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Tesla rolls out classic Pole Position game for in-car touchscreen with controller support

Published

6 years ago

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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.

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.

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Watch the video below for a demonstration of Pole Position on TeslAtari:

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Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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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

2 months 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

3 months ago

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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

3 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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