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duhragonball · 5 years ago

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Dragon Ball Z 168

The announcement of the Cell Games has sent the entire world into a panic. Even these giant dinosaurs are fleeing in terror. What I don’t understand is where everyone thinks they can run to. Cell said he was going to kill them all.

Oolong proposes they use the spaceship at Bulma’s house to flee into outer space. Fuck you, Oolong.

Downstairs, Krillin flips out and tries to rush out to fight Cell right now, because he feels so guilty about allowing Cell to become perfect. Yeah! We don’t need to wait nine days! Let’s have the Cell Games TONIGHT.

But Master Roshi forbids him to throw his life away on a battle he can’t win. Instead, he tells him to wait for the Cell Games if he intends to fight at all. I like the way this scene is written. We all know Krillin doesn’t have a chance, because he already fought Perfect Cell and couldn’t do anything to him. But Krilin feels like he has to die trying because this is the only way for him to atone for his mistake. And Roshi gets that, even if he doesn’t agree, so his compromise is to ask Krillin to wait ten days before restoring his honor, when he’ll have the best possible chance of surviving the effort.

By contrast, I think Yamcha’s already accepted that he just can’t participate in this battle. He’s gonna go, and maybe help if he can, but after he saw Cell blow up that town after his announcement, Yamcha knows he’s out of his league. Krilln knows it too, but for him, not fighting Cell isn’t an option. He can’t live in this world knowing he has to share it with the monster who swallowed 18.

Up on Kami’s Lookout, everyone is waiting in line for the next turn in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Well, not Tien, since he doesn’t think a year in the chamber will do him enough good to beat Cell. I think he just hasn’t left this place since Goku brought him here the day before. But Piccolo plans to use the HTC, and Vegeta and Trunks plan to go in again.

Vegeta agrees to let Piccolo have the next turn, but then he wants the remaining eight days for himself. That sounds like a pretty good idea. One day in the chamber was enough for Vegeta to leapfrog the androids and Semiperfect Cell, so imagine how much stronger he’d be if he trained for eight more years. The problem is that you can’t spend that much time in the chamber. After 48 hours, the door vanishes, and you can never return to Earth.

So let’s talk about that for a minute, because Dragon Ball Super really ignored that rule. I think Goku and Vegeta used the HTC on at least three separate occasions in that show, even though Vegeta used up all of his 48 hours in this arc. To be fair, the Fusion Saga demonstrated that it was possible to escape the HTC dimension without a door, so maybe that was how Vegeta got around it. Still, I think it kind of sucks a lot of value out of the concept when you can just re-use it as often as you please. As much as Vegeta used the chamber in DBS, he never seemed to get that much stronger. Also, it’s just kind of shitty to have the main characters cheat an extra year of training in whenever they get in over their heads. I’m pretty sure that’s why Toriyama invented this 48 hour limit in the first place.

So why did he introduce the chamber at all then? I feel like it works in the Cell Sagas because it serves as a secret weapon the Z-Fighters can use to counter all of Cell’s secret advantages. This whole conflict has been about superior intel. Gero spied on Goku for years, hoping to collect enough data to design a superior warrior. To that end, his plan depended upon his ability to project how strong Goku would be at a certain point in the future. But Goku turned Super Saiyan on Namek, and Gero had no idea. Goku also got a warning from Future Trunks, so Gero’s projections were further thrown out of whack. But Gero had reinforcements, and that surprised Goku’s team. So Goku busts out the Time Chamber as a way to close the gap. By training in there, where time moves at a different pace, they could power up beyond what Dr. Gero could have anticipated. That’s why it works in this story. It levels the playing field.

In the Buu Sagas, they only reintroduce the Time Chamber to illustrate that it won’t be very helpful this time around. But Dragon Ball Super never worried about whether a gimmick actually helps a story. They just used the Time Chamber so they could reference the DBZ episodes that used the Time Chamber. It was never about telling a story there, it was about reminding fans of something they already knew about.

The bigger question I have is how the 48-hour rule works. Let’s say Piccolo and Vegeta go in the Time Chamber together. Vegeta’s already used it for 25 hours, while I assume Piccolo has never been in there before. So after 23 hours, are they both trapped inside? Is there some magic where Piccolo can use the door but Vegeta can’t? And how is that reflected in the outside world? Could Goku not enter the chamber after Vegeta maxed out his alotted time?

Anyway, Goku and Gohan finally come out, and they’re actually a few hours early. They sense Cell, Vegeta, and Trunks are all still alive, so they wonder what’s been going on. But before they get a recap, Goku needs to take care of something important first............................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Goku really needs to eat something first, you guys! BWAH? The whole world’s in danger and all he can think about is foooooood? What’s with this guy? What a hilarious and unexpected thing for a hero to say, it’s very clever. No, this gag hasn’t been run into the ground.

It’s not that I have a problem with Goku eating a bunch. It’s actually very relaxing to watch him eat. The sound effects are just very, very soothing. All the dishes clinking, the piles of rice, the stacks of bowls. I just don’t like how they keep making a joke of this. As Goku explains, they had food in the chamber, but Mr. Popo’s a better cook than either of them, so this is a better experience. Is that so wrong?

Oh, incidentally, they’ve been in Super Saiyan mode the entire time, and Vegeta wonders how and why they managed to do this. Up to now, it would be very taxing for a Super Saiyan to just hold the form for long periods of time, and they’d be too restless to sit down for a leisurely meal.

Meanwhile, more panicky Earthlings are trying to flee the cities. The one little girl is on a train, and she starts getting excited about something she sees out the window. Her mom wonders what it is...

It’s Cell.

Yeah, me too, kid. Cell’s awesome.

Fortunately for the train passengers, Cell doesn’t bother with them, but the line of cars waiting at the railroad crossing. He chucks a car into the traffic just to be a dick.

And it explodes, because anime. This episode actually has two exploding cars in it, which is kind of nuts when you think about it.

This is from earlier in the episode, but this guy just drove into an alley and hit another driver who had the same idea. I guess they both had a crate of dynamite in their back seats?

Back at Capsule Corp, Bulma’s taking a look at Android 16′s programming, and the code documentation has an awesome picture of Super Saiyan Goku punching Frieza. Pretty sure that shouldn’t be in 16′s memory banks, seeing as how Gero never had any spy robots on Namek to record that moment.

The big irony is that 16 has no human parts at all, so he was created with nothing else but a program that boils down to “10 Kill Son Goku, 20 Goto 10″, and yet somehow he made the leap to defending the other androids from Cell, and befriending small animals like birds and Krillin. The best thing is that DBZ still has a long way to go, so we’ll have plenty of episodes to explore the emergence of 16′s soul, and what that says about the nature of artificial intelligence. Right? You’re shaking your head, why are you doing that?

Back at the Lookout, Goku seems interested in the Cell Games idea. I mean, he was expecting to fight Cell anyway, or possibly Vegeta if he ended up winning, so all Cell has really done is set a date for the battle.

Popo gives Goku his classic outfit, and Trunks is all “You don’t have to wear that.” and Goku’s like “I get to wear this, Trunks.”

As for Gohan, he asks Piccolo to give him new clothes resembling Piccolo’s outfit, since he first trained under him. One Clothes Beam later...

Fuck yeah. It’s time for the Cell Games Saga, dammit. No more of this bowl cut Gohan. No more cosplaying as Vegeta. It’s time to rock and roll.

Vegeta ask Goku if he thinks he can beat Cell, but Goku hasn’t seen him in Perfect Form yet, so he decides to check him out. So he just teleports straight to him and they have a talk.

Goku’s not too impressed with the ring, or maybe it’s more accurate to say that he doesn’t find it all that impressive that Cell believes it will decide the fate of the world. For as much as Goku enjoys battle, he doesn’t see it as something more than what it is. He just wants to mix it up with Cell. If that’s a friendly match or a fight to the death, or the lynchpin to the safety of the cosmos, that’s beside the point.

Goku asks him about his perfect form, and there’s this cool black and white montage of Cell’s life story. It’s pretty sweet.

Anyway, Goku tells him not to kill anyone until the fight. Cell doesn’t actually agree to that, but what’s Goku going to do about it?

So Goku teleports back, and he freely admits that Cell’s a lot stronger than he expected, and that Celll would probably win if they fought. Well, that’s no big deal, because they still have several days to prepare, so Goku can just go back in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for another year.

But Goku declines. As far as he’s concerned, he and Gohan are all finished training in the chamber. I guess that figures, since they came out early.

And that sets up the big question for this arc. If Goku believes Cell is stronger than himself, why is he so relaxed about this upcoming battle? Why won’t he train to close the gap? What does he know that no one else does?

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sifiwiki · 8 years ago

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top 9 HTC One problems and solutions & issues and workable solutions, workarounds , fixes

New Post has been published on http://mywikispace.com/htc-one-problems-issues/

top 9 HTC One problems and solutions & issues and workable solutions, workarounds , fixes

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how to fix HTC One problems and solutions & issues and workable solutions, workarounds :

Just like my previous post regarding Samsung Galaxy S4 Problems revealed that most of issues that were reported regarding the S4 and even S3 actually started post the 4.3 Jellybean, If this means anything it means that the 4.3 Jellybean was pushed earlier than it should or at least the normal testing before launching was not intense or carefully monitored hence not only the Samsung Galaxy family had many issues after launching the update but also the HTC One users started complain about different issues e.g.e the device is freezing, heating, camera on night light is showing red,black, blue pixel reflection and many other issues which were not reported prior 4.3 update therefore I personally recommend users to hold on onto their 4.2 software until their carriers or brands (Samsung, HTC) confirm the updates are finally bug free and for those who had already applied the update use your backup or factory reset option in your device and rest it to factory settings which will revert your device to its original status.in this article we are talk about : HTC One problems and solutions.

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Now for those of you who are experiencing issues with your HTC One check below list of most reported issues and potential solution

The HTC One might just be the best-looking smartphone on the market right now. It’s a real head-turner, the kind of phone that you’d leave your current phone for. At first everything’s perfect, but then you realize that the HTC One has issues. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a really solid smartphone (check out our HTC One review for the full story), but every smartphone has its flaws. In this article, we’ll round up the most commonly reported HTC One problems and try to offer up some solutions for anyone suffering from this beautiful phone’s known issues.

HTC One Problems Background noise or static

Glitch: Background noise or static

A number of people have been complaining about a buzzing sound or background static. The problem is most common through the speakers, but can be heard when using headphones as well. Some people report hissing through the headphones when listening to music, especially noticeable during gaps in the audio. Others are reporting popping sounds from the speakers, most noticeably after notifications come in. There is also hissing for some during voice calls, and stuttering during audio playback.

It’s not clear whether this is a hardware or software issue. Some people have returned their handsets for replacements and report the exact same problem occurring on the new one as well.

Workarounds: You may not be able to get rid of the problem entirely, but you can reduce it by turning off Beats Audio via the gear icon in the Notifications panel. Some people report that having NFC turned on makes it worse as well, so turn that off, too.

Possible solutions:

1. There might be a software update eventually that will address this issue, but HTC hasn’t confirmed the problem, so there’s no guarantee.

2. You can try getting a replacement handset in the hope that it’s a hardware issue and the new one won’t have the same problem. There are plenty of people reporting that they have no audio issues with their HTC One handsets. Contact HTC, your retailer, or carrier to report the issue.

HTC One Problems Gaps, rough edges, bulges, or scratches :

It seems that some HTC One handsets shipped in less than perfect condition. There have been several reports of build quality problems with gaps between the plastic and metal, strange bulges, mysterious scratches on the body, and edges that feel rough to the touch.

Solution:

This is really straightforward and there’s only one course of action to take. If you’re unhappy with the build quality of your HTC One, you should return it. Contact the retailer where you bought it, explain the problem, and you’ll get a replacement handset.

HTC One problems and solutions: Proximity sensors not working :

Malfunction: Proximity sensors not working

A few people have reported that their sensors aren’t working correctly. You may notice that the capacities buttons don’t light up and this could actually be a sign that the sensor isn’t working. Try covering the sensors (top left) with your finger and see if the capacities buttons light up. You can also test the sensors using a free app called Android Sensor Box.

Solution:

If they aren’t working then it’s a hardware fault and you’ll have to return the phone and get a replacement.

HTC One problems and solutions: Unresponsive Home or Back buttons :

Malfunction: Unresponsive Home or Back buttons

Many owners have highlighted an issue with the capacities Home and Back buttons either side of the HTC logo beneath the screen. It seems they are unresponsive some of the time. This might be a bigger problem if you are using a screen protector. If this is a software issue, HTC will release an update to fix it at some point, but in the meantime there is something you can try.

Workaround: If you tap lock and then unlock, or tap on the touchscreen and then try the buttons again, you might find that they are more responsive.

Possible solutions:

1. Go to Settings > Language & keyboard > HTC Sense input > Advanced > Calibration tool and just use a very light touch to calibrate. You should now find that the Home and Back keys are a little more responsive.

2. You could turn on Vibrate feedback in Settings > Sound to make sure that you are touching the button correctly (apparently the capacities area is small and you have to be precise).

HTC One problems and solutions: Dead or stuck pixels :

Glitch: Dead or stuck pixels

There have been quite a few complaints about dead pixels (pixels which won’t light up at all) and stuck pixels (pixels which stay permanently on) on new HTC One handsets.

Possible solutions:

1. You can try an app like Dead Pixel Detect and Fix and see if it helps.

2. You can return the handset and get a replacement.

HTC One problems and solutions: Blue/purple/red noise in low light photos :

HTC outfitted the One with a pretty solid camera. When we first got our hands on it, we weren’t sure what to expect from the phone’s 4 “UltraPixels,” but we were pleasantly surprised when we started shooting. It takes great photos, but many people have come forth with complaints about its performance in low light, citing pictures with blue, purple, or red noise where there should be black. HTC has now acknowledged this issue and a possible software update with a fix is in the works. Here’s what you can try in the meantime.

Possible solutions:

1. Turn down your ISO. This will reduce the camera’s sensitivity to light and help make your photos less grainy and noisy.

2. If tweaking your camera settings doesn’t help, you can always return your handset and get a replacement.

HTC One problems and solutions :Takes a long time to charge :

Annoyance: Takes a long time to charge

The HTC One does have a bigger battery than many smartphones, rated at 2,300mAh, and some owners have been complaining that it takes a long time to charge. You may be used to your smartphone being fully charged within three hours, but the HTC One is likely to take four hours or longer. Apparently HTC has taken precautions to ensure that the battery lasts (since it isn’t removable) and this partly accounts for the longer charging time. If it seems to be taking a lot longer than that then there are a couple of things worth checking.

Possible solutions:

1. Are you using the charger that shipped with the phone? If you’re using an older charger or plugging it into your computer via USB to charge, then it will take longer. If you are using the charger that came with your HTC One, then you might try a different charger, just to make sure that the original isn’t faulty.

2. Have you got a lot of apps running on the phone while it is charging? The less that’s active and syncing, the faster the phone will charge.

HTC One problems and solutions: Bluetooth won’t auto-connect :

Bug: Bluetooth won’t auto-connect

A lot of people run into problems getting their smartphones to automatically connect to Bluetooth devices, especially in the car. Some people have found that specific functions don’t work. We’ve seen a few complaints from HTC One owners about Bluetooth issues and there are a few potential fixes worth trying.

Possible solutions:

§ Try deleting all the previous pairings on the car’s system and on the HTC One, via Settings > Bluetooth, and then try to connect again.

§ If you have trouble sending messages then go to Settings > Bluetooth > Advanced and make sure that Message access is on.

§ Make sure that your Device name under Settings > Bluetooth isn’t something complicated (avoid special characters).

§ Check that the firmware in your car, or where applicable, on the Bluetooth device you are trying to connect to, is up to date.

§ Try installing a free app like Bluetooth File Transfer; it seems to have solved the issue for some people.

HTC One problems and solutions : No SIM card error :

Malfunction: No SIM card error

A number of HTC One owners have encountered an error message about the SIM card not being detected properly. This problem has popped up on a few smartphones, including a number of HTC’s previous releases. It is most likely caused by poor contact between the SIM card and the phone.

Potential solutions:

§ You could take it back and try a replacement handset, or possibly a new SIM card. § The SIM card tray is at the top of the left spine and you’ll need to insert the SIM card ejector pin (or a paper clip) in the hole to pop the tray out. Sometimes just making sure it’s reseated properly and re-inserting will solve the problem. § Try gently cleaning the gold contacts on the SIM card with some rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Make sure it’s completely dry before you re-insert it and make sure there’s no dust or debris in the tray. § You can also add one or more layers of tape, or a small piece of card to the other side of the SIM card without the gold contacts and then re-insert it. If it’s loose then this will potentially solve the problem.

HTC One problems and solutions: Wi-Fi won’t connect or “Authentication problem” :

Wi-Fi won’t connect or “Authentication problem”

Wi-Fi issues are common with all smartphones and tablets and the HTC One is not an exception. A lot of people have run into issues trying to connect to different Wi-Fi routers, and there are several reports about an “Authentication problem” message popping up on the phone. We have a few ideas that might help.

Possible solutions: § Turn your router and your HTC One off for 30 seconds and then turn them both on again and retry the connection. § Delete the connection on your HTC One and re-enter the details manually. § Some people report success after turning Wi-Fi off, turning Airplane mode on, then turning Wi-Fi on again, and then Airplane mode off. § Try installing the free Wi-Fi Analyzer app and find out how crowded the channels are. If that looks like an issue then change the channel on your Wi-Fi router. § Make sure that your router firmware is up to date. § Check the authentication protocol on the router and review the other settings. Make sure Mac filtering isn’t turned on.

#HTC One Problems Background noise #HTC One Problems Bluetooth #HTC One Problems Gaps #HTC One Problems No SIM card error #HTC One Problems Wi-Fi

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effectsoftgo · 2 years ago

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Why does my phone say invalid sim

You need to go to Settings > Memory > Internal memory > Data cache. It is also a convenient way to clear an error on the SIM card. You also need to clear the cache and data from your Android phone. Solution 3: Clear Android phone cache and data Now check if the error is fixed and the network is displayed on your phone. After removing it, wait a moment and put it back on. First, remove the battery (only if it is removable) and remove the SIM card from the tray. Solution 2: Remove the SIM card and the batteryĪnother important method to fix an invalid Samsung Android SIM card is to reinstall the SIM card. If you get such an error message, restart your Android phone and see if anything changes. It is easy and allows you to correct minor errors or inaccuracies without further ado. One of the easiest and most effective ways to fix the situation when your phone indicates that there is no Android SIM card is to restart your phone. Try them out and see which one works best for you. Here I will show you some simple and possible methods to solve invalid SIM card error on HTC/Samsung/LG/Sony phones and others. How do I fix an invalid SIM card on Android? So, it is very important to know how to fix the undetected SIM card error on your Android phone. This is a serious problem because without a SIM card you cannot use your phone for any purpose. If your phone reports that there is no Android SIM card, it means that the SIM card is not inserted, is not recognized, or that the SIM card connection is loose. What is the invalid Android SIM card error? If you are also facing these mistakes and looking for solutions, don’t waste your time and keep reading this blog. You have given various error messages such as SIM card not detected, No SIM card, Invalid SIM card, etc. This is an annoying situation that has been reported by many users. This issue is said to be caused by a defective or unsuitable SIM card or a faulty SIM card interface.Īre you trying to resolve an invalid Android SIM card error? Worried about what to do if your phone says your Android SIM card is invalid? If this is the case, read this article carefully and find out the best ways to fix an invalid SIM card on Android? Users usually encounter many problems on their Android phones, and one of these common errors is Invalid SIM card. One of the most common problems that plague Android phones is the “Invalid Sim Card” error. This is the reason why there are so many versions of Android in the market it is also the reason why there are so many problems with Android phones. The Android operating system is the brainchild of Google, but it has been customized by the manufacturers of each phone to meet their own needs. The good news is that this is pretty easy to fix. This error can occur for a variety of reasons, from your SIM card being damaged to a bad connection between the phone and SIM card. Tip 4.Every Android user has experienced it: you turn on your phone and it pops up with an error message, “Invalid SIM card”. After the data is backed up, reset the device to factory settings and check if the problem disappears. Also, make sure that the SIM card does not move in the tray. Reinsert the SIM card after wiping the SIM card and SIM card tray to make sure they are free of dust particles. What happens actually that, the gold plates of the SIM are connected with eachother as metal weared out from both the plates and touches each other at the separation gap between the plates. Sir I want to mention that, the problem of no detection of SIM card by the mobile device may occur due to physical wear of SIM (which happend in my case once). Thus, please check for SIM card and see whether it's making all the mess. Be it loose or improperly inserted, SIM card is the major culprit responsible for such an issue. Why Does iPhone Say No SIM Card? Here is the Best Fix.

Reset your device to factory settings after backing up the data and check if the problem is gone. Also, make sure that the SIM does not move in the tray. Reinsert your SIM card after wiping the SIM card and the SIM tray to ensure there are no dust particles on them.

#Why does my phone say invalid sim

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josephbinningyoumatter · 3 years ago

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HOW TO LIVE AN AUTHENTIC LIFE, ON PURPOSE

We live in a fast-paced, ever developing, and ever-changing world. Full of Tweets, Likes, and shares. In an instant someone’s life can change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. All by hitting send. We decide based on them. What we wear. What we buy. Where we go. How we act and yes, how we show up in life. We decide if we like someone, something, or someplace based on popularity. It is part of our culture now and has become the new social norm, so we all accept it. But are we being authentic? Are we being true to ourselves, or just being marketed and tricked into thinking this is how we should be, act, or show up? You are one decision away from an original life. Only you can decide which way it will turn out. Merriam-Webster defines Authentic as: not false or Imitation: REAL, ACTUAL, and true to one’s personality, spirit, or character. Moving your life in the direction that is not false or Imitation: REAL, ACTUAL, and true to one’s personality, spirit, or character aligns you with the things in life you want and desire and will prevent you from living in fear of thinking “what will happen if I say no?”. Using any method to attain something will NOT work if you do not know what you want as the outcome. The mistake we all make is we focus on the person, place, or thing we think will save us and we focus on something way too big. This creates an enormous gap between where you are verses where you want to be that you think will rescue you from your miserable life right now. That gap can be the thing that can make you feel lost in figuring out what you want, and discovering what your passion or direction is, or should be. Those in life who are genuinely happy in life understand the power of, and vehemently stick to, being their authentic selves. EXAMPLES OF A NON-AUTHENTIC LIFE EXAMPLE 1 Your friends' lives may look more exciting than yours on Facebook, but recent research reveals that is because they might be faking it. A recent survey has found around two-thirds of people on social media post images to their profiles to make their lives seem more adventurous. And over three quarters of those asked said they judged their peers based on what they saw on their Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook profiles. A published British survey, by smartphone maker HTC, found that, to make our own pages and lives appear more exciting, six percent also said they had borrowed items to include in the images to pass them off as their own. More than half of those surveyed said they posted images of items and places purely to cause jealousy among friends and family. 76 percent of those asked also said seeing items on social media influences them to buy them, with men more likely to take style advice and buy what they see. EXAMPLE 2 Over 5,000 people have taken the free online test “Does Your Job Require High or Low Emotional Intelligence?” And after analyzing the data, they made a scary discovery. It was discovered that 51% of people said that they Always or Frequently have to ‘act’ or ‘put on a show’ at work. But they made an even bigger discovery; 51% who must ‘put on a show at work’ are 32% less likely to love their job. Or put another way, if you do not have to fake your emotions at work, you are 32% more likely to love your job. And not only will you be more likely to love your job, you are also much less likely to have negative feelings about your job. People that do not have to put on a show are 59% less likely to dislike or hate their job. This data also suggests that many people would probably enjoy taking a deep look at their own emotional intelligence, particularly to discover whether they must do lots of acting on the job. The more they are forced to act like they have the right attitude, the less happy they will ultimately be. EXAMPLE 3 Another related construct is the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. Sociologist Robert K. Merton coined the term to describe a phenomenon that dates to Ancient Greece. Basically, a prediction about the outcome of a situation can invoke a new behavior that leads to the prediction coming true. For example, if I believed that I would fail an exam, that belief may have led me to alter the strategies I used for preparation and taking the test, and I would probably fail it. While I may have had an excellent chance to pass, my belief hindered my performance, and I made this belief become a reality. Psychological research shows that the self-fulfilling prophecy works for both negative and positive predictions, showing again that the beliefs you hold impact what happens to you. EXAMPLE 4 In a yearlong study it was found that those ringing the alarm bells the loudest about climate change are the least likely to change their own behavior. They just want everyone else to. The study divided 600 adults who reported on their climate-change beliefs into three groups: "skeptical," "cautiously worried" and "highly concerned." Then the researchers — from the University of Michigan and Cornell University — tracked how often they reported doing things like recycling, using public transportation, buying environmentally friendly consumer products, and reusing shopping bags. And they asked about support for government mandates like CO2 emission reduction, gasoline taxes and renewable energy subsidies. The Journal of Environmental Psychology published the findings. What they found was very illuminating. The researchers found that the "highly concerned" group was the least likely to take individual action, but they were the most insistent on government action. The "skeptical" group, in contrast, was the most likely to recycle, use public transportation and do other environmentally sound things all on their own. Skeptics were least likely to endorse costly government regulations and mandates. "Belief in climate change," the researchers explained, "predicted support for government policies, but rarely translated to individual-level, self-reported pro-environmental behavior." In plain English: The position of climate-change genuine believers is: Do as I say, not as I do. This study supports a YouGov poll reported on recently, which found that most of those who believe in catastrophic global warming are not doing anything on their own to combat it. More than half said they are not cutting back on their use of fossil fuels or changing their recycling or composting habits. Another study found that "conservation scientists," have carbon footprints that do not differ from those of anyone else. The study found that these scientists "still flew frequently — an average of nine flights a year — ate meat or fish approximately five times a week and rarely purchased carbon offsets for their own emissions." EXAMPLE 5 A study by Deloitte found that 61% of millennial's who rarely or never volunteer still consider a company’s commitment to the community when deciding on a potential job even though 60% of hiring managers see the act of volunteerism as a valuable asset when making recruitment decisions according to a study performed by Career Builder. 92% of human resource executives agree that volunteering can improve an employee’s leadership skills. Only 4% of college graduates, 25 years or older, volunteer each year. Millennial's ages 18 to 30 are more likely to have gone to a protest since the election than any other age group, according to a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted from Feb. 1 to Feb. 3. Millennial's are also more likely than older groups to think protesting is an effective form of political action. In recent days America has seem mass protests and unrest which has in every corner of the country left charred and shattered landscapes in dozens of American cities over the death of George Floyd. They estimate that the damages left behind will total in the billions. Cities who encountered the most loss and damages include: Minneapolis, Minn. Los Angeles California New York, NY Philadelphia, PA Nashville Tenn. San Francisco, CA. Detroit, Mich. Portland, Ore. Chicago, Ill. Atlanta, Ga. Washington, D.C. In a national survey reported by the National Service Knowledge Network of Volunteer Rates by State they ranked the followings states in this order. Minneapolis, Minn. Minnesota #1 with a 43.23% volunteer rate statewide. Portland, Ore. Oregon #13 with a 31.42% volunteer rate statewide. Washington, D.C. District of Columbia #14 with a 31.07% volunteer rate statewide. Philadelphia, PA Pennsylvania #22 with a 28.03% volunteer rate statewide. Detroit, Mich. Michigan #26 with a 26.64% volunteer rate statewide. Chicago, Ill. Illinois #31 with a 24.85% volunteer rate statewide. Nashville Tenn. Tennessee #33 with a 24.12% volunteer rate statewide. Los Angeles CA California #34 with a 23.89% volunteer rate statewide. Atlanta, Ga. Georgia #39 with a 23.00% volunteer rate statewide. New York, NY New York #49 with a 19.61% volunteer rate statewide. This survey points out that except for Minnesota, the cities who had the most people who marched to support the problem, volunteered, and supported in the community the least.They estimate that over one million people will attend a George Floyd protest, yet most have never volunteered in the neighborhoods who need the help the most. Some officials estimate that most still will not. How to Live an Authentic Life, On Purpose Most of us struggle with the need to be seen, heard, respected, and yes, Loved. We all want to stay true to ourselves, but we also want to fit in. Therein lies the dilemma. How do we stay true to ourselves, yet still stay in our Tribe? We were born and created Tribal, a community, a family, and not meant to do this alone. Our Tribe is who we associate with, trust, and allow to influence us. They are that powerful group who are our biggest support system and cheerleaders. They become a family and we can sometimes know them all our lives. They make you feel relevant, seen, heard, important, and valued. But are they the right tribe for you? Are they really your family, or just your influence? Living an Authentic Life will prevent you from joining the wrong tribe and surround yourself with only those who will make you better by being honest with you. Calling you out when you mess up. Praising you on the victories, and yes, walking next to you in the dark valley’s that life will always throw at you. When you do not know WHO you are, someone else will decide it for you and it might or might not be the person you want to be. So how do we do it? How do we keep the passion, yet still be authentic? How do we be REAL, NOT FAKE? Here are some suggestions. - Start with the person in the mirror first. Too many times people seek approval first, and acceptance second. Stop it! Look in the mirror at the person you see and accept them, warts, and all. You are not perfect and need not be, but you are perfect for you. Accept that! - Own your life, do not borrow one. Successful and Happy people need not prove anything to anyone, and they do not need other’s approval. The beautiful thing about life is if you dislike yours, you can always change it. When the haters hate, and they will, let them. And forget them. When you make a mistake, and you will own it 100%, then move on. It's in our mistakes we learn what will and will not work. - Be honest, do not live a lie. Do not pretend to be something or someone you are not, for someone else’s sake. If people do not accept you, as you are, where you are, for WHO you are they should not be in your life, let alone influence you. - Be ALL IN. A living example, more than words, will create action. If you believe in a movement, LIVE the movement 100%. If you believe in a cause, LIVE the cause 100%. Show me how you want me to see you and I will see you. Tell me and it will get lost in the noise. Give 100% every day to everything, especially yourself. Just be All In! - Forgive easily, and often. Successful and Happy people do not hold a grudge, they cannot. It impedes progress. It holds them back. It makes you bitter. Give others the same break you give yourself and forgive yourself, often. Others, and you, will be glad you did. - Put your own oxygen mask on first. We have all heard the warnings on airplanes, “if they deploy the oxygen masks, puts yours on first, then those who are with you next”. Make a habit of taking care of yourself, first. Self-care is the most important care you will ever receive. Make it a regular occurrence and do it often. - Live your life in Service to Humanity. Countless studies have shown that those who put other's needs above their own live longer, happier, more fulfilling lives. Care. Genuinely care. About others, about issues, about people. Then serve them. Do not save them, rescue them, or bail them out. Serve them by allowing your help to be about them, and not you. Do it with no expectations. If you need to be thanked, you did it for the wrong person. - If you have a choice between being right verses being kind, be kind. Successful and happy people can “give others a break”. They do not always need to be right. It is not a reflection on them. Sometimes it is better to lose the battle and win the war. - Pay everything forward. We deserve nothing in life. Life is not fair; it is designed that way. When you receive anything, it is a gift, be thankful, and share it. If you clutch on to life with a clenched fist so nothing can escape, nothing can enter either. Be generous, and life will be generous back. Volunteer, donate, serve, contribute, take part, mentor, and ask nothing in return. Remember, if you need to be thanked, it is a bribe, not a gift. - Life rewards the brave, so be brave. Take a chance, be vulnerable, be approachable, be teachable, take the first step, start the conversation, listen intending to listen and without thinking of what you will say next. Step outside of your comfort zone. That is where you will grow the most. A plant, transplanted from a pot to the ground will grow bigger and stronger, naturally. - Be more understanding. We are a divided world today. Friends lose friends over politics. People are against someone, someplace, or something without ever attempting to understand things from the other people's point of view. Take the time to ask why they believe what they believe, then shut up, do not interrupt, or interject, and just listen. Ask questions, with the desire to learn something and let them believe it even if you do not. People do not care what you know until they know you care. - Be more accepting of others Allow others to coexist around you as they are, not how you think they should be. Successful and Happy people are not threatened by what they do not understand. They attempt to understand it and accept that whatever it might be is the right choice for the other person even though it might not be the right choice for them and is no reflection on them. Accepting others as they are, where they are, for who they are, just as they are is one of the greatest ways to understand others and have a meaningful conversation with them. Do so intending to understand them, not to prove them wrong. If you have enjoyed this article please visit me at www.JosephBinning.com for more helpful tips and articles. You can also get more helpful information in my book You Matter, even if you don’t think so which you can purchase on Amazon here Amazon You Matter, even if you don't think so For my free report Happiness Is A Choice click here: Happiness Is A Choice Free Report Remember: Happiness is a choice, so choose to be happy. Read the full article

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cdnsolutionposts · 4 years ago

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THE ANATOMY OF AR/VR IN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Technological innovation has a transformative effect on the way we live and work as we are living in a digital generation. Gradually and consistently, Technological innovation has been making progress in revolutionizing techniques for learning and educating. Technological Innovation empowered educational curriculum and smart boards have successfully replaced traditional slates and 2-D textbooks.

Schooling is one of the basic components adding to the upliftment of society. Education is tied in with bestowing knowledge and the advancement of society in different fields and areas. Yet, because of the progressing COVID-19 pandemic, schools, universities, and other educational foundations are compelled to be shut. However, the coming of technological innovation brings tutors and understudies nearer, assisting them with learning their homes. Their homes have been changed over into study halls, PC and cell phone screens into blackboards. Learning from home is an alternative at this point.

Modern technological advancements like AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) are turning into the hottest subjects in changing environments. However, what precisely are AR and VR? Let us study.

The gap which bridges the digital and physical world is AR (Augmented Reality) & VR(Virtual Reality). They permit you to learn and content visually, similarly you take on this planet. Augmented reality drastically extends the manners in which our devices can assist with regular activities like looking for data, shopping, and communicating. Virtual Reality lets you experience what it resembles to go anywhere — from the first row to last in outer space.

Augmented reality (AR) adds digital components to a live view frequently by utilizing the camera on a cell phone. Instances of Augmented reality encounters incorporate Snapchat and the game Pokemon Go.

Virtual reality (VR) suggests a total inundation experience that closes out the actual world. Utilizing VR devices, for example, Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, or HTC Vive, clients can be shipped into various real-world and envisioned environment, for example, the center of a squawking penguin province or even the back of a dragon.

Anatomy of AR & VR in Education System

In the education system Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality stands on the four pillars that are: Faster, Bester, Harder, and Stronger

Much the same as any sector, the education framework needs the most recent technological innovation developments to remain relevant in the consistently changing world and to remain on the course of its remarkable mission. Virtual Reality app development services and augmented reality app development services are the next breakthrough in the development of the Education System. From a business perspective, AR and VR executed in education applies to various business models, which is consistently an incredible selling point.

There is no compelling reason to sort out sustainable models of business that can harvest benefit in the present moment as schooling is a public service and has more guidelines. Since sorting out the plans of action is a significant problem area with AR and VR, however, it very well may be viewed as later on.

Making educational or learning content is longer and is a vast process that requires tight coordinated effort and adaptability when managing understudies, particularly with kids. The content made should be proper and pertinent. top ar app development services or application should have the option to catch the fine working of the content and make a convincing visual

At the point when AR/VR technological innovation meets education, the effect it makes is immense. In any case, the fundamental test in building up a custom AR/VR learning application is that the majority of the components must be worked without any preparation. Notwithstanding, building applications that enable teachers to develop AR/VR applications for instructive purposes from building blocks, utilizing available tool compartments and templates is conceivable.

By making an intuitive and drawing in learning experience without course readings or boards, AR and VR engage understudies to explore information and learn at their solace, consequently animating learning and perception, improving critical retention. Applications made by the best ar app development company, which are intended for educational purposes, consolidates digital technologies, improving the learning cycle, and permit understudies to gain data outwardly, giving a strong base to improve the schooling cycle. For instance, a student can find out about a rainforest by taking an expedition through a digital forest utilizing an application, simple cardboard VR glasses, and headphones. Without having step out of their homes, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the forced lockdown, students can encounter new and dynamic learning ways. Instructors could train different science subjects through virtual labs, keeping the students drew in, yet additionally permitting them to rehearse before they can test the investigations in genuine research facilities. Students of medication can contemplate the exactness of life systems, get familiar with the compelling artwork of medical anatomy, and recreate circumstances where they could rehearse virtually.

AR and VR can be a surprisingly positive development for students who have different inabilities. AR/VR solutions can assist understudies with different weaknesses by controlling the differentiation, text sizes, add sound discourse, adding to the reconciliation of the understudies with inabilities into the community.

Here is a portion of the vital advantages of utilizing AR and VR technological innovation in education and learning.

Ø Encourages student learning through gamification and intelligence

Ø Keeps students connected even while learning troublesome points

Ø Improves innovative thinking

Ø Fewer interruptions

Ø Encourages collaborations

Can be utilized for practical training

Extended training prospects with the 3D plan, modeling, and ppts.

AR and VR Technology Challenges

A portion of the normal challenges of utilizing augmented reality technology is that there's a battle to utilize the new technology advances by teachers. Also, not all understudies have the cell phones fit for supporting AR content. Virtual Reality, then again, faces various challenges. Significant expenses of equipment, openness, and absence of value content are a portion of the imperatives that have kept VR from being the advancement of innovation in education.

As indicated by a report by Goldman Sachs, in 2020 the total revenue generated for AR & VR learning educational software would be around $300 million and this figure is required to develop to $700 million by 2025. As investment keep on rising, the nature of content improves and the expense of equipment diminishes, the innovation is currently open to educational organizations around the world. The AR/VR innovation has the capability of being the greatest achievement in the education and learning framework in the 21st century.

Both AR and VR innovations contribute different energizing open doors for training framework which can be key in unravelling the key difficulties and bringing another change. With this quick developing universe of innovation, the current instructive framework must receive these creative advancements to remain on the ball.

After having a deep study about AR & VR in the education industry you must be thinking about how to get it done. You don’t need to worry about ,CDN Mobile solution, top ar app development company is ready to help you in any manner you want. we provide all sorts of solutions related to software development and other IT business needs.

#mobile app development company #Mobile app development #best ar app development services #top ar app development company

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scifigeneration · 8 years ago

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Star Trek's Holodeck: from science fiction to a new reality

by Fabio Zambetta

Many of the technological advances predicted in Star Trek’s fictional universe have become reality, such as the mobile communicator and hand-held tablet computers.

Others, such as tractor beams and warp drives, are still a work in progress. But what of the Holodeck?

The Holodeck first appeared in The Practical Joker, a 1974 episode of the Star Trek animated series. It was depicted as a recreation room containing a simulated, alternative version of reality. It featured heavily in The Next Generation series and in the 1996 film First Contact.

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Anyone entering the Holodeck could interact with “solid” props and characters in any scenario based on whatever parameters they programmed.

These programs are not unlike the narrative-driven, cinematic videogames we have today, such as Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption or The Witcher.

The Holodeck was a narrative device that allowed Star Trek’s writers to experiment with philosophical questions in settings not available in a typical sci-fi context.

From Holodeck ‘reality’ to just an empty room with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis, left) and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes, right). Star Trek/Screenshot/Memory Alpha, CC BY-NC

It inspired several generations of computer scientists who spearheaded research in artificial intelligence, computer graphics and human-computer interaction.

The convergence of these research areas has given rise to other forms of reality on the path to the construction of a real Holodeck.

A real Holodeck?

In virtual reality (VR) we are fully immersed in a synthetic, “virtual” version of reality, experienced through dedicated VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive.

A typical example of VR is an immersive war game that puts a user in charge of a Roman army as Caesar, battling Vercingetorix’s Gaul troops at Alesia.

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But VR has a major drawback for some applications. Being isolated from the real world, it’s not easy to engage in social interaction or physical movement in a way that feels natural to most people.

Augmented reality (AR) blends synthetic, virtual objects with the view of our physical reality. In AR, we can interact with virtual humans inhabiting our physical space or we can work with our children, for example, to build virtual LEGO houses on real tables in our own living rooms.

Headsets are available that allow us to create AR in our office or lounge rooms, such as the Microsoft Hololens or the Meta.

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But AR headsets still suffer from several technical limitations, such as a reduced field of view. The software that lets the virtual and real worlds interact believably and naturally still needs work.

Sensing humans

Real-world Holodeck programs would also need the technology to sense human actions. This would provide useful information that the virtual personas inhabiting the Holodeck programs would use to anticipate our human intentions.

Progress here has been fast and constant, with great improvements in speech recognition and language translation, such as Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant and Microsoft’s Cortana.

We now take almost for granted the ability to search for information with speech or to command our mobiles to schedule meetings and appointments. Other devices, originally conceived for entertainment applications, can track human gestures or even their full body posture.

For example, Microsoft Kinect can track a human body, and the technology is now included in the Hololens as its gesture-recognition component.

Lots of other sensing devices are now commonplace in mobile devices, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and temperature and pressure sensors.

The general trend is towards giving humans the ability to communicate using a combination of their body and their voice via hands-free or wearable user interfaces.

Enter the artificial intelligence

The key ingredient for Holodeck programs in the real world is the ability to equip virtual characters with sophisticated forms of artificial intelligence (AI).

Attacking the Borg on the Holodeck in Star Trek: First Contact with Lily (Alfre Woodard, left) and Captain Picard(Patrick Stewart, right). Star Trek: First Contact/Paramount/Screenshot

AI and machine learning – the art of teaching a machine how to learn to perform a complex task – have seen advances in areas such as automated game playing, autonomous car driving and drone control, and deep learning.

These advances, while noteworthy, do not necessarily show strong progress towards general forms of artificial intelligence (AGI) exhibited by humans.

It has been argued that defining or providing general human intelligence may prove a very elusive problem for a long time, or indeed forever.

Fortunately, a restricted version of a Holodeck program may only require a slightly weaker, not fully general form of intelligence. This was exemplified by androids in the popular TV series reboot of Westworld.

Almost human? Close enough

The good news is that this may shorten the time needed to realise the hypothetical Holodeck programs. The bad news is that such a feat is still beyond us at this stage, although recent progress in machine learning will likely help us close the gap faster.

The question is then whether we shall ever be able to reach the level of sophistication in AR and AI needed to build a Holodeck? And if so, when?

Making predictions on such matters is not trivial, but I am inclined to think that current advances in VR and AR technologies will provide us with the required sophisticated headsets within the next five to ten years.

The question then is also whether we shall ever be able to achieve AR using alternative forms of projections that remove the need for a headset altogether.

This may be possible, eventually, but it would be irrelevant if headsets could be miniaturized and potentially implanted into human eyes, similar to what was suggested in other sci-fi classics such as Neuromancer or Snow Crash, and recently advocated by transhumanists.

The recent predictions about breakthroughs in general artificial intelligence by experts seem to converge around a date around 2040. This would put the sort of AI required for Holodeck characters somewhat earlier than that.

So I believe that one day humans will be able to experience some form of Holodeck similar to what was envisaged in Star Trek.

To paraphrase Star Trek's infamous Borg alien race, I will say that resistance to this technological progress is futile and it will be assimilated, one day.

Fabio Zambetta is a Senior lecturer at RMIT University.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

#science fiction #scifi in society #technology #Star Trek #Star Trek Technology #Holodeck #holographic imaging #theoretical physics #scifi #sci-fi #featured #artificial intelligence

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pgoeltz · 8 years ago

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Press Release

Today, Tuesday 7 March 2017, WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Code-named "Vault 7" by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency.

The first full part of the series, "Year Zero", comprises 8,761 documents and files from an isolated, high-security network situated inside the CIA's Center for Cyber Intelligence in Langley, Virgina. It follows an introductory disclosure last month of CIA targeting French political parties and candidates in the lead up to the 2012 presidential election.

Recently, the CIA lost control of the majority of its hacking arsenal including malware, viruses, trojans, weaponized "zero day" exploits, malware remote control systems and associated documentation. This extraordinary collection, which amounts to more than several hundred million lines of code, gives its possessor the entire hacking capacity of the CIA. The archive appears to have been circulated among former U.S. government hackers and contractors in an unauthorized manner, one of whom has provided WikiLeaks with portions of the archive.

"Year Zero" introduces the scope and direction of the CIA's global covert hacking program, its malware arsenal and dozens of "zero day" weaponized exploits against a wide range of U.S. and European company products, include Apple's iPhone, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows and even Samsung TVs, which are turned into covert microphones.

Since 2001 the CIA has gained political and budgetary preeminence over the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). The CIA found itself building not just its now infamous drone fleet, but a very different type of covert, globe-spanning force — its own substantial fleet of hackers. The agency's hacking division freed it from having to disclose its often controversial operations to the NSA (its primary bureaucratic rival) in order to draw on the NSA's hacking capacities.

By the end of 2016, the CIA's hacking division, which formally falls under the agency's Center for Cyber Intelligence (CCI), had over 5000 registered users and had produced more than a thousand hacking systems, trojans, viruses, and other "weaponized" malware. Such is the scale of the CIA's undertaking that by 2016, its hackers had utilized more code than that used to run Facebook. The CIA had created, in effect, its "own NSA" with even less accountability and without publicly answering the question as to whether such a massive budgetary spend on duplicating the capacities of a rival agency could be justified.

In a statement to WikiLeaks the source details policy questions that they say urgently need to be debated in public, including whether the CIA's hacking capabilities exceed its mandated powers and the problem of public oversight of the agency. The source wishes to initiate a public debate about the security, creation, use, proliferation and democratic control of cyberweapons.

Once a single cyber 'weapon' is 'loose' it can spread around the world in seconds, to be used by rival states, cyber mafia and teenage hackers alike.

Julian Assange, WikiLeaks editor stated that "There is an extreme proliferation risk in the development of cyber 'weapons'. Comparisons can be drawn between the uncontrolled proliferation of such 'weapons', which results from the inability to contain them combined with their high market value, and the global arms trade. But the significance of "Year Zero" goes well beyond the choice between cyberwar and cyberpeace. The disclosure is also exceptional from a political, legal and forensic perspective."

Wikileaks has carefully reviewed the "Year Zero" disclosure and published substantive CIA documentation while avoiding the distribution of 'armed' cyberweapons until a consensus emerges on the technical and political nature of the CIA's program and how such 'weapons' should analyzed, disarmed and published.

Wikileaks has also decided to redact and anonymise some identifying information in "Year Zero" for in depth analysis. These redactions include ten of thousands of CIA targets and attack machines throughout Latin America, Europe and the United States. While we are aware of the imperfect results of any approach chosen, we remain committed to our publishing model and note that the quantity of published pages in "Vault 7" part one (“Year Zero”) already eclipses the total number of pages published over the first three years of the Edward Snowden NSA leaks.

Analysis

CIA malware targets iPhone, Android, smart TVs

CIA malware and hacking tools are built by EDG (Engineering Development Group), a software development group within CCI (Center for Cyber Intelligence), a department belonging to the CIA's DDI (Directorate for Digital Innovation). The DDI is one of the five major directorates of the CIA (see this organizational chart of the CIA for more details).

The EDG is responsible for the development, testing and operational support of all backdoors, exploits, malicious payloads, trojans, viruses and any other kind of malware used by the CIA in its covert operations world-wide.

The increasing sophistication of surveillance techniques has drawn comparisons with George Orwell's 1984, but "Weeping Angel", developed by the CIA's Embedded Devices Branch (EDB), which infests smart TVs, transforming them into covert microphones, is surely its most emblematic realization.

The attack against Samsung smart TVs was developed in cooperation with the United Kingdom's MI5/BTSS. After infestation, Weeping Angel places the target TV in a 'Fake-Off' mode, so that the owner falsely believes the TV is off when it is on. In 'Fake-Off' mode the TV operates as a bug, recording conversations in the room and sending them over the Internet to a covert CIA server.

As of October 2014 the CIA was also looking at infecting the vehicle control systems used by modern cars and trucks. The purpose of such control is not specified, but it would permit the CIA to engage in nearly undetectable assassinations.

The CIA's Mobile Devices Branch (MDB) developed numerous attacks to remotely hack and control popular smart phones. Infected phones can be instructed to send the CIA the user's geolocation, audio and text communications as well as covertly activate the phone's camera and microphone.

Despite iPhone's minority share (14.5%) of the global smart phone market in 2016, a specialized unit in the CIA's Mobile Development Branch produces malware to infest, control and exfiltrate data from iPhones and other Apple products running iOS, such as iPads. CIA's arsenal includes numerous local and remote "zero days" developed by CIA or obtained from GCHQ, NSA, FBI or purchased from cyber arms contractors such as Baitshop. The disproportionate focus on iOS may be explained by the popularity of the iPhone among social, political, diplomatic and business elites.

A similar unit targets Google's Android which is used to run the majority of the world's smart phones (~85%) including Samsung, HTC and Sony. 1.15 billion Android powered phones were sold last year. "Year Zero" shows that as of 2016 the CIA had 24 "weaponized" Android "zero days" which it has developed itself and obtained from GCHQ, NSA and cyber arms contractors.

These techniques permit the CIA to bypass the encryption of WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Wiebo, Confide and Cloackman by hacking the "smart" phones that they run on and collecting audio and message traffic before encryption is applied.

CIA malware targets Windows, OSx, Linux, routers

The CIA also runs a very substantial effort to infect and control Microsoft Windows users with its malware. This includes multiple local and remote weaponized "zero days", air gap jumping viruses such as "Hammer Drill" which infects software distributed on CD/DVDs, infectors for removable media such as USBs, systems to hide data in images or in covert disk areas ( "Brutal Kangaroo") and to keep its malware infestations going.

Many of these infection efforts are pulled together by the CIA's Automated Implant Branch (AIB), which has developed several attack systems for automated infestation and control of CIA malware, such as "Assassin" and "Medusa".

Attacks against Internet infrastructure and webservers are developed by the CIA's Network Devices Branch (NDB).

The CIA has developed automated multi-platform malware attack and control systems covering Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris, Linux and more, such as EDB's "HIVE" and the related "Cutthroat" and "Swindle" tools, which are described in the examples section below.

CIA 'hoarded' vulnerabilities ("zero days")

In the wake of Edward Snowden's leaks about the NSA, the U.S. technology industry secured a commitment from the Obama administration that the executive would disclose on an ongoing basis — rather than hoard — serious vulnerabilities, exploits, bugs or "zero days" to Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other US-based manufacturers.

Serious vulnerabilities not disclosed to the manufacturers places huge swathes of the population and critical infrastructure at risk to foreign intelligence or cyber criminals who independently discover or hear rumors of the vulnerability. If the CIA can discover such vulnerabilities so can others.

The U.S. government's commitment to the Vulnerabilities Equities Process came after significant lobbying by US technology companies, who risk losing their share of the global market over real and perceived hidden vulnerabilities. The government stated that it would disclose all pervasive vulnerabilities discovered after 2010 on an ongoing basis.

"Year Zero" documents show that the CIA breached the Obama administration's commitments. Many of the vulnerabilities used in the CIA's cyber arsenal are pervasive and some may already have been found by rival intelligence agencies or cyber criminals.

As an example, specific CIA malware revealed in "Year Zero" is able to penetrate, infest and control both the Android phone and iPhone software that runs or has run presidential Twitter accounts. The CIA attacks this software by using undisclosed security vulnerabilities ("zero days") possessed by the CIA but if the CIA can hack these phones then so can everyone else who has obtained or discovered the vulnerability. As long as the CIA keeps these vulnerabilities concealed from Apple and Google (who make the phones) they will not be fixed, and the phones will remain hackable.

The same vulnerabilities exist for the population at large, including the U.S. Cabinet, Congress, top CEOs, system administrators, security officers and engineers. By hiding these security flaws from manufacturers like Apple and Google the CIA ensures that it can hack everyone &mdsh; at the expense of leaving everyone hackable.

'Cyberwar' programs are a serious proliferation risk

Cyber 'weapons' are not possible to keep under effective control.

While nuclear proliferation has been restrained by the enormous costs and visible infrastructure involved in assembling enough fissile material to produce a critical nuclear mass, cyber 'weapons', once developed, are very hard to retain.

Cyber 'weapons' are in fact just computer programs which can be pirated like any other. Since they are entirely comprised of information they can be copied quickly with no marginal cost.

Securing such 'weapons' is particularly difficult since the same people who develop and use them have the skills to exfiltrate copies without leaving traces — sometimes by using the very same 'weapons' against the organizations that contain them. There are substantial price incentives for government hackers and consultants to obtain copies since there is a global "vulnerability market" that will pay hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for copies of such 'weapons'. Similarly, contractors and companies who obtain such 'weapons' sometimes use them for their own purposes, obtaining advantage over their competitors in selling 'hacking' services.

Over the last three years the United States intelligence sector, which consists of government agencies such as the CIA and NSA and their contractors, such as Booze Allan Hamilton, has been subject to unprecedented series of data exfiltrations by its own workers.

A number of intelligence community members not yet publicly named have been arrested or subject to federal criminal investigations in separate incidents.

Most visibly, on February 8, 2017 a U.S. federal grand jury indicted Harold T. Martin III with 20 counts of mishandling classified information. The Department of Justice alleged that it seized some 50,000 gigabytes of information from Harold T. Martin III that he had obtained from classified programs at NSA and CIA, including the source code for numerous hacking tools.

Once a single cyber 'weapon' is 'loose' it can spread around the world in seconds, to be used by peer states, cyber mafia and teenage hackers alike.

U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt is a covert CIA hacker base

In addition to its operations in Langley, Virginia the CIA also uses the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt as a covert base for its hackers covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

CIA hackers operating out of the Frankfurt consulate ( "Center for Cyber Intelligence Europe" or CCIE) are given diplomatic ("black") passports and State Department cover. The instructions for incoming CIA hackers make Germany's counter-intelligence efforts appear inconsequential: "Breeze through German Customs because you have your cover-for-action story down pat, and all they did was stamp your passport"

Your Cover Story (for this trip) Q: Why are you here? A: Supporting technical consultations at the Consulate.

Two earlier WikiLeaks publications give further detail on CIA approaches to customs and secondary screening procedures.

Once in Frankfurt CIA hackers can travel without further border checks to the 25 European countries that are part of the Shengen open border area — including France, Italy and Switzerland.

A number of the CIA's electronic attack methods are designed for physical proximity. These attack methods are able to penetrate high security networks that are disconnected from the internet, such as police record database. In these cases, a CIA officer, agent or allied intelligence officer acting under instructions, physically infiltrates the targeted workplace. The attacker is provided with a USB containing malware developed for the CIA for this purpose, which is inserted into the targeted computer. The attacker then infects and exfiltrates data to removable media. For example, the CIA attack system Fine Dining, provides 24 decoy applications for CIA spies to use. To witnesses, the spy appears to be running a program showing videos (e.g VLC), presenting slides (Prezi), playing a computer game (Breakout2, 2048) or even running a fake virus scanner (Kaspersky, McAfee, Sophos). But while the decoy application is on the screen, the underlaying system is automatically infected and ransacked.

How the CIA dramatically increased proliferation risks

In what is surely one of the most astounding intelligence own goals in living memory, the CIA structured its classification regime such that for the most market valuable part of "Vault 7" — the CIA's weaponized malware (implants + zero days), Listening Posts (LP), and Command and Control (C2) systems — the agency has little legal recourse.

The CIA made these systems unclassified.

Why the CIA chose to make its cyberarsenal unclassified reveals how concepts developed for military use do not easily crossover to the 'battlefield' of cyber 'war'.

To attack its targets, the CIA usually requires that its implants communicate with their control programs over the internet. If CIA implants, Command & Control and Listening Post software were classified, then CIA officers could be prosecuted or dismissed for violating rules that prohibit placing classified information onto the Internet. Consequently the CIA has secretly made most of its cyber spying/war code unclassified. The U.S. government is not able to assert copyright either, due to restrictions in the U.S. Constitution. This means that cyber 'arms' manufactures and computer hackers can freely "pirate" these 'weapons' if they are obtained. The CIA has primarily had to rely on obfuscation to protect its malware secrets.

Conventional weapons such as missiles may be fired at the enemy (i.e into an unsecured area). Proximity to or impact with the target detonates the ordnance including its classified parts. Hence military personnel do not violate classification rules by firing ordnance with classified parts. Ordnance will likely explode. If it does not, that is not the operator's intent.

Over the last decade U.S. hacking operations have been increasingly dressed up in military jargon to tap into Department of Defense funding streams. For instance, attempted "malware injections" (commercial jargon) or "implant drops" (NSA jargon) are being called "fires" as if a weapon was being fired. However the analogy is questionable.

Unlike bullets, bombs or missiles, most CIA malware is designed to live for days or even years after it has reached its 'target'. CIA malware does not "explode on impact" but rather permanently infests its target. In order to infect target's device, copies of the malware must be placed on the target's devices, giving physical possession of the malware to the target. To exfiltrate data back to the CIA or to await further instructions the malware must communicate with CIA Command & Control (C2) systems placed on internet connected servers. But such servers are typically not approved to hold classified information, so CIA command and control systems are also made unclassified.

A successful 'attack' on a target's computer system is more like a series of complex stock maneuvers in a hostile take-over bid or the careful planting of rumors in order to gain control over an organization's leadership rather than the firing of a weapons system. If there is a military analogy to be made, the infestation of a target is perhaps akin to the execution of a whole series of military maneuvers against the target's territory including observation, infiltration, occupation and exploitation.

Evading forensics and anti-virus

A series of standards lay out CIA malware infestation patterns which are likely to assist forensic crime scene investigators as well as Apple, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Nokia, Blackberry, Siemens and anti-virus companies attribute and defend against attacks.

"Tradecraft DO's and DON'Ts"

contains CIA rules on how its malware should be written to avoid fingerprints implicating the "CIA, US government, or its witting partner companies" in "forensic review". Similar secret standards cover the

use of encryption to hide CIA hacker and malware communication

(pdf),

describing targets & exfiltrated data

(pdf) as well as

executing payloads

(pdf) and

persisting

(pdf) in the target's machines over time.

CIA hackers developed successful attacks against most well known anti-virus programs. These are documented in AV defeats, Personal Security Products,Detecting and defeating PSPs and PSP/Debugger/RE Avoidance. For example, Comodo was defeated by CIA malware placing itself in the Window's "Recycle Bin". While Comodo 6.x has a "Gaping Hole of DOOM".

CIA hackers discussed what the NSA's "Equation Group" hackers did wrong and how the CIA's malware makers could avoid similar exposure.

Examples

The CIA's Engineering Development Group (EDG) management system contains around 500 different projects (only some of which are documented by "Year Zero") each with their own sub-projects, malware and hacker tools.

The majority of these projects relate to tools that are used for penetration, infestation ("implanting"), control, and exfiltration.

Another branch of development focuses on the development and operation of Listening Posts (LP) and Command and Control (C2) systems used to communicate with and control CIA implants; special projects are used to target specific hardware from routers to smart TVs.

Some example projects are described below, but see the table of contents for the full list of projects described by WikiLeaks' "Year Zero".

UMBRAGE

The CIA's hand crafted hacking techniques pose a problem for the agency. Each technique it has created forms a "fingerprint" that can be used by forensic investigators to attribute multiple different attacks to the same entity.

This is analogous to finding the same distinctive knife wound on multiple separate murder victims. The unique wounding style creates suspicion that a single murderer is responsible. As soon one murder in the set is solved then the other murders also find likely attribution.

The CIA's Remote Devices Branch's UMBRAGE group collects and maintains a substantial library of attack techniques 'stolen' from malware produced in other states including the Russian Federation.

With UMBRAGE and related projects the CIA cannot only increase its total number of attack types but also misdirect attribution by leaving behind the "fingerprints" of the groups that the attack techniques were stolen from.

UMBRAGE components cover keyloggers, password collection, webcam capture, data destruction, persistence, privilege escalation, stealth, anti-virus (PSP) avoidance and survey techniques.

Fine Dining

Fine Dining comes with a standardized questionnaire i.e menu that CIA case officers fill out. The questionnaire is used by the agency's OSB (Operational Support Branch) to transform the requests of case officers into technical requirements for hacking attacks (typically "exfiltrating" information from computer systems) for specific operations. The questionnaire allows the OSB to identify how to adapt existing tools for the operation, and communicate this to CIA malware configuration staff. The OSB functions as the interface between CIA operational staff and the relevant technical support staff.

Among the list of possible targets of the collection are 'Asset', 'Liason Asset', 'System Administrator', 'Foreign Information Operations', 'Foreign Intelligence Agencies' and 'Foreign Government Entities'. Notably absent is any reference to extremists or transnational criminals. The 'Case Officer' is also asked to specify the environment of the target like the type of computer, operating system used, Internet connectivity and installed anti-virus utilities (PSPs) as well as a list of file types to be exfiltrated like Office documents, audio, video, images or custom file types. The 'menu' also asks for information if recurring access to the target is possible and how long unobserved access to the computer can be maintained. This information is used by the CIA's 'JQJIMPROVISE' software (see below) to configure a set of CIA malware suited to the specific needs of an operation.

Improvise (JQJIMPROVISE)

'Improvise' is a toolset for configuration, post-processing, payload setup and execution vector selection for survey/exfiltration tools supporting all major operating systems like Windows (Bartender), MacOS (JukeBox) and Linux (DanceFloor). Its configuration utilities like Margarita allows the NOC (Network Operation Center) to customize tools based on requirements from 'Fine Dining' questionairies.

HIVE

HIVE is a multi-platform CIA malware suite and its associated control software. The project provides customizable implants for Windows, Solaris, MikroTik (used in internet routers) and Linux platforms and a Listening Post (LP)/Command and Control (C2) infrastructure to communicate with these implants.

The implants are configured to communicate via HTTPS with the webserver of a cover domain; each operation utilizing these implants has a separate cover domain and the infrastructure can handle any number of cover domains.

Each cover domain resolves to an IP address that is located at a commercial VPS (Virtual Private Server) provider. The public-facing server forwards all incoming traffic via a VPN to a 'Blot' server that handles actual connection requests from clients. It is setup for optional SSL client authentication: if a client sends a valid client certificate (only implants can do that), the connection is forwarded to the 'Honeycomb' toolserver that communicates with the implant; if a valid certificate is missing (which is the case if someone tries to open the cover domain website by accident), the traffic is forwarded to a cover server that delivers an unsuspicious looking website.

The Honeycomb toolserver receives exfiltrated information from the implant; an operator can also task the implant to execute jobs on the target computer, so the toolserver acts as a C2 (command and control) server for the implant.

Similar functionality (though limited to Windows) is provided by the RickBobby project.

See the classified

user

and

developer

guides for HIVE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why now?

WikiLeaks published as soon as its verification and analysis were ready.

In Febuary the Trump administration has issued an Executive Order calling for a "Cyberwar" review to be prepared within 30 days.

While the review increases the timeliness and relevance of the publication it did not play a role in setting the publication date.

Redactions

Names, email addresses and external IP addresses have been redacted in the released pages (70,875 redactions in total) until further analysis is complete.

Over-redaction: Some items may have been redacted that are not employees, contractors, targets or otherwise related to the agency, but are, for example, authors of documentation for otherwise public projects that are used by the agency.

Identity vs. person: the redacted names are replaced by user IDs (numbers) to allow readers to assign multiple pages to a single author. Given the redaction process used a single person may be represented by more than one assigned identifier but no identifier refers to more than one real person.

Archive attachments (zip, tar.gz, ...) are replaced with a PDF listing all the file names in the archive. As the archive content is assessed it may be made available; until then the archive is redacted.

Attachments with other binary content are replaced by a hex dump of the content to prevent accidental invocation of binaries that may have been infected with weaponized CIA malware. As the content is assessed it may be made available; until then the content is redacted.

The tens of thousands of routable IP addresses references (including more than 22 thousand within the United States) that correspond to possible targets, CIA covert listening post servers, intermediary and test systems, are redacted for further exclusive investigation.

Binary files of non-public origin are only available as dumps to prevent accidental invocation of CIA malware infected binaries.

Organizational Chart

The organizational chart corresponds to the material published by WikiLeaks so far.

Since the organizational structure of the CIA below the level of Directorates is not public, the placement of the EDG and its branches within the org chart of the agency is reconstructed from information contained in the documents released so far. It is intended to be used as a rough outline of the internal organization; please be aware that the reconstructed org chart is incomplete and that internal reorganizations occur frequently.

Wiki pages

"Year Zero" contains 7818 web pages with 943 attachments from the internal development groupware. The software used for this purpose is called Confluence, a proprietary software from Atlassian. Webpages in this system (like in Wikipedia) have a version history that can provide interesting insights on how a document evolved over time; the 7818 documents include these page histories for 1136 latest versions.

The order of named pages within each level is determined by date (oldest first). Page content is not present if it was originally dynamically created by the Confluence software (as indicated on the re-constructed page).

What time period is covered?

The years 2013 to 2016. The sort order of the pages within each level is determined by date (oldest first).

WikiLeaks has obtained the CIA's creation/last modification date for each page but these do not yet appear for technical reasons. Usually the date can be discerned or approximated from the content and the page order. If it is critical to know the exact time/date contact WikiLeaks.

What is "Vault 7"

"Vault 7" is a substantial collection of material about CIA activities obtained by WikiLeaks.

When was each part of "Vault 7" obtained?

Part one was obtained recently and covers through 2016. Details on the other parts will be available at the time of publication.

Is each part of "Vault 7" from a different source?

Details on the other parts will be available at the time of publication.

What is the total size of "Vault 7"?

The series is the largest intelligence publication in history.

How did WikiLeaks obtain each part of "Vault 7"?

Sources trust WikiLeaks to not reveal information that might help identify them.

Isn't WikiLeaks worried that the CIA will act against its staff to stop the series?

No. That would be certainly counter-productive.

Has WikiLeaks already 'mined' all the best stories?

No. WikiLeaks has intentionally not written up hundreds of impactful stories to encourage others to find them and so create expertise in the area for subsequent parts in the series. They're there. Look. Those who demonstrate journalistic excellence may be considered for early access to future parts.

Won't other journalists find all the best stories before me?

Unlikely. There are very considerably more stories than there are journalists or academics who are in a position to write them.

Top

WL Research Community - user contributed research based on documents published by WikiLeaks.

Tor is an encrypted anonymising network that makes it harder to intercept internet communications, or see where communications are coming from or going to.

Tails is a live operating system, that you can start on almost any computer from a DVD, USB stick, or SD card. It aims at preserving your privacy and anonymity.

The Courage Foundation is an international organisation that supports those who risk life or liberty to make significant contributions to the historical record.

Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network.

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componentplanet · 5 years ago

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Report: China Sells Minorities Into ‘Forced Labor’ to Benefit Apple, Foxconn, Others

Ongoing human rights violations in China were a significant topic of discussion at the end of 2019. The country has sought to block criticism of its policies towards Tibet, the still-ongoing Hong Kong protests, and its imprisonment of a million or more Uighurs and other ethnic minority groups in forced re-education camps. A new bombshell report from Australia indicates that the Uighurs and other minorities aren’t just being subjected to forced re-education — they’re being used as slave labor after completing their terms of “study.”

The paper, by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, doesn’t use the term “slavery,” preferring to rely instead on the euphemism of “forced labor.” Here’s how the situation is described (Uighur and Uyghur are two different ways of spelling the same word):

It is extremely difficult for Uyghurs to refuse or escape these work assignments, which are enmeshed with the apparatus of detention and political indoctrination both inside and outside of Xinjiang. In addition to constant surveillance, the threat of arbitrary detention hangs over minority citizens who refuse their government-sponsored work assignments. Most strikingly, local governments and private brokers are paid a price per head by the Xinjiang provincial government to organise the labour assignments…

The Uyghur workers, unlike their Han counterparts, are reportedly unable to go home for holidays… Uyghur workers are often transported across China in special segregated trains… Multiple sources suggest that in factories across China, many Uyghur workers lead a harsh, segregated life under so-called ‘military-style management’. Outside work hours, they attend factory-organised Mandarin language classes, participate in ‘patriotic education’, and are prevented from practising their religion. Every 50 Uyghur workers are assigned one government minder and are monitored by dedicated security personnel. They have little freedom of movement and live in carefully guarded dormitories, isolated from their families and children back in Xinjiang. There is also evidence that, at least in some factories, they are paid less than their Han counterparts.

There’s a common perception that the difference between slaves and free individuals is that the latter is paid for their work, but the truth is more complex. This article from the Organization of American Historians is a deep dive into the history of slaves earning wages in the South. In some cases, slaveowners found it advantageous to allow slaves to earn a certain amount of money and to spend it on improving their own lives or the lives of their families. The same is undoubtedly true in China today.

If you can’t refuse a work assignment, can’t go home to see your family, can’t practice your religion, are forced to live by a schedule in which virtually every minute of your life is regimented for you, are kept under constant or near-constant surveillance and subject to the whims of headhunters who earn a bounty for delivering you to a job, and didn’t get any choice in the matter, I’d argue you’re effectively a slave. In some cases, workers’ families are also under simultaneous surveillance back at home, which provides an extra incentive for the slaves “prisoners with jobs” to behave themselves.

Image by Disney, from Thor: Ragnarok. This is one of those “I needed a bit of a joke, because the next few images are really nauseating” moments.

The ASPI estimates that up to 80,000 Uighurs have been forced into labor camps this way, some of them directly after finishing their indoctrination at Chinese re-education centers. The report includes three case studies focused on factories producing goods for Nike, Adidas/Fila, and Apple. A total of 83 companies have been identified as benefiting from these practices:

Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap, Geely Auto, General Electric, General Motors, Google, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover, Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, The North Face, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Roewe, SAIC Motor, Samsung, SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, and ZTE.

How many vocational schools do you know of that don’t have completely fenced-off areas and a dozen or more security checkpoints?

The report details how this massive system of relocation and forced labor has been built up under the guise of an aid program known as “Xinjiang Aid.” What appears superficially as a targeted aid program for the poor and undereducated people in the province is a relocation and reeducation program meant to destroy their culture and religious practices. Companies all over China have been encouraged to provide “industrial Xianjing aid” by building factories in the province to absorb what China terms “surplus labor capacity” or to hire Uighurs for other tasks in factories across the rest of China.

Factories are well-compensated for taking these workers and advertisements for their services have reportedly begun popping up in Chinese publications, as shown above and below:

Compare that with some vintage advertisements for American pre-owned human property.

The report details how, days before Tim Cook visited an O-Film Technology factory in 2017, the company transferred 700 Uighurs to a separate factory. In a now-deleted press release, Cook praised the company for its “humane approach towards employees.” The company reportedly continued to hire more Uighur prisoners throughout the year.

The ASPI doesn’t make any damning accusations that any specific Western company knew that its products were being built by slave labor. There are multiple diagrams attached to each case report that make it clear how intricate some of these supply chains are. When you look at the supply chains for companies like O-Film, you immediately see just how many major firms could be buying products tainted by the use of slave labor:

The ASPI does not argue that Apple or any other company has been aware of what has been going on within their supply chains. But the web of connections between these firms implies many companies have benefited from this practice and need to take immediate action to address it. Past that immediate problem, this is another area where we as a society have to choose whether we want to stay quite so cozy with a nation with an increasingly awful human rights record.

If you’ve paid attention to the clashes over issues like freedom of speech between the United States and China over the past six months, it’s become very clear that China isn’t just attempting to control what is said within its borders. In multiple instances, the Chinese have targeted low-level employees or minor embarrassments with hostility beyond all proportion to the alleged offense. This overreaction is not an accident. It’s part and parcel of how the nation is demonstrating its willingness to enforce its own cultural and social norms on others.

While it is absolutely possible for nations to have positive effects on each other, it is past time to let go of the fiction that engaging with China in economic terms will intrinsically lead the company to democratize its policies or protect the rights of its citizenry. Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has moved to curtail freedom of the press and freedom of speech. It has imprisoned 1-2 million citizens in political re-education camps and is forcing some of those citizens into what is effectively slavery to manufacture cheap goods for Western markets.

I’m Not Just a Consumer

Businesses make a lot of assumptions about what their customers will or won’t want. One of the most offensive, I’d argue, is the idea that customers are sensitive to nothing but price. Suggest that we might benefit from moving production to a country where minority workers and their families aren’t literally enslaved to provide cheap labor, and someone will instantly bring up the fact that prices would go up if anything changed. In some cases, that’s probably true. A more meaningful question that few people seem to have the guts to ask these days is, “So what?”

Over the past few years, we’ve watched smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung jack up the price of smartphones to the point that $1,000 isn’t even guaranteed to buy you a top-end product any longer. The iPhone XR starts at $600 while the iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,100, but everybody knows that it doesn’t cost Apple an extra $500 to build an iPhone 11 Pro Max. For the past few years, both Samsung and Apple have increased prices simply because they could increase prices.

Somehow, however, the same MBAs who confidently predict to the Tim Cooks of the world that the market will cheerfully absorb a price increase engineered for the sole purpose of installing more gold-plated bathtubs in the C-suites would quail at the idea of refusing to do business with a reprehensible dictatorship that inflicts catastrophic human rights abuses on its own citizenry. The idea that I might be willing to pay more for an iPhone because Apple wants to spend more money propping up its own stock is treated as a given. The idea that I might be willing to pay more for an iPhone because I don’t believe the Chinese government should be rewarded for literally enslaving people? Well, that’s letting morality get in the way of business.

And yet, the fact remains: I would vastly rather pay an extra $50-$100 to know my phone wasn’t made with slave labor than I would to pay an extra $50-$100 so that some rich schmuck on Wall Street can make an extra million bucks in bonuses this quarter. I know I am not the only person who feels that way.

The clash of values between China and the United States isn’t going to go away. Writing in 1945, philosopher Karl Popper described what is now known as the paradox of tolerance, stating: “Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.”

I am aware of all of the reasons — literally billions of reasons — why United States’ companies seek access to Chinese markets. I am aware of the hyper-optimized supply chains and the decades of investment US companies have made in them. Any effort to shift even a small amount of manufacturing out of China would be difficult and time-consuming, and in many cases, alternatives would have to be developed from scratch. Furthermore, because the Earth’s resources are unevenly distributed, some nations have a much larger supply of valuable resources than others. The United States has most of the world’s helium. China has a huge percentage of rare earths. Bolivia has a huge chunk of the world’s lithium reserves. Even in the best of cases, we live in a global, interconnected economy. There is no way to simply wave a wand and roll the clock back to the early 20th century.

There is, however, still time for Americans to push back on the idea that access to Chinese markets is the highest value to which we, as a people, can aspire to. And since every conversation starts with someone choosing to start it, I’ll go first. I am not willing to pay higher drug prices so that the pharmaceutical industry can continue ripping off Americans with exorbitant drug prices. I am not willing to pay higher prices for goods and services so that “disruptive” companies can pocket their employees’ tips. I am not willing, generally speaking, to watch my own costs rise so that people who already make more money in a day than I’ll make in a year can get just a little richer.

But I would be willing to pay more for my electronics and devices if it meant knowing that the countries and companies where these devices were manufactured weren’t enslaving their employees, driving them to suicide, exposing them to poisonous toxins, or otherwise destroying their lives, particularly when one of the benefits of doing so is knowing that my fellow citizens will not be subject to being fired for the crime of accidentally liking the wrong tweet.

If Tim Cook wanted to demonstrate the courage Phil Schiller claims Apple possesses, he could declare that Apple would take a leadership position in certifying that the workers employed at every company in every part of its supply chain were ethically treated and that none of the profit from its raw material purchases would be used to finance wars or conflict around the world. It would be an enormous challenge — one befitting a trillion-dollar company with enough yearly revenue to qualify as the 42nd-largest economy in the world. If the other companies named in this report joined him, they would collectively represent enough purchasing power to force even China to the bargaining table, if backed up by the US government.

The very concept of the “marketplace of ideas” is that people are allowed to bring their thoughts and ideas to the metaphorical table for everyone to peruse them. The connection between China deploying slave labor in factories and, say, the protests in Hong Kong, is that China doesn’t want anybody talking about any of this, and it’s already proven its own willingness to use extraordinary measures to clamp down on dissent, even when that dissent comes from other countries. We ignore these trends at our own peril.

Now Read:

Report: China’s New Comac C919 Jetliner Is Built With Stolen Technology

Leaked: How Chinese Use AI, Apps for Mass Incarceration, Internment

Blizzard Lowers Penalty on Hong Kong Streamer, Says China Uninvolved in Censorship

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/306909-report-china-sells-minorities-into-forced-labor-to-benefit-apple-foxconn-others from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/03/report-china-sells-minorities-into.html

#Report: China Sells Minorities Into ‘Forced Labor’ to Benefit Apple #Foxconn #Others

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ykonnect · 5 years ago

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What we have learned as a leading VR solutions provider in the AEC industry

Let me start with a fundamental question: why Trezi? And why a product for the AEC industry?

Hi. To answer your question, SmartVizX, the organization that created Trezi, has intrinsically been an architecture and design-focused company since its inception. Tithi and we are architects with over four decades of combined experience. The problems we are solving are actually problems we have faced right through our professional careers. We do not want to solve these challenges only for ourselves because our passion and critical focus is on solving the problem for the entire industry.

Having faced issues due to limited and static tools as a means to communicate our designs to clients, we conceptualized Trezi. Trezi is a Virtual Reality solution, a culmination of architects struggling to explain their design ideas with 2D layouts and static 3D stills created using 3d rendering software, which repeatedly results in errors creeping into construction. And this is when clients really start losing serious money – in sorting out mistakes that could have been avoided right at the beginning. We wanted our clients (owners and tenants of offices and homes) to be actively involved in the design process so as to prevent any misunderstanding between the stakeholders vis-a-vis vision of the designers, and to manage expectations better.

Where does Virtual Reality come into play here?

The key was to provide the opportunity to immerse the user and buyer into the designed environments and architecture models. We chose Virtual Reality after some serious – discussions with a number of game developers who had an innate understanding of game engines like Unity3d or Unreal. We were now able to understand the potential of Virtual Reality in architecture and the impact it could have on the way visualization and collaboration were happening in the AEC industry. It just felt completely natural and intuitive: it was like being there and seeing the future unfold. Virtual Reality helps make designs more immersive and the communication two-way instead of one-way traffic between the designer and the client.

Challenges faced while introducing Trezi to the market

There were significant challenges that came our way. When we started we wanted to provide the opportunity to design within Virtual Reality. But early feedback from the market suggested that architects and designers were not ready for a complete paradigm shift. Existing 3D architecture software had to be supported for ease of adoption.

Then the lack of standard tools was the other challenge: there are so many products that are currently used by the fraternity and practically everyone has their own ways of using them, contributing to massive time and cost losses. We decided to work with the most commonly used products to maximize adoption. Also, there were challenges around VR too, which is still largely a very new technology. We consciously decided on starting in a service mode to understand the tech and customer behavior as much as possible. Once we felt confident with it and gained an understanding of user needs, behavior, adjacent markets, and other valuable insights, we bit the bullet and pivoted into the product journey.

The important thing to understand here is that Trezi is a product for the future. We believe, and the fraternity has validated, too, that immersive design, visualization, and collaboration in the future. The 2D way of working in design will not last too long.

Let us talk about the traditional design process and how Trezi aims to reduce it

Current processes do not facilitate real-time collaboration and decision making… which is exactly what Trezi does.

Using the power of Immersive computing and applying Virtual Reality on real-world projects with Trezi, we can actually reduce the stages of design.

The traditional design process is as follows –

The Concept stage involves architects who pen down their vision in pen and paper using various tools, including sketching. Once the concept is finalized, the architect moves on to a Schematic Design that gives shape to the concept with more real-time considerations being responded to at this stage. The final stage of any project is the Design Development when plans, layouts, sections, and elevations get finalized along with building services.

While the time taken in each stage is significant, one of the biggest risks is that of a lack of common understanding due to different levels of interpretations by different stakeholders. This gap between expectations has been the bane of the architecture and design industry. With Virtual Reality, we are able to bring all stakeholders on the same level of understanding by creating a virtual meeting platform for the AEC industry, and even decrease the time taken to finalize design through traditional processes by immersive design, thus ensuring far better collaboration. The projects not only come out better but the time for creating renders takes seconds (some are even instantaneous). This is a huge change from the days and weeks that they took earlier. The designs are also what the client had ‘truly understood’ since, in this case, the client was a contributing stakeholder through virtual tours of the architecture models and could actively view and suggest changes in Virtual reality.

Trezi: Going beyond just architects

Well, at this point, we aim to bring more architects and designers onto the platform. But in the very near future (in fact the onboarding has commenced already) with a critical mass of architects on Trezi, we will bring building product suppliers on the platform too and allow architects and designers, customers and suppliers to actively engage with each other in real-time. This will be a platform for vendors to showcase their products and avoid physical mockups and catalogs using the power of immersive visualization.

Architects will reduce errors, eliminate gaps in understanding and complete projects earlier, thereby saving a significant amount of time and resources. The advantages are numerous and those who have tried our product have given us very positive feedback.

Try out Trezi as an architect

If you are an architect, please try Trezi right away. We have a free trial and if your system supports Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, then we would love to get your feedback on. Trezi was created to solve the problems of architects and designers and help them collaborate with building product suppliers and customers in real-time. Each and every feedback means a lot to us as we continually improve the product. We do our best to incorporate every relevant feedback in the product for the benefit of the entire industry. Our agile methodology of product development is committed to providing regular updates and new features in Trezi with every new release. We aim to make Trezi the go-to software for all AEC stakeholders going forward and are focussed on the workplace segment to start with as that is where founders come from but subsequent releases will incorporate other design specialties too.

tIf you are an architect, please try Trezi right away. We have a free trial and if your system supports Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, then we would love to get your feedback on. Trezi was created to solve the problems of architects and designers and help them collaborate with building product suppliers and customers in real-time. Each and every feedback means a lot to us as we continually improve the product. We do our best to incorporate every relevant feedback in the product for the benefit of the entire industry. Our agile methodology of product development is committed to providing regular updates and new features in Trezi with every new release. We aim to make Trezi the go-to software for all AEC stakeholders going forward and are focussed on the workplace segment to start with as that is where founders come from but subsequent releases will incorporate other design specialties too.

#Architecture software #vr software for interior design #VR software architecture #VR for architecture #Virtual reality architecture

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un-enfant-immature · 6 years ago

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Google snags Sony’s ‘Magic Lab’ VR guru

Google has hired Richard Marks, Sony’s Magic Lab head who was behind much of the company’s VR efforts, to a position in its Advanced Technology and Projects group, VentureBeat reports.

Google confirmed the hire to TechCrunch, sending along a statement from ATAP Head Dan Kaufman. “ATAP is at the intersection of science and application where our goal is to solve significant problems and close the gap between what if and what is. We’re super excited about Richard joining the senior team and look forward to his contributions.”

According to LinkedIn, Marks spent the last 19 years at Sony including time as a research fellow while getting his doctorate at Stanford. Marks has been the public face of Sony’s virtual reality efforts throughout the development of the company’s virtual reality tech but has also worked on some of the computer vision tech behind other PlayStation products.

The Magic Lab, which Marks ran, was devoted to researching gaming technologies for future generation hardware and software. One of the big projects to emerge from the group was called “Project Morpheus,” a precursor for what would later be called PlayStation VR.

While Sony was quick to express an interesting in virtual reality technologies and publicly debut its experiments with PS VR years before its 2016 launch, the technology platform has been facing an uncertain future as headset sales at large have failed to meet expectations.

The PlayStation VR headset debuted as a cheaper alternative to headsets from Oculus and HTC that debuted at prices that were hundreds of dollars more expensive, but after aggressive price slashing from Oculus moved hardware margins downwards across the board, the console maker seems to have had a tougher time distinguishing its efforts. Also, while it had appeared that Sony’s efforts were arriving ahead of a current-generation Xbox VR play, the company announced that it would not be pursuing a virtual reality headset for the Xbox One X though that was initially a selling point of the more powerful system.

It’s unclear where exactly Marks will be directing his attention to at Google within ATAP, though the company certainly has plenty of efforts in the AR/VR and gaming spaces that would benefit from his experience.

#TechCrunch

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johnbardenblog-blog · 5 years ago

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The Best Mid – Tire Smartphone For HTC U12 Life Full Review

HTC solves the mid-range problem again, U12 Life may be HTC's cheapest smartphone

Mid-range mobile phones are a difficult problem to solve. While smartphone engineers are free to rule on the flagship, mid-range phones have a hard time adhering to high-end features and affordability. Often, these £300 phones are not particularly popular.

However, HTC U12 Life seems to hit the head directly. HTC's mobile division is still lingering. In addition to the clumsy name, this reasonably priced smartphone can actually inject new life into this long-established Taiwanese company.

What Do You Need To Know?

HTC U12 Life aims to provide an expensive flagship service for their money. It comes with some fairly generous internal specifications; the onboard Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor with 4GB of memory and 64GB of expandable storage.

Price And Competition

HTC's U12 Life no longer revolves around the four-digit mark of its latest smartphone, but instead sells for £269 on a store shelf for a more wall-friendly SIM card.

Design And Function

HTC U12 Life's luxurious new double-sided design is excellent; the chassis is equipped with tiny metal particles sandwiched between multiple layers of glass. HTC refers to this “spectral hybrid deposition” as “spectral hybrid deposition.” This sci-fi effect creates the illusion that the phone has a metallic luster quality.

Two-thirds of the bottom of the back of the phone is laser-engraved and stretches 3mm deep horizontally to increase grip. This is a special look that helps you put your phone in your hand when you stare at Google Maps. But it does make it easy to pick up fingerprints.

Display

Elsewhere, you will find a 6-inch borderless screen in front, with a ratio of 83% between the screen and the body. There is no gap like the iPhone Xs, with thick forehead and chin borders above and below the screen. As for the actual specifications of the display, you will stare at a fairly beautiful FHD + (1,920 x 1080) resolution LTPS panel with a pin pixel density of 402ppi.

U12 Life has only one display mode and seems to be able to tune to the DCI-P3 instead of the standard sRGB color space. This means that the phone is more suitable for watching movies and Netflix, instead of browsing the web and reading e-books, where you will find U12 text and images look a bit too saturated.

Performance And Battery Life

HTC chose Qualcomm's latest mid-range chipset to power the phone: the eight-core Snapdragon 636 with a clock frequency of 1.8GHz. U12 Life also includes 4GB of memory for processing Android applications, as well as 64GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded with microSD.

According to the Geekbench 4 single-core and multi-core CPU tests, the Snapdragon 636 has 47% more processing power than the previous generation Snapdragon 630 chipset, which powers the 2017 HTC U11 Life. Interestingly, most applications feel great and interesting, and you shouldn't encounter any major issues when navigating the UI.

Software

U12 Life out of the box Android 8.1 Oreo, this is not the latest version of Google's most popular mobile operating system, although the Android 9 Pie update plan will be launched in the near future. Just don't expect other mid-range phones to get Android experience.

HTC's own Custom Sense overlay runs the show again, it changes slightly and adjusts the appearance of some application icons. When you first start your phone, there are some pre-installed apps, including common suspects like Facebook, Messenger and Instagram, as well as HTC's own Themes store. As the name suggests, this allows you to customize the look of your mobile operating system using a variety of user-generated and official HTC themes.

Camera

As for U12 Life's photography features, the rear of the phone is equipped with a dual camera configuration. One of them is the main 16 megapixel camera with a relatively wide f / 2.0 aperture that can be used with a 5 megapixel f / 2.2 depth sensing unit for bokeh effects. On the front of the phone, you will find a 13 megapixel f/2.0 camera for your Instagram selfie.

Verdict

Speaking of this, HTC U12 Life is a hybrid package. It does not represent the cornerstone of the company, and ultimately cannot regain its former glory. Its design is very cute, the battery life is very good, and the performance is quite good, but the mobile phone at this price has already done better.

I think the phone recycling website Handsetrecycle.com is a great place to sell my mobile for best price. My mobile phone sales process was very simple when I sold my phone, and I received the payment on the same day.

Therefore, I highly recommend the Handsetrecycle.com website for mobile phone recycling.

#Handset Recycle #Handset Recycle UK #sell my mobile for best price #Sell My Phone #Sell My Mobile #HTC U12 Life

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manojvarmaposts-blog · 6 years ago

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The Review Of HTC U12 Life For New Mobile

HTC updated the mid-range phone with 3D Ultra Stripes and abandoned Android One and Edge Sense. The low price makes it an attractive mid-range phone.

Price at the time of Review

£299

HTC U12 Life Comprehensive Review

The mid-range is almost as intense as the flagship mobile phone market, and HTC is back. U12 Life offers good design and specifications for less than £300, but has its drawbacks and you will find it in our comprehensive review.

HTC has been struggling with the phone business for a while, but we liked U11 Life last year. The same is true for the updated version, which brings a variety of improvements and Android One.

HTC U12 Life: Price and Place of Purchase

Last year, U11 Life was priced at £349. Well, HTC has reduced the cost of mobile phones in 2018.

So U12 Life is priced at £299 in the UK and €349 in Europe - we were told it was not destined to be shipped to the US. You can buy it directly from HTC, and it looks like this is your only option, no retailer or network to store your phone.

At this price, it competes in a tough mid-market with mobile phones such as Moto G6 Plus, Honor Play and Samsung Galaxy A6.

HTC U12 Life: Design and Construction

In terms of design, U12 Life looks a bit like Pixel 2, and coincidentally, HTC is made for Google.

There is an interesting effect that HTC calls "3D Ultra Stripes." The sound is like some gimmicks, but these are actually tiny grooves in the "acrylic glass" that are laser cut to a depth of 0.3mm.

Not only does it create a different look than other phones, it helps to grip, which is a common problem with cell phones on the back of the glass. It should also reduce fingerprints.

It does do this, but it is mainly compared to the shiny top. The strange thing is that this is the location of the fingerprint scanner and you will always polish this area to prevent it from looking dirty.

We don't mind if there is 3D Ultra Stripes on the entire back but HTC wants to be duotone.

The front of the phone is very simple, like most people, but this time it looks more beautiful, the screen to body ratio is equivalent to 80%. HTC chose a gap, but the screen is very high, so at least to some extent a trend.

One downside of this year is that U12 Life is not waterproof. HTC says it is impact resistant, but it doesn't have an IP67 rating like its predecessor. But it does have a headphone jack.

For many mid-range phones, the U12 Life is medium in size. It is 8.3 mm thick and weighs 175 grams.

The phone is available in two colors: Midnight Blue and Twilight Purple, as shown below.

HTC U12 Life: Specifications and Features

Compared to its predecessor, the new phone can be launched with almost no upgrades, but U12 Life has many new hardware elements. HTC works very well, considering that mobile phones are cheaper this year.

Screen

Due to the modern 18:9 aspect ratio, U12 Life has a 6-inch large screen. However, with the small border, the overall feeling of the phone is not too big. This is a big jump for U11 Life's 5.2-inch display.

Resolution will also be affected by Full HD. HTC has also switched to a new type of panel called LTPS (low temperature polysilicon), in part because of lower manufacturing costs, which we believe.

HTC says it has advantages over IPS LCDs, including power consumption and better contrast.

We are not sure if this is true, but we can say that the display is very good for mobile phones under £300. Although the color is not particularly saturated, it has a certain brightness, and some people may prefer this more natural look and have enough pop-up to avoid it appearing to fade.

Processor, Memory and Storage

The internal upgrade of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor is said to be 40% faster than the 630 inside U11 Life.

There is also 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as standard, which is the higher specification model last year. If you need to add more storage, you can use the second SIM card slot and add up to 1TB.

There is a 128GB model, but it is unique to Taiwan.

In general, this phone quickly opens up most applications and shows no signs of significant lag. As you can see below, its benchmarks are quite good compared to its predecessors and major competitors, although we don't see a 40% increase in publicity - it's more like 20%.

However, if you are looking for a gaming phone near this price, then check out the honor game.

Connection and Audio

As mentioned in the design section, HTC re-launched the headphone jack, which still has USB-C, as you would expect. Elsewhere, there are dual-band 11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS and NFC, which are top notch.

Camera

We are used to even budget phones with dual cameras, and HTC adds a second to the back to cater to the trend.

So U12 Life once again has a 16Mp f / 2.0 camera, but now it is a 5Mp secondary effect. It features Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS).

Battery Life

Battery capacity has increased from 2,600 mAh to 3,600 mAh, so battery life will improve. HTC said that you will get 88 hours of music playback, 13 hours of video (720p, medium brightness) or 12 hours of LTE browsing.

HTC U12 Life: Software and Applications

U11 Life comes with Android One - Google's mobile app offers a commitment to the Android version as well as security and operating system updates.

Although U12 Life is also equipped with most of the versions of Android 8.1 Oreo, HTC has given up this time.

Verdict

Some of the decisions made for U12 Life seem a bit strange, just like giving up Android One and Edge Sense. However, some of them will be reaching its price tag below £300, which makes it an interesting option for mid-range.

You need to match the slightly shiny/striped design, but if you then you will get a full range of specifications including a large screen, default good storage, some decent cameras and a solid connection.

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#HTC Repairer #HTC Repairer UK #HTC Repair Services UK #HTC U12 Life

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