Kidde: The Brand Behind Most Smoke Detectors in America If you’ve ever glanced at the smoke detector on your ceiling, there’s a good chance it says Kidde. Founded in 1917, now owned by Carrier Global Corporation (spun off from United Technologies in 2020), Kidde is the largest residential fire safety manufacturer in the US. Their […]
Frontpoint App Review 2026: It Is Just Alarm.com Reskinned — You Pay $50/Month for a $5 App (Here Are Cheaper Options)
Frontpoint’s App: It’s Just Alarm.com (With a Higher Price Tag) Here’s the dirty secret about Frontpoint’s app: it’s not Frontpoint’s app at all. It’s Alarm.com’s app — the exact same app used by hundreds of other security dealers. You’re paying Frontpoint $35-50/month for access to software that costs dealers $3-8/month wholesale. Detail Frontpoint App (Alarm.com) […]
Insteon Review 2026: The Smart Home Giant That Shut Down Overnight — Why It Happened and What Surviving Users Should Do
Insteon: What Was It? Insteon wasn’t just another smart home brand — it was one of the first companies to make whole-home automation reliable and affordable. Their dual-band technology (wireless RF + powerline) created mesh networks that were genuinely more dependable than pure Wi-Fi or Zigbee alternatives of the era. Detail Insteon Founded 2005 (by […]
myQ Smart Garage Review 2026: No More HomeKit, No Home Assistant — Is the $30 Hub Still Worth It?
The Chamberlain myQ hub costs $30 and works with most garage openers made after 1993. But Chamberlain killed HomeKit support in late 2023 and blocked Home Assistant integrations — locking the device into their own app. The myQ app works fine for open/close and scheduling, but there is no local API, no Z-Wave, and the $1/mo Premium plan adds almost nothing. 5 alternatives: Meross ($40, HomeKit native), Tailwind iQ3 ($80, HomeKit + Home Assistant), Nexx ($40, Alexa/Google), ratgdo ($30 DIY, local control), or adding a Z-Wave relay to your Abode/Ring system for full alarm integration.
SimpliSafe vs Frontpoint 2026: $17/Month DIY vs $50/Month Alarm.com Dealer — Why You’re Overpaying With Frontpoint
SimpliSafe charges $18-28/mo with no contract. Frontpoint charges $35-50/mo on 1-3 year contracts. Both are DIY-install alarm systems with sensors, cameras, and professional monitoring. The difference: Frontpoint runs on Alarm.com (the industry standard platform). SimpliSafe runs its own monitoring infrastructure. 3-year total: SimpliSafe $647-1,208. Frontpoint $1,260-1,800. Frontpoint’s only advantage is Alarm.com — the same platform Abode offers at $6/mo. SimpliSafe is cheaper but has had 3 price hikes since 2023. Neither supports HomeKit. Abode does both for $199-415 over 3 years.
