TESLA Software v10 — Bringing Car Entertainment To A New Level
The nice thing about having a Tesla car, is that it is like a computer on wheels. If you want to add new features, you can just push a software update over the air. This applies to the existing fleet of Tesla Models — Model S, 3, X, Y — to complete the Tesla “alphabet”. The Model 3 couldn’t be E, which Elon Musk would’ve wanted, but that is another story. Tesla Software v10 is deployed using over-the-air software updates which simplifies the process for car owners. That saves them time from having to download it or install the software via bluetooth or a thumb drive. That is just not convenient and not the best user experience. Once the update is applied, the features are available and ready to go.
These were the some of the features from the Tesla newsletter:
- Cuphead: Enjoy this classic run-and-gun action game
- Spotify: Listen to your music and create playlists for every commute, directly from the Media menu
- Tesla Theater: Experience the most fun you’ll ever have while parked, with your favorite movies, TV shows and videos
- Caraoke: Sing along to your favorite songs and watch backseat drivers become backup singers
- I’m Feeling…. Lucky? Hungry? One tap will send you on a surprise adventure to a local restaurant or attraction
The Previous Software Updates
Previous updates focused mainly on performance and driving features like Autopilot and Autosteer. For example in Software v8.1 improved Autosteer up to 90 mph, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, Summoning, Auto Lane Change and Speed Assist were added. In Software v9.0 Tesla focused on features for improving the touchscreen, mobile app and interface for a more intuitive user experience. The Software v10 features focus on making the car a better entertainment system.
Most car entertainment systems, or infotainment systems, are really lame in comparison to what Tesla has developed. I will delve into this some other time but basically automakers build sometimes hard to use functions on their entertainment systems which can confuse the driver. Depending on the automaker, it can simply be accessed or located beneath layers of other features. This could be the same on a Tesla, but that depends on the driver’s own intuition using the system. What you can do on other car’s infotainment system, Tesla has that and more.
On many cars, you have a basic touch screen or navigation wheel or controller to access features like audio, vehicle information, A/C controls, etc. Although you have a screen or touchscreen, you cannot do much else on it other than navigating features or displaying information. Tesla has made their infotainment system an integral part of the car’s controls. This is because Tesla doesn’t have a dashboard with the usual displays. Instead you get a display screen that is all digital and electronic. The screen is how you interact with your car. Another nice thing about the display is that you can actually watch videos on it as well.
Entertainment, Gaming and Music
The comments have been positive since the updates were first deployed. Techie bloggers and Tesla car owners have been the most satisfied with the new features the updates bring. One reason for this are the additions to the Tesla’s entertainment features. The Software v10 updates transforms the car into an entertainment system which brings more web, music and video offerings.
The Tesla Theater feature brings connectivity to streaming video services like Netflix and YouTube. With an LTE connection for premium connectivity customers, a Tesla can stream videos up to 4K resolution. Before you could connect to Netflix on a Tesla if you have firmware version 2019.12.1.2 using the web browser. Tesla Theater is more like a dedicated app that gives easier and faster way to access Netflix and other streaming services. Another good thing for music lovers in the US is the Spotify integration for streaming music. Soon other apps will be supported to bring even more entertainment. Car passengers can watch movies during long road trips or the driver can quickly watch their favorite TV show during a rest stop. No more need to DVR or miss an episode of popular TV shows.
Gaming is also a talking point of the new updates. With Tesla Arcade, the screen turns into a gaming display. Cuphead is the game offering that is introduced with Software v10. This could be a precedent to a Tesla gaming console integrated with the system. It may be a bad idea playing games on the road though, since it can lead to motion sickness. Otherwise, when parked, playing games in your car maybe the next best thing to kill time.
Perhaps the time has come for the “singing driver”. This is because Tesla is introducing the Caraoke feature i.e. Car Karaoke. Tesla may have done a study or gathered some data of things drivers do while on the road. It won’t be surprising if singing is something people do while driving. Tesla provides a musical library that contains multiple songs, even in different languages. This is not a new idea at all, but adding it as a feature is actually quite nice. Other ways to access karaoke music is via satellite radio like Sirius XM. However, those services require an additional payment while Tesla can offer it to their customers for free (as of this posting).
Feeling Lucky?
The feature that seems the most interactive to users is in the navigation app. Tesla can make restaurant and travel destination suggestions via the “I’m Feeling Lucky” and “I’m Feeling Hungry” feature. The navigation will take users to a suggested place for dining or sight seeing. For example, a person who is new to an area can use this feature to find the best suggestion for burritos. It is integrated with the navigation system so it will help the person get there. This would benefit those looking for landmarks, fine dining restaurants and even a hole-in-the-wall. Some are reporting that this could well be a local business booster because it can help people find places without having to find it from an ad. Think of this like a suggestion engine that has a list of places that it already knows but also discovering new ones for users.
Impressions
I am quite impressed with the features, though how well they will perform is not going to be the same for everyone. People will use what is useful for them. I emphasized more on the entertainment system, but there were other great features with Software v10.
Improved map navigation helps with the “Feeling Lucky” feature. Finding chargers and superchargers will also be much easier. There is also a feature called Joe Mode. The name doesn’t quite tell you what that feature is about. This was developed as a UI option to allow drivers to “lower the cabin volume for select alerts such as parking chimes” according to Tesla’s website. Joe Mode could be a great help to parents since lowering the volume can help children fall asleep on long trips. The chimes can be annoying or distracting at times, so before Joe Mode the only way to solve this was to turn it off. Now the chimes can be lowered so as not to disturb passengers.
There is also the Smart Summon feature. Based on many demos I have seen, this may not be something for every day use but more occasional. With Smart Summon, the car can drive directly to the owner from it’s parking spot. It provides convenience, like having a virtual valet bring your car to you. It will also be beneficial to drivers with disabilities, but if you can walk to your car much easier than you don’t really need to use Smart Summon. It seems like a nice feature to show off though.
Should we be worried about bugs that updates might introduce? It is safe to say to always be alert, so the answer is yes. If you are thinking about this in the same way as software updates for Windows, it’s much different. While consumer software like Windows is riddled with bugs and vulnerabilities, Tesla is dealing with a different type of application which is a matter of life or death if the features fail. This is because the software is applied to a device that is used in automotive and transportation, a tightly regulated industry. Therefore, Tesla’s engineers have to make sure that their software is secure and reliable first. If there is anything wrong, then customers must be notified immediately by Tesla.
Preventing accidents should always be the priority, so this is really not as simple as writing code fixes like in consumer computer software. For example when a computer crashes because bugs in the Windows code, users can simply reboot their computer and then apply the patch to fix the bug. However, it is different with cars. When your car crashes because of a bug in the software, that is a much more serious matter.
Overall, Tesla is delivering software features that add functionality to the car’s hardware in better ways. It is done over-the-air without requiring connecting any cables or external devices. This is an innovation in itself, making it simpler to deploy. Software v10 brings entertainment in the limelight of user experience. Now that Tesla has built a complete entertainment system, get the popcorn ready for movie night … inside the car.
