A new product from Tony Fadell and the people at Nest; a smart smoke detector.
We all know why smoke alarms are torn off the ceiling or missing batteries: because every time you make stir-fry, the smoke alarm cries wolf. Or just as you’re falling asleep, you hear a low-battery chirp. They’ve become annoying. And that’s a safety issue.
…So we made something new. Meet the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm.
A couple of thoughts about this.
- I’m glad someone is re-examining household objects like this and making them better. I’m doubly-glad it’s Tony Fadell, the man behind the original iPod.
- I also like the idea that a the Nest Protect is also a downlight, activated by motion. That’s really cool. Man, I love it when smart people find unobtrusive ways to make objects in your home do more.
- $129 per detector is a hell of a lot of money. As long as you rent you will never, ever have one of these.
- It’s going to be a few years before this pops up in Australia, because they’re not even done with certification in the US yet.
I also found this video on the The Verge very interesting. Watch for the product demos, but stay for the Tony Fadell interview: