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	<title>Shopoola.com &#124; Online Shopping up to 70% Off!</title>
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		<title>SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/silicondust-hdhomerun-dual/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/silicondust-hdhomerun-dual/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[REVIEWS]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/silicondust-hdhomerun-dual/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If powerful, inexpensive consoles such as the PS3 and the Xbox 360 turned the once-popular gaming PC into a niche product, then by comparison a rash of cheap set-top boxes have crushed the need for the already-niche Home Theater PC &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/silicondust-hdhomerun-dual/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If powerful, inexpensive consoles such as the PS3 and the Xbox 360 turned the once-popular gaming PC into a niche product, then by comparison a rash of cheap set-top boxes have crushed the need for the already-niche Home Theater PC (HTPC). </p>
<p>Yet, despite the proliferation of Apple TVs and Roku boxes, many people still want to watch TV on their PCs&#8211;whether they&#8217;re hooked up to a separate TV or not. In fact, a recent survey suggests PC users spend an hour and a half a day <a href="http://www.frankwbaker.com/mediause.htm">watching video content</a> on their devices. </p>
<p>If you&#8217;re serious about using your PC to watch TV, eventually you might want the flexibility of filling its screen with (legal) free, live TV channels from an over-the-air HDTV tuner. While USB tuners like the Elgato Eye-TV Hybrid are available, they can only be used on the PC they&#8217;re plugged into, and are not mobile-device-friendly. To the rescue comes Elgato with its product, the HDHomeRun Dual. </p>
<p>
<b>Design and features</b><br />
The HDHome Dual is a twin tuner box that connects to your home network and can serve over-the-air to your PC, Mac or mobile device while in the home. It with EyeTV software on Macs and by extension iPhone/iPad (via the $4.99 EyeTV app), MythTV for Linux, and a number of different PC clients, of which the most well-known is Windows Media Center. </p>
<p>
There are two versions of the HDHomeRun: the tuner itself ($99), and the tuner with Elgato EyeTV for Mac bundled ($179.99). We reviewed the latter version, but if you&#8217;re a PC user you can save yourself some dough and get the tuner only.</p>
<p>The box itself is quite small&#8211;about the size of a pack of cigarettes&#8211;with just a power light at the front and an Ethernet port and RF cable connector for the antenna on the back. </p>
<p>The dual tuners enable both SD and HD programs to be watched and recorded and the software also includes a Program Guide to enable DVR functionality. </p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/tN2r6V7SPks/4505-6463_7-35112434.html">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/tN2r6V7SPks/4505-6463_7-35112434.html</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4&#215;4</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/2012-jeep-wrangler-rubicon-4x4/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/2012-jeep-wrangler-rubicon-4x4/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:09:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/2012-jeep-wrangler-rubicon-4x4/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s no secret that I&#8217;m a zombie enthusiast&#8211;it&#8217;s right there at the top of my Twitter profile. So, I tend to see things a bit differently. When tossed the keys to a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4&#215;4, many would see &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/2012-jeep-wrangler-rubicon-4x4/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s no secret that I&#8217;m a zombie enthusiast&#8211;it&#8217;s right there at the top of my Twitter profile. So, I tend to see things a bit differently. When tossed the keys to a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4&#215;4, many would see a low-tech dinosaur, some would see a vehicle that has been only incrementally updated every year of its 71-year existence, and still others would see the ultimate weekender vehicle for frat boys, bros, and outdoorsy junior execs. A strong contingency of true-blue off-roading fans would see years of history, tradition, and a simple purity in a world where cars get more complex by the minute. I, on the other hand, saw the ultimate vehicle for keeping myself un-undead when society falls.</p>
<p>Think about it. The Wrangler is rugged. It can traverse almost any type of terrain, but it&#8217;s still small enough to creep through some fairly tight spots. The simple chassis and power train are easy enough to modify and maintain. And while it&#8217;s far from being the thriftiest vehicle that we&#8217;ve tested, it&#8217;s definitely more economical than many of the larger trucks that boast off-roading cred&#8211;which is a good thing, because you&#8217;ll probably be scavenging your own fuel after the zombie apocalypse.</p>
<p><b>Design: Looks like a brick, flies like one too</b><br />
The Wrangler shows the &#8220;two-box&#8221; design language at its most simplistic. It looks that way for two reasons.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s designed to be simple and rugged. The doors are held on by little more than a pair of simple hinges and a visible wire harness. The forward portion of what Jeep embarrassingly calls the Freedom Top roof pops off with two hand screws and a handful of toggles&#8211;great for a bit of extra sun, ventilation, or gaining the high ground when zombie-shooting! If you&#8217;d like, two adults can take off the entire hardtop to reveal a functional roll cage with the removal of just under a dozen bolts and a half hour&#8217;s time.</p>
<p>Short overhangs give the Wrangler Rubicon unbelievably steep approach and departure angles and the massive ground clearance keeps the Jeep from high-centering over all but the most extreme terrain. Integrated rails on the underside of the vehicle keep drivers from damaging the body if the chassis does come into contact with obstructions, and metal skid plates protect the vehicle&#8217;s underbelly from damage.</p>
<p />
</p>
<p>Things get really interesting when you start customizing the Jeep Wrangler&#8217;s body. With the hardtop removed, you can install one of two different soft tops: the Sunrider, which offers full coverage, or the Bikini, for a more open-air setup. The full metal doors, with their power locks and power windows, can be removed in a few minutes for even more openness or replaced with half-doors with manual locks and windows. There&#8217;s an assortment of off-road bumpers, winches, auxiliary lights, and more robust spare-tire mounts. No other vehicle that I&#8217;ve ever driven is as configurable as the Wrangler.</p>
<p>To my mind, however, the most obvious reason the Jeep Wrangler looks the way it does is because Jeep Wrangler enthusiasts want it to. There&#8217;s no real off-roading advantage to the Wrangler&#8217;s vertical windshield or squared-off edges. There&#8217;s really nothing keeping the Wrangler from adopting a modern aesthetic a la the Range Rover Evoque, but without these rugged elements (the upright grille, the round lights that ape the sealed beam units of old, the chunky wide fenders) the vehicle wouldn&#8217;t <i>look</i> like a Wrangler.</p>
<p>Consequently, many of the same design elements that are pros when off-road become cons for daily driving on-road. Jeep&#8217;s promotional materials refer to the Wrangler as &#8220;refined&#8221; and &#8220;aerodynamic,&#8221; but it&#8217;s only either of those things in comparison with, well, older Jeep Wranglers.</p>
<p>The high ride height means that drivers under 6 feet tall will need a running start and a hop to reach the driver&#8217;s seat without the optional side step and Mopar Grab Handle (both of which are available at extra cost). The knobby tires and pliable suspension make the vehicle a noisy, bouncy mess on city streets. The boxy aerodynamic profile makes the Wrangler feel squirmy and unstable at highway speeds. A good crosswind at 50-plus mph is a truly terrifying thing, and I could almost feel the Jeep&#8217;s body rotating and rocking about as I traversed the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on a windy day.</p>
<p />
</p>
<p>I should also note that the Wrangler has a second row of seats, but it only really seats two people. The back seat is nigh-impossible to get into thanks to a smallish door opening and front-row seats that don&#8217;t really articulate very much. Perhaps it&#8217;s an easier task with the Freedom Top removed, but I doubt it. Thankfully, that rear row does fold and flip forward to increase the rear storage area, which is accessible through the rear, side-hinged hatch.</p>
<p><b>Performance: A power train that keeps it simple, stupid</b><br /> The Jeep Wrangler&#8217;s power train features everything you need and nothing that you don&#8217;t for off-roading, but while it&#8217;s basically a low-tech extravaganza, there are a few high-tech touches.</p>
<p>The Wrangler lacks the advanced terrain management profiles of, for example, the Land Rover LR4 or Ford Explorer, but that doesn&#8217;t make it any less capable. The Wrangler just does things the old-fashioned way: with a torque-y engine, a simple 4&#215;4 transfer system with user-selectable 2WD, and 4WD low-high ratios, and big knobby tires.</p>
<p>Under the Wrangler&#8217;s hood, which is held in place by a pair of rubber latches and flips back to rest on the windshield, is the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine. This grunty mill outputs 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. When combined with the flexible power train, which we&#8217;ll discuss shortly, this engine offer lots of low-end grunt. It&#8217;s also pretty loud, but only relative to, for example, a Toyota Camry. Frankly, a bit of noise is par for the course when you&#8217;re talking about a rough-and-tumble vehicle like the Wrangler. Most importantly, the engine feels bulletproof&#8211;and it needs to be because the Wrangler Rubicon can find itself pretty far from your local auto parts store.</p>
<p>Power leaves the engine by way of either a six-speed manual transmission or, as in our tester, a five-speed automatic gearbox before being split between the front and rear axles via a center transfer case. The automatic provided smooth shifts and was generally unobtrusive.</p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/UDjZNMdfyOQ/4505-10868_7-35137348.html">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/UDjZNMdfyOQ/4505-10868_7-35137348.html</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series &#8211; 180GB &#8211; SATA</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-180gb-sata/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-180gb-sata/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:07:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-180gb-sata/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-180gb-sata/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering very fast performance in my testing. The drive&#8217;s also aesthetically pleasing and rugged with an all-aluminum casing, and comes with all you need to install it in a desktop computer. </p>
<p>The only complaint I have about the drive is the pricing, which is about $2 per gigabyte, making it one of the most expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) on the market. If you can live with that, the 520 Series will make an excellent hard-drive replacement, especially for ultraportable laptops and desktops, thanks to its 7-mm thickness option and included accessories. </p>
<p>If you want something of similar quality and slightly better performance but costing less for your standard laptop, however, I&#8217;d recommend the <strong>Samsung</strong> 830 Series. </p>
<p><b>Design and features</b></p>
<p>The Intel 520 Series SSD is a special solid-state drive. For one, it&#8217;s only 7 millimeters thick, whereas the standard SSD thickness is 9.5mm. This is basically another push of Intel to promote its <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57377040-1/intel-goes-flash-mob-style-to-pimp-ultrabooks/ ?">ultrabook campaign</a>. To make it also fit in a standard 9mm, 2.5-inch hard-drive bay, the drive comes with a frame piece on top that adds another 2.5mm. This piece can be taken off, but then you will need four shorter screws to keep it in the 7mm design. These screws are unfortunately not included, but they seem to be standard screws that you might be able to find at a hardware store.</p>
<p>The second rather unusual aspect of the drive&#8217;s design is the fact that its housing is made entirely of aluminum, making it both attractive and sturdy. And finally, the drive comes with all the accessories you&#8217;d need to use it with a desktop computer, including a SATA cable, a Molex-to-SATA power cable, a 3.5-inch mounting bracket, and mounting screws. </p>
<p>The 520 Series will work in any SATA application, including most ultraportable laptops, all standard laptops, and all desktops. To make it an easy replacement for a hard drive, Intel also provides free <a href="http://www.intel.com/go/ssdinstallation">data migration software</a>, which is a rebranded version of Acronis True Image that helps make moving the entire existing system to a new drive easier.</p>
<p>While the drive uses a SandForce controller, it comes with Intel&#8217;s new 400i firmware designed to offer much better performance than other drives with the same controller. The drive supports SATA 3 (6Gbps) but will work with the original SATA (1.5 Gpbs), SATA 2 (3Gbps), and SATA 3 (6Gbps). To get its top performance, you should use it with a computer that supports SATA 3. </p>
<p>According to Intel, the new drive support AES 256-bit data encryption. I tried with different platforms and different RAID setups and it worked well with all of them. Like all SSDs, the 520 Series can handle shocks and uses much less energy than a traditional hard drive. The drive is available in 60GB, 120GB, 180GB (unusual), 240GB, and 480GB capacities.</p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/83WKXhXvU8w/4505-9998_7-35137167.html">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/83WKXhXvU8w/4505-9998_7-35137167.html</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series &#8211; 120GB &#8211; SATA</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-120gb-sata/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-120gb-sata/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:07:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-120gb-sata/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-120gb-sata/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering very fast performance in my testing. The drive&#8217;s also aesthetically pleasing and rugged with an all-aluminum casing, and comes with all you need to install it in a desktop computer. </p>
<p>The only complaint I have about the drive is the pricing, which is about $2 per gigabyte, making it one of the most expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) on the market. If you can live with that, the 520 Series will make an excellent hard-drive replacement, especially for ultraportable laptops and desktops, thanks to its 7-mm thickness option and included accessories. </p>
<p>If you want something of similar quality and slightly better performance but costing less for your standard laptop, however, I&#8217;d recommend the <strong>Samsung</strong> 830 Series. </p>
<p><b>Design and features</b></p>
<p>The Intel 520 Series SSD is a special solid-state drive. For one, it&#8217;s only 7 millimeters thick, whereas the standard SSD thickness is 9.5mm. This is basically another push of Intel to promote its <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57377040-1/intel-goes-flash-mob-style-to-pimp-ultrabooks/ ?">ultrabook campaign</a>. To make it also fit in a standard 9mm, 2.5-inch hard-drive bay, the drive comes with a frame piece on top that adds another 2.5mm. This piece can be taken off, but then you will need four shorter screws to keep it in the 7mm design. These screws are unfortunately not included, but they seem to be standard screws that you might be able to find at a hardware store.</p>
<p>The second rather unusual aspect of the drive&#8217;s design is the fact that its housing is made entirely of aluminum, making it both attractive and sturdy. And finally, the drive comes with all the accessories you&#8217;d need to use it with a desktop computer, including a SATA cable, a Molex-to-SATA power cable, a 3.5-inch mounting bracket, and mounting screws. </p>
<p>The 520 Series will work in any SATA application, including most ultraportable laptops, all standard laptops, and all desktops. To make it an easy replacement for a hard drive, Intel also provides free <a href="http://www.intel.com/go/ssdinstallation">data migration software</a>, which is a rebranded version of Acronis True Image that helps make moving the entire existing system to a new drive easier.</p>
<p>While the drive uses a SandForce controller, it comes with Intel&#8217;s new 400i firmware designed to offer much better performance than other drives with the same controller. The drive supports SATA 3 (6Gbps) but will work with the original SATA (1.5 Gpbs), SATA 2 (3Gbps), and SATA 3 (6Gbps). To get its top performance, you should use it with a computer that supports SATA 3. </p>
<p>According to Intel, the new drive support AES 256-bit data encryption. I tried with different platforms and different RAID setups and it worked well with all of them. Like all SSDs, the 520 Series can handle shocks and uses much less energy than a traditional hard drive. The drive is available in 60GB, 120GB, 180GB (unusual), 240GB, and 480GB capacities.</p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/EbWBuEOX76E/4505-9998_7-35137176.html">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/EbWBuEOX76E/4505-9998_7-35137176.html</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Nikon Coolpix S8200 (Silver)</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/nikon-coolpix-s8200-silver/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/nikon-coolpix-s8200-silver/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:06:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/nikon-coolpix-s8200-silver/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Nikon Coolpix S8200 seems to be just a shrunken-down version of the 18x Coolpix S9100, with most if not all of the same shooting features. Instead of an 18x zoom, it packs a 14x f3.3-5.9 25-350mm lens in a &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/nikon-coolpix-s8200-silver/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
The Nikon Coolpix S8200 seems to be just a shrunken-down version of the 18x Coolpix S9100, with most if not all of the same shooting features. Instead of an 18x zoom, it packs a 14x f3.3-5.9 25-350mm lens in a camera body 1.3 inches thick. It also has a higher-resolution sensor than the S9100: 16 megapixels compared with 12.
</p>
<p>
I&#8217;d argue that while the lens is nice, the extra megapixels are not important. They don&#8217;t bring anything to the table other than a big-number spec to get your attention. That said, the S8200 is capable of taking some very nice photos. It has some other issues that might not thrill you, though, so please read on to see if any of them are deal breakers for you.
</p>
<p>
At its MSRP of $329.95, the S8200 would be a hard sell, but with it currently selling for around $250, it&#8217;s definitely worth considering if you&#8217;re looking for a little extra zoom in your pocket. </p>
</p>
<p>
The Nikon S8200&#8242;s photo quality is generally very good, though it&#8217;s not the good low-light performer I expected. It does very well with plenty of light, as do most cameras in this category. Once you get above ISO 200, though, colors start to desaturate, there&#8217;s a noticeable increase in noise and artifacts, and subjects look soft and lack fine detail. Much of this is only visible if you view the shots at 100 percent on screen, so those looking to make large prints or do a lot of enlarging and heavy cropping&#8211;especially of low-light shots or of things taken with the lens fully extended&#8211;will probably want to pass on this camera. The 16-megapixel resolution is really a waste in this case. But if your needs are more for prints up to 8&#215;10 and online use, well then, you might really like the S8200; I even printed shots at 11.5&#215;15 that looked very good. </p>
</p>
<p>Sample photos:<br />Nikon Coolpix S8200</p>
<p>
The S8200 turns out nice colors, bright and vivid. If they&#8217;re not to your liking or if you just want to experiment, there are sliders for adjusting hue and vividness. There wasn&#8217;t much visible distortion at either end of the lens range. I saw some slight asymmetrical barrel distortion at the wide end and a touch of pincushioning with the lens extended. The lens had good center sharpness and didn&#8217;t get soft out to the sides or in the corners.
</p>
<p>
Video quality is good enough for Web use and nondiscriminating TV viewing. Panning the camera will create judder that&#8217;s typical of the video from most compact cameras. I also noticed fringing around high-contrast subjects and some slight barrel distortion when the lens was at its widest position. The zoom lens does function while recording and moves smoothly and quietly. You will hear it moving in quiet scenes, but potentially more irritating is how slowly it focuses. </p>
</p>
<p>
If you&#8217;re looking for much beyond automatic shooting modes on the S8200, you won&#8217;t find it; it&#8217;s a pure point-and-shoot. There are two Auto modes on this camera. One is Nikon&#8217;s Scene Auto Selector, located under the Scene modes. It adjusts settings appropriately based on six common scene types. If the scene doesn&#8217;t match any of those, it defaults to a general-use Auto. Among the scene types are Night Landscape and Night Portrait which use multiple shots that get processed in camera into one for improved exposure and reduced noise and blur, so you&#8217;ll have to be careful using Scene Auto Selector with moving subjects. </p>
<p>
Then there is a regular Auto mode, which is basically the Program auto mode you&#8217;d find on other cameras. It&#8217;ll handle shutter speed and aperture settings, but you can also adjust things like ISO and white balance. </p>
<p>
Aside from the Scene Auto Selector there are 16 other scene modes such as Landscape and Portrait as well as a Pet Portrait mode (which gets a dedicated spot on the mode dial) and Easy Panorama mode that just requires you to pan the camera left, right, up, or down to capture 180- or 360-degree shots. A separate Special Effects mode gives you some creative options like High-contrast Monochrome and Selective Color, which turns everything black-and-white except a color you specify. (The playback menu also has other effects filters you can apply after you shoot like Painting for a hand-painted look and Fisheye.)
</p>
<p>
Other shooting options include several burst shooting options, including 120fps and 60fps bursts that capture up to 60 shots at VGA and 1-megapixel resolution, respectively, and an HDR (high dynamic range) mode that combines photos taken at different exposures to help bring out highlight and shadow detail. </p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/Nikon_Coolpix_S8200_Silver/4505-6501_7-35015234.html?subj=fdba&amp;part=rss&amp;tag=rb_content%3Brb_mtx_Digital+cameras">http://reviews.cnet.com/Nikon_Coolpix_S8200_Silver/4505-6501_7-35015234.html?subj=fdba&amp;part=rss&amp;tag=rb_content%3Brb_mtx_Digital+cameras</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series &#8211; 480GB &#8211; SATA</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-480gb-sata/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-480gb-sata/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-480gb-sata/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-480gb-sata/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering very fast performance in my testing. The drive&#8217;s also aesthetically pleasing and rugged with an all-aluminum casing, and comes with all you need to install it in a desktop computer. </p>
<p>The only complaint I have about the drive is the pricing, which is about $2 per gigabyte, making it one of the most expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) on the market. If you can live with that, the 520 Series will make an excellent hard-drive replacement, especially for ultraportable laptops and desktops, thanks to its 7-mm thickness option and included accessories. </p>
<p>If you want something of similar quality and slightly better performance but costing less for your standard laptop, however, I&#8217;d recommend the <strong>Samsung</strong> 830 Series. </p>
<p><b>Design and features</b></p>
<p>The Intel 520 Series SSD is a special solid-state drive. For one, it&#8217;s only 7 millimeters thick, whereas the standard SSD thickness is 9.5mm. This is basically another push of Intel to promote its <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57377040-1/intel-goes-flash-mob-style-to-pimp-ultrabooks/ ?">ultrabook campaign</a>. To make it also fit in a standard 9mm, 2.5-inch hard-drive bay, the drive comes with a frame piece on top that adds another 2.5mm. This piece can be taken off, but then you will need four shorter screws to keep it in the 7mm design. These screws are unfortunately not included, but they seem to be standard screws that you might be able to find at a hardware store.</p>
<p>The second rather unusual aspect of the drive&#8217;s design is the fact that its housing is made entirely of aluminum, making it both attractive and sturdy. And finally, the drive comes with all the accessories you&#8217;d need to use it with a desktop computer, including a SATA cable, a Molex-to-SATA power cable, a 3.5-inch mounting bracket, and mounting screws. </p>
<p>The 520 Series will work in any SATA application, including most ultraportable laptops, all standard laptops, and all desktops. To make it an easy replacement for a hard drive, Intel also provides free <a href="http://www.intel.com/go/ssdinstallation">data migration software</a>, which is a rebranded version of Acronis True Image that helps make moving the entire existing system to a new drive easier.</p>
<p>While the drive uses a SandForce controller, it comes with Intel&#8217;s new 400i firmware designed to offer much better performance than other drives with the same controller. The drive supports SATA 3 (6Gbps) but will work with the original SATA (1.5 Gpbs), SATA 2 (3Gbps), and SATA 3 (6Gbps). To get its top performance, you should use it with a computer that supports SATA 3. </p>
<p>According to Intel, the new drive support AES 256-bit data encryption. I tried with different platforms and different RAID setups and it worked well with all of them. Like all SSDs, the 520 Series can handle shocks and uses much less energy than a traditional hard drive. The drive is available in 60GB, 120GB, 180GB (unusual), 240GB, and 480GB capacities.</p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/07kCrYLeO4A/4505-9998_7-35137182.html">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/07kCrYLeO4A/4505-9998_7-35137182.html</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series &#8211; 60GB &#8211; SATA</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-60gb-sata/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-60gb-sata/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:06:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-60gb-sata/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-60gb-sata/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering very fast performance in my testing. The drive&#8217;s also aesthetically pleasing and rugged with an all-aluminum casing, and comes with all you need to install it in a desktop computer. </p>
<p>The only complaint I have about the drive is the pricing, which is about $2 per gigabyte, making it one of the most expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) on the market. If you can live with that, the 520 Series will make an excellent hard-drive replacement, especially for ultraportable laptops and desktops, thanks to its 7-mm thickness option and included accessories. </p>
<p>If you want something of similar quality and slightly better performance but costing less for your standard laptop, however, I&#8217;d recommend the <strong>Samsung</strong> 830 Series. </p>
<p><b>Design and features</b></p>
<p>The Intel 520 Series SSD is a special solid-state drive. For one, it&#8217;s only 7 millimeters thick, whereas the standard SSD thickness is 9.5mm. This is basically another push of Intel to promote its <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57377040-1/intel-goes-flash-mob-style-to-pimp-ultrabooks/ ?">ultrabook campaign</a>. To make it also fit in a standard 9mm, 2.5-inch hard-drive bay, the drive comes with a frame piece on top that adds another 2.5mm. This piece can be taken off, but then you will need four shorter screws to keep it in the 7mm design. These screws are unfortunately not included, but they seem to be standard screws that you might be able to find at a hardware store.</p>
<p>The second rather unusual aspect of the drive&#8217;s design is the fact that its housing is made entirely of aluminum, making it both attractive and sturdy. And finally, the drive comes with all the accessories you&#8217;d need to use it with a desktop computer, including a SATA cable, a Molex-to-SATA power cable, a 3.5-inch mounting bracket, and mounting screws. </p>
<p>The 520 Series will work in any SATA application, including most ultraportable laptops, all standard laptops, and all desktops. To make it an easy replacement for a hard drive, Intel also provides free <a href="http://www.intel.com/go/ssdinstallation">data migration software</a>, which is a rebranded version of Acronis True Image that helps make moving the entire existing system to a new drive easier.</p>
<p>While the drive uses a SandForce controller, it comes with Intel&#8217;s new 400i firmware designed to offer much better performance than other drives with the same controller. The drive supports SATA 3 (6Gbps) but will work with the original SATA (1.5 Gpbs), SATA 2 (3Gbps), and SATA 3 (6Gbps). To get its top performance, you should use it with a computer that supports SATA 3. </p>
<p>According to Intel, the new drive support AES 256-bit data encryption. I tried with different platforms and different RAID setups and it worked well with all of them. Like all SSDs, the 520 Series can handle shocks and uses much less energy than a traditional hard drive. The drive is available in 60GB, 120GB, 180GB (unusual), 240GB, and 480GB capacities.</p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/JM4j3iNi90Y/4505-9998_7-35137180.html">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/YIff/~3/JM4j3iNi90Y/4505-9998_7-35137180.html</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Canon PowerShot Elph 310 HS (Black)</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/canon-powershot-elph-310-hs-black-2/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/canon-powershot-elph-310-hs-black-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:05:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[REVIEWS]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/canon-powershot-elph-310-hs-black-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Canon PowerShot Elph 310 HS is sort of a misfit camera. Its 8x zoom lens isn&#8217;t quite long enough to attract people looking to improve on an older ultracompact camera, and the lens&#8217; other qualities aren&#8217;t good enough for &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/canon-powershot-elph-310-hs-black-2/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
The Canon PowerShot Elph 310 HS is sort of a misfit camera. Its 8x zoom lens isn&#8217;t quite long enough to attract people looking to improve on an older ultracompact camera, and the lens&#8217; other qualities aren&#8217;t good enough for photographers who value a wider lens and larger maximum aperture. It seems to serve as an easy way to upsell from the older 5x zoom 300 HS: The 310 HS is only slightly larger, but has higher zoom for only $30 more. The 310 also has a larger, higher-resolution screen, making the deal look sweeter. </p>
<p>
The 310 HS, when it was released in October 2011, was not an update to the 300 HS from February 2011&#8211;despite the serial naming. The 300 HS instead will be refreshed as the Elph 320 HS in March 2012 for $279.99, and will have the same lens as its predecessor&#8211;5x, f2.7-5.9, 24-120mm&#8211;but gets a new sensor and processor, Wi-Fi, and a touch-screen LCD. This, in turn, will probably make the 310&#8242;s longer zoom and now lower price look attractive to people looking to save money because they don&#8217;t need Wi-Fi or a touch screen. </p>
<p>
Yes, it seems the 310 HS exists mainly to fill a hole for retailers, which shouldn&#8217;t matter, I guess, as long as the camera is good. And it <i>is</i> good, by the way. </p>
</p>
<p>
The Elph 310 HS produces generally excellent snapshots. Photos do get softer and noisier above ISO 200&#8211;typical for point-and-shoots&#8211;but ISO 400 and 800 are still very usable. The noise and noise reduction are well balanced, so you still get good color and detail at these higher sensitivities without things looking overly smeary or blurry. Colors desaturate some at ISO 1600 and 3200, subjects look very soft, and detail is greatly diminished. You may also notice yellow blotches of color noise. While you might not want to view them at larger sizes or heavily crop them, the high-ISO results should be satisfactory for Web use at small sizes.
</p>
</p>
<p />
<br />Sample photos:<br />Canon PowerShot Elph 310 HS</p>
<p>
Video quality is on par with a very good HD pocket video camera: good enough for Web use and nondiscriminating TV viewing. The full HD video records at 24fps. Panning the camera will create judder and there is visible trailing on fast-moving subjects. Those things are typical of the video from most compact cameras, and less noticeable at small sizes. Some viewers, including myself, may still find it too distracting. The zoom lens does work while recording; it moves very slowly, though, likely to prevent the movement from being picked up by the stereo mics on top. In quiet scenes, you&#8217;ll likely still hear it. Audio in general sounds somewhat muffled, which can make even close subjects difficult to hear.
</p>
</p>
<p>
The 310 HS has a fairly large assortment of shooting options, but almost all of them are automatic modes, meaning there&#8217;s no full control over shutter speed and aperture. The shooting-mode switch on the camera&#8217;s right side has two options: one for Smart Auto and one for everything else, designated by a picture of a camera. Leaving Auto gives you access to a Program mode as well as all the scene modes, creative effects modes, and miniature effect and slow-motion video recording. However, they&#8217;re laid out in one long list, so if you&#8217;re the type to change modes frequently, this can be a pain. If you want to do more than just take snapshots, there is certainly a lot to play with on the 310 HS&#8211;for both movies and photos.
</p>
<p> <a class="hidePage">Hide Review</a>  </p>
<p>Article source: <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/Canon_PowerShot_Elph_310_HS_Black/4505-6501_7-35099993.html?subj=fdba&amp;part=rss&amp;tag=rb_content%3Brb_mtx_Digital+cameras">http://reviews.cnet.com/Canon_PowerShot_Elph_310_HS_Black/4505-6501_7-35099993.html?subj=fdba&amp;part=rss&amp;tag=rb_content%3Brb_mtx_Digital+cameras</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series &#8211; 240GB &#8211; SATA</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-240gb-sata/</link>
		<comments>http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-240gb-sata/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:05:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-240gb-sata/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/intel-solid-state-drive-520-series-240gb-sata/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering very fast performance in my testing. The drive&#8217;s also aesthetically pleasing and rugged with an all-aluminum casing, and comes with all you need to install it in a desktop computer. </p>
<p>The only complaint I have about the drive is the pricing, which is about $2 per gigabyte, making it one of the most expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) on the market. If you can live with that, the 520 Series will make an excellent hard-drive replacement, especially for ultraportable laptops and desktops, thanks to its 7-mm thickness option and included accessories. </p>
<p>If you want something of similar quality and slightly better performance but costing less for your standard laptop, however, I&#8217;d recommend the <strong>Samsung</strong> 830 Series. </p>
<p><b>Design and features</b></p>
<p>The Intel 520 Series SSD is a special solid-state drive. For one, it&#8217;s only 7 millimeters thick, whereas the standard SSD thickness is 9.5mm. This is basically another push of Intel to promote its <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57377040-1/intel-goes-flash-mob-style-to-pimp-ultrabooks/ ?">ultrabook campaign</a>. To make it also fit in a standard 9mm, 2.5-inch hard-drive bay, the drive comes with a frame piece on top that adds another 2.5mm. This piece can be taken off, but then you will need four shorter screws to keep it in the 7mm design. These screws are unfortunately not included, but they seem to be standard screws that you might be able to find at a hardware store.</p>
<p>The second rather unusual aspect of the drive&#8217;s design is the fact that its housing is made entirely of aluminum, making it both attractive and sturdy. And finally, the drive comes with all the accessories you&#8217;d need to use it with a desktop computer, including a SATA cable, a Molex-to-SATA power cable, a 3.5-inch mounting bracket, and mounting screws. </p>
<p>The 520 Series will work in any SATA application, including most ultraportable laptops, all standard laptops, and all desktops. To make it an easy replacement for a hard drive, Intel also provides free <a href="http://www.intel.com/go/ssdinstallation">data migration software</a>, which is a rebranded version of Acronis True Image that helps make moving the entire existing system to a new drive easier.</p>
<p>While the drive uses a SandForce controller, it comes with Intel&#8217;s new 400i firmware designed to offer much better performance than other drives with the same controller. The drive supports SATA 3 (6Gbps) but will work with the original SATA (1.5 Gpbs), SATA 2 (3Gbps), and SATA 3 (6Gbps). To get its top performance, you should use it with a computer that supports SATA 3. </p>
<p>According to Intel, the new drive support AES 256-bit data encryption. I tried with different platforms and different RAID setups and it worked well with all of them. Like all SSDs, the 520 Series can handle shocks and uses much less energy than a traditional hard drive. The drive is available in 60GB, 120GB, 180GB (unusual), 240GB, and 480GB capacities.</p>
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		<title>2012 Honda CR-V EX-L</title>
		<link>http://shopoola.com/2012-honda-cr-v-ex-l-2/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:05:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[REVIEWS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canyons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cargo Area]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clashes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Color Palette]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cylinder Engine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Different Color]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Maps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fuel Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ground Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Honda Cr V]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Information Display]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Menu Screens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monster Truck]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Navigation System]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Perspective View]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Route Guidance]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Photo gallery:2012 Honda CR-V EX-L There is nothing extreme about the 2012 Honda CR-V; this car is an excellent example of moderation. Although an SUV, it is far from a monster truck. Its all-wheel drive and decent ground clearance make &#8230; <a href="http://shopoola.com/2012-honda-cr-v-ex-l-2/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-10863_7-10011356.html?"><br />Photo gallery:<br />2012 Honda CR-V EX-L</a>
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There is nothing extreme about the 2012 Honda CR-V; this car is an excellent example of moderation. Although an SUV, it is far from a monster truck. Its all-wheel drive and decent ground clearance make it suitable for snow and slight off-road conditions, but not crawling up the sides of canyons. And its four-cylinder engine gives it all the power it needs, but no more.
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Honda made some updates to the car for the 2012 model year, but nothing that would move it outside its moderate mandate. Although the wheelbase remains the same, the CR-V actually loses a little height and length. Honda may have feared the CR-V was on the verge of becoming extremely large.
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But it remains an eminently practical vehicle. Although smaller than most SUVs, it features seating for five and ample cargo area. I was particularly impressed by how the rear seats folded flat at the pull of a lever in the back of the car. The manner in which the seats fold is an engineering trick borrowed from the Fit.
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The new CR-V also gets a new LCD imported from the Civic. The Intelligent Multi-Information Display (I-MID) is a full-color screen mounted in the top center of the dashboard. This display shows fuel economy, current song, and turn-by-turn directions.
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As nice as the I-MID looks, it clashes with Honda&#8217;s navigation head unit. This optional navigation system has its own touch-screen LCD full of menu screens that use a different color palette and design to the I-MID screens. Honda improved its navigation system somewhat over the year, ditching the motorized faceplate that hid the CD slot, for example. But the ugly, plastic buttons surrounding it remain. </p>
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And although the digital maps look a little more refined, and show useful information such as building outlines, the letters in street names are angled every which way, making them difficult to read. Honda does not include perspective-view maps, either, although it does overlay traffic data. Under route guidance, the I-MID display was useful, but the voice prompts do not give street names.
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Honda&#8217;s big step into tech with the new CR-V is the incorporation of Pandora as an audio source. When launching the Pandora app on an iPhone plugged into the car, the interface changes from the iPod music library to the Pandora screen. The integration lets you select a station from your previously created list, and give a currently playing track a thumbs-up or -down. </p>
<p>
One hiccup I found while using an iPhone 3GS was that the phone would not switch seamlessly between Pandora and iPod playback. It could have been the phone&#8217;s fault, but when I tried to turn off Pandora while the phone was cabled to the car, the car&#8217;s stereo repeated the remaining buffered seconds of the last song that had been playing on Pandora, and would not show the iPod music library.
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While I was driving around listening to Pandora, the system worked flawlessly, playing uninterrupted music in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Pandora does a good job of buffering, and I did not get any dropouts. Pandora streams at 32 kbps over its mobile app, so the quality was about the equivalent of broadcast radio.
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This low-bit-rate audio did not do the CR-V&#8217;s audio system justice. Although unbranded, the system, composed of a 328-watt amp and seven speakers, produced a clear and pleasant sound. Its subwoofer gave it some depth and the tweeters gave the highs a detailed quality. There are better audio systems on the market, but few among economy SUVs sound this good.
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The stereo also played music from an iPod, a USB drive, satellite radio, and through Bluetooth audio streaming. Although the interface showed complete library options for an iPod, the USB interface merely showed music organized in files and folders, as the system does not parse ID3 tags for files on a USB drive. The Bluetooth audio streaming was very good, as it showed complete track information on the main LCD and the I-MID.
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