I realize that the software/hardware ladder is a unidirectional ratchet. I really do. But at the same time, I think software updates really should be backward compatible. Not just “we tried, sorry,” but “yeah, we’ve got you covered.”

Wyze updated its Android app. That’s great. But now I can’t get the live view on some warehouse cameras. I can get notifications that a camera has sensed activity! That’ll happen all day long! But I can’t connect to the cameras to a) see what’s actually happening, or b) turn off notifications during certain hours.

So. The easy solution would be to go to the iPad and log in, then make the notification changes from there, right? Wrong-o! The Apple app is way different from the Android app, and after hours of trying every setting I can find, I’m still unable to make the settings I want.

The root of this whole thing is that Wyze updated its Android app. Great! Not. Turns out the new version won’t run on my phone (it’s not that old!). Oh, and the old version of the app probably won’t run if I delete and reinstall, so I have to hang onto it as-is, so as to maintain control over some smart plugs in the system. Grr! Digging a little deeper, it comes up that there’s some weirdness with my phone — it’s on a 64-bit architecture, but will only run the 32-bit software? Over my head, man, Idunno. But it sucks that I may have to fork out $$ for a newer phone, just to keep using other products we already have.

Next-best solution: hand over control/“ownership” of the cameras to the facilities guy. “Welcome to the party, pal, you rassle with ‘em!”

And today brings a message on my MacBook, stating that future versions of the OS won’t run my existing version of Excel/Word, etc. What’s that going to mean? It’s gonna mean I’ll have to get on the “pay us every year” plan with Microsoft, just to keep using software I’ve already paid for!

I know, I know, “switch to Numbers and pages” or “just use Libre Office!” Each carries a learning curve I really don’t have time to fight.

GRR!

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

I know, I know, “switch to Numbers and pages” or “just use Libre Office!” Each carries a learning curve I really don’t have time to fight.

The Apple apps -- Numbers and Pages -- do have quite a learning curve, but LibreOffice's UI is a pretty easy transition from MS Office.

I was able to find a Harmon/Kardon head unit for my truck. It comes equipped with U-Connect, Navigation, and other software updates regularly.

Turns out that if you have the original software that came with it, it can be loaded to the original firmware and then updated to most any version of firmware.

I wish the rest of the world worked this way.

'Bug fixes and improvements', seemingly every other day, and for some apps, sometimes even more frequently than that!

Nearly every problem that anyone ever had with any software/app/device was associated with an 'update' to said app/device, which was actually working perfectly fine until the update...And then it wasn't!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nhracecraft,

I hate updates worse than fritz hates prairie dogs.

What I really hate is "This app must be updated before using it" when opening the app. It happens very frequently with the United Airlines app, just when I need it at the airport. Cellular service is frequently slow due to thousands of other people online.

I'm on both sides of the coin with this.

Have to deal with it as a user, always a pain.

Also have to deal with it as the publishers. We internally developed an application, web and mobile, so we have to manage updates across a hundred or so users.

After the switch from Intel processors to Apple silicon, MacOS used Rosetta to support software that was written for Macs with Intel processors.

Rosetta is being discontinued; many (most?) software vendors are offering free or low-cost upgrades.

FileMaker Pro is a database manager, sold by Claris. Apple owns Claris. The cost to upgrade FileMaker to a version that will run natively on Apple silicon is shocking. I have some databases that run on FileMaker, but I can not afford to pay the price that an Apple company is charging to allow an Apple software product to continue to run on Apple hardware.