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New registrations for electric vehicles doubled in U.S. since last year https://tcrn.ch/2GeX11Z Electric vehicles, still a small percentage of the total automotive market in the U.S., are beginning to gain ground, according to analysis by IHS Markit. There were 208,000 new registrations for electric vehicles in the U.S. last year, more than double the number filed in 2017, IHS said Monday. That growth in EVs was heavily concentrated in California as well as nine other states that have adopted the Zero Emission Vehicle program. California was the first to launch the ZEV program‚ a state regulation that requires automakers to sell electric cars and trucks there. Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont are also ZEV states. California accounted for nearly 46 percent, or 95,000, of new EV registrations in 2018, IHS said. California has 59 percent of market share of registered electric vehicles in the U.S. Those numbers are expected to push even higher over the next two years as more electric vehicles come on the market and an increasing number existing EV owners stick with the technology. More than 350,000 new EVs will be sold in the US in 2020. Those figures will give EVs a still tiny 2 percent share of the total U.S. fleet. By 2025, that figure is expected to rise to more than1.1 million vehicles sold or a 7 percent share, according to recent IHS Markit. The Tesla’s Model 3 is the top selling all-electric in the U.S. so far this year, followed by the Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model X, Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf, according to estimates by Inside EVs. More EVs are just now coming onto the market, or about to in the coming months , including the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona EV. Startup Rivian expects to start production in 2020. “A rapid increase in EV nameplates is the catalyst behind the projected growth throughout the next decade,” Devin Lindsay, IHS Markit powertrain analyst said in a statement. “While relatively successful models such as the Tesla Model 3 mature in the market, other traditional automakers will be rolling out not just one EV as we have seen in the past, but multiple models off dedicated EV platforms.” IHS found that loyalty rates for EVs have also increased with nearly 55 percent of all new EV owners who returned to market during the fourth quarter of 2018 acquiring (purchasing or leasing) another EV, up from 42 percent in the prior quarter. Digital Trends via TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com April 15, 2019 at 07:33PM
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Chilly reception for marijuana tycoon game shows games industrys backwards stance on drugs4/15/2019
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Chilly reception for marijuana tycoon game shows games industry’s backwards stance on drugs https://tcrn.ch/2V0u2bp Intense and graphic violence is something we’ve come to simply expect from games, but sexual and other adult themes are still largely taboo — including, as publisher Devolver Digital is learning, drugs. Even if the game in question is a relatively serious tycoon-type look at the current (and legal!) business of selling weed. Devolver is no stranger to controversy; it has published and helped develop dozens of games and many of them have featured the kind of graphic violence that sets off those who still see the medium as a corruptive, fundamentally debased one. And to be fair, the likes of Hotline Miami aren’t going to change any minds. But for the company’s first original commissioned IP, it had the idea of assembling a game in the popular “tycoon” genre, but focused on the emerging and popular sector of growing marijuana. Obviously this is somewhat controversial, but the plant is legal in many states and countries already and on its way in plenty of others. This isn’t the time or place for a full evaluation of the scheduling system and the war on drugs, but it suffices to say that it is a complex and interesting business ecosystem that’s teetering on the edge of widespread acceptance. That makes it a bit edgy, but also fresh and relevant — perfect, Devolver thought, to build a game around. So they made Weedcraft, Inc. Unfortunately, the company’s co-founder Mike Wilson told me the other day, they underestimated how square the gaming industry is. “This is definitely the hardest game I’ve had to market, and that’s saying something,” Wilson told me. “It has been a fucking nightmare. The fact that we’re still so afraid of a topic like weed instead of the murder simulators you can market any time, anywhere, it’s shocking.” Console game stores were reluctant to even carry it, and warned Devolver that it would never be featured, which is a death sentence for a game’s discoverability. They couldn’t get ads approved on Facebook or Instagram, and the person who submitted them even had his account suspended. And just this week, streamers trying out the game on YouTube had their videos demonetized. The only stores that didn’t buck were Steam, which is largely content-agnostic, and GOG, a popular DRM-free storefront. Why, though? This isn’t a game about smoking blunts or cutting dime bags with oregano to sell to middle school kids. “This isn’t a pro-legalization game. This is a tycoon game. You don’t do drugs in the game!” said Wilson. “You can play as a totally legal, scrupulous businessperson. We did all this research with like, dispensaries, geneticists, lawyers, we were worried about cultural sensitivity with the subject matter, things like how much more black people get jailed for it. We wanted it to be representative of all the social issues involved. It’s kind of like doing a game about booze in the prohibition era — like, what an interesting industry to study, right?” It’s not that the companies involved here — Microsoft, Sony, YouTube and so on — are applying some invisible rules. The rules are there; when I contacted YouTube for comment, they pointed me to the list of guidelines for “advertiser-friendly content.” And plain as day there’s the one about drugs: “Video content that promotes or features the sale, use, or abuse of illegal drugs, regulated drugs or substances, or other dangerous products is not suitable for advertising.” It’s just a bit weird to me still that we have this backwards, puritan approach to this stuff. Think of how much vile garbage is on YouTube and how the most popular games in the world glorify guns and death. But a recreational drug legal in many places and generally well thought of, not to mention a massive and growing business — that’s beyond the pale. I understand YouTube doesn’t want people doing bong-clearing competitions, and console makers want to appear family-friendly so they don’t lose that teen and tween market. But surely we can be adults about this. Gaming is maturing to be an interactive storytelling medium that encompasses serious issues, but the industry is holding itself back by its squeamishness about adult themes. And that feeds into the puritanical objections from misguided commentators, who go nuts over romancing an alien in Mass Effect or the ridiculous “Hot Coffee” thing in GTA, but don’t acknowledge the sophisticated storytelling of Return of the Obra Dinn, or subversive commentary of Papers, Please, or the impressive period recreation of an Assassin’s Creed. Drugs are a complex and controversial topic. I get that some people want to stay hands-off. But when that hands-off stance doesn’t apply to graphic violence, sexism, and other sore spots, it comes off as prudish and hypocritical. Digital Trends via TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com April 15, 2019 at 07:33PM
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Jabra wireless earbuds now cost $10 less than AirPods with this Amazon sale http://bit.ly/2VLrDhT One of our favorite pairs of true wireless headphones just got a little easier on your wallet: The Jabra Elite Active 65t, which we think are the best wireless headphones you can buy for workouts, are on sale for just $150 at Amazon, down from their original $190 list price. That $40 discount puts them at about $10 cheaper than the latest pair of Apple AirPods, which boast the same 5-hour battery life, but lack the same excellent call quality and IP56 waterproofing offered by the Jabra model. The thing we like most about Jabra’s Elite Active 65t model is that they are incredibly ergonomic. The compact earbuds fit extremely well in your ears, and soft silicone eartips guarantee great passive noise isolation and plenty of bass. The included charging case boasts two full charges, for a total for 15 hours on the go, and it’s as compact and easy to pocket as the floss-resembling case from Apple. Another thing we love about the Jabra Elite Active 65t is that they feature two physical buttons on each earphone, making it easy to adjust volume, play and pause songs, and more. What’s more, this model is now Alexa enabled, meaning you can press a button and call up Amazon’s voice assistant from your phone. Speaking of connectivity, these headphones are quick to pair, and feature a very stable Bluetooth connection when you’re playing music or watching films — something that we can’t say about all true wireless headphones. Another feature we love is that they auto-play and auto-pause music when you remove a headphone from your ears, no buttons required. This is something that AirPods do on iOS, but still fail to do on Android. We do anticipate a new Jabra model will hit the market at some point this year, but that’s no reason to hold off on buying the Jabra Elite Active 65t right now, especially now that they’re $40 off their original list price. This headphone model is still among the best in the true wireless universe. In fact, until Samsung launched its recent Galaxy Buds — which feature 6 hours of battery life but worse waterproofing — we considered the Jabra Elite Active 65t the best true wireless model on the market.
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Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://bit.ly/2p4eJdC April 15, 2019 at 07:24PM
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Microsoft says hackers were able to view Outlook.com emails http://bit.ly/2DcYOnm Microsoft isn’t having any luck this week with its Outlook.com email service. After reports initially noted that hackers were able to compromise Outlook.com servers for months, recent updates from Microsoft itself are beginning to show a bit more detrimental picture. Motherboard has reported that 6% of affected individuals received an email from the Redmond, Washington-based company alerting them that their email contents may have been revealed to hackers. The Outlook.com team has apparently only admitted this via email after first being presented with screenshot evidence confirming the hackers’ level of access. The report continues to note that the system intruders were able to access accounts for up to six months, but according to the Verge, Microsoft rebuts the statement, saying that “the claim of 6 months is inaccurate.” While any level of comprised accounts is disturbing, this instance is exacerbated by the company’s refusal to reveal precisely how many accounts were affected in the breach. “Our notification to the majority of those impacted noted that bad actors would not have had unauthorized access to the content of e-mails or attachments … a small group (6 percent of the original, already limited subset of consumers) was notified that the bad actors could have had unauthorized access to the content of their email accounts, and was provided with additional guidance and support,” said a Microsoft spokesman. Previous information about the Outlook.com breach appears to remain accurate, with the crime being committed through the use of a customer support agent’s credentials. Initially, Microsoft had claimed that only email addresses, subject lines of emails, folder labels, and names were able to be accessed by the intrusion, but the new report shows otherwise. Microsoft has already followed up with users, sending out emails that not only describe recent events but urge caution and note that those affected may see a rise in scam or phishing emails being sent to their inboxes. As such, it is essential to follow basic online safety tips and to keep a close eye on emails that may be trying to phish information from you. We will continue to update readers on the Outlook.com breach as more information becomes available.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://bit.ly/2p4eJdC April 15, 2019 at 07:24PM
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Samsung's Foldable Phone, A Microsoft Email Hack, And More News http://bit.ly/2KKc4Gi Tech news you can use, in two minutes or less: The first foldable phone is hereOkay, so it might look like twin beds in a hotel room, but Samsung has actually come out with a phone that fully bends: the aptly-named Galaxy Fold. It goes on sale April 26, and while it's not the first foldable phone concept, it is one of the first you can actually get your hands on. Get ready to blow your friends' minds—if you have $1,980 to spend on it. Hackers may be reading your emailsIn a newly discovered hack on Microsoft, attackers spent months with full access to Outlook, Hotmail, and MSN email accounts. They got in with stolen customer support credentials, giving them access to things like email addresses in messages, message subject lines, and, in some cases, the messages themselves. Don't listen to your friends when it comes to merry-go-round experimentsA group of curious individuals decided they would try to spin a merry-go-round by pressing a gas-powered scooter wheel against it and flooring said scooter. It went exactly as you thought it might. So whatever dumb things you might have done today, at least you didn't do that. Cocktail ConversationThe first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones premiered last night, and boy, is there a lot to unpack. Luckily, if you haven't had your fill, we've got a weekly podcast to help you stay in a Westeros state of mind. WIRED Recommends: Cheap phonesSpeaking of incredibly expensive phones, not all of us have $1,000 (or more) to blow on a communications device. For the rest of us, there are still a lot of great phones out there for half the money. Check out the best options right here. More News You Can UseThe largest airplane ever created took flight for the first time this weekend, and it was pretty epic. Digital Trends via Wired http://bit.ly/2uc60ci April 15, 2019 at 06:51PM
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Cops Are Trying to Stop San Francisco From Banning Face Recognition Surveillance http://bit.ly/2KDfHxL San Francisco is inching closer to becoming the first American city to ban facial recognition surveillance, a booming technology that’s a fast-growing business in the United States and extends to the core of China’s high-tech authoritarianism. A proposal to ban facial recognition from the city as well as provide significant transparency and oversight requirements to buying or using other forms of surveillance was heard by a committee in the San Francisco’s board of supervisors on Monday. The hearing included numerous supporters and critics but also one notable absence: police. While civil liberties groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are pushing the Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance, the San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) has been opposing the bill and pushing its own supporters to send emails to lawmakers demanding the bill be defeated. SFPOA did not respond to a request for comment. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, the San Francisco city lawmaker who first introduced the legislation, said his office had been inundated with identical emails that originated in a blast email from the Police Officers Association. Some of the emails still had blank spaces where names and neighborhoods were supposed to be filled in. The Police Officers Association worked with Stop Crime SF, a local crime-prevention group proposing a one-year sunset clause and exemptions for SFO airport, the city’s port and Oracle Park where the San Francisco Giants play baseball. Here’s a scan of the email the police organization sent to its supporters, obtained by Gizmodo: It should be noted that the legislation, which was first proposed almost three months ago, doesn’t impact homeowners who use video surveillance like Nest and Ring, or private business owners with their own surveillance systems. Similar legislation was introduced in the California state Senate but was defeated there due in large part to police opposition, Peskin said. “We can have good security without a security state and we can have good policing without a police state,” Peskin said. The San Francisco legislation arrives at a crucial moment in the history of rapidly nascent facial recognition technology. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly rushing to install face recognition technology at airports across the U.S., where the surveillance tech is used at toll booths, sporting events, and even Taylor Swift concerts. In China, the government is using the technology to track Muslim minorities. Police around that country are using facial recognition to track targets and make thousands of arrests. In 2018, Microsoft’s president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, came out in favor of federal regulation of face recognition due to privacy and human rights pitfalls. “We live in a nation of laws, and the government needs to play an important role in regulating facial recognition technology,” Smith wrote. “As a general principle, it seems more sensible to ask an elected government to regulate companies than to ask unelected companies to regulate such a government.” In the United States, most adults are in police facial recognition database, according to a Georgetown Law study. In addition to criticism that the technology aids and amplifies a general onerous surveillance state, many critics at Monday’s hearing pointed to research warning that the technology is biased against marginalized populations. When a group of Amazon shareholders successfully fought to get a vote on the possibility of banning Amazon’s sales of the technology to government agencies, they pointed to a 2018 ACLU study showing Amazon Rekognition falsely matched 28 members of Congress to mugshot photos. The errors disproportionately impacted people of color. Digital Trends via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com April 15, 2019 at 06:51PM
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The Best Charging Cable Is the One You Always Have With You http://bit.ly/2PdzUc7 You probably own a USB battery pack. Hell, you probably own several. But precious few have charging cables built in, and without one, your battery is just an expensive paperweight. The 3' long cable that came with your phone wasnât really designed to slip into your pocket, but if you carry keys with you, there are a bunch of great options that you can clip onto your keychain for any on-the-go charging emergencies. Native Union Key CableNative Unionâs iconic yarn ball-style charging cable also comes in keychain form. The braided cable comes wrapped up in a decorative knot that will look right at home on larger key rings, and it also includes a lifetime warranty, which is particularly useful on a cable that will take a lot of abuse going in and out of your pocket every day. (Lightning | MicroUSB | USB-C) inChargeThis 1.5" cable is one of the smallest on the market, and folds over an included keyring, securing to itself with built-in magnets. Since itâs so small and has no true locking mechanism, this one could be a bit easier to lose without realizing, but thatâs a small price to pay for something so sleek. (Lightning | MicroUSB | USB-C) Skiva Cord2GoSkivaâs Cord2Go is what you might call âover-designed.â But hiding the connectors and cables inside a plastic housing means the delicate parts are less vulnerable, and less likely to get caught when you pull your keys out of a tight pocket. Itâs also roughly the size and thickness of a key, and is designed in such a way that it should be essentially impossible to lose. (Lightning | MicroUSB)
Digital Trends via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com April 15, 2019 at 06:33PM
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The Notre Dame Fire and the Future of History http://bit.ly/2Goz1KR Some of the wood that burned in the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris on Monday was put in place in the year 1160. The beams and exterior of the roof over the nave, the long main section of the building, date from between 1220 and 1240. Nearly a millennium ago it was forest; today, after a catastrophe that cuts to the heart of French culture and human history, it’s ash. “It was one of the oldest—until today—surviving roofs of that kind,” says Robert Bork, an architectural historian at the University of Iowa. “It’s incomparable.” The fire began Monday evening, around 6:30 PM, in the church’s attic. The building’s familiar towers and flying buttresses loomed over the Ile de la Cité for centuries, prompting the author Victor Hugo to locate Notre Dame not only at the literal center of the city of Paris but also at its historical center, as a symbol. Flames and a column of smoke made it even more striking, and as the flames spread the potential impact of the blaze became more clear. President Emmanuel Macron cancelled a speech. Four hundred fire fighters mustered. The cathedral’s lead-and-wood spire, built by Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in 1860 as part of a controversial remodel, caught fire and fell. By Monday night, the art and treasured objects kept in the cathedral had been saved, it seemed. But architectural historians around the world were emailing each other frantically: If the lower three-quarters of the building resist, if the stone walls stand, it’ll be possible to imagine restoring Notre Dame. “If the fire burns out while the stone vaults are intact, then the repair is a repair,” Bork says. “If the vaults start to crack and fall down, then the building is going to be lost. We’d be talking about rebuilding, not a repair.” Parisian fire brigades held the line. They kept the fire from spreading into the towers of the western face of the cathedral. The wood—itself an architectural treasure—was lost. “Cathedrals like Chartres had all burned off,” Bork says. “This was quite special, and it was from the time that they were really developing roof techniques.” But the rest of the building seems to have been spared. As a landmark, Notre Dame lives on in uncountable drawings, paintings, and photographs, not to mention the memories of people who visited, worshipped, and listened to music amid its incomparable acoustics. But because it survived largely intact into the digital era, Notre Dame lives on in the virtual world, too—and that may make its restoration all the more complete. For the last half-decade or so, an architectural historian named Andrew Tallon worked with laser scanners to capture the entirety of the cathedral’s interior and exterior in meticulous 3D point clouds. His billion points of light revealed a living structure; the magnificent flying buttresses had indeed held the walls true, but the Gallery of Kings, statues on the western facade, were a foot out of plumb, Tallon told National Geographic in 2015. Just as it had in Victor Hugo's day, the entire building had in fact fallen into disrepair by then. In 2017, the problems became too serious to ignore. The New York Times reported on stacks of masonry, fallen or removed, in the gardens. Gargoyles had given way to plastic pipes to drain away rainwater. A remodel was imperative, though as Time reported, it wasn’t clear who would pay for it. This is the renovation project that was underway when the fire started, and architects now hope that Tallon’s scans may provide a map for keeping on track whatever rebuilding will have to take place. Tallon died late last year, and his mentor, a pioneer in using modern engineering forensics in historic architecture named Robert Mark, died in early 2019. “Both of them loved this building,” Bork says. “I’m just glad they didn’t have to see this.” As for what happens next, no one seems sure yet. In a statement, Macron insisted the cathedral would be rebuilt. And even if France finds the money to do so, what exactly will that entail? An exact copy, perhaps using Tallon’s scans? Something different? “This has not ever happened before in my lifetime, so I don’t have a paradigm to go to,” Bork says. “Original hand craftsmanship is irreplaceable. When you restore it, it’s not exactly the same thing. You lose information. You can tell sometimes when a stone has been carved by the kind of chisel marks on it. You can tell sometimes the chemical content of the mortar.” That texture and detail—and the knowledge to be gained by studying it—is what a fire burns away. A new wall doesn’t contain any of that, even if it looks exactly like what once stood. “Do we clean it up and make it all look unified, or do we try to let the memory remain?” Bork asks. “Every time they have a cathedral that needs restoration and tender loving care, there’s the question of, do you make it Disneyland, or do you let it decay? In this case, God willing, the cathedral will have some of its original structure left, and they’ll put it back as best as they can.” More Great WIRED StoriesDigital Trends via Wired http://bit.ly/2uc60ci April 15, 2019 at 06:21PM
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The Denali XL feels like one big-ass tiny home compared to others http://bit.ly/2V6FGlm Bigger is better in the American South: big trucks, big personalities, and most of all, big ambitions. So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a new outfit out of Guntersville, Alabama has come up with a tiny home that is gargantuan compared to others on the market. The newest product from Timbercraft Tiny Homes is a pretty amazing 42-foot tiny house that can be moved in a 10-foot-wide gooseneck trailer and has just less than 400 square feet of floor space inside. The Denali XL is the biggest offering from Timbercraft Tiny Homes, whose offerings range from a relatively tiny 20-foot Ynez model to a manageable 24-foot Boxcar model to a slightly smaller version of the Denali that comes in anywhere from 35 to 41 feet. But the Denali XL is a mansion by tiny homes standards, containing the aforementioned 399-square-feet of living space, with an additional 65-square-feet above the bathroom. The tiny home features tall ceilings, powered skylights, and two air conditioners to make sure owners always have plenty of fresh air. It also uses an advanced form of insulation based on closed cell spray foam technology that not only makes the home easier to heat and cool but also strengthens the walls. Often, tiny homes can be a giant pain to move into place. Timbercraft’s smaller homes can fit on a bumper pull trailer and they all come with standard RV style hookups, so you can drop one into a trailer park easily. The bigger ones like the Denali XL are more of a challenge. These homes can weigh as much as 20,000 pounds and require a gooseneck trailer to get into place. However, any of Timbercraft’s tiny homes are under the width and height restrictions of the Department of Transportation, and you don’t need any special licenses or permits to move them. You will need a one ton or larger pickup, though. You can check out Timbercraft Tiny Homes’ website for more information about pricing, but the Denali XL will run you about $125,000 for a basic unit. The company can build them pretty fast — Timbercraft says they can have your (big) tiny house finished within eight to 10 weeks from the time they start, although they recommend new clients contact them six to nine months before landing on the build schedule. Their sweet spot is building shell homes that can be finished out by the owner that includes wiring, plumbing and insulation but doesn’t manage wall coverings, floors, or fixtures. But the company has the capacity to add non-standard features to any of their offerings including attractive amenities like a composting toilet, grey water system, or wiring for solar panels for clients that want to go off-grid. They can also do TV or cable hookups and appliances like washer/dryers, an electric cooktop, a gas range, and a propane heater for those who aren’t ready to give up the amenities of civilization.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://bit.ly/2p4eJdC April 15, 2019 at 06:20PM
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Digital Trends Live: All-digital Xbox, fitness coaching on your phone, and more http://bit.ly/2KCJIxv On episode 109 of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Nicole Raney dove headlong into the biggest news stories from the world of tech, and also interviewed some fascinating guests. On today’s episode: Images have reportedly leaked of the Xbox One S “All Digital” edition, Apple may invest a fortune in gaming, and artificial intelligence has designed a new sport. Later in the show, Nibler spoke to Selina Tobaccowala, CEO and Founder of Gixo, a service that provides “live, coached fitness classes right on your phone.” Also on the show, Nibler sat down with David Nelson, CEO and Founder of Bumped, an intriguing app that lets consumers get stock in companies they shop with. Finally, Nibler spoke with Sarah Tang, VP of Enterprise for Freelancer, a platform that helps businesses find freelancers for specific jobs. Digital Trends Live airs Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. PT, with highlights available on demand after the stream ends. For more information, check out the DT Live homepage, and be sure to watch live for the chance to win occasional prizes.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://bit.ly/2p4eJdC April 15, 2019 at 06:20PM |
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