Tesla is cutting edge, even bleeding edge technology, but sometimes returning to the classics can help too. There is no doubt Elon Musk and likely several Tesla fans watched David Hasselhoff play Michael Knight in Knight Rider in the 1980s.
At that time, the Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT) Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was the most advanced vehicle on the planet. The artificially intelligent car could do just about anything, drive by itself, take commands and go really, really fast. Those things all sound familiar. Lots of KITT's features are in Teslas, but there was one item that needed some work — Sentry Mode.
Tesla's Sentry Mode Improvements in 2022
Tesla continually tweaked and added more features to Sentry Mode in 2022. With the 2022 holiday update Tesla added the ability to view the vehicle's cabin camera directly from the app when Sentry Mode or Dog Mode are engaged.
In the prior update, Tesla added the ability to turn off camera-based detection, resulting in fewer Sentry Mode alerts in crowded areas. In some regions, Tesla also added the capability to adjust the length of each Sentry Mode clip.
In addition to these enhancements, Tesla now lets you use Sentry Mode and Dog Mode at the same time, as well as being able to disable Sentry Mode sounds.
Sentry Mode to Calm Down
KITT's advantage was that no one knew it was this technologically advanced car hiding a lot of tricks under the hood. KITT was super stealthy, except for the red light on the front of the shiny black front end, slowly pulsing from side to side.
Sentry Mode is a modern-day KITT, but instead of playing it cool like the Trans Am, Tesla's Sentry Mode freaks out, blinding everyone in sight. Every Tesla owner has returned to their car with a Sentry Mode notification. A lot of the time, it is some poor unsuspecting person walking to their car, and suddenly they are blinded by thousands of lumens.
Lights will Pulsate in Update 2023.2
Another Sentry Mode improvement is about to be introduced in update 2023.2. When Sentry Mode is enabled, the system will no longer blind passers-by with its bright headlights. Instead of full-on panic mode, it will now emit a gradual pulse of the headlights, ramping them up and down as a sort of warning. Hopefully, this stealthy, calm way of handling the problem will result in fewer surprised people being forced into the spotlight. It will also help when viewing Sentry Mode clips by not washing out the surroundings due to the bright flashes.
In the video below you can see the updated Sentry Mode lights when a possible threat is detected. This is currently available for the Model 3 and Model Y.
Hundreds of Tesla cars synced to the Indian blockbuster film RRR's award-winning song 'Naatu Naatu'
Vamsi Koppuravuri/YouTube
Tesla owners recently came together in New Jersey for an incredible display of technology and art. Hundreds of Tesla cars synced to the Indian blockbuster film RRR's award-winning song "Naatu Naatu" to create an unforgettable light show. The energizing event showcased Tesla's upgraded light show feature, part of the Christmas update.
The Twitter account for the movie, @RRRMovie, posted a video, which can be viewed below, of the mesmerizing light show. Elon Musk responded with two heart emojis. After Tesla retweeted the unique video, @RRRMovie replied by expressing their love for Elon Musk. "Naatu Naatu," composed by M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose, became the first-ever song from an Indian film to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Try the Synced Light Show
A recent update allows owners to schedule their light shows up to 10 minutes in advance or even create multi-car orchestras by starting them simultaneously. This feature can be accessed by tapping the Application Launcher > Toybox. The update also allows Tesla owners to activate the light show using their smartphone app, making it more convenient and fun for those who use the feature as part of their exterior decorations.
The New Jersey event displayed the innovative capabilities of Tesla vehicles and highlighted the growing influence of Indian cinema worldwide. As more Tesla owners come together for events like this, we can expect to see even more mesmerizing light shows in the future, celebrating the convergence of technology and the arts.
Tesla continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with its electric vehicles. Features like the light show demonstrate that the company is committed to creating an experience beyond driving a car.
Prominent figures such as Senator Josh Hawley and media personality Joe Rogan have come to the defense of Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk. Both spoke against the negative public perception and criticism while highlighting the importance of free speech. While Rogan spoke about the unfair treatment of Musk by members of the media, Hawley went after one — on his own show.
Senator Calls out Reporter
St. Louis’ KSDK News political editor Max Maxwell set up a recorded segment with the republican senator. While crews were getting the technical aspects sorted out, Hawley confronted Maxwell about his anti-Elon Musk tweets, which the Senator described as "vitriolic." The senator read one of Maxwell's tweets aloud, calling Musk's supporters "bootlickers." Hawley questioned Maxwell's intentions and expressed concern about the journalist's use of a public platform to attack people he disagreed with.
Maxwell explained that his tweet was a moment of frustration and defended his comments as satire, protected under the First Amendment. But it got more awkward as the reporter suggested he was drinking at the time of the tweets. Hawley emphasized that journalists like Maxwell have a lot of access, making their public comments particularly influential and potentially concerning.
Rogan to the Rescue
In another instance of public defense, popular podcaster Joe Rogan discussed the shifting public perception of Elon Musk on his show. According to Rogan, any narrative about Musk's political ideology is baseless. He questioned why people have gone from viewing Musk as a savior who brought about electric cars and reusable rockets to someone who is an "alt-right piece of shit." Rogan argued that the resistance against Musk and the publicity campaign against him have been fascinating to watch.
“The narrative has spread through progressive people where they'll just say it now,” Rogan continued. “It’s like they've reached the memo, the memo’s got to them… I hear people I know like, ‘Oh, Elon's just so crazy. Something happened to him. He went nuts, and he’s a right-winger now… They just have this narrative that reaches them as a signal. Like, ‘Elon bad now.’”
Senator Hawley and Joe Rogan's reactions to the criticism against Elon Musk and his supporters emphasize the importance of free speech and raise questions about the fairness of the media's treatment of the world's richest person. As public figures continue to engage in these discussions, it remains to be seen how perceptions of Musk will evolve in the future and how his tweets will impact Tesla.
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![Spectacular Tesla Light Show Dazzles to the Tunes of Academy Award-Winning 'Naatu Naatu' [Video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2023/light-show_300w.jpg)
