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Ubisoft confirms its developing a new Rayman project, possible remake

Jak Connor | Gaming | Oct 25, 2024 11:02 AM CDT

After recent reports Ubisoft was developing a Rayman remake, Eurogamer has reportedly received confirmation from Ubisoft that it is indeed working on an unannounced Rayman project.

Ubisoft confirms its developing a new Rayman project, possible remake

The confirmation of a Rayman project being in development over at Ubisoft comes after reports from Insider Gaming claimed the team behind the Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was disbanded, and some of the development team members were moved over to Ubisoft Milan, which is reportedly heading the Rayman project. Insider Gaming also claimed Ubisoft is referring to the Rayman project internally as "Project Steambot" and that was being developed by at least a dozen former Prince of Persia developers.

Additionally, the Insider Gaming report mentioned the involvement of Rayman creator Michael Ancel with the upcoming Rayman project, which is seemingly a controversial decision given Ancel's history at Ubisoft. Ancel left the company in 2020 after 30 years on not-so-good terms as the basis for his departure was an investigation launched into him after several complaints were lodged by his fellow employees accusing Ancel of toxic leadership.

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Continue reading: Ubisoft confirms its developing a new Rayman project, possible remake (full post)

Ubisoft blamed for poor sales of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Baldur's Gate 3 director

Jak Connor | Gaming | Oct 25, 2024 10:34 AM CDT

The debacle at Ubisoft continues over the recent reports the team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been disbanded following the title's failure to reach Ubisoft's internal sales expectations.

Ubisoft blamed for poor sales of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Baldur's Gate 3 director

Reports from Insider Gaming claimed Ubisoft made the decision not to pursue a sequel to The Lost Crown only a few weeks after the game was released. Additional reports from Insider Gaming claimed the team behind the title, Ubisoft Montpellier, were disbanded after being rejected a sequel for the tile. Notably, The Lost Crown wasn't poorly received by gamers, in fact, it was a welcomed success among those who played it.

Unfortunately, the title didn't quite get the attention it deserved, and according to Michael Douse, the director of publishing at Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios, Ubisoft is at fault for the title's lack of success. Douse pointed out the game wasn't available on Steam when it launched, and if it did it would have been a "market success" and there "would likely be a sequel because the team are so strong."

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First Apple Intelligence features hit iPhone's in latest iOS 18.1 update

Jak Connor | Mobile Devices | Oct 25, 2024 10:02 AM CDT

Apple has finally rolled out an iOS update that contains the first set of Apple Intelligence features, and here's how you can access them.

First Apple Intelligence features hit iPhone's in latest iOS 18.1 update

Apple has been criticized over its marketing of its latest iPhone generation, as the company touted the latest generation of devices as the vehicles for Apple Intelligence. However, when the iPhone 16 was released, there weren't any Apple Intelligence features available. Apple stated it was planning on rolling out Apple Intelligence features in stages, and we have just received the first stage with iOS 18.1.

If you are interested in trying out some of the new Apple Intelligence features, you will need to make sure you have a compatible device that is updated to the latest version of iOS. Firstly, you will need to have an iPhone 15 Pro or above, which means an iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Any devices below those models won't be eligible as they don't have the required hardware to run Apple Intelligence.

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Continue reading: First Apple Intelligence features hit iPhone's in latest iOS 18.1 update (full post)

Nintendo Switch 2 announcement hinted at by developer in new game trailer

Jak Connor | Gaming | Oct 25, 2024 9:33 AM CDT

Rumors were circulating that Nintendo was planning on finally unveiling its successor to the Nintendo Switch, with speculation pegging the month of October as the time and place for the announcement.

Nintendo Switch 2 announcement hinted at by developer in new game trailer

However, the month of October is almost over, and unless Nintendo is planning on a surprise event, these rumors, and much like the ones before them, will be just that - rumors. Officially speaking, Nintendo said it will continue with the current Switch until the end of this financial, which is March next year. Those official statements from Nintendo haven't stopped fans from speculating and scouring the internet for any signs of a potential announcement.

The latest tidbit of information comes in the form of a seemingly unusual Nintendo logo that was hinted at by Playtonic, the team behind the upcoming Yooka-Replaylee remaster. Within Playtonic's announcement trailer for the upcoming remake, the supported titles list "Nintendo" instead of Nintendo Switch. Typically, within the supported titles of a game, Nintendo Switch is listed, but for some reason, it's just "Nintendo". While this may initially sound like a small detail, a pair of animated eyes stops right above the lettering, drawing attention to that part of the frame.

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Played Overcooked to death? Still got friends? Coop chaos Moving Out is a free game on Epic now

Darren Allan | Gaming | Oct 25, 2024 9:23 AM CDT

If you enjoyed the Overcooked series of games - we certainly did when we played them with our wife, they're a real laugh, and surprisingly addictive - then you might want to check out the latest free game from the Epic store.

Played Overcooked to death? Still got friends? Coop chaos Moving Out is a free game on Epic now

Moving Out is in a similar vein to Overcooked, a top-down (isometric) party game which is all about tapping a rich vein of chaos, and is accessibly casual by nature. Here, though, instead of trying to cook, you are attempting to move house.

It's a couch coop affair - literally, in that you'll spend some time shuffling around with couches, trying to negotiate tight corners - and one with a sense of humor. Here, you are no mere 'mover' but a 'furniture arrangement and relocation technician' working for the 'Smooth Moves' company.

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Continue reading: Played Overcooked to death? Still got friends? Coop chaos Moving Out is a free game on Epic now (full post)

Capcom reveals Rompopolo in Monster Hunter Wilds - the most horrific monster ever in PC gaming?

Darren Allan | Gaming | Oct 25, 2024 8:31 AM CDT

A new grotesque creation that's part of Monster Hunter Wilds has been spotted, and it surely qualifies as one of the most repugnant beasts ever rendered on a PC or console.

Capcom reveals Rompopolo in Monster Hunter Wilds - the most horrific monster ever in PC gaming?

PC Gamer spotted the skin-crawling revelation of the Rompopolo, a sickly-looking, bulbous, purple Brute Wyvern which calls the Oilwell Basin home. Said basin is a sprawling and volcanic region, apparently, featuring oil lakes and tar pits - and it looks like the Rompopolo has been fed a diet of Boscan crude oil from birth.

As Capcom warns in a post on X:

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Continue reading: Capcom reveals Rompopolo in Monster Hunter Wilds - the most horrific monster ever in PC gaming? (full post)

TT Show Episode 57 - AMD's next-gen Ryzen X3D chips, the PS5 Pro's secret weapon, and more

Kosta Andreadis | TweakTown | Oct 25, 2024 6:19 AM CDT

This week on The TT Show, Jak and Kosta discuss the latest in PC and gaming hardware, science, and more. The discussion begins with a look at Apple's new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Mini models powered by the latest M4 chip and how it might only present an incremental update instead of a generational leap forward.

TT Show Episode 57 - AMD's next-gen Ryzen X3D chips, the PS5 Pro's secret weapon, and more

Switching gears to the incremental update that is the PlayStation 5 Pro, it sounds like the console has a secret weapon in the form of the AI-powered PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which brings a little bit of that NVIDIA DLSS magic to the world of console gaming. Compared to AMD's FSR 3.1, which is available for consoles, there's a night and day difference in image quality - with PSSR making everything it touches look better. And it's exclusive to the PS5 Pro.

Next, the discussion shifts to the world of handhelds, with everything from Valve providing an update on the Steam Deck 2 to leaks for Nintendo's new online Pokemon game. Plus, an in-depth look at the surprise playtest for a Minecraft and Roblox-style massive MMO for the Switch developed by Nintendo.

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Continue reading: TT Show Episode 57 - AMD's next-gen Ryzen X3D chips, the PS5 Pro's secret weapon, and more (full post)

OpenAI senior safety staffer leaves company to write unbiased warning about coming AI

Jak Connor | Artificial Intelligence | Oct 25, 2024 3:31 AM CDT

OpenAI has suffered yet another blow, as a senior staffer in the company's AGI Readiness team, a team dedicated to advising OpenAI on the impact of the powerful AI models it's creating and how ready the world is for them, has left the company. This was promptly followed by a warning published to the former OpenAI's staffer's Substack account.

OpenAI senior safety staffer leaves company to write unbiased warning about coming AI

The former OpenAI senior staffer is Miles Brundage, who, as of Friday this week, will no longer be working at OpenAI's AGI Readiness team. For those that don't know, AGI stands for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which is the description of an AI model with the same level of cognitive abilities as a human across all fields. This level of sophistication has yet to be fully achieved, but given the potential impact of such a system coming online or potentially falling into the wrong hands, guardrail teams such as the AGI Readiness team were formed.

However, Brundage states in his post that OpenAI has "gaps" in its readiness policy, but they aren't alone in this problem as every other AI lab also does. According to Brundage, OpenAI, and any other AI company, along with the world, isn't ready for AGI. Additionally, the post by the former OpenAI staffer revealed his departure triggered a complete disbanding of the AGI Readiness team, which comes at a time when OpenAI is attempting an internal restructuring into a for-profit business.

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Microsoft CEO responds to rumors Xbox paused game ports for PlayStation and Switch

Jak Connor | Gaming | Oct 25, 2024 2:45 AM CDT

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has taken to his personal LinkedIn account to post his annual letter detailing Microsoft's current position and where it wants to be in the future in relation to where it is now.

Microsoft CEO responds to rumors Xbox paused game ports for PlayStation and Switch

Nadella covered everything from AI, infrastructure, Microsoft's achievements, and where the company is striving towards, and throughout the letter, the CEO touched on Microsoft's perspective on gaming. It was only recently that rumors began spreading that Microsoft was squeezing the breaks on its initial plan to bring Xbox games over to other platforms, such as the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. These rumors came from Spanish insider "eXtas1s," but have now been proven incorrect given Nadella's recent letter.

According to Microsoft's CEO, the company will "continue to extend our content to new platforms," while mentioning the four trial titles that have already received ports - Grounded, Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves. Nadella also mentions Microsoft's recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard and how it now has brought "hundreds of millions of players" to Microsoft's gaming ecosystem. Moreover, Nadella reveals Microsoft now has control over "20 franchises that have generated over $1 billion in lifetime revenue".

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Continue reading: Microsoft CEO responds to rumors Xbox paused game ports for PlayStation and Switch (full post)

250-year-old lost city discovered in Amazon rainforest by advanced technology

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Oct 25, 2024 1:45 AM CDT

As technology advances and becomes more sophisticated, researchers are able to view the world differently, revealing aspects of it that have previously gone unnoticed.

250-year-old lost city discovered in Amazon rainforest by advanced technology

An example of that is the recent discovery of a 250-year-old lost city within Brazil's Amazon rainforest, which Brazil's Metropoles publication has detailed in a recent report. According to the news site the team of archaeologist was led by University of Sao Paulo archaeologist Eduardo Neves, and the discover was made possible through the use of advanced sensing technology called Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR.

This form of remote sensing uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges. The light is fired by a laser within the instrument and then it measures the time it takes for the reflected light to return back to the receiver. With these measurements, researchers are able to produce a high-resolution 3D image or map of the targeted area. The researchers took advantage of Brazil's National Space Researchers Institute's LiDAR equipment and flew over a swath of the Amazon rainforest, scanning as they went.

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Researchers discover origins for the majority of meteorites that have hit Earth

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Oct 25, 2024 1:16 AM CDT

A team of international researchers has discovered that the vast majority of the asteroids that collide with Earth come from just three families of asteroids, which can all be traced back to a cataclysmic event approximately 40 million years ago.

Researchers discover origins for the majority of meteorites that have hit Earth

A new paper that has been published in the scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, along with two other papers recently published in Nature, outlines that 70% of all known meteorites, asteroids that make it to the surface of Earth, come from the following asteroid families: Karin, Koronos, and Massalia. These families were formed approximately at different times, such as Karin five million years ago, Koronos at seven million, and Massalia at forty million. Notably, Massalia was the source for 37% of all known meteorites.

These asteroid families formed in our solar system's main asteroid belt, which is located some 700 million miles from Earth. As for the meteorites discovered on Earth, cataclysmic events caused by collisions with other asteroids within the asteroid belt resulted in fragments of asteroids being scattered into the solar system. Researchers used simulations to rewind the clock on some of the discovered meteorites and found the source of their origin.

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Razer Barracuda X Chroma announced - lightweight gaming and on-the-go audio, now with RGB

Kosta Andreadis | Audio | Oct 25, 2024 12:33 AM CDT

The new Razer Barracuda X Chroma edition adds color to the company's most popular wireless gaming headsets. With Razer Chroma RGB, this new headset includes six customizable lighting zones with seamless integration and over 300 games.

Razer Barracuda X Chroma announced - lightweight gaming and on-the-go audio, now with RGB

According to Razer, adding RGB lighting to the headset stems from community feedback that asked for more "visually immersive features." This extends to Razer's interactive wallpaper Axiom software, which is being updated to include music-responsive wallpapers co-developed with its partners that will sync up with the new headset.

Outside of the new RGB action, the Razer Barracuda X Chroma edition is still a gaming and lifestyle headset. It supports low-latency wireless audio over Razer HyperSpeed with Bluetooth for on-the-go listening.

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Continue reading: Razer Barracuda X Chroma announced - lightweight gaming and on-the-go audio, now with RGB (full post)

AYANEO 3 handheld teased, and it's 'not a simple upgrade' but a 'new direction' for the company

Kosta Andreadis | Computer Systems | Oct 24, 2024 11:59 PM CDT

AYANEO has been creating highly sought-after portable gaming handhelds and mini PCs for several years - and it feels like the company is always cooking up something tasty. Its products aren't exclusively Windows PC-based; the upcoming Android-based AYANEO Pocket EVO sports a 120 Hz 1080p OLED display powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 Gaming Platform.

AYANEO 3 handheld teased, and it's 'not a simple upgrade' but a 'new direction' for the company

The AYANEO Pocket EVO looks incredible, and its stunning design could make it the portable Android device of choice for gamers. But, the company has something else in the works - a brand-new flagship with the codename AYANEO 3. This is the company's new flagship gaming handheld and its third-gen product in this category.

Although we don't have any official looks at the handheld or its technical specifications, that hasn't stopped AYANEO from going all out to hype this thing. The AYANEO 3 will present a "technological leap" forward for gaming handhelds, but it "aims to change the way we interact with games."

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Steam Deck's new SteamOS 3.6.19 update is a must; it boosts performance and battery life

Kosta Andreadis | Computer Systems | Oct 24, 2024 11:26 PM CDT

SteamOS 3.6.19 is Valve's latest Stable Release of the operating system, which is available on its Steam Deck line of gaming handhelds. And it's a pretty big one, so be sure to update if you've got a Deck. It updates the OS to the more recent Arch Linux base and the Linux kernel to version 6.5 for improved performance, stability, security, and compatibility.

Steam Deck's new SteamOS 3.6.19 update is a must; it boosts performance and battery life

The patch notes for the update are at the end of this article. There's a lot of ground to cover, so we'll give you the highlights. The big one for PC gamers is the new Mesa 24.1 graphics driver, which brings overall improvements to game performance, faster boost times for the handheld, and a more responsive Steam UI.

The presentation has also improved with brightness uniformity for the display and improved color balance at lower brightness levels. Battery life while gaming is also improving specifically for Steam Deck OLED owners, thanks to the latest SteamOS release plugging a 'memory leak.'

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Continue reading: Steam Deck's new SteamOS 3.6.19 update is a must; it boosts performance and battery life (full post)

Ryzen 9800X3D benchmarks show up to a 20% performance jump over 7800X3D

Kosta Andreadis | Processors | Oct 24, 2024 10:58 PM CDT

The eight-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D is expected to debut on November 7, and it will be the first Zen 5 X3D chip aimed squarely at PC gamers. After the somewhat disappointing gaming performance of the non-X3D Ryzen 9000 Series and Intel's new Core Ultra 200 Series also proving to be 'not ideal' for gamers, there's a lot of pressure on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to deliver.

Ryzen 9800X3D benchmarks show up to a 20% performance jump over 7800X3D

According to a leak we reported earlier today, citing AMD's official press release for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D that has yet to be seen, Team Red is calling the 9800X3D's gaming performance a 'strong generational boost' compared to the 7800X3D. However, it's only around an 8% improvement, which isn't exactly earth-shattering.

However, when it comes to non-gaming workloads, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D does look like it will deliver a 'strong generational' performance boost, as seen in these two new Geekbench benchmark results posted to the official site.

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Continue reading: Ryzen 9800X3D benchmarks show up to a 20% performance jump over 7800X3D (full post)

Xbox has 20 video game franchises that have earned $1 billion

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Oct 24, 2024 10:33 PM CDT

Microsoft officially confirms that it has 20 video game franchises that have each grossed $1 billion in game sales and microtransactions.

Xbox has 20 video game franchises that have earned $1 billion

A year ago, after Microsoft closed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, we attempted to wrangle up the top billion-dollar franchises that Xbox now owns. After all, Activision had a total of 8x separate franchises that each earned over $1 billion in revenue before the Microsoft buyout. Matching that up with other games in Microsoft's already-sizable first-party lineup, we came up with the number 17.

That number is actually a bit higher. In a recent annual report filing, Microsoft says that it owns 20 billion-dollar gaming franchises.

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Continue reading: Xbox has 20 video game franchises that have earned $1 billion (full post)

Denuvo rep calls PC gamers 'very toxic' and misinformed when it comes to its DRM software

Kosta Andreadis | Gaming | Oct 24, 2024 8:58 PM CDT

"You just need to check out Steam forums, for example. Very toxic, very hostile environment." That's Denuvo's product manager, Andreas Ullmann, speaking with Rock Paper Shotgun about the perception surrounding his company's anti-cheat and anti-piracy software.

Denuvo rep calls PC gamers 'very toxic' and misinformed when it comes to its DRM software

If you're a hardcore PC gamer, you're probably aware of Denuvo's anti-piracy software, which developers and publishers integrate into releases to combat piracy and maximize profits. Final Fantasy XVI and Black Myth: Wukong are two recent examples of games with Denuvo's anti-piracy software, with the general perception that Denuvo impacts performance. Or worse, it destroys SSDs.

"We simply don't want to leave the floor to these people who are posting all things about us anymore," Andreas Ullmann adds. "We also want to share our view, our opinion on these topics, and also act as a trusted source of information."

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Continue reading: Denuvo rep calls PC gamers 'very toxic' and misinformed when it comes to its DRM software (full post)

Microsoft's DirectSR tool updated to support AMD FSR 3.1 for easy game integration

Kosta Andreadis | Gaming | Oct 24, 2024 8:33 PM CDT

Microsoft's DirectSR, from the DirectX team, is a tool developed in partnership with AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA to help game developers integrate all of the various upscaling methods into their games.

Microsoft's DirectSR tool updated to support AMD FSR 3.1 for easy game integration

With support for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), Intel XeSS, and NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution, the technology breaks upscaling down to a standard set of inputs and outputs that can then be called upon by DLSS, FSR, and XeSS. Upscaling works, generally speaking, by using frame information broken down into pixels and motion vector data for moving objects to create a higher-resolution image.

Upscaling methods employ different algorithms and tech to achieve the same result - an impressive AI model on the NVIDIA DLSS side and an open-source algorithm on the AMD FSR side - but the inputs are the same.

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Continue reading: Microsoft's DirectSR tool updated to support AMD FSR 3.1 for easy game integration (full post)

The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 have been updated for PS5 Pro

Kosta Andreadis | Gaming | Oct 24, 2024 7:57 PM CDT

The PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony's mid-generation refresh and beefed-up PS5 console is on track for a November 7 launch. With the release right around the corner, games are already starting to receive their 'PS5 Pro Enhanced' updates - including two of the biggest games from acclaimed first-party PlayStation Studio Naughty Dog.

The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 have been updated for PS5 Pro

Both The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered have received new updates, introducing a brand-new 'Pro' mode for each game. As outlined in the patch notes, both 'Pro' modes will be identical - they will render the game at 1440p, with PSSR upscaling increasing the resolution to 4K 'while maintaining a target of 60 FPS.'

The new 'Pro' mode joins the Performance and Fidelity modes as a third option. However, based on early reports, it's assumed that the Pro mode will be similar to the existing 30 FPS Fidelity mode on the base PS5, at 60 FPS.

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Continue reading: The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 have been updated for PS5 Pro (full post)

Joe Rogan to host President Donald Trump on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on October 25

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Oct 24, 2024 7:19 PM CDT

Joe Rogan is hosting President Donald Trump on the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast on Friday, October 25... in around 24 hours from now.

Joe Rogan to host President Donald Trump on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on October 25

In a new post which was then pinned on X, it simply said "Here we go! 🇺🇸 @realDonaldTrump" with a picture of Joe Rogan and Donald Trump, with "Trump on JRE. Friday Oct 25th". President Trump hasn't been on Joe Rogan's podcast, and just days before the November 5 election, what a time for DJT and his first JRE podcast.

President Trump has been non-stop for months now, on multiple podcasts, shows, riding in gifted Cybertrucks from Kick streamer Adin Ross, a hugely successful chat with Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk, and more. But, the JRE podcast and a huge multi-hour chat between Joe Rogan and President Trump just days out from the November 5 election is going to be quite the show. It kicks off on October 25, so we have less than 24 hours to wait.

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Continue reading: Joe Rogan to host President Donald Trump on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on October 25 (full post)

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