I launched this thread many, many months ago, back on: May 11, 2013, 11:53:48 am, as soon as I read the specifications. Jantje and Paul joined the conversation the very same day.
But we had to wait till... September until a member of the Arduino team answered. That is, 4 months later.
Maybe I'm wrong about this forum and maybe there's another secret one.
Now, I'm not convinced at all by the last minute solution approach. Just consider what happened in the U.S. with the government shut-down 
till next January-February.