Nest reportedly working on smart smoke detector dubbed Protect

Now that Nest has rolled out its second-gen smart thermostat, it looks like it's gearing up to reveal its next project: an intelligent smoke detector dubbed Protect. Jessica Lessin, formerly of the Wall Street Journal, first broke word of the device and now AllThingsD is chiming in to confirm its existence. Specifics are slim, but it's said Protect will connect to the outfit's existing A/C hardware (presumably over Bluetooth), lending it long battery life since it won't need a WiFi chip. Lessin notes that a subscription-based monitoring service and the ability to sense carbon monoxide have been considered, but ATD's sources say the contraption won't be tied to a monthly fee. An official unveiling is expected to occur soon, and retail availability could come by year's end. Now that intelligent smoke detectors appear poised to head into homes soon, we can only hope they're as charming as Gilbert Gottfried.

[Image credit: Katy Warner, Flickr]