Major Companies
Airbus to offer wider seats for overweight U.S. travelers
In case you missed it this week: In talks with U.S. carriers, Airbus is offering to equip its popular A320 aircraft with wider seat.
Date: 05/25/2012 | Aerospace Blog
New 787 order on the way for Boeing?
The Boeing Co. could log a fresh order for the 787 Dreamliner by mid-June.Lion Air is likely to sign an order for 10 787s on June 8, reports Reuters.
Date: 05/25/2012 | Aerospace Blog
Amazon says it will improve warehouse conditions
SEATTLE -- Amazon.com Inc., addressing issues that have drawn heavy criticism of the company, told shareholders Thursday that it planned to improve warehouse conditions and drop its membership in a conservative public-policy organization.
Date: 05/25/2012 | Business
Apple mum on its next big thing
LOS ANGELES -- Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design, said that despite the iMac, iPhone, iPod or iPad, Apple's current project is its best.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Business
Ford to get blue oval back after second upgrade
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is getting its blue oval logo back.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Business
App scans bar-goers to track age, gender
SAN FRANCISCO — A watchful eye has arrived on San Francisco's bar scene, but not to keep you in check. It just wants to check you out.
Date: 05/19/2012 | Business
Facebook's IPO: Price flat on first trading day
NEW YORK -- Facebook (FB) updated its status to "public company" on Friday.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Business
Buffett's Berkshire to buy Media General papers
NEW YORK -- Billionaire Warren Buffett's company is making another foray into newspapers, agreeing to buy 63 newspapers from Media General Inc. for $142 million.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Business
Iran to sue Google over unlabeled gulf
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran says it will sue Google over dropping the name of the Persian Gulf on Google Maps.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Business
Latest Apple rumor: Bigger iPhone screen
LOS ANGELES -- Apple has begun preparing to launch an iPhone with a larger screen than its previous models, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Date: 05/17/2012 | Business
Boeing backlog may bring production increase
The Boeing Co. has a problem that every company wants and no company wants: too much work.
Date: 05/15/2012 | Business
Shareholders confront JPMorgan Chase CEO
TAMPA, Fla. — The CEO of JPMorgan Chase survived a shareholder push Tuesday to strip him of the title of chairman of the board, five days after he disclosed a $2 billion trading loss by the bank.
Date: 05/15/2012 | Business
Billion-dollar birthday
NEW YORK -- He famously wears a hoodie, jeans and sneakers, and he was born the year Apple introduced the Macintosh. But Mark Zuckerberg is no boy-CEO.
Date: 05/15/2012 | Business
Facebook CEO turns 28, IPO could be $100B gift
NEW YORK — He famously wears a hoodie, jeans and sneakers, and he was born the year Apple introduced the Macintosh. But Mark Zuckerberg is no boy-CEO.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Business
Best Buy Chairman steps down after CEO probe
NEW YORK — Best Buy's founder Richard Schulze is stepping down as chairman of the beleaguered consumer-electronics chain after the company's investigation revealed that he failed to alert the board of directors when he learned that the CEO was having an inappropriate relationship with a...
Date: 05/14/2012 | Business
Revolving door: Yahoo ushers out another CEO
SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo still has credibility issues, even after casting aside CEO Scott Thompson because his official biography included a college degree that he never received.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Business
Legendary car designer Carroll Shelby dies at 89
DALLAS — Decades after a heart condition forced him to retire from racing, Carroll Shelby still loved to drive muscle cars. Well into his 80s, the legendary car designer spent hours testing his last Mustang Shelby GT500, which sets a new record for horsepower and hits a top speed of more than...
Date: 05/12/2012 | Nation & World
Bing brings Facebook to search party
SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft's Bing search engine is heading in a new direction as it drills deeper into Facebook's social network and Twitter's messaging service to showcase information unlikely to be found on Google.
Date: 05/11/2012 | Business
Honda wins appeal of small-claims hybrid judgment
LOS ANGELES -- A judge overturned a nearly $10,000 small claims judgment against American Honda Motor Co. that was won by a car owner who said the automaker misrepresented that her hybrid Civic could get 50 miles per gallon, according to a ruling released Wednesday.
Date: 05/10/2012 | Business
Protests mark Bank of America meeting; 4 arrested
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Four people were arrested Wednesday as they tried to force their way into the annual Bank of America shareholders' meeting in Charlotte. Police used a new ordinance to declare the gathering an extraordinary event subject to special restrictions.
Date: 05/09/2012 | Business
Hostess may lay off 250 in state
OLYMPIA -- Hostess Brands has warned its 250 employees in Washington state they could lose their jobs in 60 days.The maker of Twinkies and Wonder bread is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and trying to renegotiate its contracts with the Teamsters and bakery workers unions.
Date: 05/09/2012 | Business
Buffett speaks of Europe, Facebook and value
OMAHA, Neb. -- Billionaire Warren Buffett said Monday that Europe will have a hard time resolving its fiscal problems because of the structure of the European Union and this past weekend's election results in Greece and France.
Date: 05/07/2012 | Business
Google-Oracle jury at impasse on key issue
SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal jury failed to agree on a pivotal issue in Oracle's copyright-infringement case against Google, blunting the impact of a partial verdict that found Google relied on unlicensed technology while building its popular Android software for mobile devices.
Date: 05/07/2012 | Business
Investor demands details on Yahoo CEO
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The major Yahoo Inc. investor who exposed an incorrect degree in CEO Scott Thompson's background demanded on Monday the company release more information on the appointment of Thompson and some board members.
Date: 05/07/2012 | Business
Microsoft, Barnes & Noble team up on Nook
NEW YORK — An infusion of money from Microsoft Corp. sent Barnes & Noble Inc.'s stock zooming Monday, as the software giant established a way to get back into the e-books business.
Date: 04/30/2012 | Business
Ford 1Q earnings fall on Europe slump, tax rate
DEARBORN, Mich. -- Ford Motor Co. has tidied up North America, sweeping out old products and excess costs. But the rest of the world keeps making a mess.
Date: 04/28/2012 | Business
Kindle Fire helps Amazon beat 1Q estimates
LOS ANGELES -- Amazon.com Inc. posted first-quarter profits Thursday that blew by analysts' estimates and boosted the company's stock in extended trading. The online commerce giant said its Kindle Fire tablet computer was its best-selling item and helped lift revenue from digital movies and...
Date: 04/28/2012 | Business
Apple's blowout quarter propels Nasdaq to big gain
NEW YORK -- The Nasdaq composite index shot 2 percent higher Wednesday, powered by a surge in Apple. The iPhone maker's stock climbed $50 after the company once again blew past Wall Street's profit forecasts.With Apple's help, the technology-focused Nasdaq posted its best day this year.
Date: 04/26/2012 | Business
Starbucks to open on Disney properties
NEW YORK -- Starbucks is about to perk up "the happiest place on earth."The Seattle-based coffee chain on Monday is announcing a partnership to open a store inside each of the six Disney properties in California and Florida.
Date: 04/25/2012 | Business
Report: Wal-Mart hushed up bribe network in Mexico
NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. hushed up a vast bribery campaign that top executives of its Mexican subsidiary carried out to build stores across that country, according to a published report.
Date: 04/21/2012 | Business
National business events for the coming week
MONDAY, April 23ConocoPhillips reports quarterly financial results.Hasbro Inc. reports quarterly financial results.Netflix Inc. reports quarterly financial results.Dutch electronics maker Royal Philips Electronics reports quarterly financial results.
Date: 04/21/2012 | Bizblog
Microsoft's fiscal 3Q tops Wall Street predictions
REDMOND -- Microsoft's fared better than analysts anticipated in its latest quarter, boosted by a surprising rise in sales of its Windows operating system for personal computers
Date: 04/20/2012 | Business
Instagram users fret about Facebook buy
NEW YORK -- Poor Instagram users.
Date: 04/15/2012 | Business
Apple denies e-book charge
WASHINGTON -- Apple Inc. said Friday the government's accusation that it conspired with major book publishers to raise the price of e-books is untrue.
Date: 04/14/2012 | Business
Facebook buying photo app Instagram for $1B
NEW YORK -- Facebook is spending $1 billion to buy the photo-sharing company Instagram in the social network's largest acquisition ever.On the surface, that's a huge sum for a tiny startup that has a handful of employees and no way to make money.
Date: 04/11/2012 | Business
Reality check for Google's augmented reality
You know that story we had last week about Google Glass, the augmented reality device that lets you see the world with subtitles? Well, not so...
Date: 04/11/2012 | Bizblog
Apple market value briefly hits $600 billion
NEW YORK -- Apple, already the world's most valuable company, hit the $600 billion level for the first time Tuesday.
Date: 04/10/2012 | Business
Newspaper's Amazon.com series delivers strong reaction
A group called Envision Seattle, which urges residents there to "end corporate personhood," is piling on Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos following the...
Date: 04/10/2012 | Bizblog
Chinese teen sells kidney to buy iPhone, iPad
BEIJING -- Authorities have indicted five people for involvement in illegal organ trading after a teenager sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPhone and an iPad.
Date: 04/08/2012 | Nation & World
Right before your eyes
Google glasses will dangle messages, more in front of you
Date: 04/05/2012 | Business
A look behind Amazon.com's smile
The Seattle Times has now completed publication of a four-part series on the mammoth local company we all probably know least about -- at least in terms of what's on the inside. "Behind the Smile" is a wide-ranging series that explores Amazon.com's
Date: 04/04/2012 | Bizblog
Apple plans nation's biggest private fuel cell energy project in N.C.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina will be home to the nation's largest private fuel cell energy project, a nonpolluting, silent power plant that will generate electricity from hydrogen.
Date: 04/04/2012 | Business
Auto sales surge in March, led by small cars
DETROIT -- Appealing small cars, low interest rates, truck deals and unseasonably warm weather helped the auto industry achieve its best monthly performance in almost four years in March.
Date: 04/03/2012 | Business
Apple's Chinese suppliers to raise wages, curb overtime
NEW YORK -- The Chinese workers who often spend more than 60 hours per week assembling iPhones and iPads will have their overtime curbed and their hourly wages raised after a labor auditor hired by Apple Inc. inspected their factories.
Date: 03/30/2012 | Business
Microsoft's Paul Allen victim of identity theft, FBI says
PHILADELPHIA -- An AWOL soldier's simple scheme to defraud one of the richest men in the world has landed him in federal custody, according to a criminal complaint.
Date: 03/27/2012 | Business
GM recalling vans, SUVs to fix steering problem
DETROIT -- General Motors is recalling more than 6,000 big vans and SUVs because their steering can fail.The recall affects certain 2012 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans, and Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL SUVs.
Date: 03/24/2012 | Nation & World
Merck ponders next step for troubled heart drug
CHICAGO -- Officials at drugmaker Merck & Co. say they will take more time to decide what to do about an experimental blood thinner that gave disappointing results in a second big study.
Date: 03/24/2012 | Nation & World
New iPad more expensive to make
NEW YORK -- Apple appears to be making less of a profit from each new iPad than it did when it launched the previous model a year ago, according to a research firm's analysis.
Date: 03/20/2012 | Business
Chinese writers say Apple is a book pirate
BEIJING -- A group of prominent Chinese writers have demanded millions of dollars in compensation from technology giant Apple Inc. for allegedly selling unlicensed versions of their books in its online store, a lawyer said Monday.
Date: 03/20/2012 | Business
Apple hits $600 per share after announcing dividend
Apple's stock closed above $600 for the first time Monday, the day the company announced plans to reward shareholders with a dividend and a share buyback program.The stock rallied in the final minutes of trading to close at $601.10, an increase of $15.53, or 2.7 percent.
Date: 03/19/2012 | Business
First look: New iPad's changes welcome, but a bit underwhelming
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- It's appropriate that Apple Inc. is calling the updated version of its hit tablet simply "the new iPad," rather than "iPad 3."That's because the differences between this iteration and the last, while significant, aren't really enough to merit a new number.
Date: 03/17/2012 | Business
Long lines for new iPad
MADISON, Wis. -- Apple's latest iPad drew the customary lines of die-hard fans looking to be first and entrepreneurs looking to make a quick profit.
Date: 03/17/2012 | Business
Public radio's 'This American Life' retracts Apple story
CHICAGO -- The public radio program "This American Life" on Friday retracted a story about what a monologist said he found while investigating Apple operations in China, citing "numerous fabrications."
Date: 03/17/2012 | Business
Heavy demand expected for iPad
NEW YORK -- Let the wild rumpus start.The customary storefront crowds are expected to gather as Apple's latest iPad goes on sale Friday. Long lines are likely even though customers could have ordered the new tablet computer ahead of time for first-day home delivery.
Date: 03/16/2012 | Business
Apple iPad online pre-orders are sold out
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- If you want to own the latest iteration of Apple Inc.'s popular iPad tablet computer on the first day it's available, prepare to wait at an Apple Store -- if you haven't already ordered one online.
Date: 03/12/2012 | Business
PepsiCo revamps management team; Nooyi still CEO
NEW YORK -- PepsiCo Inc. revamped its management structure Monday in a move intended to strengthen its lineup of potential successors to CEO Indra Nooyi and leverage its scale as a global company.
Date: 03/12/2012 | Business
Yahoo sues Facebook over patents
NEW YORK -- Yahoo is filing a lawsuit against Facebook over patents, following through on a threat it made last month.Yahoo Inc. said in a court filing Monday that Facebook has infringed 10 of its patents covering advertising, privacy controls and social networking.
Date: 03/12/2012 | Business
WTO rules that Boeing got less illegal subsidy than Airbus
GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization ruled Monday that U.S. planemaker Boeing received $5.3 billion in illegal government subsidies over a quarter-century, far less than what arch-rival Airbus received according to an earlier finding.
Date: 03/12/2012 | Business
Eugene, Ore., couple sue, say seat warmer caused injury
EUGENE, Ore. -- A Eugene man says he was severely burned by the seat warmer in his pickup truck and he and his wife are suing General Motors.The Register-Guard reported that Donnie and Tammy Hedlind are seeking $6.2 million from the automaker.
Date: 03/11/2012 | Northwest
Airbus says China blocking orders over EU scheme
PARIS -- Airbus says that China is blocking orders for 35 of its jets to protest the European Union's emissions trading scheme.Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said Thursday that the aircraft maker is seeing "retaliation threats" from 26 countries, but especially from China.
Date: 03/09/2012 | Business
Verizon launches wireless broadband for homes
NEW YORK -- Verizon Wireless on Tuesday announced a version of its wireless broadband service that's designed for use in rural and remote homes that can't get DSL or cable.
Date: 03/08/2012 | Business
Apple describes post-PC era, surprise of success
SAN FRANCISCO -- In announcing the new iPad, Apple CEO Tim Cook described a "post-PC" revolution that surprised even the company.
Date: 03/07/2012 | Business
Apple lets movies into iCloud, upgrades Apple TV
LOS ANGELES -- Apple is making it easier for people who buy movies through iTunes to play them on the various devices they own.
Date: 03/07/2012 | Business
Android Market checks out, Google Play moves in
SAN FRANCISCO -- Google's digital marketplace for mobile applications, music, movies and books is unifying under a new name in an effort to spruce up the shopping experience.
Date: 03/07/2012 | Business
Apple's next iPad expected to have modest updates
NEW YORK -- Apple is expected to reveal a new iPad model on Wednesday, with a sharper screen and perhaps an option for faster wireless broadband. The upgrades are relatively minor, but the iPad is secure in its position as the king of tablets.
Date: 03/07/2012 | Business
Shell oil rig set for journey
SEATTLE -- Amid the tangle of towering steel, heavy cranes and overcast skies of Seattle's busy commercial shipyards, Shell Oil's massive Kulluk drilling rig is preparing to push off for the Arctic Ocean.
Date: 03/04/2012 | Northwest
Apple market value hits $500 billion
NEW YORK -- Apple's market capitalization topped $500 billion Wednesday, climbing to a mountain peak where few companies have ventured -- and none have stayed for long.
Date: 03/04/2012 | Business
Google's new ‘privacy' policy would be less creepy if users could opt out
Several weeks ago, I purchased some exercise videos online. Then I noticed that whenever I did an Internet search about anything, an ad for that same video package and other similar workout videos kept popping up. It was spooky.
Date: 03/04/2012 | Business
Q&A: Google to dig deeper into users' lives
SAN FRANCISCO -- If you're amazed -- and maybe even a little alarmed -- about how much Google seems to know about you, brace yourself. As of Thursday, Google is operating under a streamlined privacy policy that enables the Internet's most powerful company to dig even deeper into the lives of its...
Date: 03/01/2012 | Business
Microsoft unveils Windows 8 for consumer testing at conference in Spain
BARCELONA, Spain -- Microsoft on Wednesday let consumers start trying out its upcoming touch-based Windows 8 operating system, which aims to power a new wave of computer tablets and traditional PCs designed to counter Apple's big gains in the market through its Macs and iPads.
Date: 03/01/2012 | Business
WTO issues confidential ruling in EU complaint against Boeing subsidies
GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization has ruled on appeals brought by the European Union and the U.S. in a long-running spat over U.S. aid to aircraft maker Boeing.
Date: 03/01/2012 | Business
Microsoft's future riding on Windows 8
SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft is scrambling to preserve what's left of its kingdom.
Date: 02/29/2012 | Business
Apple expected to update iPad at media event
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Apple Inc. is expected to introduce the newest iteration of its popular iPad tablet computer at an event in San Francisco next week, according to an invitation the Cupertino, Calif., tech giant sent to the media Tuesday.
Date: 02/29/2012 | Business
Better Internet privacy sought
NEW YORK -- The Obama administration is calling for stronger privacy protections for consumers as mobile gadgets, Internet services and other tools are able to do a better job of tracking what you do and where you go.
Date: 02/23/2012 | Business
Apple's Tim Cook hints at something 'larger' in firm's TV arsenal
LOS ANGELES -- Tim Cook won't say whether Apple Inc. is developing a television, but he dropped a pretty big hint.
Date: 02/21/2012 | Business
BP working to meet demand after fire idles work at refinery
BLAINE -- BP says it's working to meet customer demand as its Cherry Point refinery remains idle following a fire.
Date: 02/19/2012 | Northwest
Apple previews Mac OS update
NEW YORK -- Apple Inc. this week released a developer preview of an update for the Mac operating system, dubbed "Mountain Lion," that will copy more features and apps from the iPhone and iPad to the Mac.
Date: 02/18/2012 | Business
Traffic safety officials want automakers to stifle dash distractions in moving vehicles
WASHINGTON -- Auto dashboards are becoming an arcade of text messages, GPS images, phone calls and web surfing, the government says, and it's asking carmakers to curb those distractions when vehicles are moving.
Date: 02/18/2012 | Business
China faces conflict of law, business in iPad row
BEIJING -- Chinese officials face a choice in Apple's dispute with a local company over the iPad trademark -- side with a struggling entity that a court says owns the name or with a global brand that has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in China. Experts say that means Beijing's political...
Date: 02/18/2012 | Business
More Chinese cities seize iPads in trademark dispute
BEIJING -- Authorities have seized iPads from more Chinese retailers in an escalating trademark dispute between Apple Inc. and a struggling local company that could disrupt global sales of the popular tablet computer.
Date: 02/17/2012 | Business
Apple previews Mac OS update, Mountain Lion
NEW YORK -- Apple Inc. on Thursday released a developer preview of an update for the Mac operating system, dubbed "Mountain Lion," that will copy more features and apps from the iPhone and iPad to the Mac.
Date: 02/17/2012 | Business
GM made record $7.6 billion in 2011
DETROIT -- General Motors made a record $7.6 billion in 2011, driven by a $7.2-billion profit in North America that ensures its highest profit-sharing payments of $7,000 each to the typical U.S. workers.
Date: 02/16/2012 | Business
Judge dismisses some 2010 oil spill claims
A judge in New Orleans has dismissed all of the federal court claims against a BP contractor sued over the deadly rig explosion and massive oil spill it spawned in the Gulf of Mexico. None of the plaintiffs' attorneys or other companies sued over the 2010 disaster formally objected before U.S.
Date: 02/14/2012 | Business
Group inspecting Apple suppliers
NEW YORK -- Apple said Monday that an independent group, the Fair Labor Association, has started inspecting working conditions in the Chinese factories where its iPads and iPhones are assembled.
Date: 02/14/2012 | Business
Apple stock breaks $500 level
NEW YORK -- Apple's stock broke above $500 for the first time Monday. It was the latest step in a rally that began more than two weeks ago, when the company reported staggering sales and profits for the holiday quarter.
Date: 02/14/2012 | Business
Micron CEO: 'Nothing interim about my role' in new position
BOISE, Idaho -- The new chief executive officer of Micron Technology Inc. says there is nothing interim about his job.
Date: 02/11/2012 | Northwest
U.S. investigates door fires in 2007 Camrys, RAV4s
DETROIT — Federal safety regulators are investigating reports of fires in the driver's side doors of 2007 Toyota Camry sedans and RAV4 crossover SUVs.
Date: 02/11/2012 | Nation & World
Report says Apple to unveil new iPad in March
NEW YORK -- A news report says Apple plans to unveil a new iPad early next month.AllThingsD, a website affiliated with The Wall Street Journal, says Apple Inc. is holding an event in San Francisco the first week of March -- the same week Apple announced the iPad 2 last year.
Date: 02/10/2012 | Business
Privacy group sues FTC to stop new Google privacy policy
SAN FRANCISCO -- A privacy watchdog has filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission in a bid to stop Google Inc. from rolling out its new privacy policy.
Date: 02/09/2012 | Business
Arizona lawmakers back bill to require Amazon tax duty
PHOENIX -- Amazon.com says it would be illegal but Arizona legislators are moving ahead with a bill that would require the online retailer to collect sales tax on purchases by state residents.
Date: 02/09/2012 | Business
At Lynnwood conference, Brazil's Embraer predicts demand for smaller jets
LYNNWOOD -- Brazil's Embraer foresees strong demand for small jets over the next 20 years, with orders from North America leading the way.
Date: 02/09/2012 | Business
Qantas grounds A380 after finding cracks in wings
SYDNEY — Australia’s Qantas Airways said Wednesday it was temporarily grounding one of its A380 superjumbos after discovering dozens of hairline cracks in its wings during a maintenance inspection.
Date: 02/07/2012 | Business
Boeing, Airbus make their case for their jetliners at aerospace conference
LYNNWOOD -- Aerospace analysts, the Boeing Co. and Airbus all agree: The commercial aircraft market looks strong for years to come.Where great minds diverge: Which jets win over more customers, and why?
Date: 02/07/2012 | Business
Production challenges
Conference brings together aerospace giants, suppliers
Date: 02/06/2012 | Business
Day after CEO's death, Micron names new chief executive
BOISE, Idaho -- The board of directors for Micron Technology Inc. has named Mark Durcan the company's chief executive officer, a day after longtime CEO and Chairman Steve Appleton died in a plane crash.
Date: 02/04/2012 | Northwest
President Obama details broader home refinancing plan (Video)
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — President Barack Obama called on Congress Wednesday to make it easier for millions of additional homeowners to refinance their mortgages at lower interest rates even if they owe more than their homes are worth. He conceded that his administration's housing plans so far...
Date: 02/01/2012 | Nation & World
Consumer confidence slides in January
Consumer confidence fell in January after two straight months of big gains as Americans became more worried about their incomes, rising gas prices and overall business conditions, a private research group reported Tuesday. The Conference Board said that its Consumer Confidence Index is at 61.1,...
Date: 02/01/2012 | Business
Apple briefly passes Exxon as most valuable company
NEW YORK -- Apple briefly surpassed Exxon as the most valuable U.S. company after an excellent quarter, though the oil company has regained the lead at the market's close.Apple's stock rose as much as 8 percent, while Exxon's fell as much as 2 percent during trading Wednesday.
Date: 01/26/2012 | Business
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