I thought I saw a guy on YouTube update the firmware of the Apex using an iPad?I have all my equipment out in my garage on shelves. Even my powerbars are in the garage. I have heavy duty extension cables running to the equipment under the stand with the connections wrapped in water proof electrical tape. One can program timers and set up and number the outlets and pumps from the app's. If one has to do a firmware upgrade you will have to connect a computer to do that. But that is true for any of the controllers.