TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97 (MSRP: $199). Still running Windows 10 and pretending everything’s fine? No shame — we’ve all hit “Remind me later” more times than we care to admit. However, if you’re still running Windows 10, your Microsoft support just ended. With this deal, you can finally make the jump to Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97. That’s a full-fledged, professional-grade operating system for the price of two fancy lattes. First of all, Windows 11 Pro is smooth. Like, way smoother than its predecessors. The redesigned interface is clean, centered, and customizable, which is great for focus and flow. Plus, it comes with features that make multitasking feel like second nature: snap layouts, virtual desktops, and lightning-fast search tools. You get enterprise-grade features like BitLocker encryption, Windows Hello biometric login, and TPM 2.0 compatibility — all designed to protect your work, files, and peace of mind. And Windows Copilot is now baked in, meaning you can ask for help, automate tasks, summarize web pages, or even brainstorm new ideas, all from your desktop. If you’re a developer, creative, remote worker, or small business owner, Windows 11 Pro is an upgrade that can give you a serious productivity boost. Don’t miss upgrading to Windows 11 Pro while it’s on sale for just $14.97 (MSRP: $199) through October 19. Microsoft Windows 11 ProSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Broadcom said Tuesday that it has already begun sampling the first Wi-Fi 8 silicon to select partners, as a precursor for rolling out the first Wi-Fi 8 consumer hardware at a future date. Broadcom actually announced four different designs — the BCM6718 for the residential access point market, the BCM43109 for mobile handsets, plus the BCM43840 and BCM43820 for enterprise APs — that it will sell as chips as well as license as intellectual property. The sampling process has already begun, Broadcom said. Wi-Fi 7 is already well established in both PCs and handsets across the world. That Wi-Fi 7 technology, launched in 2023, is still being worked on: Intel’s Panther Lake laptop processor, for example, includes Wi-Fi 7 Release 2 support, which works toward better communication between your PC and the access point to reduce latency and increase the overall performance. That’s the whole point behind Wi-Fi 8, which broke cover in late 2024 and is set to be formally adopted probably by late 2028. That’s never stopped wireless chip vendors, however, which tend to put as much as they know of the specification into silicon as soon as they can to start landing design wins with customers just as soon as possible. It’s probably not a coincidence that the latest Wi-Fi 7 standards are transitioning into the overarching guidelines behind Wi-Fi 8: To improve the quality and reliability of Wi-Fi 8 wireless connections, rather than just improve performance. Wi-Fi 8 still can transmit data at up to a hypothetical, optimized speed of 23Gbps, according to rival Mediatek, but Wi-Fi 8’s most important technologies are essentially all qualitative, focusing on ultra-high reliability. Broadcom cited key features which included inter-AP coordination, which allows APs to target signal beams at devices to improve connectivity; and multiple ways of avoiding congestion. Wi-Fi 8 is also designed to extend the range of Wi-Fi, though Broadcom didn’t cite specifics. Broadcom said that the increasing ubiquity of AI, and the constant, high-bandwidth streams of data back and forth between devices and the cloud, necessitate Wi-Fi 8. In an interesting twist, each of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 chips includes a hardware-accelerated telemetry engine, which “collects real-time data on network performance, device behavior, and environmental conditions, serving as a critical input for AI models.” Broadcom said that the telemetry engine can be used for optimizing the quality of the Wi-Fi expercience, or running “predictive maintenance” or to strengthen security. Broadcom’s BCM6718 for residential access points includes a 4-stream radio, packet scheduler, and telemetry engine, along with advanced eco modes and digital pre-distortion to reduce power. Broadcom also promises “full compliance” with IEEE 802.11bn and the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi 8 specifications. The company didn’t announce a radio specifically for PC, though the BCM43109 chip for handsets includes a two-stream Wi-Fi radio instead. It will also include Bluetooth capabilities as well as low-range WPAN, including ZigBee Pro. It, too, promises IEEE 802.11bn and Wi-Fi 8 compliance. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Impressive cleaning capabilities Epic battery life Easy waterline retrieval means you can put the pole away for good Endless configuration options available in the app Cons Heavy to lift and unwieldy to handle Relatively useless skimming feature Very expensive Our Verdict The price tag on this robotic pool cleaner might be hard to swallow, but Beatbot’s latest high-end offering has few flaws and an extensive warranty that arguably justifies it. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra Retailer Price $2,799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The feature-rich Beatbot AquaSense Pro has been a top seller in the robotic pool cleaner space since its launch, but Beatbot hasn’t been resting on its laurels. The all-new Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra reviewed here is, to put it simply, more, and in every dimension. Is this even more expensive follow-up too much of a good thing? It all depends on how much you’re willing to shell out to escape the tedium of cleaning your pool yourself. Specifications The AquaSense 2 Ultra borrows most of its design cues from the AquaSense Pro I reviewed in October 2024 (which is still available for purchase). It’s a cetacean-inspired design, with fat wheels, treads, and two spinning brushes in between. The Ultra is also much larger and has a new, black color scheme. Weighing 29 pounds, it is also decidedly heavier than the 24-pound Pro, especially when you take it straight out of the pool, when the water-filled bot can hit 45 pounds. It’s bigger, too, in pretty much every way which (spoiler) makes maneuvering it in and out of the pool and onto its charging dock difficult. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra (right) is a beefy upgrade from the Beatbot AquaSense Pro we reviewed in October 2024.Christopher Null/Foundry All that heft comes in service of some serious firepower (waterpower?), including a boasted 27 sensors that include ultrasonic, infrared, and AI-powered video to map the pool and actively hunt for debris. It’s the first pool robot that, following a standard full-floor sweep, scans for remaining leaves with a camera the way you or I would with our eyes and a net. Beatbot says the machine can recognize 12 types of leaves by tree type, with more to come via over-the-air firmware updates. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is an exceptional robotic pool cleaner with an extremely long-lasting battery. A 13,400mAh battery powers the unit to up to 6 hours of running time on the pool floor and 10 hours on its surface. A contact-based charging dock similar to the one that shipped with the Pro is included, so you don’t need to physically connect a cable to top up that battery. Lastly, the Ultra has a dual-band (2.4- and 5GHz) Wi-Fi adapter onboard, so you can control it with Beatbot’s mobile app. But that’s possible only while the robot is on top of the water or out of the pool, as Wi-Fi signals don’t travel far through water. Installation and setup The Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra features a front-mounted camera that searches your pool for any debris it might have missed while patrolling your pool. It will then go back and vaccum up whatever it found.Christopher Null/Foundry While most robotic pool cleaners require very little setup beyond an initial charging, the Beatbot Ultra has a little work for the user to do. The charging stand sets up easily, with two legs that snap into place. The more onerous work is setting up the two side brushes. These are small horizontal wheels with rubber brushes positioned in the upper front corners of the robot. They’re used primarily when it’s operating as a surface skimmer and as bumpers for when the robot hits the wall of the pool. These wheels are bare out of the box, so it’s up to the user to wrap the two rubber brush strips around them. This is achieved by stretching each strip around the wheel and affixing two loops on either end of the strip to a protrusion on the wheel. This takes a little trial and error and some patience, but I got it done in a matter of minutes. You’ll need to install these side brushes on the Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra after you take it out of the box.Christopher Null/Foundry You’ll also find a retrieval hook in the box (which you shouldn’t need) and a cover for the robot, which is handy for storage. This is the first time I’ve seen this as part of any robotic pool cleaner bundle. The app sets up quickly over Wi-Fi, being a matter of two button presses on the robot and walking through some basic configuration steps in the app. Using the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra Much like the AquaSense Pro, the Ultra can be configured via buttons on the device, via the mobile app, or both. The onboard controls are more basic, with four buttons for cleaning floor-only; floor and walls; floor, walls, and surface; or a custom mode configured in the app. To start the robot, just power it on, pick your mode, set it flat on the pool deck for a few seconds, and then place it into the pool. It will spin to scan the pool from the surface to get its bearings and then sink to the bottom to start its work. the AquaSense 2 Ultra has four basic control buttons on its top surface.Christopher Null/Foundry The Ultra’s specific operation depends on the mode you set, but if you’re running the most comprehensive option, the robot will do a full sweep of the floor, clean the walls, and skim the surface. After a full sweep of the floor, the robot’s AI debris detection gets to work. This uses the front-mounted camera to literally look around the pool for leaves it might have missed. And it really does that, scooting around randomly until it catches a glimpse of debris on camera, then it adjusts its course to roll over it, stop, then roll back and forward again to make sure it got it. The good news is that the Ultra is an exceptional cleaner. The unit specifies battery life of 4.5 hours, although as noted above, I easily got 6 hours with it in the water, and my pool was completely free of debris after just 3 hours (I evaluated it with both organic and synthetic test material). I also tested its AI detection mode by adding additional test leaves after the 3-hour mark, scattering them around the pool to see if the robot could find them. Of the 10 additional test leaves I added, the robot picked up all but one before its battery died—and I witnessed it just miss picking that leaf up when it veered a bit too far to one side of it. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra’s charging dock. Christopher Null/Foundry While the robot is excellent on the floor, it is not overly effective on the surface, as was the case with the AquaSense Pro. The robot’s design and its narrow profile (compared to standalone skimmers) means floating debris was often pushed out of the way by the bow wave of water in front of the robot rather than being sucked into its mouth. The new side brushes on this model are supposed to help prevent debris from escaping to the sides, but they weren’t effective at overcoming the power of the wave the bot pushed in front of it. In fact, my testing of the skimmer feature showed that it only captured about 40 percent of the test debris, with the rest being left behind or sinking to the bottom of the pool. That was about the same result I got with the AquaSense Pro. The app lets you fine-tune just about everything about how the Ultra runs, specifying 0, 1, or 2 cleanings each of floor, walls, and surface (20 possible combinations in all), or you can pick from a quick AI-only mode (a search-and-destroy as described above), a MultiZone Mode designed for pools with multiple large stepped areas, or an eco mode that cleans the floor every two days. Each of these are configurable in the app, and then selectable by pressing the custom mode button on the robot’s control panel. The AquaSense 2 Ultra has thick treads and robust scrubbing brushes..Christopher Null/Foundry Every mode offers the option to dispense a water clarifier during the cleaning process, but I don’t use this type of solution in my pool and did not test it; clarifier solution is not included with the device. Upon completion of a run, the Ultra returns to the surface and docks against the wall of the pool, where it will float for about 15 minutes. If you don’t retrieve it within that window, the robot will then float freely while remaining on the surface of the pool for easier retrieval. (The Park button on the app will call it back to the wall, provided there’s sufficient battery power.) This waterline retrieval option is one of the best features of both the Ultra and the Pro. Needing to clean debris from this two-sided basket is a minor hassle.Christopher Null/Foundry Debris is stored in a two-piece basket similar to the one on the Pro. It’s relatively easy to clean, though having to clean two different chambers adds a small amount of hassle to the process. The bigger issue is the robot’s nearly 30-pound weight, which is considerably more when it’s full of water. This, combined with its gargantuan size, means it’s difficult to maneuver into and out of the pool, and I found it virtually impossible to avoid getting my lower body wet while retrieving it. After each run, the Beatbot app pushes a mobile notification and then logs the area cleaned and the length of the run. Floor-cleaning runs also include a map of the pool that’s generated as part of the log. The map isn’t all that useful (and it is in a different orientation each time) but it does at least give you some idea of the robot’s level of intelligence. For what it’s worth, the map it generated mostly looks like my actual pool. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra draws a map of your pool and logs its activity.Christopher Null/Foundry Lastly, an on-demand remote control is included in the app, though this can only be used when the robot is on the surface, where it’s in Wi-Fi range. You might find this effective when there are a few wayward leaves you want to pick up and the robot is already skimming; but given this robot’s limited debris-skimming abilities, I found it easier to wait for the leaves to sink or to just grab a net instead. Should you buy the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra? With an MSRP of $3,550 ($2,779 at Amazon at the time of this review), the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is easily the most expensive pool robot I’ve tested. Fortunately, Beatbot’s impressive three-year whole-unit replacement warranty takes some of the risk out of a purchase. But to be honest, it’s probably more robot than most pools need. It’s definitely more than I need, and I have a fairly large pool to clean. And while it’s easy to fixate on that pricey bottom line, don’t underestimate this machine’s significant weight and bulk. Owners of more petite pools might find the Ultra just too large to wrestle with—even though it will do an outstanding job of keeping the pool sparkling clean. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robotic pool cleaners. Read...

We don’t write about the Kindle Scribe too often because, let’s be honest, it’s quite expensive with its $420 MSRP. But now that October Prime Day has come and gone, we’re seeing “like-new” Kindle Scribe digital notebooks for $228, which is a much better price. These discounted Kindle Scribes are refurbished devices that were tested and certified to be in perfect working order. Quite honestly, it’s likely that these are returned items from last week’s sale since “like new” Amazon gear always pops up at a discount after major sale events. The Kindle Scribe is a solid digital notebook option, enabling you to take notes, sketch, journal, and so on without the distractions you get from a tablet. Since the Scribe can turn your handwritten notes into text, it’s even more useful as you can transfer those to other apps later on. You can even write on books, which is something we know you’d never do in real life (hopefully). The Kindle Scribe features a 10.2-inch Paperwhite display that’s quite larger than your regular e-reader, so there’s plenty of space to write your notes. So go ahead and get yourself a Kindle Scribe with 32GB of storage space and a Premium Pen for only $228 while this deal’s still around. Read and write on this super discounted Kindle ScribeBuy now at Amazon Read...

Windows 11’s Snipping Tool has definitely enjoyed some upgrades in recent times, but at the end of the day it’s still just a basic tool that allows you to do little more than take screenshots and videos. GIF creation wasn’t even supported until just a couple months ago! Because of these limitations, I use ShareX instead for more complicated or precise screen captures. As well as capturing GIFs, ShareX offers significantly more advanced features, including precise capture with a magnifier, scrolling screenshot capture, and timed capture. ShareX even lets you add annotations like arrows, lines, and text bubbles to screenshots. And another great thing… it’s totally free! Here I’ll show you how to use the highly coveted GIF recording function. What to do: Download, install, and run ShareX. Type Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen. A crosshair will appear on your screen. Now select the part of your screen you want to record a GIF with by moving the crosshair over it—it will automatically select the window or area surrounding your cursor. Click your mouse to begin recording. To stop recording you can either type the shortcut again (Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen) or hit the stop button in the ShareX media control bar. Dominic Bayley / Foundry Once you’re finished shooting, your GIF will appear in the default capture folder which is typically located at C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\ShareX\My Files. The GIF will also appear in the task tray or “History” tab of the ShareX window so that you can play it back and decide if it’s good to go. That’s a wrap for this Try This tip. Just a heads up, we have a customizable selection of newsletters at PCWorld so if you dig free PC tips, tricks, and other news and want it delivered to your inbox every week, be sure to sign-up. Read...

This year my laptop turns six–a relatively young age in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it’s gotten slower and the battery life has taken a hit, but since I don’t use it for advanced video editing or gaming, it’s no problem. For lighter workloads like web surfing and emailing, it gets the job done just fine. There’s really only one problem: my laptop is too old for a Windows 11 update. On October 14th, 2025, Windows 10 will reach the end of its life period, which means no new features or security updates. The former is not a big problem. The latter will be a disaster. I’m not alone in this situation. Over 50 percent of users are still running Windows 10, and this figure is gradually dropping. How many will have updated in six months’ time is anyone’s guess, but whatever the percentage, one thing is clear. A large proportion of the world’s 1.6 billion Windows PCs will still be running Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025. What makes this challenging is that Windows 11 is so technically demanding that it’s not possible to update all fully functional computers. Sadly, my six-year-old laptop is one of them. If Microsoft stops updating Windows 10, it would turn into a breeding ground for cybercriminals. A computer without security updates is not only a problem for the user, but it can also spread malware to others. This decision also creates major environmental problems. If a few hundred million fully functional computers are thrown away and users buy new ones, emissions will increase. Manufacturing new computers requires large amounts of energy and the extraction of rare metals. Microsoft has stated that security updates to Windows 10 will still be available for another year, but for a fee. Until now, businesses could subscribe to extended support for old Windows versions and now we consumers can do the same. This is, of course, tempting for Microsoft in the short term, but it’s not a sustainable solution. In such a situation, a large proportion of users would continue to run Windows 10 without paying, thereby compromising security for us all. I personally hope that Microsoft realizes that they should reconsider this decision. The only reasonable thing to do is to send out free security updates to Windows 10 as long as the system is widely used. It’s neither economically nor ecologically sustainable to sell computers with a six-year lifespan. We need to move away from the idea of computers, mobiles, tablets, and other technologies as disposable products. This is a transition from the throwaway society that we all need to make. If Microsoft is serious about being a sustainable company, they should immediately remove the death sentence on my six-year-old laptop and other working Windows 10 computers. Further reading: How to save your older PC when Windows 10 hits end of life Read...

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TL;DR: You can get 15 months of Microsoft 365 for just $74.97 (MSRP $99.99) through October 19 during this limited-time sale. If you’re looking for a complete productivity suite that offers seamless updates, cloud storage, and advanced security, Microsoft 365 Personal has you covered. For $74.97 (on sale through October 19), you’ll get 15 months of Microsoft 365 with full access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Defender, OneDrive, Outlook, Editor, Clipchamp, and OneNote — all with the latest features at your disposal. This plan is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing you to install apps on up to five devices at once, whether you’re using Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android. So, you can easily switch between your phone, tablet, and computer without missing a beat. Plus, with 1TB of OneDrive storage, you’ll have plenty of room to back up files, photos, and videos, all protected by file recovery options to keep your data secure. A highlight of this Personal package is Microsoft Defender, which brings identity theft monitoring and added security for online threats. And if you’re juggling multiple email accounts, Outlook streamlines your inbox with built-in security and zero ads. And as new features roll out, you’ll have them immediately. Get 15 months of Microsoft 365 Personal while it’s just $74.97 (MSRP $99.99) through October 19. Microsoft 365 Personal: 15-Month Subscription [1TB OneDrive Cloud Storage for 1 User, PC/Mac]See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros DIY installation option can save you lots of money Trusted Neighbor is a great feature Nest cameras and video doorbell support facial recognition and can distinguish between people, pets, and vehicles Step-up Yale smart lock supports fingerprint recognition as well as PIN codes You can add your own Z-Wave smart home devices Cons You must use the Nest app to fully manage the Nest security cams and video doorbell There is no support for Amazon’s Alexa ADT Base doesn’t include a display Monthly service fees can add up quickly Our Verdict The ADT Smart Home Security System emphasizes security over convenience, but there are enough smart home elements for us to recommend it, whether you set it up on your own or pay for ADT’s white-glove installation. Keep a close eye on the services you sign up for, as they’re not all mandatory. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: ADT Smart Home Security Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices ADT is one of the oldest home security companies in the U.S., and the ADT Smart Home Security product reviewed here is its latest offering that melds home security with a robust smart home system. As with every ADT product, you must commit to paying for professional monitoring of this system, where the staff at a central office keeps track of emergency events and will offer to dispatch police, fire, and medical personnel as needed. But unlike many of ADT’s other products, you can either have ADT’s technicians install the system in your home or you can do it yourself. This is a security-first system, but smart home features don’t completely take a back seat. ADT sells smart light bulbs and smart plugs as well as Nest smart thermostats (more on that in a bit), and there’s a Z-Wave radio in the ADT Base that forms the heart of the system, so you can add other smart home components—including third-party products—on your own. ADT does recommend you buy Z-Wave devices that are on its approved list, and anything tied to security monitoring (sensors, smart locks, cameras, etc.) must be an ADT-authorized device, but the company doesn’t bar you from trying anything outside the monitoring realm. In other words, you’re not buying into a completely walled garden. ADT offers DIY installation as an option, and the company has a deep well of tech support articles, instructional videos, and even real-time video tech support to guide you. In this respect, ADT Smart Home Security is closer to the systems from Abode, Ring, or—at the high end—Vivint than, say the security-only products from Arlo or SimpliSafe (I should note, however, that Vivint does not offer DIY installations, although you can add self-installed smart home components to it later, with restrictions similar to ADT’s). You can create smart home automations (or Rules, as ADT calls them) in which any ADT device or any Nest device can act as a trigger that causes any other supported smart home device to perform an action, with the option of setting conditions. These are very much like IFTTT (If This, Then That) routines, and they’re very easy to create in the ADT app. For example, you can set a Rule that when a door is opened (a trigger) between sunset and sunrise (a condition), the Base will trigger an enrolled smart light to turn on (an action). Rules can also have multiple triggers, conditions, and actions. You can also delay any action by minutes and/or seconds. Installation options The ADT Base that forms the heart of the ADT Smart Home Security System has Wi-Fi, LTE, DECT, and Z-Wave radios onboard. LTE is for broadband backup, DECT is for ADT’s sensors, and Z-Wave allows you to add various smart home devices, including smart locks. Michael Brown/Foundry While ADT offers DIY installation as an option, and the company has a deep well of tech support articles, instructional videos, and even real-time video tech support, a representative told me only 10 percent of its customers go that route, so I elected to have an ADT technician install everything for this review. The cost to install the 20 components that made up this configuration was $1,300. Installation costs will of course vary depending on which components you decide to buy. (Scroll down for a list of everything included in this review system.)  The Portland Police Bureau also assesses a residential alarm permit of $25 per year, which was not included in that previous figure (ADT expects you to secure that yourself). Such municipal fees are increasingly common, so you should check your locale. The most important thing to remember is that paying ADT to install your Smart Home Security system won’t bar you from adding other components to it by yourself later. ADT loaned this system for my review, along with a full year of professional monitoring (which would otherwise cost $64 per month (I’ll break down that fee later). I’ve been living with the system since the middle of February 2025 to get a thorough understanding of its capabilities. Specifications You can add Google’s current Nest cameras (not the recently announced Gemini-powered models) to the ADT Smart Home Security System. The 3rd-gen Nest Cam Indoor is shown here.Michael Brown/Foundry ADT partners with Google on many of the smart home and home security components it offers with its systems, and the company sent the current generations of the Nest Indoor Cam, Nest Doorbell (wired, battery), and the Nest Cam with Floodlight for this review. You’ll find a complete list of supported products at the preceding link. These are not the new Gemini-powered products that Google announced on October 1. ADT has not said if it plans to offer the new cameras and incorporate Gemini support later on. It’s also worth noting here that Google took an equity stake in ADT in 2020, investing $450 million in the company. This tight Google integration means you cannot use this system with Amazon’s Alexa smart home platform. Device costs (a la carte, bundles are discounted) DeviceCostADT Base $249.00ADT Carbon Monoxide Detector (2)$120.00ADT Door/Window sensors (multipack)$50.00ADT Glass Break Sensor (2)$99.98ADT Keychain Remote$20.00ADT Motion Sensor$40.00ADT Premium Door/Window sensors (multipack)$80.00ADT Smoke Detector$60.00ADT Water & Temperature Sensor$60.00ADT Window Stickers (4)$0.00ADT Yard Sign $0.00Google Nest Cam (indoor, wired)$99.99Google Nest Cam with Floodlight$279.99Google Nest Doorbell (battery)$179.99Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch w/Z-Wave 800 module$299.99Municipal Electrical Permit (will vary by locale)$42.00Total as-reviewed hardware cost$1,680.94Total installation cost (optional)$1,300.00Total up-front cost of reviewed system$2,980.94 To secure your entry doors, ADT offers the Yale Assure Lock 2 with a Z-Wave 800 module for $300 when it’s purchased with a system. The lock has a backlit numeric keypad along with a conventional key cylinder (just one key is supplied) and a fingerprint reader onboard (with support for up to 20 fingerprints). Locking or unlocking the Yale lock can simultaneously arm or disarm the security system respectively, and this can be done with a registered fingerprint, a PIN, or with ADT’s app. You can also buy a Yale Assure Lock 2 with a previous-gen Z-Wave module, but without a fingerprint reader, for $210. ADT initially provided the latter device, and then shipped the former, newer device when it became available. I installed it myself, and the process was a breeze. The physical installation was the usual, somewhat clumsy process involving a mounting plate and threading the power cord from the exterior escutcheon through the door’s bore hole and plugging it into a socket on the interior escutcheon, but ADT’s software made onboarding and enrolling users quick and easy. The Yale Assure 2 with Z-Wave 800 is an excellent smart lock with an onboard fingerprint reader, a numeric keypad, and a key cylinder.Michael Brown/Foundry Since a Google Nest Cam with Floodlight must be hardwired to your electrical system, ADT brought in a licensed electrician to install it, accounting for $450 of the $1,210 total installation fee. Like most home security vendors, ADT’s technicians are not licensed electricians; they can deal with low-voltage components—like video doorbells—but they won’t touch anything connected to your home’s 120-volt circuits. The ADT Base The $249 Base forms the heart of the ADT Smart Home Security system. The cylindrical device is 4.5 inches in diameter and 5.7-inches high (115mm x 145mm), with a numeric keypad on top for arming and disarming the alarm. You can also arm/disarm the system in ADT’s app or with an optional keychain remote ($20). The Base is powered by an AC adapter and has a backup battery that ADT says should provide 24 hours of operation in the event of a power outage. It has a decidedly mild siren onboard (85dB measured at 10 feet from the Base), and an LTE radio to provide broadband backup in case your primary internet connection fails. The cylindrical ADT Base is the heart of the ADT Smart Home Security system. You can arm and disarm the system using the keypad on top if you don’t use ADT’s app or the optional key fob for that purpose.Michael Brown/Foundry You’ll add the Base to your Wi-Fi network (both 2.4- and 5GHz networks are supported, giving you flexibility as to where to install it). The ADT Base also has Bluetooth and Z-Wave Long Range radios onboard. Bluetooth is used primarily for initial setup, but the Z-Wave radio can be used to expand a security system into a complete smart home system that includes smart locks, lighting controls, and other components. ADT also offers a secondary keypad ($99) with dual-band Wi-Fi and battery backup if you want to be able to arm/disarm the system from another location in your home. If you have a large home, you might want to put one near whichever door you use most often. ADT says the “ADT Base and Keypad are ADT-branded hardware,” so their resemblance to the gear Google provided with its own Nest Secure system—introduced in 2020 and killed in 2024—might be coincidental. Sensors You’ll want ADT’s two-piece, battery-powered door/window sensors ($20 each) mounted to at least your entry doors and lower-floor windows. When the magnetic field between the two pieces is disrupted after the door or window is opened, the electronics in the business end of the sensor send a signal to the Base. The tech who installed the system recommended putting them on every door and window, but I elected to put them only on my three entry doors and the four most easily accessed windows (most of my windows are 5 feet or more above the ground, so you’d need a ladder to climb into them). Carbon monoxide detectors such as this are critical components in any smart home security system. Michael Brown/Foundry Given that these sensors are surface mounted, and therefore completely exposed, they aren’t as attractive as the type where the electronic element fits into the door frame and the other element (a magnet) disappears into the door itself. If the Base is in an armed state when the magnetic field between any sensor is broken, it will send a signal to the ADT’s monitoring facility that there’s been a possible break-in. If you’re returning home and don’t disarm the system before you open the door, you’ll have a 30-second window to disarm the system and prevent that signal from being sent. ADT also offers a Premium sensor ($40 each) that has a button you can press to temporarily bypass the security system, so you don’t need to disarm when you leave your home while others in the family remain and then re-arm it after you close the door. These Premium sensors can also detect shocks, which would occur if an intruder broke a window to gain entry without otherwise opening that window. ADT’s tech installed four of these. There’s a large, 5 x 6-foot (HxW) fixed picture window in my living room, so the tech installed a glass-break sensor in that room in case an intruder decided that would be a good way to get into the house (as unlikely as that would seem—it would make a lot of noise). He also glued one of the Premium door/window sensors to that window, even though it doesn’t open. If an intruder broke the window, it would trigger the alarm even if the dedicated glass-break sensor didn’t. You might find the door/window sensors ADT uses to be unsightly. For doors, I much prefer the type that disappear into the door frame and the door itself.Michael Brown/Foundry These sensors communicate with the Base using a 1.9GHz DECT frequency, a digital standard originally created for cordless phones (the acronym stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications), so their signal traffic doesn’t compete with your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, but they don’t travel as far as sub-GHz Z-Wave signals. They run on 3V CR2 batteries. ADT also included three battery-powered life-safety devices in this review system: a smoke detector ($60, installed outside my kitchen) and two carbon monoxide detectors ($60 each, one installed in my kitchen, near my gas range, and the other in my basement, near my gas-powered furnace). ADT’s $60 Water and Temperature Sensor was the final security sensor ADT left me with. I had it placed in the basement next to my water heater, and it will notify me via the ADT app if water appears there, warning me if that appliance or my washing machine develops a leak or if my basement otherwise floods. The temperature sensor in that device will warn me of frigid conditions that could lead to a burst pipe. Money-saving strategies Ultimately, you have a large degree of control over the cost of ADT’s system, since you can pick and choose which elements to install up front and which ones to add later (ADT also offers various discounted bundles of equipment). In addition to installing the system yourself, another way to reduce the total system cost is to install ADT’s motion sensor ($40) and/or its glass-break sensor ($50) in some rooms, instead of placing a door/window sensor on every window in your home. ADT’s motion sensor is designed to ignore pets that weigh less than 85 pounds.Michael Brown/Foundry The motion sensor can be programmed to be active only when the system is in an armed-away state, but you can also program it for a “convenience” mode that turns on connected smart lighting at night. If you have pets, it will ignore motion caused by animals weighing less than 85 pounds. My dog weighs only 10 pounds, so I can’t say how accurate that claim is, but I haven’t experienced a false alarm triggered by motion. The glass-break sensor, meanwhile, is triggered by the sound of glass breaking (duh) within a range of 2 to 25 feet in the same room. If that happens while the system is any of its three armed states (Away, Stay, or Night), it will trigger the siren in the base station, alert the monitoring service, and send an alert to your smartphone. The sensor can be attached to a wall or ceiling (it must be mounted at least 6.5 feet above the floor) with the provided screws or double-sided tape. Each of these sensors will also send an alert to the ADT app and to ADT’s central monitoring office if they’re tampered with. Opting out of ADT’s extended warranties–its Quality Service Plans–or selecting the least expensive version–will also reduce your monthly outlay, but then you’ll be on the hook should something go wrong with ADT’s equipment after the initial 90-day warranty runs out. Where you won’t be able to save money with ADT is by monitoring the system yourself. You’ll need to pay at least $25 per month for “intrusion monitoring,” in which ADT staff will respond to security events such as a break-in by requesting a local police dispatch, and “Life safety monitoring,” in which ADT will dispatch first responders in the event of a fire, carbon monoxide, or medical emergency. I’ll dig deeper into ADT’s fees in a bit. Security cameras My home isn’t wired for a doorbell, so the 2nd-gen Nest Doorbell ADT installed is running on its internal battery.Michael Brown/Foundry While ADT describes the $180 2nd-gen Google Nest Doorbell as battery-powered, it can easily replace a wired doorbell if you have one (in which case, and ADT tech can connect it to your existing transformer and chime). Read our Google Nest Doorbell review for more details. ADT offers the AC-powered Nest Cam ($99) for indoor surveillance. The Nest Cam with Floodlight ($280) was the final element of video security ADT provided for this review, delivering exterior smart lighting as well as security.   Each of these Google Nest cameras records video in 960 x 1280-pixel resolution and stores it in the cloud. To reduce the amount of video you must sift through, you can configure the cameras in the ADT app, so they detect motion and record only when the ADT system is armed. I’ll discuss how the ADT and Google Home apps work together in a moment. Smart home accessories ADT’s embrace of Z-Wave shows the company takes the smart home seriously. In addition to the Z-Wave locks on offer, you can also buy Z-Wave-powered smart plugs and plug-in dimmers ($50 each) and LED light bulbs ($30 each). That said, you’ll find much cheaper alternatives on the open market; remember that ADT won’t bar you from installing third-party Z-Wave products. Again, as you might expect, devices that tie into the security element of the system—such as smart locks—are a different matter. And ADT recommends you only install devices that it has tested and approved. ADT also offers a Netgear Nighthawk mesh Wi-Fi 6 router ($299); the 2nd-gen Google Nest Hub ($100), enabling you to arm and disarm the security system with voice commands, among other things; the 4th-generation Nest Learning Thermostat ($280); or the simpler Google Nest Thermostat ($130). I’ve been more than happy with my Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, so I didn’t have either of those Nest devices installed. You can install either thermostat yourself or hire ADT to install it for you. ADT Smart Home Security System user classes The ADT Smart Home Security system recognizes several types of users who have varying levels of permission, with Primary users having the most access.Michael Brown/Foundry The system recognizes three classes of users: Family, Trusted Neighbors, and Helpers & Guests. The Family class is subdivided into three other categories: Admin, the Primary user with the most privileges, including the ability to grant other users access to the system; Standard users, with permission to access professional monitoring, arm/disarm the system, and limited access to other settings; and Basic users, who can only arm/disarm the system. You can register the fingerprints of any user except for those in the Basic class. The Admin can also create a “duress” code that will disarm the system but notify ADT’s professional monitoring service that there’s an emergency in the home. If an intruder forces you to disarm the system, for example, you could enter the duress code to disarm the system as instructed, but ADT would then dispatch the police to the home to help you. Helpers & Guests are people to whom you want to grant access to your home on a more limited basis—think housekeepers, dog walkers, contractors, and the like. They’ll be invited to download the ADT app and they can use their assigned PIN on the smart lock, but their access can be restricted to a single day, a range of dates, or a recurring schedule. ADT brought in an outside electrician to install the Google Nest Floodlight Cam. The company’s techs generally install only low-voltage devices. Michael Brown/Foundry Trusted Neighbors are just what they sound like: People you trust with access to your home, who live nearby, and are willing to help manage your home while you’re away. While you can also limit their access to your home to a schedule, a far more useful scenario has ADT notify them of events so they can respond in your absence. These notifications can be set to be active all the time or only when your system is in an Armed Away state. If your Nest Video Doorbell detects a package left on your porch, for example, ADT can notify your neighbor, so they can pick up the package and bring it into your home (provided you’ve given them that access, of course). Or if the system detects a water leak, it can notify your neighbor of that problem so they can go over and shut off the water valve. You’ll receive the same event notifications, and you’ll receive alerts when your trusted neighbor arrives at your home. Trusted Neighbor is a great feature that I hope ADT’s competitors will copy. Using the ADT Smart Home Security System A battery in the ADT Base keeps it running in the event of a power outage, while an LTE radio keeps the system linked to the internet–and ADT’s monitoring service–should your regular broadband connection fail.Michael Brown/Foundry Aside from the Nest video doorbell and security cameras, which I’ll get to in a moment, the user experience with the ADT Smart Home Security System is mostly typical for this class of product. You’ll issue each authorized user a 4- to 8-digit PIN, which they’ll use each time they arm or disarm the system at the Base. They’ll use the same with an ADT-authorized smart lock, which will automatically disarm the system when that PIN is entered on the lock’s keypad. If they download the ADT app, they’ll also be able to lock/unlock the door and arm/disarm the system with their fingerprint (assuming you’ve set them up that way) or the app on their smartphone. You’ll press a button on the Base (or the optional keypad, ADT’s keyfob, the ADT app, or with a “Hey Google” voice command) to arm the system in one of its three armed states: Away, Stay, or Night. That Night state is unusual; most security systems have just two armed states: Stay (or Home) and Away. In Armed Away mode, an exit delay gives you time to open a door to leave your home after you’ve started the countdown to its fully armed state. Since the home will presumably be unoccupied after you leave, motion inside the home or opening any window while the system is Armed Away will trigger the system to go into an alarm state. When you return home, an entry delay will start a countdown before the system goes into an alarm state. The countdown will give you time to enter your PIN at the base inside the home. You can also present your fingerprint on an authorized smart lock unlock it and disarm the system, press the disarm button on the ADT key fob, or disarm with the ADT app. The ADT Home Security System has three arming modes: Away, for when no one will be home; Stay, for when some residents might be away, but others are home; and Night, when everyone is expected to be home for the duration. Michael Brown/Foundry Armed Stay mode also has entry and exit delays, but motion inside the home will not trigger an alarm (opening a window, on the other hand, will put the system into an alarm mode). A exit delay is useful when one member of the household needs to leave the home while other occupants remain inside. The person leaving can arm the system and have a short amount of time to open a door and leave without triggering the alarm. Opening any window after the exit delay has expired will trigger the system to go into an alarm state, but opening any door will trigger a fresh entry/exit delay. Armed Night mode is similar to Armed Stay, except that there is no entry or exit delay. Motion inside the home won’t trigger the alarm, but opening any door or window will. This mode should be used when everyone is home for the night. A backlit icon on the Base will inform you if the system is ready to be armed or not. If the system is ready, for example, you’ll see an icon of a home backlit by a green LED. But if any doors or windows are open, the Base will show an icon of a house with a slash through it, backlit by a yellow LED. You can override any of those sensors and arm the system anyway. Once the door or window is closed, it will return to its “armed” state. But if you have something like an air conditioner in a window, such that the system is reporting the window as open, you’ll need to override it every time you arm the system until you take the unit out and close the window again. You can arm and disarm the ADT Smart Home Security system with this optional key fob, which also has a panic mode that can summon emergency help from ADT’s professional monitoring service.Michael Brown/Foundry Similar icons and colored backlights indicate other alarm modes (armed away, stay, or night; entry/exit delay; or panic), and there a dedicated buttons for summoning police, fire, and ambulance services via ADT’s professional monitoring service. ADT was beta-testing a new feature that allows registered users to unlock a smart lock—and disarm the system—based on their phone’s location and the phone’s familiar-face detection. You can already unlock the smart lock and disarm the system using the facial recognition features of the Google Nest cameras (particularly useful with the Nest Doorbell). Monthly ADT service charges As I’ve mentioned, while you can save some money by installing an ADT Smart Home Security System yourself, you can’t use with without paying ADT for monitoring the system, among other things. You should also be aware that you’ll be obligated to sign a 36-month contract (24 months for California residents) for professional monitoring. Should you end the contract before it has run it’s course, ADT will bill you for 75 percent of the monthly charges remaining in the initial term. As this review system is configured, professional monitoring would cost a consumer $63.99 per month. That figure consists of fees in seven categories, as outlined below: Ongoing service Monthly fee 24/7 Intrusion Monitoring$24.99 Smart Home Automation $5.00Integrated Smart Solutions Subscription (optional)$10.00Nest Aware with Video Verification$10.00Quality Service Plan – Comprehensive$10.00Supplemental Quality Service Plan $4.00Total monthly service charge$63.99 Here’s a description of what each of those services are: 24/7 Intrusion Monitoring: If a break-in alarm or a life-safety sensors (smoke, CO, or water detector) is triggered, ADT’s monitoring center sends you an alert to confirm there is an emergency. If you respond that there is–or if you don’t respond at all–ADT will request an emergency dispatch of first responders. Smart Home Automation: You’ll need to pay this fee to take advantage of the Z-Wave radio in the ADT Base to create rules, scenes and schedules. Integrated Smart Solutions Subscription: This is optional add-in entitles you to unlimited concierge-style remote sessions with ADT specialists for Wi-Fi and network diagnostics, as well as smart home optimization across all the devices connected to the ADT Smart Home Security System, including non-ADT devices. Nest Aware with Video Verification: This is the subscription service that Google used to offer buyers of its Nest cameras and smart home device. The service offered through ADT does not include Gemini support. It includes 30 days of event-based video history stored in the cloud for each Nest camera and video doorbell that’s included in the ADT system (you can add more cameras later at no additional charge). For an additional $7 per month (a feature not included in this review system), you get 60 days of event-based video storage in the cloud; plus, up to 10 days of 24/7 continuous video (wired cameras only). Quality Service Plan – Comprehensive: This is an optional tiered extended warranty plan that “covers repair/replacement of ADT-supplied equipment due to malfunction” up to a pre-discount maximum of $1,000 in equipment. When the value of the equipment exceeds $1,000, you’ll be assessed a supplemental fee (see below) The Comprehensive tier included with the package reviewed here includes security, life safety, automation, and video devices. The more basic Essential tier includes only security and life safety devices, while the top-of-the-line Advanced tier covers the same devices as the Comprehensive tier, but adds “annual virtual preventative maintenance checkup, annual smart home consultation, and certain available equipment discounts after the first year.” Supplemental Quality Service Plan: This is a supplemental fee when the pre-discount retail value of the ADT equipment you install or have ADT install exceeds $1,000. It starts at $2 per month if the equipment retail value is between $1,000 and $1,300 and is capped at $42 per month if the value of that equipment is $5,200 or more. Google Home integration You can configure most of the Nest Cam settings in the ADT app, but you’ll need to open the Google Home app to access all their settings.Michael Brown/Foundry You can see thumbnail images from the Google Nest cameras in the ADT app and tap those images to see a live stream from the selected camera. You’ll also see indicator showing the camera’s battery status. Tap a Saved Media icon and you’ll get a timeline of recorded clips (curiously, camera events are not including the ADT app’s event history). Clips can be filtered by date range, by camera, and/or by the type of event that triggered the recording: Activity or animal, Doorbell, Face, Motion, Package, Person Talking, or Vehicle. You can also change at least some camera settings in the ADT app, the most important of which are Notifications. You can choose to be notified of motion caused by animals, people, or vehicles; any motion; if someone rings the doorbell; or if a package is within the camera’s view. You can also turn off all notifications, but most people wouldn’t go that far. That’s the extent of camera configuration options within the ADT app. The Google Home app (left-hand screenshot) takes full advantage of the Nest Cams’ facial recognition features, whereas the ADT app (middle and right-hand screenshots) only identifies people as a “face” and a “person.”Michael Brown/Foundry That means you’ll need to fire up the Google Home app if you want more—including such important Nest Aware features as facial recognition. The ADT app will only notify you that a person has come into one of the Nest cameras’ field of view or if a face has been detected. The Google Home app will let you know that person’s name (after you’ve initially identified them, of course). Should you buy an ADT Smart Home Security System? From a security perspective, the ADT Smart Home Security System checks all the boxes: There’s a full complement of high-quality security and life-safety devices with professional monitoring to protect your family and your property. ADT’s Trusted Neighbor feature that lets you give neighbors permission to disarm your security system to enter and check on your property is a great feature. You can add or subtract from the components included in this review to either save some money up front or increase your home security profile. Taking the DIY installation option, meanwhile, will save you a significant amount of money up front. The monthly cost of professional monitoring, which is just a bit higher than what Vivint charges, won’t really change based on the components you install. The ADT Smart Home Security System is also very good from a smart home perspective, but it’s not the best smart home system on the market. This is primarily due to its dependence on Google’s cameras and video doorbell. While we have high opinions of those products, as you can read in our reviews linked above, needing to juggle two different apps to manage your home security system is by no means a showstopper, but it’s not ideal. The absence of support for Amazon’s Alexa, on the other hand, could be for some. The presence of a Z-Wave radio in the ADT Base coupled with the fact that you can acquire non security-related  third-party Z-Wave components and install them yourself is a major plus. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart home systems. Read...