Whatever is done, something needs to be put in place so that a flashlight never turns on by itself. That is the absolute worst thing a lithium-ion light can do. And since thermal protection was also turned off, that just made the situation worse. If thermal controls break when you’re using the light, it’s an annoyance or perhaps a minor safety issue. If the light turns on when you’re not around, there’s nothing you can do.
So, whether the code is structured in such a way that when the light is put into the “off” state, it’s impossible to come back on unless the switch is clicked. Or, exhaustive testing is done for every different “off” state there is to make sure it doesn’t come on. IMO, exhaustive testing is unlikely, especially for small projects. Or, perhaps just make an optional stripped-down “safe” firmware available when you order it (though toykeeper said that might not work in reality).
I know people will say, “Just take out the damn battery or mechanically lock-out the light” Sure, that’s an option, but you can be certain that most users are not going to do it. So you’re basically saving 1% of users and ignoring the other 99%.
For some reason I feel that there are advances on the horizon that could materially change how we light the world around us, beyond just fun add-ons like candle mode. So, as with phones and other once-simple devices, I think the path forward is to make it easy to update firmware/software in the field. This will encourage development, while also reducing the impact of bugs.
That’s a niche within a niche market. Everybody in the world that wants to update their flashlight firmware has probably already posted in this thread. And you can probably count their numbers with your fingers and toes. Once you make a flashlight as complex as a smartphone, you may as well just use your smartphone.
All that said, I’m really torn. Yes, I like fancy firmware that makes a flashlight do lots of cool stuff. It’s fun. But, I think it turns a flashlight into nothing more than a toy. If you can’t depend on a light, it’s not really a tool anymore. It’s a toy, so put it away without batteries when you’re done playing. I guess there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as the buyer knows that. They’re not marketed as toys, though.
I really want a toy and a useful tool. But I think this situation has taught us we can’t have both in one light. At best, you get something that leans one way or the other.