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Fire Detection

Nest recalling thousands of smoke detectors due to safety concerns

technologyEdward Kiledjian
Image by Steve Jurvetson under Creative Commons License

Image by Steve Jurvetson under Creative Commons License

Everyone knows a smoke detector is a critical installation of every house. It can mean the difference between life and death. So when a company recalls nearly half a million smoke detectors (aka NEST) because of an issue, you have to stand up and take notice.

In this case the Nest Protect Smoke + CO system has an alarm muting feature that is activated by waving your arms within view of the sensor. It seems that in some circumstances, during a fire, NEST could interpret your waving panicking arms as the signal to turn off the alarm (even if it is a real fire).  NEST has a temporary software fix that will automatically be downloaded to your WIFI connected PROTECT that will disable this feature while they work on a permanent fix. Just make sure your don't burn your toast because you won't have a way to silence the NEST PROTECT until the permanent fix is pushed out. 

If you have this device, make sure it is connected to your WIFI and linked to your NEST account to the temporary fix is automatically pushed. You can also call NEST Labs support at (800) 249-4280 or click on the special information webpage (link).

Your smoke detector is finally sexy... and smart

technologyEdward Kiledjian
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Nest is the company that made the unsexy thermostat cool again and now they have decided to tackle another unsexy device, the important smoke detector. Enter the Nest Protect, a smoke and carbon monoxide detecting internet connected wonder.

Not only are Nest products sexy , they are smart and the Protect is no exception. The fact that this device has WIFI means you can remotely (via the iPhone, Android or Kindle app) check the status of the device, check battery life and it even allows multiple devices to talk to each other (if you live in a multi-story home).

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 I'm a horrible cook and tend to burn meals every now and then. The Protect is smart enough to judge the severity of the situation and allows you to wave away the alert (for low severity situations).

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What would a new age product be without synergy. If you have a Nest Thermostat and a Nest Protect smoke detector, they can work together. If the Protect receives a carbon monoxide alert, it can intelligently instruct the thermostat to turn off the heating which is often the cause of excessive carbon monoxide. 

 

It even has a feature called Pathlight  (which you can turn off) that automatically lights your way if you wake up at night and cross a Protect device.

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The Nest Protect isn't available just yet but I'm sure we'll see it in stock and ready for impulse buying before the start of the holiday shopping season. 

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