Model S Software/Firmware wishlist

[johnmodels]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this one. When the windshield wipers are on auto they swipe the windshield once when I get in. The problem is that if it is raining, then there is water all over the windshield. That first swipe either gets me wet with a full swipe of water or gets water inside the door since it is open. I cannot see the logic in this. Please either explain or fix. Also the auto wipers leave something to be desired. They have not sensed rain and stopped for a few seconds when it is pouring rain.

John

 

[kgb]

I noticed that I have wanted an easy way to enter addresses into the NAV. When someone sends me a text of their address, I would like to cut and paste it into the NAV. Since the text message is on my iPhone, adding an address entry for the NAV via the iOS app would allow cut and paste.

 

[NJ_EV]

Anyone else have a problem with the camera? The actual feed from the camera is moved up out of the border.

 

[znino]

Anyone else have a problem with the camera? The actual feed from the camera is moved up out of the border.

Sometimes happens. Especially if you have the camera running on top and use home link. When it has happened to me, a screen reboot is the only thing that puts the feed back in the frame properly.

 

[brianman]

I noticed that I have wanted an easy way to enter addresses into the NAV. When someone sends me a text of their address, I would like to cut and paste it into the NAV. Since the text message is on my iPhone, adding an address entry for the NAV via the iOS app would allow cut and paste.

It's not a great workaround but it does work...

1. have friend send text to your phone
2. use feature in your phone to copy/paste the address into the contact for that person
3. wait undetermined amount of time for Model S to get the updated address from your phone

Alternatively...
3b. unpair and re-pair your phone to force a fresh full sync of contacts

I went through 1,2,3 yesterday and it worked fine. I didn't try 3b because I wasn't in a rush and it sync'd in less than an hour. (I didn't time it.)

 

[ragoldwasser]

I would like to have the option fo the GPS screen turning as the car turns and not always have NORTH on top

 

[kgb]

I would like to have the option fo the GPS screen turning as the car turns and not always have NORTH on top

You already have that to the left of the speedometer.

 

[mnx]

Has anyone else complained about the interior lights turning off too quickly? (Surely I'm not the first) I'm usually halfway through the process of buckling one of my toddlers into a car seat when the lights go out.

It'd be nice if they stayed on as long as a door was open, or be able to change a setting for how quickly they turn off.

 

[shady]

I love the traffic information that you see on the Google Map, but the blue line for the current route obliterates the red, yellow and green traffic status overlays on the road that you are following.
I"d love to see the traffic status superimposed on top (not underneath) the blue line

 

[znino]

I love the traffic information that you see on the Google Map, but the blue line for the current route obliterates the red, yellow and green traffic status overlays on the road that you are following.
I"d love to see the traffic status superimposed on top (not underneath) the blue line

100% agree. Or put the route line as highlight on either side of the roads allowing the traffic to be seen in the middle.

 

[Hank42]

100% agree. Or put the route line as highlight on either side of the roads allowing the traffic to be seen in the middle.

+1

I'll add that it would be nice if it could highlight the top 3 alternative routes to auto-route around extreme patches of red and give the option to select one in real time.

 

[yobigd20]

I did not scan this thread to see if this has been posted yet but here is one wish that I have.

In short, sometimes by iPhone 5 battery dies at work (and I forgot my charger) and I'd like to pre-heat my vehicle via web page.

Just like we can login and control our car via iPhone and Android phones, we should be able to do the same via a web page. As a software engineer, I know the mobile apps are owned by Tesla directly, and any 'third party' website developed by any non-Tesla sponsored entity using the REST API (or any third party mobile app too for that manner) is really a huge security issue (possible for that app or site to capture your credentials and then be able to control your cars or even login to the teslamotors.com site using your credentials).

Therefore, my feature request would be that this functionality available via the Tesla-owned mobile apps should also be available inside of 'My Tesla' on the Tesla Motors website developed and owned by Tesla. This should actually be very trivial to implement.

As far as what functions are available within the mobile apps and web site, I have a ton that I could add...I think a top priority for me would be the ability to roll down or up the windows (always worried that when I walk away from teh car and put the key fob in my jeans that I might push down too hard on the top and roll down all the windows).

 

[Al Sherman]

Don't know if it's been mentioned. I'd like to see my phones signal strength on the topline so I don't have to grab the phone to see if I'm in range.

 

[brianman]

Don't know if it's been mentioned. I'd like to see my phones signal strength on the topline so I don't have to grab the phone to see if I'm in range.

Just to complete the feature request description:
If you associate 4 phones to your Model S and have 3 present in the vehicle, how would you like that scenario to be presented in the Model S UI?

 

[Lloyd]

Just to complete the feature request description:
If you associate 4 phones to your Model S and have 3 present in the vehicle, how would you like that scenario to be presented in the Model S UI?

Just the one that is connected....

 

[CyberDutchie]

Don't think it has been requested by anyone, I'd like to be able to have two Web browser windows open at the same time. There is plenty of useful information to display, for example stock updates in one window, news in another, etc.

 

[kgb]

Don't think it has been requested by anyone, I'd like to be able to have two Web browser windows open at the same time. There is plenty of useful information to display, for example stock updates in one window, news in another, etc.

Perhaps one web browser window could show what is in front of the car so that you don't get in an accident while checking on stock quotes :scared:

- - - Updated - - -

+1

I'll add that it would be nice if it could highlight the top 3 alternative routes to auto-route around extreme patches of red and give the option to select one in real time.

I've been thinking about this, but does the NAV routing algorithm take into consideration the traffic info? It wouldn't be that much more effort. From what I understand, when attempting to calculate a route, the computer assigns approximate average speeds to various roads (ex. 50mph highway, 30mph main city street, 20 mph city side street) and then calculates fastest route based on the average speeds times the distance traveled on those types of road. It wouldn't be but 1 additional step to assign approximate average speeds to each traffic status... such as highway green = 50mph, highway yellow = 40mph, highway red = 10 mph. etc...

I suspect that the android tablet in the dash isn't doing the number crunching, but instead that is delegated to the google computers, which is then downloaded to the android tablet, which then does the turn by turn. But in the event that the Tablet is doing the number crunching, it would be nice to have a user option that allowed us to tell the NAV whether or not to incorporate the traffic data.

On a less important side note, one of my old Alpine NAV systems had default speeds set for various road types... such as 50 mph for highway. It had the option of changing those default numbers to get a more accurate "quickest route" calculation and more accurate ETA. For example, if you know that you don't max out at 55 mph on highway, but usually drive around 80 mph, you could put 73 mph for highway and get a more accurate NAV route.

 

[Al Sherman]

Just to complete the feature request description:
If you associate 4 phones to your Model S and have 3 present in the vehicle, how would you like that scenario to be presented in the Model S UI?

I guess I should have highlighted "My" phone. If all three phones ARE "My" phone, I'd like the car to know which one (default) I want displayed. Having more than 1 up there would probably be too busy. Out here in the sticks we're in and out of reception all the time. It's not a big deal. The Prius did this well and I guess I got used to it.

 

[finout]

Has anyone mentioned 3rd party apps recently in this topic? Just look at the number of people who jumped on writing scripts for the reverse-engineered REST-ish API. I am certain we would see at least a dozen of my fellow software-engineer-types (who seem to make up a remarkably inordinate percentage of Model S owners) writing excellent applications for the car if they were allowed.

3rd party apps would be a great way to accomplish over half of the ideas I've read in this forum without Tesla having to go through the release process for each feature. It's been promised, but they haven't even released an API or roadmap for this. One thing anyone in the tech biz can tell you: 3rd party applications provide an incredible boost to the functionality of mobile devices and the overall utility of those devices, beyond what the device's own designers could conceive of. Tesla should unleash the creativity of its owners and prospective owners by leaving development of the fanciest features for other people to write. Not supporting 3rd party apps (yet) is a huge mistake in my opinion.

 

[Lloyd]

Don't know if it's been mentioned. I'd like to see my phones signal strength on the topline so I don't have to grab the phone to see if I'm in range.

To expand on this a little. The bars on the top row show the car's connectivity which is ATT. If you have a verizon or other carrier phone your connectivity may be different, but if you have an ATT phone this graph should be correct. Are my assumptions correct here?