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Yummers posted:Verizon is pretty good about keeping secrets. But I would have to think a Snapdragon S4 Pro phone of some type would be arriving within 4-6 weeks of the Razr HD's release as a holiday shopping season feature phone (for no other reason than to be competitive with the other carrier's offerings). It will probably be the rumored LG "Nexus 4" phone and I would hold out for that if I were going to upgrade. It will likely have the same hardware as the new Optimus G but running Google's latest OS and a Nexus form factor. Additional rumors suggest an Android 4.2 OS improvement called "project roadrunner" to improve battery life and various settings/application enhancements. That's a lot of rumor, but nothing outlandish that would make me think it's not a potential reality. I guess it all comes down to when Google decides to announce their new Nexus phone and new OS. It seems like they need to make the announcement this month for all the rumors to come together. Maybe it won't be until next year. While the LG Nexus looks real, some of the stuff you mentioned (project roadrunner and most 4.2 stuff I believe) was outed as a hoax/joke. Hopefully a variant of the next Nexus makes it to Verizon, but if the LG is the only Nexus this year, it doesn't look likely (GSM only with no LTE is the current rumored spec). I'm still a little hopeful that having a Nexus on the biggest US carrier is something Google would prefer, I just don't know how much annoying CDMA and Verizon control they'll put up with to make it happen.
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Oct 16, 2012 21:59
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I want to know what device code name occam is and if it's coming to Verizon. The name suggests a Razr variant and it's been benchmarked to have the quad S4 in it. I just don't know if there's going to be yet another high end Razr phone come out on Verizon in such a short period of time. It may very will be an AT&T device since the current Atrix HD is only considered a midlevel device. I just don't know what phones will end up having the quad core S4 outside of the optimus G and the Nexus variant. Maybe this mystery 5" HTC device will have it but we are at the wrong time in Motorola or Samsung's product cycles to see a new device with that SoC anytime within the next 6 months. bull3964 fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Oct 16, 2012 |
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Oct 16, 2012 22:19
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bull3964 posted:
The S4 Plus MSM8960's performance is staggering compared to the dual-core A9's that came before it. So it's hard to dismiss it as an option if you just can't wait another day. But what make the S4 Pro so interesting is the benchmarks for the APQ8064 show a ~2x performance advantage compared to the S4 Plus MSM8960. It's hard for me to wrap my head around such a performance boost. I believe this is because of the doubled L2 cache and Adreno 320 graphics. So if you're sitting on the fence with a pending upgrade and you're currently rocking an older cortex-A9 phone, I think waiting for the S4 Pro is smart if you don't mind counting the days. You'll probably poo poo your pants the first time you install a very large application, unrar an archive, or open a 50MB pdf. And we're not even talking about true Cortex-A15's yet. Those chips will be coming next year with a deeper pipeline and even more L2 cache. My guess is dual-core Cortex-A15's will perform similar to the quad-core S4 Pro but with better battery life. It seems like the current bottle-necks have less to do with raw CPU performance and more to do with LPDDR performance and network performance -- so the average smart-phone user will probably be content using either the S4 Pro or S4 Plus.
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Oct 16, 2012 23:30
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I don't have a pending upgrade and I'm not in NEED of a phone (I own both a Razr and a Galaxy Nexus.) I'm just not overly fond of either of them. I love the Razr's radios, but it's battery life is basically on par with the Galaxy Nexus and it feels a bit fragile to me. The Galaxy Nexus has junk for radios and feels drat cheap in the hand, but it has an HD display and will always be well supported in the aftermarket community. I mentioned this sentiment in the general android thread but I feel like I'm still in search of an OG Droid replacement. Nothing yet has had the mixture of build quality, stock software, and great reliable performance. I'm in love with the Razr HD's build quality, but it seems dumb to jump on it with what's on the horizon as well.
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Oct 16, 2012 23:47
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bull3964 posted:I mentioned this sentiment in the general android thread but I feel like I'm still in search of an OG Droid replacement. Nothing yet has had the mixture of build quality, stock software, and great reliable performance. I'm in love with the Razr HD's build quality, but it seems dumb to jump on it with what's on the horizon as well. I feel your sentiment. I still have my OG Droid tucked away in a drawer. I used it daily for 25 months and it's in better condition than my Droid Bionic which I only used for 10 months! The main complaints with Bionic hardware compared to OG Droid: Paint chipping off the volume rockers Headphone jack prone to shorting out Terrible audio quality from the headphones Vibration motor too weak Finicky HDMI output (tried a few different cables but always had connection problems) Battery door unacceptably difficult to remove Abysmal battery life especially on LTE (this was to be expected with first gen LTE but a big problem none the less) Pentile screen causes eye strain
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Oct 17, 2012 00:13
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JayKay posted:Sweet thanks for the advice. I'm trying to track down a 32gb black model and have been having zero luck. I figured it was due to the high demand out here in the DC region. Quick update: 2 of my stores have only the 64 gig models in stock, the 3rd was completely sold out. So it seems like VZW stores are starting to get slowly replenished.
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Oct 17, 2012 15:13
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Little update on my scummy Verizon store issue: I was finally able to make it to the other store, and it really brought to light just how hosed the first store was. Upon trying to cancel the preorder, it turns out the poo poo store had charged it in full upon purchase, which they weren't supposed to do. This made it so the good store couldn't cancel it, and I'm stuck waiting until it arrives at the old one to return it (and pay a $35 restocking fee). The new store is going to reimburse that and the manager there was apologetic for this situation. They're willing to work with me about doing the upgrade on the other line so I can keep unlimited, and since they have 64gb blacks in stock I should be able to get the process started tomorrow (also, old store lied about upgrade date on the dumbphone line). I also gave them a heads up on the trade-in scam. Still not sure how it benefits the guys - I'm assuming it never goes through the official trade in process, but they're still giving away $150 and only getting an upgrade in return. The manager of the good store is going to chat with the higher ups about it. Hopefully the people that have gone along with it so far aren't getting screwed.
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Oct 17, 2012 21:17
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http://news.yahoo.com/verizon-draws-fire-for-monitoring-app-usage--browsing-habits.htmlquote:The company this month began offering reports to marketers showing what Verizon subscribers are doing on their phones and other mobile devices, including what iOS and Android apps are in use in which locations. Verizon says it may link the data to third-party databases with information about customers' gender, age, and even details such as "sports enthusiast, frequent diner or pet owner." Your taste in porn is the new oil!
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Oct 18, 2012 02:42
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Zero VGS posted:http://news.yahoo.com/verizon-draws-fire-for-monitoring-app-usage--browsing-habits.html I believe you can turn off these settings if you log into your verzion account under "Privacy settings" or what not. Just select no for all of the phones on your account.
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Oct 18, 2012 04:22
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It just blows my mind that deep packet inspection is a thing to opt out of. The fact that they are interpreting things as "this guy is a pet owner" would imply that some random Verizon guy is aggregating this data and could stumble upon say, the medical records of someone he knows. Sure, they could go out of their way to do it before, but now it's like, someone's *job*.
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Oct 18, 2012 04:35
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Pretty sure all your browsing trends are sold off anyways. Or at least stored in some big data vault ready for the highest bidder to come along. Equating trends to oil seems to be a very apt description.
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Oct 18, 2012 04:56
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Whoa, thanks for the heads up on that. I knew they monitored poo poo, but hearing them brag about how they see everything (and it's not even like, "we can view everything the customer does", it's "we do view everything and are selling it") is a reaffirmation of the trade offs we make to be connected. Gonna be disabling that now.
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Oct 18, 2012 05:43
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Razr HD and HD MAXX are up for sale now. As expected, the full retail for the HD is $599 and HD MAXX is $649.
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Oct 18, 2012 06:00
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HTC showed off their new 5" phablet in Japan today (apparently Japan's version of Verizon). Oh yes. It's coming. And I can't wait.
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Oct 18, 2012 07:07
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Well Hello there..   This is a Maxx. Its pretty heavy. I am so happy with the Razr M's size, I don't think I will switch.
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Oct 18, 2012 16:28
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debating between the Maxx, HD, and M as well as the S3. Oh and I suppose I'll wait to see what google announces on the 29th. My upgrade is up on Nov 12. Why do they make this poo poo so hard?! How's the M's battery life? I love its form factor, but having a battery that just won't quit is very attractive to me.
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Oct 18, 2012 16:37
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Grumble grumble $650 off contract grumble. Sigh, that phone looks SO drat nice. Will I gain $650 in utility by switching to it? Hell no. But drat if I don't want it.
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Oct 18, 2012 16:45
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negativeneil posted:debating between the Maxx, HD, and M as well as the S3. Oh and I suppose I'll wait to see what google announces on the 29th. My upgrade is up on Nov 12. Why do they make this poo poo so hard?! Its really good. After a few years of Gen1 LTE devices, Anything beyond a day is fantastic. I can stretch it to 2 if I don't use the phone alot during the day.
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Oct 18, 2012 17:17
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bull3964 posted:Grumble grumble $650 off contract grumble. So what is the big selling point for you on this phone compared to the S3? I myself am torn between the two. I just want out of my Bionic for being so neglected.
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Oct 18, 2012 18:58
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wandler20 posted:So what is the big selling point for you on this phone compared to the S3? I myself am torn between the two. I just want out of my Bionic for being so neglected. I hate the feel of Samsung phones in the hand (2nd complaint about my Galaxy Nexus behind the radios) and I hate Touchwiz. There's nothing about the S3 physical design that I particularly like. I want a phone that could knock someone out if you threw it at them hard enough  .
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Oct 18, 2012 19:10
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Here's my take on the two. S3: Ships with Android 4.0.4 with Jelly Bean coming soon* 137mm x 71mm x 8.6mm, 133g 4.8" 720x1280 Super AMOLED screen (306ppi) 2100mAh battery Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 2GB RAM 32GB built-in storage and microSD slot Physical home button, capacitive back and switcher buttons 8Mp rear camera, 1.9Mp front camera Has Touchwiz and a variety of edge-case "enhancements" added by Samsung Made of plastic Camera is pretty good RAZR HD MAXX: Ships with Android 4.0.4 with Jelly Bean coming soon* 131.9mm x 67.9mm x 9.3mm, 157g 4.7" 720x1280 Super AMOLED screen (312ppi) 3300mAh battery Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 1GB RAM 32GB built-in storage and microSD slot Virtual buttons 8Mp rear camera, 1.3Mp front camera Has Motorola's Smart Actions which are apparently useful Made of metal and kevlar Camera is terrible *you will get Jelly Bean when Verizon feels like it. I think the RAZR is the clear winner unless the camera is a big deal to you.
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Oct 18, 2012 19:34
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I did own a Fascinate at one time and it felt very cheap, I'm assuming the S3 feels much like that. I gave up and have been rolling with the extended Bionic battery and the MAXX HD battery just looks amazing. Battery life is somewhat important to me so that should end the debate for me right there. How terrible is the camera? I can't imagine it being worse than my Bionic.
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Oct 18, 2012 19:40
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It can take decent pictures if there's a lot of light, but that's about it. If you really care about taking nice pictures then you shouldn't be using a phone anyway. Here's a sample taken from this Cnet review. 
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Oct 18, 2012 19:49
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I just got back from the Verizon store with my new RAZR HD MAXX in tow. At the moment it's head and shoulders better than my last phone, but I'm coming from an original Sprint Evo so my expectations were really low. It's certainly a lot lighter than my Evo with the extended battery in it.
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Oct 18, 2012 20:06
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What I want to know is where are the reviews? Presumably the NDA is over now, but I've only seen like one review of the Roger's version so far.
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Oct 18, 2012 20:09
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Doctor rear end in a top hat posted:It can take decent pictures if there's a lot of light, but that's about it. If you really care about taking nice pictures then you shouldn't be using a phone anyway. I agree and I have a nice DSLR but there are lots of time I like to take pics of my daughter when I don't have it with me. If I upgrade I think it will be the MAXX HD. Thanks for the help guys.
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Oct 18, 2012 20:15
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Cnets reviews up tl:dr phones great cameras lovely 4/5
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Oct 18, 2012 20:18
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blakout posted:Cnets reviews up tl:dr phones great cameras lovely 4/5 Does CNET ever rate anything not 4/5?
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Oct 18, 2012 20:44
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Doctor rear end in a top hat posted:Here's my take on the two. I'll chime in to say that I've been running the latest Android version on my Verizon GSIII via Cyanogenmod 10. I don't know about the relative strength of encryption on the Razor's bootloader, so it's possible although uncertain that that phone will also see Cyanogenmod support at some point. So for those interested in rooting and installing new kernels on their phones, the GSIII might be the better choice.
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Oct 18, 2012 20:55
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I'm under a Verizon family plan, with no data for my own line. I was considering buying an iPhone, used, from someone who got the newer version. If I were to buy this, and attempt to activate it via *288, etc., would Verizon screw me out of it for not having a data plan?
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Oct 18, 2012 21:06
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Jeff Goldblum posted:I'm under a Verizon family plan, with no data for my own line. I was considering buying an iPhone, used, from someone who got the newer version. If I were to buy this, and attempt to activate it via *288, etc., would Verizon screw me out of it for not having a data plan? You will have to get a data plan.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:07
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Don Lapre posted:You will have to get a data plan. As I've feared, now is it true that there's no phone left on God's green Earth that I can get without having to pay some kind of data plan now anyway? I'm still grandfathering on a LG EnV3 that I got over 4 years ago to avoid paying that poo poo. Also, one of the lines in my family plan does have the data plan, but I'm not sure if its that Shared Data plan. Any way I can fanangle my way into getting in on that data?
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Oct 18, 2012 21:11
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drat, I was hoping I could ebay my Bionic to recover some of the costs of a MAXX HD. Nope. Going for under $150.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:18
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Doctor rear end in a top hat posted:
I don't know if it's really that clear of a winner. It's more of an either/or comparison depending on what you want. Yes, that big beautiful battery has my full attention and you would probably never need to charge it more than 3 times a week, but it's also integrated. And I know 9 out of 10 people could care less about using spare batteries, but I still consider a removable battery to be a big advantage if you get into the habit of it. I have a couple spares for my GS3 and it pretty much feels like an endless flow of juice with the occasional 60 seconds of downtime to swap batteries. Three other intangible things to consider: 1. For those who like to tinker, The GS3 is rooted, bootloader unlocked, and immersed within the developer community (CM10 and AOKP JB compatible). Although they get root, Moto's bootloaders remain locked for Verizon and this turns off a lot of ROM developers.  . 2. 2GB or RAM: Not sure if it really matters as Android is good with memory management. But I often see in my own task manager that I'm at ~1.3 GB -- so I assume more apps are stored in memory for quicker access than a phone that has only 1GB RAM. 3. I think the MAXX (and this is purely my opinion) is too heavy at 5.5oz and it will be more noticeable in the "pocket feel" department. It's almost exactly the same size and weight as my Droid Bionic and that thing felt like a BRICK in my pocket. Because of the rounded rear edges and high radius corners, the GS3 is almost undetectable in the pocket. I would urge any potential buyer to perform a pocket comfort test before purchasing. I personally would opt for the regular RAZR HD for a slightly thinner and lighter phone.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:25
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Saw the LG Intuition in person today. That has to be one of the most ugliest and awkward phones offered today. And this is coming from a guy who wants a crossover tabletphone like the Tab/Note on big red.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:31
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So are you saying we should make cardboard cutouts of phones and keep them in our pocket for a week to test it out?
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Oct 18, 2012 21:32
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wandler20 posted:drat, I was hoping I could ebay my Bionic to recover some of the costs of a MAXX HD. Nope. Going for under $150. Err, that's a good chunk of change for something you're upgrading and will then have no use for. The value of that Bionic is only going to go down over time, so throwing it in a drawer rather than selling it isn't going to bring down the cost of the new phone. If money's tight, you might want to wait ~1 month until used phones start showing up, probably around the $500 level.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:39
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Cojawfee posted:So are you saying we should make cardboard cutouts of phones and keep them in our pocket for a week to test it out? Or go to a store and tuck the demo phone in your pants, provided the security cable is long enough and slack enough so as not to give you a pseudo-wedgie. Even better, kindly ask a sales representative to let you see the phone out-of-box to try in your pocket, then coyly slip away with it.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:39
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Just a reminder though, community support for the GS3 on Verizon can be fleeting if they decide to patch the exploit that allows the bootloader to be unlocked. If you want EITHER phone for guaranteed aftermarket tinkering, buy the developer versions. If you are in a situation where you want to keep unlimited, it's not really much of a burden either since the price is the same. Only catch right now is that Moto isn't offering the MAXX on the dev portal. My contract is up in September of next year and I honestly don't know if I'm going to be sticking with Verizon anymore after that due to the phone situation and increasingly hostile pricing. So, I'm trying to decide if I just stick it out with my Galaxy Nexus until then or if something like the Razr HD MAXX would serve me better in that time.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:39
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Cojawfee posted:So are you saying we should make cardboard cutouts of phones and keep them in our pocket for a week to test it out? Maybe ask a friend or a sales rep. You'll know pretty much instantly after taking a few steps if it's going to be a problem or not.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:39
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