GeezerVison is showing www.macrumors.com — MacRumors: Apple News and Rumors Apple on Tuesday abruptly placed the Apple Support Community into a read-only state and announced that the forums will be permanently closing on Friday, November 20. Those who contributed to the site — some for more than two decades — were blindsided by this decision and had no chance to post farewell messages.
Even if you felt the Apple Support Community contained too many generic or unhelpful answers from users trying to boost their post counts and earn points, the people volunteering their time to the site still deserved a proper goodbye.
Below, we have highlighted some of those people and their experiences.
Jeff Donald from Florida was a member of the Apple Support Community since November 2000, when the forums were still known as Apple Discussions. This past year, Apple recognized his efforts by inviting him to the Apple Community+ program, which launched in 2022 and provided members with a few extra perks and experiences.
Leroy Douglas was a member since July 2009. He said he was a bit shocked to see Apple's sudden announcement, but he saw the writing on the wall.
Here is a fun fact that you might not have known: In addition to English, Tobias Steen in Germany said there were also Apple Support Communities in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. For some reason, the French and German versions do not have closure notices, but we are told they will meet the same fate.
The forums brought together people of all ages, from 16-year-old Evan Bato Rousseau in France to 83-year-old Nobel Prize winner Sir Tim Hunt in England, who told us he found it to be a helpful resource, even if some of the answers were wonky.
John Daniel, the Canadian developer of macOS diagnostic tool EtreCheck, said he was active in the Apple Support Community for more than two decades. Users like him who reached "Level 6" or higher based on their contributions received access to The Lounge, a private category of forums where Apple employees sometimes participated.
Prior to 2020, John said Apple occasionally hosted in-person meetups for Support Community members, including a special visit to Apple Park.
"I don't agree with comments that so many are making about the Apple Support Community right now," he said, in response to those who described it as useless. "We regularly solved problems, identified significant issues with Apple projects, traced the cause of bugs and fixed them, and always learned new things. That's what I'm going to miss."
Elías Rojano Núñez of Chile participated in the Spanish forums. He told us that he found it deeply satisfying when he was able to help others, and he was saddened that the Spanish forums were shuttered without any advanced notice, but he is grateful for the opportunity that he had and will always value the interactions he had with fellow contributors.
Rojano Núñez shared a photo of some of the items he received from Apple over the years, including a 5-year Apple Support Community anniversary pin. There were also 10-year, 15-year, and 20-year pins. Over the years, merchandise given out included Apple-branded hats, shirts, tote bags, and even umbrellas once.
Whatever its shortcomings, the Apple Support Community was more than just a place to ask questions. For some, it was a place to belong.
To that, we say goodbye and thank you, not good riddance.
Apple employee Eric Chen Su was arrested and charged with suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter last week following a fatal collision near the intersection of North Tantau Avenue and Pruneridge Avenue, right next to the Apple Park Visitor Center, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Shortly after noon on Friday, Su was reportedly traveling between 90 and 100 miles per hour when he struck the back of a stopped vehicle occupied by a two-year-old girl and her babysitter, an adult woman. Both were seriously injured and transported to a nearby hospital, where tragically the child later died despite lifesaving efforts.
Su suffered minor injuries, according to authorities. His charges have since been upgraded to murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Apple responded to the incident in a statement shared with MacRumors today.
"Our hearts are broken by the tragic accident that happened outside of Apple Park Visitor Center," an Apple spokesperson said. "Our thoughts are with all of those grieving, and we are grateful for the care and support of the first responders."
Apple did not immediately respond when asked if the employee has been terminated or placed on leave. The case is now before the court.
The free Apple Invites app for the iPhone was updated today with two new features: hosts can now add polls to invitations so guests can vote on details such as a party's theme and food, and hosts can now add an "emoji effect" that floats across invitations.
Released in February 2025, the Apple Invites app makes it easy to invite people to events, such as birthday parties and baby showers. The ability to create an event in the app requires subscribing to an iCloud+ plan with at least 50GB of storage for $0.99 per month, but anyone who receives an event link can RSVP for free on any device.
Google has announced that a dedicated Gemini app on Apple CarPlay is rolling out around the world in several languages starting today, allowing you to have conversations with the AI assistant right from your vehicle's dashboard.
Gemini conversations on your iPhone automatically sync to CarPlay, so you can continue a previous conversation or start a new one.
For example, you can ask Gemini to "Give me my daily brief for today" and it can give you a personalized answer based on your information in apps such as Gmail and Google Calendar. Or if you are driving around and looking for a restaurant, you could ask "What's a quick lunch spot in downtown Austin that's easy to get in and out of?"
To get started, make sure you have the latest version of the Gemini app on your iPhone. Then, tap on the Gemini icon on CarPlay to start a conversation.
CarPlay gained support for voice-based conversational AI apps starting with iOS 26.4. AI apps that have already rolled out CarPlay support include OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, X's Grok, Microsoft's Copilot, Perplexity, and others. iOS 27 also added Siri AI support to CarPlay, complete with a Siri app.
Gemini was already available within the Google Maps app on CarPlay.
The Apple Watch Series 12's ceramic casing option is its most luxurious, offering a distinctive finish and highly scratch-resistant material at a price above both aluminum and titanium. Is it worth choosing?
The ceramic Apple Watch starts at $899, compared to $399 for aluminum and $699 for titanium. Available in Pearl White and Night Blue, it brings ceramic back to the lineup for the first time since the Series 5. It is aimed at buyers who want a more unusual and special Apple Watch, and are willing to pay for the material and appearance rather than additional features.
Pearl White is particularly distinctive, with a lustrous, nonmetallic finish unlike anything offered in aluminum or titanium. For earlier ceramic Apple Watch models, Apple described a manufacturing process that combined zirconia powder with alumina before molding the case, heating it to form a dense solid, and polishing it with a diamond slurry. That process produced the smooth surface and rich white appearance that helped make the ceramic Apple Watch Edition so distinctive.
The included band is part of that appeal. Apple pairs the ceramic watches with exclusive Sand and Navy Blue Sport Bands featuring ceramic pin-and-tuck closures that match their respective cases. The Sand band gives the Pearl White model a distinctive overall appearance, with the matching ceramic closure providing a detail absent from ordinary Sport Bands.
Ceramic also offers a different look when paired with other bands. Pearl White creates a striking contrast with darker rubber or woven bands, while Night Blue offers a more understated combination. Metal bracelets remain an option, although their connectors will contrast with the ceramic case; buyers who prefer a coordinated metallic appearance may favor titanium with a Link Bracelet or Milanese Loop.
Ceramic also offers a practical benefit beyond its appearance: resistance to cosmetic wear. Earlier ceramic Apple Watch models were known for cases that were exceptionally difficult to scratch, helping preserve their finish throughout years of use. Polished titanium can pick up visible surface scratches, so buyers concerned about their watch retaining its original appearance have a good reason to consider ceramic.
Ceramic can still chip or crack under forceful impact, even though it resists scratches very well. It is a luxury case material with useful durability characteristics, rather than a substitute for the Apple Watch Ultra's rugged design.
Like titanium, the ceramic Series 12 features a sapphire front crystal that is highly resistant to scratches. Aluminum models instead feature Ceramic Shield 2, which refers to the front cover rather than a ceramic case. Titanium provides sapphire for $200 less, but it does not replicate the ceramic casing's distinctive finish or material qualities.
The ceramic models also include cellular connectivity as standard, while aluminum models offer a choice of GPS or GPS and Cellular. The $500 difference between their starting prices therefore covers more than the case material and front crystal, although ceramic remains a substantial premium even when comparing equivalent configurations.
There is a compromise in weight and proportions. Ceramic models are larger and heavier than their aluminum and titanium counterparts, without providing a larger display. The larger ceramic model weighs 51.3 grams in Pearl White and 52.9 grams in Night Blue, compared to 44.9 grams for titanium.
Internally, the ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 offers the exact same chip, sensors, display technology, and battery life as the aluminum and titanium versions. It also starts at $100 more than the Apple Watch Ultra 4, despite the Ultra offering longer battery life and additional capabilities.
Aluminum remains the stronger choice for buyers focused on features and value, while titanium offers a premium metallic finish and sapphire crystal at a lower price. Ceramic is for buyers who place greater importance on the material, finish, and sense of wearing something more unusual. If Pearl White is the Apple Watch you particularly want, neither titanium nor the Apple Watch Ultra offers a comparable substitute, regardless of their practical advantages.
Do you think the ceramic Apple Watch models are worth buying? Let us know in the comments.
Samsung recently kicked off its own early Black Friday sale, offering big sitewide discounts on TVs, monitors, storage accessories, Galaxy smartphones and watches, home appliances, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Highlights from this event include quite a few models of The Frame TV on sale, including all-time low prices on The Frame Pro models. You can get the 2026 65-inch The Frame TV for $1,199.99 ($300 off), as well as the 85-inch The Frame Pro for $2,999.99 ($1,000 off).
Other deals include savings on monitors like the 32-inch Smart Monitor M9 for $1,299.99 ($300 off), the 27-inch Odyssey OLED G8 Gaming Monitor for $799.99 ($300 off), and more. We're also tracking big markdowns on home appliances including refrigerators and washer/dryers, and a few Galaxy device discounts.
TVs
- 85-inch Mini LED M80H Vision AI Smart TV - $1,099.99 ($500 off)
- 65-inch The Frame (2026) - $1,199.99 ($300 off)
- 65-inch The Frame Pro (2026) - $1,499.99 ($500 off)
- 65-inch OLED S95H Vision AI Smart TV - $2,299.99 ($1,100 off)
- 85-inch The Frame (2026) - $2,299.99 ($700 off)
- 85-inch The Frame Pro (2026) - $2,999.99 ($1,000 off)
- 75-inch Micro RGB Vision AI Smart TV - $3,499.99 ($1,000 off)
Monitors
Appliances
- Bespoke AI Smart Dishwasher - $999.00 ($400 off)
- Bespoke AI Laundry Hub Stacking Washer/Dryer - $1,999.00 ($700 off)
- Bespoke AI All-in-One Ventless Washer/Dryer Combo - $2,199.00 ($1,100 off)
- Bespoke AI 4-Door French Door Refrigerator - $2,199.00 ($1,200 off)
- Bespoke AI 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with Family Hub - $3,499.00 ($1,200 off)
- Bespoke AI 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with Family Hub - $3,599.00 ($1,400 off)
- Bespoke Combi Wall Oven Dual Convection/Air Fry - $3,699.00 ($1,550 off)
Soundbars
Galaxy Devices
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max placed first overall in a battery comparison of 32 smartphones, with other iPhone models leading individual tests and matching significantly more expensive devices.
CNET assessed each phone using two tests totaling three hours and 45 minutes. One measured battery consumption during three hours of video streaming over Wi-Fi at maximum screen brightness. The other combined video playback, video calls, gaming, and social media use over 45 minutes. Both began at 100% charge, and the publication averaged the remaining percentages to produce its overall rankings.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, each finished the mixed-use test with 99% remaining, sharing first place. Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL retained 97%, improving on the Pixel 10 Pro XL's 93% result in the same test.
The smaller iPhone 18 Pro delivered the strongest result in the video streaming test, retaining 94% of its charge after three hours. The iPhone 17 also performed well across both benchmarks, alongside Motorola's Razr and Razr Ultra models.
CNET credited the iPhone 18 Pro Max's overall lead to a battery capacity increase over the iPhone 17 Pro Max, combined with the A20 Pro chip's efficiency and iOS 27 optimizations.
Despite sharing first place in the mixed-use test, the $1,999 iPhone Duo tied for fourth overall. Its combined result matched the $699 iPhone 17e and $1,400 Motorola Razr Ultra, putting the less expensive iPhone alongside two foldable devices costing substantially more.
Apple also led CNET's comparison of average results by manufacturer for the second consecutive year. Only brands represented by multiple tested models were included, with OnePlus finishing second.
The broader findings were less indicative of an improvement across the industry. According to CNET, phones tested in 2026 had approximately the same average battery performance as those tested in 2025 and 2024. Larger batteries do not necessarily translate into longer use between charges, since displays, processors, and other features also affect power consumption.
The publication identified the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e among its better-value options for battery endurance. Beyond Apple's devices, the $500 Motorola Moto G Stylus and $600 Motorola Edge both reached the overall top 10.
One of the best early Black Friday deals has arrived, with Apple's AirTag 2 available for $69.99 on Amazon, down from $99.00. This deal is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's a match of the record low price for the accessory.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
We're also tracking a smaller deal on the AirTag 2 1-Pack, available for $23.00, down from $29.00. This is another record low price on the AirTag 2.
The new AirTag is equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling the Precision Finding feature to work up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model.
We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2026.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find during the holidays? You can sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple's rumored smart glasses and AirPods with cameras may have been referenced by Chinese manufacturing equipment supplier Quick Intelligent Equipment, according to a Securities Times report on the company's quarterly earnings briefing. The company claimed it has been involved in "Apple's AI glasses and new smart earphones projects," which could boost demand for its machine vision inspection equipment.
Apple is reportedly targeting a late 2027 launch for its first smart glasses, expected to help answer questions about the wearer's surroundings and translate languages. Apple is also reportedly developing AirPods with cameras, set to arrive alongside the 20th-anniversary iPhone.
One of Apple's accessibility features on iPhone can listen for important sounds around you, such as a doorbell, siren or alarm, and it sends you a notification when it hears one. The feature has been extended to Apple's new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 models, so the alert reaches your wrist even when your iPhone isn't with you.
It's especially useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but it has everyday uses too. If you wear noise-cancelling headphones while working and don't want to miss the doorbell – if you're expecting a delivery, for example – your Apple Watch can alert you.
Sounds Your Apple Watch Can Detect
Sound Recognition can detect the following 15 sounds. Any you switch on in the iPhone's Sounds list are also detected by your Apple Watch when "Detect using Apple Watch" is enabled:
- Fire Alarm
- Siren
- Smoke Alarm
- Cat
- Dog
- Appliances
- Car Horn
- Doorbell
- Door Knock
- Glass Breaking
- Kettle
- Water Running
- Baby Crying
- Coughing
- Shouting
If a sound isn't recognized automatically, you can also teach your iPhone a Custom Alarm or Custom Appliance or Doorbell from the same Sounds list.
What You'll Need
You'll need an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 paired with an iPhone 11 or later, or an iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), running iOS 27. If you already use Sound Recognition on your iPhone, it turns on automatically for your Apple Watch, so you may not need to do anything. Either way, here's how to set it up:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Accessibility.
- In the "Hearing" section, tap Sound & Name Recognition.
- Tap Sound Recognition and turn on the Sound Recognition toggle, then turn on Detect using Apple Watch.
- Tap Sounds and turn on the sounds you want to hear about, such as Doorbell. You can also choose a specific alert tone for each sound.
Apple says Sound Recognition is processed on your Apple Watch and iPhone and doesn't record or store audio. It shouldn't be treated as a safety system, though. You shouldn't rely on it in situations where you may be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation, per Apple's guidelines.
Apple chip supplier TSMC has announced board approval to invest up to $1 billion in AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic. The decision allows TSMC to buy up to $500 million of shares in each company. The board also authorized up to $500 million to create a company that will invest in semiconductor businesses and the wider industry.
TSMC manufactures Apple's custom chips, while OpenAI and Anthropic are developing processors of their own. The investments deepen TSMC's ties with companies that compete with Apple for its most advanced manufacturing capacity, as well as in the AI space more broadly. OpenAI is rumored to be working on hardware to rival Apple directly.
Apple today announced that the long-running Apple Support Community discussion forums will be permanently closing on Friday, November 20.
Effectively immediately, the Apple Support Community forums are in a read-only state, with new posts no longer being accepted. The final message posted to the site appears to have been submitted at 5:49 p.m. Pacific Time today.
There is still a sign-in button, but it leads to an internal portal for Apple's corporate employees.
Apple's full notice added to the site:
The Apple Support Community will permanently close on November 20, 2026. Starting today, the site will no longer accept new posts and is available in a read-only state.
You can continue to find trusted guidance and support on the official Apple Support site.
We want to thank the community members who have contributed their time and expertise to help others with their Apple products.
It is the end of an era. Apple offered an online discussion forum for user-to-user technical support since 1998, when it launched the Apple Tech Exchange. The forums were renamed to Apple Discussions in 2000, and then to the Apple Support Communities in 2011, before taking on their current Apple Support Community name in 2022.
Apple informed MacRumors that it decided to sunset the Apple Support Community after a careful evaluation of strategy and customer needs.
Alternatives to the Apple Support Community include the MacRumors Forums and Reddit, and customers can continue to contact Apple Support.
Apple this week updated its homepage in the U.S. and other countries to start promoting holiday gift suggestions as the shopping season approaches.
The website has colorful, festive imagery featuring Apple devices, along with suggestions on what you can buy for your loved ones and friends.
Apple's top highlighted products are its newest devices:
Apple also suggests personalized gifts that can be engraved, like the AirPods Pro 3, AirTags, and iPad. The company suggests you can pick out an Apple Watch and band to match their style, or customize a Mac by choosing the chip, memory, storage, and color.
There are new holiday accessories Apple is promoting in pink, navy, gray, purple, light blue, and yellow (though Apple calls it green). The blues, yellow, and pink match the low-cost MacBook Neo. Accessories are from frequent Apple collaborators like Tech21, Herschel, Mophie, and Belkin.
If you want to gift someone an Apple device or accessory, it might be best to wait. Apple is expected to hold its annual Black Friday shopping event, and in past years, it's offered gift cards up to $250 with device purchases. Retailers are also offering discounts on Apple products, including some of the newest releases. You can see all the discounts in our Black Friday roundup, which we'll keep up to date as the big shopping event approaches.
Apple's extended return policy started last Friday, so you can buy gifts now and the recipient will still be eligible to return them in January. Most products sold in Apple Stores and the online Apple Store are eligible for the extended return period.
Three contract workers died on Monday at a factory owned by Indian Apple supplier Tata Electronics, reports Reuters. The facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, manufactures components for the iPhone.
The workers were performing maintenance at a wastewater treatment plant at the Tata facility when they inhaled gas while inspecting a nano-filtration tank. The plant was operated by Nalco Water, and the workers were employed by a subcontractor.
Apple, Tata Electronics, and state officials will look into the incident, with Apple sending a "team" to assist in the investigation.
Back in 2024, the same facility had a fire in a chemical storage area, with production disrupted for several days. Tata Electronics was also the target of a cyberattack earlier this year, with hackers stealing confidential Apple files.
Some iCloud services are experiencing an outage, according to Apple's System Status page. iCloud Calendar, iCloud Contacts, iCloud Mail, iWork for iCloud, and Game Center are affected.
Apple says some users are experiencing issues with the services. The outage began at 5:49 p.m. Eastern Time.
Find My is also having problems and Apple says it may be slow or unavailable.
We'll update this article when the services are back online.
Update: As of 7:22 p.m. ET, the iCloud Mail, iCloud Calendar, and iCloud Contacts outages are listed as resolved. Photos and iCloud sign-in are now experiencing issues.
Apple's Claris subsidiary is testing an app called Harbor, which turns Apple silicon Macs into a private AI server.
Harbor works with a single Apple silicon Mac, but it also supports connecting multiple Mac computers over Thunderbolt 5 to pool unified memory for larger models. Apple added RDMA over Thunderbolt 5 with macOS Tahoe 26.2, making clustering faster.
Harbor detects devices connected over Thunderbolt 5 and lets users browse for, download, and load open-weight models. It's described as an easy-to-use app with no manual configuration required.
Harbor turns your Mac into a private AI inference server. Run open-weight models locally on Apple silicon—your data never leaves your hardware, and nothing reaches the cloud. Connect multiple Mac computers over Thunderbolt 5 to pool unified memory, enabling large models and higher concurrency than a single computer can handle alone.
Set up in minutes, not hours. Harbor automatically detects your devices over Thunderbolt 5 to form a cluster. Plug in, start, and you're running—no manual configuration, no command line, no infrastructure expertise required.
Download and run models directly. Browse, download, and load open-weight models from within the app. Harbor handles model management so you can focus on the work, not the setup.
Cluster for scale. Connect two or more Thunderbolt 5-capable Mac computers and Harbor pools their unified memory into a single inference resource. Run models that exceed any single computer's capacity, or serve more concurrent requests across your cluster.
Harbor is in early access and is not publicly available. There was an App Store listing, but it has now been removed.
Claris is known for its database platform FileMaker, which is aimed at businesses, so it isn't clear how Apple will market the Harbor app or whether it will be free. The sign-up page for Harbor asks for a company name, which suggests more of a business focus.
There are already well-known, free alternatives for Mac users who want to run a local AI server. Exo is an open-source tool for clustering Macs, and LM Studio is available for single-Mac use, but Apple's Harbor app appears to combine LM Studio's simple interface with clustering.
iFixit today took apart Apple's touchscreen PROLED MacBook Pro to see how Apple shed weight, what powers the logo, and how it compares to the 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro.
Apple added a glowing logo on the back of the PROLED MacBook Pro, but since there's no backlight to illuminate it, Apple used four LEDs, a reflective layer, and a diffuser to create an even glow. When the light is off, the logo's two-way mirror coating gives it a shiny finish.
Getting to the logo for repairs isn't easy because it's behind the display, so if it breaks, the only repair option is removing the screen. iFixit ended up breaking the panel because the glass separated from the layers underneath, destroying the OLED.
Apple says the PROLED MacBook Pro has a hinge designed for touch, but iFixit said it's basically identical to the M6 MacBook Pro's hinge, just stiffer, so it better holds its angle when the display is tapped at the top.
The Thunderbolt/USB-C ports and fans are replaceable, but the logic board has to come out. The HDMI port and SDXC card slot are soldered to the logic board, so they're not as easily replaced. The SSD and memory are also soldered.
iFixit swapped logic boards between two PROLED MacBook Pro models, and after running Repair Assistant, all of the components worked, including the touchscreen and Touch ID. iFixit said the touchscreen didn't add any new parts pairing problems.
The PROLED MacBook Pro's trackpad is a little bit smaller than the M6 model's, and weight was shed by removing some aluminum from the lower chassis. The lower case weighs 364 grams vs. 456 grams for the M6 model. The display assembly is 101 grams lighter despite the touchscreen and the glowing Apple logo, and the battery is two grams lighter too.
The PROLED MacBook Pro earned a repairability score of 5 out of 10, which is a point higher than the M5 MacBook Pro and a point below the MacBook Neo.
We've done two rounds of iPhone Duo app picks so far, and now we're back with an overview of some of the best Duo apps you can get for free. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera demos his suggestions for apps worth checking out.
Dan's list includes Delta Game Emulator, Bear, Fantastical, MD Vinyl, and several more. The apps are free or have a free component, though some do offer paid upgrades.
We have a list of fun iPhone Duo apps and a second list featuring even more titles. Have an iPhone Duo app you think we should check out? Let us know in the comments below.
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