Category: 4. Technology

  • HF‑11 Hypercar Revs to 12,000 RPM and Swaps Between Gas and Electric

    HF‑11 Hypercar Revs to 12,000 RPM and Swaps Between Gas and Electric

    HF‑11 Hypercar Revs to 12,000 RPM and Swaps Between Gas and Electric originally appeared on Autoblog.

    In a world dominated by hybrid hypercars built by billion-dollar conglomerates, the Oil Stain Lab HF‑11 is a welcome oddity. It’s the creation of two Ukrainian-American brothers, Nikita and Iliya Bridan — ex-Honda, Cadillac and Genesis designers — who decided the only way to scratch their creative itch was to build a 12,000 rpm, dual-drivetrain, 2,000-pound hypercar out of sheer obsession.

    Only 25 will be made. Each one costs at least $1.85 million, or $2.3 million if you want both powertrains.

    View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

    Twin Madness: Flat‑Six Or EV, Or Both

    The HF‑11 is about choice. Buyers can spec a 4.6-liter naturally aspirated flat-six making 600 hp, or step up to the unhinged 5.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six good for a staggering 1,200 hp — all mounted in the middle of a carbon monocoque and sending power to the rear wheels. Both are available with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed sequential box. That alone would be enough for most small-volume hypercars.

    But this isn’t most hypercars.

    Oil Stain Lab is also building a fully electric version with around 850 hp, and here’s the twist: thanks to a modular subframe system, owners can swap between the ICE and EV powertrains. That’s right — one car, two wildly different personalities, depending on the day, track, or mood.

    12,000 RPM And 2,000 lbs

    Despite the turbocharged flat-six having “just” six cylinders, it’s designed to scream all the way to 12,000 rpm. When combined with the car’s 910 kg weight, the HF‑11 promises a power-to-weight ratio that puts it well ahead of the Bugatti Chiron and toe-to-toe with the Gordon Murray T.50.

    Performance claims remain vague — understandable for a car still in development — but 0–60mph in the low 3s seems conservative. Top speed? Unofficially, well beyond 200mph.

    View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article

    Inside The Machine

    Step into the HF-11 and you’ll find a cockpit that looks like it was designed by a watchmaker having a nervous breakdown inside an F1 wind tunnel. The entire cabin is draped in carbon weave, from the exposed monocoque to the sculpted centre console — not just for weight savings, but sheer visual drama. There’s no touchscreen, no voice assistant, and certainly no cupholders. What you get instead is a bank of heavy-duty toggle switches, rotary dials, and knurled metal knobs straight out of a Cold War fighter jet.

    The shifter itself is a skeletal work of art: part titanium sculpture, part ballistic missile trigger. Above it, the triple-pod analogue dash recalls classic Porsche GT racers, but everything else feels raw, functional, and unapologetically mechanical. Even the starter switch appears to be mounted inside a billet aluminium pod held together with titanium struts. It’s less interior, more exoskeleton.

    There’s suede where you need it and structure where you don’t. The HF-11 doesn’t try to coddle you. It tries to connect you — to the drivetrain, to the chassis, and to the road. If you want ambient lighting and a Spotify playlist, look elsewhere. This thing was built to be felt, not filtered.

    A Real Car, Built By Real People

    The HF‑11’s styling feels familiar but alien. It riffs on classic Porsche silhouettes — there are shades of Carrera GT, 962, even 917 — but everything is dialed up to 11. Giant rear diffusers, razor-edge front wings, and track-ready aero components all scream performance. Yet, inside, it’s raw, stripped-back, and mechanical. Think Group C meets bespoke hot rod.

    What makes the HF‑11 more than a concept car with delusions of grandeur is the pedigree behind it. The Bridan twins were involved in cars that sold in the millions, but they’re chasing purity now. Their mission: build the “ultimate human-scale hypercar,” one with minimal electronics, obsessive focus, and mechanical soul.

    They already made waves with the viral Half-11, a chopped-up Porsche homage that earned cult status. The HF‑11 is its spiritual evolution — faster, crazier, and far more complete.

    This isn’t just an ambitious spec sheet. It’s two engineers turning decades of experience and design frustration into an unfiltered, track-ready love letter to speed. And whether it sells out or implodes spectacularly, it deserves to be noticed.

    HF‑11 Hypercar Revs to 12,000 RPM and Swaps Between Gas and Electric first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 6, 2025

    This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

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  • With iPhone 17 and Galaxy S26, Apple and Samsung are diverging hardware strategies

    With iPhone 17 and Galaxy S26, Apple and Samsung are diverging hardware strategies

    Apple and Samsung smartphones have often been called identical in many ways, and to an extent that is very true: modern flagship phones don’t differ much in power and cameras. However, two separate reports have come in from reputable sources about the Galaxy S26, and it seems that it will differ in one key aspect compared to the iPhone 17.The reports, courtesy of two reliable sources, pertain to both companies’ upcoming flagship products: the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While previous reports have alleged that the next Pro Max will increase in thickness, these new reports add on to that and reveal that the Ultra will be even slimmer.

    From what I can tell, Samsung is applying its design philosophy for the Galaxy S25 Edge to its top tier model, while Apple is opting for more battery space instead.

    If current rumors (not confirmed reports) are anything to go by, then the iPhone 17 Pro Max will come with a 5,000 mAh battery. However, so will the S26 Ultra, with some predicting that Samsung may finally use denser battery technology to achieve the same capacity in less space.

    The S25 Ultra continued Samsung’s trend of 5,000 mAh batteries. | Video credit — Samsung

    According to the reports, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be 8.76 mm thick, and the S26 Ultra will be less than 8 mm but over 7 mm. The current iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25 mm thick, which means that Apple is no longer trying to slim down its flagship model each year. If an Apple user wants a slimmer experience, they’ll have to go for the iPhone 17 Air, which will only have a battery capacity of 2,800 mAh.

    Apple is doing what I’ve been wanting phone companies to do for a long time: increasing battery capacity instead of slimming down an already very slim phone. And if Samsung really is continuing to slim down its phones, then the following few years will introduce a major difference between the iPhone and Galaxy phones.

    Chinese phones are hitting the limit of silicon batteries, with some phones even reaching 8,000 mAh capacities: like the Honor Power. While 5,000 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro Max isn’t much, it’s still more than its predecessor. I’m glad that at least one of these two top dogs is moving in what I think is the right direction.

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  • Microsoft exec tells laid-off workers to use AI to cope

    Microsoft exec tells laid-off workers to use AI to cope

    While the mood on the ground is bleak, one senior executive at the Xbox Game Studios Publishing division chose to offer a surprising, if not baffling, solution: turn to artificial intelligence, he said; it can help you cope with the depression of being laid off.

    ‘The best advice I can give’

    In a LinkedIn post that garnered widespread attention after being shared by game developer Brandon Sheffield on the social network Bluesky, Matt Turnbull, a senior producer at Xbox, wrote: “I know these types of tools engender strong feelings in people, but I’d be remiss in not trying to offer the best advice I can under the circumstances.”

    According to him, he has recently been exploring ways to integrate AI-based tools, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, to help laid-off workers deal with the emotional and cognitive burden that comes with losing a job.

    Turnbull explained that he created a collection of prompts that could ease the burden on those feeling overwhelmed. Among other things, he suggested using AI as a personal career coach—asking it to help identify new job directions, improve résumés, or even rewrite the “About Me” section on LinkedIn.

    Some of Turnbull’s recommendations include ready-made texts that can be sent to former colleagues or industry contacts, such as: “Hey, just wanted to let you know I’m exploring new opportunities,” or a message expressing interest in a new job.

    But the moment the post veered into the almost surreal came in a section Turnbull titled “Emotional Clarity and Self-Confidence.” There, he suggested turning to emotionless AI tools to help cope with feelings of worthlessness. One recommended prompt: “I’m struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I’m good at?”

    The backlash was swift

    Perhaps Turnbull’s comments might have been received differently under other circumstances. There’s been talk about the benefits of consulting AI tools, even in the realm of mental health support (though typically with tools specifically designed for this purpose, rather than general-purpose chatbots like ChatGPT). But given the current situation at Microsoft and Xbox, many found the advice tone-deaf.

    The original post has since been deleted and is no longer viewable on LinkedIn. However, on Bluesky, the responses came quickly and harshly. One commenter wrote, “Gross.” Another added, “This is completely detached from reality. I’m sure he meant well, but what the hell was he thinking?”

    Turnbull himself acknowledged that “these tools provoke strong emotions in people”—a statement that could be seen as disconnected, especially considering the intensity of criticism facing a company that simultaneously pushes the development and adoption of AI while conducting wave after wave of mass layoffs.

    At a time when many view artificial intelligence as a threat to jobs, human creativity, and even mental health, the suggestion to use it as a support tool for freshly laid-off workers—especially when coming from a top company executive—felt to many like insensitivity, or worse: mockery of the unfortunate.


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  • Tiling Shell makes Ubuntu multitasking feel just as good as Windows

    Tiling Shell makes Ubuntu multitasking feel just as good as Windows

    Switching to a new operating system can feel like a daunting task, especially when you have to learn a whole new paradigm for how to use your computer. However, things really aren’t as dire as they might seem before you start, and there are tools you can use to make your transition easier. I’ve used Windows all my life, but after recently spending time with Ubuntu, I also wanted something that would make window management as easy as FancyZones does on Windows 11.

    Enter Tiling Shell, a window management tool that’s pretty much just an Ubuntu version of FancyZones. This GNOME extension quickly became one of the most important tools on my PC, just as FancyZones tends to be on Windows, and it works wonderfully.

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    Installing GNOME extensions

    You need to set up things a bit first

    Screenshot of an Ubuntu desktop showing the GNOME Extension manager

    First things first, Tiling Shell is a GNOME extension, and you have to set that up first. GNOME extensions are a very important part of the Ubuntu experience for me, but it takes a little bit of work to get them going. Initially, I installed extensions through my web browser using the browser plug-in, but the experience isn’t the best in my experience.

    Instead, I recommend installing the GNOME Extensions manager app, which provides a dedicated UI for installing and managing your installed extensions. All you need to do to get started is run this command in the terminal:

    sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

    The extension manager will show up on your app list, and then you can find Tiling Shell through there to install it. It’s fairly easy, all things considered.

    Related

    7 GNOME extensions I could never switch to Windows and live without

    These GNOME extensions can completely change the way you use Linux.

    Easily manage and choose layouts

    Tiling Shell is available at a moment’s notice

    Once it’s installed, Tiling Shell lives in the menu bar along the top of your screen, making it even easier to use than FancyZones, which would require you to open the app. By clicking the Tiling Shell icon, you can instantly switch between the available layouts. Tiling Shell provides a few by default, but you also get a button for editing them or creating a while new one, so you can create the perfect layout for you.

    Creating and editing layouts is also fairly easy. Once you get started, just click anywhere along the screen to create a new horizontal split in the current area. To create a vertical split, hold Ctrl on the keyboard while clicking the mouse. This lets you easily create the perfect setup for your specific needs and wants, and you can also resize areas more precisely once you’ve created the split, so you can get things just right.

    I actually have a very basic use case for this. I usually create two main areas of the same size on my 32:9 monitor, then create a third smaller area on the far right of the screen so I can have my messaging apps there, whether it’s Slack or Beeper. This is the perfect workflow for me, and while it’s not overly complex, it can only really be done with a tool like Tiling Shell, so it’s completely indispensable to me.

    However, depending on the size and resolution of your monitor, you may want to go a lot crazier with this, and that’s where the real magic lies. Ubuntu has a decently capable window manager, but much like Windows 11, it requires dragging windows to the edges of the screen, and there are only so many combinations you can have. Tiling Shell gives you a ton more flexibility and the ability to quickly snap apps into a specific area of the current layout, so it’s a huge step up.

    Related

    6 Linux window managers that will change how you use your PC

    Improve your productivity and use your PC differently with these WMs.

    You’ll need to change some settings

    There will be some conflicts

    Screenshot of an Ubuntu desktop showing active edge settings

    As I just mentioned, Ubuntu does offer a tiled window manager out of the box that’s quite similar to Windows, albeit far more responsive. That sounds like a good thing, but I did find myself accidentally triggering it while trying to use Tiling Shell, which caused some conflicts between the two.

    To make things easier on yourself, I recommend changing a couple of settings. First, in Tiling Shell itself, I would scroll down and disable the option to drag windows to the screen edges to resize them. Despite being shown here, this feature actually seems to tie into Ubuntu’s built-in window management feature, and it interferes with the behavior I’d expect from FancyZones.

    Once you’ve changed this setting, go into the Ubuntu Settings app and open the Multitasking section to make sure the Active Edges feature is also turned off. If both settings are off, you can now use your preferred layout for pinning apps far more easily without accidentally triggering a different tiling system.

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    You don’t have to settle for Snap Layout

    Tiling Shell makes Ubuntu nearly perfect for me

    I’ve talked at length about how FancyZones or an equivalent tool is absolutely essential to how I use my desktop PC, so the fact that Tiling Shell exists and works as well as it does is fantastic for me. With this, I can use my PC basically just as well as I would on Windows, and it really doesn’t hold me back from having a great experience. This and other tools can help make sure your transition away from Windows goes smoothly, so I can’t recommend it enough.

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  • Best Prime Day Apple Watch Deals 2024

    Best Prime Day Apple Watch Deals 2024

    While the Apple Watch SE is the brand’s most affordable smartwatch, it makes a few concessions to reach that price. At 40mm or 44mm, its display is slightly smaller than its more expensive counterparts, and it lacks some of the advanced health sensors found on the Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2. However, for most users looking for solid performance and essential health features at a budget-friendly price, the SE remains a very worthwhile choice.

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  • Herolaser: Laser cutter for consumers can process thicker metal

    Herolaser: Laser cutter for consumers can process thicker metal

    The new Herolaser can cut metal precisely (Image source: Herolaser)

    The Herolaser 700 is a new device for effortless metal processing. Compared to typical laser cutters, it can be used to create highly durable parts. Even though it’s supposed to be quite user-friendly, this gadget is primarily designed for enthusiasts and demanding users.

    We’ve previously reported on laser cutters, which is a type of product that has become quite affordable, as evidenced by numerous offerings on Amazon. These cheaper devices can be used to work with softer materials like wood or plastic, but they quickly hit their limits when processing thicker metal. The Herolaser, which is now crowdfunding on Kickstarter, claims that it can handle metal and offer more possibilities for tinkerers.

    Using this kind of laser cutter it isn’t as easy as with plastic-cutting lasers, as it requires gases like argon or nitrogen, which also make it more costly. That said, this device is available in two model variants, namely the C700 and C700 Pro. The Pro version can cut stainless and carbon steel that’s up to 4 mm thick, and aluminum up to 2 mm thick. The base model can only cut steel half as thick, as the laser has a wavelength of 1,080 nm.

    The working area of this laser cutter measures 400 x 300 mm (15.7 by 11.8 inches), which could be too small for larger projects. The precision or deviation is specified as 0.03 mm. The Herolaser 700 can also be used as a handheld device in order to process bigger pieces of metal. Furthermore, the T700 Pro system can be used for welding and cleaning. The C700 base kit is priced at approximately $3,299 as part of the ongoing crowdfunding campaign, but international customers may be on the hook for additional import fees. Deliveries are expected to start in September, and as with all crowdfunding campaigns, backers should be aware of the usual financial risks if the product never makes it into production.

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  • Best AirPods deal: Get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99

    Best AirPods deal: Get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99

    SAVE 32%: As of July 6, you can get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99, down from $249. That’s a 32% discount.


    Amazon is rolling out its Prime Day deals early this year, and some of the discounts are seriously impressive. With the main event just two days away, we’re seeing killer deals across every category, and Apple devices (discounted MacBooks, AirTags, iPads, and more) are getting some of the best price cuts.

    SEE ALSO:

    Amazon Prime Day vs. Black Friday: When are the deals better?

    As of July 6, you can get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99, down from $249. That’s a 32% discount and a $79.01 savings. It’s not the absolute lowest price we’ve ever seen (they hit $153.99 during Black Friday), but it’s still a solid deal.

    The AirPods Pro 2 feature impressive sound control, with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), a Transparency Mode, and an Adaptive Audio setting that automatically blends the two. The physical design is just as thoughtful: you get four sizes of silicone tips for a secure fit, and you can now swipe the stems to adjust the volume. They’re also built for everyday use, with an IP54 rating against sweat and rain, and a battery that provides up to 30 hours of total listening time.

    Mashable Deals

    SEE ALSO:

    The new AirPods Pro look old but sound fresh

    They also have a powerful, built-in Hearing Aid feature. It’s a clinical-grade function for users with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss that works by having you take a hearing test on your iPhone to create a custom sound profile. This also enables Media Assist, a feature that uses your profile to automatically make music, videos, and phone calls sound sharper and easier to understand.

    The best early Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable’s team of experts

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  • Lasers, Gas Blasts, and Hidden Water: How Perseverance Cracked Mars’ Stubborn Rock – SciTechDaily

    1. Lasers, Gas Blasts, and Hidden Water: How Perseverance Cracked Mars’ Stubborn Rock  SciTechDaily
    2. Was ancient Mars habitable? NASA’s Perseverance rover is grinding into a ‘weird, uncooperative’ rock to find out  Space
    3. NASA’s Perseverance Analyzes Unusual Martian Rock  Observer Voice
    4. NASA’s Perseverance Grinds Into ‘Weird’ Martian Rock to Uncover Signs of Ancient Habitability  Gadgets 360
    5. NASA’s Perseverance Rover Investigates Strange Martian Rock  Gadgets 360

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  • How to watch Summer Games Done Quick 2025

    How to watch Summer Games Done Quick 2025

    Grab your grill, your hot dogs, and your sparklers because it’s time to celebrate… Summer Games Done Quick 2025. The annual speedrunning charity marathon benefitting Doctors without Borders is back starting July 6th and finishes July 12th. Here’s how and most importantly what to watch as you enjoy the reason for the speedrunning season.

    Summer Games Done Quick 2025 starts on Sunday July 6th at 1:30 PM ET on Twitch. Games Done Quick’s YouTube channel will have VODs up typically within a few short hours after the run completes so don’t worry if you miss anything live. There’s interesting runs every day during primetime so always check the schedule for what’s going on. You should also check in during off-hours and in the middle of the day because that’s how you find the hidden gems like LRock617’s run of Batman Forever: The Arcade Game at AGDQ 2025.

    As for runs I’m excited about, there’s a Blue Prince race late Monday night July 7th, a Titanfall 2 race on Wednesday July 9th, and a Balatro run I will be seated for on Friday July 11th. For this year’s finale on Saturday, there will be a bonus run of Mario Kart World Knockout races and Deltarune Chapter 1 and 2. With the way I know GDQ works, I have a sneaking suspicion there will be a bonus incentive to donate towards that, if met, will unlock a run of Deltarune Chapter 3 and 4 as well. I hope I’m right.

    With all the tumult going on in the video game industry right now it’s helpful to have something positive to turn to. That’s what Summer Games Done Quick is for. And this year, it’s needed more than ever as something to remind us that despite everything, video games, the people who make them, and the community, are pretty dang cool.

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  • If Nothing Phone (3) isn’t a ‘true flagship,’ is Google Pixel?

    If Nothing Phone (3) isn’t a ‘true flagship,’ is Google Pixel?

    Nothing’s new Phone (3) is the company’s self-described first “true flagship,” a designation that, personally, I think is a mistake. But it also brings up the question, if the Nothing Phone (3) isn’t a “true flagship,” is Google’s Pixel?


    This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google’s rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox early!


    In my eyes, the Nothing Phone (3) is, in many ways, just another take on the formula Google has been using with the Pixel for the past few years. A high-end device that cares less about raw horsepower, and more about just delivering a focused and excellent experience. Google has had its missteps, certainly, but it’s working out pretty well.

    Nothing Phone (3) feels as though it’s trying something similar.

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    The Phone (3) isn’t as powerful as other high-end devices on paper, but it puts together a package that’s good at its job and more affordable than a lot of alternatives. Yet, I think Nothing has made a mistake here.

    Nothing is marketing the Phone (3) as its first “true flagship.” That tagline has been used throughout teasers, the launch, and basically everywhere. Put simply, I don’t think that it’s quite true. Nothing is delivering, much like Pixel, a solid experience that puts the spec war aside, but it’s doing so in a way that takes away that “true” flagship title. Namely, the lower-resolution display and chipset are the main caveats here.

    But, at the same time, Google also has a lesser chipset compared to the other flagships of the Android world. Pixel phones have been using Google’s custom Tensor chipset for the past few years, a chip that focuses on Google’s priorities over raw horsepower. Google’s approach, though, feels less compromising than Nothing’s to me, and it really just comes down to the marketing. Google is playing ball with high-end flagships, but it’s not demanding that title. Rather, Google quietly acknowledged for a long time that, no, it’s not trying to directly compete with the likes of “true” flagships by selling the Pixel series for a lower price. That cost has crept up in recent years as Google has closed that gap, though.

    To me, I think of Pixels as flagship phones not because they have crazy specs, but because they’re the best Google has to offer, and are among the most capable smartphones you can buy. Flagships aren’t necessarily about what you’re getting on paper, but about the lack of compromise in the overall experience. If that weren’t the case, then you couldn’t call the base Galaxy S25 a flagship, for example.

    Google’s formula for a flagship just happens to be a little different from Samsung, OnePlus, and some other Android brands.

    Nothing, to its own right, can also do that. But demanding to be called a “true flagship” only invokes unnecessary expectations, and it has already done that before reviews even go live.

    The “true flagship” schtick started before the chipset for Phone (3) was announced, leading almost everyone to think this device would be packing a Snapdragon 8 Elite. As soon as Nothing announced that the actual chip would be the considerably-less-powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, a lot of that excitement immediately evaporated. Had Nothing never called this a “true flagship” and instead simply called it “our most powerful phone ever” or even recycled the tagline of Carl Pei’s previous venture, “flagship killer,” I think we’d see a lot more excitement out there. This feels like a “Never Settle” situation, where an overpromise is going to lead to Nothing’s own words coming back to bite them.

    But what do you think? Is Nothing making a mistake with its branding? Are Google Pixel phones actually flagship devices? Let’s discuss!


    This Week’s Top Stories

    Nothing launch event

    As mentioned, Nothing Phone (3) saw its official debut this week, alongside the new Nothing Headphone (1). See our coverage below:

    Samsung leaks, get your Samsung leaks here!

    As Samsung’s Unpacked event quickly approaches, the leaks keep on coming. There were a number of big, notable leaks this week, so see below for more:

    Pixel 6a owners, you need to read this

    Google has announced a new Pixel 6a update that will start rolling out on July 8. The update will include, for some users, a “battery management” feature that will have a major impact on battery life. See our coverage below for more information:

    More Top Stories


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