Re: FCS is not new.
This isn't trusting your life to a router though, these are all systems that make the flight more comfortable for the passengers, and easier for the pilot, but the plane can (and did) continue to fly without any of it working. The "emergency descent" mentioned will have been to bring the aircraft down to a height where there is enough oxygen in case the cabin pressure gets compromised, which is standard practice and would be carried out by the pilot in an emergency if the autopilot didn't do it. This incident is equivalent to the climate control, power steering, and traction control in your car turning off, rather than the engine cutting out.
From the description of the incident, no one was ever in any danger, but they would be considerably less comfortable, and would immediately get the situation checked out (in the same way you would with an electrical fault in your car).
Biting the hand that feeds IT
