Smoke alarms would have certainly saved much more lives, if not for the fact that they tend to be quite annoying. Sometime they just go off due to stir-frying, or other activities in the kitchen and its low battery chirp can also appear out of the blue, jolting you awake in the middle of the night. Aimed at addressing all those common smoke alarm issues, Nest Protect smoke detector was devised by the maker of the renowned self-learning Nest thermostat. Instead of the usual loud, howling alarm, Nest Protect starts off with a heads-up warning that speaks with a human voice telling you where the smoke is, or warning about the rising carbon monoxide levels. To hush the alarm, you just stand under the Nest Protect and wave your arm. Of course, Nest Protect is Internet-enabled, which allows you to monitor the fire-safety of your house via your smartphone, or tablet, as well as provides you with the information about the batteries level. Hence, no more low-battery chirp at night. Apart from the smoke and gas safety features, Nest Protect doubles as a lamp, given it comes with activity sensors that automatically trigger the light on and off when someone passes by. $129
