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 […]
Alarm Systems
NextAlarm Review 2026: The $9/Month Monitoring Pioneer That Died Proving DIY Could Beat ADT on Price
NextAlarm: What Was It? NextAlarm was a pioneer in affordable DIY alarm monitoring — one of the first services that let homeowners keep their existing security panel (Honeywell, DSC, GE) and pay dramatically less for professional monitoring. At $8-12/month when ADT was charging $40-60/month, they proved the traditional dealer model was massively overpriced. Detail NextAlarm […]
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 […]
ADT Pulse App Review 2026: Killed Off, Replaced by ADT+ — Migration Steps and 3 Better Alternatives That Cost Less
ADT Pulse: What Was It & Why Did ADT Kill It? ADT Pulse was ADT’s first real attempt at a smart home security platform, launched around 2010. It gave customers mobile app control, home automation, live video feeds, and activity logging — revolutionary for its time, when most alarm companies still relied on keypads and […]
GE Simon XT Review 2026: Discontinued Panel — Why You Must Upgrade Now (Complete Migration Guide)
The GE Simon XT is discontinued with no manufacturer support. Complete guide to what happened, why you should upgrade, 3-year cost comparisons, step-by-step migration, and the best replacement systems in 2026.
