CES 2015: the Roost smart battery adds WiFi to any smoke detector

There’s an enormous amount of connected home devices being shown off at CES this year, but one of our favourites is also one of the simplest.

The Roost smart battery is the size and shape of a normal 9V battery – the type that smoke detectors use – but with a built-in WiFi chip that allows it to communicate with your phone.

Until now, if your smoke alarm went off when you weren’t at home, you’d have no way of knowing unless a kindly (or angry) neighbour gave you a call. With the Roost battery, you’ll get a notification (as well as the usual ear-shattering noise from the alarm itself) and can turn the alarm off directly from your phone. Which means no more climbing up on chairs desperately trying to pull the cover off while also covering your ears, and hopefully the end of the dangerous practice of taking the battery out of the alarm to cook.

The really excellent thing about the Roost is that it fits into any existing smoke alarm that takes a 9V battery – you don’t need a whole new system to use it. That’s a real plus for renters, who wouldn’t be able to install something like Nest Protect.

The battery uses lithium-ion power rather than the usual alkaline, which means it’ll also last 5 years instead of a typical 9V battery’s 1-year lifespan. The app is available on iOS and Android, and the Roost battery is available to preorder worldwide for about $40 or £26 (depending on how many you order) for delivery in the second quarter of this year. Toast-burners, rejoice.

This week we’re bringing you all the latest news, videos and gossip from CES 2015 in Las Vegas. Check out the CES 2015 page to keep up to date and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see hands-on news with our editor Holly Brockwell from the show floor.