In this newsletter:
Post: The Update Paradox: Features vs Security
In Case You Missed It: AI and Tesla Updates
Pick of the Week: Listicle Fun
The Update Paradox: Features vs Security
Do you ever get tired of always having to update your phones and computers? Don’t lie, I hear from you all the time - I know you do. The first question becomes, do I update? And if so, do I update now, or wait? That is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? At least it’s the question I get every September for those of you on iPhones, and about once a month on a Tuesday for those of you on a PC. Of course, I know there are other random update times. Point taken…
The next question may be, well why are there so many updates? Simply put, there are two reasons for updating any Operating System (OS). First, security patches. Secondly, added features. The common issue here is that all updates or features inevitably come with other problems. Typically, these are fixed with another update. So, you get the update to fix the update! Yeah, aggravating, I know.
Well, to make this make a bit more sense, the larger feature packs come in larger numbered updates. Think Windows 10 moving to Windows 11. Or iOS 16 moving to iOS 17. Then, smaller feature updates have a point update. Think: iOS 17.1. However, security patches come at a much smaller point update. Think: iOS 17.1.3. The .3 update probably fixed some issues with the .2 update that proceeded it. That’s all there is to it.
The newer updates generally take more processing power after installed but can utilize speed and storage to typically function better. However, older hardware has issues with this. We’ve seen this exact scenario play out with Apple in the past. They intentionally made phones run slower after larger updates. To their credit, they did this in order to make the battery last longer. Alternatively, sometimes they made the phones perform faster, thereby making the batteries not last as long. Now, users have the option to choose.
Back to this update problem for a second. As softwares get more complex, they require more people to work on them, and inevitably more people to help update them. Which then causes more issues because the right hand doesn’t always know what the left hand is doing. Meaning, coders working on Application or Feature X may code differently (even in the same coding language) than the coders working on Application or Feature Y. They may unintentionally use a different coding library, place comments or items in a different order, or even use a different naming structure.
You would think there would be best practices in place to help remedy these types of issues. And let me assure you, there most certainly is. However, even with the same SOPs, same manuals, same everything, 10 coders would have 10 very different end products even if coding the same thing - especially with the grand scale that is an OS. At a very basic level, sometimes using the tab button on the keyboard versus hitting the space bar 5 times could cause an issue.
A very basic comparison we can all relate to is the date. Do you use text and numbers, or just numbers? Do you use 6 characters or 8? What comes first? Is there dashes or commas, or periods? See while they all say the same thing, in order to keep a clean code, it needs to be the same across every line of code. And an OS’s code is millions of lines long, uses multiple coding languages, and may have bits of code from decades ago still in place.
Not to mention, the larger the code set is, the more robust it is, the more opportunity for bugs to appear in the code, making it take longer to submit updates and changes. The number and severity of bugs found also are dictated based on the user base. This is one reason why anytime a major OS is released, new bugs are found within days. The more people using the software, the more troubleshooting is done (intentional or not) bringing issues to the surface. One reason for this is simply the number of troubleshooting steps required to test out every combination of keys would take forever. Who would have thought a random string of Arabic characters sent via iMessage would crash your phone?
But what happens when there are less than a handful of developers keeping the code up to date for the entire internet? In reality, that’s kind of what’s happening. Over the last few weeks, a bunch of people sent me the article by Bryan Lunduke, “If this one guy got hit by a bus, the world's software would fall apart.” There’s some truth there, but it’s not just one guy. They definitely need more people to help, but the problem is the current ‘staff’ are volunteers. These positions must act as engineers, lawyers, and judges, all in one. If they were paid, they could sway the trillions of interactions on the web giving one (or more) companies an advantage. I don’t have all the answers here, so let’s look at this a different way.
I’d be willing to bet you also know someone who uses a much older phone, whether Android or iPhone. Maybe you know someone still using an iPhone 8 for example. How is it still functioning, you may ask? Well, if it is still usable, I’d also be willing to bet it still has the same iOS version installed on day one. Just about every piece of hardware will continue to work with the originally installed software with a caveat. Some apps and features may stop working. But it won’t keep the core functionality from performing at optimal speeds.
The same thing can happen with software. It no longer can function due to newer hardware requirements. You remember all the iPhones sold on eBay that came installed with Flappy Bird once it was removed from the App Store? They still sell for thousands of dollars, apparently. What about the cancellation of Adobe Flash? Or the craziness that was your MySpace page? For a current partial flashback in time, check out the simplicity of the 7th listed company on the Fortune 500 list - Berkshire Hathaway. Without updating the internet’s code, we couldn’t go from that to sites with online stores, social media, or even YouTube.
Back to the meat of the topic. How do we as users know when and if it’s okay to update our devices? I choose when and how to update based on the importance of that product, and its job. Let’s look at a couple of scenarios.
For example, I need my phone and use it daily. But I don’t run a business from it and can deal with smaller problems in order to get new features and updates. I also like to test out new features and apps to be close to the bleeding edge of tech. So, I’m usually up for installing beta software and testing things out on my phone. If something does happen to it, the phone and messages will generally work, and I can get by with that and my tablet if push comes to shove.
On the other hand, I don’t use my computer as frequently, so I just want it to be functional with the most features I can have with security and stability top of mind. And for that, I do what I would probably suggest all of you do with your phones. Wait for the first .0.1 update. Meaning, with iOS 18 coming this fall, wait a week or three until iOS 18.0.1 is released. This will give you the most features with the best *current security measures. Further, when iOS 18.2 is released, wait until iOS 18.2.1 before installing.
*I say current, because there will always be more security patches as software is supported. In some cases, the community may even take over for further development. Roughly 5 years ago, Microsoft sent an update to Windows XP 4 years after retiring support - and almost 20 years after it was released. This isn’t unheard of, as many warehouses and production facilities still run on computers and codes from the late 1900s. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Linux computer running part of the backend of the internet still has some code from the 70s on it.
For another personal example, my car has a huge safety factor. Not only for me, but my passengers and others on the road. That said, I don’t want or need the newest feature updates, only safety updates. To be clear, none of these updates are necessarily that huge of a safety factor as far as driving. But they can cause issues with the car to keep one from driving. I want those things to be tested by other enthusiasts who don’t necessarily need to get to work by a certain time or are in ‘somewhat’ of a hurry to get home like I am. I also don’t live close to a service center, so that could be a whole other issue.
Lastly, at my church, we have multiple computers who have one job and one job only. And that one job is only needed on Sunday mornings. So, guess what? We set them up to work and don’t ever touch them until we absolutely have to. I mean ever. Like fighting words - ever.
With the range of updates and timing available to you, how would you choose when and what to update?
ICYMI: AI Updates
As the Humane AI Pin reviews are coming in harsh, a new AI device has been announced - the Limitless Pendant. This is a wearable device that only records audio when you tell it to and helps to make sure you never forget anything. You can watch their announcement on YouTube.
Microsoft teased a new AI tool - VASA-1. It can take an image and make it sing or talk. It’s not currently available but looks promising. Similarly, if you would like the video or audio only version of this, and/or convert your native language to another, check out Dub Air and Voice Air.
With one of their random and unexpected updates as usual, Boston Dynamics released their new electric Atlas platform to replace the HD Atlas robot. It’s smaller and lighter, all while being stronger and having a broader range of motion. Just like any other version of tech, the first iterations have to crawl, so future generations can run.
With all these software and hardware devices making headlines, see how AI compares to humans on performance. Spoiler alert: it’s much closer than you think.
ICYMI: Tesla Updates
The Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature coming to all Tesla vehicles in the form of a test ride at pickup, or with the free month’s trial, comes at a cost of a one-time price upgrade of $12,000. This may be too steep for most, so in order to get their stock price to turn around, Tesla will now be offering monthly subscriptions to FSD for $99. Perhaps laying off part of their workforce was done for similar reasons.
As their Cybertruck ramps up deliveries across the US, they have also recalled around 4,000 vehicles due to an accelerator issue around the trim and molding. While this can be very scary and have a huge safety factor, at least there’s a very quick and easy fix to hold users over until a tech can fix it.
POTW: Listicle Fun
To continue the fun from color and fonts, here’s a listicle of listicles! Here are 7 random posts I found that I wanted to share and hopefully give you some fun reading material! Throughout these lists, you can hear about love and death, history, places to travel, places to eat, and entertainment.