Incident: Intermittent Loss of Video Output Bug on MacBook Air Systems.

Published Date: 2013-07-29

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the MacBook Air systems occurred in July 2013 as per the article published on July 29, 2013 [Article 20277].
System 1. MacBook Air systems (11-inch and 13-inch models) [Article 20277]
Responsible Organization 1. Apple's latest MacBook Air systems were responsible for causing the software failure incident [20277].
Impacted Organization 1. Users of Apple's latest MacBook Air systems were impacted by the software failure incident [20277].
Software Causes 1. unknown
Non-software Causes 1. Physical sensor malfunction, such as a magnetic switch in the lid or chassis, contributing to the problem [Article 20277].
Impacts 1. Intermittent loss of video output on affected MacBook Air systems, with the screen randomly blinking to black or going to sleep unexpectedly [20277]. 2. Users experiencing inconvenience and frustration when using the affected systems, as they need to press a button to wake the system up again. 3. Uncertainty and concern among users about the extent of the bug's prevalence and whether it affects both 11-inch and 13-inch models of the MacBook Air. 4. Potential impact on user productivity and experience, especially if the issue persists or worsens over time. 5. Possibility of hardware-related factors, such as a physical sensor malfunction, contributing to the software failure incident.
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough hardware testing during the development phase to identify and address any potential issues related to physical sensors or components [20277]. 2. Conducting extensive user testing to detect and resolve any intermittent bugs or glitches before the product release [20277]. 3. Providing timely software updates or patches to address any identified issues post-release [20277].
Fixes 1. Conduct a thorough investigation to identify the root cause of the intermittent loss of video output, considering both hardware and software components [20277]. 2. Develop and release a firmware update or software patch to address the bug causing the screen to randomly blink to black or go to sleep unexpectedly [20277]. 3. Provide clear instructions for affected users on how to apply the fix, whether it be through a software update or a hardware adjustment [20277].
References 1. Apple support discussion thread 2. YouTube video showcasing the issue [20277]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization The article reports a software failure incident related to MacBook Air systems suffering from a bug causing intermittent loss of video output [Article 20277]. This incident seems to be specific to Apple's MacBook Air systems, indicating a software issue within Apple's products (a). There is no mention of similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products in the provided article.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident described in the article seems to be more related to the design phase rather than the operation phase. The intermittent loss of video output on the MacBook Air systems is suspected to be caused by a physical sensor issue, possibly a magnetic switch in the lid or chassis, rather than a software-based problem. The article mentions that the random nature of the problem suggests it is likely not software-based, indicating that the issue may be tied to a hardware design flaw rather than an operational misuse by users [Article 20277].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system, outside_system From the provided article [20277], the software failure incident related to the MacBook Air systems experiencing intermittent loss of video output appears to have contributing factors both within the system and outside the system. (a) within_system: The article mentions that the bug causing the intermittent loss of video output does not seem to be software-based, as the random nature of the problem suggests it may revolve around a physical sensor within the system, such as a magnetic switch in the lid or chassis, that could be contributing to the problem. (b) outside_system: On the other hand, the article also notes that the problem seems to happen more when on battery power than when plugged into its AC adapter, suggesting an external power-related factor that could be contributing to the issue. Therefore, this software failure incident seems to have contributing factors both within the system (related to physical sensors) and outside the system (related to power sources).
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the MacBook Air systems appears to be related to a bug causing intermittent loss of video output. The article suggests that the problem is likely not software-based but may revolve around a physical sensor such as a magnetic switch in the lid or chassis, indicating a non-human action as a contributing factor [20277].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident in the article is likely related to hardware factors rather than software. The article mentions that the bug causing intermittent loss of video output on some MacBook Air systems is not likely software-based due to its random nature. It suggests that the issue may revolve around a physical sensor, such as a magnetic switch in the lid or chassis, contributing to the problem [Article 20277].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article does not indicate any malicious intent. It appears to be a non-malicious failure related to a bug causing intermittent loss of video output on Apple's latest MacBook Air systems. The issue is suggested to be physical in nature, possibly related to a sensor like a magnetic switch in the lid or chassis [Article 20277].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The software failure incident described in the article does not directly point to poor decisions or accidental decisions as the intent behind the bug causing intermittent loss of video output on Apple's latest MacBook Air systems. The article suggests that the issue may be related to a physical sensor or hardware component rather than a software-based problem. Therefore, the incident appears to be more hardware-related than a result of poor or accidental decisions in software development [20277].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident in the MacBook Air systems does not seem to be attributed to development incompetence. The article suggests that the issue is more likely related to a physical sensor or hardware component rather than a software bug introduced due to lack of professional competence [20277]. (b) The software failure incident with the intermittent loss of video output on the MacBook Air systems appears to be accidental rather than intentional. The article describes the problem as a bug that results in the screen randomly blinking to black or going to sleep unexpectedly, indicating an accidental issue rather than a deliberate action [20277].
Duration temporary The software failure incident described in the article is more likely to be temporary rather than permanent. The intermittent loss of video output on the affected MacBook Air systems suggests that the issue is not constant but occurs under certain circumstances, such as when the screen blinks to black or goes to sleep randomly. This indicates that the problem is not a permanent failure but rather a temporary one that occurs intermittently [20277].
Behaviour other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not a crash. The systems experiencing the bug do not shut down or sleep when the screen flashes intermittently; audio and other activities may continue during these episodes [Article 20277]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not due to omission. The system is not omitting to perform its intended functions; rather, it is experiencing intermittent loss of video output [Article 20277]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues. The system is not performing its intended functions too late or too early; instead, it is experiencing random screen flashes and sleep episodes [Article 20277]. (d) value: The software failure incident is not a value-related failure. The system is not performing its intended functions incorrectly; it is specifically facing intermittent loss of video output [Article 20277]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit byzantine behavior. The system is not behaving with inconsistent responses or interactions; it is primarily showing symptoms of intermittent screen flashes and sleep episodes [Article 20277]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be described as intermittent loss of video output, where affected systems may have their screens randomly blink to black for a brief second or go to sleep, requiring a button press to wake up again. The problem seems to occur more frequently on the 13-inch MacBook Air and when on battery power, although it has also been reported on AC power. The random nature of the issue suggests it may be related to a physical sensor contributing to the problem [Article 20277].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence delay The consequence of the software failure incident described in the article is mainly related to the inconvenience and frustration experienced by users due to the intermittent loss of video output on Apple's latest MacBook Air systems. Users reported that the screen would randomly blink to black or go to sleep, requiring manual intervention to wake the system up again. This issue impacted the user experience and functionality of the affected devices but did not result in any severe consequences such as harm, death, or significant property loss [20277].
Domain entertainment The software failure incident reported in Article #20277 is related to the (k) entertainment industry. The incident involves Apple's MacBook Air systems experiencing a bug that results in intermittent loss of video output, affecting users who may be using the systems for entertainment purposes such as watching videos or playing games [20277].

Sources

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