The 404 709: Where I touch it and it works (podcast)
You may not realize this, but Stoopid Andy is a bit of a computer genius.We spend a good portion of the first half of the show talking about how he transcodes Blu-ray movies that he owns over to an MKV file in H.264 using a variety of pieces of hardware and software.He does this just so that he can watch his movies in HD and Dolby Digital surround sound anywhere in his house.Kind of cool.But I think most consumers would rather just watch it on Netflix or rent it from iTunes.DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Speaking of iTunes, Apple has changed the home page of its Web site with a mysterious message that reads: "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget. Check back here tomorrow for an exciting announcement from iTunes."As much of a fanboy as Wilson is, he's got nothing when it comes to speculation other than the rumors that have already been floating around the Web.We're hoping for iTunes music subscriptions or more streaming-media services from the cloud.We're going to be really disappointed if it is just the already announced iOS 4.2 download or the iTunes 10.1 download.Facebook's new messaging service press conference started just right after the show was over today, so we don't have much feedback on that, except that tweens will certainly embrace it.We also mention that Wal-Mart will be offering free shipping to all its orders between now and December 22, but it's a little odd for everyone in the studio because there isn't a Wal-Mart within New York City! Finally, we don't have time to get to the voice mails, but Wilson does point out that Jeff is dearly missed, and will hopefully be making his return tomorrow!*fingers crossed*He may have just decided to stay in sunny Hawaii and finish playing Call of Duty: Black Ops.You can leave him a message by calling 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or e-mail us at the usual address.Oh! And tell your friends about the show! Episode 709PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
OnStar mobile app puts the Chevy Volt in your pocket
OnStar mobile app puts the Chevy Volt in your pocket
Updated: CNET video added.The Chevrolet Volt hasn't even hit the sales floor yet and there's already an app for that. On Tuesday evening, Chevrolet and its OnStar telematics system announced working smartphone apps for the Motorola Droid, Apple iPhone, and BlackBerry Storm that will allow Volt owners to connect to their vehicles wirelessly to access remote features via smartphone.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayThe Chevrolet Volt OnStar smartphone app will let users know if the Volt is plugged in or not and whether it's charging on 120V or 240V. Users can also schedule charging times to get the lowest off-peak rates and "Charge Now" if they need a quick boost. Users can even remotely start the Volt to preheat or cool the cabin while plugged in to preserve a bit of EV range. Of course, battery charge level and gasoline and electric ranges will also be accessible using the app, as well as displays of miles per gallon, electric-only miles, and odometer readings for the last trip and the lifetime of the vehicle.The app can also send text or e-mail notifications for charge reminders, interruptions, and full charge, as well as give users access to traditional OnStar features such as as door lock, unlock, and remote horn and lights.We find it a bit odd the Chevrolet specifically names the three specific phones that it does, which makes us wonder if the app will work with other Android and BlackBerry phones or even the iPod Touch. If not, users with unsupported Internet-capable phones will still be able to view and manage the Volt's systems using their mobile Web browsers, so hopefully Chevrolet isn't leaving anyone out in the cold.Demonstration applications for the Motorola Droid and BlackBerry Storm are be available at OnStarMobileDemo.com. The demonstration application for the Apple iPhone will be available on the iTunes store on January 6. The real deal OnStar Mobile Application will be available for Volt owners at launch. Production for the Volt is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Pricing has not been announced.
Updated: CNET video added.The Chevrolet Volt hasn't even hit the sales floor yet and there's already an app for that. On Tuesday evening, Chevrolet and its OnStar telematics system announced working smartphone apps for the Motorola Droid, Apple iPhone, and BlackBerry Storm that will allow Volt owners to connect to their vehicles wirelessly to access remote features via smartphone.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayThe Chevrolet Volt OnStar smartphone app will let users know if the Volt is plugged in or not and whether it's charging on 120V or 240V. Users can also schedule charging times to get the lowest off-peak rates and "Charge Now" if they need a quick boost. Users can even remotely start the Volt to preheat or cool the cabin while plugged in to preserve a bit of EV range. Of course, battery charge level and gasoline and electric ranges will also be accessible using the app, as well as displays of miles per gallon, electric-only miles, and odometer readings for the last trip and the lifetime of the vehicle.The app can also send text or e-mail notifications for charge reminders, interruptions, and full charge, as well as give users access to traditional OnStar features such as as door lock, unlock, and remote horn and lights.We find it a bit odd the Chevrolet specifically names the three specific phones that it does, which makes us wonder if the app will work with other Android and BlackBerry phones or even the iPod Touch. If not, users with unsupported Internet-capable phones will still be able to view and manage the Volt's systems using their mobile Web browsers, so hopefully Chevrolet isn't leaving anyone out in the cold.Demonstration applications for the Motorola Droid and BlackBerry Storm are be available at OnStarMobileDemo.com. The demonstration application for the Apple iPhone will be available on the iTunes store on January 6. The real deal OnStar Mobile Application will be available for Volt owners at launch. Production for the Volt is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Pricing has not been announced.
Film studio blames money woes on economy, tech
Film studio blames money woes on economy, tech
Sony Pictures, which has produced such recent films as "2012," "This is it," and "District 9," saw an earlier round of layoffs less than a year ago. In March 2009, the studio cut 250 jobs. Pascal's reference to changes in DVD-buying habits is easy to trace. In a down economy, people have sought to cut costs and one of the ways they do it is by logging on at illegal download or video-streaming sites. Video codecs and compression technologies have improved and downloading large digital film files has never been easier. Netflix subscribers more and more are opting to watch videos via the company's Web-streaming service instead of waiting for physical discs to be delivered. Apple's iTunes rents and sells films to millions of iTunes users. Hulu, YouTube, and Sony's own Crackle.com offer ad-supported video films and TV shows to consumers free of charge. Part of the problem is that movie theaters and TV networks have much more competition now. Where once we had to choose among watching four TV channels, visitingthe neighborhood movie house, or throwing an album on the turntable, we now have cable, video games, user-generated video, social networking, and Pandora. This all appears to be adding up to one important problem for Hollywood: the decline of the cash cow that once was the home viewing market. According to the Times, DVD and Blu-ray sales have plunged more than 13 percent in the U.S. over the last year. If DVD revenue continues to fall, expect fewer films and possibly a shakeout among the largest studios. This is being predicted by some top filmmakers and studio power brokers.Francis Ford Coppola, "The Godfather" director, said at the Beirut Film Festival last year that he expected some of the studios would go out of business."The cinema as we know it," Coppola said, "is falling apart."
Sony Pictures, which has produced such recent films as "2012," "This is it," and "District 9," saw an earlier round of layoffs less than a year ago. In March 2009, the studio cut 250 jobs. Pascal's reference to changes in DVD-buying habits is easy to trace. In a down economy, people have sought to cut costs and one of the ways they do it is by logging on at illegal download or video-streaming sites. Video codecs and compression technologies have improved and downloading large digital film files has never been easier. Netflix subscribers more and more are opting to watch videos via the company's Web-streaming service instead of waiting for physical discs to be delivered. Apple's iTunes rents and sells films to millions of iTunes users. Hulu, YouTube, and Sony's own Crackle.com offer ad-supported video films and TV shows to consumers free of charge. Part of the problem is that movie theaters and TV networks have much more competition now. Where once we had to choose among watching four TV channels, visitingthe neighborhood movie house, or throwing an album on the turntable, we now have cable, video games, user-generated video, social networking, and Pandora. This all appears to be adding up to one important problem for Hollywood: the decline of the cash cow that once was the home viewing market. According to the Times, DVD and Blu-ray sales have plunged more than 13 percent in the U.S. over the last year. If DVD revenue continues to fall, expect fewer films and possibly a shakeout among the largest studios. This is being predicted by some top filmmakers and studio power brokers.Francis Ford Coppola, "The Godfather" director, said at the Beirut Film Festival last year that he expected some of the studios would go out of business."The cinema as we know it," Coppola said, "is falling apart."
FileMaker unpacks a Bento database for iPhone
FileMaker unpacks a Bento database for iPhone
You don't have to own a Mac to use FileMaker's new Bento for iPhone and iPod Touch--released Tuesday in the iTunes App Store--but if you do, wireless sync adds extra incentive to take your personal databases to go.Bento ($4.99) offers non-Mac users a portable personal database for storing everything from birthdays and home expenses to recipes and an exercise log, with 25 templates to start. Integration with the address book, dialer, Safari browser, e-mail in-box, and Google Maps make Bento a useful iPhone app offering that could become a master storehouse for your separate lists; and one that quickly facilitates calls, mapping, and Web searches from within the app.We got a demo of the handsome, dark Bento app a few weeks ago. After playing with it for a while, it appears to balance a mine of data fields with the iPhone's customarily accessible interface. Bento's home screen displays all your data libraries, which you can swipe through to view. Other screens let you add a new library, search for entries, or sync to Bento on the Mac. Each new library is prepopulated with one dummy entry to get you started. While there is a dedicated search screen, a similar search field within each library facilitates more advanced investigations of your data.While straightforward at the top level, Bento for iPhone has a few more tricks tucked away--like the option to rate your contacts (your child's babysitters, for instance), and add additional data fields. Bento will also let you create subcollections within any record with the push of a button that looks like three overlapping squares. Those familiar with Bento 2 for Mac will note that while calculations and related records from the desktop version can be transferred to and used on the iPhone version, you won't be able to create either on the device.We won't know for sure until we build up some databases of our own, but after looking at Bento for iPhone in its prelaunch state, it seems promising for the uberorganized.
You don't have to own a Mac to use FileMaker's new Bento for iPhone and iPod Touch--released Tuesday in the iTunes App Store--but if you do, wireless sync adds extra incentive to take your personal databases to go.Bento ($4.99) offers non-Mac users a portable personal database for storing everything from birthdays and home expenses to recipes and an exercise log, with 25 templates to start. Integration with the address book, dialer, Safari browser, e-mail in-box, and Google Maps make Bento a useful iPhone app offering that could become a master storehouse for your separate lists; and one that quickly facilitates calls, mapping, and Web searches from within the app.We got a demo of the handsome, dark Bento app a few weeks ago. After playing with it for a while, it appears to balance a mine of data fields with the iPhone's customarily accessible interface. Bento's home screen displays all your data libraries, which you can swipe through to view. Other screens let you add a new library, search for entries, or sync to Bento on the Mac. Each new library is prepopulated with one dummy entry to get you started. While there is a dedicated search screen, a similar search field within each library facilitates more advanced investigations of your data.While straightforward at the top level, Bento for iPhone has a few more tricks tucked away--like the option to rate your contacts (your child's babysitters, for instance), and add additional data fields. Bento will also let you create subcollections within any record with the push of a button that looks like three overlapping squares. Those familiar with Bento 2 for Mac will note that while calculations and related records from the desktop version can be transferred to and used on the iPhone version, you won't be able to create either on the device.We won't know for sure until we build up some databases of our own, but after looking at Bento for iPhone in its prelaunch state, it seems promising for the uberorganized.
Siri hears her new boss is ex-Amazon exec, report says
Siri hears her new boss is ex-Amazon exec, report says
Apple's Siri voice assistant has a new boss, a report claims.Apple has hired Bill Stasior, the founder and president of Amazon subsidiary A9, according to All Things Digital.Stasior spent nearly a decade at Amazon, where he's served as the director of search and navigation, VP of engineering, and more recently president of the company's A9 search technology.All Things Digital says Apple has tapped Stasior to run Siri, which the company acquired in 2010 and turned into a feature on the iPhone 4S, later adding it to its latest iPod touch and iPad. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of Stasior's hiring.Some of the top brass in charge of Siri have left since Apple acquired the company. That includes co-founder and CEO Dag Kittlaus who left the company last October, and more recently co-founder Adam Cheyer, earlier this year. Related storiesAnother Siri co-founder leaves AppleApple's Siri wrong 38 percent of the time in testApple buys virtual assistant app maker SiriThe need for search chops on the Siri team makes plenty of sense. The feature is tapped into a number of third-party databases, including Yahoo, Yelp, and Wolfram Alpha, and can also be used to initiate phone features like reminders, timers, and launching apps. Those queries are piped through Apple's servers then fed back to the phone.Despite lawsuits over the efficacy of the feature aimed in Apple's direction, the company has stated publicly that it has high hopes for Siri. In a talk earlier this year, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook noted that the product was still in beta, but that the company had "a lot of people" working on improving it.
Apple's Siri voice assistant has a new boss, a report claims.Apple has hired Bill Stasior, the founder and president of Amazon subsidiary A9, according to All Things Digital.Stasior spent nearly a decade at Amazon, where he's served as the director of search and navigation, VP of engineering, and more recently president of the company's A9 search technology.All Things Digital says Apple has tapped Stasior to run Siri, which the company acquired in 2010 and turned into a feature on the iPhone 4S, later adding it to its latest iPod touch and iPad. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of Stasior's hiring.Some of the top brass in charge of Siri have left since Apple acquired the company. That includes co-founder and CEO Dag Kittlaus who left the company last October, and more recently co-founder Adam Cheyer, earlier this year. Related storiesAnother Siri co-founder leaves AppleApple's Siri wrong 38 percent of the time in testApple buys virtual assistant app maker SiriThe need for search chops on the Siri team makes plenty of sense. The feature is tapped into a number of third-party databases, including Yahoo, Yelp, and Wolfram Alpha, and can also be used to initiate phone features like reminders, timers, and launching apps. Those queries are piped through Apple's servers then fed back to the phone.Despite lawsuits over the efficacy of the feature aimed in Apple's direction, the company has stated publicly that it has high hopes for Siri. In a talk earlier this year, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook noted that the product was still in beta, but that the company had "a lot of people" working on improving it.
Siri changes her mind on which smartphone is the best ever
Siri changes her mind on which smartphone is the best ever
It was just last week that Apple's virtual personal assistant Siri was telling the world that the Nokia Lumia 900 was the best smartphone ever. But it appears now that she has been scolded back into the Apple fold.When iPhone 4S owners now ask Siri which smartphone is the best ever, she replies with a sarcastic, "you're kidding, right?" A reader who tipped CNET to the change said Siri will also reply with "the one you're holding" when asked the question. A CNET staffer on the West Coast also got "the one you're holding" as an answer. Screenshot by Michelle Meyers/CNETApple's virtual personal assistant made waves last week when users found that Siri would point to the Nokia Lumia 900 when asked which smartphone was the best ever. The result came from Wolfram Alpha, a service Siri often queries. Wolfram Alpha's answer was based on "customer review average" across the Web.Two CNET staffers in San Francisco, however, got Yelp results as a response.Although it appears Apple has changed the answer Siri spits out, the company has not publicly said that it has, in fact, done so. CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the change and we will update this story when we have more information.Oh, and in case you're wondering, if you ask Siri what the best tablet ever is, she's firmly in line with her corporate overlords: "The Apple iPad is the best. And that's not just my opinion."Related storiesSiri says Nokia Lumia 900 the best smartphone everCNET's review of the Nokia Lumia 900CNET's review of the Apple iPhone 4S
It was just last week that Apple's virtual personal assistant Siri was telling the world that the Nokia Lumia 900 was the best smartphone ever. But it appears now that she has been scolded back into the Apple fold.When iPhone 4S owners now ask Siri which smartphone is the best ever, she replies with a sarcastic, "you're kidding, right?" A reader who tipped CNET to the change said Siri will also reply with "the one you're holding" when asked the question. A CNET staffer on the West Coast also got "the one you're holding" as an answer. Screenshot by Michelle Meyers/CNETApple's virtual personal assistant made waves last week when users found that Siri would point to the Nokia Lumia 900 when asked which smartphone was the best ever. The result came from Wolfram Alpha, a service Siri often queries. Wolfram Alpha's answer was based on "customer review average" across the Web.Two CNET staffers in San Francisco, however, got Yelp results as a response.Although it appears Apple has changed the answer Siri spits out, the company has not publicly said that it has, in fact, done so. CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the change and we will update this story when we have more information.Oh, and in case you're wondering, if you ask Siri what the best tablet ever is, she's firmly in line with her corporate overlords: "The Apple iPad is the best. And that's not just my opinion."Related storiesSiri says Nokia Lumia 900 the best smartphone everCNET's review of the Nokia Lumia 900CNET's review of the Apple iPhone 4S
SIM card maker- Apple's design won standards effort
SIM card maker: Apple's design won standards effort
An Apple design did indeed prevail in a standardization struggle over a design for next-generation SIM cards, the tiny chips that let mobile phones identify themselves to wireless networks.Apple had been duking it against Nokia, Research in Motion, and Motorola over the design of a fourth-generation, smaller SIM (subscriber identity module) card. On Friday, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) settled on the design for this fourth form factor (4FF) SIM card, but it didn't say whose design won.In an interview today, SIM card maker Giesecke & Devrient said Apple's design, unchanged since last year, is the victor. "It's done now," said spokesman Stefan Waldenmaier.The second-generation 2FF design still dominates in phones, though Apple moved to the 3FF "micro-SIM" with its iPad and iPhone products. The 4FF design, dubbed "nano-SIM," is functionally identical, meaning that adapters can be used to use the smaller cards in devices with older, larger slots, Waldenmaeier said.So if the only difference is size, why such a knock-down, drag-out fight over 4FF? "I think it was political fight," he said. Apparently patent issues entered into the debate, though, too.D&G has built prototypes of the 4FF design and will be able to ship them in volume, he said. However, he added, "G&D can not predict when the first products using these SIM cards are coming to the market."
An Apple design did indeed prevail in a standardization struggle over a design for next-generation SIM cards, the tiny chips that let mobile phones identify themselves to wireless networks.Apple had been duking it against Nokia, Research in Motion, and Motorola over the design of a fourth-generation, smaller SIM (subscriber identity module) card. On Friday, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) settled on the design for this fourth form factor (4FF) SIM card, but it didn't say whose design won.In an interview today, SIM card maker Giesecke & Devrient said Apple's design, unchanged since last year, is the victor. "It's done now," said spokesman Stefan Waldenmaier.The second-generation 2FF design still dominates in phones, though Apple moved to the 3FF "micro-SIM" with its iPad and iPhone products. The 4FF design, dubbed "nano-SIM," is functionally identical, meaning that adapters can be used to use the smaller cards in devices with older, larger slots, Waldenmaeier said.So if the only difference is size, why such a knock-down, drag-out fight over 4FF? "I think it was political fight," he said. Apparently patent issues entered into the debate, though, too.D&G has built prototypes of the 4FF design and will be able to ship them in volume, he said. However, he added, "G&D can not predict when the first products using these SIM cards are coming to the market."
Signs of Siri for iPad found in latest iOS beta
Signs of Siri for iPad found in latest iOS beta
Apple's voice assistant, or at least its dictation feature, appears destined to end up on another iOS device besides the iPhone.Amid the tweaks found in the third build of iOS 5.1, which was doled out to developers yesterday, there's mention of dictation--the feature that lets users talk to their device and have their words transcribed into text. As spotted by 9to5Mac, the mention arrived as part of the settings menu called "About Privacy and Dictation," which did not appear in previous betas bound for iPads and latest-generation iPod Touch devices. The outlet notes that there's no actual dictation button on keyboards of devices with the build, which registered iOS developers must sign a nondisclosure agreement to use.Dictation first appeared in October, with the release of the iPhone 4S. Almost identical to what competitor Google offered with version 2.1 of its Android OS in early 2010, it pipes over speech to Apple's servers, where it's transcribed and sent back. The feature is systemwide, meaning that any app that makes use of the keyboard does not have to do anything to enable it. This could be the first sign of a software feature bound for the next version of the iPad, which is expected to be unveiled in the next few months. So far, Apple has offered no indication of Siri or its dictation feature making it to older iOS devices. A widely reported correspondence with an Apple engineer in November had the company saying "we currently have no plans to support older devices." The month prior, developers took matters into their own hands, managing to port the feature to a jailbroken iPad. However, they ran into problems getting Apple's servers to reply to voice commands--somethingfor which they eventually found a workaround.
Apple's voice assistant, or at least its dictation feature, appears destined to end up on another iOS device besides the iPhone.Amid the tweaks found in the third build of iOS 5.1, which was doled out to developers yesterday, there's mention of dictation--the feature that lets users talk to their device and have their words transcribed into text. As spotted by 9to5Mac, the mention arrived as part of the settings menu called "About Privacy and Dictation," which did not appear in previous betas bound for iPads and latest-generation iPod Touch devices. The outlet notes that there's no actual dictation button on keyboards of devices with the build, which registered iOS developers must sign a nondisclosure agreement to use.Dictation first appeared in October, with the release of the iPhone 4S. Almost identical to what competitor Google offered with version 2.1 of its Android OS in early 2010, it pipes over speech to Apple's servers, where it's transcribed and sent back. The feature is systemwide, meaning that any app that makes use of the keyboard does not have to do anything to enable it. This could be the first sign of a software feature bound for the next version of the iPad, which is expected to be unveiled in the next few months. So far, Apple has offered no indication of Siri or its dictation feature making it to older iOS devices. A widely reported correspondence with an Apple engineer in November had the company saying "we currently have no plans to support older devices." The month prior, developers took matters into their own hands, managing to port the feature to a jailbroken iPad. However, they ran into problems getting Apple's servers to reply to voice commands--somethingfor which they eventually found a workaround.
Sharp set to deliver Apple TV parts to Foxconn in Q3-
Sharp set to deliver Apple TV parts to Foxconn in Q3?
Foxconn, a manufacturer for Apple, will receive parts from Sharp next quarter that will be used to assemble the long-rumored Apple TV, according to a new report.According to AppleInsider, Chinese news site 21cbh.com is reporting today, citing sources, that Foxconn initially expected to have the parts from Sharp in the fourth quarter, but the timetable has shifted to the third quarter. Sharp is believed to be providing the LCD TV panels that will be used in the television.Over the last several months, reports have suggested Sharp would play a role in the Apple TV after Hon Hai Precision, Foxconn's Taiwan-based parent, acquired an 11 percent stake in the company. Hon Hai also acquired 46.5 percent equity in Sharp's LCD TV factory in Sakai, Japan. Last month, Foxconn chief Terry Gou said in an interview with China Daily that the Sharp acquisition resulted from preparations the company is making for Apple's upcoming television.Apple has stopped short of even admitting that it's launching a television, so any report on the matter should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. However, according to 21cbh.com, it's possible that the device could be unveiled before the end of this year. Conventional wisdom has pegged the device's eventual release in 2013 or 2014.CNET has contacted both Apple and Foxconn for comment on the report. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via Apple Insider)
Foxconn, a manufacturer for Apple, will receive parts from Sharp next quarter that will be used to assemble the long-rumored Apple TV, according to a new report.According to AppleInsider, Chinese news site 21cbh.com is reporting today, citing sources, that Foxconn initially expected to have the parts from Sharp in the fourth quarter, but the timetable has shifted to the third quarter. Sharp is believed to be providing the LCD TV panels that will be used in the television.Over the last several months, reports have suggested Sharp would play a role in the Apple TV after Hon Hai Precision, Foxconn's Taiwan-based parent, acquired an 11 percent stake in the company. Hon Hai also acquired 46.5 percent equity in Sharp's LCD TV factory in Sakai, Japan. Last month, Foxconn chief Terry Gou said in an interview with China Daily that the Sharp acquisition resulted from preparations the company is making for Apple's upcoming television.Apple has stopped short of even admitting that it's launching a television, so any report on the matter should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. However, according to 21cbh.com, it's possible that the device could be unveiled before the end of this year. Conventional wisdom has pegged the device's eventual release in 2013 or 2014.CNET has contacted both Apple and Foxconn for comment on the report. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via Apple Insider)
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