Tony Fadell, Founder/CEO of Nest. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
Nest Labs, the maker of a smart thermostat, is close to unveiling a smoke detector, according to news reports.
The forthcoming device will communicate with Nest’s thermostat, sources tell journalists Jessica Lessin and Kara Swisher and may also be able to alert your smartphone to the presence of smoke, fire, or even carbon monoxide. Lessin had reported that such alerts might be available as a subscription service, but sources confirm to WIRED that there will not be a subscription component in the product.
As Nest Labs’s second offering, the smoke detector — called Protect, according to Swisher — would position Nest as a general provider of simple, digitally networked devices to homeowners. Co-founded by former Apple hands Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, who both worked on the iPod, the company believes it can drastically reduce energy bills and has begun partnering with energy companies on rebate programs.
