Tesla's Newest Holiday Update Includes an Easter Egg: 'Santa Mode' (engadget.com) 90
An anonymous reader quotes Engadget:
Dive into the Easter egg section on your EV and you'll discover a reindeer button that invokes a Santa Mode. To say it brings a Christmas vibe to your car would be an understatement. It turns your car into Santa's sleigh on the dash display (and other cars into reindeer), but that's really just the start of the flourishes. The new mode plays the late, great Chuck Berry's version of "Run Rudolph Run" when it first kicks in, for one thing. You'll also hear sleigh bells when you invoke a turn signal. And if you're fortunate enough to have a car with Autopilot, the road ahead will suddenly turn icy.
The article includes a video showing that the voice command to enable Santa mode is -- of course -- "Ho ho ho."
Engadget calls it "one of the perks of owning a Tesla in the first place. The combination of all-digital displays and frequent software updates lets Tesla add little delights that you couldn't get if you had to stare at an old-school instrument cluster."
The article includes a video showing that the voice command to enable Santa mode is -- of course -- "Ho ho ho."
Engadget calls it "one of the perks of owning a Tesla in the first place. The combination of all-digital displays and frequent software updates lets Tesla add little delights that you couldn't get if you had to stare at an old-school instrument cluster."
Re: (Score:1)
My old girlfriend, during those rare times in blow job mode, would go into autopilot. I didn't realize she was ahead of the times.
Re: Did they get the owners' permission (Score:4, Funny)
Ah yes, Abraham and his reindeer.
Re:How Political Incorrect !! (Score:5, Insightful)
For the entire 8 years of Obama's administration "Merry Christmas" was in the banned list.
That's strange... Obama has said Merry Christmas in many occasions [slate.com]. I guess that the only thing that's in the "banned list" of Trump supporters is critical thinking.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Let's start worshiping Martha Steward so we'll get seasoning gratings instead.
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Let's ban sliced cheese and make America grate again.
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no problem with that, but only if you use that car in a closed environment. because humans are bad drivers. Bring on those self driving cars !
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"How about fscking no?
I want my ride to be completely offline and electrically dumb as possible so the least exploits or any kind of remote control.
I want knobs and switches, that I don't need to look away from the road, when I want to change the volume."
We know.
That's why we didn't give you a Tesla for Christmas.
.. I'm sold.. (Score:3)
Oh dear ... (Score:4, Insightful)
much as I like Christmas & don't want to be a party pooper & all that .... is this really a good idea, is it safe ?
Easter egg code tends to be more buggy than the rest:, it tends to be written more quickly (not much budget for a frivolous project) and it won't be as well tested. Is this really wanted in something on which your life depends ? Also: since it is new it will be more of a distraction to the driver -- when s/he should be keeping his eyes on the road (especially at a time of year when more than usual will have more to drink than is wise).
What next ? A fun little game hidden inside the Air Traffic Control software ? There are times when us programmers should think of the consequences.
Re:Oh dear ... (Score:4, Interesting)
I just wish they wouldn't waste time on this crap and instead add basic features that the car is missing. Auto wipers and speed sensitive volume control would have been much better Xmas presents.
Re: (Score:1)
Almost certain those are patented. So don't expect it any time soon.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, by Nissan Motor Company it seems.
https://www.google.com/patents... [google.com]
Re: (Score:2)
You think any BLOW YOUR MIND blogger would write about auto wipers and volume controls?
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Most of these bloggers probably don't even have a license and think a car is just a tablet with some wheels and a seat attached.
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You think any BLOW YOUR MIND blogger would write about auto wipers and volume controls?
Given that they are luxury-car features, yes. Besides, Elon can drop a deuce at eight AM and there will be blog posts about how great it is by nine.
Re: (Score:3)
As all easter eggs in Tesla software, you need to explicitly enable them. They are not going to jump up unexpected.
Re: (Score:3)
As long as there's no bugs... just last week I had a coworker who intended to change the code from
WHERE a AND b
to
WHERE a AND (b OR c)
but actually wrote
WHERE a AND b OR c
and at least in SQL Server that resolves as
WHERE (a AND b) OR c
Something like
WHERE sound_is_active = 1 AND play_startup_jingle = 1 OR xmas_mode = 1
and suddenly you have an xmas sound when it's supposed to be in silent. Yes, poor data model and poor code but shit happens.
In any case, it doesn't address the main issue. Whether you manually ena
Re: (Score:3)
There's easter eggs that a developer threw in on his own, which management usually doesn't want on company time, and then there's somewhat nutty, somewhat nerdy CEOs who tells you to do something awesome.
The latter is official code that gets, hopefully, the same scrutiny as the rest of the project.
I don't think changing the imagery on the dashboard and the soundeffects of certain actions is in any way dangerous.
In fact, I think Tesla should think about making the cars moddable.
Re: (Score:2)
From the description, it sounds like this is *purely* a final rendering/output issue.
Now, if the car were to *do* something (brake; wiggle; spin wheels; honk) when it saw a reindeer or sleigh on the road, I'd be far more concerned . . .
hawk
Re: (Score:2)
Hey! Stop pooping the Christmas Bunny, Harvey here is really pissed already!
Re: (Score:2)
Chris Kringle and the Easter Bunny are the same person. Or have you EVER seen them together. They both hide packages of questionable origin in your house and garden. And they NEVER appear together.
shows Tesla just isn't ready for mainstream yet. (Score:1)
This shows incredible immaturity from Tesla, this sort of crap used to be common from many of the major software vendors but it was stomped out as such immature garbage is simply another opportunity to introduce security, stability or other undesired bugs.
Re: (Score:2)
A car is not a toy. It is a tool to get me from A to B with comfort and without surprises. I do not need a Santa feature. I had one on my Linux desktop back in the days. It was nice but did not help with anything. it was an unnecessary distraction. You do not want that in a car.
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This is totally beside the point and you know it.
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I see you've had your steaming cup of Bah Humbug this morning. Were you hoping for a cookie to go with it?
God no.. (Score:2)
Just what I want in a vehicle that's in charge of my safety: Bloatware.
Re: (Score:3)
A bit more sensitivity, the ware is just big boned and it's a glandular problem.
Or what's the politically correct term for land whale now?
Stop this! (Score:3)
A large robot with hidden, undocumented, surprise features is a danger.
A potential killer.
The particular one might seem funny, but it sets the precedent.
If it trains the OEM-s to take this as a normal practice, then we will be doomed.
Sooner or later, some device will have such last-minute cute hack open for exploits.
The behavioural specs of the cars - or any public-use robots - must be fully transparent, compliant to whatever standards there will be, and open for public attestation or scrutiny.
Mode? (Score:1)
Please avoid easter eggs in cars (Score:2)
Lives are at stake.
This is why I would never buy Tesla (Score:1)
What Tesla has is an $100K app with an afterthought car attached to it.
Re: (Score:2)
Wow, I read the one about the A-pillar and find it hard to believe. How did that get thru the dealer prep? I've heard of some pretty crazy stuff getting delivered but never something you could see with a casual glance. And then for the delivery guy to say I don't know if I can get you a loaner! My caddy dealer offers loaners if the oil change is going to take more than 30 minutes.
Re: This is why I would never buy Tesla (Score:2)
Who said that? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Who said that? (Score:4, Insightful)
Frequent software updates are a perk? Really? Who said that?
Frequent software updates aren't the perk, timely software updates are the perk. Everyone would prefer that software arrive in their hands bug-free, but the next best thing is that you get fixes rapidly. I've never had any meaningful bug-free software in my hands. QED.
Nothing says Xmas like a 12-car pileup! (Score:3)
As someone who spent four hours yesterday driving at half-speed on legitimately icy roads, I feel obliged to say, fsck you and the reindeer you rode in on, Tesla.
Neat idea (Score:2)
For people who have nothing to decide otherwise can now switch the design and layout of their car controls. Most likely this is a safety hazard and also -- what the heck, this is a car not a smartphone screen. Fortunately, you do not need to activate it, but how about "ho ho ho" audio tracks send to you via radio or on other entertainment crap. BTW: Easter egg for Christmas? Really?
I would be disturbed by this (Score:2)
Tesla owners: Is there a way to completely turn off the vehicles' update function? Disable the transceiver, perhaps?
Be Still My Beating Heart (Score:2)
"Engadget calls it "one of the perks of owning a Tesla in the first place. The combination of all-digital displays and frequent software updates lets Tesla add little delights that you couldn't get if you had to stare at an old-school instrument cluster.""
Perk. Delight. Riii-ight.