4 ms·

More here http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83e63a02-bb7c-11e3-8d4a-00144feabdc0.html http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83e63a02-bb7c-11e3-8d4a-00144feabd... (registration requ

More here http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83e63a02-bb7c-11e3-8d4a-00144feabdc0.html http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83e63a02-bb7c-11e3-8d4a-00144feabd... (registration required) Basically the wave to disable alarm feature is too aggressive, and other movements can disable it.

gabemart 13y ago
Link without registration required: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F83e63a02-bb7c-11e3-8d4a-00144feabdc0.html http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...
aestra 13y ago
I remember when the smoke detector was first on HN. Some people saying wave to disarm was a great feature and some were saying it was a terrible feature. I guess terrible won out. It is still a scary feature to me in concept, even if it wasn't broken. This is a safety device, it shouldn't be easy to disarm.
- johnward 13y ago
  Old smoke detectors had this feature. You just take the battery out. I have to do this to one of mine every time we use our broiler. I'm sure I'm not the only person who ever removed a battery an forgot to replace it for awhile. At least the nest feature is temporary.
  - deveac 13y ago
    >Old smoke detectors had this feature. You just take the battery out. The feature was having the detector unknowingly disabled. A better analogy would be the batteries in your smoke detector running out.
    - johnward 13y ago
      My understanding is that it's temporarily disabled by the wave. Is that not the case? It's still an issue if a fire starts and you aren't alerted for 20 minutes but I'm curious.
  - IanCal 13y ago
    I've said this elsewhere, but I don't think I've ever had a smoke alarm that couldn't be turned off by pressing the test button.
- raldi 13y ago
  If you don't provide a safe way to temporarily disarm a smoke detector, your users will find unsafe ways to do it. So providing a wave-to-disarm feature could literally save lives, if it discourages people from removing batteries or placing tape over the speaker.
  - IanCal 13y ago
    I don't think I've ever had a smoke alarm that doesn't turn off if you just press the test button.
    - raldi 13y ago
      "Just"? How tall are you?
      - IanCal 13y ago
        Maybe others have vaulted ceilings in huge mansions, but a standing on a chair has been enough for me. It's hardly a difficult task, and certainly easier than removing the battery or putting tape over the speaker which appeared to be the alternatives suggested above.
        raldi 13y ago
        When a smoke detector starts falsely making noise in the middle of the night, you have to get out of bed, turn on a light, get a chair, or maybe a stepladder... and maybe that stepladder is on another level, so you have to carry it up a flight of stairs and try not to bang the walls... it's a huge irritation. Similarly, when there's one in the kitchen and it goes off constantly every time you make toast, it's a major ongoing annoyance. Many people will respond to these situations by removing the batteries, covering the speaker with tape, or other things that lessen the functionality of the device in the event of an actual emergency. Therefore, a properly-functioning wave-to-disarm feature (and other irritation-mitigation mechanisms) are not just conveniences; they literally save lives.
        13y ago
- darkarmani 13y ago
  > I guess terrible won out. It is still a scary feature to me in concept, even if it wasn't broken. This is a safety device, it shouldn't be easy to disarm. The scary feature is my current method of taking the battery out of the smoke detector. I have yet to understand how this "old feature" is better than nest's feature.
giarc 13y ago
Like people running out of the house?

gabemart 13y ago

Link without registration required: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F83e63a02-bb7c-11e3-8d4a-00144feabdc0.html http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...

aestra 13y ago

I remember when the smoke detector was first on HN. Some people saying wave to disarm was a great feature and some were saying it was a terrible feature. I guess terrible won out. It is still a scary feature to me in concept, even if it wasn't broken. This is a safety device, it shouldn't be easy to disarm.

johnward 13y ago
Old smoke detectors had this feature. You just take the battery out. I have to do this to one of mine every time we use our broiler. I'm sure I'm not the only person who ever removed a battery an forgot to replace it for awhile. At least the nest feature is temporary.
- deveac 13y ago
  >Old smoke detectors had this feature. You just take the battery out. The feature was having the detector unknowingly disabled. A better analogy would be the batteries in your smoke detector running out.
  - johnward 13y ago
    My understanding is that it's temporarily disabled by the wave. Is that not the case? It's still an issue if a fire starts and you aren't alerted for 20 minutes but I'm curious.
- IanCal 13y ago
  I've said this elsewhere, but I don't think I've ever had a smoke alarm that couldn't be turned off by pressing the test button.
raldi 13y ago
If you don't provide a safe way to temporarily disarm a smoke detector, your users will find unsafe ways to do it. So providing a wave-to-disarm feature could literally save lives, if it discourages people from removing batteries or placing tape over the speaker.
- IanCal 13y ago
  I don't think I've ever had a smoke alarm that doesn't turn off if you just press the test button.
  - raldi 13y ago
    "Just"? How tall are you?
    - IanCal 13y ago
      Maybe others have vaulted ceilings in huge mansions, but a standing on a chair has been enough for me. It's hardly a difficult task, and certainly easier than removing the battery or putting tape over the speaker which appeared to be the alternatives suggested above.
      - raldi 13y ago
        When a smoke detector starts falsely making noise in the middle of the night, you have to get out of bed, turn on a light, get a chair, or maybe a stepladder... and maybe that stepladder is on another level, so you have to carry it up a flight of stairs and try not to bang the walls... it's a huge irritation. Similarly, when there's one in the kitchen and it goes off constantly every time you make toast, it's a major ongoing annoyance. Many people will respond to these situations by removing the batteries, covering the speaker with tape, or other things that lessen the functionality of the device in the event of an actual emergency. Therefore, a properly-functioning wave-to-disarm feature (and other irritation-mitigation mechanisms) are not just conveniences; they literally save lives.
        13y ago
darkarmani 13y ago
> I guess terrible won out. It is still a scary feature to me in concept, even if it wasn't broken. This is a safety device, it shouldn't be easy to disarm. The scary feature is my current method of taking the battery out of the smoke detector. I have yet to understand how this "old feature" is better than nest's feature.

giarc 13y ago

Like people running out of the house?