How To

2008-04-13T10:14:00.001-07:00

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Run iTunes from a USB DriveTutorial: How to make a mobile iTunes Library & Sync your iPod without a computer

2007-10-16T03:55:00.001-07:00

Wish you could free your iTunes Library from your computer and take it with you in your pocket? GetUSB.info put together an excellent tutorial on how to run a mobile iTunes Library from a USB stick or hard drive. This method will run the entire iTunes application from the storage device, making it easy to manage iTunes libraries from a single location. I believe this is how iTunes should have be developed. Having a library specific for each computer is a frustrating way to enjoy your music if you use multiple computers everyday (ie. work, home, laptop, etc.).

What pushed Greg from GetUSB.info over the edge, was his wife wanting to purchase music from iTunes at work and then sync up iTunes with her computer at home. Typically this is done by purchasing the music and downloading directly to the iPod. But his wife is a CPA and travels from location to location for audits and doesn't even use the same computer all the time. The solution was to run iTunes from a USB flash drive so she could just manage a single Library.

It's worth mentioning this does not get around the five license authorization for running iTunes purchased music, rather this is a method to manage your iTunes library from a single location for multiple computers.

Here is a quick summary so you know what you are getting into:

Create an autorun file for the USB drive

Create a batch file to auto-launch iTunes from any computer

Install iTunes on the USB stick

Install iTunes on any computer to run from the USB drive

Of course this method also works for larger storage hard drives - basically anything that appears as a Mass Storage Device on your PC system. If you are looking for a long term strategy for managing your iTunes music, I strongly recommend doing this process to an external hard drive that is, at least, 120GBs.

Requirements:

Any iPod

PC with iTunes

An iTunes Library that you want to move onto a USB stick or hard drive

Step 1: Creating the Autorun file

The autorun file tells the host computer what you want to do when the USB device is plugged into the computer. This step creates a single click auto-launch for iTunes.

Open Notepad and type the following:

[autorun]
icon=\iTunes.ico
open=iTunes_mobile.bat
action=Mobile iTunes
label=Mobile iTunes
shell\open\command=iTunes_mobile.bat
shell\open=Mobile iTunes

Save the Notepad document as 'Autorun.inf'

If you want a cool looking icon than pay attention to the first line 'icon=\iTunes.ico' and place your ico file in the root of the USB drive (get one here). If you don't care, delete the line.

Step 2: Creating the Batch file

Next create the batch file needed to automatically run iTunes upon connection of the USB drive. Please note you need XP Service Pack 2 or Vista for the autorun feature to work..

Open Notepad and type the following:

set APPDATA=%~dp0Application Data
if not exist "%~dp0Application Data" mkdir "%~dp0Application Dataset HOMEPATH=%~dp0Documents and Settings
if not exist "%~dp0Documents and Settings" mkdir "%~dp0Documents and Settingsset USERPROFILE=%~dp0
set ALLUSERSPROFILE=%~dp0
echo starting iTunes
start \iTunes_programs\iTunes.exe

Save the file as 'iTunes_mobile.bat'

With these two files, the autorun file and the iTunes_mobile.bat file we are ready to move along to installation.

NERD
NOTE: iTunes is available as a free download for Mac OS X, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000 from Apple's website. It is also bundled with all Macintosh computers, and some HP and Dell computers.

Step 3: Installing iTunes

Install iTunes to your PC as normal - not the USB drive!

While iTunes is installing on your PC go over to the USB drive and create a folder named 'iTunes_Programs'

When the iTunes installation is complete on the PC copy EVERYTHING from 'c:/Program files/iTunes' into the new folder of the USB drive 'iTunes_Programs'

Once this is complete create another folder on the USB drive 'iTunes_Installer' Drag the iTunesSetup file into this folder. We use this when installing iTunes on future computers.

Now that we have iTunes on the PC and we have everything on the USB drive, run the iTunes_mobile.bat file. Here a screen will flash then disappear and iTunes will open with a blank library.

During this process you will see some additional files and folders created on the USB drive. This is good - everything worked as planned. Now, everything should look like this after adding the autorun file, bat file and ico icon file along with running the iTunes_mobile.bat file:

Step 4: Loading your USB drive

Next create the batch file needed to automatically run iTunes upon connection of the USB drive. Please note you need XP Service Pack 2 or Vista for the autorun feature to work..

Your USB drive is now ready to accept content. Drag-n-drop everything from the host computer under /My Documents/My Music/iTunes Music/ to the USB drive under /My Documents/My Music/iTunes/iTunes/iTunes Music/

Your file path might be slightly different if you customized iTunes from a previous installation. This process might take some time depending on the size of your library.

Once the copy process is complete run the iTunes_mobile.bat file again and everything will appear in it's place. Simply double click the 'iTunes_mobile.bat' file. If you are missing the song ratings on the USB drive, go back into the PC iTunes and run an 'Export Library' which creates an xml file. In the USB drive iTunes run the 'Import Library' feature to read in the xml file - your ratings should be restored.

Step 5: Checking the Autolaunch

At this point you probably haven't disconnected the USB drive. Do that now.

Reconnect the drive and the following window should appear.

When you double click on the Mobile_iTunes icon listed first, iTunes will launch and use the library from your USB flash drive! Nice.

Congratulations you are running iTunes from your USB drive.

Step 6: Installing iTunes on a different computer

So you are at work and ready to run your iTunes from a USB drive. This is what you do.

Plug in the USB drive, but DON'T click the Autorun icon which pops up (and we created). Rather, close the pop-up window and navigate to the USB drive from My Computer.

Right click on the USB drive/stick and click "Explore"

Open the 'iTunes_Installer' folder on the USB drive and double click the iTunesSetup.exe file. Run the installation.

Once the iTunes installation is complete you'll have a blank iTunes library on the new PC. That's OK, close iTunes.

Now click your iTunes_mobile.bat file. This will open iTunes with your Library from the USB drive. Done! Congratulations you are running iTunes library from your USB drive on ANOTHER computer.

Step 7: Bonus

So here is the bonus. If you perform this USB tutorial on a large USB hard drive, chances are that external enclosure has additional USB ports. Now connect and sync your iPod to the USB drive, forget connecting the iPod to your PC. You can sync, grab podcasts, whatever, without connecting the iPod directly to your computer.

How To create 3 column Blogger Beta Template(3 easy steps)

2007-03-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

all of them who are using blogger beta templates have been trying to get three column templates and also tried to add javascript widgets above and below post.Here i will tell you the step to hack blogger beta to get three column templates and also to add widgets were ever you want.
These are the sample screenshots of templates build by hacking into blogger beta..

First Of all Choose The template Which u Want.Then just do the following........
step :1-

First u have to add the css for new sidebar with float:left

Step -2:-

next is to add left sidebar in the body content so u have to add the same code expect change the css file.

Step-3:-

Next is to modify showaddelement="yes"...which will allow u to add new javascript codes...

To arrange it perfectly u have to change the pixel arrangement in Css and modify based A u wish...

How To Hack An IPOD

2007-03-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

download iPodSync for your iPod

it turns your iPod into a palm pilot; it synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook to store all of my personal contacts, calendar appointments, and emails

it downloads internet newsfeeds from media outlets like the New York Times and BBC so that you can read everything on the train ride to work in the morning

it doubles up as one of those little flash drive thingies so you can use the leftover space as a portable storage.

The Monster Cable FM Transmitter

You connect it to your iPod and set your car radio to a low station (like 88.3 fm), and your iPod plays on your car stereo. Fucking awesome!!

How to Hack an iPod.

You know that really annoying "do not disconnect" screen that comes up? You can change it with your own image! Here's how.
1) download the Apple updater and install it on your computer

2) download iPodWizard and unzip it onto your desktop. Then, open up the program. You should get this screen.

3) click "open updater" and choose the Apple Updater Application you downloaded in step 1. It should be in Program files > iPod

4) In Firmware, select IDR_FIRMWARE 5.4.0 and click the right arrows until you change the index to 89. Save the file to your desktop, edit it with Photoshop however you want your picture to look, and then load it into the firmware.

5) Click "write."

6) Open up Apple's iPod update from your start menu.

7) Click "restore" and wait 5 minutes for it to reformat your iPod.
Note: this will erase the contents of the iPod, so make sure you have everything backed up on your PC.

8) Check out the results of your iPod hack:

How To Build Traffic To Your Blog

2007-03-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

With the growing interest in blogging as a means of online promotion and branding, a lot of marketers are starting blogs to promote their opinions, products, books and services.

But a blog is like a website. "Write and they will come" isn't exactly a magic formula to bring in traffic by the boatload.

If you need to promote your website in order to build traffic to it, you need to promote your blog as well.

Here are some ways you can become a well-read and influential blogger.

1. Write Posts That People Will Want To Read

This should be common sense, but many marketers tend to forget that their readers are real people and that you need to use the principles of online copywriting to make your headlines and copy interesting to your readers.

If you write posts that people enjoy reading, they will reward you by returning to your blog regularly.

Make your posts conversational, pithy and topical. Keep them short and stick to one topic per post.

Write often and regularly so that both readers and search engines visit your blog more often.

2. Optimize Your Posts for Search Engines

I cover this topic in detail in my article on "Search Engine Optimization For Blogs" http://www.blog-maniac.com/blog-seo.htm

But here are the most important rules to follow to get your posts listed for keywords of your choice.

* Make sure your blog URL contains the primary keyword you want to optimize for

* Use your primary keywords in the title of your post

* Use your secondary keywords in the body of your post

* Use your keywords in the anchor text of links in the body of your posts

3. Submit Your Blog and RSS Feed To Directories

If you publish a blog you should submit your blog and RSS feed to big directories like Yahoo and Dmoz, as well as the numerous blog directories and search engines.

Here is the best list I've found of places to submit your feed or blog, compiled by Luigi Canali De Rossi, who writes under the pseudonym Robin Good.

Best Blog Directory And RSS Submission Sites http://www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/

Another list of sites to submit your Blog. http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-submission.htm

4. Ping The Blog Services

There are a number of services designed specifically for tracking and connecting blogs. By sending a small ping to each service you let them know you've updated your blog so they can come check you out.

Bookmark the Ping-O-Matic ping results page so you can visit it and quickly ping a number of services with a single click.

http://pingomatic.com

5. Build Links To Your Blog

I recommend the methods here as the best ways to get links pointing to your blog

* Link to your blog from each page on your main website

* Trackback to other blogs in your posts

* Post legitimate comments on other blogs with related topics

* Offer to exchange links with other similarly themed blogs and websites

6. Edit Your Blog Posts Into Articles

One of the best methods for promoting your website is to write articles and submit them to article directories.

The suggestion for extending this to edit your blog posts into articles and submit them to directories came from the coach at "Explode Blog Traffic" who also has other noteworthy suggestions at his blog here. http://bloghit.blogspot.com/2004/11/how-to-explode-blog-traffic.html

You'll find an extensive list of article directories here http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/write-articles/submit-articles.htm

7. Create Buzz About Your Blog

Creating a buzz about your blog posts and topic in the local and online media will give your marketing a viral component.

* Create a controversy around your blog or it's topic.

* Distribute bumper stickers or other merchandise with your blog's URL and tagline.

* Write a press release about something newsworthy and tie it in with your blog topic.

8. Capture Subscribers By Email

It may seem strange for a blogger to send out updates by email, but email is still the #1 choice of most people who want to receive news and information.

Using a free service like Bloglet to manage your subscriptions is easy and it allows your subscribers to manage all their subscriptions from one interface. http://www.bloglet.com

However, if you want more control over your list and don't mind mailing out the updates yourself, you can use an autoresponder system to capture and follow-up with subscribers.

RSS responder is a new script that allows you to keep in touch and follow-up with your subscribers without the hassle of email. http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/rssresponder.htm

These tips should give you a good start to building your blog traffic.

Priya Shah is a partner in the search engine marketing firm, SEO & More http://www.seoandmore.com Request the whitepaper Boost Your Search Engine Visibility With Blogs And RSS http://www.seoandmore.com/blogs-rss/

Submitted by Priya Shah

How To Speed Up Firefox (Helpful Vanity)

2007-03-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Here's something for broadband people that will really speed Firefox up:

1.Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

network.http.pipelining network.http.proxy.pipelining network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.

2. Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.

3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it recieves.

If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages MUCH faster now!

by korn

How to Convert and Fit 2-3 avi Movies IN 1 DVD

2007-03-10T03:07:00.000-08:00

Yet and again i have come back with an intresting topic.As the title suggest we are going to fit 2-3 movies in a dvd.The software required is D.I.K.O.It can be downloaded at http://www.vmesquita.com/en/index.htm.

The most amazing part is that the software is FREE.

CONFIGURATION:

The first time we start D.I.K.O., we will need to very the configuration.
Note: screen shots are based on the 1.47 Gold version. Screens for the free version are similar.

Now click the "CONFIGURATION" button. The following screen will appear:

In the first screen (tab called "Path") we set our working directory. Make sure this points to a directory where you have a couple of Gbytes free. I always make sure I have about 8 Gb free in that folder.
Now go to the next tab (called "Parameters"). Copy the settings as shown in the image below:

Details:

MODE

Select if you want to make a DVD (KDVD) or a Super VCD (KSVCD).
SYSTEM

Select your TV System here. PAL is commonly used in Europe, NTSC in the USA.More details can be found on the Video Formats page (look at the bottom).Note from Riez: mixing PAL and NTSC movies might cause issues!
VIDEO ENCODER

Select FreeEnc to begin with (I'm pretty pleased with it).If you want to use CCE, then after selecting this, go back to the "Path" tab and set the "ECLCCE" path to you CCE directory.
AUDIO ENCODERI

use BeSweet since Soft Encode seems to be a commercial application (it is discontinued however).
MEDIA SIZEI

have set mine to 4490 Mb with 180 Mb overhead. Slightly more than the default. Either will work just fine.However, when using DVD-R (since this media type does not support overbunring) you're stuck with the maximum (default) value of 4482 Mb.
OTHER SETTINGSI

have checked "Ignore Pulldown failure" and "remove Temp files".Optionally, if you do the encoding during the night, you can check "Shutdown when finished processing".The option "Use AviSynth Monitor" can be practical - if you're an expert - to monitor problems (never had a use for it).Also note that there have been reports that AviSynth Monitor may actually cause problems! Naturally you can set the interface language to your language, however in this guide we stick with English.

Now we go to the next tab: "Authoring".

We have 2 options here:
1) We author our DVD ourselves using DVDLab, TMPGEnc DVD Author or another DVD authoring tool.
In this window uncheck everything, including the "Author Disc" option.Authoring your DVD's yourself gives you more freedom in designing my own layout, chapters, and functionality you would like.But it will also take more time ...
2) We have D.I.K.O. Auhtor our DVD
If you want to use this option (definitly less work), then make sure "Author Disc" is checked.This option will create a directory called "author" holding two folders: "AUDIO_TS" and "VIDEO_TS" with the complete DVD in it.
The other settings are the default languages you wish to use for Audio (Sound Language) and subtitles (Subs language).
The chapter option is default set to 5 minutes. Which means that D.I.K.O. will generate a chapter every 5 minutes.You can change this value to 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes, or "Don't add chapters". Personally I would recommend keeping it a 5 minutes.You can check "Create DVD Image" (if you use Nero then this is not required), which will create an ISO file which most burning software can burn. I usually have Nero handle this problem, so I leave it unchecked.You can also check the option "Burn using DVD Decrypter". This will burn the DVD right away once D.I.K.O. finished creating the image. Again: I prefer to have Nero do the burning. So I leave it unchecked. Leaving this unchecked also offers you the option to do a quality check before burning your conversion to a DVD.
The next tab "Video" is used for setting encoder specific settings, here we assume that we use FreeEnc:

For best quality:compression ratio I always select "Multipass VBR". For top speed conversion select "1 Pass VBR".
The option overscan should be set to zero.
"Resolution" depends on your TV system: PAL uses 704x576, NTSC uses 704x480. For some movies it might make sense to use a lower resolution. However so far I have not had any movie where the default value didn't work properly. See also the the Video Formats page.
The next tab is "Audio". The default settings are just fine.Default 2.0 audio (stereo) is set to 160 kbps. If you selected "Soft Encode" on "Parameters" tab, then 5.1 audio is set to 384 kbps

converting movies:

So now we're back at the start window. Click the "New Conversion" button:

A new window opens allowing you to select the AVI files you wish to convert:

In this window we select our AVI files, D2V files (DVD2AVI project files), or a regular DVD (might not work very well with the free version).In this guide we will not dig into the advanced D2V project files or DVDs, and stick with AVI files only!
Note: The DVD option is not available in the free version!
I found that on average you can store between 4 and 7 hours of movie on a DVD with still a good quality.So that is about 2 to 4 movies, or about 11 episodes of your favorite show (right click an AVI, and select properties. This will show you the playback time of each individual AVI).
Adding a movie
Note: If you use the DVD Auhtoring feature; make sure you add the movies in the same order as you have set the buttons in the JPG image!
Click the "..." button next o the field "Movie File 1:".

A file dialog will open allowing to select your AVI file.
If your movie is split in two parts (not uncommon, for example CD1 and CD2), the use the "Movie File 2:" to select the second part.Note that this should be the second part of THE SAME MOVIE!
Note: Optionally you can drag the AVI file into the "Movie File 1:" or "Movie File 2:" field.
Adding the next movie
If you want to add another movie, then click "Add Another Movie" and repeat the steps as described for adding a movie/avi.Only use this button if this is NOT your last movie!!!

Once you have added all your AVI's you can click the button "Start Conversion". then click ok.thats it coversion will start then.U will be able to play in standalone.

(via weethet)

How to Speed Up windows xp in 10 simple steps

2007-03-10T03:05:00.000-08:00

1. Disable Indexing Services

Indexing Services is a small little program that uses large amounts of RAM and can often make a computer endlessly loud and noisy. This system process indexes and updates lists of all the files that are on your computer. It does this so that when you do a search for something on your computer, it will search faster by scanning the index lists. If you don't search your computer often, or even if you do search often, this system service is completely unnecessary. To disable do the following:

1. Go to Start
2. Click Settings
3. Click Control Panel
4. Double-click Add/Remove Programs
5. Click the Add/Remove Window Components
6. Uncheck the Indexing services
7. Click Next

2. Optimise Display Settings

Windows XP can look sexy but displaying all the visual items can waste system resources. To optimise:

1.Go to Start
2. Click Settings
3. Click Control Panel
4. Click System
5. Click Advanced tab
6. In the Performance tab click Settings
7. Leave only the following ticked:
- Show shadows under menus
- Show shadows under mouse pointer
- Show translucent selection rectangle
- Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
- Use visual styles on windows and buttons

3. Disable Performance Counters

Windows XP has a performance monitor utility which monitors several areas of your PC's performance. These utilities take up system resources so disabling is a good idea.

To disable:

1. download and install the Extensible Performance Counter List
2.Then select each counter in turn in the 'Extensible performance counters' window and clear the 'performance counters enabled' checkbox at the bottom.button below.

4. Speedup Folder Browsing

You may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers everytime you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing significantly:

1. Open My Computer
2. Click on Tools menu
3. Click on Folder Options
4. Click on the View tab.
5. Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check box
6. Click Apply
7. Click Ok
8. Reboot your computer

5. Improve Memory Usage

Cacheman Improves the performance of your computer by optimizing the disk cache, memory and a number of other settings.

Once Installed:

1. Go to Show Wizard and select All
2. Run all the wizards by selecting Next or Finished until you are back to the main menu. Use the defaults unless you know exactly what you are doing.
3.Exit and Save Cacheman
4.Restart Windows

6. Optimise your internet connection

There are lots of ways to do this but by far the easiest is to run TCP/IP Optimizer.

1. Download and install
2. Click the General Settings tab and select your Connection Speed (Kbps)
3. Click Network Adapter and choose the interface you use to connect to the Internet
4. Check Optimal Settings then Apply
5. Reboot

7. Optimise Your Pagefile

If you give your pagefile a fixed size it saves the operating system from needing to resize the page file.

1. Right click on My Computer and select Properties
2. Select the Advanced tab
3. Under Performance choose the Settings button
4. Select the Advanced tab again and under Virtual Memory select Change
5. Highlight the drive containing your page file and make the initial Size of the file the same as the Maximum Size of the file.

Windows XP sizes the page file to about 1.5X the amount of actual physical memory by default. While this is good for systems with smaller amounts of memory (under 512MB) it is unlikely that a typical XP desktop system will ever need 1.5 X 512MB or more of virtual memory. If you have less than 512MB of memory, leave the page file at its default size. If you have 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page file size to physical memory size.

8. Run BootVis - Improve Boot Times

BootVis will significantly improve boot times

1. Download and Run
2. Select Trace
3. Select Next Boot and Driver Trace
4. A Trace Repetitions screen will appear, select Ok and Reboot
5. Upon reboot, BootVis will automatically start, analyze and log your system's boot process. When it's done, in the menu go to Trace and select Optimize System
6. Reboot.
7. When your machine has rebooted wait until you see the Optimizing System box appear. Be patient and wait for the process to complete

9. Remove the Desktop Picture

Your desktop background consumes a fair amount of memory and can slow the loading time of your system. Removing it will improve performance.

1. Right click on Desktop and select Properties
2. Select the Desktop tab
3. In the Background window select None
4. Click Ok

10. Remove Fonts for Speed

Fonts, especially TrueType fonts, use quite a bit of system resources. For optimal performance, trim your fonts down to just those that you need to use on a daily basis and fonts that applications may require.

1. Open Control Panel
2. Open Fonts folder
3. Move fonts you don't need to a temporary directory (e.g. C:\FONTBKUP?) just in case you need or want to bring a few of them back. The more fonts you uninstall, the more system resources you will gain.

Hope you find these 10 tips useful. Let me know if you did below, or if you have any other simple tips you want to share with other readers.

How to download Youtube videos and convert

2007-03-10T02:53:00.000-08:00

Have u wondered how to download youtube videos.if u dont know these are the simple steps to download youtube videos and convert them to avi etc...so lets get started with the tutorial

Download videos from Youtube, Google, Metacafe, iFilm, Dailymotion... and other 60+ video sites ! And all embedded objects on a webpage (movies, mp3s, flash, quicktime, etc) ! Directly !

Link: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2390/

And here is .flv convertor "Replay Converter"

Replay Converter is the easiest way to convert video FLV files captured from any other method. FLV Files can be converted to these popular

formats:
iPod Video
PSP (Play Station Portable) Video
Mpeg-4
Windows Media
AVI

Replay Converter converts popular audio file formats as well, including MP3, OGG, Windows Media, Real and WAV. Replay Converter is very easy to use. You simply pick the files to convert, choose an output format, and click a button to start the process. Everything happens automatically.

(this was posted by desihacker from dctorrent)

How To Boost Your Internet Connection

2007-03-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

Everyone May Like To Know How To Boost Your Internet Connection.These Are Simple Steps To Make Your Internet Connection Faster.
copy these lines and paste them in any text editor...now save this file as a.reg file and run it..

*********start copying********* REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters] "SackOpts"=dword:00000001 "TcpWindowSize"=dword:0005ae4c"Tcp1323Opts"=dword:00000003 "DefaultTTL"=dword:00000040 "EnablePMTUBHDetect"=dword:00000000"EnablePMTUDiscovery"=dword:00000001 "GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize"=dword:0005ae4c
***************end copying*************
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