Wednesday 25 March 2015

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This F8 is all about the future of sharing.

This F8 is all about the future of sharing.
Facebook has gone from being one blue app on your phone a few years ago to now being a family of apps, along with Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and Groups.
We’re building this family to give you unique experiences to share everything that matters to you with all of the different groups of people you care about.
One example is Messenger Platform, which we just announced – now you’ll be able to use creative new apps to have richer conversations.
I’m excited to talk about the future today at F8. We're also talking about how we’re continuing to focus on keeping people safe and giving everyone more control over their apps. We want to put people first in everything we build.

You can learn more about F8 at fbf8.com.
There’s a clear technology trend enabling people to share richer and richer content.
Five years ago, most content on Facebook was text. Now it’s photos. Fast forward five years and it will be video. After that, it will be immersive content like virtual reality.
We’re building for this future. Today at F8 we showed how News Feed will support "spherical video" – video where you can change your viewing angle and feel like you’re really there.
Tomorrow, we have another keynote where Facebook's CTO Mike Schroepfer will talk about some of our long term bets for the future of connecting the world.
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Thursday 19 March 2015

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The three golden rules of router placement

The three golden rules of router placement

Wi-Fi signals emanate in a circle, outwards from the router (omni-directionally) — therefore, for maximum Wi-Fi coverage inside the house, you need to place the router as close to the centre of the house as possible. Wi-Fi signals tend to travel down rather than up, so you can maximize coverage inside the house by placing it on a higher location like on top of a cupboard or on a ledge.

Two things eat up wireless signals consistently: Thick walls & interference from other devices like cordless phones, microwave ovens and wireless headphones. Try and avoid thick walls between the router and your most common point of use and place the router at least 6 feet away from other equipment that could cause interference.
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How to increase Wi-Fi signal range

Increase Wi-Fi signal range

Wi-Fi is not an exact science you may never be able to pinpoint why some places in your house just don't receive a signal. Furthermore, a lot depends on the antenna on a receiving device. For instance, a laptop may be able to receive a wireless signal a lot further than a smartphone.

Some routers have a higher range than others (Wi-Fi Nac and those with two or more antennas). It is also possible to swap out the antennas of your router with ones that have a higher gain.

Simply replacing the stock antenna with high gain ones can increase range. If you're comfortable with poking around the settings, you can also check if they allow you to increase the routers transmit power (sometimes called TX Power in settings).

A value of 60 or 70 will be the default but you can increase it to 100 and watch for any improvements in range. The downside of this is that the router may run hotter than normal so you will need to keep it cool.
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Wednesday 18 March 2015

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Growth and Rise of WhatsApp to a 19 Billion Dollar Giant Company


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Microsoft says Windows 10 could ship this summer, and new features keep coming


Microsoft nudged its Windows 10 release date a little earlier on Tuesday night, telling attendees of its reborn Windows Hardware Engineering Conference to expect Windows 10 “this summer.”
At the conference in Shenzhen, China, Microsoft said that it would roll out Windows 10 in 190 countries and 111 languages—a fairly comprehensive worldwide launch. A number of Chinese partners will participate, including Lenovo, which will manufacture Windows phones—though just for China and China Mobile, it appears.
Intriguingly, Microsoft also said that it would allow a “a select group of Xiaomi Mi 4 power users will be invited to help test Windows 10 and contribute to its future release later this year.” The Mi 4 is an Android phone—could this be the next third-party Android phone to be ported over to Windows, following the HTC One M8?
Still, it’s a slightly better idea of when users can expect to see Windows 10. At a financial conference in December, Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner had said “late summer and early fall” was the “plan of record” for when Windows 10 would ship.
Why this matters: Free upgrades. New browsers. Microsoft isn’t messing around this time. It’s steadily dripping out news to prime the pump for the Windows 10 launch. The company needs a flood of upgrades to ensure the operating system’s success—and all the company’s plans for universal apps, mobile devices and more.

The new features just keep coming

Terry Myerson, the executive vice president in charge of operating systems for Microsoft, recapped some prior Microsoft announcements for WinHEC attendees, including plans to deliver a free version of Windows 10 for Internet of Things devices, such as the new Qualcomm DragonBoard 410C. Myerson also introduced Windows Hello, the new way of logging into Windows 10 with your eye’s iris, your fingerprint, or your face.
Chinese hardware makers and service providers will provide their customers with special assistance in upgrading to Windows 10. Lenovo, for example, said it would help customers upgrade at its 2,500 service centers and retail stores.  And Tencent, the social networking company responsible for such hits as League of Legends, said it would create a special upgrade pack for Windows 10 users.
Tencent also said it would bring its hit games, such as League of Legends, to the Windows store, giving Microsoft’s apps marketplace a bit of cachet to offset the numerous casual games that currently populate it.
It’s unclear whether Windows users will need the extra upgrade assistance, or whether Lenovo will provide the same upgrade assistance to American customers as well.
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How to Install Android 5.0 Lollipop CM 12 ROM on Android One- Micromax A1, Karbonn Sparkle V and Spice Dream Uno

A Few month back android announced a new operation system android One which main motto is to provide a better android experience for the people of countries like India. Android One first launch in India and there is only 3 company which provides Android One phone, they are Micromax, Spice, Karbonn. The devices that are running on Android One operating Systems are Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V and Spice Dream Uno. All the Android One device is running on Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and has the ability to receive updates for Android 5.0 Lollipop.
These Android One phone will get official Update for Lollipop in coming future, but if you love custom ROM’s and don’t want to wait for the official update to experience the Lollipop then you are at right place. Here I will show you how you can install Android 5.0 Lollipop Cyanogenmod 12 ROM on your android one phone.
Install Android 5.0 Lollipop on Android One 
 

What is Cyanogenmod 12 ROM?

Cynogenmod is an open source android developer which creates and distributes Open Source firmware for Android based smartphone and tablets.
In simple word Cyanogenmod ROM’s include all the features that are available on Android’s original ROM with some additional feature. Some important features that can be available on Cyanogenmod are native theming support, FLAC audio codec support, a large Access Point Name list, an OpenVPN client, an enhanced reboot menu, CPU Overclocking and many more.
Cyanogenmod 12 is the new ROM from Cyanogen which is based on very latest Android 5.0 lollipop OS. With this ROM you can taste the sweetness of Android 5.0 Lollipop. :)
Now I think you are very much clear about the Cyanogenmod 12 ROM. Now let’s jump to the tutorial to install Android 5.0 Lollipop on Android One phone (Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V and Spice Dream Uno) with the help of Cyanogenmod 12 ROM.

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Monday 16 March 2015

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Google rolls out Android 5.1: Five new features

Silent Mode returns
Silent Mode returns

For all its wonderful additions and design upgrades, Google actually made Android more annoying in one specific case — it took away Silent Mode. This meant you could no longer just get LED notifications without your phone buzzing or making some audible sound.





Smarter notifications

Android 5.0 let you silence most, if not all, your notifications set for certain down times. Now, Google smartly implemented an "Until Next Alarm" option, so now you'll be able to keep people from disturbing you once you sent an alarm and you wake up or do whatever.'
 
No more crappy Wi-Fi
No more crappy Wi-Fi

At public places like airports, restaurants, shopping malls etc, there's usually a public Wi-Fi signal that makes connecting to the internet a nightmare. Everytime you think you have a signal, you end up finding out that the free Wi-Fi network doesn't work.

Android 5.1 fixes the problem. Now, when you connect to one of these poor networks, your smartphone will remember this connection and won't auto-connect to it in the future. It's a little feature, but a great one.
Safe browsing

In addition to making sure you never get an unwanted Wi-Fi network, Google may also be working on a VPN service so you can browse networks more securely. This is still in rumour-y territory, but Pocketables has discovered a new app tucked away in the All Apps folder called "Google Connection Services."

After popping it open, the app greeted them with "To help protect you on open Wi-Fi networks, your data will be transmitted securely through a Google VPN."

Considering this was discovered on a Nexus 6, supposedly the only device (at first) that will be compatible with Google's upcoming wireless service, it's possible that Google is waiting for service that to roll out first. Either way, super neat feature!
Protection against thefts
Protection against thefts

Google is also upping its anti-theft game, at least for Nexus 6 and 9. According to Android Police, a new anti-theft feature would make it difficult for thieves to replace your account as a primary account; add any accounts of their own; and access the phone if they wipe the phone and try to login with their own credentials.

However, right now the rollout seems pretty restricted. Hopefully, Google will grace more smartphones with this feature in the future. Or at the very least, legacy Nexus devices.
 
 
 
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WhatsApp voice-calling feature is now available to all Android users

WhatsApp voice-calling feature is now available to all Android users
[Update]: The invite feature has been disabled for the time being. So all those who have WhatsApp calling activated, can make WhatsApp calls to their family and friends, but will not be able to activate the calling feature on those phones.
After multiple flip-flops, WhatsApp has finally released the voice-calling feature for all Android users. You will need to download version 2.11.528 from the Play Store or version 2.11.531 from the WhatsApp website.
According to AndroidPolice, the voice-calling can be activated is by receiving a call from someone whose voice-calling is already activated. After you get the call, you need to close and then reopen the app. After that, instead of seeing the most recent chats, you will get three tabs namely Calls, Chats and Contacts. The call tab shows incoming, outgoing and missed calls at the precise times.
This time around WhatsApp has decided to keep the invite-window open for longer duration. Unlike some weeks back when WhatsApp had kept the invite-window open only for a couple of hours.
WhatsApp has been beta-testing the voice-calling feature for quite a while now. We had earlier seen, how WhatsApp was testing this calling feature in India. A Reddit userpradnesh07, even got the feature activated on his phone. According to the images posted, users who receive the voice-calling feature will notice an icon for it, beside the Chats and Contacts tabs. The call interface seems to quite similar to a smartphone’s contact directory. The app keeps a record of recent WhatsApp calls as well.
Last week we read about a malware which was promising access to the WhatsApp voice-calling feature. According to the Daily Star, if users clicked on a link, they were taken to another website where they were asked to take a survey on behalf of the popular messaging service. However, the survey forces people to download applications and software that might contain dangerous malware.
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Saturday 14 March 2015

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Android phones can be used as Spy Camera

Spy camera

Spy camera
You don't need to set up CCTV cameras if you have a spare Android phone: just install Spy Kit app (by Tattu Mobile) on your device. This free app works like a motion detector spy camera and is easy to set up and use.

Not only is it completely silent, it lets the phone capture photos and videos even when the screen is turned off.

In the settings, you can select triggers and their actions. For instance, you can set it to capture a photo when you press volume up ? or start recording video when you press volume down. If motion detection is enabled, it will do this automatically.

Lastly, if the phone has a sim card, you can set up a remote SMS trigger. For instance, send the text 'click' or 'record' to the phone from another phone and it will capture a photo or start continuous video recording.
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Tuesday 10 March 2015

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Moto E (Gen 2) with 3G launched in India at Rs 6,999

NEW DELHI: Motorola today launched the 3G and 4G variants of the second-generation Moto E smartphone in India.

The Lenovo-owned manufacturer priced the 3G model, which will be up for sale from March 11, at Rs 6,999. The company, however, did not reveal the price of the 4G version, but said that it will bring the smartphone to the market in the next couple of months.

The 3G version of second-generation Moto E is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor, while the 4G-capable variant has a 64-bit quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 chip. Other than this bit and network connectivity support, both of the phones sport almost the same hardware.
 
Click on picture

 



http://dl.flipkart.com/moto-e-2nd-gen-3g/p/itme4g7fajgsggaw?pid=MOBE4G6GH9EPGHKG&otracker=from-search&srno=t_3&query=moto+e+3g&ref=1e43f800-2754-4c25-b637-4855e9c735b8
The phone sports a 4.5-inch, 540x960p display and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, same as the one on the first-generation model; and run Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.

A big change is the arrival of the 0.3MP (VGA) front camera; the original Moto E did not have a selfie shooter. Motorola has added autofocus capability to the rear camera.

The battery capacity has also increased to 2,390mAh, up from the 2,080mAh powerhouse of the first-generation model.

The rear camera resolution and RAM remain constant at 5MP and 1GB, respectively; Motorola has still not added the flash on the back in the new Moto E. The 8GB of built-in storage can be can be expanded via microSD card up to 32GB.

The company also announced that the first-generation Moto E will still be available for sale in India via Flipkart.
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Google begins rolling out Android 5.1 update

The first major update to Android 5.0 Lollipop is here. Google just announced that version 5.1 is rolling out now to supported devices including Motorola's Nexus 6 and HTC's Nexus 9. The software update "improves stability and performance and offers a few new features like support for multiple SIM cards, Device Protection and high definition (HD) voice on compatible phones," Google said in a blog post. Lollipop was a major visual overhaul for Android, but didn't come without its own set of bugs and random glitches. Hopefully the 5.1 build also resolves some of the occasional sluggish performance Nexus 6 users have dealt with; that's been partially blamed on Google's decision to encrypt the device's storage out of the box, a move meant to deter thieves.
Support for multiple SIM cards is obviously important in Android One markets, and Google also confirms that this update will enable HD Voice for the Nexus 6 on T-Mobile and Verizon. (No, Verizon still hasn't gotten around to officially releasing the phone).


Google is also debuting its answer to Apple's Activation Lock. This is basically the same exact anti-theft idea applied to Android. It's intended to make your stolen phone basically useless to whoever took it. "With Device Protection, your lost or stolen device will remain locked until you sign in with your Google account - even if someone resets your device to factory settings." Aside from the Nexus 6 and 9, Google says that Device Protection will be an available feature on "most" Android phones and tablets that ship with Android 5.1 from now onward.
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Why an iPhone will never replace my DSLR

We recently pitted the iPhone 6 camera against the DSLR Canon 5D Mark II and the point-and-shoot Canon PowerShot SD1400-IS. The iPhone held its own in many areas, and it's unbeatable when it comes to portability.

And as the adage goes, "The best camera is the one you have with you."
But for those of us who make a living taking photos or count photography as a serious hobby, the camera phone will never replace a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex).
Here are my reasons why:
A variety of the lenses available for Canon Digital SLRs.
The biggest difference between a smartphone camera and a dedicated camera is the ability to use different lenses.The importance of good glass cannot be understated. High-quality lenses produce unparalleled sharpness and image quality. These photos look crisp, detailed, styled, and hyper-real. They look like photographs instead of snapshots.
In addition, a professional or "prosumer" camera allows you to use whatever lens is appropriate for the situation. If you are shooting sports, you can put on a zoom lens to get close to the action. If you are taking a portrait of someone, you can use a short telephoto lens. If you want to capture a crazy party, put on a wide-angle lens to get the entire scene. You get the idea.
The striking photo below, for instance, was taken from more than 50 feet away with a Nikon D90 and a 300-mm telephoto lens. An iPhone attempting the same photo would never have been able to zoom that closely without pixelating the entire image.

Manual settings

The iPhone, like almost all smartphones, is hopelessly lost in this category. The iPhone's default Camera app, which most people use, offers no way to manually adjust settings.
Here's why that's a big problem.
All cameras, including the iPhone and my Canon DSLR, are pretty dumb when it comes to determining proper exposure in all but ideal situations. Imagine a black-and-white photo. All cameras' automatic sensors want to turn everything in your photo into a dull, even gray. Shooting snow? Gray. Shooting jet-black asphalt? Gray. All photographers know this, and it's why every good photographer uses manual settings to compensate.
Now the iPhone does have manual settings, so long as you download an app like Manual or Snapseed. These are helpful and bring the smartphone closer to what I'm looking for in a camera, but ultimately they are mere approximations to what a true camera does. The shutter speeds and ISOs that smartphone cameras can handle - two out of three factors when determining proper exposure - are so limited that most of the time you are better off just letting the auto settings on the camera do its thing.

Sensor size

One of the biggest determinants in digital image quality is size of the image sensor in your camera. When it comes to that, smartphones simply can't measure up.
Digital camera sensors are full of millions of light-sensitive spots that record information about what is seen through the lens. The bigger the sensor, the more area for the camera to capture and record light. (In the old film days, the equivalent was the size of your film: A large-format camera that took 8-by-10 film always took far more detailed photos than those taken by a 35-mm camera.)

The verdict

All of this isn't to say that an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S, or other smartphones aren't fine cameras. They are. Ultimately, the quality of photos comes down to skill level of the person taking them.
Hand an amateur an 8-by-10 large-format camera and they won't know what to do with it. Alternately, give a skilled photographer an iPhone and they can produce awesome, awe-inspiring work. (If you want to see some amazing iPhone work, check out the book Hashtag Sandy.)
But give me a choice, and I would always pick my DSLR.



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Wednesday 4 March 2015

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Nokia’s N1 Tablet Looks Good For ‘Designed In Finland, Built On Android’ Strategy

Nokia is showing off the Android tablet that’s part of its post-mobile phones strategy here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It’s only available in China right now but the company tells TechCrunch it’s “looking at European markets” to consider whether to bring the N1 here too.
Announced last November, the slender, almost 8-inch N1 is a brand licensing collaboration between Nokia and Chinese electronics manufacturing firm Foxconn. It’s not clear how the revenue share breaks down — and Nokia wouldn’t specify when we asked — but it’s definitely doing less of the heavy lifting, with Foxconn making the hardware and also handling distribution, sales and marketing. Nokia contributes design work, its brand name and Z Launcher Android launcher, also revealed last year.
Nokia’s Tuukka Järvenpää, lead product manager of brand licensing, said the Nokia N9 design team worked with Foxconn on the tablet’s design. The N9 was a refreshingly different, round-edged smartphone released to admiring looks back in 2011. The same design was subsequently pushed onto Nokia’s early Windows Phone devices. Nokia is now recycling some of that design language for a second time with the N1.
 
Nokia is showing off the Android tablet that’s part of its post-mobile phones strategy here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It’s only available in China right now but the company tells TechCrunch it’s “looking at European markets” to consider whether to bring the N1 here too.
Announced last November, the slender, almost 8-inch N1 is a brand licensing collaboration between Nokia and Chinese electronics manufacturing firm Foxconn. It’s not clear how the revenue share breaks down — and Nokia wouldn’t specify when we asked — but it’s definitely doing less of the heavy lifting, with Foxconn making the hardware and also handling distribution, sales and marketing. Nokia contributes design work, its brand name and Z Launcher Android launcher, also revealed last year.
Nokia’s Tuukka Järvenpää, lead product manager of brand licensing, said the Nokia N9 design team worked with Foxconn on the tablet’s design. The N9 was a refreshingly different, round-edged smartphone released to admiring looks back in 2011. The same design was subsequently pushed onto Nokia’s early Windows Phone devices. Nokia is now recycling some of that design language for a second time with the N1.

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Nokia 1100 may come back with Android Lollipop


The grandfather of all phones, Nokia 1100 is back in the news after a long time. A Geekbench result reveals a device named Nokia 1100. The benchmark listed a Quadcore chipset with Android Lollipop 5.0 as the operating system under the test results.
The prospect of Nokia producing an Android phone with the legendary name Nokia 1100 is quite low but if at all the rumours materialise, it will excite a lot of Nokia fanboys who miss the legendary handset.
The spec-sheet of the leaked benchmark test report shows a multi-core score of 664 and a single-core score of 347. It is allegedly powered by a quad-core MT6582 clocked at 1.3GHz. The screen size has not been mentioned but it carries a resolution of 720x1280.
The Nokia handset was wildly popular due to its sturdiness, it has been used as a benchmark of strength. A lot of YouTubers have demonstrated the strength of the handset while comparing it to current generation devices. If Nokia plans to re-enter the smartphone market, there is no better way than using the name 'Nokia 1100' to ensure a flashy come-back.
This can be a hoax as there have been reports of model numbers being deliberately changed. The astounding success of Nokia N1 tablet has definitely paved way for the company's come-back and with a brand name so strong even a mid-tier phone by Nokia can create ripples in the smartphone industry. 

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Monday 2 March 2015

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Samsung unveils sleek new Galaxy phones to battle Apple

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its latest Galaxy S smartphones, featuring a slim body made from aircraft-grade metal, in a bid to reclaim the throne of undisputed global smartphone leader from Apple Inc

 

SEOUL/BARCELONA: South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its latest Galaxy S smartphones, featuring a slim body made from aircraft-grade metal, in a bid to reclaim the throne of undisputed global smartphone leader from Apple Inc.
Designed from scratch in an operation dubbed "Project Zero", the Galaxy S6 and its curved-edges variant are critical for Samsung's plans to reverse plunging smartphone revenues that led to its first annual earnings fall in three years in 2014.
A warm initial reception sent Samsung shares rising as much as 3.9 percent on Monday to their highest in nearly nine months. Some technology publications described the phones as Samsung's best-looking to date after its previous flagship device, the Galaxy S5, failed to impress.
By 0223 GMT, the shares were up 3.4 percent, outperforming a 0.2 percent rise for the broader market.
"We listen to our customers and we learn from our missteps," J.K. Shin, Samsung's mobile chief, told a packed hall in Barcelona ahead of the annual Mobile World Congress trade show, where the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge were unveiled on Sunday.
By some estimates, arch-rival Apple surpassed Samsung as the world's top smartphone maker in the fourth quarter, with record sales of the big-screen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Samsung begins its fight-back on April 10 when the revamped Galaxy phones go on sale in 20 countries in one of the most important product launches in the company's history.
Stand-out features include a casing made from light-weight metal used in airplanes, a step up from the plastic that disappointed many critics of the S5, and Corning Inc's Gorilla Glass on both front and back.
In addition to camera and screen upgrades, Samsung stripped out many of its unpopular in-house apps that infuriated users by gobbling up memory. The new phones will be powered by Samsung's own 64-bit, 14-nanometer Exynos processors, a departure from its previous reliance on Qualcomm Inc's chips.
In another departure, batteries in the new phones cannot be replaced. To compensate, the devices are the first from Samsung to support wireless charging without a dedicated accessory and can also get four hours of power with a 10-minute charge by cord.
Samsung is also touting the Galaxy S6's compatibility with a new mobile payments system it is preparing to launch in the United States and South Korea in the second half of this year.
The system, in partnership with major U.S. banks and credit card companies including Visa and MasterCard, will allow users to make mobile payments through magnetic strip-card readers without an external accessory needed for other models.


 

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