Nest Protect now does a better job of telling steam from smoke

Now that Nest has resumed selling the Protect smoke detector following a recall, it's back to business as usual: The company needs to make sure this isn't just a safer product, but a better one. The Google-owned firm just released a fairly meaty software update, with features that run the gamut from finer user controls to improved accuracy. Most importantly, perhaps, the Protect now claims to do a better job telling the difference between steam and smoke, with the so-called Steam Check feature reducing those kinds of false alarms by 50 percent. Meanwhile, a new "Safety History" shows you a 10-day log of what caused your alarm to go off. Included in that record are carbon monoxide levels, including how long they were in dangerously high territory.

1 / 8

Additionally, version 2.0 of the app now gives you more customization options for your CO warnings, like adding an emergency contact, for instance. Wrapping up, you can adjust the device's pathlight brightness from the app, or even choose to have it always be on, if you have a wired (read: not battery-powered) unit. Finally, you can now keep your wireless network hidden, if you prefer. The update is coming to both iOS and Android, though Nest warns that the roll-out could take as long as two weeks for some users. So sit tight, folks, and until then, try not to burn the house down.