Handelsbanken: Maybe the worst online banking login solution ever

I am speechless.

A couple of days ago, I got a large and heavy envelope in the mail. I opened it today.

Inside, I found a USB card reader, a 2 meter long USB cable, and a card. This... is Handelsbanken's new login solution.

The stuff weighs in at 102 grams - that's the equivalent of a normal mobile phone! What were they thinking? Up until today, I've been using their online banking service pretty much everywhere. At home, on the bus, in the office... pretty much everywhere. So now they think I'll add the equivalent of a third mobile phone to my bag just to have the opportunity to use their service? Forget it.

Since I've been working with online banking, I've had the opportunity and tried most solutions on the Swedish market. Since 1995. And this must be the worst solution ever. In 2010.

But that 2 m long USB cable is my favorite. What were they thinking? If you know that you have the most clumsy security system for online banking in the history of mankind, ever, you might want to think about ways to at least take away a bit of that burden? Instead, Handelsbanken now gives you the opportunity to carry your card reader with you between rooms, wherever you want to go in your house. While the reader is still plugged into your computer, that is.

PS. I've called Handelsbanken and asked if there are alternatives for using their Internet banking service. There aren't any.

On my wall

I have this ad on my wall in my office. I love it so much. The new dimension of meaning that it was given from last fall's media circus around Tiger is just... great.

Another Stockholm Marathon

I haven't had the time to write anything at all here for quite some time now. But one day...

Anyway, one of the main training goals for this year was last weekend's Stockholm Marathon, and we were blessed with perfect weather this time. The knee gods were on my side this year too, and I managed to beat last year's time and score a new personal best with 3.48.

I really miss having a running club here in Vaxholm. If I wouldn't be kind of occupied with working for our local society already, I would start one tomorrow.

iPad and Flash

I finally got my own iPad this week, and I must admit that I'm pretty happy with it. But not overwhelmed. There is one thing that really sucks, though: the lack of Adobe Flash support. In my "everyday life" - while following links from Google Reader and Twitter - I end up not being able to view content like 33% of the time just because the iPad doesn't support Flash. The same as with the iPhone, that is. But somehow I have a hard time accepting that on a device as physically large as the iPad.

The result? Already today I was eating lunch with my MacBook Pro instead of using my brand new iPad.

Proactively answering my then unasked question, Steve Jobs published "Thoughts on Flash" today. And his reality distortion field is strong - I agree with Steve after reading it. Hopefully Apple's decision means that most video content on the web will work with the iPhone and iPad pretty soon (because the video feeds from most of the companies that Steve is mentioning are NOT working seamlessly from Safari in iPhone OS).

But here's a thought: Meanwhile, couldn't I secretly get access to a beta version of Flash for the iPad? Please? I will accept the downside it will have on my battery life, and I won't tell anyone. I promise.