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That fancy Cortana thermostat now supports Alexa and Google Assistant
If you've been eying Johnson Controls' slick, Microsoft-backed GLAS thermostat ever since it was unveiled in 2017, it's finally close at hand -- and you won't have to rely on Cortana for voice control, either. The $319 climate controller will ship on August 24th with support both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, helping it slip more gracefully into more smart home setups. This probably won't wound Microsoft's pride too much. It's aware that Cortana has just a small slice of the voice assistant market, and it's already getting cozy with Alexa on its own platforms.
Microsoft shares pre-order details for the $319 Cortana thermostat
Microsoft unveiled its Cortana-powered thermostat, called GLAS, back in July, and now we have more details on it. The software giant partnered with Johnson Controls, the maker of the first in-room thermostat, to create the device, and it's a beauty. It also comes with a hefty price tag: $319, and is available for pre-order now for delivery in March 2018.
Microsoft shows off a Nest-like thermostat based on Cortana
Microsoft isn't content to let Amazon or Alphabet dictate the future of the smart home. The software giant has unveiled a smart thermostat from Johnson Controls, GLAS, that promises to one-up what you see from the likes of Nest. The slick-looking control packs both a translucent touchscreen and, more importantly, Cortana voice controls -- you don't have to talk to a speaker or your phone to change the temperature. The promo video (below) doesn't go deep into the feature set, but the Windows 10 IoT Core-based hardware is known to detect both your presence in the room as well as air quality indoors and out.
Johnson Controls Connected Center Stack plays nice with a quartet of smartphones, we go hands-on
Smartphone integration in your car's head unit isn't of all that much use if it's only going to play nice with one brand or another (we're looking at you, Mini Connected). Johnson Controls is being rather more open with what it's calling the Connected Center Stack, basically a framework that OEMs and aftermarket radio makers can build upon to create their ultimate infotainment system. It quite naturally connected and played audio over USB or Bluetooth, augmenting that with support for Pandora and even Terminal Mode, as implemented on a Nokia N97, replicating the phone's UI exactly. There are both touchscreen and jog dial controls, and the unit can get data either directly from a smartphone or through a USB connected 3G modem. Or that's the theory, at least. The unit on display was a little buggy and not reliable enough for us to get a video of it in action, but with any luck it'll be cleaned up and hitting production center stacks... eventually. %Gallery-113993%
Vice President Biden announces $2.4 billion in battery-related grants
It hasn't been much of a secret that the US government was planning to dole out a couple of billion in battery-related grants to automakers this week, but we only got the details on who gets what today when Vice President Joe Biden made the big announcement himself in Detroit. As you might expect, the big three automakers all got a sizable chunk of the $2.4 billion up for grabs, with GM snagging $240 million for three separate grants, Ford getting $92.7 million (part of which will fund an electric-drive-parts facility in Michigan), and Chrysler receiving $70 million to develop and deploy advanced plug-in hybrid pickups and minivans. The single biggest winner, however, is Johnson Controls Inc., which got close to $300 million to produce battery parts for hybrid and electric vehicles. Chrysler partner A123 Systems Inc. was the next highest with $249.1 million, while EnerDel got $118.5 million that it'll use for its Indianapolis plant that produces lithium-ion cells and battery packs.[Image courtesy Wood TV8]
Johnson Controls rolls out re3 plug-in concept vehicle
You may not be seeing the car itself roll off an assembly line anytime soon, but Johnson Controls is hoping that some of parts in its new plug-in concept vehicle will eventually find their way into a few production vehicles. The car, dubbed the re3, made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show this week, and packs a whole slew of gadgetry, including an "extended cluster" with a 7-inch touchscreen, a seat-wing armrest and controller that moves some of the controls away from the dash, and a lithium-ion battery pack that makes use of "active cooling" and is able to be tucked in between the two front seats. Johnson Controls also says that the car makes use of renewable materials throughout and, supposedly, it can seat five people relatively comfortably. No word on any interest from automakers just yet, but you can get a closer look at it courtesy of Autoblog at the link below.
