Well Salti, if you know my history you'd know that this is perhaps the second time in several thousand posts here that I've crossposted. My history goes way back to the pre-history of the internet to ARPANET days where I was an active USENET user and administrator, creating a couple of very popular groups through the petitioning and voting process that existed back when. In those days of 300 baud modems needless crossposting was a major sin that could get you quickly booted from a group. So sort of a sore point of which I'm acutely aware.

Why this time? I wasn't sure of the appropriate forum to post to. I rather thought electrical was right but I also thought that it is a much less-trafficked group and that many people who might have valuable input or experience probably never visit it. This site doesn't have group charters I am aware of that define what should go where. So, with some trepidation, I chose to cross-post my question.

As kathyg points out, in these days of cheap electrons and relatively unfettered bandwidth the owner of this site chooses to post answers to crossposted questions in both groups, so everyone sees all the answers. A waste of bandwitdh? Perhaps. An irritation to the reader of multiple groups? Certainly. Have I myself railed against it in this very forum? Yes, I have. (the fact that their software actively encourages crossposting is plain stupid.)

But, just as in the old days, I think it is permissible with good cause. Perhaps I've exhibited poor judgement in considering whether my cause was good, but I certainly thought about it before pushing the button. I'd like to plead not-guilty to "moronic".

I'd also plead extenuating circumstances, as I was a little crazy after chasing after beeping smoke detectors for two hours and then chatting for a half hour with tech support at Nest; I really wanted an answer to my question!

Rest assured, it will probably be years before you see the next crossposted article from me.

Hey! I believe cross posting is a good thing! I learn so many things by accident this way! After reading your post here on Home Repair, I followed it to the Electrical Wiring one. A place I've never been before and brand new topics for me.

Cross-posting is now a standard feature of GardenWeb. When you post a new topic, you're prompted to check if you want to have your question appear in other forums.......

How about answering the OP's original question?

If you value your privacy, stay away from anything by Nest. Actually, most "smart" items are privacy pits, unless you can keep their communication strictly on your own home network and off the internet.

I can’t answer your question but would agree with the above poster regarding Nest and privacy. It was just released that the Nest thermostats had an unlisted microphone in them. The microphone was not listed in any literature or technical specs about the product.

A company that covers up things like this would never get my business.

I think I can pretty much answer my own question at this point; the product I want doesn't exist. But--There have been substantial improvements in standard smoke detectors in the last five years-- perhaps pushed by Nest et al. I found new detectors from Kidde that interconnect with my existing detectors, but include several helpful features-- an indicator that shows if that particular detector initiated the alarm, a voice announcement of and flashing LED for low battery or need for replacement (much easier to locate than the non-directional chirp), a feature that automatically silences the battery/replacement warnings at night, and a button that hushes the whole system in the event of a false alarm. I'm trying the one with the "10 year" battery; we'll see how long they really last. For the one I have that requires standing on top of a 10 ft ladder that seems like a good idea, even of it only lasts 7 years.

So not a perfect solution, and still no way to monitor my outbuildings from the house, but progress. If I can live long enough maybe Ill eventually have the system I'd like.

cleo-

Fact and fiction about Nest device microphones: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-nest-products-with-microphones-2019-2

I don't care what Google says about the Nest microphones. There's no stinking reason a thermostat needs a mic, for Pete's sake! "Never intended to be a secret." Yeah, right. They just forgot to mention it. Oops!

And the fact that I had my hand in the cookie jar doesn't mean I intended to take one.

Google makes excuses for what they do. Every company does. That I get. What I don't get is why so many of Google's users make excuses for them. Well, whatever.

Google's business model is raking in and selling as much information about their users as possible, full stop. You know, that, right? You don't think they're making these "free" services available just because they're nice people, do you?

Don't get me wrong here, I won't say I never use Google's services. I don't use their search, but I do use their translator and maps. I'm not logged into Google when I do, but I know full well that they can identify me in other ways. It makes me a little sick to my stomach when I realize that they're building up a file of my translation and location requests. Their algorithms are digesting my queries. They know where I'm traveling in the near future, and what I'm going to do there, even though they no doubt also know that I use an ad blocker. :-)

For the moment, I use translator and maps anyway. That's called informed (if reluctant) choice.

So if you also know what Google is taking from you in exchange for their services, I don't see a problem. What I object to is that many people don't, because they (Google) don't post the actual privacy costs of their services in plain sight. You have to dig through the terms of service. Who does that?

And by the way, though I'm singling Google out here, they're far from the only company doing this. It's happening with all smart devices, including and especially smart television sets..

Also, when they do give you software settings to reduce your "sharing," they usually make those settings hard to find and confusing to use. They sure don't advertise them. How is that right?

To get back on topic with Nest stuff, as long as you realize that those gadgets sell information that can (for example) potentially tell who-knows-whom when you're away from home, using them anyway is on you. My question to you is, how often do you really think about that?

As for the Nest microphones whose data "never goes to Google's servers," according to Kudzu's link -- well, that may or may not be true now. Google's record on such matters is kind of mixed.

Will it still be true next year? They're not saying. But if they can think of a way to make money with those microphones, assume that they will.

When they do start snarfing up the data from those mics, will they disclose what they're doing and why? You bet! It'll be right there in the terms of service you didn't read, posted in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.”