Upgrade

Another year, another iOS upgrade. It’s mostly nice, I guess, but it’s not without it’s shortcomings. A lot of those shortcomings are really based around how I personally use my devices and, therefore, I can’t really moan at Apple for not tending to my (and only my) specific preferences. So instead, I’ll do it here.

Notes has a different font and the letter “a” looks weird now

I’m currently typing this out using the native Notes app. It’s how I’ve done these for ages now. Nothing like having something as simple as a blank canvas to write out some plain text on.

Only now the plain text comes with additional features that are getting largely ignored, because why do I need to add a table or include freeform scribbles? They wouldn’t even show up in the HTML editor when I copy it over to the actual site, i.e. this.

The letter “a” is no longer styled as a traditional “a”, with a squashed oval bottom and overhanging hook. Instead it’s now a ball with a line at the side, like when you first learned how to draw one. Admittedly it has no relevance here, but for me, none of this looks correct as I’m typing it.

Podcasts is shit now

I occasionally listen to podcasts. Whenever I do, it’s usually in the house while carrying out some menial tasks like preparing food or staring out the window. For this reason, I tend not to download individual podcasts so I can delete them later on. Instead I treat the Podcasts app like an audio-only Netflix service and binge-stream them because a lot of them are series that are several years old I’m only just catching up on now.

The native Podcasts app used to let me customise the order of the ones I was subscribed to, so that I could easily find my desired choice and scroll through its historical feed. The native Podcasts app now puts everything in tiles with no way to reorder them except for predetermined setups apparently devoid of all logic.

Latest individual episodes are easily navigable. Trying to navigate to existing feeds is not as evident. In my frustrations, I have cursed, closed the app, opened it again, closed it again, Googled customisation options for it, found only information relating to previous versions, opened the app, curses, closed it and downloaded Acast instead.

Devices got linked, so now whenever my phone rings, iPad stops doing stuff to tell me phone is ringing

This one’s pretty self explanatory.

There’s probably a way to unlink them, but that would require effort and Googling, which I’m afraid the Podcasts debacle seems to have sucked out of me. Besides, it’s not like I get calls anyway.

I’m of the instant messenger generation. Communicating with friends and relatives through disembodied voice seems so archaic. Whereas spending several minutes at a time to leave each other paragraphs of text without conveying tone seems perfectly fine.

In the grand scheme of things, though, none of this is really world-shattering. This is just a small set of mild grievances. It’s not like people in high places provoking each other into some kind of egotistical warfare, for example.

That reminds me, when was the last time global diplomacy got a software update?

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For many, the sound of panpipes is among the most irritating of noises, alongside a fork scratching across a plate, an incessant smoke detector alarm and the way the US president says the word “billions”. I, however, don’t mind listening to the primitive bit of woodwind (the panpipes, not the president), especially when played in an upbeat and jovial capacity.

This one actually comes from a bit earlier in the year, but fell short of being included previously because of reasons I can’t be bothered to make up right now. Finally, it gets an outing though, and if anything it’s a bit more fitting. The nights are drawing in, the inevitable countdown to Christmas is upon us, and I need to get myself in the mood for the annual listening to the Panpipes Christmas Classics CD we seem to fish out in time for dinner on the day.

Arcade Fire – Everything Now