Tesla Launches Karaoke Mic (CaraokeMic) in North America

Not a Tesla App

Following on the heels of the 2024.26.3 update launch, Tesla has launched the CaraokeMic in both the United States and Canada.

These mics also come in line with the updates we previously reported on about the Recording Studio mode in the Caraoke app. The microphones – in China at least – were originally launched as the TeslaMic. These have been available in China for a while now, but are just now available in North America.

In the US, the CaroakeMic will run you $215 USD, while it’ll cost you a $300 CAD if you’re in the Great White North. These are a bit higher than the prices we originally estimated, but these also include a hardshell carrying case

Rock Out

You can rock out using the new CaraokeMic – it syncs automatically to your vehicle, and each one has a ten-hour battery life. And you’re not limited to just Caraoke – you can open any media app and get singing.

The CaraokeMic syncs with both the front and the rear touchscreens in vehicles, and comes with “anti-howling” technology, so that your opera-worthy renditions don’t shatter any ears – ahem – come through nice and clean.

There are 2 CaraokeMics per package, along with a receiver, data cable, charging cable, and hardshell storage bag. The mics themselves light up when they’re in use, and when they’re charging too. You can turn them on by simply pressing down a button on the bottom of the mic, which will also begin the sync process. Keep in mind that the receiver will need to be plugged into the a USB port in the vehicle that has data access — usually the glovebox or in the center console on older vehicles.

The data cable is USB-A to USB-C, coming from the car to the receiver, which the mics wirelessly sync to. The charging cable also seems to be the same, USB-A at the power source (which can be the car), and going to the USB-C on the CaraokeMic. Since the data and power cables appear to be the same, you should be able to use the cables interchangeably as charging cables.

The CaraokeMic requires vehicle update 2024.26 or later and the vehicle must have an Intel Atom or AMD Ryzen infotainment unit.

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Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series. 

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

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Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer. 

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips. 

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.

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