Todd Bishop, GeekWire
Todd Bishop is GeekWire's co-founder and editor, a longtime technology journalist who covers subjects including cloud tech, e-commerce, virtual reality, devices, apps and tech giants such as Amazon.com, Apple, Microsoft and Google. Follow him @toddbishop, email todd@geekwire.com, or call (206) 294-6255.
Amazon Unveils Spherical Echo Speakers, Flying Indoor Security Camera, and Cloud Gaming Service
Sep 24 2020
Amazon unveiled a new lineup of spherical Echo devices, an autonomous flying indoor Ring security camera, a new cloud gaming service, and new features to help Alexa converse and interact more naturally with users.
The flurry of news came Thursday morning during the company's annual Devices & Services event, a virtual version of a fall tradition in which the company typically shows its newest Echo speakers and other Alexa-enabled devices.
<p>Luna, the cloud gaming service, <a href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/introducing-luna-amazons-new-cloud-gaming-service-where-its-easy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will cost $5.99/month during an early access period</a>. It will be available on Fire TV, Mac, Windows PCs, iOS and later Android, going head-to-head with similar offerings from Microsoft and Google. Amazon will offer a dedicated game controller for the service, available for $49.99, which connects directly to the cloud to let gamers switch quickly between devices. Games can also be played with a keyboard and mouse or a Bluetooth game controller. Luna integrates with the Amazon-owned Twitch streaming service.</p><p>The new spherical Echo <a href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/introducing-all-new-echo-family-reimagined-inside-and-out" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">offers upgraded sound and a built-in smart home hub</a>, something that was previously available on higher-end Echo devices. It will sell for $99.99, and a spherical Echo Dot will sell for $49.99. A version of the Echo Dot with a visible clock will sell for $59.99.</p><p>The company also showed new Alexa features including the ability to learn different modes for reading or vacation unique to each user. With a new "natural turn-taking" feature, users will also be able to ask Alexa to join a conversation taking place in the kitchen, for example, chiming in as two people order a pizza and pick a movie for the evening.</p><p>The company says Alexa uses "multi-sensory artificial intelligence," including audio and visual cues to determine whether the request or comment is directed at Alexa or another person in the room.</p><p>Dave Limp, Amazon's senior vice president of Devices & Services, said the company is moving toward a more "ambient home," with fewer explicit verbal interactions with Alexa. "That's not to say you won't speak to your home, but it's going to understand you more. It's going to anticipate your needs and be more contextual," he said.</p><p>"This is our long term vision. But trust me there is a lot of work to be done to make this a reality," he said.</p><p>New security features will include the ability to ask Alexa to "delete everything I've said," to remove all saved voice recordings associated with the customer's Amazon account. Amazon says customers will also be able to opt out of voice recordings.</p><p>Limp also outlined <a href="https://www.datocms-assets.com/32436/1600902718-updated-againscarlett-sustainability-blog-post.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new environmental sustainability initiatives</a>, including a new energy dashboard, a rollout of low power mode for Echo devices, and carbon offsets.</p><p>The company's Ring subsidiary, which was hit with <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/ring-customers-cameras-breached-hackers-sue-amazon-proposed-class-action-lawsuit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a series of security issues last year</a>, announced new end-to-end encryption for video, as well as <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-owned-ring-unveils-new-security-devices-car-including-tesla-integration/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a new Ring Car Alarm and Car Cam for auto security</a>, along with an API dubbed Ring Car Connect for implementation by auto manufacturers, starting with Tesla.</p><p>But the biggest surprise was the Ring "Always Home Cam," <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/drone-home-amazons-new-ring-indoor-security-camera-gives-flight-new-privacy-concerns/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an indoor camera that can fly autonomously around the home</a> for checking in remotely.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzNzczOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjQ0NTQzMH0.S0lmaSznYS6iGtitLUVhsHE3_O86JZo-UKKUHac45_k/image.jpg?width=980" id="35dee" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29b2d8c81ee4c15637538bdb1cde06ce" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Ring's "Always Home Cam."</small></p><p>"This autonomous indoor security camera flies your chosen, personalized paths so that you can easily check in on your home for peace of mind—like whether someone left a window open or forgot to turn the stove off," says Jamie Siminoff, the Ring founder, <a href="https://blog.ring.com/2020/09/24/introducing-ring-always-home-cam-an-innovative-new-approach-to-always-being-home/" target="_blank">in a blog post about the new product</a>. It will cost $249.<br/></p><p>Amazon's new Echo Show 10, priced at $249.99, will come with a built-in shutter cover for privacy, with support for Netflix streaming, and Zoom and Amazon Chime video calls. It's currently <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082X1HRV5/" target="_blank">listed as "coming soon"</a> on Amazon's site.A</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzNzc0Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTM5OTg4N30.aZT0VnBfHMcU2U_s8dRLBSzmCYRXhgVfEyHfaqracdI/image.jpg?width=980" id="04cb4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e2fc6b9216f29795cbc8c00c8677ebb6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Amazon's Echo Show 10</small></p><p><br/></p><p>Alexa-enabled devices <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/live-updates-amazon-unveils-new-alexa-powered-devices-media-event-seattle/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">introduced at this event last year</a> included a smart ring, eyeglasses and wireless earbuds.</p><p>In advance of the event, an FCC filing surfaced for the Amazon game controller, <a href="https://twitter.com/davezatz/status/1309133102573326341" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as spotted by Dave Zatz</a>, fueling speculation that the company was preparing to unveil a rumored cloud gaming service at the event, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/24/21454354/amazon-wireless-game-controller-fcc-filings-project-tempo-hardware-event" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as reported by The Verge</a>. The company shielded its identity by using the fake name "Zippy Hippie Twister Limited Liability Company," but a logo on one the labels in the filing revealed that it was Amazon's controller.</p><div id="8913d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e31d96fe48d8d6ceb89669ae67c2f813"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1309133102573326341" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">New gaming controller just cleared the FCC.
Current tally:
* 4 new devices hit today (so far, it's early!)
* 2 e… https://t.co/0LnqIhlhEy</div> — Dave Zatz (@Dave Zatz)<a href="https://twitter.com/davezatz/statuses/1309133102573326341">1600956628.0</a></blockquote></div><p>But the Amazon Sidewalk neighborhood wireless network may be a better indication of the company's broader ambitions for its Devices & Services business. Sidewalk, introduced at the same event last year, is an intermediate-range shared network that leverages low-bandwidth, wireless spectrum to provide connectivity to small Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as smart lights, weather stations, trackers and sensors in places such as mailboxes and gardens.<br/></p><p>"There are a lot of things where Bluetooth is way too short-range, WiFi is way too high-power, and so to have something that's still low-power, but that has much longer range is really a gap in the marketplace," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in off-the-cuff remarks to reporters <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-sees-new-opportunity-yard-sidewalk-beyond/" target="_blank">after the event last year</a>. "People don't even realize yet how important that intermediate range is going to be."</p><p>Sidewalk is slated to launch later this year. Amazon announced Tile as <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-adds-tile-sidewalk-wireless-network-says-echo-devices-can-serve-bridges-explains-bandwidth-sharing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the first third-party Sidewalk device earlier this week</a>, along with new technical details about the network.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzNzc0My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzk3NjE1M30.gj9xmeNzHnXhemN8VTkLQcd942wIyNIoFYGYZDBraT4/image.png?width=980" id="3624e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="458462c0ef020c136f92f180b555766c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
</p><p>Amazon has been able to maintain a sizeable lead over Google and other companies in the smart speaker market, with about 70% market share, <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/content/amazon-maintains-convincing-lead-in-us-smart-speaker-market" target="_blank">according to research released in February by eMarketer.</a><br/></p><p>"Over time, we'll see slowing growth in the number of smart speakers as people turn to voice assistants built into other things within homes, vehicles and on-the-go," said Victoria Petrock, a principal analyst at eMarketer, in a statement at the time. "Amazon's next challenge will be to maintain its dominance in these other environments as well."</p><p><em>This story <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-looks-expand-reach-alexa-echo-annual-device-unveiling/?mc_cid=9c92a81d97&mc_eid=900038ece8" target="_blank">originally appeared on GeekWire</a>.</em></p>
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Can the company that popularized the online shopping cart reinvent the real thing?
Amazon unveiled its first smart grocery cart on Tuesday morning. The new "Dash Cart," as it's known, uses cameras, sensors and a scale to automatically detect and log items on a digital display behind the handle. The technology makes it possible for shoppers to leave the store without going through a traditional checkout line.
The end result is similar to the Amazon Go grocery and convenience stores, without the elaborate technical infrastructure of those stores. The Dash Cart works on its own, requiring no sensors in the shelves or specialized cameras overhead.
<p>In that way, it solves at least part of the mystery of why Amazon has been <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-13/amazon-groceries-a-sneak-peak-inside-the-e-tailer-s-new-chain" target="_blank">developing conventional grocery stores</a>, without the Amazon Go technology.</p><p>"We built this predominantly as an alternative to things like express checkout, where you still end up waiting in line, or fumbling with self-checkout machines," said Dilip Kumar, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology, in an interview this week. "The experience will be designed to be seamless, very convenient, very easy for customers to understand."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ1NjMyNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzY2NjY4OX0.3ct9V6J8Nnwnm0cLgwbrw_ikgJ2XpfGQYQXoDb5cOJE/image.jpg?width=980" id="c305d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fffc32f71df23134b2e61a9b0ac49f24" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Amazon's new "Dash Cart" uses sensors to determine which items are placed in a cart, allowing shoppers to check out automatically, without going through a traditional line. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Amazon Photo)</small></p><p>The Dash Cart is slated to debut later this year at the company's new Woodland Hills, Calif., grocery store, which is <a href="https://www.grocerydive.com/news/amazons-woodland-hills-supermarket-is-now-a-dark-store/575953/" target="_blank">currently being used to fulfill delivery orders</a>.<br/></p><p>Unlike the Amazon Go technology, the Dash Cart won't entirely replace traditional grocery checkouts in the stores where it's used. Amazon says it's designed for small- to medium-sized grocery trips. The cart fits one to two grocery bags.</p><p>Amazon is one of many retailers and technology companies looking to streamline the process of shopping and checking out in physical stores. Such initiatives are driven in part by a quest for new cost efficiencies given the traditionally razor-thin profit margins in the grocery business. The approach has taken on added significance given requirements for social distancing and contact-less transactions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>Smart shopping cart startup <a href="https://veeve.io/" target="_blank">Veeve</a>, for example, was started in 2018 by a team that includes two former Amazon employees who were among the first to experience the Amazon Go technology. They <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/ex-amazon-google-managers-reveal-new-grocery-tech-startup-powered-smart-shopping-cart/" target="_blank">saw an opportunity to take the checkout-free shopping experience</a> to a wider market with smart carts instead.</p><p>Microsoft and Kroger, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/microsoft-kroger-challenge-amazon-whole-foods-futuristic-grocery-store-technology/" target="_blank">have been testing a system</a> that lets shoppers scan items with their smartphones as they shop, for a faster checkout experience.</p><p>The global market for smart shopping carts is projected to grow to more than $3 billion by 2025, from $737 million last year, <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200514005397/en/Global-Smart-Shopping-Cart-Market-Review-2015-2019" target="_blank">according to a report by ResearchandMarkets.com</a>.</p><p>It wouldn't be hard to imagine the Amazon Dash Cart ultimately making its way into Whole Foods Stores. It would be more of a stretch, but not entirely impossible, to conceive of Amazon licensing the technology to other retailers. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-starts-selling-amazon-go-technology-businesses/" target="_blank">It began selling its Amazon Go technology to other businesses</a> earlier this year.</p><p>But the company isn't detailing its plans for the Dash Cart beyond the expected debut in Southern California later this year.</p><p>"We will see where this goes," Kumar said when we asked about those possibilities. "We think customers will love this experience, and then we'll just build from there."</p><p>Privacy and personalized ad targeting are two of the big questions surrounding this kind of technology. For example, if a shopper puts a can of tuna in the cart, then takes it out, will that same person later see an ad on Amazon.com suggesting a different brand of tuna? Kumar acknowledged that such targeting is possible "in theory," but said that's not the focus of the Dash Cart.</p><p>"The focus of the cart is to be able to generate accurate receipts and make sure that we save customers time," he said.</p><p>Another big question is the impact of this type of automation on jobs. On this topic, Amazon's retail automation has been a lightning rod for criticism.</p><p>The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) called Amazon a "clear and present danger to millions of good jobs" when the company <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-goes-bigger-first-amazon-go-grocery-new-seattle-store-using-cashierless-technology/" target="_blank">unveiled its first Amazon Go Grocery store earlier this year. </a>Amazon disputed that contention at the time, calling it "both incorrect and misleading to suggest that Amazon destroys jobs."</p><p>The company maintains that the smart grocery cart will not reduce the number of employees in the store, compared to traditional grocery stores of similar size. In addition to having traditional grocery checkouts, the company says it will have associates dedicated to helping customers use the Dash Carts.</p><p>Shoppers who use the Dash Carts will scan a QR code in the Amazon app to log in to the cart before they begin. The system will automatically charge them using the stored card in their Amazon account when they exit through a special "Dash Cart Lane." They'll get a receipt via email after they leave.</p><p>Similar to the Amazon Go technology, which knows if a product is replaced on the shelf, Amazon says the Dash Cart will also sense when items are taken out, removing them from the list.</p><p>In addition, the cart will integrate with Alexa Shopping Lists, showing shoppers the items they've saved to buy via Amazon's voice assistant, indicating the aisle in the store where the items are located, and letting shoppers check items off as they go.</p><p>Amazon's "Dash" brand has been used previously for products that automate e-commerce ordering, including the now discontinued Amazon Dash gadgets and its Amazon Dash replenishment service, which is embedded in household appliances and office equipment, automatically reordering detergent or ink, for example, when it senses that supplies are running low.</p><p><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-unveils-smart-grocery-cart-new-effort-automate-physical-retail-checkout/" target="_blank">This story first appeared in GeekWire.</a></p>
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This New Facial Recognition Extension IDs Celebrities in Videos — and It’s Actually Pretty Useful
Jun 03 2020
RealNetworks is releasing a browser extension that automatically identifies celebrities and other public figures in YouTube and Netflix videos, using the same facial recognition technology that the company originally developed for use with live surveillance video at schools, casinos and airports."StarSearch by Real" doubles as a video navigation tool, pinpointing the places the celebs appear in the videos, and letting users quickly jump to those spots.
<p>No, it's not going to revolutionize the web, <a href="https://25yearsofstreaming.com/" target="_blank">like the company did 25 years ago</a> with its early streaming media technology. But I've been trying out a preview, and it's a surprisingly handy little tool, albeit in a pretty narrow set of circumstances.</p><p>So far, I'm primarily using it to skip directly to the portion of a news segment that features the person I'm interested in hearing from.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM3MDM5Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzg0NDg5NH0.DYW-syBmwZpUSMBGPjmqy6ivgX6sQo07p0sFDSIcD5I/image.png?width=980" id="b634a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e701ed88172510c9879795182f038021" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Realnetworks" />
</p><p>StarSearch is available starting today as a Chrome extension for Windows and Mac, and as a feature of the new RealPlayer 20/20 software for Windows PCs.<br/></p><p>It's not available via set-top devices or smartphones. But the way RealNetworks CEO and founder Rob Glaser sees it, when it comes to video, the PC is back.</p><p>"A super interesting thing has happened in the last three months, which is the PC has yet again moved to the center of video in the context of the pandemic," Glaser said on a recent video call where he and other RealNetworks showed the new products. "It's really been a Renaissance period for PCs."</p><p>Although the Chrome extension is limited to Netflix and YouTube at launch, the company says it will expand to more video apps and streaming services over time.<br/></p><p>"We figured those were the two best places to start, but we're going to branch out support to pretty much any major video source on the web," Glaser said.</p><p>The release comes at a time of heightened concern over facial recognition technologies due to issues of privacy and bias. This consumer application, focused on celebrities, isn't likely to raise those kinds of alarm bells, but it's an example of how pervasive facial recognition is becoming in many technology products.</p><p>It's the first time RealNetworks has brought AI into one of its consumer products. It's also the first expansion of the company's SAFR facial recognition technology beyond its core market in live video surveillance. The company <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/realnetworks-debuts-facial-recognition-software-k-12-schools-raising-ethical-questions/" target="_blank">launched SAFR two years ago</a>, initially for schools, before expanding to public health and public safety.</p><p>StarSearch is a free extension. It brings up thumbnail celebrity bios that link to a RealPlayer "Discover" site that includes ads, but the main benefit to RealNetworks would be if StarSearch were to spur more RealPlayer downloads. RealPlayer these days is used largely for downloading, organizing and playing videos. RealPlayer 20/20 is a Windows app that comes in both free and premium versions, starting at $24.99.</p><p>In the StarSearch browser extension, the facial recognition is limited to celebrities and other notable people, but people can use it in RealPlayer 20/20 to tag and find family members and friends in their own videos.</p><p><a href="http://www.danrayburn.com/" target="_blank">Dan Rayburn</a>, a streaming media analyst and consultant who got a preview of the technology, said he could envision StarSearch ultimately expanding beyond celebrities, even identifying inanimate objects such as a company name, a type of car, or a sports team in a video.</p><p>"Over time, it's going to become more and more personalized, where you have more options and you can pick what you want that tag to really be," Rayburn said.</p><p>RealNetworks says StarSearch differs from other offerings, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/adlp/xray" target="_blank">such as Amazon X-Ray on Prime Video</a>, by using AI to identify people on the fly, rather than manually indexing videos in advance.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM3MDM5NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDg5MzU1MH0.InlNa3Ds_5-IJENkHezWC5KP0RNQ6Hmd5kCy6-qWaAk/image.png?width=980" id="139a9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cbac8ea49fe0faeb585ab50a17681882" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Realnetworks" />
</p><p>Glaser, who worked at Microsoft before starting RealNetworks, said the interaction between the SAFR and StarSearch teams reminds him of how Microsoft Windows became better back in the day because Microsoft's internal Excel and Word teams were building on the platform and pushing Windows to improve.<br/></p><p>"Having a team of people that are really relying on SAFR, putting it through the paces, pushing it, has actually made SAFR better," he said. "So hopefully we'll get some synergies like that out of this too."</p><p>Asked if RealNetworks secured the StarSearch trademark from the company that holds the rights <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Search" target="_blank">to the old Ed McMahon talent search show</a>, Glaser noted that it's specifically called "StarSearch by Real."</p><p>RealNetworks' Consumer Media division, which includes RealPlayer, generated $3.5 million in revenue in the first quarter, about 8% of the company's overall revenue. RealNetworks <a href="https://investor.realnetworks.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2020/RealNetworks-Announces-First-Quarter-2020-Financial-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank">posted a net loss of $4.6 million</a>, with $19 million in cash on hand as of the end of the quarter, after <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/realnetworks-ceo-rob-glaser-putting-10m-money-back-company/" target="_blank">Glaser invested $10 million in the company in February</a>. The company <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/publicly-traded-seattle-tech-stalwart-realnetworks-receives-2-87m-federal-relief-loan/" target="_blank">received a $2.87 million loan</a> through the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program in April.</p><p><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/realnetworks-browser-extension-uses-facial-recognition-id-celebrities-videos-actually-pretty-useful/" target="_blank"><em>This story first appeared on GeekWire.</em></a></p>
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