Ethan Coen’s Hilarious Review of Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” [Updated]

Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” has received some decent reviews since it premiered in cinemas and on Apple TV+. One person who was not so receptive was the directors brother and former collaborator Ethan. He provided a hilarious take for the Might Be Wrong Substack, full of expletives and brotherly jibes.

Consider the very decision to adapt Macbeth. The choice belies deep insecurity; Mr. Coen seems, on some level, to understand that he has the talent God gave a balloon full of piss, and therefore needs to latch onto more talented artists like a lamprey sucking the life out of a majestic blue whale. A less insecure director might have been satisfied with a less esteemed piece of intellectual property, but Mr. Coen glommed onto perhaps the best known play by the world’s most renowned playwright in a move that screams “HELP! THE NO TALENT POLICE ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! PLEASE, SOMEONE RESCUE ME BEFORE I’M EXPOSED AS A FRAUD WHO SOMEHOW FELL ASS-FIRST INTO A MOVIE CAREER!”

[Update February 3: In thoroughly disappointing news, it turns out this is a spoof and not really written by Ethan Coen. Still very funny though.]

Google One VPN for iPhone Now Available to Use

iPhone owners can now starting using the Google One VPN if they pay for 2TB or more for Google One storage.

Privacy and security are always core to everything we make. Our systems have advanced security built in to help ensure no one uses the VPN to tie your online activity to your identity. Our client libraries are also open sourced, and our end-to-end systems have been independently audited. Our VPN has the full certification from the Internet of Secure Things Alliance (ioXt) and passed all eight of ioXt’s security principles.

Update: According to MacRumors, the Google One app is no longer available through the App Store.

Here's How to Save 'Wordle' After its Purchase by New York Times

There’s a method to save Wordle now that the New York Times recently acquired it. The publisher says it will remain free during the transition. As The Verge points out, all you have to do is right-click on the page.

It doesn’t retain my previous progress, just like the web version doesn’t keep your streak intact when you move from playing Wordle in a desktop browser to playing Wordle on a phone — but you could theoretically start building a new one if you want, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone figures out a way to import progress as well.

On Safari, save it as a web archive, because that preserves the Javascript. In Firefox you’ll see an option for saving it as Webpage (Complete) but that saves just the Javascript. Double-click on the web archive and Worldle will run in your browser.

Facebook's Failed 'Diem' Stablecoin Now Officially Over

Facebook had dreams of launching its own cryptocurrency called Diem (formerly Libra) but the company has called it quits (link to original PR piece here, commentary from The Verge below).

The sale of Diem’s assets marks the end of an effort that, in retrospect, was doomed from the start. Facebook, which now goes by Meta, created the apps that would have been the main way people used the token. So even though Facebook formed the Libra Association to govern the token with other companies, people were immediately fearful that Libra would make the controversial tech giant even more powerful. Plus, members of the Libra Association started to drop out, just months after the group had been announced.

Judge Rules Developer's Lawsuit Can Proceed Against Apple

A judge ruled that a lawsuit from Kosta Eleftheriou can proceed against Apple. Half of the claims can move forward and Mr. Eleftheriou can amend the other claims that were dismissed.

In his own lawsuit against Apple, Eleftheriou aims to document what he alleges were an unfair series of rejections for his Apple Watch keyboard app, FlickType, from the App Store. At the time, Apple told Eleftheriou his app offered a “poor user experience” and noted full keyboard apps were not allowed for Apple Watch. But, he says, it then allowed competitor keyboard apps as well as third-party apps (like Nano for Reddit, Chirp for Twitter, WatchChat for WhatsApp and Lens for Instagram) to launch on the App Store.

Treasury Considers ID.Me Alternatives Over Privacy Concerns

The Treasury Department is looking into ID.me alternatives for accessing the IRS website over privacy concerns.

CEO Blake Hall this week said that the company also used one-to-many technology, which compares selfies taken by users as part of the verification process against a larger database. The company said it maintained an internal database of selfies taken by users and compared new selfies against it using Amazon’s controversial Rekognition technology. As of January 25, 20.9 million users’ selfies had been verified against that database, the company said.

 

Proton Rolls Out Redesigned 'ProtonMail Bridge' to Paid Customers

ProtonMail Bridge is being updated with a completely redesigned user interface for ease of use. It gradually rolls out to paid users starting today.

This new version of ProtonMail Bridge is packed with fixes and improvements, but the main change is the new local cache, which now includes full message bodies. This means ProtonMail Bridge stores messages encrypted on your device, so they can be retrieved much faster than when stored remotely on our servers. You can control your cache using the Advanced settings.

Telecom Lobby in California Loses Case Against Net Neutrality

Telecom lobbyists in California have lost a case to attack net neutrality law SB 822, considered the strongest such law in the U.S.

The California net neutrality law is now clearly enforceable, and bars telecom companies from blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization, abusing their gatekeeper power in interconnection, or engaging in “zero rating” scams. The court’s decision also clearly paves the way for other states to impose their own net neutrality protections.

FCC Now Requires Broadband Nutrition Labels for Consumers

The FCC will force ISPs to disclose broadband “nutrition labels” to give information on prices, introductory rates, data allowances, broadband speeds, and management practices.

The law directs the Commission “to promulgate regulations to require the display of broadband consumer labels, as described in the Public Notice of the Commission issued on April 4, 2016 (DA 16–357), to disclose to consumers information regarding broadband Internet access service plans.” Id. See also Consumer and Governmental Affairs, Wireline Competition, and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus Approve Open Internet Broadband Consumer Labels, GN Docket No. 14-28, Public Notice, 31 FCC Rcd 3358 (CGB/WCB/WTB 2016) (2016 Public Notice).

The Search for Infamous Phone Phreaker Susy Thunder

The Verge has a cool story about searching for Susy Thunder, a phone phreaker and social engineer.

Susan found her way into the hacker underground through the phone network. In the late 1970s, Los Angeles was a hotbed of telephone culture: you could dial-a-joke, dial-a-horoscope, even dial-a-prayer. Susan spent most of her days hanging around on 24-hour conference lines, socializing with obsessives with code names like Dan Dual Phase and Regina Watts Towers. Some called themselves phone phreakers and studied the Bell network inside out; like Susan’s groupie friends, they knew how to find all the back doors.