We aren’t sure what sound a Fox makes but this home security system makes a very loud one if you ever set it off.  It’s not smart to make a Scout mad!  This new home security company is turning heads with sleek technology and affordable monitoring.  It may not appeal to everyone, but for Millennials and techie gadget lovers, it is a fresh approach.

Mobile app control shown

A glance at the pros and cons of Scout Alarm

Pros

• Pay upfront for the equipment and easily add to it later.
• Modern unique security system you may actually find yourself showing off to friends and family.
• Low monthly monitoring available.
• Free mobile control app.  Doesn’t share the same negative reviews that it’s competitor Samsung Smartthings does.
• Future of innovation to look forward too
• 30 day product  returns

Cons

• Can’t take over existing alarm system or use with GE, Honeywell equipment.
• With over 100 security companies to choose from, it’s nice to have someone with a track record.
• Their stickers and sign to put in front of your house cost extra out of pocket money.
• If you want a DIY company with modern technology check out Frontpoint who has in and outdoor security cameras.

What’s the Scout Alarm going to cost?

Ala-cart option.  Pay upfront for the Scout security system on a as-needed basis. 

Even with better looks it still costs the same or less than other DIY alarm systems.  Buy the equipment needed and add more in future if needed.

Here is their lineup of security products they offer:

The door panel is unique to them.  The wrest of the products are similar to most other security companies.   The prices are what you would pay for most any other DIY system.  They don’t have the typical tiered bundled packages such as ‘basic, advanced and home automation’.  Their monitoring stays at one flat fee and equipment costs are up to you.

EXAMPLE TIME:

Let’s go to the drawing board…  Taking an average home of 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, 1 living room, kitchen and 2 hallways here is what it would cost to secure it:

A Scout Hub – $129/ea. 1 is required for every system, it is the ‘brain’ of their system.  Compare it to the control panel of every other company that is touch screen or with a keypad.  The difference with this is it looks good enough you don’t have to try to hide it or drill holes next to your door.  1 x $129 = $129

Access Sensor – $29/ea.  A new name for the generic ‘door and window sensor.’  With our example we need to cover the front and back door, 1 window in each bedroom and 3 windows between the kitchen and living room.  8 x $29 = $232

Motion Sensor $49/ea.  You need one for the hall and one to cover the living room and kitchen area.  They don’t have a glass break sensor as of yet so if you have large pets you may want to try a company like ADT who has more equipment available.  2 x $49 = $98

Accessories $2.50-10/ea.  We aren’t a fan of this.  They charge you for the sign and stickers.  These are things promoting them to your neighbors, should be free!  Since they are needed, lets buy some for this example anyways.  1 yard sign at $10, 4 stickers at $2.50 and 2 key fobs at $5 = $30

Monitoring.  $10+/mo.  Note the * next to ‘starting at $9.99.  The system can be used without monitoring but that defies the point of having a security system.  If you are away from your phone at work or vacation and someone breaks in, a self-monitored system isn’t going to do much.   1 x $10/mo = $10

We  are skipping the door panel ($69/ea.) in this example as it isn’t needed.

Total:  129+232+98+30+10 = $499

One may think we are on ‘Price is Right’ the way that added up!

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The Foxxy Security System Lineup

Most custom looks one can get with a security system.  Users can choose their color and how many pieces per they want.

When placing an order online, users choose between 3 different colors – white, black or walnut wood.  This is the only company currently that lets you match equipment to the look and feel of your home.

Here is a variety of their equipment with a notification being features on the smart phone:

And here is some of the equipment we bought in our example.  Be mindful, this would only cover 1 door and 1 living room so this package isn’t too practical.

Here are the features that Scout boasts about.  We aren’t sure if they have been in the industry long enough to claim fewer false alarms but we’ll go with it for now.

Not long ago…

Scout has a short history but is gaining traction fast.

Their name and logo fits them as a company perfectly.  Sleek and fast.  They started as a Kickstarter (funding platform) project.  There was enough demand that they exceeded their goal within 30 days.  Insteon has a similar story along with an ‘all in one’ security camera

Founded in Chicago of 2013.  They did over a half million dollars in sales within 18 months.  At this time we do not have a number amount of customers available and we are unsure how many users decide to monitor or not.

Their niche is for modern homes and anyone who enjoys a sleek, rich feeling design.  Much like what Apple did to the mobile phone.

BBB rating:  Because they are so new there has yet to be a BBB rating attached to their business.

Scout crowd sourced its way to success – over 2000 total backers

Our Fox-like conclusion…

Scout is a hands down a cool alarm system.  For being in its infant stages (compared to ADT who has been around over 80 years) the company is on track to do big things and win more market share.  Scout doesn’t fit everyone’s budget to pay $500+ upfront but for those looking for stylish security alternative they have found it.

If you have had any experience with them or use their security system currently, please share your feedback below.

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The post Scout Alarm Review appeared first on Alarm Reviews.

ADT Pulse is the premium home security plan by ADT, one of the nation’s most popular home security service provider headquartered in Boca Raton, FL.

The ADT Pulse app is the official app by ADT for remote access and home automation of the ADT pulse package. With the ADT pulse app, you are assured of total control of your home security anytime and from anywhere.

Features

The ADT pulse App offers the following key features

• Quickly activate alarm
• Check motion sensors, doors and windows
• Can control their door locks & automation 
• Watch live video feeds from home
• Control lights and appliances
• Adjust thermostats
• Easily see alarm status
• Connects to ADT security cameras
• View history of home security activities

Getting Started

Making use of the ADT Pulse App is restricted to users of the ADT pulse plan. Users are encouraged to navigate to the app store on their mobile devices (Android or IOS) and download the app free of charge. The ADT pulse App affords users the ability to:

• Remotely arm and disarm their ADT alarm systems
• Access Real time alert on their custom notifications
• Remotely watch live and recorded video surveillance from the mobile
• Monitor your ongoing subscription.

Pros

The advantages of having the ADT pulse app cut across a lot of benefits in itself and when compared to other Alarm providers. They include:

• No monthly subscription
• Remote access to full Alarm systems
• High grade security
• Easy to use and navigate
• Fully compatible with the Nest Learning Thermostat.
• Live customer service in case of difficulty

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What’s Lacking

Despite the premium services and benefits the ADT pulse app offers, the major drawbacks include:

• Selectively available to only subscribers of the ADT pulse package.
• Requires full ADT Pulse package for complete functionality
• Doorbell camera feed such as that of Frontpoint and Vivint that offer it.
• Monitoring contract of 36 months.

About ADT

American District Telegraph otherwise known as ADT is a well-known leader in the home security industry. With experience spanning over 120 years. The security company was founded in 1874 as a messenger/Alarm system before expanding to include fire alarm services. ADT is available nationwide and has the highest number of monitoring stations across the nation.  An innovative company, ADT has a BBB rating of A+.  Read our comprehensive review of ADT here.

Conclusion

As the main App offering by ADT for its premium ADT Pulse package, the ADT Pulse App offers a lot of features which brings remote access and home automation to the front burner of ADT pulse subscribers. Packed with a lot of functionality, the Pulse App is enough reason to opt on the ADT Pulse package although making this service available across all ADT packages would make a great bargain for new subscribers.

Related Articles:  Compare Pulse app to the top security apps – ADT vs Vivint – ADT vs Frontpoint – Misuse of ADT yard signs

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The post ADT Pulse App Reviews appeared first on Alarm Reviews.

In your quest for a safe neighborhood, there is the need to employ all available tools in choosing a neighborhood or locale that’s safe for you and your family. The SpotCrime app is one of such tool. The SpotCrime app is a mobile and web-based application developed by Spotcrime, a company based in Baltimore, USA and founded in October 2007. It is privately owned by ReportSee, Inc.

What does SpotCrime do?

Spotcrime is an application that provides a nationwide information of crimes such as arrests, arson, assaults, burglaries, robberies, shootings, thefts and vandalism committed all around using a google map. The crime data are sourced majorly from open source crime data from police agencies, news reports and its own private crime reporting portal, Crime-tip which provides users a platform to anonymously drop data on crimes in their location.

Screenshot taken of burglaries and criminal activity located near a city. 

Key Features

• You can view criminal activity reports in your area, and also sort them out by date
• Crimes are classified by types so it’s easy to understand the magnitude
• Crime reports sourced from open crime data base.
• Currently supports only 500 cities within the US
• Sister sites exist for other crime database
• Free to use.
• Available on android and iOS

How does one make use of the SpotCrime app? 

Currently, SpotCrime offers crime data in over 500 cities and location in the United States making it one of the most popular crime data service. Users can sign up to receive updates either by SMS or via email alert on crimes committed in a particular area.

There are several uses for the app.  Some may include; using it to inform neighbors about what is going on and locating a safe city.  If you are moving, you can use the app to avoid wasting your time, because there is no sense looking at neighborhoods you aren’t comfortable living in.

Download it via iOS or Android.  Once you have used the app and realize how many scary events there are in your neighborhood, you may decide to use a home security system.  We have done the hard work here in reviewing dozens of them, see the best ones on our home page.

How to use the SpotCrime web portal

• Navigate to the website spotcrime.com on your web browser
• Proceed to search for your location or use the map to navigate to your choice location
• Click on the crime list on the right for crimes you want information on
• You can submit a crime tip by clicking on the option at the top
• You can sign up and sign in with the option listed above.
• There is an option to navigate and compare crimes by state.

Conclusion

Being safe is of utmost importance.so while in search of a location to move to. Be sure to run a background search on the SpotCrime database and other similar service like the Trulia service which is also free to use with no sign up required and include property listing.

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The post SpotCrime Reviews appeared first on Alarm Reviews.

The top 5 most common crimes reported in the United States are Theft, Assault, Burglary, Arrest, and Vandalism. This is as reported from data gathered by the Trulia crime map. The Trulia crime map is an innovative and proprietary social crime mapping software.  It gives renters or intending property buyers the power to view, explore, compare, interact and comment on crime data across the United States. Launched in 2011, the map began with 50 counties and has spread to include the majority of the United States.

The Trulia crime map utilizes data compiled from numerous crime watch partners.  Including CrimeReports, EveryBlock, SpotCrime and numerous police agencies and news feed.

Using the Trulia crime map is relatively easy.The portal You can access the portal via the Trulia website or by clicking here.  This map is a great tool that anyone can use for free.  If an alarm system is on your mind, there are several other home security apps to choose from to protect oneself.

Trulia crime map data

The crime map shows crime statistics by a heat map – while using colors ranging from green to show low crime rates, to red to denote areas with a high rate of crime.

For movers and intending buyers of a property in a given location, the Trulia crime map offers a visual representation of the crime rate according to types in a given geographical location presenting an immediate and easy appraisal of safety in that particular location.

The Trulia crime map does more. It offers an estimate as to property pricing in that particular location, giving intending buyers or renters an idea of affordability of properties in a particular county.

The crime rate in the previous months is easily appreciated, it is denoted in the crime map by a black circle with a number depicting the number of crimes in that area per month.

Neighborhoods where crimes have been committed have a link embedded to give a breakdown of the crimes committed; types and number of crimes and where they were committed.

Major features of the Trulia crime map

1. It offers the options to view crime rates by states, city, neighborhood and even postal codes.
2. It offers discussion pages and Facebook comment option for Facebook so users can post comments on particular crime or area.
3. The application gives users the option to filter various crimes types and also show their occurrences.
4. The map is easily zoomable to view intersections where crimes are more commonly committed.
5. Users can view crime rate by days, or months.
6. To ensure the quality of the maps statistics.  You can see the last 2500 crimes committed in a particular area.
7. This map is linked to Trulia property search, so you can easily compare crimes between areas before using.
8. Finally, it’s free to use, no sign up needed.

If you are thinking about moving to a new city because you need to relocate, make sure you do your homework. The easy to use Trulia crime map is a necessary tool to access before making that final decision. Other similar services exist such as spotcrime, neighborhood scout, and Family Watchdog but the Trulia crime map differs in its usability.

Final words: Remember, the bigger the circle, the higher the crime rate.  Once you move to an area suggest creating a neighborhood watch or get involved in a current one already setup.  We suggest to not move into a ‘Red’ section.  Finally, we recommend talking with others who currently live there about current crime conditions. 

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Growing up with Law and Order and CSI shows taught Isabelle Landau one thing: if people back then had high-quality home security systems, those series would have been way shorter. In our modern world, technology helps us keep burglars away easily, and this is what Izzy studies and writes about: alarm systems, home security, protection systems, and more.

The post How to use the Trulia crime map appeared first on Alarm Reviews.