Rumors have long pointed at a new with an OLED display launching towards the end of 2026 – alongside a general MacBook Pro overhaul. While that isn’t completely off the table, there’s an increasingly likely possibility of it launching in early 2027 instead.

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is aiming to ship its brand new App Intents feature, allowing Siri to take actions for you, next Spring – alongside its long-promised Siri overhaul. These features were initially on track to launch during the iOS 18 release cycle, though Apple faced engineering delays. Now, they should launch by ~iOS 26.4, according to current reporting.

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As we approach week’s end, we are starting to track a massive selection of Apple deals across its current-generation lineup. From the iPad Air, mini 7, and Pro, right through the the M4 MacBook Air, a series of accessories, and much more, we are looking at some of the best prices of the year and even some new all-time lows that undercut what we saw on Prime Day. Scope it all out down below. 

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iOS 26 introduces a new Liquid Glass design, but the update also includes some other new features that have not received as much attention.


Below, we recap three smaller iOS 26 features that you might have missed.

iOS 26 should be released in September, but anyone can sign up to test the public beta for free. Make sure to back up your iPhone first.

Adaptive Power Mode

iOS 26 introduces an Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode.

Apple says that Adaptive Power Mode can make "small performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to "take a little longer."

The full description of Adaptive Power Mode, from the iOS 26 beta:

When your battery usage is higher than usual, iPhone can make small performance adjustments to extend your battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to take a little longer. Low Power Mode may turn on at 20%.

Adaptive Power Mode is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro models and newer.

Adaptive Power Mode is turned off by default. The option can be turned on continuously in the Settings app under Battery → Power Mode.

Digital Passport

iOS 26 lets you create a digital version of your U.S. passport on your iPhone.

After creating a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app, based on your U.S. passport, you can present it in person at select TSA checkpoints for identity verification purposes during domestic travel. However, Apple says it is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel and border crossing purposes.

Apple says the Digital ID feature is secure, private, and compliant with REAL ID.

The passport-based Digital ID can also be used for age and identity verification in apps, online, and in stores, according to Apple.

AirPlay for CarPlay

iOS 26 will let iPhone users wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to detect when the vehicle is in motion and end playback.

Apple says that automakers need to add support for CarPlay with AirPlay video, so it will likely take some time to roll out. It is unclear if a new vehicle is required.

From the CarPlay page on Apple's developer website:

Video in the car

AirPlay video in the car enables people to watch their favorite videos from iPhone right on their CarPlay display when they aren't driving. Integrate support for CarPlay with AirPlay video to enable this feature in your car.

There were already some unapproved ways to watch videos through CarPlay, with various jailbreak tweaks and TestFlight beta apps promising to unlock such functionality. Now, it is something that Apple will officially allow.
This article, "Here Are 3 New iOS 26 Features You Might Have Missed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 17 models will "likely" be more expensive than iPhone 16 models in the U.S., according to Jeff Pu, an analyst at investment firm GF Securities.


In a research note this week, Pu attributed the potential iPhone 17 price increases to the U.S. imposing tariffs on products imported from countries where the iPhone is assembled, including China and India. Apple is currently paying a 20% tariff on iPhones imported from China, but none on iPhones imported from India, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, the Trump administration's tariff policies frequently change.

On an earnings call last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the majority of the iPhones sold in the U.S. are imported from India currently.

Wall Street analysts have estimated that iPhone 17 models could be $50 to $100 more expensive than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, but this is likely guesswork. Even if prices do increase, Apple could find clever ways to spin the situation, such as by raising the iPhone 17 Pro's minimum storage capacity from 128GB to 256GB. That would bring the Pro model in line with the Pro Max model, which has started at the 256GB mark for a few years now.

In the U.S., Apple has maintained a $999 starting price for the Pro model or equivalent since the iPhone X was released all the way back in 2017, despite rumors about potential price increases year after year. So, Apple has earned the benefit of the doubt on pricing until proven otherwise. On the other hand, nothing lasts forever.
This article, "iPhone 17 Models 'Likely' to Have Higher Prices, Another Analyst Says" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon has finally started rolling out Alexa+, its oft-delayed overhaul of the Alexa voice assistant built on large language model technology. However, Alexa+ shows how difficult it is to replace a mature voice assistant with generative AI, especially when users expect instant, consistent results for simple tasks. It’s a real reality check on the notion that Amazon has managed to release something Apple promised and hasn’t shipped.

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If your Apple CarPlay connection randomly drops out while driving, the cause might not be your iPhone, cable, or car.

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The fifth tvOS 26 beta changed several "HomeKit" references to "Apple Home" in the Settings app on all Apple TV models compatible with the update.


For example, Israeli website The Verifier reported that the "AirPlay and HomeKit" menu on the Apple TV is now labeled "AirPlay and Apple Home."

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris spotted other examples, such as the one below.

Before:

Your Apple TV won't connect with iCloud and HomeKit until you add a new default user.

After:

Your Apple TV won't connect with iCloud and Apple Home until you add a new default user.

As a refresher, Apple Home refers to Apple's overall smart home app and ecosystem, whereas HomeKit has been the name of the company's underlying smart home accessory framework since 2014. Of the two names, HomeKit sounds more technical.

Does this serve as evidence that Apple is slowly phasing out its HomeKit brand in favor of Apple Home, or did Apple simply realize that Apple Home was the better wording in these instances? It could be the latter, but it would not be surprising if Apple eventually did retire the HomeKit name in favor of the more generic Apple Home for both its smart home app and framework, especially as the company prepares to launch an all-new home hub.

For now, there are still plenty of references to both HomeKit and Apple Home across Apple's website and software platforms. One day, though, perhaps the HomeKit name could be folded into Apple Home entirely for streamlined branding.
This article, "tvOS 26 Changes 'HomeKit' References to 'Apple Home' in Settings App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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We’re possibly going to see yet another version of AirPods Pro next month, alongside the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup. Despite the coming up on nearly three years old, I don’t think that those in the market to buy new AirPods should necessarily waste their time waiting for a potentially upcoming model.

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macOS Tahoe includes 15 new aerial screen savers for the Mac, each panning over natural landscapes around the world.


The new screen saver options were highlighted by Dylan McDonald, and we have provided still previews of all of them below.

The new screen savers can also be set as wallpapers.

To browse through all screen savers on macOS Tahoe, open the System Settings app, click Wallpaper, and click the "Screen Saver…" button.

How to Install macOS Tahoe Beta

macOS Tahoe will likely be released in September, but anyone can sign up to try the public beta now for free via beta.apple.com.

• How to Install macOS Tahoe Public Beta

New Screen Savers

Tahoe Day (Lake Tahoe, California) ↓



Tahoe Evening (Lake Tahoe, California) ↓



Tahoe Morning (Lake Tahoe, California) ↓



Tahoe Night (Lake Tahoe, California) ↓



Himalayan Peaks (Himalayas) ↓



Himalayas Day (Himalayas) ↓



Through Himalayas (Himalayas) ↓



Goa Beaches (Goa, India) ↓



Goa Coast (Goa, India) ↓



Reservoir Day (Kerala, India) ↓



Tea Gardens Day (Kerala, India) ↓



Tea Gardens Mist (Kerala, India) ↓



Tea Gardens from Above (Kerala, India) ↓



Ghansali from Above (Uttarakhand, India) ↓



The Ganges (Uttarakhand, India) ↓


This article, "macOS Tahoe Adds These 15 New Screen Savers to Your Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

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Last year, I checked out an indie app called Time2Pack – an all-in-one trip planner. Now, the developers have a new app called OnlyFlights – a simple yet robust flight tracker for iPhone users.

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The UFC is back in Las Vegas tonight for UFC Fight Night Dolidze vs Hernandez. Whether you’re watching on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or Apple Vision Pro, here’s how to stream the action live.

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With macOS Tahoe, Apple will be adding a bunch of new screen saver options, which you can also set as wallpapers. There are a couple new variants of the previously introduced Tahoe screen saver in beta 5, as well as around a dozen other options introduced in a previous beta that flew under the radar.

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Apple Card sign up offers used to be quite rare, but they’ve become quite regular occurrences. I’ve reported on numerous bonuses in the past year – and there’s yet another one now available for new users looking to get an Apple Card.

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Many popular Apple products received all-time low prices this week, including the M4 MacBook Air, M4 MacBook Pro, M3 iPad Air, and iPad mini 7. We're also tracking great discounts on the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 right now.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

iPad Air

• What's the deal? Get $150 off M3 iPad Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon and Best Buy


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

This week we began tracking new record low prices across the entire M3 iPad Air lineup, with discounts available at both Amazon and Best Buy. These massive $150 discounts beat the previous all-time lows tracked during Prime Day by about $30.

iPad Mini

• What's the deal? Get $100 off iPad mini 7


• Where can I get it? Amazon and Best Buy

Amazon and Best Buy are both offering $100 off the iPad mini 7 this week, which is a solid second-best price on the tablet.

AirPods

• What's the deal? Get up to $80 off AirPods


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has solid second-best prices on the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, and both deals are still available right now.

M4 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Get $200 off M4 MacBook Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week introduced a new record low price across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, and you can still get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for just $799.00, plus many other deals.

M4 MacBook Pro

• What's the deal? Get up to $436 off M4 MacBook Pro


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Continuing this week's theme of steep MacBook-related discounts, Amazon also has great deals on the M4 MacBook Pro right now. You'll find up to $436 off these computers, starting at $1,299.00 for the entry-level 14-inch model.

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.

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This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Record Low Prices Hit iPad Air, MacBook Air, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Kuxiu continues to make some of the best iPad accessories in the game. They were the first to introduce “wireless” charging for the iPad by implementing the smart connector into their products, like the X33 Pro Max. It was the first magnetic iPad stand that also charged your iPad Pro with those smart connectors. They have doubled down on that and made it ultra compact. Today, they unveiled the M30 Magnetic Smart Connector Charger, and I’m so excited about it. Here is what you should know.

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Apple has released the fourth installment of its Wild Life immersive video series on Apple Vision Pro.

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The official unveiling of the iPhone 17 lineup and new Apple Watch models plus potentially a few more announcements is just a month away now, and the rumor cycle is in full swing for these final weeks.


iOS 26 is also well into its beta testing cycle, with Apple putting the final touches on things over the next few weeks to be able to install it on the new iPhones before they ship, so read on below for all the details!

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 5

Apple is continuing to make progress on refining iOS 26 and related major operating system updates that should see their official releases in September, pushing out the fifth developer betas and second public betas this week with some fresh changes in store.


The new Liquid Glass design seems to be firming up after several revisions in previous betas, while beta 5 introduces some new "bounciness" for transitions in places like Lock Screen passcode entry and switching between Control Center pages. There are other functional and visual tweaks for Camera, Mail, AirDrop, Wallet and more.

iOS 26 Beta Reveals Apple Watch Ultra 3 Display Size

It looks like the display on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 might be just a hint larger than on previous Ultra models, based on imagery discovered by MacRumors in the latest iOS 26 beta.


It's likely the slight increase in display size will be accommodated by shrinking the bezels around the display rather than increasing the casing size, but we'll have to see once the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra is unveiled. The first substantial upgrade for the model in two years is likely to come next month alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.

iPhone 17 Air Battery Allegedly 2.49mm – Half the Thickness of 17 Pro's

Over the weekend, photos surfaced of what was originally claimed to be the metal-encased battery for the upcoming ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air," although the original report was later corrected to note that the battery is for the iPhone 17 Pro.


It didn't take long for photos of the actual iPhone 17 Air battery to surface, however, and they reveal that it measures just 2.49 mm thick, roughly half as thick as the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have a battery capacity of 3,000 mAh or less, which will hamper battery life compared to thicker models. But between software optimizations and a rumored battery case, the majority of users will hopefully still be able to get a full day's use out of a single charge.

AirPods Pro 3 Could Be Just Weeks Away – Here's What We Know

Apple's high-end AirPods Pro earbuds are due for an update, and it could be arriving as soon as September alongside the new iPhone and Apple Watch models.


We're expecting some design tweaks for the earbuds and the case, performance upgrades in audio processing and active noise cancellation, in-ear heart-rate tracking, and perhaps some other improvements.

New Apple TV Still Launching This Year

The current Apple TV 4K model is coming up on three years old, but Apple is apparently on track to release an updated model later this year, according to a source speaking to MacRumors.


We're expecting a chip upgrade from the A15 Bionic found in the current model, Wi-Fi 7 support via a new Apple-designed Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chip, and additional enhancements.

Google Makes Fun of Apple Intelligence Siri Delay in Ad Promoting Pixel 10

Google this week used Apple's Siri failure to attempt to lure customers to the upcoming Pixel 10 series, sharing an ad that calls out the delayed Apple Intelligence ‌Siri‌ functionality.


"If you buy a new phone because of a feature that's coming soon, but it's been coming soon for a full year," the teaser video begins, "you could change your definition of soon. Or you could just change your phone."

In an all-hands meeting for Apple employees late last week, Tim Cook defended the company's AI efforts, noting that "we've rarely been first" to new technologies but that AI is "ours to grab" and the company "will make the investment to do it."

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: iOS 26 Beta 5, Apple Watch Ultra 3 Rumors, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

Migrating between Device Management Services (DMS) usually involved full device wipes, custom scripts, and hoping everything re-enrolled properly. Some vendors leaned into that pain. They’d offer bargain pricing in year one, then quietly ratchet it up over time. Because what were IT teams going to do? Switching DMS (previously MDM) vendors meant hours of manual work or rebuilding devices from scratch, and employees really wouldn’t see much difference.

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After my last WiFi-enabled smart scale broke and refused to connect to the Internet anymore, I sought something simpler and cheaper to replace it. The old scale had all sorts of fancy service integrations that I never used. I just wanted something that would track my weight and report the measurements to the Health app on my iPhone.

The is what I landed on and I’m very happy with it — and it’s pretty cheap too. Here’s how it works …

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As we approach week’s end, we are starting to track a massive selection of Apple deals across its current-generation lineup. From the iPad Air, mini 7, and Pro, right through the the M4 MacBook Air, a series of accessories, and much more, we are looking at some of the best prices of the year and even some new all-time lows that undercut what we saw on Prime Day. Scope it all out down below. 

more…

In iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added an all-new Games app that's designed to be the go-to place for mobile gaming on Apple devices. The app includes features for discovering new games to play, along with add-ons meant to keep you more engaged.


The Games app is pretty similar to the Games tab in the App Store, which isn't going anywhere. It's as if Apple took the Games tab and expanded it into a full app.

Home View

The Home tab is the main view of the Games app, and it is tailored to each user. It has a "Continue Playing" section so you can get to the last game you've been playing with a tap, and there's a large carousel at the top of the interface with spotlighted content like game suggestions, friend achievements, and Games app features.


You can swipe through the content in the Home tab, and it works a lot like the Today suggestions in the ‌App Store‌. There are multiple sections to scroll through for content suggestions, some of which is personalized based on your gaming history.

Some of the different sections:

• Arcade Games for You - Includes all Apple Arcade title suggestions.


• Friends Are Playing - Games your Game Center friends have played recently.


• Top Played Games - A ranked list of the most played iOS games.


• Because You Played - Suggestions based on a specific title you previously played.


• Top Arcade Games - A ranked list of the top ‌Apple Arcade‌ games.


• New Games We Love - Recently released titles that aren't part of ‌Apple Arcade‌.


• New Games on ‌Apple Arcade‌ - Includes the new titles on ‌Apple Arcade‌, but not other ‌App Store‌ titles.


• Try Before You Buy - Games with demos you can play before you commit to a purchase.


• Our Most Anticipated Games - Upcoming games with pre-orders available.


• Friend Suggestions - Lets you invite people to be a Game Center friend via Messages.


• Top Free Games - A ranked list of the top free-to-play games.


• Top Paid Games - A ranked list of the top paid games in the ‌App Store‌.

Events

Apple introduced Events for games way back in iOS 15. Events for games are displayed in the Games app so you can see which games are offering fresh content.

Events can include limited time special gameplay, special trophies and items that are available for a short time, major content updates, crossovers, challenges, and more.

Apple Arcade

There is a dedicated tab for ‌Apple Arcade‌ content, where Apple promotes its $6.99 per month gaming service. The ‌Apple Arcade‌ tab is also broken down into different sections with gaming recommendations, much like the ‌Apple Arcade‌ section of the ‌App Store‌.

Unified Games Library

The Games app is split into four tabs, including Home, Arcade, Play Together, and Library. The Library tab includes all of the games that you have played across all of your devices.


The Library lets you see all of your achievements in one place separated by game, with filters to separate them by platform. There are also quick access links to new ‌Apple Arcade‌ titles and Events.

Game Info

Tapping into a game shows when you last played it and provides options for launching it or downloading it again if it's something that you've deleted or played on a different device.


All games have a Games Details section that includes clear information on the game's rating, type, whether there's controller support, and how large the game is.

Social Options

In the dedicated Play Together tab, you'll see a list of games that your friends are playing, along with suggestions for multiplayer games that you can play with someone else. There's also a dedicated Challenges tool, which is a new feature.

Multiplayer Games

For a multiplayer game, you can tap on the "Start Multiplayer" option and then invite someone to play with you. There's a list of friends that you've played multiplayer games with before, as well as a Party Code you can send to someone and an invite link.

Both players need to be running ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, or macOS 26 or later to use the Multiplayer features that are in the Games app.

Multiplayer games are games where you play with one or more additional players at the same time in co-op or competitive gameplay.

Challenges

Challenges are a separate multiplayer option for asynchronous competitive gameplay for games that are traditionally single player.

With Challenges, you can select a game, choose rules or parameters for the challenge, and compete against friends to win. Challenge options range from completing a puzzle the fastest to getting the highest score. Each challenge is time limited, and for most games, you can set a time period of a day, three days, or a week.

Game Center

The Games app essentially makes Game Center features more prominent. Game Center has been around for a long time for earning achievements and playing games with friends, but it hasn't been as prominent as it is now.

There's still a Game Center section in the Settings app, where you can invite friends and control who you share your gaming activity with.

When you get a score that's higher than a friend's score in a game you're both playing, you'll see a pop up.

Game Mode

When you start a game, Game Mode is activated. If you tap into Control Center with Game Mode, you'll see an "Overlay" option. Tap that and you can see leaderboards, invite friends to play, and control game settings like sound level, display brightness, and controller parameters.


With Game Mode, you can access Game Center settings and social tools without having to leave the game that you're playing.

Game Mode is not a Focus mode and it doesn't block notifications or otherwise interrupt device operation.

Other Games App Features

Tapping on your profile at the top of the Games app brings up an option to invite friends to Game Center and respond to friend requests, plus you can see your challenge wins and your game achievements.


There's also a dedicated Search button where you can type in the name of a game or tap through different game categories to find something new to play.

For Developers

Developers can create challenges and multiplayer activities that will show up in the Games app for improved game visibility.

Device Compatibility

Using the new Games app features requires a device that is able to run ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, or macOS Tahoe. For the new Games app features like Challenges, both users need to have a device with the latest software.

The Games app is for gameplay with other Apple users, and there's no functionality for playing games with people who have Android devices or use other platforms.

Read More

We have a complete iOS 26 roundup that covers all of the new features that are available in the update.
This article, "iOS 26: Here's What You Can Do With Apple's New Games App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In his first new video since being sued by Apple for allegedly leaking iOS 26 information from an illegally accessed employee iPhone running unannounced software, Jon Prosser has returned with an iPhone 17 Pro video based on sources speculation.

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A new research paper from Apple details a technique that speeds up large language model responses, while preserving output quality. Here are the details.

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