Last month, Nest abruptly halted sales of its smart smoke detector, stating that while conducting internal testing, they found a bug which could lead to potential hazards. Nest Wave, the feature that allows users to turn off their Nest Protect units in the case of a false alarm, after being used in a “unique combination of circumstances,” could become deactivated, leaving home owners at serious risk in the event of a real fire.
Now, a product recall is taking place, with Nest stating the hazard being “Activity near the product during a fire can prevent the alarm from immediately sounding when the Nest Wave feature is enabled.”
Nest is repairing units sent in and is also offering refunds to those who wish it.
Speaking with GigaOm, a Nest spokesperson stated that, “Current customers can continue to use their Nest Protects once the Nest Wave feature has been disabled via software update. Even with the Wave feature disabled, the Nest Protect Alarm will continue to perform its essential safety functions, monitoring for increased levels of smoke and CO, and alerting users via voice alerts and Nest app alerts (if set up) as soon as there is a potential issue.”
If you own a Nest Protect, and don’t feel like hassling with the recall, you should download the OTA update immediately from here.
Via: CPSC | GigaOm