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Nest smoke detector pulled for safety glitch

A wave of the hand could mean danger for owners of the Nest Protect smoke detector. Also, Vine joins the messaging app trend with private videos.

Bridget Carey Principal Video Producer
Bridget Carey is an award-winning reporter who helps you level-up your life -- while having a good time geeking out. Her exclusive CNET videos get you behind the scenes as she covers new trends, experiences and quirky gadgets. Her weekly video show, "One More Thing," explores what's new in the world of Apple and what's to come. She started as a reporter at The Miami Herald with syndicated newspaper columns for product reviews and social media advice. Now she's a mom who also stays on top of toy industry trends and robots. (Kids love robots.)
Expertise Consumer technology, Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, social media, mobile, robots, future tech, immersive technology, toys, culture Credentials
  • Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
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Bridget Carey
2 min read

The wave of the future isn't working:

Watch this: Nest smoke detector pulled for safety glitch

In this episode of CNET Update, learn why one of the coolest features of the Nest Protect may be a serious safety issue.

Nest, which is owned by Google, is pulling its smart smoke detector from stores until it can correct the "wave" gesture. When the Protect alerts about a minor issue, like burning toast, owners can acknowledge and silence the alarm by waving their arm near it.

Nest says the device may misinterpret other nearby motion as a wave and turn off alerts, delaying an alarm if there was a real fire. Existing devices are getting a software update automatically to turn off the feature. (Yes, that's right. Companies can remotely turn off features in your Internet-connected home appliance.)

But this isn't the only issue with the Protect. Owners have blasted the device on Amazon with low-rated reviews, saying it would go off without any smoke in the house. In many reviews, customers said waving or pushing the button wouldn't turn off the alarm. Seems this "smart" smoke detector still has much to learn.

Also in today's roundup, get updated on Vine's new private video messages. Messaging apps are all the rage and everyone wants a piece of the trend -- even Samsung. The Samsung ChatOn app now has a Snapchat-like feature that erases messages once they've been viewed.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey every afternoon for a breakdown of the big stories, hot devices, new apps, and what's ahead. Subscribe to the podcast via the links below.

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