Microsoft Corporation has announced that its Cortana-enabled thermostat will be available for preorder in March 2018 with a retail price of $319. The Cortana-powered smart thermostat, called GLAS, is the creation of Microsoft’s partnership with Johnson Control, inventors of the first electric room thermostat. This is Microsoft’s first smart thermostat, and it looks incredibly sleek and gorgeous based on a video released by Microsoft on YouTube (see below) in July 2017.
Microsoft revealed its plans to bring its digital assistant to thermostats, fridges and toasters. GLAS is one of the firsts thermostats to include Cortana integration. Its features will include a translucent OLED touchscreen display that will allow owners to alter room temperatures, check air quality and energy usage. GLAS will have Cortana voice services built in and run on Microsoft’s Windows 10 IoT Core operating system and Azure Cloud computing services. Its sensors can detect your presence or absence from the room, and the thermostat will constantly monitor indoor and outdoor air quality. Like the Nest thermostat, all of these sensors are designed to save energy through the change of settings. The Cortana voice controls distinguish GLAS from the Nest. GLAS can also be controlled with a dedicated app for iOS and Android, while a Windows 10 app is in the work to provide control from desktop machines.
Microsoft’s GLAS is the newest device built using the Cortana Devices SDK. This means you can manage your calendar and check traffic or weather conditions with GLAS. You can also access GLAS through Mobile apps are available through which GLASS can be assessed for iOS and Andriod, while it’s Windows 10 app is coming soon to the Microsoft Store. GLAS will be on display at the CES 2018.
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