Nest Labs updated its Protect carbon monoxide and smoke detector software on Friday to resolve reports of false alarms.
The automation company decided to issue the update after receiving reports of false alarms as the device was unable to distinguish steam and smoke. The update added the Smoke Check and Steam Check features that will use the readings gathered by humidity sensors of the detector to verify if it is indeed sensing smoke or steam.
Head of Product Marketing Maxine Veron told the Washington Post that the update also comes with a feature that will let users understand the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. The app will also have the contact information of physicians and authorities that can be reached in case of an accident.
The app keeps a 10-day history of carbon monoxide level readings that may help medical practitioners determine the amount of carbon monoxide present in the household and conclude if there was incidence of excessive exposure. The app also has instructions to educate users in recognizing poisoning systems and in design their home's evacuation plan.
Current owners of the device will get free access to the improved software. Although it has several features, the new software does not include the Wave feature. Wave allows the user to turn off a false alarm by waving the hand in front of the detector. Nest Labs is still fixing some issues associated to the feature after recalling about 400,000 devices in April.
CNET reported that the Google-acquired home automation company is still working to stop certain gestures from inadvertently turning off the alarm. Once the updated Wave is released, the price will remain at $99.
"We are looking into the best way to silence nuisance alarms, and will let you know when we have more information," a Nest spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal.
