All of the output described comes out as text. As long as it is hooked up to any device and you have a text editor open, you will see it.
And.. i'm pretty sure firmware 17 is built in. You can apply upgrades, but the stock firmware will be permanently placed in the device. There is another key shortcut you can use to bring the device back to it. My own twiddler seems to have haptic feedback working completely fine.