I figure that since we were able to go to the moon more than 50 years ago
we should have the technology built into our super-duper cars that allow
us to re-program buttons to our liking.

For example on the Steering Wheel switches, I never use the

1. Call send/receive button
2. Talk switch

Can we re-program these switches to our liking?
I'd like to turn on/off the radio with either 1. or 2.

This isn't rocket science.

 

No, it is not possible to reprogram them.
Also, it is not possible to go to the moon, not now, not 50 years ago.

 

Uh oh I see where this is headed🤭

 

Well I discovered a 'hotkey' that's even better than the phone/talk switch.
I drive with my left hand on the steering wheel.
The OK button is even closer to my thumb.
It will turn on the radio!

 

Strictly true.

The last Saturn V (the only operational manned moon voyage launch system to date) was expended in May 1973 with the Skylab space station launch. Given the present year is 2025, 50 years ago was 1975, so it is true it hasn't been possible for humans to go to the moon "not 50 years ago" as well as any time from 1975 to the present day.

 

How do you figure that?
We weren't discussing whether they went or not in that time-frame.
We were discussing if it was POSSIBLE.
You are telling us it was possible before that time-frame but not after it? Could you explain?

 

It all depends upon the category of "possible" - possible in theory or possible in practice.

Ever since modern homo sapiens came into existence, it has always been possible in theory for humans to go to the moon. However, except for the short period when the Saturn V manned launch system was being manufactured and operational, it has not been possible in practice. Possible in practice requires a man-rated operational launch, moon landing, and return system which hasn't existed since the Saturn V days. Granted, people are working on building and operating another such capable system, but to date, it is still a work in progress.

 

So basically you are saying we had the knowledge and technology to do it during the Saturn V era but
somehow lost the ability ever since then. LOL!

 

Has anyone reprogrammed the ES buttons to enable space flight mode?

 

Also MODE button will turn on/off (hold 3 sec) the radio.

By the way, yesterday I was watching the F1 Sprint build-up on Sky F1 UK, and Crofty mentioned that Craig Slater will be on the Qatari plane flying over the Lusail circuit at 500 meters, with a cameraman onboard. Later, they tried to show live feed from the plane, but it kept cutting out, a lot

So yesterday they couldn’t manage a stable live feed from a plane traveling 400 km/h at 500 meters altitude — yet almost 60 years ago, we were somehow able to broadcast live video from the Moon, or even during the trip there, from 269000 km away at 22,000 km/h.

 

The technology is there.
It just needs someone willing to crack into the display unit computer.

 

Well that's the thing.
We know the technology is there.
Auto manufacturers operate in a vacuum it seems.
They keep on doing what they do because they think they know best.
They need to start thinking outside the box.

Actually the whole car should be customizable in a similar manner
without the need to crack into anything.

 

That's the downside of proprietary automotive software - without reverse engineering, you can't change how those buttons behave.
Technically, you can listen on the OBD2/CAN bus and capture the signal that gets sent when you press the factory radio button, then replay it from another input,
but that’s already entering 'hack the system' territory.
It’s basically the same principle behind some modern car theft devices: they capture and replay signals that the vehicle expects.

The capability exists, but manufacturers don’t expose any official API or customisation layer.
They operate in a closed ecosystem, so unless they design the car to be modular and user-configurable, you're stuck with what they ship.
Making things customisable?
Very un-japanese!
They want you to be stuck with it and not change it.
I would like to create a car company where you BYO infotainment system as well as the car computer.
BYO battery and batttery management system. That way you can do whatever you want and not stuck with the same manufacturer.

 

The latest generation NX and RX have programmable steering wheel buttons, I suspect the next generation ES will also have programmable buttons.

The complaint then will be that the steering wheel buttons have no labels to indicate their purpose, to be reminded of the function of each button the driver must view the information center.

As already mentioned, you have a steering wheel button to mute the radio, no need to re-engineer the vehicle.

 

They work well on the RX. You program them for the functions you routinely use (i.e. drive mode, HVAC) and then almost never have to touch the screen.