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Tag: mobile apps

  • Meta’s Threads app rolls out first big batch of updates | CNN Business

    Meta’s Threads app rolls out first big batch of updates | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Meta’s Twitter rival app Threads on Tuesday rolled out its first major batch of updates since its launch two weeks ago as it works to maintain momentum.

    The new features include a translation button and a tab on users’ activity feed dedicated to showing who’s followed them, according to a post from Cameron Roth, a software engineer working on Threads.

    All new features should be available to iOS Threads users by the end of Tuesday, Roth said.

    Threads users have been clamoring for updates since its launch. The new app attracted over 100 million user sign-ups in less than a week, but it still lacks many of the features popular on Twitter and other platforms, including direct messaging and a robust search function.

    User engagement on Threads has dipped since its first week, according to web traffic analysis firm Similarweb. And Meta executives have teased plans to improve the app in hopes of getting users to keep coming back.

    “Early growth was off the charts, but more importantly 10s of millions of people now come back daily … The focus for the rest of the year is improving the basics and retention,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Threads post Monday.

    Tuesday’s updates also include the ability to subscribe and receive notifications from accounts a user doesn’t follow and a “+” button that lets users follow new accounts from the replies on a post, as well as bug fixes and other improvements.

    Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who is overseeing Threads, has also hinted at plans to introduce a desktop version of the app as well as a feed of only accounts a user follows and an edit button.

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  • Apple’s Weather app briefly went down and rained on everyone’s morning | CNN Business

    Apple’s Weather app briefly went down and rained on everyone’s morning | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Anyone using their iPhone to check the weather on Tuesday may have had better luck just looking out the window.

    Apple’s default Weather app briefly went down for many users on Tuesday morning, showing blank screens with no data. The result: many users felt clueless about what was happening outside.

    “The Apple Weather app has been down all morning and I never imagined how much disruption that would cause,” wrote one Twitter user. Another tweeted an apparent “Top Gun” reference: “Biggest storm of the season is about to hit Fargo and the Apple weather app is down. I’m flying blind, Goose.”

    There are numerous other sources one could use to determine the weather, including various apps, websites, local news reports and, of course, one’s own eyes. But the apparent disruption from the outage highlights how reliant some have grown on certain popular applications.

    Apple confirmed the outage in a Twitter reply to a frustrated user, noting that some app users may be experiencing a “temporary outage.” The company’s

    System Status page     also flagged the Weather app as facing an ongoing issue.

    Apple did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

    One CNN reporter saw only a handful of cities on the Weather app home screen load with full data, while most cities remained completely blank. The app usually displays information including hourly forecast, 10-day forecast, air quality index, precipitation, UV index and more.

    The app was revamped as part of the iOS 16 release in September after Apple bought popular weather service Dark Sky in 2020 and fully integrated its features into the newest operating system.

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  • Meta is giving parents more visibility into who their teens are messaging on social media | CNN Business

    Meta is giving parents more visibility into who their teens are messaging on social media | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Meta is adding new safeguards and monitoring tools for teens across its social platforms: parental controls on Messenger, suggestions for teens to step away from Facebook after 20 minutes, and nudges urging young night-owl Instagrammers to stop scrolling.

    The features announced Tuesday come as Meta

    (META)     and other social media platforms face heightened pressure from lawmakers over the impact that their platforms have on younger users, who can be just 13 when they sign up for Meta

    (META)    ’s apps.

    Messenger, Meta’s instant-messaging app, is adding parental supervision tools for the first time that are similar to those that exist on Instagram already: Parents and guardians can see how much time their teens spend on the chat tool, view and receive updates on their contacts list, and get notified if their teen reports someone.

    Another new feature is the ability for parents and teens to have discussions directly through notifications if their accounts are synced up.

    “We heard from parents and teens about the value they’re seeing from how a two-way dialogue can foster and encourage discussions,” Diana Williams, who oversees product changes for youth and families at Meta, told CNN in an interview.

    On Facebook, Meta will start to nudge teen users to take time away from the app after 20 minutes.

    Instagram will add introduce a new nudge that suggests teens close Instagram if they’re scrolling Reels videos for too long during nighttime hours. The effort builds on existing Instagram features like Quiet Mode, which temporarily holds notifications and lets people know if you’re trying to focus.

    In addition, Instagram is testing a feature that limits how people interact with non-followers. Users must now send an invite to connect with someone if they’re not a follower, and they cannot call the recipient or send photos, videos or voice messages or make calls until the user accepts their request. The feature aims to cut down on unwanted content from strangers, particularly for women, the company said.

    It’s the latest in a series of new tools and guardrails for teens from Meta, following the release of leaked internal documents that found Instagram can negatively impact the mental health of its young users. Instagram, for example, has since introduced an educational hub for parents with resources, tips and articles from experts on user safety.

    The company said it’s also taking a “stricter approach” to the content it recommends to teens and will actively nudge them toward different topics, such as architecture and travel destinations, if they’ve been dwelling on any type of content for too long.

    Few changes have been made to Facebook and Messenger until now. Facebook does, however, have a Safety Center that provides supervision tools and resources, such as articles and advice from leading experts.

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  • Fantasy Invest, the Stock Market Simulator Gameplay, Receives $470,000 Investment From IIDF, Yellow Rockets, and 9 Angels

    Fantasy Invest, the Stock Market Simulator Gameplay, Receives $470,000 Investment From IIDF, Yellow Rockets, and 9 Angels

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    It’s the second funding round for Fantasy Invest, which is establishing fantasy stocks as entertainment.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Jan 14, 2021


    WALNUT, Calif., January 14, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), Yellow Rockets.VC Fund, and 9 Angel Investors provided $470,000 to the Fantasy Invest app – the stock market simulator gameplay.

    It’s the second funding round for the company. This June, the company raised €50,000 from the Angels Band VC community, participating in EMERGE, the largest startup conference in Eastern Europe.

    The app gamifies the stock market experience. It gives players the thrill of sports competition combined with the ups and downs of stocks. 

    The mechanics are similar to Fantasy Sports games, where players assemble virtual teams of real-world athletes. In Fantasy Invest, players gather fantasy stock portfolios. The app engages users in hourly, daily, or weekly stock contests based on real-time data. Each victory increases the user rating and brings him closer to the top of the Fantasy Leaderboard. Winning stocks also get players Fantasy Coins that can be redeemed for prizes.

    Michael Gavrilov, Fantasy Invest CEO & founder:

    “Fantasy Sports are a huge part of the US entertainment landscape. Fantasy mechanics are proven. People know how to engage in these types of games. Utilizing my previous success with building a multi-million fintech software company and my passion for fantasy sports, I’ve created a winning combo: a fantasy stocks game.       

    “We launched in April 2020. By the end of 2020, 80K unique players from 51 countries played 520K unique games on Fantasy Invest. Our goal for 2021 is 1 million players.”

    Ilya Korolev, IIDF managing partner: 

    “It’s a pleasure to see Fantasy Invest as a part of our venture portfolio. The idea behind Fantasy Invest is simple and brilliant. To present the stock market as a game and to engage people is an idea with huge potential. I’m glad that we were able to support the project from its earliest stage. 

    “Fantasy Invest team provides strong expertise on the subject and introduces the players to the new stock market approach. The demand for the game and user-engagement rate is already high in the U.S., and the potential is even higher worldwide.”

    Sergey Bogdanov CEO YellowRockets.vc:

    “Today, gamification enters all spheres of life, including serious ones like stock trading. Fantasy Invest understands its audience, speaks its language, and, through this approach, makes the product more accessible to people. 

    “Not long ago, no one could imagine that non-professional players might come to the financial market, but now it’s a reality. Gamification becomes the primary tool in the battle for users’ attention, especially in reference to Gen Z, the next generation of investors.”

    For more information, visit fantasyinvest.club.

    Press contact:

    Innokenty Nesterenko, CMO

    in@fantasyinvest.club

    Source: Fantasy Invest

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  • Skilli World Now Home to the Largest Daily Cash Prize Trivia Tournament, Extends Free-to-Play Trivia Event to New Users

    Skilli World Now Home to the Largest Daily Cash Prize Trivia Tournament, Extends Free-to-Play Trivia Event to New Users

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    HQ Trivia’s sudden shutdown leaves a large community of players looking for a new game, paving the way for trivia app Skilli World to increase its cash prizes to satisfy its growing community of trivia players.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Feb 27, 2020


    TORONTO, February 27, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​With the sudden shutdown of popular quiz app HQ Trivia, the Skilli World trivia app is now home to the largest daily cash prize trivia tournament. In the month of February, Skilli World’s combined free-to-play and paid-entry tournaments had hundreds of players competing for a $1,000 prize every single night. With a large community of trivia-loving players displaced and dissatisfied with other platforms’ limited prizing techniques, Skilli World is offering a free-to-play event on March 1, at 9:30 p.m. EST, allowing new users to win $2,000 in one of their daily cash prize tournaments.

    “Having a pay-to-play model means a significantly smaller playerbase, meaning bigger prizes for those ready to take part,” says Matt De Angelis, Skilli World co-founder. “By removing the large majority of those who are looking for something for nothing, we’re creating an infinitely better experience for those who pay-to-play.”

    Skilli World’s hybrid approach regarding free-to-play gaming and real money trivia tournaments ensures that everyone who plays has the opportunity to win real money. By incorporating an entrance fee for real money games, Skilli World ensures that there will be continuous growth and a sustainable business model moving forward. Traditional free-to-play trivia apps have proven that long-term sustainability is not feasible since the numbers just don’t add up.

    In traditional free-to-play models, an average of 50,000 to 100,000 players would compete for the same $1,000 prize. On Skilli World, only 400 to 600 players compete for that same $1,000 prize. As the number of participants increases on Skilli World, so does the prize pool. For example, 1,000 players per night will increase the nightly prize to $3,000. With 3,000 players, a $10,000 prize pool. With 10,000 players, the nightly prize would increase to $40,000; the prizes scale accordingly to the number of participants. Projections indicate that with continued growth, Skilli World will be able to increase the daily prize pool to at least $5,000 by May.

    “We want to welcome new players with our free-to-play promotion, as well as introduce ourselves to those that have yet to warm up to the idea of an entry fee,” adds De Angelis. “We’re confident those players will see the value after seeing for themselves how easy it is to win some real money on Skilli World.”

    The-free-to-play tournament takes place on March 1 at 9:30 p.m. EST. To win the $2,000 prize, players must correctly answer five true-or-false questions. To download the app and register, scan the QR code or visit skilliworld.com/download.

    For the latest news and updates, follow Skilli World on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

    ###

    About Skilli World

    Created by technology company Under The Tree Ltd., Skilli World is a trivia app that enables players to test their skill and knowledge to earn real cash prizes. Within the app, there are Caribbean space-huts that run trivia tournaments 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To get paid real money, all players have to do is answer five true or false questions correctly. For more information and to download the app, visit SkilliWorld.com.

    Media Contact:
    ​Matthew De Angelis, Co-Founder
    info@skilliworld.com

    Source: Skilli World

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  • Firefighter Wellness Goes High-Tech: Cordico Apps Target Stress and Trauma in the Fire Service

    Firefighter Wellness Goes High-Tech: Cordico Apps Target Stress and Trauma in the Fire Service

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    “The CordicoFire App puts a wealth of information and – most importantly – personal help at our firefighters’ fingertips to keep them mentally healthy,” said Fire Chief Kris Concepcion.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Sep 4, 2019


    DENVER, September 4, 2019 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​​​More than 7,000 firefighters surveyed overwhelmingly reported they’ve experienced stressful and traumatic experiences on the job, with 75% suffering ongoing mental or emotional issues as a result. As firefighters nationwide experience extreme stress, the First Responder Center for Excellence prepares to host the first-of-its-kind Fire Service Behavioral Health Symposium in Denver. 

    Research reveals that firefighters experience elevated rates of depression, alcohol problems and repeated exposure to traumatic events resulting in sleep disorders, avoidance behaviors, and feelings of helplessness associated with PTSD. Additional symptoms of repeated traumatic exposure for firefighters include desensitization, irritability, cynicism and intrusive flashbacks. Studies also reveal that first responders often avoid seeking help for emotional problems and the majority who reach out for Employee Assistance Program support find it unhelpful. 

    Fire departments nationwide are looking for a strategic solution to strengthen firefighter wellness. Dixon Fire Chief Greg Lewis has achieved great success by providing his firefighters with a CordicoFire Wellness App. “The issue of mental wellness in public safety has been in a closet or ignored for far too many years,” said Chief Lewis. “By providing complete anonymity, 24/7 access, the ‘Wellness Tool Kit’ and self-assessment capabilities all from a personalized application right from a mobile phone, a large gap in the mental wellness issue has been addressed. Our staff is very grateful the City has given them this tool that can be used at any time by both the employee and their spouse.”

    “We needed a proactive solution for firefighters everywhere,” said Dr. David Black, the CEO of Cordico. “Firefighters need 24/7 access to comprehensive and trusted wellness tools to manage the extreme stressors and demands they face. Our CordicoFire Apps give them powerful, on-demand tools targeting critical incidents, depression, insomnia, marital problems, trauma, suicide risk, and much more. We customize the app for departments of all sizes.”

    Vacaville Fire Chief Kris Concepcion, who also provided his department with a CordicoFire Wellness App, said, “The Cordico app has been a game-changer for our fire department … I have received numerous personal ‘thank-yous’ from our firefighters since contracting with Cordico.”

    Billy Goldfeder, the former Chair of the IAFC’s Safety, Health and Survival Section, has also spoken out about Cordico’s high-tech solution to strengthen firefighter wellness. “Assuring firefighters and other responders are emotionally prepared to take care of the public, when the public is having the worst day of their lives, is what keeps fire chiefs up at night – this unique and very affordable solution from Cordico benefits the firefighters, the responders, the public, and the community’s leadership. It’s truly a win-win.”

    Learn more at www.cordicofire.com. 

    Media Contact: 
    Kevin Dacy
    Phone: 844-CORDICO (1-844-267-3426)

    Source: Cordico

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  • New App TimeSpring is Bringing Families Together in Unprecedented Ways

    New App TimeSpring is Bringing Families Together in Unprecedented Ways

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    TimeSpring, a new future messaging app is changing how families share stories and save memories for the holidays.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Nov 26, 2018


    RAMSEY, N.J., November 20, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
    TimeSpring, a future message app is bringing families together in the most surprising ways. Even Grandma and Grandpa are getting onboard with this latest trend in photo-sharing. It works like other photo sharing apps, but with a twist: Users can write, and schedule messages and images to be delivered to someone years into the future. When a child is mature enough to grasp concepts and appreciate memories, they will have stored messages that will be unlocked at special milestones in their life.

    This season, instead of just capturing these moments and sharing on social media, parents and grandparents can share their holiday memories by sending photos and video directly to their children and schedule them to be delivered in five, ten, or twenty years into the future. It is an elegant solution to the masses of photos that parents accumulated on their phones. 

    Why not send a memory forward and ensure that it is saved for the next generation?

    Felice Bernard, Founder of TimeSpring

    Felice Bernard, founder of TimeSpring and a mom of three, was faced with the questions that most parents in this modern age face: What do you do with all those digital images, and will children ever get to hear the stories behind them? So she created TimeSpring to save those special moments and to create a way for her kids to experience them too.

    Bernard says, “It’s challenging to save special photos and video in a meaningful way which is why TimeSpring is needed. Why not send a memory forward and ensure that it is saved for the next generation. I mean, we all have those uneasy thoughts when we get on an airplane from time to time, and it’s comforting to know that my kids will have messages waiting for them.”

    This holiday season, as commercials and advertisements brand their technology to be the hearth of a family, sometimes, technology does bring people closer together and even bridge the gaps between generations and time.

    For more information on TimeSpring, check out https://timespring.com.

    Media Contact:
    Felice Bernard
    felice@timespring.com
    201-707-0177

    Source: TimeSpring

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  • Oculus Rift Giveaway Sponsored by Bee the Swarm

    Oculus Rift Giveaway Sponsored by Bee the Swarm

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    Mobile gaming company giving away virtual reality system Oculus Rift to help increase fan base and raise money for charities.

    Press Release
    –

    May 25, 2016


    Albuquerque, NM, May 25, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Bee the Swarm, a mobile gaming company that donates 100% of their revenue to charities, today announced an epic giveaway to help spread their mission statement – play games, have fun, do good. One lucky winner will walk away with an Oculus Rift virtual reality system in August 2016. Bee the Swarm raises money for charities and GoFundMe campaigns, and works with multiple partners including SOS Africa, Boys and Girls Club, and United Blood Services.

    “We are giving away an Oculus Rift to help increase our user base,” said Bee the Swarm co-founder and CEO Robert Slaughter. “The more people who play our games, the more funds we raise for our charity partners and campaigns. Bee the Swarm is about using the gaming medium to help raise money to change the world, and this giveaway is a way for us to spread the word.”

    “Bee the Swarm is about using the gaming medium to help raise money to change the world, and this giveaway is a way for us to spread the word.”

    Robert Slaughter , CEO Bee the Swarm

    Participants can enter to win the Oculus Rift system a number of ways –  by downloading one of Bee the Swarm’s games for charity apps or watching a video about the company. Sweepstake ends 08/01/2016 at 11:59pm ET, and is open to anyone who is 18 years or over and a legal US resident.

    The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that was acquired by Facebook in March 2014. Developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, the system was able to succeed largely due to a kickstarter campaign that raised US2.5 million. A consumer version of the product recently hit the market on March 28th 2016. The headset has an OLED display, 1080×1200 resolution per eye, a 90 Hz refresh rate, and 110° field of view.

    About Bee The Swarm

    Bee the Swarm is a mobile gaming company that donates 100% of their revenue to charities.
    Founded in Albuquerque, NM, their mission statement is simple – play games, have fun, do good. Their free mobile games have raised money for multiple causes including animal rescue efforts, the homeless, S.O.S. Africa, and helped 3D print a prosthetic limb for a child.

    Source: Bee the Swarm

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  • New York Startup DirtyLaundry App Expands to East Village

    New York Startup DirtyLaundry App Expands to East Village

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    Press Release
    –

    Mar 11, 2016


    New York, March 11, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    DirtyLaundry opened up its doors (on its DirtyLaundry App) in East Village, Manhattan. This means the lucky inhabitants of East Village can let someone else do the dirty (laundry) work and enjoy more free time to do the more important things in life.

    DirtyLaundry App is an on demand laundry and dry cleaning service. By downloading the free app, customers can place laundry orders directly from their smartphones. Your dirty laundry gets picked up (by a surprisingly pleasant and attractive agent), washed, folded, and delivered right back to your door. The turn around time to get the laundry can be as quick as 24 hours. Not only is it super convenient, but the quality is felt in each bag of laundry. Customers can select custom detergents, leave special instructions, or set delivery dates right from the DirtyLaundry App.

    DirtyLaundry originally started offering its services in a handful of cities in Queens. Within a few months they had to doubled their staff to accommodate the great demand for their service. When asked about their explosive growth, cofounders Sergei Benyaminov and Roman Kaykov answered “our growth is not just because of our great staff, quick turn around, chocolate and perks, but because we are providing a valuable service to our customers. We control the quality; everything is done in-house, without outsourcing. People HATE laundry day and we’re here to fix that problem.”

    After many months of preparation, the DirtyLaundry service expanded into East Village (Zip Codes: 10009, 10002, 10003).

    DirtyLaundry App is available on iTunes and Google Play.

    Here’s a special promo code, 25% OFF, for you to win back your laundry day: DirtyNYC

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  • ColorsKit Pilot Program Kicks Off in Gujarat’s Special School

    ColorsKit Pilot Program Kicks Off in Gujarat’s Special School

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    Insufficient bandwidth of services and resources, inadequate staff training and a pervasive lack of awareness have always posed enormous challenges when it comes to ensuring high-quality education and occupational support for individuals with special needs in India. Times, however, are changing now for the better.

    Press Release
    –

    Dec 24, 2015


    Vadodara, Gujarat, December 24, 2015 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​ColorsKit, winner of AT&T Civic App Challenge Award in 2015 and Verizon Powerful Answers Award in 2014, is introduced at Genius Super Kids, a division of Genius English Medium School in Rajkot, Gujarat, as part of WebTeam Corporation’s vision to improve special education practices and learning outcomes for differently-abled children and adults in under-served countries.

    The goal of the program is to deliver early intervention and support services, besides spreading autism awareness in urban India. The ColorsKit toolkit is designed to optimize various self-regulatory skills in individuals with autism and other special needs. The automatic data collection technology embedded in all ColorsKit apps assists special educators in setting individualized education program (IEP) goals in an efficient way.

    The ColorsKit team is looking forward to work with the Genius team. Our focus will initially be on gaining an understanding of the challenges and needs typical to Indian children

    Dhara Desai, Program Coordinator

    “The first phase of this pilot program will involve 27 children on the autism spectrum, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy and other conditions. As most of them need support with activities of daily living, the life skills program can be very helpful if it is tweaked to match our curriculum. For the time being, we are working on the early intervention component of ColorsKit,” said Bijal Harkhani, special education teacher at Genius Super Kids.

    “The ColorsKit team is looking forward to work with the Genius team. Our focus will initially be on gaining an understanding of the challenges and needs typical to Indian children,” program coordinator Dhara Desai said, assuring that changes in the format, features and content of the program will be made as and when required.

    “We can get you the resources and expertise necessary not only to raise awareness but also to make optimum use of your own intervention and teaching methods,” WebTeam CEO Nish Parikh emphasized in an open call to teachers and therapists working with the special needs community in India.

    Addressing the issue of lack of awareness among the mainstream population, Mr. Parikh urged Indian parents to frankly discuss autism and other developmental conditions with their children. “Autism, like puberty and reproductive health, is not an uncomfortable topic in most of the U.S. households. I know many American parents who not only talk about the full spectrum of health with their adolescent kids but also encourage them to participate in community services. I would really love to see more and more Indian parents instilling a sense of mature responsibility in the future generation of this great nation.”

    Various government and non-government reports indicate that one in 250 children has autism in India. The total number of affected individuals is estimated to be 10 million.

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