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The Apple in Tesla and how silly infotainment systems can be

Wouold Apple’s CarPlay be a better infotainment for the Model S?

Published

11 years ago

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CarPlay
CarPlay

CarPlay

The more I look at Apple’s CarPlay, the more I like it. It’s simple, it’s brilliant and it’s everything Apple is supposed to be, innovative, but it’s not revolutionary. Apple created great products in the past, and CarPlay does something every manufacturer seem to stumble upon. By reinventing the wheel of what an infotainment system should be, it reflects what I already know.

Infotainment done right

As automotive journalists, we get to test drive a lot of cars. That usually means getting to know them, figuring out their quirks and finally seeing how well they the demands of their targeted clientèle. However, there is one thing I dislike intensely, learning a new infotainment system for every manufacturer as well as their numerous updates.

Smart cellphones and silly infotainment systems

On the positive side, Tesla Motors has one of the very best infotainment system around. It suffers little to no gripes – save for the learning curve it takes to familiarize yourself with it. So why don’t carmakers offer us the capacity to mirror what we are already familiar with onto our smartphones? All they need is a display, leaving the dash to show the relevant car information.

In Tesla’s case, that would be very, very easy. The Model S already offers a generous display powered by a more than capable Nvidia GPU, itself relying on yet another Nvidia GPU for the rest of the system. Since the screens can be split, why not offer the option to mirror your smart phone?

Apple got it

CarPlay

CarPlay

I also never understood why Apple sat on the sidelines while Ford used Windows for its infotainment system. Apple showed late at car shows in 2009. I told them it was about time and that there was a great need for simple interface. Apple’s CarPlay system fits the bill. It’s innovative, yet simple. All it really does is allow an iOS users to make voice calls, listen to their music collection, view maps, while receiving and sending messages through touch and voice activated controls. And yes, Apple’s famous, or infamous Siri, its voice activation assistant, is available at the touch of a button on the steering wheel.

No matter how great Apple is, there are drawbacks. Not every Model S driver has an iPhone, for one thing and even those with iPhones will need the newer 5 and 5S. This leaves a good proportion of IOS users unable to use CarPlay. This strategy will push Apple’s already hefty bottom line up, but it means if you are a Blackberry, an Android, or older iPhone user, you won’t be able to access the system. Make it backward compatible. After all, you’re mirroring IOS.

The solution?

Simple. Let us see what we’re used to when we step into a car. No one wants to have to learn a new system. We already have enough computers at home, running different operating systems, and don’t need yet another system vying for our attention. Please carmakers and software developers, simplify our lives.

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And now, just when you think your connected life wasn’t convoluted enough, Google is rumored to be working on their very own infotainment system, while Microsoft is revealing its Windows in the Car concept. Really, do we need more Infosystems? How about showing me what I already know? Am I the only one feeling this way?

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Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

3 weeks ago

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March 6, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

2 months ago

on

January 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

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January 14, 2025

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Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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