Microsoft Unveils Beautiful Cortana-Powered “GLAS” Thermostat

Megalith

Megalith

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Johnson Controls has designed one of the sexiest thermostats ever, and it’s powered by Windows IOT and Azure Cloud. “GLAS” features an elegant user interface that knows when you are in the room, what the air quality is inside and out, and is able to manage your ventilation and heating intelligently based on a number of factors.

Johnson Controls, one of the leading providers of HVAC, Fire and Security systems in the world, is changing how spaces are viewed and controlled. As the inventors of the first thermostat, Johnson Controls has innovated once again with GLAS. Utilizing Windows 10 IoT Core, Cortana voice services, and Azure Cloud, GLAS is a simple to use, elegant thermostat that brings leading energy savings and air quality monitoring to everyday spaces. Johnson Controls is reinventing the thermostat and our lives.
 
Picture the following scenario with this thing:

It's Winter. It's very cold outside at 2 F (-17 C). It's very windy, too; wind chills are -4 F (-20 C). And your house doesn't have great insulation or wind resistance w/only 4" thick walls.
Temperature setting: "69 F (21 C)"

"Your Thermostat needs to reboot now to finish installing updates."
10 minutes later: "Installing Updates. Do not power off your thermostat."
5 minutes after that: "Installing Updates: 25% Complete"

The house cracks as the temperature drops another degree both outside and inside.

"Hurry up," you say. "I need my heat back."
7 minutes later: "Installing Updates: 99% Complete" "Your thermostat needs to restart."
"Again?" you complain.

2 minutes later: "Welcome to the Environmentalists Update!" "We've automatically adjusted your temperature settings to reflect the latest efficiency data for your location."
New temperature setting: "64 F (18 C)"
"*#^$ you!" as you rip the unit from the wall.
 
I've got steam heat and no desire to have the cloud evesdropping on me. This product is not for me.
 
This'll definitely hook the "ooh shiny!" people. But like everyone else here, I'll take care of my own damn thermostat thank you very much.
 
Yeah the same Cortana that still cant tell me out loud when sunset or sunrise is? Good luck with that...
 
When I had a new air conditioner installed last year, I went with their smart thermostat.
Doesn't need the cloud to use/run.
It does connect to get the local outside temperature, and to log system usage, but I could turn that off if I want.
It is handy to be able to log into my account to how it is running, and to turn it on/off remotely when I'm upstairs.
 
It looks neat but I'm not sure on the size and the perceived fragility of that free-standing screen. Looks very random-bump-into-able.

Tho I have a Nest and I rarely touch the thing except to fix it when my roommate mangles the temperature cuz she thinks it needs to be 50F in the house all the time, because she is apparently a cold-blooded reptile(?).
 
I have and love the Ecobee3 I set it up with a few temp/occupancy sensors and haven't had to touch it in months. The big advantage is the sensors help a lot because our central air/heat distribution sucks. During the day and evening it bases the thermostat temp reading on sensors in the rooms we are in. At night it only uses the thermostat's sensor which is right out side my bedroom.
 
Not sure how this would work with my wood stove unless it could tell me to go chop more wood. Not my product I dont have or need AC.
 
Personally, I would love to have one of these except for one problem: THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE! :D ;)
 
I'm not sure what the size of the wall-mounted piece is, but it looks a little small for the average hole most of us have in our walls to feed out the requisite wiring. Of course a reasonably handy person could just patch the hole, but I doubt the average person would do so.

Also, how does this thing look against a white wall? Maybe that glass is tinted, but I'm not sold on the look - sure it's futuristic, but those looks tend to become dated rather quickly. I'm also not sold on Cortana or pretty much anything MS puts out these days.
 
Krixon said:
I'm not sure what the size of the wall-mounted piece is, but it looks a little small for the average hole most of us have in our walls to feed out the requisite wiring. Of course a reasonably handy person could just patch the hole, but I doubt the average person would do so.

Also, how does this thing look against a white wall? Maybe that glass is tinted, but I'm not sold on the look - sure it's futuristic, but those looks tend to become dated rather quickly. I'm also not sold on Cortana or pretty much anything MS puts out these days.
Click to expand...

I wish I could say your concern is unjustified but, them killing their Windows Mobile and Band platforms intentionally says otherwise. (Windows RT as well, which could have been improved and the desktop opened up but nope, why bother, they say.) :( At least they are not abandoning everything they have but that still does not instill in me confidence that they would not abandon this.
 
My normal thermostat has scheduled settings and works for 20+ years < 100$... to me this unnecessary but people love it even if the providers/carriers kill your device every few years.
 
nutzo said:
When I had a new air conditioner installed last year, I went with their smart thermostat.
Doesn't need the cloud to use/run.
It does connect to get the local outside temperature, and to log system usage, but I could turn that off if I want.
It is handy to be able to log into my account to how it is running, and to turn it on/off remotely when I'm upstairs.
Click to expand...

Problem is, if it's ever discovered that its firmware/software has an exploit, all it takes is a quick Shodan search for your thermostat to be owned. :(
 
Cool.. so 130 year old company Johnson Controls found a smexy looking way of integrating Win10 IoT/Azure/Cortana.. kudos to them!
 
I am kinda curious if this has any integration points that might work with the Harmon Kardon Invoke (also Cortana).
 
Let's put it this way: if the best these "innovators" and creative people can come up with is yet another fucking box stuck to a wall to work as a thermostat, they're fucking doing it wrong. Such a device should not be seen, at any time unless it's actually required to interface and make use with it, aside from that it should not be visible or reachable by kids/pets/etc or stuck out of a wall so someone walking by might smack into it or potentially rip it from said wall it's attached on.

Come on, designers, get outside the fucking box and off the walls with this shit, seriously. :D
 
Advert was creepy as hell, but I guess it beats a swamp cooler.
 
I have this super connected device, with deep learning.
Matter of fact, millions of years in the making.
Its called 'MY FUCKING SKIN'.
With 'MY FUCKING SKIN' i know if I am hot/cold or just ok.
That guides 'MY FUCKING HANDS' (another topic) to adjust my marginally smart thermostat.
Thank you for this device, joking aside, it seems nice, and it would be okay if its 50$ or less, but its going to be 200$ and up.
 
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