emoeller

I don't see this as a problem.   Apple's Developer program allows for developers to side load apps, and to allow others to side load via its TestFlight app through the Developers Apple account, generally for testing purposes.   The concern raised in this article  is that the developer is then using that process to allow others to side load through his Developer account.  In other words he is a contract App Developer.  Corporations do this frequently when creating and distributing internal apps for Apple devices all the time.  This Developer is not selling apps created and installed outside of the Apple Developer framework.  

Furthermore this Developer, rightly, is concerned about potential privacy and security issues for some of the apps he and his clients have created and wants to internally develop additional protocols (above and beyond Apple's usual Developer review) on his side before side loading.  

The article isn't clear on this, but I am assuming that none of the apps are publicly "sold" outside of the Apple App store - rather they are utilized only by the Developer and his clients. 

Finally, I agree with the developer and others that a wide and general opening to the public of side loading is inappropriate.

Mine updated in minutes yesterday once I disconnect and then reconnected it to my iPhone 13P and then checked the battery status in Settings.   I think the "up to one week" note refers to simply automatically updating without doing any checking as then the servers will have to locate the device for the update.

As I stated before this is dystopian and I'll be canceling iCloud.

But as an Apple user since 1978 and shareholder this is the biggest mistake Apple has made - IMHO

Bigger than when Steve Jobs famously responded to Antennae Gate: 

"All phones have sensitive areas. Just avoid holding it in this way,"

Why, because this is yet another loss of trust at a time when "trust is everything".   It is a total repudiation of Apple's famous Las Vegas poster "What Happens on Your Phone Stays on Your Phone"!

I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal (fire walled) and watched Craig's interview - it was a hot mess.   First he claims there is NO SCANNING of photos because Apple uses an Algorithm both on the phone and in iCloud.  Do they think we are all dumb - everything that is done on a computer/iPhone is an algorithm.  He could have used a metaphor such as lock and key - but no,   Even he did some eye rolls during the interview.  

So what should Apple do now:  Reset and come clean

1)  Hold off on rolling this out.
2)  Explain why THEY are doing this (is it an internal policy change, demands by the government, or ???)
3)  Justify the urgency (why now, when should/must this addressed from a legal and or public safety aspect)
4)  Set up an independent task group - Apple, other companies, including across ALL political and social groups to incorporate this in the larger and far more important issue of privacy.  Make sure this forum is public and open.
5)  Come clean with who and what NEMCE is, how it was created, who manages it.  Just a little digging and I'm totally confused as it is not a private, public, or really non-profit and there appears to be little oversight as to how the data is collected, stored and secured.  Apple has been silent on this, and as holder of private information (even if it is hashed) they need to communicate the complete chain of custody and authority for anything shared.

No good deed goes unpunished.   I have no doubt that Apple was trying to do the right thing, but what they are doing now is wrong.

Dystopian.   Very disappointed in Apple on how this is presented and rolled out, I'll be dropping iCloud.   This could and should have been handled differently.

Here is info on the firmware version and how to check it...

The new version of AirTag software build rolling out today is build number 1A276d and firmware version 1.0.276. This is up from the previous firmware version of 1.0.225, which is the version that AirTags shipped with at launch. 

On your iPhone, open the Find My application, then choose the Items tab in the bottom navigation bar. Then, choose your AirTag from the list of items and tap on the name of your AirTag. Doing this should reveal the serial number and firmware version of your AirTag. 

Again, if your AirTag does not show that it’s running the latest firmware, there is no way to force it to update. Instead, just make sure your AirTag is in range of your iPhone, and it should automatically update.