Nest, a company formed by former Apple employees, reinvented the thermostat and continue to innovate and reinvent other household appliances. Their new thermostat is internet-connected and more energy efficient because Nest learns the behaviours of their owners.
Recently, Nest announced that they are introducing a new smoke alarm that also is internet-connected. Nest hopes this smoke alarm prevents house fires because many deaths have been linked to forgetting to put back batteries in the alarm when a smoke alarm goes off during cooking. Many owners view smoke alarms as an annoyance because they often go off during cooking and is a hassle to change the batteries.
Their new smoke alarm is hoped to help owners rather than annoy them as it comes with many features. Their alarm first begins with a “pre-alert” before sounding the full alarm. As well, their alarm has a motion sensor and if it goes off during cooking, owners can just wave their hand at the device so the alarm will not sound. Another feature included in this alarm is a motion-activated night light. There are also smartphone apps that alert owners when an alarm has been activated and if the batteries in the alarm is low.
This is a perfect example of a company innovating and expanding their products. Nest’s founder Matt Rogers has said that the company will continue to reinvent overlooked gadgets like they have with thermostats and smoke alarms.
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