Model S mobile App ... OS?

[doug]

A web app would imply that there's communication with a central server that acts as the proxy for communicating with the car.

Is that the case even with the mobile apps? I thought that the app would communicate with the car directly?!

I don't necessarily want Tesla having the chance to monitor my behavior w.r.t. the operations that I can do from the mobile app but, more importantly, we'd be at the mercy of the stability and uptime of the central server hosted by Tesla.

Oh, the car could be running the web server, I suppose! Duh...

Umm... yeah. I'm sure even the mobile apps talk with a central server in between. That's what's meant by cloud connected.
When you make a call with your cell phone, did you think that was direct point to point communication?

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Wouldn't the mobile app almost certainly have to talk with some central server? If you were in a movie theater outside the range of WiFi in your car, you couldn't tell your car to turn the AC on unless it communicated via cellular signal (or WiFi in the movie theater in this example) if it didn't talk with some server that then sent commands to your car.

Yes, Dave, you are probably right. Forcing the mobile device and the car to be on the same WiFi network would be limiting. Got to hop through a central server that can be reached independently from both endpoints.

I'm just not too convinced of, shall we say, Tesla's IT chops given the track record with their website, design studio, etc.

 

[dsm363]

They've had plenty of time to hire the correct people so I hope they did with regards to their mobile service. We'll see.

 

[ahimberg]

Web app does make sense, but If they make at least some of their car access API public, I would totally write a WP7/Metro app for it to fill the gap. (really don't want to buy an ipod or android device -nonphone)

 

[spatterso911]

It is most likely that all other manufacturers like Nissan, GM, Toyota, et al use a web server to transmit the data, especially for door unlock/lock and start functions, navigation. The smartphone app is just a shell to communicate between server and car. OnStar has done this for years and even before smartphone apps came into being.

 

[markwj]

While it is _technically_ possible to have a direct car-to-app link without a server involved in the comms itself (although a DDNS style server, or something like it, is required for the car and app to find each other), all the implementations I've seen use a server as a comms broker between the car and apps. The reasons are that (a) it is much simpler to design such a system, (b) the car comms can be simpler and use less data, and (c) push notifications need a server anyway.

Sure, there are privacy issues, but so long as you allow the manufacturer access to your car logs (either remotely or physically) those become practically irrelevant.

(soapbox)The most practical solution to this is a totally open architecture, in the car, server and apps - combined with a double-encryption mechanism so that car and apps can communicate through the server without the server being able to decode the traffic - OVMS. But, that is not going to happen with mainstream manufacturers. Too many liability, IP, competitive advantage and other concerns.(/soapbox)

 

[Designtime]

I know that they won't do it, but if they wrote a WinRT app, it would work with Windows Phone as well as millions of Windows 8 PC's in the next year.

 

[FalconNinetyD]

Does the general population spend $80k on a car? What if a good percentage of Tesla Model S customers happen to use Windows Phone? Should Tesla still give them substandard support because the mainstream non-Tesla public are iOS and Android users?

Btw, what smartphone do you use and what is your agenda for discouraging Tesla's customers from asking for support? Please stop trolling.
Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

I'm guessing the trolling comment was aimed at me, though I don't know why.

Agenda? My agenda is to receive my Model S in November, and have connectivity to it with my new HTC Evo 4G LTE. This is my second Android phone (the first being the original Evo 4G). Prior to that I had multiple Windows based phones (6.x) which I was not impressed with. Granted, the newer Windows phones are much better, but I think it's too little, too late for Microsoft, and Blackberry.