Inside CamInside CamA confused college student with a passion for web and graphic design, as well as web development, who is usually distracted by videogames. Articles
Get a Wii for $209!
2007-01-31 17:24:02 It's rumored that this Sunday, Best Buys across the nation will have Wii 's in stock. You can visit the Circuit City website by clicking the image above to print out your own $40 off total purchase of $199 or more coupon to get a shiny new Wii for the amazing price of $209, as if the price weren't attractive already. Make sure you arrive early for this one.My only regret is already picking up my Wii. Then again, I've had enough fun to warrant the $249 price tag many times over. Good luck!
Ready to Rock on 360
2007-01-31 17:24:02 I was expecting a minor graphical overhaul for the 360 version of Guitar Hero II. I was not expecting this:He has no nipples...?Harmonix put a lot into improving the graphics rather than just rushing the 360 version and bumping up the resolution. Prepare to shred graciously in the comfort of HD Guitar Hero gaming with improved lighting techniques. Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 is going to shine brightly and show off the extra work Harmonix put into it.March 2007 can't come quickly enough. I was already looking forward to being able to download new songs off Xbox Live marketplace. I hadn't considered the tremendous increase of replay value through achievements, the sheer amount of time I'll spend just to increase my rank on the leaderboards and the dead sexy design of the new X-Plorer controller.We will also be seeing additional included tracks, which I for one give both RedOctane and Harmonix an ovation for. A lot of publishers are using microtransactions available through the Mark... More About: Rock , Read , Ready
NES Auction Rockets Back Down
2007-01-31 02:55:00 It appears the NES auction featuring 670 licensed Nintendo games has slid down from an earlier high bid of $240,300 to a mere $25,350. The auction includes 670 licensed Nintendo games in addition to an NES in its original casing and a dozen or so accessories including notables such as the Power Glove and ROB the robot.In the description of the item, the seller mentions the possibility of retracting false bids, which is a great reassurance for those looking to place legitimate bids. However, I didn't expect the amount to fluctuate so quickly. This might end up being an unusually exciting auction after all.I'll be keeping an eye an on this auction, as it still has four days left and the potential to garner some serious cash flow. The seller describes the games to be in "Good-to-mint condition" with no abnormalities included on the games themselves. It will be interesting to see, four days from now, how high the auction ends up getting. I'd especially be wary of fake bidding to thro... More About: Auction , Rock , Back , Rocket , Down
My Personal Rise to the Top of the Music Industry
2007-01-30 08:44:00 When it comes to music, I find myself constantly amazed at the reason people like or dislike certain artists or type of music. Don't get me wrong, I'm not attacking personal preference. Everyone has their own reasons for liking a particular artist, whether the music they listen to invokes feelings of nostalgia and wonderful memories, whether it just makes them want to dance, or usually in my case, if the music has a conscious message behind it or features a well told story.I guess this is the part where I go into a little episode of personal history. Please be patient, as this is relevant and important to the discussion I will eventually present. I went to Benson Polytechnical high school in Portland, Ore., where we had the opportunity to experience both technical and health-based programs. I chose to focus on the technical side of the curriculum, almost certain I was going to become a graphic designer much like my step father and uncle. I had been exposed to the art since I was a... More About: Personal , Music , Industry , Person , Rise
Why Am I Still Playing Excite Truck?
2007-01-29 11:23:00 Right now I'm sitting in my friend's apartment watching him school the computer in Excite Truck . My friend hasn't been a gamer since the days of the Sega Genesis, citing motion sickness caused through the newer onslaught of 3D games as his reason for eventually giving up gaming. I also get the feeling the overwhelming complexity of today's games aren't exactly extending him a warm welcome back either.Most of my friends would describe me as a hardcore gamer (or a nerd), but I'm not bold enough to declare it about myself. I enjoy games a lot and probably always will, but I've noticed something peculiar after having my Wii for about two months. Normally by now, I'd get tired of most games and let them sit in a box somewhere, unbeaten for several months with the likelihood of regaining interest almost nonexistent. So it surprises me that I'm still playing Excite Truck - your average racing game - after having it for so long.I thought about how the control elements play a part i... More About: Play , Stil , Still
Google = The New Internet
2007-01-28 23:05:00 Every once in awhile you read something online that strikes you in a way similar to having an epiphany. The realization of something that seems completely obvious under normal circumstances hits you, and then you laugh about it.This just happened to me after considering my own personal necessity in using Google as an address bar. Why type in "digg.com" when I can simply perform a Google search for it to get me where I want to go? It's not that I don't mind typing the extra few characters, but I've grown used to the availability of Google everywhere. It's the most common home page I see pop up when using other people's computers, whose popularity is further fueled since both Firefox 2.0 and the new IE 7 include convenient integrated search fields.Of course I'm going to use Google over the address bar field. URLs are ugly pieces of information that I'd prefer not to utilize based on the syntax alone. I guess that's just too much work for me. Google is slowly taking over the in... More About: Internet , Inter , The N , Intern
Dear Nintendo
2007-01-27 04:39:00 It looks like you're getting popular again. The direction you took with the Nintendo Wii was a good one and I commend you on it, but some people feel you're alienating the Nintendo fans that have stuck with you in good times and in bad in order to attract a new sort of fan base. "Why won't you give us Mother 3?" demands the big N community. As a matter of fact, I've got a few questions and suggestions myself:1. The friend codes are not user-friendly. How has your online strategy evolved and is online gaming any more important to you?Microsoft and Xbox Live have clearly demonstrated that online is what the people want. I am thankful that you decided to include online, even though early reports indicate we'll be in 12-digit friend code hell pretty soon here. Pokemon Battle Revolution - the first online Wii game - features game-specific friend codes independent of my Wii's friend code. I've heard people suggest this may have something to do with connectivity between Battle Revol... More About: Tend , Tendo
Xbox Live for Free?
2007-01-24 05:23:01 It appears someone has found a way to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold without paying a single dime. The user 'thedalmeny' shows he is subscribed to Gold via the one month trial that ships with all new 360's, although exactly how he does it still remains a mystery.'Thedalmeny' has reported the bug to Microsoft in order to minimize future exploiting of this hack. It also appears Microsoft threatened legal action had he gone public with the glitch. "As far as I know from developers this is the first time this has happened, especially as I can still play online with the Xbox 360 where it should be reseting my account to expired when i log into the Xbox Live services."Many users on Digg report similar bugs, including adamnikyo. "I called to cancel my Live account so as not to be charged in the meantime. The guy on the phone was really confused. He said my account looked different from any account he'd seen before. He said my account had no expiration date, which was wrong. I told him ... More About: Free , Xbox-Live
Japan Finally Gives 360 Some Love
2007-01-24 05:23:01 This is one of the very few times I've seen good news come out of Japan for the Xbox 360. After glowing reviews from Famitsu, Gears of War has sold out across the entire country. Microsoft is scrambling to restock the store shelves. Reports from Japan indicate the game has received lots of attention, with flocks of people gathering around the demo.I find this funny because the tradition is that western-developed games in particular never score high with the gaming public in Japan. First-person shooting games especially are almost nonexistent as it is so commonly the cause of motion sickness and Japanese gamers just usually aren't interested. Gears is a third-person shooter but it has the familiar swinging camera associated with most FPS'.I wonder if the noise surrounding the game coming from the US had any influence on the unexpected success of Gears. To date it has already sold 3 million copies. Microsoft has had a hard time with both the 360 and the original Xbox in Japan, but ... More About: Love , Final , Finally , Give
Lionhead Teases with Fable 2 Goodies
2007-01-24 05:23:01 A post from an administrator on the Lion head Studios message board includes a nice piece of concept art for the upcoming Fable 2, as well as some small hints to go along with it: ... and we would like to add the following 3 points, for you to speculate: This is a castle"Own all the world's property"Located in a city Fable2-TeamI'm not entirely sure, but I believe this is a castle located in a city. In addition, I'm hearing things about being able to own all the world's property. I'm looking forward to hearing more speculation on this as it comes. More About: With , Head , Good
Halo 3 Beta, Round One.
2007-01-24 05:23:01 I received an e-mail in my inbox informing me that the first round of Halo 3 beta testers would be e-mailed within the next two days (1/22 - 1/24). The registration process for phase one of the beta testing is officially closed and now all I have to do is wait, and hope.If you haven't yet registered to participate in the beta testing, which will cover the multiplayer aspect of Halo 3 over Xbox Live and is scheduled to launch in Spring 2007, there are still two ways for you to get in:Rule of Three ProgramThe "Rule of Three" program is currently planned for gamers (17 years and older) in the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) and Canada who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the Halo 2 game.It is a two-step process:1. Participate in at least three hours of Halo 2 multiplayer sessions on your Xbox 360 console via Xbox Live during the three (3) day period beginning February 1st at 12:... More About: Beta , Round
Input Strikes a Nerve
2007-01-24 05:23:01 What started out as a comment on Maunderlust's blog turned into a full-fledged entry. That's what these things are for I suppose, right? I've seen a few articles on how FPS' utilize the motion control capabilities of the Wii today and it seems like it's struck a chord through the blogosphere. Everybody is writing about it now.I believe this is because as soon as gamers laid their eyes on Nintendo's new controller, they almost immediately made the "perfect for first person games" connection. I'll admit the Wiimote has the potential to best mouse and keyboard gaming in first person games. The level of precision I'm already seeing is something I can be extremely comfortable with and these first gen games are nothing compared to what we'll be seeing a year or so down the road, and hopefully sooner.Now we're getting into some of the ideas that expanded my "comment-into-a-blog." I'll just paste what I wrote already because I'm lazy and tired and cranky..."The article I read s... More About: Strike , Input
I've Got a Lot of Homework for Tomorrow...
2007-01-24 05:23:01 I'm never leaving my laptop home again. Last night I didn't want to bring it with me because I figured my buddies and I would be busy enough at it is. We headed to the Tech N9NE show at the Roseland, which was my first time seeing him live and being at the Roseland. It was a good show and I was impressed by the amount Tech was actually rapping up there and not just letting the record play on. Lip syncing seems to be a favorite of a lot of big rappers out there; it's pathetic.I ended up working at Subway today. Yes, I work at Subway. I'm looking for a new job, preferably something that has to do with web or graphic design. Honestly however, I don't have quite enough experience yet. At least I'm en route to getting it currently, although I'm definitely interested in learning programming as well. On the positive side, I might have some graphic work coming up. More updates on that as it comes (Wish me luck!).I've got Calculus II and Writing 122 in the morning. I'll update more ... More About: Homework , Home , Work , Tomorrow , Ework
Ready to Rock on 360
2007-01-24 05:23:01 I was expecting a minor graphical overhaul for the 360 version of Guitar Hero II. I was not expecting this:He has no nipples...?Harmonix put a lot into improving the graphics rather than just rushing the 360 version and bumping up the resolution. Prepare to shred graciously in the comfort of HD Guitar Hero gaming with improved lighting techniques. Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 is going to shine brightly and show off the extra work Harmonix put into it.March 2007 can't come quickly enough. I was already looking forward to being able to download new songs off Xbox Live marketplace. I hadn't considered the tremendous increase of replay value through achievements, the sheer amount of time I'll spend just to increase my rank on the leaderboards and the dead sexy design of the new X-Plorer controller.We will also be seeing additional included tracks, which I for one give both RedOctane and Harmonix an ovation for. A lot of publishers are using microtransactions available through the Mark... More About: Rock , Read , Ready
A Startling Discovery
2007-01-24 05:23:01 I just finished watching "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary on global warming featuring Al Gore. Although I was sleepy when I started the film, the bluntness of the information presented literally woke me back up.For those of you who don't know, global warming occurs due to the presence of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Don't confuse this with holes in the ozone layer caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), although that is very much apart of global warming as well. Anyway, the C0-2 in our atmosphere causes the rays of the sun to get trapped. As a result, the overall temperature of the earth has been increasing, which is causing the ice caps at the North Pole, Greenland, and Antarctica to melt. I'm sure most of you are at least somewhat familiar with this concept if you've been in school in the last five or ten years.Al Gore did a great job of using analogies and examples to illustrate the seriousness and severity of the reality of global warming. I especially like the use ... More About: Discovery , Start , Star , Cover , Over
A good blog for once
2007-01-24 05:23:01 The following is an assignment for my writing class. It's the first assignment we've gotten, and it's being used to basically find out where we (the students) are at in regards to writing level. It's an obituary. Enjoy!Cameron Christian HermensA funeral will be at 1:30p.m. Saturday, January 14, 2011, at Cape Lookout campground, in honor of the annual family camping trip started back in 2002. Cameron was involved in a freak bicycle accident involving three totaled cars and a cement truck, dying at the untimely age of 24.Cameron lived a life full of potential, aspiring to become good at many different things. Alas, he often started things without finishing them, quickly moving on to other interests. Despite the doubt of those around him, the possibility of obsessive compulsive disorder was ruled out after several tests found nothing. He founded his own comic book store when we was a young boy, then discovered Graphic Design when he was 11 years old. After that, he could regularly ... More About: Blog , Good , Once , Fakta , Doof
An Empty Promise
2007-01-24 05:23:01 Well... it snowed for what seemed like a grand total of five minutes yesterday in Oregon. I was pissed off because I love snow and I knew there was no way it was gonna stick or get any heavier. It was way too sunny out and there were only intermittent clouds scattered across the Portland Metro area.We were supposed to have a snowstorm last night. It didn't happen. It's been awhile since Portland had a good amount of snow. I remember when the cold air currents from Canada somehow made it down into Oregon and it started snowing one day in January of 2004. We went back to school for one day before it hit us and we had the entire rest of the week off. Not only was there a huge snowstorm, but at one point it was so cold that we got hit with freezing rain and a two-inch thick insulating layer of frozen rain covered the snow everywhere. It was hard to even walk more than a few blocks on this stuff.I can't imagine we'd actually have the fortune of experiencing a similar Winter this year... More About: Prom , Promise , Empty
Dugg Down for Compatibility
2007-01-24 05:23:01 It sure would be nice if the folks over at Digg would take note of the new Blogger. As it stands, I still can't set up my blogging preferences in Digg because my account has been migrated from the standard Blogger account to the newer Google Account, which currently isn't supported by Digg. I figured the migration would make everything easier and that the ability to blog worthy articles from Digg would work with the new Blogger just as it did with the old Blogger.I'm still receiving the error message "IXR_Error Object ( [code] => 0 [message] => com.google.blogger.api.UserMigratedExcept ion: The given Blogger account has been migrated to a Google Account on the new Blogger )." Who knows when they'll actually fix it. Has anyone found a work around for this problem yet? I'm anxious to start blogging my favorite Digg articles. More About: Comp , Down , Bili , Dugg , Compatibility
The Mystery Behind iPhone's "OS X"
2007-01-24 05:23:01 Apple's iPhone runs OS X. It was announced at the keynote, but not a whole lot of information has actually been released on the finer points of the no doubt modified version of OS X running on the new phone. John Gruber goes into excellent detail regarding the misconceptions formed by referring to the UI present on the iPhone as "OS X."Macworld's own report of the iPhone reveals the actual space taken up is a mere 500 MB. Clearly a full-fledged version of OS X isn't present, as most OS X installation system folders are in excess of 2 GB. OS X has many features that aren't necessary for a mobile phone, from hardware drivers not necessary for the iPhone to all applications developed for the Mac UI. In contrast there are several features required for a cellphone that OS X does not offer, as well as the new multi-touch screen support.In actuality the iPhone may not run a bit-for-bit translation of OS X, but at it's heart you can be assured you're getting something very similar in ... More About: Iphone , Mystery , Behind , Myst
Still Using a Mouse?
2007-01-24 05:23:01 Slightly less than a year ago, Jeff Han unveiled a new multitouch technology. Jeff Han is a researcher at the computer science department at New York University. In the video below, Han is working with a 36" by 27" multitouch display which he uses to manipulate a "lava lamp"-type screen saver program.Traditional touch screens often used in tablet PCs and PDAs are limited in that they can only receive input from one source at a time. Both Han's multitouch display and the new iPhone sport technology allowing multiple inputs to be accurately interpreted, offering an intuitive new way to control computer applications. I find it interesting that although the two technologies are almost exactly similar in nature, the inner workings of the two differ dramatically.The technology behind both products are quite impressive. An optical sensor technology is utilized in Han's display with an accuracy up to 2.5 mm. The technology behind Apple's iPhone is provided by a company called Fingerworks... More About: Stil , Sing , Mouse , Still , Ouse
Why We Love Gears of War
2007-01-24 05:23:01 Gears of War is a shallow game. It doesn't innovate. The story seems like it was thrown in almost as an afterthought. The multiplayer component includes three game types which are essentially the same when it comes down to it. And I can't stop playing it. I've spent many nights up 'til 3 in the morning on multiplayer, and at first I couldn't figure out why.CliffyB and the rest of the Gears of War team at Epic did not set out to create a game that blew away all expectations with its innovative game mechanics. Bleszinski acknowledges this himself. "Sometimes, the more unique your game and universe design the more difficult it can be for millions of gamers ? to latch onto your game mechanics and characters." He points towards Psychonauts as an example, a critically acclaimed and innovative game that fell short commercially. Many game designers today suggest that game publishers aren't interested in originality, sometimes provoking the symptom known as "sequelitis."The reason why ... More About: Love , Gear , Ears
"Hold Your Wii for a Wii" Update
2007-01-24 05:23:01 As you may have already heard, a Sacramento woman died of water intoxication as a result of participating in the "Hold Your Wii for a Wii" contest held by 107.9 KDND. Jennifer Strange was found dead in her home and was believed to have drunk two gallons of water without urinating. The contest had listeners drinking increasingly large amount of water as time passed, with the winner declared by who could hold the water without peeing for the longest.Already ten people connected to the contest have been fired from the Entercom-owned station and the Morning Rave show has been canceled. From KCRA.com: ?The Sacramento County Sheriff?s Department and Sacramento County District Attorney?s Office are launching an investigation in the death of Jennifer Strange, who was found dead in her home after taking part in a radio station water-drinking contest.?I wholeheartedly agree with the dismissal of the radio jockeys and all those involved with the contest. You can even hear them joking about the... More About: Update
Nothing Rhymes with Orange
2007-01-24 05:23:01 For those who don't have the PC hardware to support it, now you can finally revel in the high definition goodness of the previously inaccessible piece of heaven known as Half-Life 2 . Not only that, but the new console release of the Half-Life 2: Orange (also known as the Orange Box) includes several extras that truly justify the not-so-heavy-on-your-wallet price of $59.99. The Orange Box will include the original Half-Life 2 as well as Half-Life 2: Episodes One and Two, Portal and Team Fortress. The Orange Box will be released for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.In addition, the Black Box will be released exclusively on PC in Summer 2007. It includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. Valve plans on releasing the Black Box for a price of $39.99.Oh, the possibilities...Many fans are simply anxious to try out Valve's new game Portal, which is similar in nature to Prey in it's use of portals to solve puzzles and fight enemies. You have complete control of how yo... More About: With , Nothing , Thing , Range
Get a Wii for $209!
2007-01-24 05:23:01 It's rumored that this Sunday, Best Buys across the nation will have Wii 's in stock. You can visit the Circuit City website by clicking the image above to print out your own $40 off total purchase of $199 or more coupon to get a shiny new Wii for the amazing price of $209, as if the price weren't attractive already. Make sure you arrive early for this one.My only regret is already picking up my Wii. Then again, I've had enough fun to warrant the $249 price tag many times over. Good luck!
Top 5 Tech Stories You Won't See in 2007
2007-01-24 05:23:01 1. Social porn Ever felt like the experience of sitting at your computer downloading porn just isn't quite the same as you're used to? Introducing social porn, the latest advance in a frantic search for new Web 2.0 applications. Now all your friends can please themselves without the inconvenience of having to leave their mother's basement. It's like the internet equivalent of a circle jerk!2. Apple doesn't release a new iPod in six months. In a stunning and extremely surprising move by Apple, the iPod manufacturer decides flooding the market with another expensive iPod with minimal upgrades isn't an effective marketing strategy. Instead, they focus on advances in production in order to cut the cost of making an iPod down. Not only will this possibly allow the average consumer to be able to stay focused on any given member of the iPod family without being confused by a new model, but now Apple has made the iPod cheap enough that it has increased its target audience to inc... More About: Stories , Tech , Tories , Stor , Tori
Family Sues Station After Wii Contest Fatality
2007-01-24 05:23:01 Well I figured it would happen at some point. The family of Jennifer Strange, the mother of three who died in a "Hold Your Wii for a Wii" contest at Sacramento's KDND-FM, announced they are suing the station responsible. The Entercom-owned station hasn't responded yet because their phone lines have been completely busy since the announcement."The station knew this was a dangerous and potentially deadly stunt, but flippantly dismissed the dangers," their lawyer, Roger Dreyer said in a statement. "Hearing the tape (of the radio show), it's very clear they knew of the dangers and could foresee that this could lead to Jennifer's death."After Jennifer Strange was found dead in her home, where she was suspected to have consumed up to two gallons of water without urinating, the station responded by firing 10 people connected to the contest and canceling the "Morning Rave" show the contest was featured on. The hosts of the Morning Rave show were joking about the possibility of water int... More About: Contest , Family , Fatality , Station
Sony eats Nintendo's Dust
2007-01-24 05:23:01 Over the weekend, the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii were both released, each completely selling out. Of course, the initial shipment of PS3's was only 400,000 or so, whereas the Wii shipped with an impressive million plus units. And so the console war has finally started, with Microsoft having an impressive lead so far.Naturally, Sony has already screwed up. It turns out there's a fatal flaw in the core processing unit which requires Sony to recall 650,000 machines. Way to go Sony; you topped the annoying "disk read error" problem with the Playstation 2. Nintendo did a much better job with their first batch of consoles, although there were reports of firmware updates for the Wii that cause the system to stop working completely. Nintendo generally ships working consoles when they launch a new system (amazing concept, I know), and fortunately this problem has only occurred with a handful of units so far.Right now, I'm fine with my Xbox 360. Gears of War will keep me occupied f... More About: Tend , Tendo
Ready to Rock on 360
2007-01-23 02:43:00 I was expecting a minor graphical overhaul for the 360 version of Guitar Hero II. I was not expecting this:He has no nipples...?Harmonix put a lot into improving the graphics rather than just rushing the 360 version and bumping up the resolution. Prepare to shred graciously in the comfort of HD Guitar Hero gaming with improved lighting techniques. Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 is going to shine brightly and show off the extra work Harmonix put into it.March 2007 can't come quickly enough. I was already looking forward to being able to download new songs off Xbox Live marketplace. I hadn't considered the tremendous increase of replay value through achievements, the sheer amount of time I'll spend just to increase my rank on the leaderboards and the dead sexy design of the new X-Plorer controller.We will also be seeing additional included tracks, which I for one give both RedOctane and Harmonix an ovation for. A lot of publishers are using microtransactions available through the Mark... More About: Rock , Read , Ready
Japan Finally Gives 360 Some Love
2007-01-23 02:30:00 This is one of the very few times I've seen good news come out of Japan for the Xbox 360. After glowing reviews from Famitsu, Gears of War has sold out across the entire country. Microsoft is scrambling to restock the store shelves. Reports from Japan indicate the game has received lots of attention, with flocks of people gathering around the demo.I find this funny because the tradition is that western-developed games in particular never score high with the gaming public in Japan. First-person shooting games especially are almost nonexistent as it is so commonly the cause of motion sickness and Japanese gamers just usually aren't interested. Gears is a third-person shooter but it has the familiar swinging camera associated with most FPS'.I wonder if the noise surrounding the game coming from the US had any influence on the unexpected success of Gears. To date it has already sold 3 million copies. Microsoft has had a hard time with both the 360 and the original Xbox in Japan, but ... More About: Love , Final , Finally , Give
Lionhead Teases with Fable 2 Goodies
More articles from this author:2007-01-23 02:12:00 A post from an administrator on the Lion head Studios message board includes a nice piece of concept art for the upcoming Fable 2, as well as some small hints to go along with it: ... and we would like to add the following 3 points, for you to speculate: This is a castle"Own all the world's property"Located in a city Fable2-TeamI'm not entirely sure, but I believe this is a castle located in a city. In addition, I'm hearing things about being able to own all the world's property. I'm looking forward to hearing more speculation on this as it comes. More About: With , Head , Good 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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