OTA Updates should have geofencing options

[AltadenaAir]

Last night, I got stuck in a parking lot waiting for the OTA Update to complete.

I had casually accepted the update earlier, in the morning. I didn't pay much attention to what time it was scheduled to occur. But later in the day we decided to go out, and then we stayed much later than we might typically be out.

Luckily, my party of four was stuck in a well-populated and well-lighted parking lot in a relatively safe area, with no inclement weather. But it could have been much more awkard or even dangerous. Given the desired high frequency of OTA Updates, one can imagine that many folks might be similarly caught, and eventually someone is going to find themselves in a pretty serious situation. And those risks are for a vanishingly small benefit: do I really need to get the update done one day or one hourly earlier than I would if it were otherwise delayed?

May I humbly suggest a new feature? There should be a checkbox (on by default): "Apply OTA update only at home". One can imagine several variants: maybe three checkboxes, "Apply updates while at home", "Apply updates while at work", "Apply updates while at other locations". That would give the user reasonably fine control of their own risk/reward profile.

 

[borski]

There are numerous warnings before you start the update that it will lock you out. You can also schedule it for a later time.

I like the idea of it geofenced, but I wouldn’t mark it a priority.

 

[AltadenaAir]

There are numerous warnings before you start the update that it will lock you out. You can also schedule it for a later time.

It is true that there are numerous warnings. And I did schedule it for a later time. But I saw those warning in the morning, and my plans changed that evening. That happens.

The point is that computers are supposed to do things for us, not the other way around. I'm not supposed to be burdened remembering the update strategy of all my devices. If an update is as fast as a simple reboot, well, that might be different. But I was unexpectedly locked out of my car for 35 minutes.

 

[idiot900]

The computer told you very clearly what it wanted to do and how long it was going to take, and asked whether it was OK to proceed. You said yes. It was completely expected, you just forgot. Computers can do a lot, but they can't divine when your intentions change.

Adding checkboxes to address rare instances of clear user error IMHO adds unnecessary complexity. An equally effective and simpler way to prevent this problem would be to remove the scheduling capability. Just pull up the app whenever you're ready - or don't, the car will still work.

 

[Drendino]

I don’t think it is necessary or even a good idea to geo fenced updates for many reasons. Chalk it up to a learning experience and move on.