Fixes for the things that go wrong on camera
Written to answer the question, not to fill a page. Each one ends where the problem does, and every fix has been checked against the tools on this site.
How Guna Milan is calculated: the 36 points, koota by koota
The eight kootas of Ashtakoota matching, what each one compares and how many points it can give, with the rules for Nadi, Bhakoot and the 18-point line.
· 7 min read
Read the guide
- SkincareHealth
How long does skincare take to work? Give it four weeks at least
Most products need four weeks or more before any change is fair to judge, longer as skin ages. How to test one product properly, with photos you can compare.
6 min read
Read - AstrologyNumerology
Mulank, bhagyank and namank: how to work out your numbers
How Ank Jyotish works out your mulank from your birth day, your bhagyank from the full date, and your namank from your name, with the letter table and rulers.
6 min read
Read - SkincareHealth
Which skincare ingredients should you not mix? The clashes that are real
Retinoids with acids, benzoyl peroxide with tretinoin, too many exfoliants: the clashes worth avoiding, why, and why vitamin C with niacinamide is fine.
6 min read
Read - Bangle sizeMeasuring
Bangle size chart (India): inches, mm and hand size
Every Indian bangle size from 2-0 to 3-0 with the inner diameter in inches and mm, the inside circumference, and the largest hand each size passes over.
6 min read
Read - WaterHealth
Does coffee count as water intake? What the hydration trial found
A 2016 trial found coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks hydrate no differently from water. What it measured, what it left out, and how to count your cups.
5 min read
Read - Public speakingPresenting
How long is a 1,000-word speech? Times from 500 to 2,000 words
A 1,000-word speech takes about 6 minutes 40 seconds to 7 minutes 42 seconds at a normal pace. Times for 500 to 2,000 words, with pauses and slides.
5 min read
Read - WaterHealth
How much water should I drink a day? What EFSA, the IOM and ICMR-NIN actually say
Published figures are for total water, food included. Take off the share you eat and most adults need 1.5 to 3 litres of drinks a day, not eight glasses.
6 min read
Read - TambolaParty gamesKitty party
How to divide Tambola prize money: the split, the rounding and the host's share
Split a Tambola pool fairly: 10% early five, 15% per line, 45% full house. How to take out the host's share, add extras and round so the total is exact.
7 min read
Read - Bangle sizeMeasuring
How to measure bangle size at home: three ways, best first
Measure a bangle you own on a calibrated screen, measure your hand with the thumb tucked in, or use a ruler. Which size to pick when you fall between two.
6 min read
Read - Kitty party
How to pick the next kitty party host fairly, every month
Three fair ways to choose the next kitty host: a monthly chit draw, a full order drawn once a year, or a fixed rota. Plus swaps, new members and missed months.
6 min read
Read - ExamsStudying
How to split a 3-hour exam: a section-by-section time plan for CBSE papers
A section-by-section time plan for a 3-hour CBSE paper, with finish-by times from 10:30 to 1:30, for 80-mark Maths and 70-mark Physics.
7 min read
Read - Bangle sizeMeasuring
Kada size for men: how to measure it, and the size chart
Kada sizes use the same 2-N scale as bangles. How to measure a kada or your hand at home, the sizes in inches and mm, and how loose a kada should sit.
5 min read
Read - Kitty partyParty games
Kitty party chit games: six games for a bowl of folded chits
Six kitty party chit games: lucky chits, task chits, Who am I, icebreaker questions, the next host draw and turn order. How to run each, and print the chits.
7 min read
Read - ExamsStudying
Minutes per mark: how to plan your time in an exam
Divide your writing time by the total marks to get minutes per mark. Worked examples for 1-hour to 3-hour papers, CBSE included, and how to use the figure.
6 min read
Read - TambolaParty games
Tambola prize money for 20, 50 and 100 players: worked examples
Ready-made Tambola prize splits for 20, 50 and 100 players at ₹20, ₹50 and ₹100 a ticket, with a host's share and extras, each adding up to the last rupee.
6 min read
Read - Public speakingPresenting
Words per minute for speeches: how fast to talk, and how to find your own pace
Most prepared speeches run at 130 to 150 words a minute. What the figures mean, how to measure your own pace in a minute, and how to write to it.
6 min read
Read - TambolaParty games
Breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tambola: what they mean and how to check a claim
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are three Tambola prizes for the left, middle and right thirds of the ticket. The numbers each covers and when each is won.
6 min read
Read - TambolaParty games
Tambola prize ideas: what to give for each win, in money or in gifts
Tambola prize ideas for home, kitty and office games: how to split a cash pool, gifts for each win, and which wins should get the biggest prize.
6 min read
Read - FlashlightAndroid
How to change your phone torch brightness on Android
Android 13 added torch brightness levels, but only some phones support them. How to tell if yours does, how to dim the flash, and what to use if it cannot.
5 min read
Read - LaptopBattery
How to check laptop battery health on Windows, Mac and Chromebook
Read your laptop battery's real capacity and cycle count with tools already on it: powercfg on Windows, System Information on Mac, Diagnostics on Chromebook.
6 min read
Read - FlashlightPrivacy
Why does a flashlight app want camera permission? It does not need it
Android has had a direct torch API since version 6 that needs no camera permission. Why some torch apps still ask, and how to check one before you install it.
5 min read
Read - LaptopBuying
How to check a used laptop before you buy it
The checks that catch faults sellers do not mention: screen, keys, trackpad, camera, mic, speakers, ports, battery health and account locks. About 15 minutes.
7 min read
Read - FlashlightSafety
How to send SOS with your phone flashlight, and how long each flash should be
SOS in light is three short flashes, three long, three short. The right timing, how to send it by hand or with an app, and what a flashing phone cannot do.
6 min read
Read - GSTMoney
CGST, SGST or IGST: which one goes on your invoice, and how to split it
Within a state, GST splits into equal CGST and SGST. Across state lines it is one IGST line at the full rate. How to tell which applies, with worked splits.
6 min read
Read - GSTMoney
GST on gold jewellery: 3%, making charges, and how to check the bill
Gold jewellery carries 3% GST, a rate GST 2.0 left alone. How making charges are taxed, where the 5% rate applies, and how to check a jeweller's bill.
6 min read
Read - GSTMoney
GST on a restaurant bill: how to check it's charged right
Most restaurants charge 5% GST, as 2.5% CGST and 2.5% SGST. When 18% is right, why service charge is optional, and how to check a bill in thirty seconds.
6 min read
Read - GSTMoney
How to calculate GST: add it to a price, or take it out of a total
The two GST formulas, adding to a price and extracting from a total, with worked examples at 5%, 18% and 40%, and the mistake that overstates the tax.
6 min read
Read - GSTMoney
HSN code: how to find it, and the GST rate that goes with it
What an HSN or SAC code is, how many digits your invoice needs, and how to find the right code and GST rate for a product without guessing.
6 min read
Read - AstrologyPanchang
How Ekadashi dates are decided: the sunrise rule, and why Smarta and Vaishnava sometimes differ
Ekadashi is the 11th tithi, kept on the day it is running at sunrise. When it straddles two dawns, Smarta and Vaishnava households may fast on different days.
6 min read
Read - AstrologyKundliHoroscope
How to find your Moon sign (rashi) from your birth date, time and place
Your Moon sign is the sign the Moon was in at your birth. It needs date, place and roughly the time, since the Moon changes sign every 2¼ days. Find it free.
5 min read
Read - AstrologyKundli
How to read your kundli: lagna, rashi, nakshatra and dasha, in that order
A janam kundali has four things to find first: the lagna, the Moon's rashi, its nakshatra and the dasha running now. What each is and where it sits.
7 min read
Read - AstrologyKundli
Kundli without a birth time: what still holds, and what does not
No birth time? Your Moon sign, nakshatra and every graha's rashi still hold. The lagna, houses, navamsa lagna and dasha dates do not. What to use, what to skip.
6 min read
Read - AstrologyHoroscope
Moon sign or Sun sign: which horoscope should you read?
Western daily horoscopes use your Sun sign; Indian ones your Moon sign (rashi). Why they differ, why the Moon-sign one can change daily, and how to find yours.
6 min read
Read - AstrologyBirth chart
Sun, Moon and rising sign: what the big three are and how to find yours
Sun sign: where the Sun was. Moon sign: where the Moon was. Rising sign: the one on the eastern horizon at birth. What each covers and why the time matters.
6 min read
Read - AstrologyPanchang
What is a tithi? Why Hindu festival dates move every year
A tithi is a lunar day: the time the Moon takes to move 12° from the Sun. Thirty make a lunar month, they last 19–26 hours, and they make festival dates shift.
7 min read
Read - AstrologyBirth chart
Why your Vedic sign is different from your Western sign: the 24° ayanamsa
Western astrology starts the zodiac at the March equinox; Vedic fixes it to the stars. They differ by about 24°, so most Vedic Sun signs are one sign earlier.
7 min read
Read - TambolaParty gamesChristmas
Christmas Tambola for the office party: rules, calls and how to run it for fifty people
How to run Christmas Tambola at an office party: tickets for a big room, prizes that suit colleagues, festive number calls and a claim check that takes seconds.
7 min read
Read - TambolaParty gamesDiwali
Diwali Tambola party: how to host it, what to give as prizes and what to print
A Diwali Tambola plan for a family or office party: how many tickets to print, how to split the pot, prizes to give and how to keep a round to 30 minutes.
7 min read
Read - BingoParty gamesHalloween
Halloween bingo: how to run it for a class or a party, with words, patterns and prizes
How to run Halloween bingo for children or adults: the word list, card size by age, five winning patterns, how many rounds, and unique cards in a minute.
6 min read
Read - TambolaParty gamesKitty party
Kitty party games: 12 ideas that work for eight to twenty ladies, and how to run Tambola
Twelve kitty party games from one-minute challenges to a full Tambola round, how long each takes, what to give as prizes and how to keep it to two hours.
8 min read
Read - TambolaBingoParty games
New Year's Eve party games for the whole family: what to play before midnight
Games that work from age six to seventy on New Year's Eve: Tambola and bingo you can print, quick rounds for the hour before midnight, and how to run them.
7 min read
Read - TambolaPrintables
Printable Tambola tickets PDF: how to make them free, and when a ready kit is worth it
How to print proper Tambola (Housie) tickets as a PDF for free, what a correct ticket looks like, how many to a page, and what a paid party kit adds on top.
6 min read
Read - HealthTimers
How long should a power nap be? 10, 20 or 90 minutes
Ten to twenty minutes is the power nap that leaves you alert. Why longer naps leave you groggy, when 90 minutes makes sense, and how to wake on time.
5 min read
Read - ProductivityTimers
25/5, 50/10 or 52/17: how long to focus before taking a break
Pomodoro's 25/5, the hour-shaped 50/10 and DeskTime's 52/17 compared: where each comes from, what kind of work each suits, and how to find your own rhythm.
6 min read
Read - KitchenTimers
How long to steep tea: black, green, oolong, white and herbal
Black tea 3 to 5 minutes, green 1 to 3 at a lower heat, herbal 5 to 7. A chart of steeping times and temperatures, and why tea left too long turns bitter.
5 min read
Read - ProductivityTimers
The Pomodoro Technique: what it is and how to do it properly
25 minutes of focus, a 5-minute break, a long break after four. Where the Pomodoro Technique came from, the rules most people skip, and how to start today.
6 min read
Read - CameraFitness
How to check your yoga pose at home with a webcam, no mirror wall needed
No studio mirror? Use your laptop camera: freeze a reference pose, lay it over the live picture as a ghost, and line up hips, shoulders and hands against it.
6 min read
Read - MouseGaming
Clicks per second: what counts as a good CPS score, and how to test it
Normal clicking reaches 6 to 8 clicks per second. What jitter and butterfly clicking add, why a fast score can hide a faulty mouse, and how to test your CPS.
5 min read
Read - Measuring
ATM and credit card size in cm, mm and inches, and how to use a card as a ruler
Every ATM, debit and credit card is 8.56 × 5.398 cm (85.6 × 53.98 mm, or 3.370 × 2.125 inches). How to measure with one and set a screen ruler.
5 min read
Read - DebatePublic speaking
Debate speech times by format: BP, World Schools, Lincoln-Douglas and Model UN
Speech lengths, protected time and points of information for British Parliamentary, World Schools, Lincoln-Douglas and Model UN, with how to time each one.
7 min read
Read - KnittingCrochetCraft
Hands-free row counting: use a foot pedal, page turner or keyboard
Count rows without putting your yarn down. How a Bluetooth page turner, foot pedal or keyboard works with an online row counter, and keeping the screen awake.
5 min read
Read - AudioTroubleshooting
Headphones only working on one side: find the fault in two minutes
Sound in one ear only is a plug, a cable, a port, a setting or the headphones. Two swaps and a left-right test tell you which, before you buy anything new.
5 min read
Read - TeachingClassroom
How long should a brain break be? Timings, ideas and how to end one
Two to five minutes is the working range for a classroom brain break. How often to run one, what to do in it, and how a visible timer brings the class back.
6 min read
Read - VideoPresenting
How many words for a 60-second video script, and how to write one that reads well
At 140 to 160 words a minute, a 60-second video is about 140 to 160 words. Word counts for 15 to 180 seconds, and how to write a script that sounds spoken.
6 min read
Read - Public speakingPresenting
How many words is a 5-minute speech? Word counts from 1 to 20 minutes
A 5-minute speech is about 650 to 750 words at a normal pace. Word counts from 1 to 20 minutes, how to find your own pace, and how to time a practice run.
6 min read
Read - ExamsTeaching
How to do a mock exam at home that actually prepares you
A mock only helps if it copies the real conditions: full length, one sitting, a visible finish time and no help. How to set one up at home and what to do after.
6 min read
Read - ScreensTroubleshooting
How to fix a stuck pixel, and when a pixel cannot be fixed
A stuck pixel sometimes recovers with rapid colour cycling or gentle pressure. A dead one never does. How to tell them apart, what to try, and when to stop.
6 min read
Read - BingoParty games
How to host virtual bingo on Zoom or Teams, with a card on every phone
Run bingo on any video call: one link gives every player their own card on their phone, you call from a shared tab, and wins are checked by card number.
6 min read
Read - CrochetCraft
How to read a C2C crochet graph, and how big and how much yarn
C2C is worked in diagonal rows from one corner. How to read a graph row by row, how many squares make a throw or a twin blanket, and how much yarn to buy.
7 min read
Read - KeyboardGaming
Keyboard ghosting test: what ghosting and n-key rollover mean, and how to check yours
Why some key combinations drop a press, what 2KRO, 6KRO and NKRO mean, how many keys you actually need at once, and how to test your keyboard in a browser.
6 min read
Read - Photos
How to put photos from two cameras or phones into one timeline
Photos from a camera and a phone, or from two guests, land out of order when their clocks disagree. How to find the offset for each and line them all up.
6 min read
Read - FitnessTimers
Tabata for beginners: how to build up to the full 20/10 in six weeks
The full Tabata is a hard first session. Scale the rest, not the effort: start at 20 seconds on and 40 off, and shorten the rest over several weeks until 20/10.
6 min read
Read - PrintingPosters
What is a rasterbated poster? How halftone dot wall art works
A rasterbated poster rebuilds a photo from dots that grow where it is dark. Why it works from small photos, which dot size to pick, and how to print one.
6 min read
Read - FitnessTimers
What is an EMOM workout? How it works, and how to set one up
EMOM means every minute on the minute: start a set of work at the top of each minute and rest for what is left. How to choose the work, the length and variants.
6 min read
Read - PhotosPrivacy
What is EXIF data? What your photos reveal, and how to see it
EXIF is the hidden information a camera writes into every photo: date, camera, settings and often GPS. What each field gives away and how to view or remove it.
6 min read
Read - KnittingCraft
Why knitting charts come out stretched, and how gauge fixes it
A knit stitch is wider than it is tall, so a square-grid chart grows about 40% taller when knitted. How to chart colourwork to your gauge so it keeps its shape.
6 min read
Read - ScreensBuying
How to check a monitor or laptop screen before the return window closes
A ten-minute check for a new or used screen: dead, hot and stuck pixels, backlight bleed and uniformity, what counts for a return, and how to record it.
6 min read
Read - Photos
The camera clock was wrong: how to fix the date on a whole batch of photos
A camera on the wrong time zone puts every photo out by the same amount. How to work out the gap and shift the date taken on a batch, without uploading.
5 min read
Read - ExamsTeaching
How to time an exam: start, finish, reading time and extra time
Start the clock when the paper begins, time reading separately, add extra time to the finish: 25% on 2 hours is 30 minutes. Free exam clock, no sign-up.
5 min read
Read - CrochetKnittingCraft
How to keep track of rows in crochet and knitting
Six ways to count rows, from pen marks to a row counter that remembers your place, how to track pattern repeats, and how to find your row when you lose count.
5 min read
Read - KeyboardTroubleshooting
Keyboard keys not working or typing twice: how to find out why
A dead key, a key that types twice and a key that repeats on its own are three different faults. How to tell them apart in two minutes, and what fixes each one.
6 min read
Read - MouseTroubleshooting
Mouse double-clicking on a single click: how to confirm it and what fixes it
A mouse that double-clicks by itself is usually a worn switch, not Windows. How to prove it in a minute, rule out the software causes, and the fixes that last.
5 min read
Read - VideoPresenting
How to read from a teleprompter without looking like you are reading
Moving eyes, a flat voice and a chased pace give a script away. How to place the text, write for the ear, set words per minute and record a natural take.
6 min read
Read - PhotosPrivacy
How to remove the location from a photo before you share it
A photo can carry the GPS coordinates of your home. What is hidden in the file, where it survives, and how to remove it on iPhone, Windows, Mac or in a browser.
6 min read
Read - CrochetCraft
How to turn a photo into a crochet pattern that keeps its shape
Choosing the photo, stitch, size and colours for a graphghan, why faces come out stretched on square-grid charts, and how much yarn to buy.
6 min read
Read - FitnessTimers
What Tabata training really is: the 20/10 protocol and the study behind it
Tabata is eight rounds of 20 seconds' work and 10 seconds' rest: four minutes. What the 1996 study did, why gym versions are easier, and how to do one properly.
5 min read
Read - CameraAppearance
Why you look different in photos than in the mirror
The mirror shows you flipped, and that is the face you know. Why the true view looks wrong, which one other people see, and how to check it before a call.
5 min read
Read - FitnessTimers
Work-to-rest ratios for interval training: how to choose yours
40/20, 30/30, EMOM or 1:3 sprints: what each work-to-rest ratio is for, how hard the work should feel, and how to set it on a timer you can read across a room.
5 min read
Read - BingoTeaching
Classroom bingo: 10 ways to use it for sight words, maths and vocabulary
Ten ways to use bingo as a review game across subjects, how to call it so the whole class thinks, and how to make a set of unique cards in minutes.
6 min read
Read - PianoMusic
8 easy piano songs for beginners, with the notes and computer keys
Eight songs a complete beginner can play today, in order of difficulty, with the letter notes and the computer keys that play them on an online piano.
6 min read
Read - Ring sizeMeasuring
How to find someone's ring size secretly: five ways that work
Five ways to get a partner's ring size without asking, from borrowing a ring for a minute to asking a friend, ranked by accuracy, with mistakes to avoid.
6 min read
Read - HarmoniumMusicSargam
How to find your Sa: choosing the right scale for your voice
Sa is not a fixed note. Here is how to find the one that suits your voice in ten minutes, what White 1 and Black 2 mean, and how to check it with a drone.
6 min read
Read - PrintingPhotos
How big can I print my photo? Pixels, PPI and viewing distance
The largest print a photo can make from its pixel width, why a poster needs far fewer pixels per inch than a small print, and why WhatsApp photos print small.
6 min read
Read - JigsawPuzzles
How many jigsaw pieces? A guide by age, time and screen
48 pieces take most adults 5 to 15 minutes on screen; 1,000 take several evenings. The right piece count by age, plus a free photo jigsaw maker.
5 min read
Read - TambolaParty games
How to organise Tambola at home: tickets, calling and prize money
Everything a Tambola host needs: how many tickets to print, how to split the prize pool, how to call numbers at the right pace and how to check a claim.
7 min read
Read - JigsawPuzzles
How to solve a jigsaw puzzle faster: 9 methods that work
Edges first is only the start. Sorting by colour and by shape, building islands, and what to do with a sky that is all one blue — on the table and on a screen.
6 min read
Read - Ring sizeMeasuring
Indian ring size chart, with US, UK and EU sizes side by side
What an Indian ring size measures, the full conversion to US, UK and EU sizes with diameters in mm, and why two jewellers' charts can disagree by a size.
6 min read
Read - Measuring
How to measure something without a ruler, using what is in your wallet
Bank cards, A4 paper and coins are made to exact sizes. How to use them as a ruler, how to turn your screen into an accurate one, and how far to trust each.
5 min read
Read - PianoMusicMIDI
How to play a MIDI keyboard in your browser, with no software
Yes, a USB MIDI keyboard works in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, not Safari. Plug in, press Connect MIDI and play with touch sensitivity. Free, no sign-up.
5 min read
Read - PrintingPosters
How to print a large poster on A4 paper at home, step by step
Tile any picture across A4 or Letter sheets, print it at the right scale, and join the pages so the seams hardly show. Printer settings, paper, glue, trimming.
7 min read
Read - TambolaParty games
Tambola games list: 15 prize patterns for kitty parties and family nights
Beyond early five and full house: fifteen Tambola prize patterns, what each one needs on the ticket, and how many to play in one game so it does not drag.
6 min read
Read - MoneyAndroid
How to cancel a subscription on Android, including the ones Google Play cannot see
Cancel a Play subscription in four taps, find the ones billed outside Play, and understand why deleting the app changes nothing about what you are charged.
6 min read
Read - MoneyFree trials
How to stop a free trial turning into a subscription you did not want
Free trials convert automatically by design. How to find the exact conversion date, cancel without losing the trial, and what to do after a charge lands.
6 min read
Read - MoneyHouseholds
How to split subscriptions fairly when several people use them
Why an even split is usually the wrong one, how to compare monthly and annual plans honestly, and which services actually allow sharing before you rely on it.
6 min read
Read - TeachingClassroom
How long should classroom activities actually take?
Realistic durations for think-pair-share, group work, silent reading and tidy-up, and why a visible timer changes behaviour more than saying the time aloud.
6 min read
Read - PrivacyPhotos
How to compress a photo without uploading it to a stranger's website
Online compressors take a copy of your photo first. How to hit an upload size limit with tools already on your phone or computer, and keep the file.
7 min read
Read - AudioFormats
MP3, WAV, M4A or OPUS: which audio format to pick, and when
A plain comparison of the formats you actually meet — what each is for, how big it gets, where it plays, and the one rule that avoids most mistakes.
6 min read
Read - AudioRecording
How to record a decent voice-over with just a laptop mic
Seven changes that improve a laptop-mic recording more than new hardware does — room, distance, levels and the one setting that quietly ruins takes.
7 min read
Read - ToastmastersPublic speaking
Toastmasters timing rules: green, amber and red for every speech type
What the timing lights mean, the exact times for every speech type, and the 30-second rule that disqualifies contestants. Plus how to run the timer role.
6 min read
Read - PrivacyMoney
How to find every subscription you pay for, without handing over a bank login
Most subscription trackers want your banking credentials first. How to find everything you pay for without that, and what those apps really get.
7 min read
Read - Buying adviceResolution
720p, 1080p or 4K: what a webcam actually needs to be
Meeting apps cap what they will send long before a 4K webcam becomes useful. Here is what each resolution is really worth, and what to spend on instead.
6 min read
Read - TroubleshootingWindowsmacOS
"Camera is being used by another application": how to find the app and get it back
Another program is holding your camera. Find which one on Windows or Mac, quit it fully, then check the camera is free in a browser webcam test.
5 min read
Read - ChromeTroubleshooting
Camera not working in Chrome? 7 fixes, in the order that works
Chrome can't find your camera, shows a black screen, or says it's blocked. Here are the seven fixes, ordered by how often each one is the answer.
6 min read
Read - PrivacySecurity
Is my laptop camera hacked? How to actually check
Camera hijacking is rarer than the headlines suggest, but not impossible. How to check properly on Windows and Mac, and what the light tells you.
6 min read
Read - LightingZoom
How to look good on Zoom using things you already own
You do not need a ring light. A lamp, a window and a stack of books will do more for how you look on a video call than any camera upgrade.
6 min read
Read - Image qualityLighting
Webcam blurry or grainy? It is almost never the camera
A blurry or grainy webcam is usually short of light, not broken. The fixes in order of impact, and a free webcam test to measure the difference.
7 min read
Read - InterviewsChecklist
The five-minute camera check before a video interview
A short, ordered checklist for the minutes before a video interview — camera, light, framing, sound and the backup plan for when something fails anyway.
5 min read
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