Smoke alarms are great, except when they give a false alarm. One of every four of us disconnects the battery to silence false alarms. And, in one out of every five homes, the smoke detectors are inoperative due to dead or missing batteries. Today, there is a new smart alarm with a special built-in micropressor that distinguishes the difference between cigar-, cigarette-, and harmless smoke for cooking and dangerous smoke from a legitimate house fire. So, if you burn the meatloaf, there's no wailing. But if you're a particularly bad cook, and fill the place with heavy smoke that does set off the smoke alarm, just point any electronic remote control (from the DVD, TV, or VCR), press any button and it will turn off for 15 minutes. About 30 bucks at your local hardware store. And that's the On The House tip for today.