I just noticed...after all these years, there's a "firmware" update feature on the SX50. However, I searched endlessly for the firmware version it wants: 1.1.0.0.0. Does anyone have this file handy so I can load it onto the SD card to update?
I'm not clear what you mean.
You can only update if Canon issued an official firmware update. AFAIK, they have not for SX50.
You can use the "firmware update" menu to run CHDK as an alternative to autoboot (see
https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/%22firmware_update_method%22), but that does not actually update your firmware, and the numbers shown are irrelevant.
Edit:
The above means that you will see the "firm update" menu option if you have CHDK installed, which might be the source of the confusion. This does not mean a Canon update is available.