

Lifestyle
Tesla rolls out classic Pole Position game for in-car touchscreen with controller support
It’s great when Tesla CEO Elon Musk delivers on a seemingly random tweet, and the latest Tesla version 9.0.2018.48.12 firmware update does just that, plus a couple of other bonuses. Last month, the tech mogul teased the coming of new Easter Eggs for all Model S, Model X and Model 3 before the holidays. The odd combination of “romance” and “toilet humor” subsequently spawned wide speculation along with a lineup of further game and feature requests. Alas, as Tesla over-the-air updates begin rolling out, Tesla drivers are finally getting the full, “most fun” software experience as promised.
Super fun software Easter eggs coming to all Tesla S/3/X cars before the holidays! Romance mode, toilet humor & more video games.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2018
Here’s a breakdown of what’s new in Tesla’s firmware update 2018.48.12:
- Mobile App – Car preconditioning via the Tesla app now includes the ability to turn on seat and steering wheel heaters.
- Romance Mode – A virtual fireplace to be enjoyed in a (maybe) cold parking area, given that it blasts heat, preferably with a partner awesome enough to appreciate the experience. A simple tap to the screen will begin a song along the lines of “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green or Marvin Gay’s “Sexual Healing” to ensure the mood resembles the name of the mode setting it.
Photo credit: Model 3 Owners Club
- Emissions Testing Mode – A prank feature that allows users to play fart noise sounds from specific vehicle seats on demand. The option to fart when using turn signals is also available as well as the choice of fart style one wishes to execute. Options available: Not a Fart, Short Shorts Rapper, Falcon Heavy, Ludicrous Fart, Neurastink, Boring Fart (aptly named), and I’m So Random. A whoopee cushion icon is provided to clarify this feature’s overall intent. Each fart mode is a reference to various elements comprising the world of Tesla’s famous CEO. See for more insight: The Boring Company, SpaceX, and Neuralink.
- Pole Position – A new version of the existing TeslAtari game based on the arcade classic, this one being set on Mars and appropriately named “Mars Madness”. A heavily digitized Falcon 9 rockets across the track before the race begins, allowing drivers to speed around and take in the regolith scenery. Watch out for billboards!
- TeslAtari Game Controller Support – Video game controllers are now compatible with TeslAtari games via front vehicle USB port.
As an avid gamer, Elon Musk has made it clear that his Tesla sights will continuously aim to bring the most interactive fun to the company’s vehicles as possible. In another recent Twitter discussion with the official account for “Niche Gamer”, Musk mentioned the desire to bring a retro-style game called “Blazing Chrome” into the TeslAtari realm. With an AI-apocalypse theme, the game would be a natural fit for a product arising from an AI-wary CEO like Tesla’s.
Since its Version 9.0 firmware release, TeslAtari has proven to be both a popular addition to the company’s electric vehicle software and a successful step towards the “gamification” of the Tesla experience. Aside from the latest “Mars Madness” addition, the games currently hosted in the software include a non-Mars version of Pole Position, Tempest, and Missile Command. In August of this year, Musk announced that Tesla was looking to employ video game developers to deliver “max playability & creativity” to the company’s vehicles. That being said, these latest fun additions are sure to be part of a large family of entertainment features to come.
Watch the video below for a demonstration of Pole Position on TeslAtari:
Lifestyle
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.
The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.
Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video
With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:
Turn your Tesla into a rave cave with the new Light Sync feature 🎶
Rolling out now in software update 2025.26+ pic.twitter.com/IIsQxZ9jDP
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 29, 2025
To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”
Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.
Elon Musk
xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area.
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs
Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.
In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.
“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.
Musk Foundation donation
Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students.
The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”
“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.
The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”
Lifestyle
EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.
The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry.
A strategic fit
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.
That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.
“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”
Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”
Enabling the next wave
Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.
“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.
The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.
Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.
In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”
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