Nest Labs is reportedly developing a smoke detector to complement the Learning Thermostat the company first unveiled in late 2011. Key details like the product's name, when it will go on sale or how much it will cost remain unknown but according to former Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Lessin, it'll contain a wealth of features that make it much more appealing than a traditional device.

People close to the startup claim the smoke detector could feature a subscription service that would alert a user if smoke or fire is detected (I assume through your smartphone). Additionally, the device could communicate with a Nest thermostat which would give it a longer battery life as it wouldn't need its own Wi-Fi chip.

Other features like carbon monoxide detection or the ability to silence the alarm by waving a hand in front of it would no doubt be useful but the subscription service is worth reiterating as it would give the company a new and constant revenue stream. What's more, it would give Nest a foot in the proverbial door with customers where they could up sell buyers on future products.

Either way, Nest certainly has a lot of potential moving forward. Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures have pumped tens of millions of dollars into the company and it's no secret that they have acquired some of the finest hardware engineers in Silicon Valley. With founders Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers on board, the future certainly looks bright.