I don't see how automatic, silent updates are any better than "phoning home" for key validation. The partial verification system requires constant updates to be any more useful than a verification of the entire key, and if these updates are optional, the illicit users will just opt out of updating.
Presumably it's also possible to run out of new parts of the key to check, at which point anyone who has been keeping track will have enough information to build a full generator.
I think he is speaking about "silently updating" the downloadable installer that is in the web page, not about "silently updating" the installed version in the user’s computer.
Presumably it's also possible to run out of new parts of the key to check, at which point anyone who has been keeping track will have enough information to build a full generator.