Bad News: I Just Got a Text from My Smoke Alarm!

Firetext Logo (Image by Mutimbo via Flickr)

Yes, technology has officially run out of productive things to do, and it is now running amok, doing things that only the geekiest of us find appealing or useful.  Yesterday, a gadget blog I follow on Twitter (@gadzooki) brought this ridiculous innovation to my attention, though in a more serious tone than I.  As explained by Gadzooki, this new product addresses the concern that fires often start in rooms where there are no people.  Hence, an audible alarm is not enough.  Therefore, the Firetext alarm sends out a text message to 4 people, who presumably would not believe that an S.O.S. sent from a smoke alarm is spam and would get around to doing something at some point before they finish that cup of coffee, lunch with co-workers, or workout at the gym.  While texting others is a good start, there is so much more this device could do that it does not.  For instance, it would be nice if it could “like” the Fire Department on Facebook, Tweet anybody within 3 blocks of your house, or quickly start a blog entitled “THE FRICKIN HOUSE IS ON FIRE”, but rumor has it those features will be included in the 2.0 version.