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HomeTech.fm

Gavin Campbell, TJ Huddleston, & Seth Johnson

The HomeTech Podcast features news, opinions, insights, and advice on all things Smart Home | Co-Hosted by Home Automation Pros Gavin Campbell, TJ Huddleston, & Seth Johnson

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  • 28 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 14 min
  • English

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  • #592
    Friday · 49 min

    Episode 592 - The Theme is Updates

    On this week's show: Apple’s smart home plans keep leaking from every direction, with LG-branded locks, doorbells, thermostats, and cameras rumored alongside Apple selling Aqara’s new thermostat; Google Home gets better at hearing you over the chaos; Amazon quietly takes away Alexa aux voice control; UniFi Protect 7.3 squeezes more history out of your storage; Inovelli’s roadmap starts moving again; Home Assistant renames Cloud to Link because, well, “cloud” has baggage; a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat Apple’s Smart Home Push Could Include Doorbell, Thermostat and Cameras | iPhone in Canada Apple now sells Aqara’s new Adaptive Temperature thermostat and more accessories HomeTech Headlines Google Home speakers can now hear you better Alexa can’t control the aux input on Amazon Echo speakers anymore Introducing Protect 7.3 Inovelli 2026: Q3 Update! Z-Wave 800 Series Button Controller + Dimmer Switch | Project Walt Home Assistant renames Home Assistant Cloud to Link Big Tech ruined the cloud, so we’re renaming ours A Code of Conduct for AI in the Home Emporia Vue 3 Home Energy Monitor RoomSync for Home Assistant App - App Store

  • #591
    October 2 · 55 min

    Episode 591 - Schneider buys Shelly

    On this week's show: Schneider Electric wants Shelly, Apple’s smart home hub may finally be real, Amazon refreshes the Fire TV Stick 4K, Disney raises streaming prices because apparently doubling profits wasn’t enough, ULTRALOQ rolls out new Matter and Aliro-ready locks, Home Assistant’s latest beta overhauls maps, and the local-control crowd keeps cooking with June oven and Roborock cloud-escape projects. We also hit some custom-install gear from Crestron and NextLevel, a weird little Pro-Ject streaming amp, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! Shelly Group Has Entered Into an Investment Agreement With Schneider Electric on the intended Voluntary Public Takeover supported by the founders | Shelly Group Report: Anthropic Lost $42 Billion in 2025, Will Spend $518 Billion in Coming Years HomeTech Headlines Apple's smart home hub could arrive next month - Engadget Amazon unveils a thinner and faster Fire TV Stick 4K, plus a new remote - Engadget Disney+ and Hulu raise prices by up to 13 percent after doubling profits ULTRALOQ Launches New Smart Lock Collection Including ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission, Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro Wireless Box E – Pro-Ject Audio Systems NextLevel Acoustics Mantelbar Integrates Fireplace Audio Crestron Home OS 4.12 Adds Multiview for Multiple Video Sources Anker's new eufy S4 video doorbell sees everything with 360-degree AI tracking The June oven could live on From the selfhosted community on Reddit: Self-host your own Roborock cloud without rooting or hardware modification Technical Writeup - Roborock Local Server Home Assistant 2026.10 Beta: You are here 📍 Tesla, Home Assistant, ESPHome and Smarter Automation with Gavin Campbell – HGG690 Droplet: Smart Home Water Sensor

  • #590
    September 25 · 48 min

    Episode 590 - Hacking the Echo Dot

    On this week's show: your smart TV is probably spying on you, so we talk through what to turn off and why “just don’t connect it” keeps sounding smarter; Matter 1.6.1 finally locks in Groupcast to help grouped devices act like a group; a local Sofabaton integration gives Home Assistant users more remote-control fun; Crestron and Hubitat get a pro-friendly upgrade; D-Tools says the CI market is growing and also very much not growing, depending on who you ask; plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! LinkedIn CringeBot 3000 Free LinkedIn Post Generator (AI-Powered) | Postiv AI HomeTech Headlines There are ways to protect yourself from your spying TV Sofabaton X: local Home Assistant integration for the X1, X1S and X2 Crestron-Hubitat Integration Driver Gets a Major v2 Upgrade D-Tools 2026 Midyear Report Finds Widening Performance Gap in CI Channel Matter 1.6.1 finalizes Groupcast and adds chime sound controls Home Gadget Geeks - The Average Guy Network GitHub - loryanstrant/HA-CustomComponentMonitor: Reports on whether you are using your Home Assistant custom components

  • #589
    September 18 · 1 hr 27 min

    Episode 589 - A Person Living in Your Doorbell

    On this week's show: CEDIA says the crowds showed up, Apple unveiled a foldable iPhone, LG is pushing back on smart TV spying claims, Google wants outside AI agents in your home, Aqara and IKEA both have new Matter-friendly hardware, SimpliSafe would like a human guard at your doorbell, plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! HomeTech Headlines CEDIA Expo 2026 By the Numbers - Residential Systems Heard at CEDIA Expo 2026: The Future Is Experiences, Not Products - Residential Systems LG strongly denies TV spying claims, says tracking and snooping concerns 'not true' - online investigation claims 216,000,000 TVs spy and record audio Apple event 2026 recap: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and more reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1whl55w/the_biggest_disappointment_with_the_duo Aqara Announces the Availability of The Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400, Offering Advanced Spatial Intelligence for Smart Homes IKEA DUBBELKISEL Brings Matter Over Thread to Cabinet Lighting Apple wants $60 a month to unlock AI summaries on five cameras Google Home is unlocking the agentic smart home — which is great, right? This doorbell camera lets a human security guard watch your front door CAST-1 Audio Casting Deco Gear 49" Curved 5K Display | DQHD 120Hz Ultrawide Monitor Yoolax Motorized Blinds with Remote, Smart Blinds for Windows, Custom Size How long until local AI pays for itself? — Sunk Cost My Results: You’re underwater for 19.7 years. — Sunk Cost

  • #588
    September 11 · 1 hr 50 min

    Episode 588 - CEDIA and IFA 2026

    On this week's show: TiVo decides skipping commercials should cost something, LG TVs face some very ugly privacy claims, Home Assistant 2026.9 brings a big Modbus cleanup, UniFi tries a friendlier whole-home Wi-Fi pitch, and Sonos rolls out Beam Ultra, Ace Ultra, and a whole new Sonos 27 software story. We also hit new gear from both CEDIA and IFA, a full mailbag of feedback for Gavin, project updates, and so much more! HomeTech Headlines Apple announces September iPhone launch event TiVo Plans to End Free Automatic Commercial Skipping in November, Tests Paid Premium Replacement Service | Cord Cutters News LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices Homey expands beyond the app with the Portal touchscreen and rotary controller JBL takes on Sonos with new multi-room Cove speakers Shelly launches first smart camera at a budget price without any subscriptions Sonos Launches Beam Ultra and Ace Ultra Pre-Orders in Canada | iPhone in Canada How Sonos rebooted itself Sonos 27: Why Your System Keeps Getting Better Introducing UniFi Travel Router Long-Range Introducing Whole-Home WiFi by UniFi ProStudio by Josh.ai Raises the Bar for Custom Home Control, Integration, & Installation at CEDIA Expo 2026 AVA OS 3.0 Adds Over 100 New Features to Systems Audio Pad Series | Architectural Audio Integrated into Faceplates | Magna Audio CEDIA Announces Winners of 2026 Smart Home Awards Americas Govee expands its smart lighting lineup at IFA 2026 with dual-zone outdoor lights, a simulated skylight, and new COB strips Aqara expands its global smart lighting range with Thread and Zigbee support at IFA 2026 These new robot lawn mowers trim your edges Roborock expands beyond the living room with automated pool cleaners and LiDAR mowers at IFA 2026 iRobot unveils the Roomba Duo Feedback ICO – The Smart Pool Monitor Smart Pool Water Analyzer | Make Pool Care Effortless - iopool Droplet: Smart Home Water Sensor Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Door Controller ESPHome Tesla BLE “How Many Gavins” Calculator 2026.9: There's room on this bus E-Wand™ Single Unit – Current Luxury

  • #587
    August 28 · 1 hr 16 min

    Episode 587 - CEDIA 2026, Hacked Cameras, and the $80 Echo Dot

    On this week's show: CEDIA’s first-timer list hints at where custom integration is heading next, Sonos teases a new soundbar, Control4 gets new Google Home and Google TV integrations, Wyze builds privacy right into a $40 indoor cam, Amazon raises prices on Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle gear while also handing some Fire TV users Alexa Plus for free, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! Are These First-Time CEDIA Expo Exhibitors the Next Big Thing in Custom Integration? Sonos Teases New Soundbar Ahead of September Hardware Reveal | iPhone in Canada Chowmainsoft Introduces Google Home and Google TV Integrations for Control4 HomeTech Headlines Recessed Entry Sensor - Ubiquiti Store Mova’s latest robot vacuum solves the kitchen stool problem Wi-Fi 8 is the first wireless upgrade in years that isn’t chasing speed, and home networks need it The lens in Wyze’s new $40 indoor camera retracts for privacy Hackers Compromised 14,500+ Dahua Devices Using Credential Attacks, Auth Bypasses, and P2P FCC officially decides gigabit speeds are too good for you Amazon just hiked the prices for Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle products by up to 60 percent Fire TV users are getting an Alexa Plus update – for free Aqara expands H1 Matter lighting lineup with new downlights and spotlights From the homeautomation community on Reddit: I reverse engineered the Litter Robot 4 to control it 100% locally via Home Assistant. Custom firmware and install guide in description! From the homeautomation community on Reddit: I reverse-engineered local Ecobee control and put it on PyPI (no cloud, no dev key, no Home Assistant) From the homeassistant community on Reddit: Samsung Family Hub Reborn: Turning a Fridge Touchscreen into a Home Assistant Dashboard 🏠🥳 Video: I Finally Sorted Out My Box of Mystery USB Cables Treedix USB Cable Tester 2.4" Screen for eMarker PD3.0/3.1 Resistor Korg nanoKONTROL2 Slim-Line USB Control Surface, Black Photon | Bring your agents to iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and beyond Hot Dog Stand – The Game

  • #586
    August 21 · 1 hr 7 min

    Episode 586 - Distracted by Paperclips

    On this week's show: the Open Home Foundation puts Community Day 2026 on the calendar, Apollo makes ESPHome a little less breadboard-y, Petlibro reminds everyone why cloud-dependent pet gear is a terrible way to miss dinner, and Whisker proves AI still can’t always tell one cat from another. We also hit Brilliant’s new managed-service subscription, Comcast turning routers into motion sensors with a privacy asterisk, Aqara pushing Matter camera controls forward, Sonos news, plus CEDIA-bound gear from DreamWall and DoorBird, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! Community Day 2026: Save the date! – Open Home Foundation ESPHome Starter Kit is shipping! Universal Paperclips (Game) HomeTech Headlines Cats and dogs are missing meals after a popular smart feeder went down Whisker’s AI-powered litter robot thinks my cats swapped bodies Brilliant Launches Subscription Service for Managed Smart Home Automation DreamWall to Debut New Generation of Outdoor CooLED MicroLED Video Wall Solutions at CEDIA Expo 2026 DoorBird Launches the New D22x Series - Residential Systems Comcast adds motion sensing to millions of its newer routers, with a privacy catch | TechCrunch Sonos gets ready to launch new Ace Ultra headphones Sonos Adds Live Activities Support on iPhone Aqara enables PTZ camera control through Matter on the G350 SEED - SEED Early Access | A brand new world, ready to be populated Whats Up, Reynoldsburg?

  • #585
    August 14 · 1 hr 6 min

    Episode 585 - Bad Gavin, Smart Donut

    On this week's show: CEDIA Expo 2026 is almost here with hundreds of product debuts on deck, GE talks up US-made chips in connected laundry, Home Assistant finds a new way to boss around Apple devices, Google Home on iOS may be turning lights on just for fun, Alexa+ lands in Australia, Sonos learns some Lutron tricks, OpenAI’s hockey-puck AI speaker rumor rolls on, ESPHome gets a much friendlier desktop app, plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more. Oberlin, Ohio HomeTech Headlines Hundreds of New Products Anticipated to Debut at CEDIA Expo 2026 GE Appliances doubles down on US-made chips. iOS 27 Flips the Script: Home Assistant Can Now Control Your Apple Devices Dolby Vision 2 is officially available on select Hisense TVs - Engadget A Google Home bug is randomly turning on smart lights Amazon's Alexa+ Assistant Launches in Early Access in Australia “Hey Sonos, open the shades.” OpenAI speaker to be hockey puck-sized and cost over US$300: report Simplify your ESPHome setup with the new desktop app WiiM Bar | Display-First Dolby Atmos Soundbar Badgers : animated music video : MrWeebl

  • #584
    August 7 · 1 hr 30 min

    Episode 584 - First, They Came for the Robot Vacuums

    On this week's show: the FCC’s robot ban turns out to include future robot vacuums and mowers, which may make the next robovac harder to buy without making it much safer; Roku decides budget streamers are a premium experience now; Apple’s smart home hub and Siri refresh are reportedly getting closer; Sonos is teasing some kind of AI move for September; UniFi adds a Thread border router and beefs up Protect; plus new gear from Zooz, Aqara, Xiaomi, Homey, SmartThings, and Home Assistant, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! HomeTech Headlines The US is banning foreign robots The US government just banned Roombas Robot vacuums are included in US robot ban The ban on robot vacuums won’t make them safer. But it may make your next one worse The US Just Banned New Chinese Robot Vacuums and Mowers: Canada Could Be Next | iPhone in Canada Roku raises streaming stick prices by up to 60 percent Zooz 800 Series Z-Wave Long Range Motion Dimmer ZEN12 800LR Xiaomi’s smart washing machines are finally going global Sonos Is Reportedly Planning Something Big for AI in September Apple’s long-awaited smart home Siri AI refresh is achingly close to reality Apple Could Start New Smart Home Push as Early as October Ubiquiti’s new SuperLink Gateway HA brings professional Thread hardware to UniFi UniFi Gets Its Own Thread Border Router Introducing UniFi Protect 7.2 Homey is a rare smart home platform that is Matter 1.5 certified SmartThings quietly brings Matter 1.6 to beta hub firmware Finally: Aqara launches dual-protocol Matter and Thread smart plugs in the UK and EU Home Assistant 2026.8 beta adds Matter doorbell events and simpler setup FireAvert joins Works with Home Assistant Building the device database together: Public preview now live – Open Home Foundation GitHub - GuiPoM/ha-sentinel: HA Sentinel — proactive health monitoring for Home Assistant integrations and apps ESPHome Starter Kit Maslow4 Large Format CNC

  • #583
    July 25 · 1 hr 21 min

    Episode 583 - OpenAI Wants In, Nice Wants Out

    On this week's show: OpenAI may be building a screen-free AI home companion, Nice is skipping CEDIA 2026 and insisting everything is fine, the 2026 TV Shootout crowns both Samsung and Sony, Philips Hue might stick a camera on your TV, and a TP-Link Kasa camera vulnerability report is a rough reminder to patch your gear. We also chat about a touchscreen Zigbee switch from Zemismart, an open-source robot vacuum project, Matter Server 9.1.0, the Only Fan Controller update, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! HomeTech Headlines OpenAI Reportedly Developing Screen-Free AI Companion for Smart Home Nice Announces It Has Pulled Out of CEDIA Expo 2026 The 2026 Kings of TV Are Crowned at Value Electronics TV Shootout - Residential Systems Zemismart Launches Zigbee Touchscreen Light Switch With Power Monitoring Philips Hue’s latest camera might be for your TV. IoT-Vulnerability-Research-Public/TP-Link_Kasa_EC71/Kasa_EC71.md at main · BadChemical/IoT-Vulnerability-Research-Public Matter Server 9.1.0 Released xcancel.com/ThirdRealityInc Only Fan Controller v1.2.1 Jimothy

  • #582
    July 17 · 1 hr 24 min

    Episode 582 - Which Switch is Which?

    On this week's show: Apple wants smarter Home cameras, but only if you spring for the 2TB iCloud plan, IKEA quietly makes Matter less annoying, and Matter cameras from Tapo, Aqara, EZVIZ, and friends are finally becoming a real category. We also get into Josh.ai adding DMX and DALI for the fancy-lighting crowd, Sonos trimming some of the people you’d think it should keep, a coax-powered floodlight for those Wi-Fi dead zones, Ecowitt’s Kickstarter water tester, new Home Assistant-friendly gear from IoTorero and Third Reality, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! The story behind Erling Haaland and his taxidermy raccoon: ‘Lock the doors, let’s make this special’ HomeTech Headlines THIRDREALITY Smart Wall Outlet, Dual Independent Control for 2 Sockets, Individual Power Monitoring, Zigbee Repeater, Compatible with Home Assistant & SmartThings, ETL Certified WQT01: Smart Water Quality Tester Channel Master’s Pro Floodlight uses coax to bring smart lighting to your garden’s dead zones Apple Intelligence in Apple Home will require the $10-a-month iCloud Plus plan. Sonos Sacks Top Designers Behind its Premium Speakers | iPhone in Canada Josh.ai Now Offers Native DMX & DALI Support - Residential Systems IKEA updates DIRIGERA hub with Matter 1.4.2 support and improved network stability Tapo, Aqara, Ulticam, and EZVIZ: All the Matter-certified cameras IoTorero joins Works with Home Assistant Hermes Agent — The Agent That Grows With You IrriSense 2 | 4-in-1 Smart Sprinkler & Irrigation System | Aiper Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K – Best 3D Printer for Beginners & Pros PrismML — Announcing Bonsai 27B: The First 27B-Class Model to Run on a Phone

  • #581
    July 10 · length unknown

    Episode 581 - YOLO Updates

    On this week's show: Apple makes Apple Home hubs a lot pricier, Samsung puts a $5 toll booth in front of the SmartThings API, and Matter itself keeps inching toward “maybe this really will work.” We also hit a THIRDREALITY timer clock, an interesting universal remote hub, Level’s rough week, Netflix’s new profile email rule, project updates, a pick of the week, and so much more! Building an Apple Home just got pricier: New hardware hikes affect key Matter hubs Home Tech Headlines New - THIRDREALITY Smart Timer Light TL2,Digital Clock,60GHz mmWave Radar,RGB Light,Light Sensor,Simple Setup,Countdown Timer,Matter Enabled,2.4GHz WiFi only,Compatible with Alexa, Apple Home,Google Home DREO Brings Matter Connectivity to TurboPoly™ Fan 765S, Furthering its Open Ecosystem Commitment OpenInfrared Point: Universal Remote Hub Introducing UniFi Network 10.5 Hackers target UniFi as critical exploits surface Crestron Launches Configure Pro Platform for Crestron Home OS Josh.ai Showcases AI-Powered Home Control with New Experiential Video Hunter Douglas Alta Window Fashions Motorized Shades Now Compatible with PowerView Automation Samsung will soon start charging to access its smart home API A New Enhanced SmartThings API Experience - SmartThings Blog Netflix now requires every user profile to be tied to unique email address Smart lock maker Level has been gutted and its founders are out Matter Just Underwent a Major Stress Test for Supporting Large-Scale Deployments Home Assistant upgrades to Matter 1.5.1 with a better codebase The Matter upgrade you’ve been waiting for Inside the room where the smart home industry is still betting on Matter Droplet the #1 Smart Home Water Sensor - Hydrific, part of LIXIL

  • #580
    June 26 · 1 hr 16 min

    Episode 580 - Gemini in the House

    On this week's show: Hue brings wired wall modules to Europe and keeps pushing Matter, Schlage’s UWB smart lock finally gets a date and a price, Amazon rolls Alexa+ into Brazil, Google launches a new Gemini-powered speaker while retiring a couple of old Nest favorites, Sonos keeps trying to fix the app it broke, Matter 1.6 tries to make Matter less Matter-y, and a report says your smart TV apps may be doing more networking than streaming. Plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more! Energy minister plans 'nuclear renaissance' with up to 10 reactors built by 2040 HomeTech Headlines Valve prices the Steam Machine at $1,049 Europe - Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem Schlage’s UWB-enabled smart lock launches this month Alexa+ Launches in Early Access in Brazil Google Has Discontinued its Nest Audio and Nest Mini Speakers Google's Gemini-Powered Home Speaker Launches on June 25 for $99.99 Google’s first smart speaker in six years arrives next week Google Home Speaker Canada: Price, Release Date, and AI Features Sonos Updating App With New Volume Controls and Navigation | iPhone in Canada Signify Enhances Philips Hue Matter Support Through Collaboration with Silicon Labs Instead of new devices, Matter 1.6 focuses on making Matter less of a headache Matter 1.6 Brings NFC Setup, Joint Fabric, and Smarter Thermostats Nearly Half of LG Smart TV Apps Contain Residential Proxy SDKs How Roomba started a robot revolution GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro, 60lbs Daily, 6-Minute First Ice, 40dB Ultra-Quiet with AI NoiseGuard, App & Voice Control, Self-Clean, 3.5lbs Basket & Dual Water Tanks, for Home Kitchen, Party

  • #579
    June 20 · 1 hr 3 min

    Episode 579 - Roku is FOX'd

    On this week's show: Alexa+ finally opens up across Canada in English and French, Prime Day deals are already leaking out of Amazon’s cart, Fox wants to buy Roku in a massive streaming-and-ads play, and ADI layoffs have Control4 watchers a little nervous. We’ve also got project updates featuring cameras, deck drama, Starlink, a new show notes server, a pick of the week, and so much more! Hetzner Price Adjustment 15 June 2026 - Hetzner Docs HomeTech Headlines Amazon Just Opened Alexa+ to All Canadians. Here’s What’s Changed Alexa+ is available across Canada in English and French The best early Amazon Prime Day deals include Apple, Bose, and more Fox Corporation announces $22B acquisition of Roku in landmark streaming and live TV deal With Resideo Spin-Off of ADI Imminent, Sources Say ADI is Cutting Staff Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18V Lithium Ion Cordless 4-inch Rear Handle Circular Saw Camera G6 180 - Ubiquiti Store Access Point E7 - Ubiquiti Store Starlink Roam Zooz ZEN14 Double Outdoor Plug – ZOOZ

  • #578
    June 12 · 1 hr 21 min

    Episode 578 - Furry Friend Detection

    On this week's show: Apple Home gets Thread 1.4, 4K video, and energy tracking, Amazon gives the Echo Hub a makeover with smarter Ring features, and Google teaches Nest cams to recognize your pets. We also check out Eufy’s biometric locks, UniFi’s campus-level security gear, WiiM’s first soundbar, a Donut Lab battery scandal that’s gone flat, and Music Assistant’s sonic smarts. All that, project updates, and so much more! HomeTech Headlines Apple Home goes pro: Thread 1.4, 4K video, and native energy management in iOS 27 | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.com Cameras get an Apple Intelligence boost in Apple Home | The Verge - theverge.com Apple’s Home app will soon show you how much energy your smart plug is drawing. | The Verge - theverge.com Shark is bringing some style to robot vacuums. | The Verge - The Verge Amazon’s Echo Hub gets a customizable new look and Ring’s AI features | The Verge - theverge.com Nest cams can now recognize your furry friends. | The Verge - theverge.com Eufy launches new smart locks with facial recognition and palm scanning. | The Verge - theverge.com UniFi Protect is Now Campus Security Ready - blog.ui.com WiiM expands its whole-home ecosystem with a new soundbar | The Verge - theverge.com Music Assistant 2.9: Discover Your Sound - Music Assistant - music-assistant.io FeatherSnap Smart Bird Feeder Camera | Wi-Fi, Solar, & Bird ID

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