An Apparent Ransomware Hack Puts the NRA in a Bind

The group behind the reported attack is under sanctions from the US Treasury, which means a payout could come with penalties for the victim.

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It's Time to Bring Back Enemy Mine

Barry Longyear's novella was adapted into a lackluster film in 1985. It's due for a reboot.

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The Best Pizza Ovens to Make the Perfect Slice

In times of trouble, our nation turns to carbs. We picked our favorite portable ovens for backyards, countertops, or camping.

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The Best Accessories for Your New PlayStation 5

From backup controllers to full-on sound systems, here are our favorite complements to your PS5.

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A Deadly Microbe Mystery Leads to a Spray Sold at Walmart

A series of puzzling infections has been traced to the presence of a dangerous bacterium in an aromatherapy spray.

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Before Going Meta, Mark Zuckerberg Must Fix Facebook

Plus: The great Pamela McCorduck, the future of Apple products, and yet another crazy weather event.

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Everyone Needs Dune Memes This Week

As if the internet wasn’t spicy enough.

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Island Nations Unable to Attend UN Climate Talks May Vanish

Countries that will likely be destroyed by rising sea levels are at risk of having the smallest voice at a critical moment.

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Let’s Dive Into the Metaverse. Don’t Forget Your Goggles

This week, we discuss the company formerly known as Facebook’s vision for the VR-powered hyperreality of the future.

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17 Holiday Gifts for Your Stressed Best Friend

Relaxing means something different to everyone. From meditation tools to silky robes, these ideas are sure to please.

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Oh, This Game Set in Latin America Has a Coup? How Original

From '80s arcade titles to Far Cry 6, video games have rehashed the same stereotypes of regimes and corruption.

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The Apple Watch Series 7 Isn’t a Huge Upgrade, but That’s OK

This new iterative smartwatch focuses on biking, and the battery life still stinks.

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New England’s Moose Are Losing the Fight Against Winter Ticks

Climate change has given a tiny parasite a new advantage over the mighty beasts.

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Stripe Discriminates Against Witches

Payment processing companies decide who is empowered to buy and sell online—and their policies show a gross misunderstanding of metaphysical practitioners.

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Look Over Here, Kids, It’s the Metaverse

Facebook’s vision for the future of computing comes with some shiny new branding.

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Facebook’s Name Change Goes Meta

Mark Zuckerberg would like you to call his troubled company something else now.

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Jupiter's Great Red Spot Extends Deep into the Gas Giant

Scientists used NASA’s Juno spacecraft to probe the massive storm, finding that it’s not as shallow as previously thought.

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California Condors Are Capable of Asexual Reproduction

A new study shows that two captive birds had only maternal DNA and survived early development—a first for the critically endangered species.

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Yoko Taro Foresees the End of Video Games As We Know Them

The mind behind iconic titles like Nier: Automata and Drakengard tells WIRED about his inspirations—and how AI plays a role in the future of game design.

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The Genius Behind the Best Metaverse Twitter Thread

Kathryn Yu’s homework is the best thing you’ll read this week.

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Which Google Pixel Phone (and Gear) Should You Buy?

Here's a guide to all the models—plus case recommendations and hidden software tricks to try.

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9 Free Streaming Services to Save You From Subscription Hell

You may not have heard of Tubi, Pluto TV, or Kanopy—but they’re the perfect cure for subscriber fatigue.

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This Program Can Give AI a Sense of Ethics—Sometimes

Researchers trained an algorithm to answer questions about human values. Some of the responses are troubling.

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Climate Stress Was Getting Me Down, So I Made a Clicker Game

In the game, you start as a lowly atmospheric scientist and you have to click “write grant” and wait.

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MacOS Monterey Is Here. These Are the Top New Features

We break down how to install the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system, including some perks that will only work on M1-powered Macs.

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8 Great Deals on Wireless Earbuds, Smartwatches, and More

Squeeze in some outdoor workouts with a nice pair of buds and a wearable to follow your metrics.

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The Pixel 6 Chip’s Best Upgrade Isn’t Speed. It’s Security

Google’s new flagship smartphone is its most secure yet, thanks to a little vertical integration.

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A Strange Radio Signal Was Just From Earth, Not Aliens

Astronomers with the Breakthrough Listen project scan the sky for signs of extraterrestrial life, but a promising lead turned out to be a false alarm.

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Blind People Have Won the Right to Break Ebook DRM—for Now

Advocates will once again be granted a DMCA exception to make accessible versions of texts. They argue that it's far past time to make it permanent.

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Biden's FCC Picks Are a 'Dream Team' for Broadband Advocates

The president's long-awaited nominees are strong proponents of narrowing the digital divide and restoring net neutrality rules.

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The Best Mesh Wi-Fi Routers

Forget about that patchy internet connection and dead spots with one of these WIRED-tested systems.

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Our 9 Favorite Gaming Headsets for Every System

A simple wired headset will lend depth and drama to your gameplay, no matter which console or device you have.

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What Is Critical Race Theory? Start Here

With CRT at the forefront of national debate, these free online resources will bring you up to speed.

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Are Green Jet Fuels Finally Ready for Takeoff?

A first commercial test flight shows how fuel made from plants, not petroleum, could make flying cleaner.

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The Grand Theft Auto III Radio Commercials Are Still Awesome

It’s been 20 years since they first hit the digital airwaves. Here’s how they came to be part of the series’ legacy.

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How to Use Android Recovery Mode

Having problems with your Android phone or tablet? Recovery mode could be the answer.

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This AI Predicts How Old Children Are. Can It Keep Them Safe?

Yoti’s tech may be enticing for Big Tech companies: It works out if you’re under or over 13, the age most social media platforms require to create an account.

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Dark Web Drug Busts Lead to 150 Arrests

Operation Dark HunTor spanned eight countries—and put the focus on sellers more than marketplaces.

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iOS 15 Is Here. Here Are All the Top New Features

The iOS 15.1 update adds the long-awaited SharePlay function, allowing you to listen to music or watch movies with others using FaceTime.

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10 Video Game Series That Deserve to Be Resurrected

From Legacy of Kain to Silent Hill, these franchises were killed off too soon.

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This AI Resurrects Ancient Board Games—and Lets You Play Them

What tabletop games did our ancestors play in 1000 BC? A new research project wants to find out, and make them playable online too.

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The Future Is Bleak. Pondering Pangaea Gives Me Hope

In 200 million years, our far-flung continents may join up again. It reminds us of humans' tiny place in this intergalactic drama.

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Tips on How to Snag a PlayStation 5 (Good Luck!)

A year after launch, Sony's latest console is still difficult to find. We've got some tips on how to score one.

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‘My Body Is Used to Design Military Tech’

The prosthetics industry and military have a long history that doesn’t serve most people with limb difference. It’s time for a justice-oriented approach.

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Satellites Can Spy a Menace in West Africa: Invasive Flowers

Spacecraft help researchers monitor environmental problems on Earth, like the overgrowth of non-native species and deforestation.

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These Are the 9 Android Phones Worth Buying

Shopping for a new phone can be an ordeal. Let us take some of the pain out of it with these picks and tips.

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China Targets Extreme Internet Fandoms in a New Crackdown

Measures aimed at influencer and celebrity culture will reach into the screens of young people.

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This Groundbreaking Simulator Generates a Huge Indoor Ocean

It’s a 32,000-gallon concrete tank with a wind tunnel grafted on top. With it, researchers can study the seas—and climate change—like never before.

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Age of Empires IV Is a Solid Strategy Game Stuck in the Past

It’s the perfect introduction to Age for new players, but veterans may be underwhelmed by its campaign offerings.

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In 'Termination Shock,' Neal Stephenson Finally Takes on Global Warming

The renowned author says his genre should inspire solutions. In his new novel, he tackles our most existential crisis.

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The Best Wireless Gaming Headsets for Every Kind of Player

These battery-powered headsets will serve you well whether you're chatting with teammates in Fortnite, friends in Discord, or coworkers in Zoom.

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Google’s $599 Pixel 6 Raises the Bar for All Smartphones

From the top-end hardware to the improved image processing for people with darker skin, it’s hard not to love the company’s latest Android phones.

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The Best VPNs to Protect Yourself Online

It won’t solve all of your privacy problems, but a virtual private network can help make you a less tempting target for hackers.

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Age of Empires IV and Real-Time Strategy Games' Rocky History

If the genre is to return to its former glory, it needs to do more than tweak the formula that made it successful two decades ago.

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Inside the Facebook Papers

A WIRED series dives into thousands of internal documents, showing a company rife with issues that it largely failed to address.

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How Dune’s VFX and Sound Teams Made Sandworms From Scratch

The visual effects team invented a process called “sandscreen” to produce epic desert shots. Another group made the worms sound more like god than Godzilla.

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How to Fix Facebook, According to Its Own Employees

Internal research documents provide a blueprint for solving the company’s biggest problems.

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Facebook Is Everywhere; Its Moderation Is Nowhere Close

Human reviewers and AI filters struggle to police the flood of content—or understand the nuances in different Arabic dialects.

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Facebook Failed the People Who Tried to Improve It

The “badge posts” of the company's former researchers offer the parting thoughts of the disillusioned.

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A Cosmic Ray Event Pinpoints the Viking Landing in Canada

The celestial storm produced carbon-14 atoms found in the rings of a tree felled by Norse explorers, proving they made it to North America 1,000 years ago.

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Age of Empires IV Wants to Teach You a Lesson

Can a video game be historically accurate? The team behind the iconic series wanted to give it a try.

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Want a Better PC? Try Building Your Own

Assembling a computer yourself is a good way to learn about how it works.

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‘Bluewashing’ Seafood Won’t Make the World More Green

Recent public messaging encouraging people to eat more seafood conveniently omits information about the environmental impact of fishing.

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Power Up Anywhere With Our Favorite Portable Chargers

Keep your phone, tablet, laptop, and other electronics running with these handheld power banks.

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How Wavelets Let Researchers Transform and Understand Data

Built upon the ubiquitous Fourier transform, these mathematical tools allow unprecedented analysis of continuous signals.

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My Kids Can Take Family Anywhere With Facebook's Portal Go

This portable, dedicated videophone is convenient and comfortable to use, and makes a life lived onscreen slightly easier.

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11 Security Settings You Should Know About in Windows 11

Microsoft has rolled out its most secure operating system yet. Here's how to make the most of it.

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The Best Reusable Water Bottles To Ditch Single-Use Plastics

Forget those one-and-done landfill cloggers. Upgrade your hydration with these insulated and non-insulated alternatives.

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International Operation Knocks Notorious REvil Group Offline

Plus: Data theft in Argentina, a Sinclair Broadcast Group hack, and more of the week’s top security news.

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This Prairie Grassland Project Collects Native Seeds

Young members of the Fort Belknap Indian Community are learning how to identify and save local grasses as part of an effort to restore the land.

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EVE Online Gamers Role-Play as Covid-19 Researchers

A citizen science project based in this MMO space opera has saved scientists almost 500 years of mind-numbing data crunching.

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The 14 Best Deals on iPads, Phones, TVs, and More

Every retailer thinks it's already time for post-Thanksgiving sales. Get your holiday shopping done early with scores on all the electronics on your list.

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How to Find a Halloween Costume in Another Bizarre Year

Should you match your mask? Can you thrift online? Here are our tips for buying or making costumes, including adaptable and accessible ones.

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New Booster Approvals, Data on Kids' Shots, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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These Early Black Friday Deals Have a Special Perk

This sale on WIRED-approved headphones, TVs, and phones has a pricing guarantee: If the price dips further before Black Friday, Best Buy will pay you the difference.

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The Battle Over Dungeons & Dragons Was the Ultimate Geek War

Following the success of the game in the 1970s designers Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson found themselves in a long battle over who should be considered its true creator.

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A Look Inside Apple's Silicon Playbook

Plus: The infamous 2016 Macbook Pro, Gödel’s ontological proof, and a mascot’s moment of weakness.

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The Troubled Fate of Y: The Last Man

It took more than a decade to get the comics series adapted. Now it’s been canceled before even finishing its first season.

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15 Smart Gifts to Upgrade Your Beauty Routine

Give your loved ones the gift of feeling fabulous with these cosmetic tools and sets.

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Ranting and Raving About the New Apple and Google Hardware

This week, we critique—and praise!—the new MacBook Pro models and the Pixel 6, both of which just landed in our laps.

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If Clouds Are Made of Water, How Do They Stay in the Air?

Despite the conventional wisdom, they don’t really float.

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I Used Facebook Without the Algorithm, and You Can Too

Making your News Feed chronological is an enlightening look at what's really happening on the platform.

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Considering a MacBook? Here Are Our Favorites

Apple’s laptops are expensive, and you’ll have to make some hard choices to pick the right one. Let us help.

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New Sex Toy Standards Let Some Sensitive Details Slide

The industry now has official guidance on design, materials, and more, but not security and privacy best practices.

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Dystopia Is Upon Us. Are You Ready?

From constant surveillance to algorithms that decide what we see, society is entering territory reserved for fictional dystopias. Here's how to push back.

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Acer's Swift 3 Laptop Is Our Best All-Around Affordable Pick

The Acer Swift 3's chip update and long-lived battery makes it one of the best affordable all-around laptops.

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Join Us for This Year’s RE:WIRED Celebration

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, digital artist Beeple, scholar Timnit Gebru, actor John Cho, and more will discuss some of the biggest challenges facing humanity.

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You Can Get This Free Crypto—If the ‘Orb’ Scans Your Eye

Worldcoin’s backers see it as a potential first step to a universal basic income.

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The Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Home

Next time you stock up on supplies, consider these green cleaning alternatives.

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States Are Toughening Up on Genetic Privacy

California’s SB 41 is the latest to tighten regulations on the sensitive data collected by companies like 23andMe or Ancestry.

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Tinder Thinks Love Has No Borders—Even in the West Bank

Technology companies like to operate as though their products transcend geopolitics. Swiping right from Israel and Palestine proves otherwise.

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Evolve's Powerful New Electric Skateboard Is Terrifyingly Fun

This pricey electric skateboard crushes steep hills, has a satisfying range, and goes very fast. Just make sure to wear protective gear.

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This Protein Predicts a Brain’s Future After Traumatic Injury

A blood test of “NfL” proteins answers questions about damage severity that doctors—and families—desperately need.

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13 Creepy Games to Get Your Fright on for Halloween

Seeking thrills for the spookiest holiday of the year? These horror titles will haunt you.

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The ‘Broadband Gap’ Is Now a Housing Problem

Many people eligible for Covid-era rent assistance have trouble navigating a “tangled web” of agencies because they don't have reliable internet access.

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Live D&D Shows Are Inviting More Players to the Table

Actual play, or livestreams of tabletop RPG games, is exploding in popularity. It's also helping make the hobby more welcoming and inclusive.

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Dune Is an Exercise in Delayed Gratification

Denis Villeneuve’s take on Frank Herbert’s classic novel is a long time coming—and also incomplete.

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Facebook's Name Change Won’t Fix Anything

Can rebranding the company herald a fresh start? Experts, as you might guess, are skeptical.

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Microplastics May Be Cooling—and Heating—Earth’s Climate

Tiny bits of plastic are swirling in the sky, and a new model suggests they could be subtly affecting the climate.

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How Hackers Hijacked Thousands of YouTube Accounts

Google has shed light on a spate of attacks that turned creator channels into cryptocurrency scam livestreams.

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