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Model S Console Apps SDK Discussion - what do you plan on making?

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Y

yobigd20

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2012
6,027
621
Skaneateles, NY
#1
I am starting this thread to see what ideas other software engineers have in mind for building apps for the Model S. For non-programmers, your input is also welcome! In your case, what kind of apps would you like to have?

So let's assume they publicly release their touchscreen app SDK...what do you want?


  • I'm guessing a popular one may be native 'charging station' apps like Plugshare and Recargo.
  • parking apps (like BestParking)
  • I'd like a more enhanced 'trip' app that can track things over time like different routes from points A to B and each time you take a difference route it will give you avg stats like distance traveled, time, and most importantly kWh to get there (may be more or less depending on various differences in the routes).
  • integration with more internet music streaming services (di.fm in particular for me)
  • apps with video capability. ability to play divx/xvid/mkv (or any media type) movies that can be available via USB external drive. I'm assuming the reason why video is disabled right now is because they are paying for bandiwdth costs ATM and if people are streaming video from youtube and the like it could be costly for them. But once 'we' are paying for it, they should let us have this capability.
  • weather app
  • calendar app (one that sync with mobile device calanders)
  • TMC forum native app! lol
  • enchanced maps/nagivation (by this, I mean one that tells you if you can't make it to your destination on your charge, one that finds charging stations nearby and directs you to them, etc)

Less important to me:

  • twitter app
  • facebook app
  • IM apps
  • gmail app
I do have another really cool idea, better than the above, pretty advanced...but I don't want to share it yet...lol. If someone replies to this thread with it, I'll acknowledge and if you're a software engineer too then perhaps we can pair up to build it.

Outside of what apps people want, there are a few other things I'm curious about


  1. First, I wonder what this SDK will consist of. Obviously, some sort of set of APIs. I wonder how much will be exposed. At minimal some limited access to various data produced by the car. Hopefully access to the internet as well. I wonder if we'll be able to 'control' any part of the vehicle or if it'll be limited to just data produced by the car (if so, it'll probably just be non-critical components).
  2. I wonder the presentation layer is something also encapsulated and presented to us via an API that limits what we can display, or if we'll be given a third party open source API that some of us may already be familiar with.
  3. I'm guessing the only platform the SDK will work with will be linux based.
  4. I wonder if they'll provide a simulator for testing (similar to the apple xcode ide).
  5. What the 'release' model will look like. Do they have to review each submission and give an official stamp of approval before posting on an 'app store' for anyone to download?
  6. I wonder if they'll allow people to 'purchase' apps or if they must all be free. I'm guessing they must all be free...but I wonder if they are going to take the apple route and allow people to charge and then take a % for their own?
  7. I wonder if developers will need to 'pay for a license' ...

If anyone knows anything about the above, please share!

Everyone is encouraged to post suggestions here so developers and try and give you what you want!!
 
#2
yobigd20 said:
I am starting this thread to see what ideas other software engineers have in mind for building apps for the Model S. For non-programmers, your input is also welcome! In your case, what kind of apps would you like to have?

So let's assume they publicly release their touchscreen app SDK...what do you want?


  • I'm guessing a popular one may be native 'charging station' apps like Plugshare and Recargo.
  • parking apps (like BestParking)
  • I'd like a more enhanced 'trip' app that can track things over time like different routes from points A to B and each time you take a difference route it will give you avg stats like distance traveled, time, and most importantly kWh to get there (may be more or less depending on various differences in the routes).
  • integration with more internet music streaming services (di.fm in particular for me)
  • apps with video capability. ability to play divx/xvid/mkv (or any media type) movies that can be available via USB external drive. I'm assuming the reason why video is disabled right now is because they are paying for bandiwdth costs ATM and if people are streaming video from youtube and the like it could be costly for them. But once 'we' are paying for it, they should let us have this capability.
  • weather app
  • calendar app (one that sync with mobile device calanders)
  • TMC forum native app! lol
  • enchanced maps/nagivation (by this, I mean one that tells you if you can't make it to your destination on your charge, one that finds charging stations nearby and directs you to them, etc)

Less important to me:

  • twitter app
  • facebook app
  • IM apps
  • gmail app
I do have another really cool idea, better than the above, pretty advanced...but I don't want to share it yet...lol. If someone replies to this thread with it, I'll acknowledge and if you're a software engineer too then perhaps we can pair up to build it.

Outside of what apps people want, there are a few other things I'm curious about


  1. First, I wonder what this SDK will consist of. Obviously, some sort of set of APIs. I wonder how much will be exposed. At minimal some limited access to various data produced by the car. Hopefully access to the internet as well. I wonder if we'll be able to 'control' any part of the vehicle or if it'll be limited to just data produced by the car (if so, it'll probably just be non-critical components).
  2. I wonder the presentation layer is something also encapsulated and presented to us via an API that limits what we can display, or if we'll be given a third party open source API that some of us may already be familiar with.
  3. I'm guessing the only platform the SDK will work with will be linux based.
  4. I wonder if they'll provide a simulator for testing (similar to the apple xcode ide).
  5. What the 'release' model will look like. Do they have to review each submission and give an official stamp of approval before posting on an 'app store' for anyone to download?
  6. I wonder if they'll allow people to 'purchase' apps or if they must all be free. I'm guessing they must all be free...but I wonder if they are going to take the apple route and allow people to charge and then take a % for their own?
  7. I wonder if developers will need to 'pay for a license' ...

If anyone knows anything about the above, please share!

Everyone is encouraged to post suggestions here so developers and try and give you what you want!!
Click to expand...

I wonder when Tesla plans to launch the SDK...
 
#4
I think there is a way to allow quite a bit of control systems access in a safe way:


Allow more user profiles and more fine-grain control over them (so e.g. a user can set up a sub-profile that changes suspension & steering mode, but not seat settings.)

Then allow apps to request a profile change, which pops up a confirmation telling the user: "Such and such an app wants to change to this profile - allow?". i.e. Similar to how the GPS-based homelink works (but with a bigger button and in the center of the screen please).


That way a misbehaved app can't do any real harm, but it still allows for creating powerful apps (e.g. an app can implement GPS-triggered suspension settings this way - a frequently requested feature).
 
Last edited:
#7
I don't program, but I would recommend a peer to peer communication app for the smartphone app (that way people can coordinate supercharger access time, post alerts that charge points are down, ect. Maybe it can even be GPS smart and allow drivers to warn other MS owners on the same road that Smokey is hiding in the bushes up ahead!)

Also, how about an app that starts to automatically search for charge points when your energy gets below your preset level? It could include a Tesla community built map of places to charge with a recommendation to the fastest charger within driving range (or maybe most likely to be available)
 
#9
A supercharger "booking" request app, i.e. an app that communicates with the SC you're heading towards, estimates your arrival time, checks whether someone is charging and how long until they are estimated to be done, if someone else is also heading there and when they are estimated to arrive, perhaps you can define in advance how many miles/kWh you will need to charge, in essence an advanced scheduling/booking system for the superchargers.
 
#10
General social-networking based information would be awesome. (Especially if it's anonymous + opt-out instead of opt-in).

E.g.
* How many kWh/m did the car who was on this stretch of highway 5 minutes before you get?
* Current weather (rain level, exterior temperature, light level) based on cars on the road.
* How many cars are likely to stop at the next SC? (Based on location/heading/speed/current charge).
* Location based, voice-recognition based "tweets". ( "Watch out for baby deer on left side of road" ).
 
#11
How about a better media app?
For one, I want more than 6 FM presets.
For another, it would be nice to have a customizable screen where I can place as many Slacker stations, FM stations, or USB playlists presets as I want (e.g., 3 Slacker channels, 2 USB playlists, and 4 FM stations in a 3x3 grid). So I can listen to FM radio, and when I get bored of that, just press "Classic Rock" and with one button push I'm listening to the Slacker channel I want.
and better communication with the phone or USB stick would be very nice, even though the SDK probably won't support that.
 
#12
#13
Great writeup!

yobigd20 said:
Apps with video capability. ability to play divx/xvid/mkv (or any media type) movies that can be available via USB external drive. I'm assuming the reason why video is disabled right now is because they are paying for bandiwdth costs ATM and if people are streaming video from youtube and the like it could be costly for them. But once 'we' are paying for it, they should let us have this capability.
Click to expand...

As much as we'd like video, I doubt it will be available in any form due to legal issues (the driver is not allowed to see video while driving). It's been suggested that Tesla could make video available while in park, but I suspect they will not have video in any form just to be sure they can always say (in a legal setting) that video is not possible. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have access to the browser code to make a video on/off modification either.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
#14
vcor said:
It's been suggested that Tesla could make video available while in park, but I suspect they will not have video in any form just to be sure they can always say (in a legal setting) that video is not possible. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have access to the browser code to make a video on/off modification either.
Click to expand...

My Roadster has video when in "park". Also the MS back-up camera is video which can be watched while driving. I suspect the complication of retaining that, while simultaneously preventing the running of movies when driving, is what inhibits Tesla.
 
#16
orlando said:
remote smartphone access to rearview camera...
Click to expand...

My local service tech said one of the reasons they disable remote access when the car is in service is because the early beta testers of the smartphone apps *did* have access to the rear video camera, and an owner saw a tech who had taken their car home to do work on, drinking a beer in his garage.

Not sure if this is true or not, could be a Tesla employee urban legend...
 
#17
mcornwell said:
My local service tech said one of the reasons they disable remote access when the car is in service is because the early beta testers of the smartphone apps *did* have access to the rear video camera, and an owner saw a tech who had taken their car home to do work on, drinking a beer in his garage.

Not sure if this is true or not, could be a Tesla employee urban legend...
Click to expand...

Pretty sure that is not true, but rather an exaggeration of a tale related on these forums where an owner used the mapping on the iPhone app to check out his car while it was in the shop, only to discover that the the had driven it to a private residence at the end of the day. No mention was made of remote rear camera or beer drinking to my recollection. Does anyone remember that link?
 
#19
mcornwell said:
My local service tech said one of the reasons they disable remote access when the car is in service is because the early beta testers of the smartphone apps *did* have access to the rear video camera, and an owner saw a tech who had taken their car home to do work on, drinking a beer in his garage.

Not sure if this is true or not, could be a Tesla employee urban legend...
Click to expand...

wow talk about whisper down the lane. I remember that thread and followed it for a while. I don't know about the beer and rear view camera thing got into the mix lol , not true AFAIK
 
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