There’s only one word that comes to mind when describing the new Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm: WOW!
Nest Labs, a Palo Alto-based company started by former Apple engineers, has successfully taken one of the most irritating home devices, i.e., the smoke detector, and revolutionized it. And with good reason. Those maddening chirping devices can save our lives. As Nest CEO Tony Fadell puts it, “Safety is too important to be annoying.”
The Protect is more than just a smoke alarm, possessing the ability to completely integrate with a number of electronics around the home. Utilizing a home’s wi-fi network, the Protect can be managed via the computer, and alerts for smoke and carbon monoxide detection, temperature settings, or low batteries can be pushed to iOS and Android system-based phones or tablets with the Nest app. There’s even the ability to sync with the Nest Learning Thermostat, a thermostat that uses algorithms to cool or heat rooms depending upon occupancy, thereby controlling energy consumption. In a word, wow.
Inside the Protect, sensors search the air for a number of issues. But no more false alarms during hot, steamy showers; the Protect’s sensors can distinguish between high humidity and smoke. They monitor room temperature then adjust Nest’s innovative thermostat setting. They scan for carbon monoxide, too. When prompted, this Protect detection feature, coupled with the capabilities of the Nest Learning Thermostat, can trigger a furnace shutdown to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Again, wow.
With the Nest Protect, the familiar circular shape of traditional smoke detectors has been scrapped, and a sleek, square design has taken its place. An LED light ring displays color-codings to alert you to danger, or just dying batteries. A nightlight feature causes the ring to brighten as you walk by during the night.
And no more sudden, piercing noises jarring you into action. Now, a gentle, yet compelling, female voice will first announce, “Heads up, there’s smoke in the bedroom,” or “Emergency, there’s smoke.” And when you want to shut the device down, you won’t need a chair or a towel. Just wave your hand beneath it and off it goes. Wow.
All these smoke-detecting, carbon monoxide-monitoring, temperature-adjusting, computer/phone-syncing features come at a price, however. A decent, low-end detector can run you $30, but this techno-gadget will set you back $130 at Home Depot, Amazon, and Best Buy. But, you pay for what you get, and any device that has the potential to alert you to a carbon monoxide leak when you’re three hours away or save your family in the middle of the night is worth the extra cost. So, check it out. Watch a demo on Nest’s website; it’ll leave you thinking, “Wow.”
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Images courtesy of Nest Labs nest.com
Post Author: andyc.
