14 DAY TRIAL // One of the things that set the iPhone apart is the way that Apple continuously offers improvements in the form of software updates. Whether for improving security or adding new features, updating is an important part of any computer system, even a diminutive one. However, when updates are not entirely transparent, people start asking questions and wondering exactly what is going on.
Such is the case of the new 'Send to Web Gallery' option that many iPhone users started noticing after Apple's media event. This button is part of the new .Mac features that allow collaboration on a gallery and let users upload images quickly. But the big question is where the button came from.
Initial speculation was that Apple did a silent update via EDGE, but that was quickly ruled out in favor of the much more likely alternative of this update hitching a stealth piggy-back ride on the previous security update. However, if the update was hidden in the security one, what triggered it to go live? Again, the first assumption was that it was time triggered, however this seems highly unlikely as it would be a risky proposition. If Jobs got a cold, if there was an earthquake, or if anything else postponed the media event, the update would trigger before time and Apple doesn't leave anything up to chance. Moreover, some users are reporting that they don't actually have that button, so it can't be time related. Thus, the logical conclusion is that the iPhone looks for a trigger somewhere on the Internet.
However, the idea that Apple is checking around to see if a media event happened in order to trigger an update without your knowing is a little scary to some. It is one thing to use Software Update and give the green light for information about your system to be sent to Apple's servers, but them going out and looking for triggers without consent is an entirely different matter. On the other hand, this approach involves the iPhone taking information from Apple server, not the other way around, so there is no actual breach in privacy and no information about the way you should be leaving the device.
While such updates make for a very seamless experience, the lack of transparency simply bugs people out and it would be wise if Apple refrained from doing this too often.