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The loud, sensitive smoke alarm is probably the least-loved electronic device in your household, but it is also an appliance that could get you killed if it’s not working properly. That is why Nest Labs, a start-up led by former Apple engineers, saw an opportunity to reinvent it.

The company, well known for its smart thermostat for reducing energy consumption, on Tuesday introduced an Internet-connected smoke alarm called Protect. The product connects to a Wi-Fi network and is equipped with motion- and smoke-detection sensors so that when it starts beeping, it can be silenced with a hand wave instead of having to climb up a ladder and push a button. It arrives in stores early November.

“Everyone has them and they’re totally unloved,” said Matt Rogers, a founder of Nest Labs and former Apple engineer, about typical smoke detectors. “It’s designed to keep you safe, but you take out the batteries,” he said. And smoke is the No. 1 cause of civilian fire-related deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Instead of incessant, rapid beeping, the Protect beeps intermittently and a robot voice alerts the home owner about what is happening, with messages like “Heads-up, there’s smoke in the bedroom” or “Emergency, there’s smoke.” The notifications also can be sent to the home owner’s smartphone through the Nest app.

With the introduction of Protect, Nest Labs will be competing with appliance makers like Honeywell and Lux. One early hurdle may be the price: at $130, the Protect is positioned as a high-end smoke alarm compared with traditional ones, which cost as little as $30. And adding to costs, customers will likely need to buy more than one if they live in households with multiple bedrooms and common living spaces.

But Nest Labs, which recently expanded to 300 employees at its Palo Alto, Calif. headquarters, is hopeful. The company says its Nest thermostat, which uses software algorithms to automatically control heat and cooling systems to save energy, is in less than 1 percent of American households, though it is the top-selling thermostat in several retail outlets like Home Depot, Target and Amazon. “This is the beginning of a very long journey,” Mr. Rogers said.