Google is giving its smart-home range a shake-up, and is discontinuing two of its products to replace them with third-party collaborations. That means, after 12 years, it's time to say goodbye to the Nest Protect Smoke & CO Alarm, and it's also ending production of the Nest x Yale Lock, a smart lock that debuted in 2018. The Nest Protect's replacement comes from First Alert, a well-established player in the smoke detector space. Arriving in the coming months for 130 and available for preorder now, the First Alert Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm will offer safety voice alerts, safety checkups, and the ability to silence alarms from the app. It'll connect with existing Nest Protect devices, so if you have one, you can still install the First Alert system in another spot, and if a fire is detected, both units will sound the alarm. Just like the Protect, it can be set up and controlled through the Google Home app.

After a long run, Google is sunsetting two of its signature Nest products and consequently withdrawing as a manufacturer in two key smart home categories. Google has just announced that it's discontinuing the 10-year-old Nest Protect and the 7-year-old Nest x Yale lock. Both of those products will continue to work, and--for now--they remain on sale at the Google Store, complete with discounts until supplies run out. But while Google itself is exiting the smoke alarm and smart lock business, it isn't leaving Google Home users in the lurch. Instead, it's teeing up third-party replacements for the Nest Protect and Nest X Yale lock, with both new products coming from familiar brands.

Ever think about how many little household problems you simply put up with? You know the ones I'm talking about--things like setting off the smoke detector when you're just cooking or never being able to find the TV remote. You (read: I) could probably solve these issues by changing day-to-day habits, but I like making seared tuna, even if it smokes up the kitchen. Plus, I'm nowhere near diligent enough to put the remote in the same place every time. There are tons of these little issues you might run into around the house, and I'm here to tell you that there's an easy solution: smart technology.

If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. Our picks and opinions are independent from any business incentives. When Home Alone debuted more than 25 years ago, poor Kevin McCallister, left behind by his family, was forced to use regular household objects like glue, paint cans, wire and blow torches to protect his house (and himself) from would-be robbers. Kevin made do with his supplies, successfully booby trapping the house, but we can't help thinking his job would have been a lot easier if he had today's smart home technology on his side. Here's how we imagine Kevin would booby trap his house in 2017 with the help of the latest home tech.