The 4 Best Smart Home Security Systems of 2016

Everyone wants a secure home, but not everyone understands how to go about making their home safe and secure. There are just too many products on the market, and with the advent of smart tech like the Samsung SmartThings and Google’s Nest, the possibilities are nearly endless. So what’s a homeowner to do?

The best course of action is to figure out exactly what your home needs—before doing any research. From there, you can begin to narrow down the type of home security system that’s right for you and your family. To help guide you in choosing the right one for your home, we’ve compiled a list of the best smart security systems available.

1

Best Overall: Nest Cam

Nest

Formerly called “Dropcam,” the Nest Cam is a pretty little gadget meant to deter would-be intruders from doing all the bad things intruders do. It features 24/7 live vide streaming (HD) to your phone or tablet, motion and sound alerts, night vision, digital zoom, two-way audio and an easy setup. It also features one of the strongest designs we’ve seen from a security cam, with a magnetic base, pivoting stand and a sleek appearance that’s just plain cool.

While the Nest Cam packs enough functionality into the core product, you may be tempted to spring for one of Nest’s subscription packages. Most smart home security solutions skip the fees (because, honestly, no one wants to pay fees), but Nest Aware certainly has its selling points. For $10/month or $100/year you’ll get cloud storage of your video streams for up to 10 days. That time limit increases to 30 days with the $30/month, $300/year packages. Nest Aware also gives you alert summaries, downloadable clips, and time-lapse functionality, among other features.

But maybe the biggest selling point for the Nest Cam is its compatibility with Nest’s other smart home products: the Learning Thermostat and the Protect Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Detector. As a family, these products offer an impressive array of possibilities. Buy from Amazon »

2

Best Overall Runner-Up: Piper nv

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Piper nv is similar to Canary in that it’s a standalone module with familiar home security features: There’s a camera, a siren and motion detection. But it has a few additional features that make it more of a competitor with the Nest Cam (albeit a little more pricey) rather than the Canary.

The HD camera can record video or be used to monitor your home in real time from your phone. The 180-degree field of view (compared to the Nest Cam’s 130 degrees) is another nifty perk that sets the Piper apart from the pack. Like the Nest Cam, it features two-way audio, which allows you to yell at any intruders scrounging around in your home. It’s also well designed and aesthetically pleasing—a point that a lot of manufacturers overlook when designing products that are meant to sit around in plain sight.

Piper nv also doubles as a home automation hub, allowing you to connect any Z-Wave module, light dimmers, switch or sensor. The only problem with that is the somewhat limited saturation of Z-Wave products. Some folks prefer the competing ZigBee standard, but many more simply prefer an either/or situation. Piper nv is justZ-Wave. Some users may also find the app experience a bit irritating. All-in-all, though, the Piper nv is a solid standalone smart home security solution. Buy from Amazon »

3

Best for Large Homes: iSmartAlarm

Courtesy of Amazon.com

The iSmartAlarm takes a modular approach to home security, sort of like Samsung’s SmartThings. The system features a variety of switches, sensors, cameras and remote tags that can be bundled together or bought separately according to your needs. The system as a whole is self-monitored and self-controlled, and this is perhaps its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

At the heart of the iSmartAlarm is the CubeOne hub, which coordinates the activities of all the different sensors and switches. It’s easy to set up and necessary if you want a highly thorough, home-wide security system. This DIY approach allows you to, in a sense, customize your home security. There are capabilities for SMS and push notifications, break-in detection and real-time monitoring through the associated App. There are also no monthly fees or contracts to sign, and the network can be expanded to control a near-unlimited number of sensors.

The biggest drawback, however, is that the system does not automatically contact police or emergency services. (Hence, the “self-monitoring” format.) The iCamera, which can be bought individually is buggy and a bit of a hassle to set up, and you may experience some difficulties connecting it to the CubeOne.

Still, iSmartAlarm is a decent option for securing your entire home with smart tech. There are a variety of packages for the iSmartAlarm system, (You can also buy individual sensors, switches, and cameras.) Buy from Amazon »

4

Best Plug-in-Play for Apartments: Canary

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Unlike iSmartAlarm, the Canary is an all-in-one home security solution—with a few extra perks thrown in. The beer bottle-sized device includes a motion sensor and HD video camera, as well as temperature, humidity, and air quality sensors in an affordable package.

All that hardware allows for an impressive range of features, including a 90+ dB siren (which is loud!), motion-activated video recording, automatic arming and disarming, and instant access to emergency services. And it’s easy to set up: no installation, contracts, or fees to pay.

While the Canary may be a solid smart security solution for small apartments and studios, its single-unit design is less practical for large homes. Set it in a room with valuables and rest easy knowing you have the room well monitored, but if you want the same for other areas in your home you’ll have to buy another one.

Some users have complained about the accuracy of the various sensors, while others have expressed concerns about an over-active sensor, poor reliability and a clunky user interface. This could be problematic because the number one attribute you want from a home security system is reliability.

With that said, the Canary may prove useful if you have a specific home security need, and maybe you want to monitor your home’s air quality while you’re at it. Buy from Amazon »

Disclosure

The Sonos Play:1 speaker is $50 off for Black Friday

The Play:1 is the entry-level gateway speaker from Sonos, and this weekend it’s on sale for $149 — $50 off the usual price — at a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Sonos, Best Buy, and the Apple Store. And despite being at the lower end of the Sonos product line, the Play:1 is still a fantastic speaker, whether used on its own or in a multi-room setup.

Sonos has bundled two Play:1s together for $349 in the past, but this individual $50 discount is one of the best prices we’ve seen on the speaker. It’s a good deal, especially for a Sonos product given that the speakers rarely go on sale. So if you’re looking for a single-room speaker or just want to build out your Sonos system, now's a good time. Sonos’ Black Friday sale will run from November 24th through November 28th.

(Affiliate links are automatically generated by our partner, Skimlinks. For more information, see our ethics policy.)

DirecTV Now streaming service will reportedly launch without CBS

AT&T’s foray into digital TV is running into a snag. Its new streaming service, called DirecTV Now, will reportedley launch without support from CBS, according to a report from Bloomberg. That means the service won’t at launch have access to shows like The Big Bang Theory, a sizable number of NFL games, or any of the other programming from the largest US network. DirecTV Now is said to have more than 100 channels and cost $35 a month. It represents one of the best values out there for the price, but the absence of CBS will likely undermine its initial success.

The dispute is also forging a wedge between two of TV’s largest players, and the results may have ripple effects far and wide beyond the industry. Many companies, from Apple to Sony to Google, are trying to find the perfect combination of price and channel selection to finally crack what’s keeping cable subscribers from cutting the cord. AT&T knows it will eventually need CBS to compete with these offerings and the rise of Netflix and Amazon, even if it has to pay a premium.

AT&T knows it will eventually need CBS, even if it has to pay a premium

Because CBS offers its own streaming service, CBS All Access, for $5.99 a month, it has been aggressive in demanding higher fees to license its content. Dish Network’s Sling TV does not have a deal with CBS, and Sony’s PlayStation Vue offers it only in select markets. According to Bloomberg, Hulu has yet to strike a deal with the broadcaster for its upcoming live TV bundle, while YouTube is paying higher-than-average fees to license CBS content for its upcoming pay-TV service.

So CBS is clearly leveraging access to its network as a way to test the waters of both its own streaming service and the future of skinny TV bundles. No single over-the-top offering has yet to offer a robust enough cable alternative to start converting cable subscribers, and it’s starting to look like DirecTV Now won’t either. We’ll know more about the service on November 28th, when AT&T will announce the service at an event in New York City. While we may get some answers on rumored features like cloud DVR and the ability to pause live TV, what we likely won’t hear about is access to CBS.

Facebook is reportedly building a censorship tool so it can re-enter China

Facebook is developing a software tool that suppresses users’ posts from appearing in the News Feed in designated geographic areas, a possible first step toward making the social network available in China, the New York Times reported. The tool has reportedly caused a controversy within Facebook, with “several employees” quitting in protest after working on it, according to the Times.

Facebook has been banned from China since 2009. Like many US technology companies, Facebook has long sought a way back in, seeing the country’s 1.3 billion residents as a source of enormous potential growth. Google built a version of its search engine that complied with China’s censorship guidelines but retreated from the country in 2010 after a series of seemingly state-sponsored cyberattacks. More recently, Uber exited the Chinese market with a quick sale of its business there to local rival Didi Chuxing.

As the Times notes, Facebook has taken down posts in other countries around the world, including Pakistan, Russia, and Turkey. But the tool now in development would prevent the posts from ever surfacing in the News Feed at all, according to the report. Facebook plans to outsource censorship duties to a third-party company, the report said.

Allowing censors to manipulate public opinion directly

The news comes in the midst of a national discussion about Facebook’s growing power as a distributor of news, its role in containing the spread of lies and hoaxes, and the possibility that its refusal to adopt editorial standards may have influenced the US presidential election. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said the company is building new tools to address fake news. “I want what we do to have a good impact on the world,” Zuckerberg said earlier this month. “I want people to have a diversity of information.”

But the existence of a “censorship tool” would muddy those waters by allowing censors to manipulate public opinion directly by essentially preventing users from posting articles that offended the state. Once it were introduced, Facebook would likely face pressure from other autocratic regimes to enable its use in their own countries. It is not impossible that the United States would be one of those countries — a fact that led some sources to come forward to the Times, reporter Mike Isaac said on Twitter.

The Times cautioned that the tool is one of several approaches Facebook has considered and that it might never be introduced. “We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country,” a spokeswoman told The Verge. “However, we have not made any decision on our approach to China. Our focus right now is on helping Chinese businesses and developers expand to new markets outside China by using our ad platform.”

Fresh blow to China's troubled tech giant LeEco

The Chinese smartphone-maker Coolpad has unexpectedly warned of a sales slump, causing its shares to fall by nearly 10%.

It blamed tougher economic conditions and "fierce competition in the domestic smartphone market" for its troubles.
The news is a fresh blow to its biggest shareholder LeEco, which had recently increased its stake in the business.
Earlier this month, one of LeEco's co-founders warned of its own financial problems following a push into the US.

Partnership phone

Coolpad's stock dropped to a four-year low after it announced that sales had fallen by 43% over the first 10 months of 2016. It now expects to post a £3bn Hong Kong dollar ($386.8m; £313.2m) loss for its financial year as a whole.
LeEco became the firm's biggest shareholder in June, when it raised its stake in the company to 28.9%.
The two companies subsequently teamed up to release the metal-cased Cool1 Dual smartphone in August.
But the device struggled against rival handsets from other Chinese tech firms including Huawei, Oppo and Vivo.
"Chinese manufacturers used to be able to rely on their home market to give them unprecedented scale," commented Ben Wood from the tech consultancy CCS Insight.
"However, this year the Chinese market has plateaued and we are starting to see some of the casualties as a result."

American ambitions

The latest development casts a further cloud over LeEco after a period in which it pursued rapid growth.
In June, the privately-owned company bought 49 acres (19.8 hectares) of land from Yahoo in Santa Clara, California for a reported $250m.
In July, it revealed it was buying the US TV-maker Vizio for $2bn.
Then last month, the Beijing-based company held a high-profile launch event in San Francisco, where it announced it was to start selling a wide range of own-brand products in the US.
These include a range of 4K TVs, two smartphones, a virtual reality headset, a set-top box with its own streaming TV platform and an Android-enabled smart bicycle. It also planned for its concept car to drive itself on to the stage, but the vehicle was damaged en route to the event.
LeEco has outsize ambitions," noted the Recode tech news site at the time.
"The company literally describes itself as Apple, Netflix, Amazon and Tesla all rolled into one."
But on 7 November, Bloomberg revealed that LeEco's co-founder Jia Yueting had written to its 10,000-plus workers warning that its finances had come under pressure.
"We blindly sped ahead and our cash demand ballooned," the internal memo said.
"We got over-extended in our global strategy. At the same time, our capital and resources were in fact limited."

it had promised to show off the production vehicle at this January's CES.
It is unclear whether this is still planned.
"It would appear to be the case that LeEco has overstretched itself in multiple areas," said Mr Wood.
"Our bet is that it will now have to retrench and perhaps one of those investments will have to be sacrificed."

Google is updating Pixel phones with double-tap and raise-to-wake features

Google’s new Pixel smartphones received rave reviews at launch, but they also shipped without some much-wanted features found on their predecessors. Now, with an update pushed live for Canada owners today, the Pixel and Pixel XL have double-tap and raise-to-wake features. That way, you can tap two fingers on the device’s display to see alerts, or raise the phone to wake the screen and see notifications.

These features were present in one form or another on previous Google devices like the Nexus 6P. So they’re a welcome addition to the Pixel family, especially considering Apple just introduced raise-to-wake in iOS 10, and the Pixel is being positioned as the perfect Android alternative to Apple’s smartphone. It’s unclear when Google will release the features for US or international Pixel owners, but we can expect it some time soon.

To turn these features on, head over to the “Moves” section in the general settings panel. There you should find “Double-tap to check phone” and “Lift to check phone.” For those outside Canada interested in getting the features early, you can install a captured over-the-air zip file directly, though you’ll have to do a little extra work to ensure the update works on international and Verizon versions of the phone. For more information on that hack, head over to Droid Life.

Huawei Mate 9 review: Even with unfinished software, Huawei's best ever phone

Huawei's gigantic new flagship is off to a promising start, even on pre-release software. And it's an update away from being a really great handset.

With the spectacular failure of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 comes an opportunity for everyone else with a big-screened Android phone to sell. A major competitor in the world of "phablets" has been taken out of the game, and China's Huawei stands to benefit handsomely from Samsung's misfortune.

The company's long-running Mate series — itself a reaction to the success of the Note line, back in the day — has carved itself out a niche among consumers who appreciate its metal construction, enormous displays and epic battery life.

The new Mate 9 continues the family line — a slightly slimmer, smarter version of last year's Mate 8, with upgraded internals and a new dual camera setup courtesy of imaging partner Leica. Just as important as any hardware upgrade is the new EMUI 5 software, which is the biggest overhaul to Huawei's UI in years, bringing with it Android 7.0 Nougat.

But there's more than one Mate 9 model this time around. Alongside the vanilla 5.9-inch Mate 9 (with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage), Huawei will release a limited edition Porsche Design Mate 9, with a 5.5-inch curved AMOLED display, and a capacious 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

We've had a little over a week to get to know both the sensible and ludicrous Mate 9 models in the form of pre-release devices given to us by Huawei. They're running non-final software with a few bugs, and will be getting a software update before launch. Nevertheless, we've seen enough to come to some early conclusions. So here's what we think so far...

About this initial review

We're writing this initial review after a week with the regular Huawei Mate 9 (dual-SIM, MHA-L29), and four days with the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 (dual-SIM, LON-L29). We used both devices on the EE and Vodafone UK networks while in the UK, and on Telekom.de and Vodafone Germany networks while roaming in Germany.

Both phones were running pre-production software (build B109SP02). We're expecting an over-the-air update to both devices in the next couple of weeks to bring them up to retail-quality firmware. We'll finalize this review in the coming weeks once we have final firmware on both Mate 9 devices. For now, we present our first impressions.