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We often get stuck in our own way of doing things and overlook tiny details that could make our lives much easier. For example, I recently learned that a metal ring on the side of my potato peeler can be used to dig out those pesky black spots.

There are plenty of people online who enjoy sharing these tricks to help out fellow netizens who haven’t heard of them. This time, Bored Panda found them gathered under this Reddit thread. So, we invite you to scroll down to find the most surprising objects with secret features that will make your life a bit more convenient.

While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with industrial designers Celine Wong and Lisa Pechenkina, who kindly agreed to tell us more about the magic of hidden features in products.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before If you get an email in Outlook and you don’t want to deal with it right then but also don’t want to forget it altogether, right click or select the 3 dots on the email and select ‘Snooze’. Pick when you want the message to reappear (later that day, the next morning, etc) and it will be delivered at the top of your inbox at that time!

glitch-possum:
 
New Procrastination Ability Unlocked!!!

maasd , Taryn Elliott Report

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JoNo
JoNo
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mark mine as unread so I notice them. I'd like to be able to "pin" an email to the top of my inbox.

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#2

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Rubbing alcohol kills bugs within seconds. Pour it into a spray bottle and go on a killing spree in a well-ventilated area.

hufflefox:

Also stops itching from bites. Dap some on those mosquito bites before you scratch and the welt shrinks and goes away.

EerieArizona , Liliana Drew Report

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keyboardtek
keyboardtek
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do not spray alcohol on painted surfaces unless you want to ruin the finish.

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#3

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before On Android. (not sure about Iphone), you can schedule text messages. I often send stuff to my employee late at night but I just have it scheduled to send the following morning. Plus it makes them think I'm up early doing boss stuff.

generaltso78 , Ketut Subiyanto Report

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Bruce Horton
Bruce Horton
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did this when I wanted to create a message while the thought was fresh but I would schedule the message to be sent during normal business hours for the recipient. I didn't expect them to work the hours that I did.

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Bored Panda reached out to industrial designers Celine Wong and Lisa Pechenkina, who kindly agreed to tell us more about how hidden features are included in products.

Wong believes that hidden features aim to bring joy to users by offering delightful moments of surprise. She further explained, “Take, for instance, the Gen 1 Apple Pencil, which always aligns its logo upward when rolled on a table. While not particularly useful, such features provide a sense of pleasure upon discovery, leaving a lasting impression on users. This extra touch sets brands apart.”

Wong pointed out that hidden features should never compromise a product’s design or user experience. “While it’s ideal for users to stumble upon them organically, it’s also acceptable if they remain undiscovered. For instance, I only found the hidden game on my Fellow kettle after owning it for two years, showcasing that discovery can occur over time without detracting from the product’s core functionality.”
#4

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Potato peeler can peel a perfect slice of hard butter from the fridge. No tearing of bread trying to spread hard butter.

CyzeDoesMatter- , I G Report

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jon gilbertson
jon gilbertson
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you peel your potatoes, don't throw the peels away. fry the peels in some olive oil and sprinkle your favorite seasoning. Delicious.

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#5

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before I recently read that the reason old-timey door handles/door knockers were made of brass was because brass kills bacteria.

oneWeek2024 , Guru Saran Report

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Ace
Ace
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's just a chance effect, brass doorhandles have been around way longer than people had any real understanding of bacteria-born disease.

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#6

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before In the US, you can always call 911 from a phone even if the phone doesn't have service. Parents, remember this when giving kids old cell phones to play with.

Da1UHideFrom , Ron Lach Report

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quentariel
quentariel
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Works almost everywhere outside of the US too. And you can call from a cell phone even without sim card, or locked phone.

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Pechenkina describes secret functions in industrial design as something that can help maintain a clean and minimalist design aesthetic. She provides an example of a hidden front camera in smartphones that manufacturers often hide at the top of the screen. “This design choice maintains a clean display surface, enhancing the overall sleekness of the device while users still know that their device has that front camera,” she adds.

She also mentions that “in some products, additional functionality can be hidden from prying eyes while the product owners know about that additional functionality. In compact apartments, furniture manufacturers offer hidden storage solutions, such as ottomans with built-in compartments or coffee tables with lift-up tops that reveal additional storage space. These hidden features maximize the use of limited living space, providing 2-in-1 solutions.”

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#7

on both iphones and qndroid phones, if you take a screenshot, and then what to draw on it like circle something, or arrow, or write something, go ahead and make the circle BUT don't lift your finger off the screen for a second and it will turn into a more aestheticly pleasing circle (or character or whatever). works with letters, arrows, squares, circles, numbers...

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#8

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Many libraries in the U.S. have portable wifi hotspots and laptops that you can check out for a month at a time.

Tempest_in_a_TARDIS:

My local library has a "Library of Things," and I love it! You can check out wifi hotspots, telescopes, laminators, a home theater projector, an external CD/DVD drive, and lots more. It's really great for when you need something for a project but don't want to invest money in it because you'll only use it once or twice.

situationalsprinter , Genaro Servín Report

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#9

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before You can set custom keyboard shortcuts. I use @@ to paste my email and && to paste my address. It’s really useful

Edit: For iPhone: Settings-> General->Keyboard->Text Replacement

velmazing44 , Ott Maidre Report

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ॐBoyGanesh
ॐBoyGanesh
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve so many I can’t keep track. If I type and “H” & “P” together I get: Harry Potter, Boy Wizard; The Chosen One. I use them for random script, too. Like “om” or “aum” becomes: ॐ.

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Pechenkina believes that in complex products, the inclusion of hidden features serves a crucial purpose. “For example, keeping the main interface simple for most users while sneaking in advanced features for those who need them. This way, everyone gets a straightforward experience, but more advanced users can still access those extra tricks when they need them. It’s all about balancing simplicity with depth, especially in digital design.”

She also explained the different ways hidden features could be made easily discoverable to users without compromising the design of the product. “This could involve QR codes on household appliances linking to online tutorials or augmented reality overlays showcasing hidden functionalities in designs.”
#10

Your city's library card likely has access to of thousands of free audiobooks and ebooks by connecting it to an app called Libby. Some popular books have waitlists but some titles you can borrow right away. Truly a game changer if you're into reading and trying not to spend big bucks on books.

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keyboardtek
keyboardtek
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Library Genesis is what all the college kids are using. Like Napster was for mp3, Library Genesis is for books.

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#11

Most people hold walking sticks wrong and get like 5% of the support you could get, the handle is supposed to face forward, like with crutches, it keeps the weight distribution correct and in line with your shoulder.

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Memaw Mitch
Memaw Mitch
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also I see them used won't when using a cane/walking stick due to a knee, ankle, foot injury. It is supposed to be used with the opposite hand, creating a tripod. Bad leg and cane together, then good leg by itself.

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#12

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before A lot of people forget that most of our smartphones have compasses built in them.

Down-Bad_For_Chun-Li , Atahan Demir Report

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OmMi
OmMi
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can download one from the store too if yours doesn't have it

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Another great method is the use of customizable features that allow users to tailor their experience and adjust the visibility of secret functions to their preferences. For instance, “a wearable fitness tracker may analyze user activity patterns to suggest advanced workout modes or health-tracking features. Embedded sensors or companion apps [can] gather user usage data and preferences [so] the product can adapt its interface to highlight or suggest hidden features [that are] tailored to individual user behaviors.”

She concluded by saying, “These are just a few examples of how I ensured that hidden features enhance user experiences without overwhelming the overall aesthetics and usability of products in the past, but I believe that, depending on a particular problem, we can find creative solutions that would show that additional functionality when it’s needed.”

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#13

In windows, WIN+number launches the application you have pinned on your taskbar. Eg. I pin the calculator as the first app so WIN+1 launches the calculator when I need it.

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#14

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before If you find the childsafe function on the cap of a prescription medicine bottle annoying (and you don't have kids you need to protect), a lot of the tops are designed to be used upside down as well, as normal, easy-to-open screw tops.

zazzlekdazzle , frankieleon Report

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#15

YouTube has no ads if you retype the video or playlist link in browser with a dash (yout-ube).

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Daniel Atkins
Daniel Atkins
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ublock origin does this on computers. It is a plugin and once installed not more ads.

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#16

Rubbing alcohol can clean the inside of your car windshield . Ever notice how the inside is kind of smeary, it's from off gases from the plastic from the dashboard. Just put some alcohol on a paper towel, wipe the glass well and then get a clean paper towel or microfiber, spray glass cleaner, dry all and you will have the shiniest window.

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Toothless Feline
Toothless Feline
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The hard part is that so many modern cars have the base of the windshield so far from the dashboard that a normal person can’t reach far enough. You have to get extensible tools to clean it.

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#17

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Every time i dig into the settings of my phone (samsung galaxy) i find a bunch of features that arent default on but are actually useful. Like when taking a selfie, rather than awkwardly trying to hit the shutter button, you can just show the camera your palm and it starts a photo countdown.

sunburn95 , Julia M Cameron Report

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#18

Hearing aids, believe it or not, are also used as an aid to distract your brain from tinnitus or other very annoying audio intrusions.

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Amanda Rose
Amanda Rose
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is why I love mine. I have 75% hearing loss and tinnitus (really fun combination!). my audiologist told me that I would be better off with the kind that hook over the back of your ears to help balance out the various directions sounds are coming from.

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#19

“Potato water” is great for cleaning silver. The starchy salted boiled water after you’ve cooked potatoes, let it cool and throw in your jewellery, fancy cutlery, whatever, all the dirt comes off and then just a quick polish.

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badmotorfinger
badmotorfinger
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tooth paste works great also. Bonus is that your jewelry smells minty fresh.

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#20

The metal posts in your cars headrests can be used to smash the window in an emergency - same as the little hammer you can get.

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Candid Panda
Candid Panda
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but headrests are a bit tricky to remove from the seat since they have a small button to press in order to release. So it may be cumbersome to remove in an emergency.

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#21

On galaxy phones when you take a screenshot theres a square with down arrows that will automatically extend the screenshot to get more in the picture.

Edit: apparently this works for all Androids!

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#22

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Those little plastic “tables” in the middle of your pizza box keep the cheese from sticking to the cardboard, but they also can be used to hold down the neighboring slice, so you can remove your slice without touching any others.

Seymour_Scagnetti , Ben Chun Report

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#23

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Honda CR-Vs from the early 2000s have a secret picnic table under the floor in the back.

FroggiJoy87 , Alex Harden Report

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#24

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Whistles are built into the zippers of a lot of outdoor equipment, like backpacks and jackets.

stoned_since_91 , Nathan Mizrachi Report

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Brandy Gray
Brandy Gray
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think theres only a couple brands that do this and obviously it's not the zipper.

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#25

Garlic press - you don’t have to peel the garlic before pressing, the press does it for you.

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#26

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Many microwaves have a secret silent mode. The most common methods to activate it are holding either 0, 1 or 2 for about five seconds. If none of these work, try holding Start or Cancel for five seconds. Otherwise, search for your microwave brand and include the word “mute”.

sidartha , Ewen Roberts Report

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Diolla
Diolla
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For a moment I thought "HOW can you make the fan go silent? Then I realised it's about the ping.

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#27

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Hair dryers can double as de-wrinklers when you're too lazy to iron your clothes.

Legitimate-Visit757 , Pavel Danilyuk Report

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Marie Lane
Marie Lane
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And there is almost always a hair dryer in hotel rooms, but not necessarily an iron.

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#28

Put a damp paper towel over rice, tortillas, or just about anything that dries out in the microwave to keep it soft.

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#29

My VW automatically switches the vent to recirculate, when I shift to reverse. This minimizes the intake of exhaust gases when backing up.

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#30

Many ceiling fans have a switch to reverse the direction for differences of summer and winter Temps. Your fans should pull up in the winter and push down in the summer.

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Alison Hobbs
Alison Hobbs
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I may be wrong but, I think that's the wrong way round. Warm air rises so, it needs pushing down in the winter and pulling up in the summer

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#31

A lot of screwdrivers/nut drivers have a hole at the top of the handle. That’s so you can insert another screwdriver (usually a Phillips head one) and now it’s like a t-driver for extra leverage.

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JP Doyle
JP Doyle
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most screwdrivers also have an hexagonal handle, so you can use the appropriate sized hex wrench or socket wrench for extra leverage or ratchet driving effect.

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#32

On a smart phone if you are typing and hold down the space bar button you can then scroll left and right to move the cursor on the text!

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Bree
Bree
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On android swipe your finger on the space bar and it moves the cursor that direction in the text

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#33

Measuring tapes.

The metal clip at the end moves 1/8" to account for the thickness of the end clip in both the push and pull motions.

The hole at the end is for placing on the edge of a nail to get measurements from odd spots.

The red numbers are all 16" apart to help you measure standard stud bay distances.

The little black diamonds are every 19 3/16" so you can evenly mark and break down a standard 8' sheet of stock into 5 equal parts.

If you need to get a quick half of a whole measurement, lock the tape at the whole measurement, and fold the end of the tape to touch the body of the tape, your half mark is right there at the inside bend. Can also be used for lazy subtraction or addition of measurements.


EDIT - The most commonly added thing here, by an overwhelming margin, is that tape measures often have the physical size of the body of the tape measure marked on it somewhere so it can be used for "inside" measurements. Honestly, this is one of those things I forgot to add because I use it so often that I've just memorized the size for my tape (3 1/2") and never think about it.

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#34

Pedestrian crossing control boxes (i.e., beg buttons) in the UK have a little cone on the underside to assist visually impaired users. If you hear a crossing beep, you might not know whether your crossing is the active one. But the little cone rotates when the crossing you engaged is active, so you know for sure.

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-22706881

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#35

Most libraries have passes to your favorite local museums, zoos, and major attractions that you can check out for free and save hundreds of dollars a year.

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#36

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before There are tabs on the sides of aluminum foil, Saran wrap, parchment paper, etc you press in that holds the roll in the container.

llcucf80 , Jeffery Bennett Report

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#37

The stapler built into the work printer is the best stapler in the office. If your stack of documents can fit in the slot at all, it’ll staple.

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Solidhog
Solidhog
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are some in photocopiers that will staple 100 sheets together.

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#38

Most pocket knives that copy the swiss army knife model, have an Awl. This is used the same as a needle, but for sewing-together leather pieces. Makes a good leather-punch if you lost weight and need some new belt notches.

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#39

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before In windows 10, naming a jpg file "folder.jpg" will make that image (and only that image) the preview for the folder. Great when viewing in extra large icons.

StraySpaceDog , Karolina Grabowska Report

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Tara Noe
Tara Noe
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, you can only do it once per folder, and you'll never be able to search for it by typing a name. Not much of a hack :/

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#40

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before You can replace the large jar on your blender with a mason jar when you need to blend or chop a small volume of something.
Just screw the cap with the blades onto any small mouth canning jar and proceed.
Blenders were designed for this use.

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ॐBoyGanesh
ॐBoyGanesh
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wouldn’t that depend on the blender model? I’ve a Breville blender and broke the glass. While waiting for a replacement to take forever to ship, I bought some cheap Oster, Kitchen Aid & Cuisinart blenders from the thrift shop, but none fit. None fit Vitamix either. I know there are a few sizes of mason jar openings, but I can’t see this as a given.

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#41

Hold a spoon under hot- hot water, then place it onto a mosquito bite. Feels awesome and the itch goes away!

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#42

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before The top rack in most dishwashers adjusts up and down so you can fit taller things in the top rack. There are little clips on the sides of the rack that you use to adjust it. Go take a peek at your dishwasher 👀

Pathological-PplPlzr , cottonbro studio Report

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#43

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Most vegetable peelers have a metal ring on the side. It’s to dig out black spots from potatoes.

101_210 , Rebecca Siegel Report

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#44

Photoshop's eye-dropper tool can pick up colour from outside the PS window. Just click and hold while inside the window and then drag outside. I always mention this on questions like that because it is soooo useful.

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#45

On CD players, when you hold rewind, you can go into 'negative seconds' on an applicable track. Some albums used the 'negative seconds' on a CD to put an in-between opening to a song so that when you skip to the song, you also skip the opening. More interesting is an example like Relient K's Mmhmm album. If you hold rewind on the very first track long enough and let go, you will hear the album's hidden track (which is also the album's title track at that). It's mostly an instrumental with humming, but it's good and interesting and sadly a great novel way of hiding hidden tracks that quickly is disappearing with the mass' move to digital. 


Edit: just wanted to thank you all for showing me so many other albums that did this. It's crazy how many of them did, yet I only really knew about a few. Like even knowing about this little secret didn't make it something I regularly checked for simply because of how obscure and rare I already knew it to be.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess those of us that simply put the CD in the slot and let it play normally would never realise these hidden bits were hidden. I do remember one right at the end of an album (Travis) where you needed to let the final track continue playing for about three minutes of silence to hear another song.

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#46

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Dude, did you know that most staplers have a built-in staple remover on the bottom? Mind blown!

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to have a sharp bit that could pop out, but most don't now

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#47

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Some tubes of medicine have a pointy thing on the cap that allows you to pierce the tamper resistant packaging.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most things, super glues, etc, have the pointy thing if the tube is sealed with foil.

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#48

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before The bottom of a ceramic coffee cup is great for sharpening knives. Hold the knife against one side of the exposed ceramic ring, raise 15 degrees, and carefully slice forward scraping the knife against the bare ceramic. 5-6 strokes on each edge usually works for me.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why? Even if it actually works, and I doubt it, why not just use a proper knife sharpening steel?

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#49

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before The apple logo on the back of iPhones is a secret, programmable button.

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#50

I had been using disposable five-blade razors for years before I realized there's a single blade on the flip side for doing edges.

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#51

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Lots of electronic car keys have a hidden "analog" metal key that slides out of the fob in case your key battery runs out.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So does that mean there's an actual key that's hidden in most fobs?

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#52

My wireless mouse has a compartment in the bottom for storing the dongle.

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#53

You can use the handle hole on a cutting board to funnel ingredients into a pot. I guess just more of a handy tip than an intended feature, but figured I'd comment. 

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or you can buy a chopping board that folds - search chop to pot.

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#54

iPhones have a built in white noise machine. Instead of using Youtube or Spotify or something, just go to: Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Background Sounds. It doesn't use your data or wifi. I use it every night to sleep.

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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cool. Now is there any way I can make a shortcut to the home screen? Edit to add: There is! Scroll down to the bottom in Accessibility, and there's an accessibility shortcut so you can toggle it on and off buy tripple-tapping the home button.

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#55

I bought a Bissell vacuum cleaner (really inexpensive model). I found out, 6 months after purchase, that if you step on the recline button a second time, the vacuum damn near lies flat. Found out by doom scrolling YouTube shorts.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My job was writing software user manuals. We painstakingly try to describe every feature in the easiest and useful possible way. Please always read the user manual!

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#56

In the US, interstate highways going east to west are even-numbered and the further south you are, the lower the number.

Interstate highways going north to south are odd and the further west you are, the lower the number.

Interstate highways that are three digits go around a city instead of through it.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, with the three-digit numbers, originally the first digit indicated whether the highway was a belt (a complete loop around the city or region that you could drive around continuously), a loop (an alternate connector between two points on the same two-digit highway), or a bypass (an alternate connector between two different two-digit highways)—2, 4, and 6, respectively. After the first few decades, they stopped holding strictly to this standard. The last two digits of the three-digit number indicate which two-digit highway it’s considered an adjunct to, based on where Mile #1 starts. Because of this numbering pattern, there are many three-digit highways that have the same number in different states. I believe they went out of their way to avoid having two of the same number in the same state, which is how the strict 2/4/6 numbering got broken.

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#57

On an iPhone you can take a picture of clothes/fabric tags with all those washing symbols. Then go to photos and click on the picture, swipe it up to get more info and it comes up with a ‘Laundry Care’ option first. Click it and it tells you what each of the washing/laundry symbols means!

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#58

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Running shoes have an extra hole so you can lace them more securely. Called a heel lock.

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#59

Some mechanical eyeliner pencils have a sharpener on the end. Looks like a little cap. edit: retractable eyeliner pencil, i should say.

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#60

Bike pumps fitting schrader valves can also inflate car tires. Sure it’ll take a while, but in a pinch it’ll help you get to a shop. Much better than the powered inflators since the bike pump doesn’t rely on a battery and takes up very little space.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They call them foot pumps. Way easier than a hand pump. Can be used on both bicycles and cars. I have one in my classic, as a compressor would drain the battery too much. However, you can now get rechargable compressors.

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#61

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before Roku makes a smartphone app that has a remote function, complete with a keyboard so you don't have to arrow to each letter and type ridiculously slow. and if you have multiple Rokus in your house, it will know the difference between all of them, and you can select which one you want to control. I believe it's over wi-fi, not the regular frequency the remotes use.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And if you don't tell your family about it, you can change the volume or channel, or turn it off from another room and freak them out.

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#62

Windows 10's clipboard can be turned on to remember a ton of things you've copied. It's the Windows + V combination.

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#63

The opening of a Tic Tac container has a little Tic Tac shaped depression.  This is there to facilitate the way you're actually supposed to dispense Tic Tacs, which is to flip the container upside down and open the lid, which will now dispense a single Tic Tac nestled in its little cubby hole.

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#64

if you’re like me and hate your phone screen being bright, you can make it even darker than the darkest standard setting (iPhone) Accessibility>Display & Text Size>Reduce White Point.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also an option is to download an app like Twilight where you can change the brightness, colour and intensity. Especially nice at night

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#65

When you get prescriptions, included in that big wad of paper stapled to the bag are stickers you can use to put on alternate storage containers, like if you put your pills in those weekly boxes or keep a stash of something in your purse.

It is illegal to carry unlabeled pills (at least some of them, not sure of exact laws).

I know FOR SURE they are on CVS, and IIRC Walmart & Sam's have stickers too, but it has been a while since I have gotten non-CVS

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#66

If you're driving at night and someone behind you has bright headlights that tab on the bottom of your rear view mirror works as a dimmer.

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Guess Undheit
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If someone behind you have overly bright headlights, adjust your interior rear view so it reflects back into their face.

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#67

A US dollar bill is exactly 6 inches. So if you needed to measure something you can use that. Fold it in half to measure 3 inches, etc.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

According to the US government, the length of a dollar bill has been 6.14 inches since 1929. Next time try checking your facts first before writing. https://www.uscurrency.gov/denominations/1#:~:text=In%20an%20effort%20to%20lower,than%207.375%20x%203.125%20inches.

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#68

Most smartphones have a lock out sequence of button presses that disables your biometrics in the phone. This forces the user to type in the password to unlock it. Handy tip of you are ever pulled over or arrested as the courts have ruled that it takes a warrant to force you to unlock your phone via biometrics and they can’t force you to provide your passcode.

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#69

Gas station pumps - next to the screen, the second button down on the right usually mutes the annoying tv.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The what on the what? I'd be seriously pissed if they started playing ads on the gas pump.

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#70

On modern pin pads to open garage doors from the outside, if the door is open already, you can close the door by just pressing enter. There’s no need to enter the PIN number to close it.

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#71

Toasters have a hidden compartment underneath them so they can be easily cleaned.

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#72

Most bottle opener styles have a flat piece that's meant for sliding under can rings.

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#73

If you screenshot a webpage on your iPhone you can swipe left on the screenshot to switch to a capture of the entire webpage rather than the piece that fit on your phone screen.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On my iPhone once you take a screenshot of a web page a tab appears at the top that says 'full page'

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#74

My stand mixer has a plug where you can insert all kinds of attachments like a pasta roller, meat grinder, cheese grater, even a food processor.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Kenwood Chef mixers have been around with these features since the 1950s. Still backward-compatible, so if you find some old attachments in you granny's cupboard they'll still work on your new machine.

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#75

Can Openers - on bottom before the handle is a bottle opener. I learned about this at 24 years old….

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Khavrinen
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I haven't encountered a bottle that needed a bottle opener in decades. I don't understand why people still buy them.

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#76

Chinese take-out boxes open into a plate.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only in America. Most other places use foil or plastic containers.

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#77

Many toasters have a Bagel Button. It causes there to be heat on only one side, since the outside of the bagel is already cooked. There's probably also an icon that shows you the orientation. This leaves you with a bagel that has a crispy surface but soft underside.

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Regina Holt
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

when you toast bagels the outside of the bagel should facing each other, the cut side should be facing out.

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#78

90% Isopropyl alcohol is great for cleaning vulcanized sidewall rubber on Vans and Converse style shoes. Also for getting sticky label residue off CD/DVD Cases. But be careful, it may take color off certain things. Test in a small spot first. Also good for cleaning tape deck/VCR heads and CD/DVD laser lenses. 

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was a pro-audio repair tech for 40 years. Isopropyl alcohol contains water. For cleaning tape deck heads, use denatured alcohol. WD-40 works great to remove sticky labels and duct tape residue.

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#79

A lot of people don't understand the broil function of an oven. The reason the door can be left propped open several inches* is for use with the broiler. It's the flame or heating element coming from the top (the door props open because the heat should spill out as you are cooking with radiant heat rather than convection like with baking/roasting) and can be used for all sorts of things.

As a simple example you can seriously impress your friends with a killer plate of nachos when they come over to watch the game and they are easy as hell to make.

*edit: This can be different for some ovens as there can be a broiling drawer under the oven so that the oven only needs one burner for the oven when it's built or it can have a vent that exhausts the heat out of the oven leaving the radiant heat as the mode of cooking.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And for goodness sakes use the timer, I have a rep as the garlic bread burner. Turn on broil, set timer for 5 mins...

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#80

There is a knife sharpener on the back of most electric can opener’s. A s****y knife sharpener, but a knife sharpener nonetheless.

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9 months ago

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Only someone with arthritis in their hands needs to own an electric can opener. Or maybe a restaurant that opens a ton of cans every day. It is a waste of electricity for the average person.

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#81

On the calculator app on iPhones, you can edit/delete numbers by swiping left on the number(deletes the lowest digit) or swiping right (deletes the highest digit). You do not need to press AC to re-enter the entire number or restart a calculation.

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#82

The little tab on the top of nail clippers locks them closed so you don’t cut yourself. Not the big piece that is used as a pinching mechanism. There’s a tiny clip.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love that little button! it is the piece that swivels it open or closed

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#83

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before The holes in the pot handle. You can put the spoon in there in between stirs.

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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only some of them are the right size for this. They aren’t designed with this function in mind; the hole is meant for hanging the pot from a hook.

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#84

50 People Share Hidden Features In Everyday Things That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before (Red) Solo cups lines ; the line at the very bottom measures a 1-ounce pour of liquor, the next line a 5-ounce serving of wine, and the line closest to the rim for 12-ounces of beer.

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ॐBoyGanesh
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope!!! https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/solo-cup-markings/

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#85

Xbox lets you record up to 10 minute clips at a time and a diligent content creator can use the feature to build small scale content

I also think this is advice a boomer would give to this question but pull the bottom tray out from your microwave* and scrub it. It is removable. It’s not a hack. It is a feature. Please, just scrub that tray, man.

Edit: toaster oven, not microwave, your microwave needs the circular dish scrubbed, but not the bottom tray (it’s good practice to disinfect that bimonthly, imo, but I’m not educated on that). If you cook with it, please f*****g clean it.

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