• A Confession Exposes India’s Secret Hacking Industry. The country has developed a lucrative specialty: cyberattacks for hire. Source: https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-crime/a-confession-exposes-indias-secret-hacking-industry
• The SpinOk malware was found in a new batch of Android apps on Google Play, reportedly installed an additional 30 million times. Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/spinok-android-malware-found-in-more-apps-with-30-million-installs/
• Over 55% of security executives report that they have experienced a SaaS security incident in the past two years — ranging from data leaks and data breaches to SaaS ransomware and malicious apps (as seen in figures 1 and 2). Source: https://thehackernews.com/2023/06/the-annual-report-2024-plans-and.html
• The BBC, British Airways, Boots and Aer Lingus are among a growing number of organisations affected by a mass hack. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65814104
• The Mac Studio will be refreshed this summer with chips based on the M2, including the M2 Max and new M2 Ultra, the "most powerful chip" ever released "for a personal computer. Source: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/06/as-rumored-the-mac-studio-gets-an-m2-refresh-including-fused-together-m2-ultra/
• Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered and reported that over 360 million user data records have been leaked in a breach with the free VPN service SuperVPN. These records contained tons of personal information, including email addresses, original IP addresses, geolocation records, unique user identifiers, references to visited websites and more. Here's everything we know so far. Source: https://www.foxnews.com/tech/massive-free-vpn-data-breach-exposes-360-million-records
• FBI: Scammers Using Public Photos, Videos for Deepfake Extortion Schemes. The culprits are using AI technology to take benign photos of people, including minors, and turn them into sexually explicit images in order to extort money, the FBI warns. Source: https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/147188/fbi-scammers-using-public-photos-videos-for-deepfake-extortion-schemes
• Microsoft to pay $20 million FTC settlement over improperly storing Xbox account data for kids. Microsoft allegedly violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act with the way it stored data on attempted Xbox account signups. Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/5/23750320/microsoft-xbox-ftc-settlement-account-data-kids-coppa
• Microsoft Outlook was down for thousands of American users Monday after pro-Russian hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan claims to have started a new campaign dedicated to targeting US companies and infrastructure. Source: https://cybernews.com/security/microsoft-outlook-outage-anonymous-sudan/
• Gmail's verified checkmarks are being duped by scammers. This system was built to earn your trust — that's wavering a bit. Source: https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/gmail-verified-checkmarks-duped-by-scammers
• Fitness app loophole allows access to home addresses. Source: https://techxplore.com/news/2023-06-app-loophole-access-home.html
• TikTok: ByteDance accused of helping China spy on Hong Kong activists. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65817608
• Malwarebytes faces lawsuit for classifying rival's anti-spyware program as a threat. Legal experts are worried the decision could prevent cybersecurity apps from doing their jobs effectively. Source: https://www.techspot.com/news/98976-malwarebytes-faces-lawsuit-classifying-rival-anti-spyware-program.html
• Former exec at TikTok's parent company says Communist Party members had a 'god credential' that let them access Americans' data. Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/communist-party-god-credential-data-bytedance-tiktok-former-executive-alleges-2023-6

Hi! Back with another weekend full of music in KW! Some great popup concerts and tons of other shows all over the region.
As always, check out kwconcerts.ca for ticket links and more info on all the shows :) and feel free to follow on Instagram @kwconcertsca for a similar post to this every week!
Friday, Jun 9, 2023
Hotel Mira With Antisocial Surf Club & Red Output @ The Hub
Ryland James @ Maxwells
Jonathan Chapman @ The Jazz Room
Sunset Sessions 7:30PM (Two Secret Artists) @ Vogelsang Green
Summer Music Series feat. Jones + The Jackpines @ TWB Brewing Co.
Saturday, Jun 10, 2023
Bass Drum Of Death With Dearly Beloved & Basement Revolver @ The Hub
Wannabe - A Spice Girls Tribute @ Farm League Brewing
Junior Santos @ The Jazz Room
Alt Indie Night @ Maxwells
Foods, Marcelle, Stevedave @ The Yeti
Sunny Sounds 10:30AM (2 Secret Buskers) @ Hong Kong Plaza (near the market)
Sunday, Jun 11, 2023
Badflower @ The Hub
Anatomy of the Recovering Brain (NUMUS) @ The Registry Theatre
Elvis Punkley, The Essential Letdowns, Gourmet, Blue Freezie @ Jane Bond
Check out the full listing and information for all concerts coming up in KW this year at kwconcerts.ca.
Let me know if there are any concerts coming up that I've missed!

1. Global Politics:

• Brexit: The United Kingdom faced ongoing uncertainty and delays in its efforts to leave the European Union.
• Trade Wars: Tensions escalated between the United States and China, resulting in an ongoing trade dispute and the implementation of tariffs on various goods.
• Protests: Numerous countries witnessed widespread protests, including Hong Kong, Chile, Lebanon, and Sudan, with people voicing their concerns over political, economic, and social issues.

1. Climate Change and Environmental Issues:

• Climate Strikes: The youth-led movement, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, organized global climate strikes, urging governments to take action against climate change.
• Natural Disasters: Devastating wildfires occurred in the Amazon rainforest, Australia, and California. Cyclones, typhoons, and hurricanes also caused significant damage in various parts of the world.

1. Technology and Science:

• 5G Network Deployment: The rollout of 5G technology began in several countries, promising faster internet speeds and improved connectivity.
• Space Exploration: NASA's InSight lander successfully touched down on Mars, and the first-ever image of a black hole was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope.

1. Entertainment and Culture:

• Films: "Avengers: Endgame" became the highest-grossing film of all time, and other notable releases included "Joker," "Frozen 2," and "The Lion King."
• Music: Artists such as Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, and Lizzo gained significant popularity and success.
• Sports: The FIFA Women's World Cup took place in France, with the United States winning the tournament. Liverpool FC won the UEFA Champions League, and the Toronto Raptors became the first Canadian team to win the NBA Finals.

1. Social Movements:

• Me Too Movement: The movement against sexual harassment and assault continued to gain momentum, with high-profile cases and more survivors speaking out.
• LGBTQ+ Rights: Pride marches and events celebrated progress in LGBTQ+ rights and recognition, along with setbacks in certain regions.

Please note that this is a condensed summary, and many more events and developments occurred throughout the year across various fields and regions.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/07/florida_cisco_counterfeit/?td=rt-3a

A 39-year-old Florida man pleaded guilty Tuesday to selling hundreds of millions of dollars of counterfeit Cisco gear to unsuspecting schools, hospitals, government agencies, and the military.
According to the US Justice Department, between 2013 and 2022 Onur Aksoy, based in Miami, founded at least 19 companies in New Jersey and Florida and launched 15 Amazon and 10 eBay storefronts from which he peddled "tens of thousands" of low-quality or faulty networking devices gussied up to look like new or official Cisco equipment.
The goods, imported from sellers in China and Hong Kong, were often loaded with pirated Cisco software and packaged within Cisco boxes bearing Cisco labels and stickers. Documentation was also made to look legitimate, the Justice Department said.

I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before some of the big name suppliers start using this guy as a scare tactic to funnel sales back their way.

It's Friday and. Seiko is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the original Seiko 5.

What's new

1/
A Huge Seiko Day: Here’s A New 1968 Seiko 5 Inspired Limited Edition And Three Funky SKX Sports Style Watches
Seiko is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Seiko 5 Sports watch. It’s a legendary affordable and robust watch, the start of many collections and an instant trigger for memories of childhood. To celebrate the anniversary, Seiko is looking back into its childhood, back to the original Seiko 5 Sports, and uses the five key characteristic of the collection - an automatic movement; a day-date display in a single aperture at 3 o’clock; water-resistance; a recessed crown at 4 o’clock; and a robust steel case and bracelet or strap - to reissue this versatile timepiece.
The limited-edition watch Seiko is launching now is pretty much the exact same watch. A 39.5mm brushed tonneau-shaped steel case, 12.5mm thick, signature half-moon scalloped areas at noon and 6 o’clock and a crown tucked into the case. The respect of the original dial is carried over to the dial as well. The black dial has a silver peripheral track and the same applied bar indices treated with Lumibrite, just like the hands. Almost identical to the 1968 model, the original Seiko 5 logo is transferred in silver at noon, the day and date window uses a very similar frame to the original, the baton-style hour and minute hands are treated with Lumibrite and the lollipop central seconds hand is red.
Inside the watch is Seiko’s automatic 4R36 calibre, an in-house movement that has long proved its reliability and sturdiness and has a 41 hour power reserve. The Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Limited Edition SRPK17 is numbered on the caseback out of 15,555 that will be produced and will be available in July 2023 at Seiko Boutiques and select partners worldwide. It’s priced at EUR 410.
But there are more tributes to be seen today. The ‘68 Seiko 5 Sports inspired a number of models over the years, but perhaps the most iconic line was the SKX, Seiko’s line-up of affordable bulletproof dive watches that now appear in the brand’s newly restructured collection in the SKX Sports Style segment. Although the three models pick up on the vibrant colour schemes of 1969 Seiko 5 Sports models, they are housed in the legendary SKX case with crown and guards at 4 o’clock and the unidirectional rotating bezel. The 100m water-resistant case measures 42.5mm, has a thickness of 13.4mm, features a see-through caseback to view Seiko’s automatic 4R36 calibre and is fitted with a three-link stainless steel bracelet.
Apart from the obvious colour variations on the dial, all three models have different bezels and flanges. The SRPK09 has a silver dial combined with a black and silver unidirectional rotating bezel the SRPK13 has a black dial and bezel with red and silver markings and a sloping flange in blue and green, while the loudest model is the orange SRPK11 with its black bezel, two-tone orange and black flange and a thick black band traversing the dial from 3 to 9 o’clock.
The three new and colourful references are not limited in production and will be available at Seiko Boutiques and retail partners worldwide in September 2023. The retail price is EUR 350.
2/
Ulysse Nardin Celebrates World Ocean Day With Two New Divers - Net Azure And Diver X Skeleton Azure
June 8th is World Ocean Day and to mark this occasion, Ulysse Nardin is introducing a new azure colorway to the Diver Net and Diver X Skeleton models. UN has for years maintained a very strong stance towards preserving the environment with the use of recycled and upcycled materials, and these two timepieces follow this concept in a non-limited addition to the brand’s catalog.
The Diver Net Azure is a 44mm wide and 14.81mm thick watch that’s made of 95% recycled stainless steel. The side case and case back ring are made of 60% Nylo and 40% Carbonium, just like the bezel. Since it’s a diver, the 300 meter water resistance is expected. The watch has a domed sapphire crystal and underneath it a black sand-blasted dial. On the dial is a huge Azure X that frames the power reserve at 12 and running seconds at 6. Inside the watch is the UN-118 Manufacture caliber, an automatic with 50 jewels, a Silicon balance spring, and a DiamonSil escapement wheel and anchor.
Then there’s the Diver X Skeleton Azure. Just as big, but chunkier at 15.7mm, the watch has a DLC coated titanium case and an x-shaped skeleton dial with polished and satin finishes. At 12 o’clock you can see the Carbonium barrel cover of the UN-372 Manufacture caliber and an oversized silicon balance wheel is situated at 6. Both watches come with azure-blue rubber straps.
The Diver Net Azure will retail at €12,700, and the Diver X Skeleton Azure for €26,800.
3/
Indian Microbrand Bangalore Watch Company Releases Apogee Manzinus & Earthshine To Celebrate India’s Unmanned Moon Missions
Bangalore Watch Company has carved out a very interesting niche. The Bangalore-based indie brand is focusing on celebrating notable achievements from India. Recent examples include the MACH 1 which focused on the Indian Air Force MiG 21 and Cover Drive which highlighted India’s most popular sport, Cricket. Now, they are focusing on space with the Apogee collection that celebrates India’s space program and the focus is on two unmanned moon missions – Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2.
The original Apogee watches launched in 2019 with titanium cases, but the new Manzinus and Earthshine models use stainless steel with a ceramic outer layer of Cerakote. Both cases are 40mm in diameter and 12mm thick, with the main difference between the two being color - Manzinus is white and Earthshine is grey. There are two knurled crowns at 2 and 4 o’clock – the former screws down and rotates an internal bezel, while the latter (push/pull) adjusts the time and date.
The two watches also have dials that differ in color - brown on Earthsine and black on Manzinus. While Earthshine is very true to the original Apogee watch, with a round date window at 6 o’clock, Manzinus has a 9mm disc in lieu of the date of the Muonionalusta meteorite. Inside the watch is a standard grade Sellita SW200-1 automatic. Both versions of the watch come with color matching leather straps.
The Earthshine retails for USD 1,100, while the Manzinus is USD 1,470. Not cheap for a microbrand you might not have heard of before, but also consider that you get a Cerasteel case and interesting design.
4/
American Indie Brand Vero Teams Up With Worn & Wound To Offer Up Their Entry For A Great Summer Watch
ADPT, a subsidiary of Worn&Wound that makes straps, watches and accessories, is known for making colorful and playful all-purpose watches. Vero, a US-based microbrand, is known for making rugged tool watches. Mash them together and you get the crazy Vero Workhorse Chronograph - huge, bold and ready for the summer. This will be a polarizing watch, for sure.
The steel case measures 44.5mm wide and 13.5mm thick, but this size is only appropriate for a watch so boldly colored. It gets a bright aqua blue Cerakote treatment finished with flecks of white and bright yellow bezel guards that the brand calls bullhorns. The same blue can be found on the dial and the running-seconds sub-register at 9 o’clock, while the hour and minute hands are painted in brighter blue to contrast with and match the dial. Lastly, the internal rotating bezel shows an alternation of red and blue accents, and the seconds hand as well as the bumpers holding the Cerakoted shroud in place are painted in bright yellow
The standard controls are on the left case side while the crown at two o'clock rotates the internal timing bezel. Inside is the Miyota 62S1 quartz chronograph movement, which offers 1/4 second resolution and a 60-minute maximum measure for the chronograph. This is is basically a chronograph diver, something also possible thanks to the 120m depth rating. To complete the package, the crystal is sapphire, and the Workhorse comes on a white nylon strap with a Velcro closure.
The Vero x ADPT Workhorse is limited to just 100 units and at the time of writing there are still pieces available on the Worn&Wound store and you can get one if you like it for $499.
5/
Rudis Sylva Radically Simplifies The Harmonious Oscillator With The RS 23, It’s Still Very, Very Expensive
A small independent watchmaker located in the Swiss village of Les Bois, Rudis Sylva recently unveiled its latest creation. What sets Rudis Sylva apart is its Harmonious Oscillator. The brand now introduces the RS23, featuring a simpler version of this unique oscillator, now without a rotating carriage. This simplification also brings down the price significantly. But it’s still an outrageously priced watch.
Truly unique in its kind, the Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator comprises of two balance wheels. As a rule, watchmakers avoid any potential stress on a balance wheel for it to breathe freely. In this case, the two balances are toothed and thus mechanically interlinked. The first balance is driven by the escapement, and in turn, it drives the second balance, rotating it in the opposite direction, but with the same amplitude while each hairspring breathes in an opposite way. The underlying idea is that these constantly opposed balances ensure immediate mutual correction of the potential negative effects of gravity.
Unlike previous versions of the Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator, the regulator is not placed in a rotating carriage. This has allowed building the movement architecture in a symmetrical way with twin barrels creating a counterpoint to the balance wheels. And instead of an off-centred hour and minute display, we have a central indication of the hours, minutes and seconds. A stop-second mechanism allows for precise settings. It beats at a frequency of 3Hz and it boasts a 70h power reserve.
The beauty of a movement is housed in a 44mm titanium or pink gold case that has no bezel and a domed sapphire crystal to show of the movement as much as possible. The watch comes on an alligator strap with a pin buckle.
The Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator RS 23 is released in two limited editions of 8 pieces in titanium and 8 pieces in pink gold. The price is set at CHF 80,000 in titanium and CHF 90,000 in 18k pink gold. A crazy price, yes, but consider the fact that the more complicated Harmonious Oscillator RS16 is priced at CHF 250,000.
6/
Record Breaking Omega Turns Out To Be Frankenwatch Planted By Former Head of Omega Museum In Shocking Insider Scam
For a couple of days now the internet has been talking about an explosive report from the Neue Zürcher Zeitung which claims that the tropical Omega Speedmaster CK2915 that fetched 3.3 million US dollars at auction, obliterating records for the most expensive Omega ever sold, is, in fact a Frankenwatch. A watch put together out of mostly original parts to create the perfect CK2915 so that it would fetch the highest price.
However, those who follow the brilliant Joze Pereztroika over at Perezcope, have already known there is something seriously wrong with this watch since April. Now that the scheme to sell a fake watch has unraveled, the truth of what happened, or at least what we know so far, is so deeply shocking that it will likely bring huge changes to not only how watches are auctioned and authenticated, but also to manufacturer’s museums and their hunt for important vintage watches.
According to an Omega statement, “as it stands at present, there are three former employees (among them the former Head of OMEGA Museum and Brand Heritage), who have admitted to the run of events when confronted during an OMEGA internal investigation, which is active and ongoing”. Let that sink in. Three Omega insiders conspired to create a watch that the head of Omega Museum would end up bidding on at the record price.
Fratello writes that “although the three former Omega employees were not the sellers of the watch, they did play a role in modifying the Speedmaster to become a “perfect” reference CK2915. The Speedmaster CK2915 was assembled from various partially authentic parts. The three former Omega employees participated in this process, intending to create the most exciting CK2915, a watch that the Omega Museum would definitely need.”
This is an absolutely bonkers story. Please head on over to the Fratello article to learn more about it and how it will affect not just the prices of Speedmasters, but also the entire industry. And definitely head on over to the Perezcop to read how the fake Omega can be identified.
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On hand - a selection of reviews

1/
A review of the Longitude from the Belgian brand Gavox
2/
Hands-On with the new Nezumi Aviera - a GMT that turns up the tool volume
3/
Monochrome gets their hands on the BOLDR Pokemon collection sold only in Singapore, Thailand or Hong Kong
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like

The Cincinnati Concourse continues the brand’s commitment to local history
The Cincinnati Watch Co. Concourse is perhaps the most faithful recreation of a clock in a wristwatch (an admittedly niche market). The 38mm stainless steel case is likely to be divisive: blocky without mitigation, it is the result of taking the concourse clock and getting as close to it as possible. The clock featured a cushion bezel with a bowed square around it. This was translated to the wrist perfectly, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces distinguishing the different facets of the design.
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People loved the Seiko Alpinist giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away four Hamilton Khaki Field Automatics in a color of your choice. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.

Looking for what the alternative to both of these are in China? (one for a website, one for an app). Any ideas where I don't have to make some Hong Kong company....

COMBO will embark on a new way of interacting with Web3, introducing new images and devices at the Hong Kong Web3 Celebration. The ultimate goal is ambitious: to achieve mass onboarding of Web3 customers. How the COMBO Network Works The COMBO network uses a combination of technologies including nuclear swaps, liquidity pools and brokerage agreements. Here's how the process works: User A wants to exchange Token X on Ethereum for Token Y on the Binance Smart Chain. Leveraging blockchain innovation, COMBO is able to provide an independent experience where all customers have equal access regardless of where they live geologically or what installment strategy they choose while transacting in our local area.

COMBO will start with a new way of dealing with Web3, showcasing new images and devices at the Hong Kong Web3 Celebration. The ultimate goal is ambitious: achieve mass onboarding of Web3 clients. COMBO offers an idealistic rollup that offers a level of customization specifically suited to your game. Towards the end of April, COMBO plans to submit its instruments to the test network and later make them available to designers as a live selection. Thе COMBO Nеtwоrk іѕ a dесеntrаlіѕеd blockchain platform designed ѕресіfісаllу fоr gаmіng applications. In 2018, іt wаѕ оrіgіnаllу unvеіlеd undеr thе nаmе Cосоѕ BCX with the gоаl оf рrоvіdіng gаmе сrеаtоrѕ wіth access tо a blockchain іnfrаѕtruсturе. After bеіng rеlаunсhеd аѕ COMBO, thе рlаtfоrm іѕ nоw focusing on сrеаtіng a seamless gаmіng еxреrіеnсе for аll іnduѕtrу participants.

Since I unironically love RE6 and actually understand it story, I figured I'd explain it for those who even after ten years may still be confused by some things.
So basically to start off with, most of the story is clarified through the files you get from emblems as well as context clues from the campaigns. Before I do start, I want to clear up one of the biggest misconceptions some mignt have on the story: Leon shoots a zombified Adam Benford, who is not Ashley Graham's father they are different presidents, he was just friends with both.
Now that that is cleared up lets begin. The story starts actually back in Racoon City, when Derek C. Simmons, orders or at least proposes the idea of a nuclear strike on the City to contain the viral outbreaks, as well as to bury US involvement with Umbrella Corporation, but mostly to bury the extent of US military involvement with Birkin. Fast forward a few years, and thanks to the brilliant mind of Dr. Carla Radames, the C-Virus is created through the T-Veronica and G-Virus samples aquired from Operation Javier and Sherry Birkin respectively. The purpose of the C-Virus was for bio-warfare, as the Family believed the US, and eventually the world, would discontinue conventional warfare and swap to BOWs. They wanted the US to have an advantage. Simmons, infatuated with Ada Wong who he actuallt knew prior to Racoon City but hadnt heard from her since, wants to clone her using the C-Virus. The project takes about six years to succeed, in 2009 using the virus's own creator as a subject for the project. Simmons essentially turns Carla into Ada, and makes her his field agent as well as places her in charge of the Family's East Asian division. Carla at some point regains her past self and instantly hates Simmons for it. Believing him to have ruined her life, she sets out on a personal revenge quest to kill Simmons and destroy everything he and his Family built.
Now, to explain the Family, they are essentially the Illuminati or Builderberg Group but Resident Evil. Been around for a while and are now centered as an American Exceptionalist organization.
Carla conducts a crap ton of C-Virus research to further her goals. At some point, Simmons becomes aware of the existence of Jake Muller, son of Albert Wesker and thus likely has antibodies for the C-Virus, meaning vaccine. As the C-Virus will eventually be used by US military forces, or at least the Family, this cant be allowed. Dont ask me how Wesker found the time to get freaky with a chick. Simmons tasks Carla with going to Edonia where he is to basically kidnap him and well, keep the BSAA away from him. Sherry is to be sent as well as the public face of this.
Edonia, a fictional East European country, is currently in a civil war, with the rebel army, Edonian Liberation Army, being the army of mercenaries loyal to the military junta. Jake is currently employed as a mercenary in the ELA. Carla arrives in Edonia as does Sherry but she isnt aware of Carla. Sherry is there to get Jake for his antibodies so they can cure the C-Virus as it was already used in a bio-terrorist attack at a college campus months prior. A different one from the Tall Oaks attack, which is still six months away. Carla also brings the C-Virus en masse to Edonia's captial city, to supply the ELA with the virus. The rebels dont know its a virus, they are just told its a combat stimulant. Which in a way isnt false advertising. The rebels use their booster shots and turn not into zombies but instead J'avo, mutant supersoldiers who mutate in response to physical trauma. This triggers a bio-terrorist attack and BSAA involvement. Carla at some point assassinates ELA leadership and places the remaining ELA J'avo under her command. It is unknown what happened to surviving ELA J'avo following Jake and Sherry's capture by Carla. It is also unknown if the ELA leadership was actually aware their soldiers would become J'avo or not, as it seems that the ELA J'avo initially still were loyal to the ELA command. Their attempted killing of Jake, from what I've been told was because J'avo think of a goal and try to complete that goal, which if true means the mercs on Jake's platoon hated him. I personally believe Carla simply coded the strain the mercs took to be inherently hostile to Jake.
We all know what happened to Chris and Piers so I dont feel the need to explain that. Its like the least confusing part of the game.
From December 2012 to June 2013 Carla secretly builds in Poisawan, Lanshiang, China (Resident Evil Hong Kong), a J'avo militia in a medical center she has control of thanks to the Family. She also conducts experiments on Jake and Sherry to research the antiobodies from Jake and Sherry's strain of G to enhance C. At some point, Carla names her East Asian group Neo-Umbrella for PR purposes. By this point, everyone knows BOWs were invented by Umbrella Corporation, and they may be defunct, but their legacy lives on. The pupose of the Poisawan Militia is to essentially serve as an eventual distraction in wide scale attacks throughout Lanshiang in an appearent uprising against the Chinese government. The real goal are aircraft carriers but first, let met explain the train wreck that is Leon's story.
So...remember Benford? Yeah the dude wanted to basically tell everyone Racoon City was partly the fault of the US government since they wanted to recruit William Birkin and aquire the G-Virus, then Umbrella found out and shit escalated from there. Simmons, knowing this detail would be bad for the US, decides to kill Benford. Simmons, being the fucking genius he is, decides that in order prevent the US government from being implicated in not just a bio-terrorist attack but THE bio-terrorist attack...is to have the US government be implicated in a bio-terrorist attack. So he recreates Racoon City in Tall Oaks where Benford plans to tell everyone something that truthfully doesnt sound even remotely surprising. Simmons does this through the Lepotica J'avo mutation. A good three to four of them. The Lepotica is a result of failed Ada Wong cloning, in case you were wondering. We all know how Tall Oaks goes, dont feel like explaining that in full, since Leon's campaign is a "just roll with it" experience. Also, Neo-Umbrella claims responsibility for Tall Oaks but they WERE NOT INVOLVED. They just wanted to spread panic by falsely claiming responsibility. This also alerts Simmons to Carla's betrayal. I dont really know if the Lepotica on the plane was Simmons or Carla's doing, but Simmons should have been the only one to know about it so I'd sag Simmons. We all know the rest of Leon's campaign its mostly explained by Ada's so the only real explanation was the whole Tall Oaks shit.
Around the time Tall Oaks is attacked, Carla unleashes the Militia from Poisawan into the surrounding area to well, kill people. And distract the Chinese military and BSAA from the two aircraft carriers being casually hijacked by Neo-Umbrella's personal elite J'avo who have a modified strain of C that gives them bullshit mutations and the ability to do that at will. Being a better equipped fighting force and being, you know, mutant super soldiers, the Chinese Sailors dont stand a chance nor get the chance to tell everyone elite mutant mercenaries are boarding. I'm pretty sure everyone was confused by these aircraft carriers, I sure as shit was. I thought Neo-Umbrella somehow had them and to bury witnesses released the Rasklapanje on the non-J'avo crew. Nah, they just stole them.
The purpose of even these carriers was distraction. HAOS. Again Chris and Piers. Easiest campaign to definitely follow.
I, dont think I really need to explain much else. I mean, Carla gets killed by Ada who she stupidly involved personally. The sub Ada boards is Neo-Umbrella's after defecting from the Family, so not much to explain there. Why Carla had the J'avo shot at instead of Ada, well thats easy. Carla wanted to frame Ada for the attacks.
I hope the story makes a bit more sense now and I hope I explained it well.

- Rogue Trader
In 1989 A young and ambitious lad name Nick Leeson joined Baring Banks, the second oldest merchant bank in England and known at the time as the Queen’s Bank. By 1995 Leesons’ trading collapsed Barings Banks after accumulating more than £827 in losses. This is his story and what traders can learn from it.
The Bank
Barings was a Bristish institution, founded in 1762 by SIr Francis Barings, and aristocrat of German descend. The bank work mostly as a merchants bank financing trade of different comodities althought it is said that its success was mostly due to its involvment in the slave trade
During the late 1700’s and the first half of the 1800’s the bank grew in prestige and influence. In 1796, the bank helped to finance the purchase of about 4000 km2 of remote land that became part of the US state of Maine
In 1803 the bank participated as one of main financing groups of the purchase of Luoisiana from the French.
From then on the bank would experiences ups and downs and although it survive the downs and remaind a well respected house it did not have the influence in world affairs it once enjoyed.
Fast forward to 1995. The bank is sold to ING for £1. But how did this happen? Enter Nick Leeson
The Trader
Despite his poor qualifications Leeson managed to start working on Finance through back office jobsn first of Clouts , then Morgan Stanley and finally Barings. I guess it was a lot easier to break into banking back then.
At Barings Leeson worked on assignments in Hong Kong and Indonesia, comming back to London to inviestigate a case of Fraud, the irony.
In 1992 he is send to Singapore to lead the newaly opened Barings Brokerage. Surprisingly, at this point Leeson becomes Barings own rock star. His trading profits account for 10% of the banks total profit. But how did an apparently brilliant back office clerk becomes the best trader in the whole bank with no trading experience?
The Fraud
It is not clear if Leeson ever made money. By the end of 1992 he was already hiding £2 million in a secret account.
By 1993 the same account had balloned to 23 million and more than 200 by the end of 1994.
Leeson Number 1
Be honest
Leeson was hiding his loses from his bosses. If you are a retail trader you are your boss. Be honest when assessing your situation
Leeson Number 2
If you are in a hole stop digging.
Leeson’s losses increase 10X and then 100X. Cut your losses! you heard it all the time, and yet is probably the best advice anyone in this industry could give you.
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Lesson 3: Conduct Thorough Research and Educate Yourself
As a retail trader, it's essential to conduct thorough research and educate yourself before diving into the financial markets. Nick Leeson's lack of trading experience and qualifications ultimately contributed to his downfall. Take the time to understand the basics of trading, different strategies, and the specific market you wish to participate in. Continuously expand your knowledge through books, courses, online resources, and by staying updated with market news and trends.
Lesson 4: Start Small and Practice Patience
When starting as a retail trader, it's crucial to begin with small positions and gradually increase your exposure as you gain experience and confidence. Nick Leeson's downfall can be partially attributed to his aggressive risk-taking and overexposure in the market. By starting small, you can manage risk more effectively and allow yourself time to learn from your mistakes. Patience is key in trading, as rushing into large trades without proper experience can lead to significant losses.
Lesson 5: Develop and Stick to a Trading Plan
One of the most valuable lessons from Leeson's story is the importance of having a well-defined trading plan. A trading plan outlines your objectives, risk tolerance, entry and exit strategies, and overall trading approach. It acts as a guide and helps you make rational decisions based on pre-determined criteria rather than impulsive actions driven by emotions. Stick to your trading plan and avoid deviating from it based on short-term market fluctuations.
Lesson 6: Implement Risk Management Techniques
Risk management is a crucial aspect of retail trading. Leeson's failure to implement proper risk controls led to his significant losses. As a retail trader, you must employ risk management techniques such as setting stop-loss orders, using appropriate position sizing, and diversifying your portfolio. These measures can help limit potential losses and protect your capital in volatile market conditions.
Lesson 7: Maintain Discipline and Emotional Control
Maintaining discipline and emotional control is paramount in trading. Leeson's story highlights the consequences of letting emotions, such as greed and fear, drive trading decisions. Avoid making impulsive trades based on short-term market movements or succumbing to the temptation of chasing profits. Stick to your trading plan, maintain discipline, and detach yourself emotionally from the ups and downs of the market.
Lesson 8: Regularly Review and Analyze Your Trades
Just as Leeson's fraudulent activities remained undetected due to a lack of oversight, it's crucial for retail traders to review and analyze their trades regularly. Keep a trading journal to record your trades, analyze the outcomes, and identify patterns or areas for improvement. Reviewing your performance allows you to learn from past mistakes and make adjustments to your trading strategies accordingly.
By focusing on these lessons from the perspective of a retail trader, individuals can better navigate the financial markets, minimize risks, and increase their chances of long-term success.

Web3 in the deafening voice is being widely recognized and accepted by the world at an incredible speed, but the landing of the concept can not ignore the process, fortunately, there are many innovative challengers, and the financial industry is still fast to respond to Web3 - this is an absolute field that will not miss any new stories and possibilities.
In the long journey towards the Web3 era, the combination of technology and finance has reached an unprecedented height, and the key point for the development of financial technology and the financial industry market to achieve breakthroughs and innovations at present is how scientific and technological tools effectively empower financial functions.
For practitioners in the field of financial technology services, the key point of breakthrough and innovation is not actually to promote many changes in financial functions, but should be around the basic but high-frequency user financial needs, and plug in the wings of technology that helps to take off for the innovation and development of the industry.
It should be said that the role and energy of financial technology as early as in the past decade, especially in the development process of the financial industry market in the past three to five years, has been deeply confirmed and universal recognition.
Web3 fintech and its value
The core covered by the term "fintech" includes emerging business models, new technology applications, new products and services driven by emerging frontier technologies such as big data, blockchain, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, which have a significant impact on the financial market and the supply of financial services business, etc. In Web3, the functions and innovative applications of fintech will be brought to the extreme.
FinTech is the product of the integration of finance and technology. Through the use of various scientific and technological means to innovate the products and services provided by the traditional financial industry, improve efficiency and effectively reduce operating costs, it has become the commanding height and main battlefield of global financial innovation and competition, and "no technology without finance" has become the consensus of the industry. At present, the financial meta-universe and Web3 are menacing, which is a period of strategic opportunities for the development of financial technology, and more subversive scientific and technological innovations may appear in the future, thus profoundly changing the development ecology of the financial industry.
In fact, the innovation brought by financial technology as information technology has always emphasized the auxiliary, supporting and improving role of cutting-edge information technology in compliance financial business, and its core is to help financial enterprises and their businesses achieve efficiency, experience and scale improvement, while reducing costs and controlling risks.
This is also the value of technology companies with financial technology services as their main business, and the key to these enterprises to build their own core competitiveness.
LittleBee Trust Fintech - entering the new era of Web3 fintech to empower Business and maximize financial value creation
Taking LittleBee Trust Fintech as an example, as a global trust technology and hybrid asset allocation platform white label service provider based in Hong Kong, we are a technology and service supporter focusing on fintech and connectivity, and have been promoting transaction efficiency and freeing transaction freedom. Building a trusted, fair and secure global financial transaction infrastructure, contributing to the development of the global financial market is our primary vision, and enabling B-terminal financial partners to easily start their business is our development goal.
Competition at any time, any industry is both cruel and full of the charm of "re-creating living water", and a financial technology company wants to take root and gain an advantage in the competition, it must have a clear understanding of its own development path, the strength and energy of the enterprise carefully polished into a strong core competitiveness, from the inside to build what people call "moat".
The core business of LittleBee Trust Fintech is to provide Business partners with financial technology and connectivity solutions and services that span Web2 and Web3, enabling Business enterprise users to open financial business efficiently in all aspects, serving end-users, and releasing the potential value of financial market. It is the embodiment of the core value and competitiveness of LittleBee Trust Fintech itself.
LittleBee Trust Fintech builds its core competitiveness from the three dimensions of product, operation and ecology, and the three dimensions work together to promote positive development. LittleBee Trust Fintech's strong core competitiveness is in the process of empowering and serving customers. To better help customers achieve success in business development, the positive feedback will ultimately feed back into LittleBee Trust Fintech, further strengthening its core competitiveness.
From product, operation, and ecology to build the core competitiveness of the enterprise
Based on the industry market competition pattern, the real core competitiveness of fintech companies is to create their own, unique, and even irreplaceable products. The so-called product power, that is, the attractiveness of the product to the target consumer, mainly from the product quality, price, innovation and other levels to reflect. In other words, product power is the ability to make consumers want to buy by satisfying their desires and needs.
Good products speak, LittleBee Trust Fintech deeply understand the financial technology industry market, understand the needs of the market and financial users, our unique innovative hybrid finance (HyFi) transactions and supporting service solutions, The industry's first innovative compliant financial solution based on the trust legal system and the trust super account has considerable potential in the current market.
LittleBee Trust Fintech's outstanding professional depth capabilities, technical capabilities, implementation capabilities and data security capabilities are jointly supported, combined with pre-sale, sale and after-sales services to provide deep, rich, safe and quickly deployable products, to build its own strong product force, is the cornerstone of its core competitiveness.
This is also the embodiment of LittleBee Trust Fintech's high-quality service capabilities, while giving full play to our data operation capabilities, customer acquisition capabilities and customer positioning capabilities in the digital era, to pull the "operation power" of enterprises. Based on its strong operational capabilities, LittleBee Trust Fintech can provide in-depth services to continue to gain customers and provide customer stickiness; Intelligent operation within enterprises through AI, big data and other technologies; Through the combination of operational and product capabilities, LittleBee Trust Fintech ensures high standards of data security, addresses business concerns, and provides products and services that are as tailored as possible to specific customer needs.
LittleBee Trust Fintech is good at expanding the user scale and improving the value of individual customers through product power, which is also the basis for us to build the "ecological power" of enterprises. At the same time, LittleBee Trust Fintech can give full play to its platform capabilities, through the open system architecture, empower partners, precipitate the underlying architecture, meet the personalized needs of customers, and comply with the industry trend, to provide high-quality secure cloud services.
On the other hand, LittleBee Trust Fintech coordinates industry ecosystem resources by building core financial license resources such as trust, securities, insurance and fund and global cross-regional exhibition industry advantages, and provides more complex and diversified capital operation related services for business user enterprises. For example, through investment and acquisition to improve product strength, expand the ecosystem, and expand customer margins through cooperation or strategic investment.
It can be said that it is in the era of financial transition, and the asset scale, the number of branches and the business market share of financial institutions in the past are no longer the guarantee factors for success. The insight into the future trend changes, and the ability to grasp this trend is the fundamental survival and development of enterprises.
In fact, there is no difference between the core competitiveness of financial institutions and Internet companies and manufacturing enterprises, which is to have the ability to gain customers beyond competitors, the ability to understand customers more deeply, and the ability to provide customers with the products and services they need in a timely and comprehensive manner.
LittleBee Trust Fintech will continue to take excellent product power, operational power and ecological power as the internal driving force to create a strong core competitiveness for itself; At the same time, we empower and help the development and progress of customer enterprises with high-quality products and services, which will also be a kind of extended success, we believe that this is a mutually beneficial and win-win growth model with customers and industry markets, LittleBee Trust Fintech will build the future of Web3 with global partners.

Heart Signal 4 (하트시그널4) is finally here after 3 years.
Episode 4 Discussion for Heart Signal 4 over in /koreanvariety subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/koreanvariety/comments/144zibw/heart_signal_4_episode_4_230609/
Synopsis:

Cupid returns for a fresh assault on the hearts of a new group of romance-ready singletons. The group has never met before, but must live together in Signal House. The house rules encourage flirty behavior, but forbid housemates from directly telling anyone that they like them. Instead, they must express their feelings via text message. But there’s a twist: All texts to housemates are anonymous – meaning recipients have to guess who is trying to make a love connection with them.
Watching events unfurl in the house is a celebrity panel of love experts. These include returning romance fans Yoon Jong Shin, Kim Ea Na, and Lee Sang Min, all veterans of previous “Heart Signal” seasons. And joining this trio this time around is a fresh crop of star pundits, including OH MY GIRL member Mimi, Kang Seung Yoon of WINNER, and leading psychiatrist Kim Chong Gi.
This variety TV show series is the follow-up to 2017’s “Heart Signal.” A second series was released in 2018. And this was followed up with Season 3 in 2020.
“Heart Signal 4” is a 2023 South Korean reality TV/variety show that was produced by Park Cheol Hwan.

Cast

Lee Jumi (이 주미)
Kim Jiyoung (김 지영)
Kim Jimin (김 지민)
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Shin Mingyu (신 민규)
Han Gyeore (한 겨레)
Yoo Jiwon (유 지원)
Lee Hushin (이 후신)

Panelists

Kim Eana
Lee Sangmin
Yoon Jongshin
Kang Seungyoon (from WINNER group)
Kim Mihyun or Mimi/미미 (from OMG group)
Kim Chonggi (psychiatrist)

Subtitles

Subtitles
Stream	Viki
Stream	KOCOWA
Stream	VIU Singapore
Stream	VIU Hong Kong

Viki should have the English subtitles available around say 9PM Eastern Daylight Time/New York Time.
For VIU and KOCOWA, it seems they're a bit delayed, several hours later after Viki.
For VIU access, you'll probably have to use VPNs set to Singapore/Southeast Asia to view their catalog.
Oh and Heart Signal 4 (and earlier seasons) is also apparently available on Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, et cetera, but as usual there's some region restrictions.
Accessing Kdramas, Korean variety shows, and so on (basically Viki, VIU, Disney+, Netflix, etc.): https://www.reddit.com/koreanvariety/comments/10fpzhx/overall_thoughts_on_love_catcher_in_bali/j5cmhaw/ and https://www.reddit.com/koreanvariety/comments/13bmtin/anyone_know_where_can_i_watch_the_below_korean/jjbtnuz/

Past Threads

Episode	Subreddit Thread
Episode 1	koreanvariety, heartsignal
Episode 2	koreanvariety, heartsignal
Episode 3	koreanvariety, heartsignal
Episode 4	koreanvariety, heartsignal

Heart Signal Youtube channel or 하트시그널 라비티비 channel: https://www.youtube.com/@channelA-heartsignal/videos
Heart Signal 4 teasers and clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFIYUdSkjiCAuWe006VqSTFfaE7rgIHNy
Heart Signal 4 production stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UmvFNwi9Q
Heart Signal 4 Episode 1 commentary with Heart Signal 2 Jaeho and some other people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRuQmQUKLvQ
Heart Signal 4 Episode 2 commentary with Heart Signal 2 Youngjoo and Jaeho, and some other people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAFSWmQJkhk
Heart Signal 4 Episode 3 commentary with Heart Signal 2 Youngjoo and Jaeho, and some other people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU511y8l3uw
Gaheun (Heart Signal 3 and Friends) and Jaeho with the Heart Signal 4 house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86F9hZ-7nxc
Jangmi (Heart Signal 2 and Friends) and Jaeho with the Heart Signal 4 house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAcupLirqOk
Heart Signal 4 Official BGM Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8djlZk6ZeM0
Heart Signal 4 Official BGM Playlist 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avMPSuhEqak
Heart Signal 4 Official BGM Playlist 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIyRyZxwJnA
For Heart Signal, the original Korean version and some seasons of the Chinese version should be on Viki.
Season 2 of both the Korean and Chinese versions are considered the best, and now some people also really like the 5th season of the Chinese version.
The upcoming 6th season of the Chinese version just wrapped up filming, it should be available soon, maybe a few more months or so.
Heart Signal 1 (Korean Version): https://www.viki.com/tv/35675c-heart-signal
Heart Signal 2 (Korean Version): https://www.viki.com/tv/36949c-heart-signal-2
Heart Signal 3 (Korean Version): https://www.viki.com/tv/36950c-heart-signal-3
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Heart Signal 1 (Chinese Version): https://www.viki.com/tv/36228c-heart-signal-chinese-version
Heart Signal 2 (Chinese Version): https://www.viki.com/tv/36654c-heart-signal-2-chinese-version
Heart Signal 5 (Chinese Version): https://www.viki.com/tv/38812c-heart-signal-5-chinese-version
With the Chinese version of Heart Signal, it's available on the WeTV/Tencent Video website (has English subs), and also their WeTV/Tencent Video channels on Youtube for free but without proper English subs.
Through the Tencent Video Youtube channel you'll have to use auto-translate from Chinese/Mandarin or maybe say Thai, Vietnamese, etc. So for English subs you have to check their own WeTV/Tencent Video/etc. website.
Viki has the 1st, 2nd, and 5th seasons of the Chinese version of Heart Signal, so you'll have to look for the 3rd (心动的信号S3) and 4th season (心动的信号S4) elsewhere. Like use auto-translate/etc. with the Youtube episodes, or check their actual WeTV/Tencent Video website.
Heart Signal 3 (Chinese Version), Episode 1 and playlist (has Thai and Vietnamese subtitles, use auto-translate to English/any desired language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywBixGNlkYs&list=PLMX26aiIvX5reBhNMq0rNZHoDa_aGblAs
Heart Signal 4 (Chinese Version), Episode 1 and playlist (these episodes on Youtube for the 4th season don't even have automatic captions/subtitles (no Thai/Vietnamese/Chinese/etc. subs either), so go on WeTV/Tencent Video's website or some places (like Bilibili, etc.) for other subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWNF5cxAap0&list=PLb8w8KsDSK1wtxaCeyEAMXCHxsCYJLK4A
If you don't want to wait for Viki/VIU/KOCOWA/etc. subtitles (and to get ahead of spoilers), you guys can watch the raw Episode 4 on this Channel A (채널에이방송영상) channel (appears like an hour or so later): https://www.youtube.com/@user-sh4gc2fu9i/videos
They regionally restricted it right after Episode 2, lol, so a VPN set to Korea will probably unlock it. This was the link to Episode 2 of Heart Signal 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0IHJ44sQdg
That video for Episode 2 (from the Channel A (채널에이방송영상) channel) has no English/etc. subtitles, but with auto-generated Korean, you can use auto-translate to English/any desired language (it worked two weeks ago): https://www.reddit.com/koreanvariety/comments/13q991t/heart_signal_4_episode_2_230524/jlgihm0/
This is the link to Episode 3 of Heart Signal 4 from the Channel A (채널에이방송영상) channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSS5o-ExEA8
Oh and if you want to watch it live (there's advertisements and other shows around the Heart Signal 4 episode stream), then you can also visit the Channel A website: https://www.ichannela.com/com/cmm/onair.do
Note the release schedule in Korea: like UTC+9, Korean Standard Time, 10:50PM every Friday. That just translates to around 9:50AM New York Time/Eastern Daylight Time. So make sure to tune in around that specific time as otherwise you'll miss the episode release and get like a different thing, lol.
New Japanese dating show called "Is She the Wolf" on Netflix later this September 2023, it's kinda like Love Catcher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc8Q4T0HFkQ and https://www.reddit.com/terracehouse/comments/13y0vbp/new_netflix_series_is_she_the_wolf_looks_like_it/jmkhyea/
For fans of EXchange/Transit Love (환승연애), there's now Love Transit, the Japanese version of EXchange/Transit Love, it should be available on Amazon Prime Video Japan this June 15, so like 1 more week. And it'll have fewer episodes, so wonder how the runtime or episode length will be as that's key for the emotional investment with the show.
Trailer for EXchange/Transit Love (Japanese/일본 Version), called Love Transit (ラブ トランジット), from the Prime Video JP - プライムビデオ channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGyWTew58-U and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrL5Mc3CuxQ