Smoke alarms have 10-year batteries

February 10, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

Kidde’s Worry-Free smoke alarms eliminate the semiannual chore of changing your smoke detector batteries. The alarms have a long-life lithium battery that lasts 10 years, the lifetime of an alarm.

Four models are available: one designed for living areas; one for bedrooms, with a talking voice alarm to better wake occupants; one for hallways, with LED lights to illuminate the escape route; and one for kitchens, with a sensor designed to reduce nuisance alarms. The kitchen alarm also incorporates a carbon- monoxide detector.

Each alarm has an end-of-life signal that chirps when the device needs replacing.

Suggested retail prices range from $25 to $50. They’re sold at some home-improvement stores, hardware stores and other retailers.

Book celebrates custom furniture

Custom furniture making represents a combination of artistry and utility, a marriage of minds between furniture designer and client. E. Ashley Rooney explores the creative process and its results in “Bespoke: Furniture From 101 International Artists.”

In the book, Rooney profiles 101 makers of custom furniture and shares photos of their work. The pieces exemplify a range of influences and styles, but all share an uncommon artistry that balances function with form.

“Bespoke” is published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. (www.schifferbooks.com) and sells for $50 in hardcover.

McClatchy Newspapers