OK. Let's try it. So I disconnected my modification to connect my NiMh rechargeables to "pin 3", fully recharged my batteries (which show about 1/2 strength as usual without the mod) and start to apply the firmware upgrade.

The updater tells me that my batteries are too low!!!
I tried several times and can't get past that.

So any of you who are using non-alkaline rechargeables without the mod will NOT be able to apply 2.3.12, which might improve your battery life so that you wouldn't need the mod or the battery-pack. (Way to go Philips!)

So I reinstalled my mod, same batteries now indicate "full charge" and apply the new firmware. It applies without a hitch.

So I once-again disconnect my "mod" to see if the new firmware will do "Autodetection of alcaline batteries or optional charging pack". To me that would mean that the battery meter would have to indicate a full charge when the batteries are fully-charged. If that's what it means, then the "Autodetection of alcaline batteries or optional charging pack" is just another piece of confusion on the part of Philips. It doesn't do that, except in the manner in which it's been doing it all along. No change in 2.3.12.

Perhaps they were talking about the new change (I think it's new) to tell you that you can't load the firmware if the batteries are too low. They seem to be so confused.

It's no wonder that it's taken them 6 months to crank out a release with so little difference. And let's not forget that the release before that (in June) had little more in it than to correct the double-send fiasco that they released with the firmware before that.

One person, with almost any programming skill at all, could crank out more than this in just one month, working from their garage.

I can hardly wait for the non-color version of the MX-3000 so I can sell my Pronto on E-bay. I'll never buy another Philips product as long as I live...no so much because this one is all that unusable...but mostly because they have demonstrated that they don't even know how to spell "costumer sirvice".

Barry