Around the Net
Company Marketing Battery That Makes Smoke Detector 'Smart'
- Wired, Tuesday, May 17, 2016 9:05 AM
Not everyone is inclined to rewire their home for a fullNest experience or invite an Amazon robo-assistant named Alexa into their lives. But even smart home holdouts will admit there are some appliances around the house whose digital updates are more important than others. For instance, your smoke alarm, which can buzz your phone if it thinks there’s a fire in your living room. Roost is a company that makes a series of Wi-Fi-enabled fire and carbon monoxide detectors. If you don’t want to replace your hardware store smoke detectors with Roost’s hardware, the company also makes an Internet-connected 9-volt battery that fits in regular smoke alarms, transforming your cheap plastic unit into a cloud-connected system. The battery is an inexpensive ($35) way to dip your toe in the water in the Internet of Things without actually making a ridiculous investment. Plus, it’s more practical than a fridge that texts when you’re low on Soylent.
