and business type. Read more: Offeretti – Local Business Discounts Search Engine

(3) MyItemTracker – Website that lets you set specific price change alerts for any item found on Amazon or its affiliated stores. Once the item becomes available at your desired price, you will be notified via email. Read more: MyItemTracker – Get price change notifications for Amazon items

(4) LiveBannerMaker – Web banner creation site that makes banner making simple. Just click on create a banner, then customize size, background, logo text, and effects. Once completed, save it onto your hard drive or share online. Read more: LiveBannerMaker – Free Banner Making Tool

(5) TourMapr – Google Maps mashup which music lovers will find very useful. It can show any artist or band tour plans and dates for the next few months plotted on a map. Read more: TourMapr – Check Out Artist or Band Tour Plans & Dates

Submit Your Web App

 

These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last couple of days. If you want us to send you daily round-ups of all cool websites we come across, leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed.

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How To Geo-Tag & Upload Your Photos To Google Maps & Google Earth

Posted: 21 Oct 2009 03:01 PM PDT

panoramio3I am a bit of a Google Maps & Google Earth fan.   I used them to get hopelessly lost between Germany and the Netherlands the other week.  Other times, I like to play around with them to see some sights that I wouldn’t normally get to see, such as the nice chap with a rifle or some quaint roof art.

But what about all those photos you see when you click on the more tab at the top of a Google map?

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Where do all those photos come from?   That’s right – Panoramio.

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Today I will show you how to get your photos uploaded with Panoramio so they too will start appearing on Google Maps and Google Earth.


Using Panoramio is a good way to get more eyeballs on your photography work and gain some more exposure.   I mean, how many people use Google Maps and Google Earth?   Precisely.   The numbers are huge and as soon as those users switch on the photos layer, relevant images will start popping up on the screen for them to click on and view.

Now, if your photos are located in a really busy location such as New York City, then your photographic contributions may end up getting lost in among all the other pictures.    But if your photos are located in a really quiet, not so well known area then your pictures may end up being the only ones on display.

Our journey to photographic fame and fortune starts with Panoramio, obviously.   If you don’t have a free account then you will need to make one.   Then sign in.  Once you have logged in, you’ll see a link at the top which says “upload“.   Click on that to begin sending your photos to Panoramio.

Now, before we continue, I should mention that you will save a lot of time if your photos are already geo-tagged before sending them to places like Panoramio.   If you don’t know what geo-tagging means then you probably haven’t done it before.  Geo-tagging basically means that you are adding some extra identifying information to each photo consisting of where the photo was taken.    This information isn’t immediately apparent to anyone viewing the photo (as in it’s not splashed all over the front of the picture).   But if you then insert the photos into say a mapping application then that information CAN be read and the photos will be positioned in the right places.

The way I like to do it is by using a bookmarklet called Localize.   When you are on your Flickr photo page (it doesn’t seem to work with Picasa Web Albums), just click the Localize bookmarklet and the photo is suddenly replaced by a Google map.

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Move the pink arrow, as shown in the screenshot, to the photo’s correct location and save.    That’s all there is to it.  You will then get a URL below your photo which, if clicked, will take you to the Google map and the location you specified.  If you make geo-tagging a habit everytime you upload a photo to Flickr, then it won’t be such a big boring unappealing job.

OK, back to Panoramio and our upload link.   On the page, begin uploading your photos (if they are not geo-tagged yet, don’t worry, we can do this later inside Panoramio).

Once the photos are uploaded, you will be asked to tag your photos.   This is not geo-tagging, just tags for Panoramio visitors to find your pictures when they search.

Fill out all the required information and save it all.

Now it’s time to properly geo-tag them (if you haven’t done that already).   To do this, click on each individual photo and you will then see a “Map This” button to the right hand side.   Click on that and you will then be prompted to enter the location for the photo.   Try and get it down to the actual street if you can so the map is more accurate.

A Google map will now open up and you then have to move the red marker to its proper position on the map

Now save your changes and then move onto the next photo. As you move each photo to its proper position on the map, Panoramio will update.

Now it is worth stressing here that your photo uploads don’t take effect immediately.   So if you now went straight to Google Maps or Google Earth, you will NOT see your photos appear.   A notice on Panoramio says that you currently have to wait a couple of days before your images will start appearing on the map.   So don’t get frustrated or angry because you don’t immediately see your picture of you mooning from the Hollywood sign.

Upload the pics, leave it for a couple of days and then check back to see if they are there yet.   Just have a think of how many photos Panoramio must be receiving every minute and then you will then appreciate why it will take some time for yours to appear.  Have faith my young apprentice.

To get Panoramio photos to appear on Google Earth, you need to go to the lower left hand corner box, find Geographic Web and then tick “Panoramio“.   Pictures corresponding to the area you are currently viewing in Earth will now pop up all over the place and you can now click on each one to view them.

In each picture box is a link to the Panoramio user’s profile so you can see, with one mouse click, what else they have uploaded (here’s mine).  So if you put a lot of effort into uploading your photos, tagging them and geo-tagging them, then Google Maps and Google Earth will provide the necessary audience readily interested in taking a look at your work.

Do you have any other tips, tricks and suggestions for geo-tagging your photos and getting them onto Google Maps / Google Earth?   If so, let us know in the comments.

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Free Software to Limit Your Kids’ Online Time

Posted: 21 Oct 2009 01:01 PM PDT

kids_playingTomorrow evening, just after dinner, I’d like you to do me a favour. All of you. When you get up from the supper table, go look out your window and count the number of kids playing outside. If you see more than 3, count your blessings. Chances are, you won’t see any.

Now think back to when you were a kid and how many pickup games of road hockey, baseball or even cricket that you had. (Do European and Australian kids have pick-up games of cricket? I’m just trying to be more inclusive.) At least once or twice a week? Nothing organized, just a bunch of kids getting together and having fun.

So, where did the kids go? I know there are kids out there or we wouldn’t have Hannah Montana or toy stores. The kids are inside, surfing the Internets, IM’ing their BFF’s, Facebooking and YouTubing. If you’re like me, you know life is to be lived – not watched. So what to do?

How about free software to limit your kids’ online time on the computer?

Here’s a free one to check out:

Romaco Timeout

free software to limit kids time on pc

This is a fine piece of freeware from fellow Canuck, Mark Furneaux (a.k.a. TheUbuntuGuy – no relation). It simply does what it says it will. Perhaps the only caveat is to make sure that when you install it, that you select the Install for Everyone option. That way you can apply it to whichever users are on the computer.

free software to limit kids time on pc

Take a look at the settings window and I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out exactly how to use this software. The beauty is the simplicity.

free software to limit kids time on pc

When the Romaco Control Panel opens, you must enter a password before you can even change any settings. Of course, choose a password that your kids won’t guess. Once you’ve done that, the rest of the Control Panel is accessible.

In order to make the program start counting down, you must check the Enable Timeout checkbox. From there, you can choose the method you want to put healthy limits on the computer usage.

Do you want them to be on the computer for no more than an hour or two a day? Choose the Daily Quota option.

freeware limit kids time on pc

Did you say they could only go on for half-an-hour before supper? Choose the Per-Session Timeout.

freeware limit kids time on pc

With the Per-Session Timeout, you do have to set it for a minimum of  15 minutes. Now, if you set the Warn n minutes before action option in either scenario, there is NO WAY the little goobers can say, “I didn’t know it was going to shut off.” Or the ever-popular, “It’s not fair! I didn’t have time to save my game. I need to get back on and get to a save point!”

Personally, I would only respond to that last statement with my patented, “Did I promise you fair?” accompanied by the arched eyebrow. See that warning below? It scales to whatever size your screen is. They can click the OK button to continue their Twittering.

free software to limit kids time on pc

There are two possible outcomes from setting the timer – Log Off or Shut Down. How you choose is up to you. Log off is good enough for our kids since they know that they’ve had enough time and respect us. Ha! I almost typed that last line with a straight-face.

I’d also recommend checking the Startup Automatically For This User. That way it will startup automatically for that user. That was redundant.

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Once you have it set as you want, simply click on the Run Immediately button. The countdown will begin. Then click on the Apply and Close button. That will minimize the Romaco Timeout to the system tray – out of the way.

free software to limit kids time on pc

The only easy way to stop the program now, is to open the Timeout Control Panel from the system tray icon and enter the password. If you’ve done your job right, the kids won’t be able to cirvumvent this. Unless they are more into computers than just surfing. In that case, you may want to look at registry tweaks to disable the Task Manager.

I can’t promise you that your neighbourhood will fill up with kids playing and laughing by using Timeout. What you do with your kids when they step away from the flickering-blue babysitter is up to you.

What other methods do you use to help keep their computer usage healthy? How do you encourage them to get outside and just play? I’m all ears and willing to learn. Just leave me a note in the comments below.

Image Credit : krisandapril

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How To Sync Microsoft Outlook With Google Calendar

Posted: 21 Oct 2009 11:01 AM PDT

ThumbnailSometimes I wish that dates were the things that only grew on palms. But alas, it stares back at us from calendars too. Apart from the walls, we have them everywhere…online, offline, iPhones et.al. And with all that comes the task of managing them. It seems such a chore at first, but the payoffs if we can keep at it with discipline, is a more organized life.

Which are your two favorite calendar apps? I hope its Microsoft Outlook on the desktop and Google Calendar on the web; because this is what the post is all about. Both are full blown calendar utilities and adopting any one decidedly makes our life a whole lot easier.

But what if you decide to use both, like I do? One reason is that both have their own features and also I like to store my my plans in two places (offline and online) for all time access. As I said before, maintaining one is a chore…two could be a headache. Thankfully no, because there are some ways we can sync Outlook with Google Calendar.

The Little But Handy Outlook/Google Calendar Sync

A 684KB tool from Google takes away the pain of keeping both calendars updated. Google Calendar Sync works with Outlook 2003/2007 on Windows XP and Windows Vista. The utility not only allows us to sync Microsoft Outlook calendar events with Google Calendar, it also allows us to set the direction of flow (1-way or 2-way). Also we can specify the sync frequency by giving a time interval.

Google recommends deciding on the calendar which will act as the source and the one that will be the sink. The source will be the main calendar and contain most of the information. It's better to clear the other calendar of all events and start with a clean slate.

Now, let's install and sync. Close Outlook if it's running. Installation is clear cut and simple.

  1. The Google Calendar Sync window looks like this –
  2. sync outlook with google calendar

  3. The first part covers the log-in details of your calendar account. The second part is about how you plan to sync between Outlook and Google Calendar. You have three options to choose from which are pretty self explanatory.
    • 2 – Way: The data flows both ways. Change any detail in one calendar and it gets updated in the other too.
    • 1 – Way (Google Calendar to Outlook): Information flows from Google Calendar to the default Outlook Calendar. Any changes in the Outlook calendar will not be shown in the Google Calendar automatically.
    • 1-Way (Outlook to Google Calendar): Information goes from Outlook to Google Calendar. Any changes in Google Calendar will not get updated Outlook automatically.
  4. sync outlook with google calendar

  5. All that's left is to set the update/sync interval. The bare minimum is 10 minutes while the default is 120 minutes.
  6. Google Calendar Sync runs from the system tray and you can access the settings with a right click. For instance, a manual sync is right click and Sync.
  7. sync outlook with google calendar

When the syncing operation is on, you will notice swirling arrows in the system icon. It's a simple solution and probably the only thing that would make it more complete would be a date range selection feature.

Did You Know You Can Subscribe To Your Google Calendar In Outlook?

Outlook offers an easy way to add internet calendars like Google. Google Calendar obliges by giving us a private URL to use. Using this private URL we can view updated Google Calendars within Outlook. This is just one way as any changes in our Outlook Calendar will not get reflected in Google Calendar.

But here's how you can view your updated Google Calendar in Outlook –

  1. Log-in to your Google Calendar account.
  2. On the left-hand side, click on Settings for the calendar you want to use under My calendars.
  3. outlook sync

  4. On the Calendars tab, click on the (account name) of your calendar.
  5. outlook sync

  6. The Calendar Details tab opens up. Go down to Private Address and click ICAL. Select the Internet Web address that appears, and then press CTRL+C to copy the selected text. This private link is intended for your use only.
  7. outlook sync

  8. Open Outlook. Go to Tools – Account Settings. On the Internet Calendars tab, click New.
  9. sync outlook

  10. Paste the Internet Web address copied from Google Calendar and click Add.
  11. sync outlook

  12. Give a name to the calendar in the Folder Name field. Now, any changes made in Google Calendar will show up in Outlook.
  13. sync outlook

A little utility called Google Calendar Sync does the synchronizing job for us. That's the easy part…the difficult part is keeping to the calendar (as the multi-million dollar time management industry always tells us).

There are a few other tools which do the job. We have briefly covered OggSync before which also allows you to do a two-way sync between Outlook (and Microsoft Exchange) and Google Calendar(s). You can also try out SyncMyCal Lite which comes with all basic calendar synchronization features.

Do you use both calendars? How do you keep them concurrent? Let us know.

Google Calendar Sync Download.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

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How To Choose Between 32-bit & 64-bit Windows 7 Operating Systems

Posted: 21 Oct 2009 09:01 AM PDT

corner_spotWindows 7 launches this week and those waiting to upgrade should first decide if they want to install the Windows 7 64-bit (x64) version or stick with 32-bit (x86) Windows. Why? Even if you install 32-bit initially, it should be possible to upgrade to 64-bit later, right? Wrong.

You can't upgrade from 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit without doing a fresh “clean” install, which requires you to reinstall all applications from scratch. Therefore, you need to decide on either 32-bit or 64-bit before you install Windows 7.

While I recommend you go with 64-bit, read through this article to make an informed decision.

Background: What is 32-bit and 64-bit?

32-bit and 64-bit are computer architectures that specify the length of data types and addresses that are supported. What this means for the average user is how much memory can be used effectively and how powerful the number-crunching capacity of the CPU is.

Since Windows XP was originally only released as a 32-bit operating system, and because older hardware have 32-bit device drivers, application development on the Windows platform has been slow in moving to 64-bit. However, after both Windows XP and Vista were released in 64-bit, Microsoft is now pushing 64-bit strongly, and you can expect application developers to take advantage of 64-bit computing soon.

MS 64-bit Computing

Should You Buy 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7?

Fortunately, you do not need to worry about all this when purchasing a computer or Windows 7. If you are buying a new PC from a vendor, it will ship with 64-bit Windows pre-installed if the configuration supports 64-bit. If you buy retail boxed versions of Windows 7, they will include both 32-bit and 64-bit editions, except for the Home Basic edition.

Win7 SysInfo

Advantages of 64-bit

There are several benefits of going to Windows 7 64-bit:

  • With 32-bit Windows, you can use a maximum of 4GB RAM. 64-bit Windows 7 runs very fast with 4GB and you can upgrade your RAM to 8 or 16 GB later, making your system future-proof.
  • A 32-bit OS can theoretically use up to 4 GB of RAM, but 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 see a maximum of 3.12 GB. With 64-bit Windows 7, you can use the full 4GB RAM.
  • You get better security with 64-bit Windows. All 64-bit device drivers are digitally signed, which means you will not have random crashes. You also get more advanced security features like Kernel Patch Protection with 64-bit Windows 7.
  • Since 64-bit systems process more information and support greater RAM, Windows 7 is more responsive when you are running complex applications or many applications simultaneously. If you use graphics applications like Photoshop, video editing, games, CAD, etc., you should go 64-bit.
  • Not all applications have 64-bit versions that take advantage of the 64-bit architecture, but you can expect more of them after Windows 7 goes mainstream. Meanwhile, most 32-bit applications work fine under 64-bit Windows. If any of them don't for some reason, you can reasonably expect the application developers to fix any issues, because a lot of people will be running 64-bit Windows.

ProgramFilesFolders

Check If Your PC Supports 64-Bit Windows 7

If you have bought or upgraded your computer in the past couple of years, with an Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent/higher processor, your PC is already equipped to run 64-bit Windows 7. If you want to make sure, you can do any of the following:

  • If you are running 32-bit Windows Vista, go to Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Performance Information and Tools. Click View and print details. In the System section, you can see whether your PC is 64-bit capable.
  • You can use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to find out if your system can run 64-bit Windows 7.
  • Check the Windows 7 Compatibility Center to see if your devices have 64-bit drivers.

Win7 Upgrade Advisor

When You Should Use 32-bit

There are some situations in which you are better off using 32-bit Windows 7:

  • If you use only 2GB of RAM, and do not plan to upgrade anytime soon. To really take advantage of 64-bit Windows 7, you need minimum 4GB RAM.
  • You have legacy devices like scanners and printers that do not have 64-bit device drivers. 32-bit drivers are not supported under 64-bit Windows 7, so you should make sure all the devices you need to use are compatible with 64-bit.
  • You run old 16-bit applications that were developed for Windows 3.1 or DOS. These won't run under 64-bit Windows.

Did this post clear your doubts about 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions? Is your system ready for 64-bit Windows 7? Feel free to share and ask any questions in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

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Automate Blogging Tasks With Press This For Wordpress

Posted: 21 Oct 2009 07:01 AM PDT

wordpressDoes going to your Wordpress blogging dashboard sometimes seem like the prelude to a daunting task? You're not alone in your feelings. Fortunately for us, Wordpress developers had the heart (and brains) to develop an automated blogging solution that can erase our fears of dashboards.

Bookmarklets are designed to make taking action easier and simplify tedious tasks. MakeUseOf has previously recommended 20 must-have bookmarklets for your web browser. But are you of aware of the time-saving Press This bookmarklet for Wordpress?

Grab The Press This Bookmarklet

“Press This for Wordpress” is a cool and convenient way to reblog content that you'd love to share on your blog. No more running to your dashboard every time you want to blog, now automated blogging from your browser is possible! It really makes a world of a difference.

If you're using Wordpress' popular blogging platform to manage your blog, this is a must-have tool for you. In fact, it should be on your toolbar, not just in your bookmarks. Trust me, you're going to use it a lot. Press This is really easy to install.

  • Log-in to your Wordpress admin panel.
  • In your sidebar on the left, select "Tools".
  • Drag the "Press This" bookmarklet to your browser's toolbar.
  • Start blogging!

PressThis

Using Press This

From here on out simply click the Press This bookmarklet to quickly log-in and update your blog. If you're already logged in, Press This will immediately pull up the WYSIWYG blog editor to create a new post. From here you can import images, embed video, select which blog you'd like to post to, categorize, and tag your content.

pressthis2

How to quote an article or debate it a section of the article:

Select the text you'd like to quote with your mouse and then click your "Press This" bookmarklet.

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How To Start A Photoblog:

Head to the page featuring the image you'd like to reblog and hit "Press This". Select the image icon and Wordpress will pull the images from the page you are currently visiting.

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Don't forget to give credit and pay attention to copyrighted or Creative Commons licensed work!

Also, check out Jeffry’s guide to making a Photoblog on Wordpress.

How To Use "Press This" and Wordpress as a bookmarking system.

Easy, just select your text and images, select the bookmarklet, and click publish.

Drawbacks of "Press This"

The emphasis behind this bookmarklet is being able to update your blog on the fly, so the scheduling feature is disabled when using the bookmarklet. However, you can easily save your blog as a draft and schedule it from your normal Wordpress dashboard. You have to use the same dashboard for uploading images from your computer. Press This only allows you to pull in images from a URL.

Plugins that might be available from the Wordpress dashboard may also be disabled when using Press This.

Grab It Now!

Maybe you just don't have time to start blogging on a separate platform like Posterous or Tumblr, but would love to have their ease and simplicity. If you're a Wordpress user, they've got you covered with the Press This bookmarklet. If you're having trouble finding a blogging groove, need more of an automated blogging solution or would like a more convenient way to link-back to your friends, give Press This a shot.

Do you use Press This to update your blog?   If so, what pros and cons have you found using it?   Let us know in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

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Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler

Posted: 21 Oct 2009 05:01 AM PDT

SwitchHeadAre you looking to spice up your system a little? Maybe you want a little something that your friends do not have? Maybe you want to impress that special someone (if they are as geeky as you are!)

Do you want to add a window switcher that will knock your socks off? Well despite it's name, Vista Switcher makes your Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 machine switch screens, real slick-like.

The 270KB 32 bit download page is located here and wow, there is also a 64 bit download for you serious 64 bitters out there.

imageAfter downloading and running Vista Switcher, you will have a new icon in your system tray. It resembles an X in a box. The icon looks like the image to the left:

If you either hit that icon or you just push the control and tab keys together, it will launch its interface that allows you to not only select the screen you want to go to but it shows you an awesome preview of that screen.  There are hot keys that we will get to a little further in if you want to leave your default alt tab functionality.

Check out the program’s interface below:

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You can still see your desktop through the transparent window and it does not go away if you release the keys. You can mouse over each item and it will show you a preview. Click on it to switch to that active window.

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The application smoothly switches between screens and has a bunch of options which we explore below.

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On the general tab you can first off switch your default program language. If your language is not available you can click the Find more translations to do just that. You have the check boxes for Auto starting Vista Switcher, to show or not to show the icon in the system tray, do you want to replace the alt tab action with Vista Switcher and (or) replace the right mouse button plus the wheel to Vista Switcher, and you can set hot keys if you do not want to use the combinations they provide.

switch4

This screen above is all about looks, you can change themes, fade out animations, task numbers, items allowed to be shown and preview style.

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Next up we have the behavior window that allows you to modify the position of the window if you hate for it to be shown dead center. You can have Vista Switcher disable when you release the mouse and you can also have it show only tasks that are active or not with the last check box.

switch6

The exclusion list allows you to exclude specific windows from the switcher. You will see what is actually running on your machine from here.

I love this application and I have installed it on my Windows XP desktop as well as my Vista laptop. Are you using an alt tab replacement? If so we would love to hear about it in the comments!

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