Nest Protect
Two months after Google owned Nest suspended shipments of its Protect integrated smoke and carbon monoxide detector, the company has announced UK deliveries are to resume… albeit without the troublesome gesture control feature, which led to shipments being suspended originally.
Testing discovered the ‘Wave’ gesture control feature which allowed users to silence the alarm using a hand gesture, wasn’t functioning correctly and could be activated in the event of a real fire. Nest rolled out a software update within a day of the issue arising to existing owners, which deactivated the technology – as well as offering a full refund or fix to deactivate gesture control, upon return of the product.
Given the updated Nest Protect does away with gesture technology, in the event of a false alarm, users will have to deactivate it the old-fashioned way by pressing a button. But even without the gesture technology, the product still incorporates a rich feature set including self-monitoring technology, Nest Thermostat connectivity, graded alarms, night light function, together with mobile device integration via iOS and Android.
Available in hard wired and battery powered guises, the Nest Protect can be ordered directly from the manufacturer for £89 plus carriage. It is also available for sale to customers in Canada and the United States.
