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Mozille BrowserID / Persona Dies

A Sad Day – Mozille BrowserID / Persona Dies

It’s a sad day – the best of the federated Authentication Providers, without its own agenda or privacy issues, has shut down, due to the public’s apparent lack of interest and / or awareness.

Mozilla Persona, which started life several years ago as BrowserID, was the only one of the OpenAuth-based Authentication providers that didn’t insist on being logged in to a commercial site in order to be authenticated by proxy at the time – with all the privacy issues that entails.

Although it’s no secret that The Public is notorious for not caring about (or not even being aware of) privacy (or at least sacrificing it in favor of convenience), it’s unfortunate that the Mozilla Foundation has chosen not to spend the time, effort, and money to educate the public, as it has chosen to do with its other products.

Here are some relevant excerpts from the shutdown page:

FAQs

A website I use requires Persona for login, what should I do?

You will need to contact the site owner and ask about their plans for migrating away from Persona.

Mozilla staff can find more information about the progress of migrating internal sites on this mana page.

Why is persona.org being shut down?

Our metrics show that usage of persona.org is low, and has not grown over the last two years.

Hosting using  vps hosting plans at the level of security and availability required for an authentication system is no small undertaking, and Mozilla can no longer justify dedicating limited resources to this project. We will do everything we can to shut it down in a graceful and responsible manner.

What will happen in the meantime?

Between now and November 30th, 2016, Mozilla will continue to support the Persona service at a maintenance level: Security issues will be resolved in a timely manner and the services will be kept online, but we do not expect to develop or deploy any new features. Support will continue to be available on the dev-identity mailing list and in the #services-dev IRC channel.

All websites that rely on Persona will need to migrate to another means of authentication during this time.

What happens after that?

On or after November 30th, 2016, the services hosted by Mozilla on persona.org will be taken offline. This includes the persona.org website, the javascript shim, the fallback IdP and identity bridges, and the hosted verifier.

Mozilla will retain control of the persona.org domain and will not transfer it to a third party. This is a security measure to protect websites that have not completed their migration away from the service.

All user data stored on the persona.org services will be destroyed, including registered email addresses and password hashes. Since the privacy of user data is of utmost importance to Mozilla, we will not transfer it to any third parties.

What about the code?

All of Persona’s code — core, bridges, shims, and more — is open source and remains available on github. Though this marks the end of Mozilla’s direct involvement in Persona, we encourage others to continue learning from and building upon our work.

Migration Suggestions and Guidelines

The following alternative login options are available for sites migrating away from Persona. We will continue to update this page throughout the year.

We intentionally designed Persona to expose email addresses rather than opaque identifiers, which should ease the transition to other systems that provide verified email addresses.

Mozilla-hosted sites may find additional, staff-login-specific migration options on the internal mana page.

Delegated Authentication Providers

Many large email and service providers offer delegated login for third-party applications, including Google, Facebook and GitHub. Indeed, we have found that many sites currently using Persona also offer login via one or more of these services. While these services do not offer equivalently-strong privacy guarantees to Persona, they are a convenient and secure choice for users since they avoid the creation of a site-specific password.

We plan to offer delegated authentication with Firefox Accounts some time in 2016. If you’re interested in adding Firefox Accounts as a login option to your site, please reach out to us on the dev-fxacct mailing list.

Site-Specific Accounts

Many web frameworks offer password-based user accounts functionality out-of-the-box. Although it requires users to create and remember yet another password, it can be a good choice for users who do not have (or do not wish to share) an account with a delegated authentication provider.

For existing users who previously authenticated with Persona, you could consider authenticating them through Persona again to confirm their email address, then prompting them to create a site-specific password.

Passwordless Email Login

As an alternative to setting a site-specific password, you can allow users to login directly via email link, as described in this article and implemented by libraries like passwordless. This can avoid the security implications of users having to create and manage another password, and may be a good fallback option when used in combination with delegated authentication providers.

Self-hosting Persona

Since the code for Persona is open-source, it would be possible for reliers to self-host an instance of the service that is dedicated to their own use.

This approach is not recommended most reliers. Persona has a large and complex codebase that has not seen significant development in several years, and Mozilla will not provide security or maintenance updates after 30th November 2016.

More?

We encourage affected reliers to document any alternative solutions here and to discuss them on the dev-identity mailing list, so that others can benefit from their experience.

  • The Portier open source project attempts to replicate much of Persona’s user experience, while being easy to self-host, even on the free tier of PaaS providers like Heroku. Similar to Persona, Portier supports identity-bridging to Gmail. It falls back to passwordless-style login links for everyone else.

Taken from:

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Identity/Persona_Shutdown_Guidelines_for_Reliers

 

We at eRacks wil be looking into Portier for our own usage, as well.

j

January 9th, 2017

Posted In: authentication, News, Open Source

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cinnamon-mint-18Linux Mint 18 is now available!

Based on Ubuntu 16.04, which was made available in April, this release of Mint is based on the LTS release of Ubuntu, rather than following the twice-yearly updates – and will have only incremental changes and updates over the next 2 years – thus being more stable and predictable, and avoiding any potential instabilities introduced by the biannual Ubuntu upgrades.

So Mint 18 should now be available in all the eRacks product dropdowns – if you don’t see it on the model you want, please contact us and we’ll fix it or give you a custom quote with Mint 18.

As always, contact us at info@eracks.com for any inquiries or questions regarding the Mint 18 release, or any of our products, and what release we recommend for you and your unique needs.

j

August 3rd, 2016

Posted In: Linux, Mint, News, ubuntu, Upgrades

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Introducing eRacks/ZENBOOK15.UHD 4D resolution, high power Ultrabook with Linux or BSD operating system

Introducing eRacks/ZENBOOK15.UHD 4D resolution, high power Ultrabook with Linux or BSD operating system

We wanted to start the month in style. So, we thought what better way there is than introducing a great looking Ultrabook with powerful specification?   Then the light bulb went on: “eRacks/ZENBOOK15.UHD”.

This really stylish and elegant eRacks/ZENBOOK15.UHD laptop that comes with a screen resolution of 3840 by 2160 — four times FHD (full high-definition) resolution – really started looking mighty good.

This Ultrabook by Asus can be delivered by eRacks with up to 24 Gigabytes of RAM and up to 1 or even 2 Terabytes of SSD hard disk space. As a matter of fact this ultrabook has been ranked the number one among all of ultrabooks that you can find online, this is according to gadget reviews, which is a good indication that it will really serve it’s purpose and will cope up with your expectation. With its 15.6 inch 4K Ultra High Definition IPS screen and a view angle of about 170 degrees, eRacks/ZENBOOK15.UHD is really a great looking and powerful Ultrabook.

As with all eRacks Systems products, this elegant looking Ultrabook will be delivered with your choice of Open Source operating system & software pre-installed and pre-configured. The operating system can be any flavor of Linux or BSD (We can even do other OSes like Haiku, etc on request). We will install and configure the OS fully before packaging your Ultrabook and sending it off your way.

In fact, you can be sure that with your Ultrabook ordered through us, you will receive a powerful open source system, configured to the highest specifications according to your requirements. And you can also be sure that no one else can or will offer anything close to the laptop you will get from us.

So, why not expand your laptop computing power to the next level with us. Contact us and ask about eRacks/ZENBOOK15.UHD. We’ll be happy to hear from you.

info@eracks.com

October 8th, 2015

Posted In: FreeBSD, Laptop cookbooks, New products, News, Products, Upgrades, Zenbook

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eRacks/NAS50 Half Petabytes of Data Storage Server / Cloud Storage

eRacks/NAS50 Half Petabytes of Data Storage Server / Cloud Storage

We were extremely excited to announce the forthcoming release of 500 Terabyte (half Petabyte) storage space upgrade on our flagship product eRacks/NAS50 cloud data storage servers last week.  The new model, to be released shortly, will incorporate 50 HGST 10 Terabyte HelioSeal™ hard drives.  While the new model is not released yet, we are accepting pre-orders from customers.  The current capacity, now available, of the eRacks/NAS50 is 400Terabytes in total, with currently-available 8Terabyte drives. The Azure devops security for data protection purposes as that must be a priority.

The new unit is rackmount and holds 50 removable drive bays.  The 9U unit is suitable for any cloud storage application as well as NAS/Local LAN, since cloud services are really used now a days, you can learn how connecting to clouds directly can help businesses from this link.  eRacks/NAS50™ is also a great solution for media libraries and other applications which require massive amounts of data storage capacity, you just have to make you are also backed up by the best data management services. Visit https://blog.couchbase.com/fuzzy-matching/ and get more information!

Our new servers are truly a remarkable Petascale solution.  The HGST 10 Terabyte HelioSeal™ drives that come with eRacks/NAS50 use two technologies that greatly add to the value that this server carries with it, including other server services from sites as https://www.servermania.com/kb/articles/what-are-the-requirements-for-ubuntu-server/ for ubuntu projects.

The first is referred to as the HelioSeal™ technology.   The HGST hard drives using this technology replace the air inside of the drive with helium.  This would make the drive much lighter as well as allowing the disks to be much thinner.   Due to the helium inside, the thinness of disks will not cause any disruptive turbulence effects.  This will allow us to have more disks inside each drive which in turn means more data space.  Additionally, helium drives have much lower power consumption, as much as 27%, making our NAS50 models truly a green product.

The new drives in the eRacks/NAS50 servers also make use of a technology called SMR.  That is short for Shingled Magnetic Recording.  This technology by itself adds another 25 to 100 percent storage capacity to HGST hard drives.

We are proud of our new eRacks/NAS50 and are ready to take pre-orders.  We are prepared to customize the unit per your instructions with all Open-Source software necessary so your order will reach you completely pre-installed.

Please contact us for pre-orders or any questions you may have.

eRacks Open Source Systems
Phone: (714) 758-5423
Fax: (631) 392-9842
http://www.eRacks.com
eMail: info@eracks.com

September 12th, 2015

Posted In: NAS50, New products, News, Open Source, servers, Upgrades

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We all know that exercise is important in our daily lives, but we may not know why or what exercise can do for us.

It’s important to remember that we have evolved from nomadic ancestors who spent all their time moving around in search of food and shelter, travelling large distances on a daily basis. Our bodies are designed and have evolved to be regularly active.

In the same way that a sports car is designed to go fast, we are designed to move. If the sports car is taken out once a week for a 3 mile round trip through a town centre then it would probably develop engine problems fairly quickly. For the most healthier results while exercising take a look to these chillwell portable ac reviews.

Over time people too develop problems if they sit down all day at a desk or in front of the TV and minimise the amount of exercise they do.


The Benefits of Exercise

There are many benefits of regular exercise and maintaining fitness and these include:

  • Exercise increases energy levels

    Exercise improves both the strength and the efficiency of your cardiovascular system to get the oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.  When your cardiovascular system works better everything seems easier and you have more energy for the fun stuff in life. These are just some of the best healthy benefits that biofit probiotic provides.

  • Exercise improves muscle strength

    Staying active keeps muscles strong and joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, allowing you to move more easily and avoid injury. Strong muscles and ligaments reduce your risk of joint and lower back pain by keeping joints in proper alignment. They also improve coordination and balance. Read more about performer 8.

  • Exercise can help you to maintain a healthy weight

    The more you exercise, the more calories you burn.  In addition, the more muscle you develop, the higher your metabolic rate becomes, so you burn more calories even when you’re not exercising.  The result?  You may lose weight and look better physically which will boost your self-esteem. This is how male enhancement pills works.

  • Exercise improves brain function

    Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain. It also encourages the release of the brain chemicals (hormones) that are responsible for the production of cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory and learning.  This, in turn, boosts concentration levels and cognitive ability, and helps reduce the risk of cognitive degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

June 30th, 2015

Posted In: Fedora, News

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eRacks/NAS36 Front

eRacks Open Source Systems announces the immediate availability of the eRacks/NAS36 rackmount storage server, with 36 removable 6TB hard drives, which yields a maximum of 216TB (Terabytes*) of raw storage with current widely-available technology. The eRacks/NAS36 rackmount server is shipped pre-configured to the user’s custom specs, with any available open-source software, and more flavors of Linux or BSD available than any other vendor.

Fremont, CA (PRWEB) October 3, 2014

eRacks Open Source Systems is pleased to announce the latest upgrade eRacks/NAS36 rackmount storage server.

Available immediately, it combines a rack usage of only 4U with a density of 36 drives (24 front and 12 rear), which, when combined with the current technology of widely available 6TB drives, yields a total storage of 216TB*.

This rounds out eRacks’ line of rackmount multi-drive storage servers and NAS solutions, nicely filling the gap between the 24-drive eRacks/NAS24 and the all-front-loading 50-drive eRacks/NAS50, eRacks’ flagship storage server.

When populated with 36 removable drives in only 4U, this represents a density / price breakthrough – using the best value (lowest price/TB) 6TB drives, this enables 216TB* of raw storage in only 4U, and for less than $30,000, as configured on the eRacks website.

The unit is also available partially populated, at a reduced price, to make it accessible at a lower initial price, and the storage can be increased later by filling the empty drive trays.

It’s signature service, eRacks will be happy to install any of the popular Linux distributions on request – Ubuntu, Debian, RedHat, Centos, Fedora, even the Arch Linux distro, which is growing fast in popularity, as well as FreeBSD, OpenBSD, or other Open Source OSes.nas36-both

eRacks will also pre-install any open source NAS software, such as FreeNAS, OpenFiler, NAS4Free and OpenMediaVault, among others – and administrative dashboards and web GUIs are offered on most of these software choices.

Also available is OpenStack, and other OSS cloud software, such as Eucaluyptus or CloudStack, as well as best-of-breed Open Source software for BigData / Cloud storage, NAS, and networking – including Hadoop, MooseFS, CIFS, GlusterFS, etc – and eRacks is a partner with MooseFS.org.

In addition, the eRacks policy is to install any Linux/BSD distro or Open Source software on request – Contact eRacks today at http://eracks.com/contact to see how they can meet your needs.

Please email info@eracks.com to request a custom quote.

 

Note: *For the purposes of this press release, the term “Terabyte” is used to mean one trillion bytes – eRacks understands the issues about this, we are using the term as the disk drive and other industry manufacturers use it.

 

Dennis
eRacks

 

October 1st, 2014

Posted In: NAS36, News, Open Source, Ubuntu 14.04, Upgrades

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thumb_cinnamonThe latest Linux Mint release, Mint 17 “Qiana”, is now available on most or all eRacks systems.

Either the Cinnamon or Mate editions, or KDE, XFCE, Debian (LMDE) are also available.

Most or all of our dropdown OS choices have been updated,  but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, please ask us by email:  http://eracks.com/contact_us and we will add it or give you a custom live quote.

UPDATE June 30th, 2014: All Mint17 installations are now V2.

http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2662

 

 

June 18th, 2014

Posted In: Mint, News, Operating Systems, ubuntu

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Ubuntu 14.04 is now available. Ubuntu 14.04

Fremont, CA (PRWEB) April 24, 2014

This latest Ubuntu 14.04 release is now available on most or all eRacks systems.

eRacks today announced the latest release of a new operating system – Ubuntu 14.04 which is now in the OS dropdowns on most or all the systems.

Most or all of our dropdown Operating System choices have been updated, but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, please ask us by Email: info at eracks.com OR http://eracks.com/contact_us and we will respond promptly.

Regards,
Dennis
eRacks

April 24th, 2014

Posted In: News, Operating Systems, ubuntu, Ubuntu 14.04

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If you’re shopping for a pickup truck in 2018, you have a lot of great options to choose from. Most major automakers made significant improvements in technology, engine efficiency, and styling for the 2018 line of pickup trucks. Whether you are searching for strong towing capacity, great off-road capabilities, comfortable cabin or user-friendly technology, here are the five best pickup trucks that you should consider.
2018 Chevy Colorado

2018 Chevrolet Colorado: Being a mid-size pickup truck, Chevrolet has RWD or AWD configurations, three capable engines (including an available 3.6L V6 horsepower) as well as the GM-exclusive Duramax 2.8L Turbo-Diesel engine. The ZR2 model has the versatility to be a capable work trucks or dominating off-road. Colorado’s fuel economy is up to 22 city / 30 highway with horsepower between181 – 308 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 7.1 seconds. The price range of the 2018 model is from $20,200 to $40,315. The towing capacity can haul up to 7,700 lbs. Additionally, the Colorado has innovative safety and technology feature that help keep you protected and connected everyday! This is one of the best pickup trucks that is also compatible with the new Apple CarPlay technology as well as with Android Auto.
2018 GMC Sierra

GMC Sierra 1500. If you are looking for a full-size truck, GMC Sierra 1500 model is one of the best pickup trucks available! The Sierra is a tough overall truck offering four engine options including a V6 engine with the mild hybrid powertrain as well as the two available V8 engines which are are less fuel-efficient. The 2018 Sierra 1500 gets 18 city/24 highway fuel economy with the V6 that puts out 285 horsepower.  The V8 version makes 355 horsepower and gets 16 city/23 highway MPG. Sierra offers great towing capacity that is up to 12,500 lbs. The price for this particular model ranges from minimum $29,000 to maximum $41,495. Sierra’s  0 – 60 time is 6.6 seconds. Furthermore, Sierra also has quiet and classy higher trims with spacious seating especially in the crew cab version. The technology is top notch including compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Find the best vehicles at these freightliner truck auctions.
Ford F150

2018 Ford F150. This F150 model is the best selling truck every year for a good reason. The F-150 has one of the best payload capabilities up to 3,270 lbs as well as one of the greatest towing capacity up to 13,200 lbs. The 2018 model is 700 lbs lighter than the previous generation making it more fuel efficient. The horsepower ‎on the V8 engine is up to 395 hp, fuel economy is a respectable 20 city/26 highway and towing capacity 5,000 to 8,000 lbs.  The truck is fast with a 0-60 time of just 5.9 seconds. Ford F-150 newest model also has trailer backup assist help you maneuver better when hauling or towing as well as extremely spacious seating. The price ranges from a minimum of $27,380 to maximum $63,945. The F150 capable technology package including compatibility with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2018 Chevy Silverado

2018 Chevrolet Silverado. One of our favorite pickup trucks for 2018 is the Chevy Silverado. If you need heavy duty truck to transport cargo the fully equipped Silverado has the towing capacity of 12,500 lbs. The new Silverado 1500 also has a maximum payload up to 2,250 pounds. The Silverado 1500 offers three engine choices ranging from  285 to 420 HP.  Fuel efficiency isn’t the best offering 18 city / 24 highway and a 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds. The price of the Silverado ranges from $28,285 to $49,390. The powerful 6.2L V8 engine is a beast when it comes to towing. The eight-speed transmission option is preferred for towing over the standard six-speed. Additionally, the 2018 Silverado provides a well appointed cabin as well as comfortable and supportive seats with outstanding maneuverability and off-road performance. There is also a great deal of technology available for drivers to use including lane keep assisting and forward collision warning. The truck is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2018 Ram 1500

2018 Ram 1500. Another driver-friendly truck is the new RAM 1500. If having a diesel engine is important to you then the 2018 RAM 1500 with diesel engine is a great choice.The RAM 1500 has several engine choices including the beloved diesel engine, HEMI vV8 and two V6 versions.The RAM 1500 power ranges from 240 – 395 HP. Fuel economy on the V6 RAM is an impressive 20 city / 28 highway, and goes 0-60 mph in ‎7.0 seconds. RAM offers a smooth ride, as well as one of the nicest interiors in the class.The spacious rows of seats and high tech infotainment unit are impressive. The starting price for this model is around $27,095 up to a maximum price $53,995. Towing capacity ranges from 4,140 – 10,140 lbs. RAM 1500 offers the Uconnect infotainment system that features 4G LTE mobile hotspot, HD radio as well as compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

 

January 2nd, 2014

Posted In: Fedora, News, Operating Systems

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Reasons to Shift to a Heart-Healthy Diet

Your heart is the center of your health and vitality, pumping blood throughout your body to supply your organs and tissues with essential nutrients and oxygen. So it makes sense that if you follow a heart-healthy diet, it can help your cardiovascular health and everything else that your heart affects.

At Ross Bridge Medical Center in Hoover, Alabama, primary care provider Madhav Devani, MD, and his team encourage patients to eat with their heart in mind. So to encourage you to do that, Dr. Devani explains five major benefits of eating a heart-healthy diet.

COMPONENTS OF A HEART-HEALTHY DIET PLAN

A heart-healthy diet plan consists of eating foods that will help you improve your cardiovascular system and overall health. This type of plan typically involves the following strategies:

  • Controlling your portion sizes
  • Adding more vegetables and fruits to your meals and snacks
  • Opting for whole grains
  • Limiting consumption of unhealthy fats, such as those found in red meat and dairy
  • Relying on low-fat sources of protein, such as skinless poultry and lean fish
  • Cutting back on salt in your meals and snacks

A heart-healthy diet plan also includes plenty of exercise. You should aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise — such as walking — for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

BENEFITS OF EATING A HEART-HEALTHY DIET

There are many benefits of consuming a diet with your heart in mind. Here are some of them:

1. LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

Eating a heart-healthy diet can benefit your blood pressure, blood sugars, and triglycerides. If you’re concerned about high blood pressure, or if you have a condition that causes blood sugar swings, such as diabetes, then changing your diet to be more heart-healthy could improve those issues as well.

For patients with high blood pressure, the Ross Bridge Medical Center team often recommends the DASH plan, which stands for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension.” The DASH diet focuses on the following:

  • Limiting sodium intake
  • Limiting saturated fats
  • Reducing sugar intake
  • Consuming more foods rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which are nutrients that actively help regulate blood pressure

2. REDUCE YOUR CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol can clog your arteries, which deliver blood from your heart to the other tissues in your body. This, in turn, can lead to a heart attack. Heart attacks occur in the United States about every 40 seconds. Fortunately, eating a heart-healthy diet can help lower cholesterol levels.

Dietary strategies include decreasing consumption of saturated and trans fats, which are often found in processed foods, red meat, and dairy.  These fats should be replaced with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil, sunflower oil, avocados, and nuts, read more about gut health supplements.

And, consuming more fiber, such as that found in oats, legumes, flaxseed, apples, and citrus fruits, can also help lower your cholesterol levels.

3. REDUCE YOUR WAISTLINE

Taking the steps needed to protect your heart, such as eating a healthy diet and getting active for at least 150 minutes of medium-intensity activity every week, can also affect your waistline. By eating right and exercising, you can improve your heart health and enjoy a more trim figure.

4. INCREASE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS

Having a healthy heart can also help you have more energy. And foods that can help keep your heart healthy, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, lean meat, fish, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, can give your heart the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs and help keep you energized at the same time.

5. INCREASE YOUR LONGEVITY

Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in both men and women worldwide. Furthermore, heart disease is the cause of one in every four deaths in the United States.

So, if you can improve your heart health by making changes to your dietary choices, you can potentially increase your longevity and extend your lifespan.

December 21st, 2013

Posted In: Debian, News, Operating Systems, Upgrades

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