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RainyDayMagazine's content can now be licensed for your print magazine or web site. Please contact us directly here. If you want to see something reviewed, then drop us a note with a link and we'll be happy to take a look.
NOTE: Click here to read more about our approach to product reviews. |
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October 31,2013- Koji Uehara... |
We admit it, we only watch baseball when the Red Sox are in the playoffs...and not even the entire post season, but only the last 14 or so games. Fair-weather fans, for sure. Happy fans. Absolutely!
We decided to take a drive down to Fenway Park this morning to see if they had put up the 2013 World Series Champions flag yet. Instead,we stumbled onto the... [more]- Koji Uehara
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October 28,2013- Mt. Kearsarge NH... |
The weather forecast for this past weekend was "dry and sunny." We were happy to hear that as we were driving up to New Hampshire to see the last of the Fall colors. Our destination was the area around Lake Sunapee with a day hike up Mount Kearsarge.
The trails up Mt. Kearsarge are moderate (to some of use that made the hike). There are two paths to the top. The more direct route is 1.1 miles and took us past some rocks which had to navigated before reaching the summit. We took the longer route of 1.8 miles for the... [more]- Mount Kearsarge: Fall 2013
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October 25,2013- Fall Colors Arnold Arboretum... |
The two times of the year when the Arnold Arboretum is at its most spectacular are Spring and Fall. As this spot is just a few miles from the office, we try to drop by as often as we can. The weather on Wednesday was beautiful and we had some free time before lunch, so we stopped by for a stroll. The timing was perfect as the Fall colors were on full display!
Everywhere we turned were spectacular bursts of color. However, taking photos of Mother Nature's largesse was tricky. Drifting clouds constantly shifted the light and made the dramatic scenery unpredictable. One second a tree would be brilliantly back-lit, the next it would... [more]- Arnold Arboretum: Fall 2013
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October 16,2013- Dropcam HD... |
Webcams have been used as security cams ever since they came onto the scene. The idea of using them as security camera is an excellent one. However, the actualization of this idea by various for-profit companies has been a little on the disappointing side. The problem was not with the video-recording aspect of the technology, but with the amount of effort required to set it up.
When a few readers recommended that we check out the Dropcam HD, we initially decided to pass, but not because we didn't think the Dropcam was going to be any good. The camera certainly has excellent specs:
- Color, 720p HD (1280x720 , 30fps)
- Field of view: 107º
- Zoom: 4X digital
- Low light vision (IR LEDs)
- Audio
- WiFi: 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz (WEP, WPA, WPA2 security support)
- On-camera encryption / SSL encryption-secured access
We passed because we didn't want to spend the time futzing with setting one up. However, the same readers who made the original recommendation countered our objections with explanations of their experiences using Dropcam's "easy setup" and strongly suggested we... [more]- Dropcam HD FirstLook
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October 11,2013- Good Math... |
Got some time this weekend? How about curling up with a good book on math? No, really. We have noticed that we have forgotten a little bit/a lot of the math we had learned in high school. We thought we knew many of the concepts, like imaginary numbers, natural logs, and that weird number "e." However, when we tried explaining them, mostly to the interns when they asked us what they thought was a "simple question," we realized we couldn't really answer them.
When the nice folks at Pragmatic Programmers asked if we would be interested in checking out their new book Good Math, we immediately agreed. The book is AWESOME. Mark C. Chu-Carroll was able to take complicated (to us) and sometimes confusing (possibly to you) concepts and... [more]- Good Math
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October 7,2013- Makers Faire: Somerville MA... |
Union Square in Somerville, Massachusetts was turned into a DIYer/makers playground this past weekend. Artisan’s Asylum hosted a gathering for artists of all types so that they could show off their creations to the community. The RainyDayProject folks stopped by for a look and ended up staying the entire afternoon. Ok, part of it was because there was some excellent Octoberfest beers being served, but there was also a lot of interesting stuff being exhibited.
The buzz for DIYers this year has been the emergence of "affordable" 3D printers. We first reported on 3D printers in 2006. Back then 3D printers were strictly for companies like Nike and Apple because they were the only ones who could justify using them for rapid prototyping because of the... [more]- Makers Faire: Somerville MA
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October 4,2013- BirdCam Pro FirstUse... |
We set up the new BirdCam Pros this week, invited our Blue Jay friends to stop by, and ran through some of the camera's features to get a better feel for how they compare to the original BirdCam. After working with the Pro for a few days, here is a summary some of our FirstUse thoughts.
BirdCam Pro features and what they mean for the user:
- Improved weatherproof casing: longer camera life
- Higher resolution 8MP camera: more detail
- LED flash: useful for night shots
- WiFi SD card compatible: convenient for hard to reach setups
- Physical buttons for often used settings: quick and simple setup
- Precise focus adjustments: see discussion below
- Color LED display: see discussion below
Getting the focus set precisely is now possible with the Pro. This is because the focus ring is no longer constrained to four click settings. However, some trial and error is still required to... [more]- BirdCam Pro FirstUse
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September 30,2013- BirdCam Pro... |
The Audubon BirdCam has made it easy to get snaps of visitors to the bird feeders in the RainyDayGarden. Wingscapes, the maker of the BirdCam, released an update to that amazing automated camera a few weeks ago. Today, we are going to take a FirstLook at what is new about the BirdCam Pro.
The BirdCam Pro now has a higher resolution 8 Megapixel sensor and a built-in LED flash. Like the original BirdCam, the Pro will take photos when the infrared motion-detector is triggered. However, the Pro's triggering capabilities have been extended to include a timer. So now it will be possible to not only capture birds visiting the feeder, but flowers opening, spiders web-spinning, and... [more]- BirdCam Pro FirstLook
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September 23,2013- Questar Tristand... |
We posted a FirstLook of the Tristand a few weeks ago. We have been wanting to take the tripod out for its FirstUse, but the New England weather has not been cooperative. Our opportunity came last Thursday night with the Harvest Moon. The moon was huge, the night was still warm, and the sky was completely clear. We could not have asked for better conditions to try out the new-to-us Questar Tristand!!!
When we saw how bright the moon was, we wanted to get some shots of it. We have taken closeup photos of the moon before and it was not difficult. The last time we did it, we mounted the body of a DSLR to the rear of the scope. That setup meant we could not use autofocus or any of the other features of the camera. This time, we thought we would try a different... [more]- Questar Tristand FirstUse
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September 20,2013- Yes, more iPhone cases... |
We all know today is the release date for the new iPhone5S and the iPhone5C. Here at RainyDayMagazine, we have been at least one generation behind on every iPhone Apple has brought onto the market. It is not that we don't like to be at the bleeding edge of tech; rather, it is that Apple's "almost to be discontinued" products provide the most value for the money. A case in point is our setup for putting out this online magazine. We use a 17" non-unibody MacBook Pro (2008) paired with a first-generation 20" lucite Cinema Display (2002). This combo can typically be had for less than $500 on Craigslist/EBay. Dated it may be, but it runs all of Adobe's current software just fine, and we are happy with our setup.
Now that the iPhone5S/C has arrived, listings of used iPhones will undoubtedly be flooding Craigslist and EBay. The best time to score a good used one will be in the next few weeks. One simple trick in making a used iPhone feel like new again is to put it in a new case. To help our readers with that task, we have selected a few for their stylish form and... [more]- Yes, more iPhone Cases
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September 16,2013- Drumlin Farm... |
This past Saturday was a good top-down day. So we thought it would be nice to drive out to Lincoln MA and visit the chickens at Drumlin Farm. Drumlin Farm, part of Mass Audubon, is a real working farm and a wildlife sanctuary all in one. The day was so nice we ended up walking around the entire place.
The last time we were at Drumlin Farm was in March of 2012. That visit was when the farm was just coming out of Winter. The fields were just starting to be worked and nothing had been planted yet. This visit was... [more]- Drumlin Farm
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September 13,2013- Questar Tristand... |
Questar telescopes are known the world over for their quality instruments. We had a chance to see them first hand at the NEAF conference in 2011. While we were certainly impressed with the quality of the telescope's optics, we were also struck by their tripods that supported their scopes. We had never seen anything like them before. They were compact, very portable, and rock stable. Everything we would want in a telescope stand.
When we started putting together our portable deep-sky astro-imaging system, we looked for components which were easy to transport, quick to set up, and simple to use. Our current PDSI setup consists of the following:
The ASGT tripod, though, while extremely stable turned out to be less portable than we wanted. Also, we realized that with the fast f/2 Hyperstar lens, we didn't need to track. Recalling our positive impressions of the Questar Tristand, we began keeping our tabs on EBay, Astromart, and Craigslist for a used one. As a Tristand is made only when it is ordered, there aren't a lot of them around and they don't show up for sale too often (maybe a few times a year). We would estimate that only a few hundred of them have ever been made. A few weeks ago... [more]- Questar Tristand FirstLook
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September 9,2013- The Near Future... |
While looking back recently on what we have worked on in 2013, we realized we have done quite a few articles on photography and related gear; maybe too many. So when our friends at Rocky Nook mentioned that they had a new book on iPhone Photography, we initially passed on reviewing it. However, after a bit more thinking, we had a what we call an "Innovator's Dilemma" moment.
Smartphones will be a major disruptor in the field of professional photography. Here is our prediction for the Near Future of Photography. Within 5 years, the smartphone will:
- Be able to capture image equal to the qualities of those from today's Pro DSLR;
- Eliminate the need for DSLR bodies and control prime lenses wirelessly;
- Have image editing capabilities as powerful as today's desktop-based software.
One example from Clayton Christensen's "The Innovator's Dilemma" which remains vivid is that of the transitor. When the transitor was first introduced many people predicted that it would immediately replace the vacuum tube. This is not what happened. Instead, the early transistor... [more]- The Near Future Of Photography
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September 6,2013- BirdCam Mount... |
We had been thinking about how to set up the Audubon BirdCams in the garden. We could have used the stretch cords which came with the camera to mount it on a tree, but we wanted to position the unit closer to the action. There are a few different bird feeders in the garden, and our intention is to point the BirdCam at each of them for a few days and see what we get. The best way to do this is with the Wingscapes mounting arm . It was designed exactly for that purpose.
The mount arrived before Labor Day weekend and we posted a FirstLook of it earlier this week. Today we will show the installation and some of the... [more]- BirdCam Mount
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September 2,2013- BirdCam Accessories... |
We have been having a lot of fun with the Audubon BirdCams. The one we set up on a TrekPod on the second floor has been capturing some very candid pics of visitors to the feeder (sparrow, blue jay, cardinal). The other unit is slated for the outside but its setup has been on hold awaiting the arrival of some accessories.
The BirdCam pointed at the window feeder on the second floor is powered directly from the AC outlet via an AC/DC adapter. The adapter is able to output a variety of voltages from Radio Shack. We find these variable-voltage adaptesr to be a better value than device-specific ones because of their versatility. However, they are not for outdoor use. As we want to put the second BirdCam out in the RainyDayGarden we need a way to power the unit which is... [more]- BirdCam Accessories
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August 30,2013- Remote Triggers Preview... |
The Audubon Birdcam got us thinking about different ways to remotely trigger (IR, wireless, cable) cameras (cellphone, webcam, DSLR, point-n-shoot). After thinking about what kind of projects would be interesting to attempt with the help of a remote trigger (water splash, insects flying, etc), we decided to look around to see what's available.
After a bit of research (OK, a lot of web surfing) the interns were able to compile a list of vendors and gear which could be good matches for what we want to do. A few meetings later, we were able to pare the list down to three of the most... [more]- Remote Triggers Preview
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August 26,2013- Billingham Hadley Pro... |
At the start of the Summer we took a look at some accessories for the Fujifilm X100S camera. In the article, we mentioned that National Geographic had a few canvas camera bags which we thought would pair nicely with the X100S. As it turns out, quite a few readers also find canvas to be their material of choice for camera bags. They were also kind enough to share their personal favorite with us. Of all the recommendations, we noticed that owners of the Billingham Hadley Pro were the most passionate in their praise. So we decided to take a look.
Unlike makers of other camera bags we have reviewed, Billingham is family business out of the UK (RTS is their US distributor). Surprisingly, the company started out as a maker of fishing bags. They transitioned to camera bags when Martin Billingham, an avid photographer himself, discovered that his fishing bags were popular with photographers. The new line was so popular that after a year he switched almost all of the company's production to camera bags. The primary reason Billingham's bags are so popular with the camera crowd is... [more]- Billingham Hadley Pro FirstLook
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August 23,2013- Adlens Adjustable Eyeglasses... |
We got a lot of interest in the Superfocus (FirstLook, FirstUse) eyeglasses when we reviewed them three years ago. The Superfocus (formerly TruFocals) glasses worked really well, but we had some complaints about their durability. The frame and prescription lenses held up well with daily use. However, the adjustable part of glasses, even though we were quite careful, still got scratched.
The scratches appeared to be on the coating and not on the flexible lens material itself. Still, they made looking though them problematic under certain lighting conditions. Repeated email efforts to Superfocus support to resolver the issue went unanswered. So after a while, we... [more]- Adlens FirstLook
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August 19,2013- Ceiva wins... |
There are a lot of options for displaying digital photos, such as slideshows, photobooks, hard copies, and the like. Our personal favorite has always been the digital photo frame. The idea is simple: show photos on an LCD screen and change them periodically.
As with most things, the devil is in the details. There are a lot of digital frames on the market, but they are not created equal. Actually, many of them leave a lot to be desired. When they were first introduced many of them did not have 24-bit, high resolution displays, and those disappeared from the market quickly. Today, all digital frames have... [more]- Ceiva wins!
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August 16,2013- Wingscapes: Audubon BirdCam... |
A couple of Audubon BirdCams arrived last week. Finally, the interns will be freed from standing behind the blind waiting to snap photos of visitors to the new feeder! We posted a FirstLook of Audobon's weather-resistant motion-activated camera on Monday and spent the next few days determining how best to set it up.
The BirdCam can run on batteries (four D-size ones) or off of an AC adapter (9v-12v). We wanted to try things out inside first, so we decided to go the AC route. The weather-resistant case has a standard-size socket (1/4-20, which means one-quarter of an inch with 20 threads per inch) at the bottom for attaching the unit to a tripod. However, we ran into a slight problem when we first tried to mount the BirdCam. We found that the platform of many of our tripods made it impossible to mount the BirdCam when the AC power plug was in its socket. After a bit of head-scratching, we finally realized the TrekPod would be perfect for this application. The TrekPod worked because its magnetic discs that attached the... [more]- Wingscapes : Audubon BirdCam FirstUse
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August 12,2013- Wingscapes: Audubon BirdCam... |
Setting up an automated camera to capture visitors to the various feeders we have around the RainyDayGarden has been on our ToDo list for years. The problem was triggering the shutter when birds landed. We could hack a motion-detector from a security system or use a pressure-sensitive perch to do the job, but we never got any further than the brain-storming stage with those ideas. We have seen the efforts of others who have gone the DIY route with webcams and small point-n-shoot cameras. They were educational from a "how to" perspective, but seemed rather cumbersome and kludgy.
After not finding a build-it-ourself solution that we liked, we researched what commercial options were available. By far the most popular unit appears to be the Audubon BirdCam made by... [more]- Wingscapes : Audubon BirdCam
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August 5,2013- New Kitchen Gear... |
It is lot more comfortable temperature-wise to cook outside during the Summer. Even if it wasn't, the tastiness of grilled food makes the effort worth it. So it should come as no surprise that since we acquired the TEC infrared grill the staff here have been firing it up every chance they can. Naturally, this got us thinking about what would make the outside cooking experience even more convenient and/or enjoyable, because while the TEC is fantastic for grilling, it is not suitable for everything (simmering,sauces, etc). So to complement the TEC we looked for something that we could use along side it. Someone suggested getting an induction cooktop. We are in the planning stage for an end-of-Summer cookout and that seemed like a perfect opportunity to try one out.
Induction cooking technology is not the same as an electric hot plate or rangetop. Both use electricity but instead of relying on the heat generated by electrical resistance in coils under the pan, the induction method uses a magnetic field to "excite" the molecules in the pan itself. The heat generated by the "excited" molecules in the pan is transferred to the food, thereby cooking it. This approach combines the benefits of gas (energy efficient, fast) and electric (flameless, safe). Induction technology has been around for decades, but unlike the microwave, it never caught on big with the general public, mostly because of... [more]- New Kitchen Gear
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August 2,2013- Flavored Ice Cubes... |
When the temperature in Boston hovered above 90º and stayed there in July, instead of just cranking up the AC, we looked around for other ways to cool ourselves down. A nice ice-cold drink was the most popular solution here at the office. Besides helping us stay cool, drinking a lot of liquids ensured our hydration.
Inspired by a friend's comment, we began experimenting with flavored ice cubes. However, the cubes would crack and splinter when we tried to get them out of the tray. After a few unsuccessful attempts, we realized the problem was our trays. The best way to make ice cubes, we have found, is with a... [more]- Flavored Ice Cubes
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July 29,2013- BlackVue FirstUse... |
After a month of use we thought it was time to share some of our impressions on the BlackVue dashcam hardware and software. The short version is, if you are in the market for a dashcam, you should seriously consider getting one from BlackVue. We were surprised how much it added to the driving experience. Having a record of each drive will clearly be helpful in a dispute, but we think knowing there will be a record also made us drive with more care. We have no reservations recommending the BlackVue DR500GW.
When the RainyDayGarage folks installed the BlackVue DR500GW-HD dashcam in the project car a month ago, they opted to forego putting in the Power Magic Pro for regulating juice to the BlackVue. Instead, they powered the camera off the same cigarette plug which ran the Cheetah mirror. It took everyone a few trips to remember to switch on/off the camera when getting in/out of the car. While the extra step is now second nature, we may still... [more]- BlackVue Camera FirstUse
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July 22,2013- Fujifilm X100S: Macro Filters... |
When the Fujifilm X100S camera arrived in the office in April, we were excited by its potential. After having used it for a few months, we are completely bowled over by its capabilities. The quality of the images and the ease with which we were able to create them was not a total surprise for us. However, we were caught completely off guard by what we were able to do with the camera in Macro mode. In June, we posted a write-up on using the Fujifilm X100S for close-up photography. At that time, we thought we had found the camera's limit, then we pulled off a couple of shots that tells us the X100S still has a bit left in the tank.
Dragonflies are kind of twitchy. So we thought it odd when this one didn't move when we approached it. We were even more surprised that it was still there when we came back after we'd run upstairs to grab the X100S. The dragonfly allowed us to take a few dozen shots of it from various angles before it finally flew off. However, it was not until we looked at the photos at full resolution did we understand why it did not fly away. The dragonfly was waiting for the... [more]- Fujifilm X100S : Macro Filters
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July 15,2013- LED Lenser FirstLook... |
We have quite a few flashlights (LumaRay FL-6, FL-12, Surefire, U2 Ultra, TigerLight) and they get used more than one would think. While we like them, use them, and there are a lot of different flashlights on the market, we don't review them too often. However, when we come across a vendor or a unit worth talking about, we are all over it. A few months back, a reader told us that we should check out the LED Lenser M7RX. We took a look and the M7RX was something we thought our readers might find interesting.
LED LENSER was founded by two brothers (Rainer and Harald Opolka) in Germany in 1994. When LED technology started becoming mainstream, the Leatherman Tool Group acquired the company in 2011. Yup, the same company that created the Skeletool, one of our favorite multi-tool. We think it was a... [more]- LED LENSER M7RX FirstLook
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July 12,2013- Boston Harbor Cruise Whale Watch... |
The folks at RainyDayMagazine have made a few trips out to the Atlantic over the years to experience the thrill of watching whales feed, folic, and do other whale-y things in their natural habitat. However, as much fun as our last trip out was, it was seven years ago. We thought it time to book a "refresher" trip :-) The cruise where we had the least success seeing whales was the one ran by Boston Harbor Cruises (BHC), so we thought we would give them a chance to redeem themselves (we are KIDDING, we know they don't have the whales on speed dial).
BHC's ticket center is conveniently located at the wharf next to the New England Aquarium downtown. Their whale watch cruises are 3-hours long and depending on the time of year, they go out up to six times a day. BHC can do this because they use high-speed catamarans to ferry folks out and... [more]- Boston Harbor Cruise Whale Watch
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July 8,2013- RainyDayGarden Update... |
In the Spring, we put up some cottages for the birds, hung a bamboo house for the Mason bees, and built a new feeder for the birds. Now that we have moved into the dog days of Summer, we thought we would bring readers up to date on the goings on in the RainyDayGarden.
May: While the rain fall for the month of May was about normal (3.22", whereas the average is 3.37") the temperature was far above the norm (77º vs. the average of 62º). Because of the warmer conditions, many of the plants kicked into gear early.
Last year, for some unknown reason, the lilac bush did not bloom at all. It was not the case this year. The sweet scent was quite evident in the garden during the entire month of May. While not as fragrant as the... [more]- RainyDayGarden Update
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July 5,2013- Kuru Kinetic FirstLook... |
There are a lot of "athletic shoes" on the market. Many of them are designed with specific goals in mind: cross-training, basketball, distance running. Some are even designed to help alleviate specific foot conditions. Plantar faciiatis is an inflammation of the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot. The causes of the condition are many, but the three primary ones are: over-exertion from sports, weight gain, and bad footwear. Plantar faciiatis will make walking literally a pain (an excruciating, consciousness-obliterating pain). The first two causes are manageable, but finding the right shoes for those suffering from this condition can be a challenge. KURU, a small footwear company launched in 2009, came up with a heel design for athletic shoes which may give comfort to those afflicted with the condition (this hobbling, energy-sapping condition).
Kuru explains that its KuruSole System cradles the heel and dynamically adapts to the shape of the heel and molds to the foot. It is like having a custom orthotic inserts built right into the shoe. In addition, unlike other shoes, the KuruSole design works to preserve the foot's... [more]- Kuru Kinetic FirstLook
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[Previous Six Months...]
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