As a temporary measure, to take advantage of a too-good-to-miss “switching incentive” offer, I’m moving my current account to a legacy high street bank.

Coming from one of the new wave of “mobile first” banks, it’s been a fairly frustratingly non-optimal experience: sign up for internet/mobile banking requires first setting up telephone banking, which requires twenty-plus minutes on the phone setting up a secure banking number (basically a long PIN). Then, after registering for online/mobile banking – which involves the full set of username, “password” (actually a memorable word), and multiple security questions – you have to setup a “digital key,” with its own set of questions and passwords… which is how you actually login to the system.

It’s too many passwords/pins/questions, and it feels like security theatre. At least at the end it gives the option of Touch ID on mobile.

I’ve noted as much of it as I could into my password manager, but due to the way everything is implemented, I can’t actually use the manager… just read from it.

Oh, and of course you have to phone them if you want to add your card to Apple Pay.

With the newer bank, I was signed up with a new account, logged in, and able to use Apple Pay within ten minutes of downloading the app, before they even sent out a card. I could even set the card PIN in the app. With the high street bank, I’ve spent two hours of my weekend trying to get to the same point. I’m still waiting on the card PIN before I can actually use the account. I have a feeling I’ll be switching away again as soon as possible.

I’ve fallen into a regular routine with my ongoing weight loss attempts, which basically gives me a two week cycle that ends in a roughly two kilo loss. I like routines, it makes it easier to stick to a task and achieve a goal; I’m just bad at getting in or falling out of them. This week’s loss leaves me with fourteen more kilos to go before I reach my target.

Without a doubt, the customer service of the distributor behind Warhammer 40,000: Conquest magazine is the worst I’ve encountered in a long time. It took them two months to answer my cancellation request email(s), and they have yet to answer emails about an “outstanding balance” they claim I have, even though I was fully paid up. I think it’s related to a delivery I received after they cancelled my subscription, so I’ve sent those issues back to them – at cost to myself. Fingers crossed that resolves it, because getting hold of anyone seems near to impossible.

I think my first generation, bought at release, AirPods are finally losing their battery capacity. I’m getting about an hour and three quarters of listening time before I hear the low charge alert tone. One ear seems to be worse than the other.

They’ve had a good run; I use them almost daily, for three to four hours a day, on average. They’re honestly one of my favourite bits of tech from the last few years.

I don’t know if I’ll “upgrade” to the Pro’s – price aside, I have yet to find a pair of in-ear headphones I can wear for more than a handful of minutes without discomfort.

When I saw the first trailer for Titans, I immediately wrote the show off. It looked so very bad; it came across as cheap, and trying too hard to be edgy and gritty for the sake of it. The follow up marketing didn’t do anything to change my mind. It probably didn’t help that I love another take on the source material: Teen Titans Go!¹.

Tonight I watched the first three episodes of Titans, on a whim, and it’s much better than those first impressions. Absurdly better. I can’t believe it’s the same show as shown in the trailers. I’m not sure how much I like it yet, but I am planning to watch more of it tomorrow.

1. As do my kids ↩

Speaking of Siri, I changed it from the normal British accent to the Irish accent, and I’ve found it much more pleasant to interact with. If only there was a Scottish accent choice.

Ages ago I set up a HomeKit scene named “lumos,” which turns on a particular set of lights. Recently, whenever I invoke the scene, Siri has started responding with “you’re a wizard.”

I’ve reached that age in life where I carry a complete set of waterproofs in my backpack, “just in case…”

Huh. I apparently can’t directly AirPlay a video from Safari on my iPad, to my Apple TV (it hangs at “connecting”)… but I can use Screen Mirroring to connect instantly – and when the video is started, the iPad states the video is playing on the Apple TV via AirPlay.

iOS/iPadOS 13, everyone. 🙄

Today I purchased a new winter jacket that’s two sizes smaller than I was six months ago. I’m feeling pretty happy with that.

A couple of months ago I received a jury citation, and today I was selected from a pool of sixty or so to be part of a jury with fourteen of my peers. It’s both daunting and inspiring to see the wheels of justice working up close.

Obviously I can’t talk about the trial, but safe to say things might be quieter from me for the next while.