Apple Music and Last.fm scrobbling update

Last November, I wrote:

Switching from Rdio to Apple Music might mean scrobbling to my Last.fm account will be inconsistent, which makes me sad because I’ve been tracking since 2007.

Since then, I add songs, albums, or playlists in Apple Music to my library before I start listening.

With iTunes 12.5.1.21 and Last.fm Scrobbler 2.1.371, I now see songs played from Apple Music are scrobbled, even if they aren’t in my library (including playlists).2 Yay!

Context: Apple Music and Last.fm: Does it Scrobble? — Florian Eckerstorfer

  1. On OS X El Capitan 10.11.6. ↩
  2.  Radio…no joy. I don’t use it at the moment. ↩

Topping off my coffee

The following is a stale idea for a post I jotted down in a few moments of silent rage a few years ago. It sounds like nitpicking, but I’m curious to see if anyone feels the same way. I attempt to shoehorn a customer service takeaway at the end.

When I have coffee that isn’t from an AeroPress1, I might add cream and sugar (usually two each). The ratio of coffee/cream/sugar is balanced to my liking. That means I’d only request more coffee at a restaurant if my mug is empty.

If the server tops it off when my mug is three quarters full, the ratio is skewed!

Instead of offering more coffee (my preference), some places begin pouring proactively.2 I find those interactions “rough”, mentally. I don’t interrupt when they’re already in the motion (they’re almost done anyway), so I bite my tongue and smile politely.

As they walk away, I’m thinking, “The ratio got skewed!”

Anyway. Here are my options if I’m not sitting in the middle of a room (the first is direct, the rest are passive):

  • Interrupt the server before the ratio-skewing liquid exits the larger vessel.
  • Keep the mug far from reach of the server, then relocate near the edge of the table when I’d like a refill.
  • Leave a napkin (or something) over my coffee mug to indicate I don’t want a refill.
  • Flip a coin to decide if I should add more cream and sugar, then hope for the best.

What would you do?

It’s “strange” (read: embarrassing) to read this post because this entire circumstance involves my personal preference. But, it might be a good takeaway for customer service: when in doubt, ask before taking action. I’ll appreciate that you’re attentive!

P.S. I promise I appreciate servers, even if they don’t ask before pouring. That’s still preferred over avoidance. 🙂

  1. e.g. Drip coffee at a restaurant or catered event. ↩
  2. If I’m mid-conversation with someone else, it’s likely that the server doesn’t want to be rude. I totally understand. ↩

DuckDuckHack Instant Answers

At the moment, DuckDuckHack has 687 live Instant Answers. DateMath and DaysBetween are slick (and will save me trips to Time And Date). Here are examples of DateMath and DaysBetween, respectively:

I also noted TimezoneConverter, Timer (e.g. timer 5m), Stopwatch, Random Choice, Random Number, News, and Rhymes.

For awhile, I’ve had DuckDuckGo as my primary fallback search in Alfred, and this is a reminder for myself that accessing these are a few keystrokes away. 😎

Legacy Skype accounts and Two Step Verification

When Microsoft bought Skype, then added two-step verification to Microsoft accounts, I promptly enabled it. But wait. My original Skype login still works—without prompting for two-step verification. 😐

I just found the following reply (dated 2014-10-11) from a Skype Community forum thread:

You can union your Skype account from your Microsoft account but that won’t disable your Skype account. Not having an account joined or TV/Phone account enabled is the only way to eliminate the single authentication of a Skype account from a Microsoft account. You can abandon your old account and clear out personal info from a severed account but you can’t add a second form of authentication to a legacy Skype account.

Crud. If I want my Skype login to be more secure, I’ll need to:

  1. Go to Account Settings in Skype.
  2. Unlink my Microsoft account.
  3. Close my legacy Skype account.

Warning: the linked support page says a lot! 😓

If you have a legacy Skype account, did you change anything? Feel okay using a strong password?

P.S. I rarely use Skype.

Marvel’s Daredevil

Binge watched seasons 1 and 2 of Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix over nine days. Loved the first season, and thought the second season was better. Character development was mature, so storylines and action sequences felt more intense. Definitely worth watching.

Next to watch: Marvel’s Jessica Jones.