Firmware 8.0

[HankLloydRight]

During the 7.0 beta phase Tesla claimed to have over 700 people in the beta program. Seems like a lot to me.

Let's assume there are less than 1024 beta testers. It's trivial to somehow encode just 11 bits of information on the screen in a way that's not apparent to human viewers, but very easy to detect regardless of camera angle or resolution. Corners/borders of screens or icons that are slightly different. Very easy to do if they wanted to track individual beta test releases.

 

[chillaban]

Let's assume there are less than 1024 beta testers. It's trivial to somehow encode just 11 bits of information on the screen in a way that's not apparent to human viewers, but very easy to detect regardless of camera angle or resolution. Corners/borders of screens or icons that are slightly different. Very easy to do if they wanted to track individual beta test releases.

Exactly. Just adding 10 minor UI variations (e.g. pixels spacing, left vs right justified icons, size of the border between split apps, maybe even some artwork/icon changes) could identify 1024 users and those things can easily survive a blurrycam photo. Slightly more sophisticated approaches can be even better than that.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Here's probably the easiest way to encode 11 bits of information. Just vary the "graph" in the Energy icon:

Looks like it plots 8 points (but could easily be 10 points), and if there are 100 pixels of resolution, that's 1000 users you could track. And that's just one icon.

And there's all kinds of things you could do with this icon to increase the user space -- rotation, number of intersecting points, etc.

And these work even in black-and-white images (hopefully that IS valet mode).

edit to add: I'd probably use the globe/browser icon as a checksum for the energy icon.

 

[4SUPER9]

All I know is that if I was given the opportunity to be a beta tester, and would absolutely guard that information carefully and never share it. It's basic ethics people.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

If I was a beta tester I would absolutely guard that information. It wouldn't even be about ethics for me. It would simply be that I wouldn't want to get the boot. As a beta tester you never really know if what you have is legit. Sometimes they might give you a fake update just to see if you leak it.

Now that isn't because I don't have ethics. I am a beta tester for a different product that I can't say, and I don't share anything. I don't even though I hate the product (it's basically death), and could care less about being a beta tester. I don't say anything because I'm bound by my word.

So Tesla double traps someone. Both in not wanting to get the boot, but also ethically. So it's likely that what we see is purposeful leaks. Where they want to see what our reaction is.

So don't be surprised if we see "leaks" that seem downright awful. Like losing color for a GUI feature.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I don't know that you need to hide the fact that the screen is unique to each beta tester. They know they're beta testers, they know they're supposed to keep that info secret. Just put a colored but transparent watermark over the whole screen that has their tester number, similar to the way the instrument cluster says "FACTORY MODE" when that mode is enabled. They'd still be able to see and interact with all software, but any photos of the screen will always have their ID superimposed over everything.

 

[HankLloydRight]

If you make it obvious, people can photoshop or blur it out and still release beta images.

You definitely want it hidden, and of course, not disclose the methods used.

 

[Ingineer]

Let's hope Tesla devotes more software engineering time to features / bugs rather than implementing a complex watermarking system which would also likely necessitate custom builds for each tester. (which could be it's own can of worms for reliable test information)

 

[HankLloydRight]

You don't think they could write a simple firmware routine to dynamically generate the energy graph dynamically based on the VIN?

Or even simpler still, have the MCU call out to a tesla server to retrieve the image based on VIN or the API vehicle_id. No custom firmware needed. It would only need to do this once upon each firmware upgrade as part of the upgrade routine.

 

[sandpiper]

All I know is that if I was given the opportunity to be a beta tester, and would absolutely guard that information carefully and never share it. It's basic ethics people.

Me neither. I would guard the information with my life. Hint hint, in case anybody from Tesla is reading this and would like a beta tester in Canada!

 

[scottm]

Folks, we're all beta testers.

Sorry to bust the news to ya!

 

[iffatall]

Me neither. I would guard the information with my life. Hint hint, in case anybody from Tesla is reading this and would like a beta tester in Canada!

That's right. "Firmware 8.0 Information Leak" thread on TMC is where Tesla hunts for prospective beta testers that can keep confidentiality.

 

[sandpiper]

That's right. "Firmware 8.0 Information Leak" thread on TMC is where Tesla hunts for prospective beta testers that can keep confidentiality.

LOL! True dat.

 

[Bankroetlama]

Ik schop deze nog even omhoog, om de discussie hier op gang te trekken ipv het Firmware 7.1 topic.

 

[twall-e]

Dan hier dezelfde vraag die ik al in navigatie stelde; voor diegenen die al meer meegemaakt hebben. Hoe bruikbaar zijn de .0 versies? Of is het net zoals met veel (andere) software wachten op een stabielere .1?

 

[MickC]

Zag net deze post:

Just ran into this on my TV set and snapped a picture. Does anyone have this yet?

Blijkbaar in Australie op tv in een programma rond het Tesla Town project.

 

[MickC]

Zichtbare wijzigingen op het eerste zicht:

Betere waarschuwing voor dode hoek (rode rijstrook en richtingaanwijzer)
Afstand tot vorige wagen (blauwe strook)
Duidelijker Autopilot symbool
Snelheidslimiet aanduiding op andere locatie
Andere rijstrook aanduiding op scherm (volle lijn / stippellijn)

 

[Hans Noordsij]

Ziet er veelbelovend uit. Benieuwd wanneer we er meer van horen/zien.

 

[ultima]

Dit schijnen plaatjes te zijn van een firmware 7 beta.... zie het engelse topic...

 

[blee321]

::bump:: any updates on ETA?