00:00Check this out.
00:02You walk up to your front door, hands-free,
00:04phone still in your pocket,
00:05your doorbell recognizes your face
00:07and determines that your phone is within range.
00:10And without lifting a finger,
00:11the door automatically unlocks.
00:14While this may sound futuristic,
00:15you can actually do this right now
00:17with ADT's new ADT Plus Home Security System,
00:20which combines traditional security
00:22with the best smart home devices from Google and Yale.
00:25However, its standout feature
00:27is the new Trusted Neighbor service.
00:30Your network of neighbors, family, or friends
00:32can help you take care of your home while you're away,
00:34even while you're completely offline.
00:37With their new Trusted Neighbor feature,
00:38ADT is aiming to do more than just traditional home security
00:41like protecting your home from theft, fires, or leaks.
00:44With the new system,
00:45they're creating a smarter, more connected home
00:48that helps you automate routines or address smaller issues
00:51that don't necessarily require emergency services.
00:54ADT Plus combines Google Nest doorbells,
00:57cameras, and smart displays like this one
00:59with its safety and monitoring sensors.
01:01The system provides real-time alerts for video monitoring
01:04and automation through Google's smart devices,
01:06along with ADT's own suite of sensors
01:08for motion detection, door and window movement,
01:10water leaks, and smoke and CO2 alerts.
01:13Beyond its security features,
01:14integration with Google Home allows you to control
01:16a wide range of other compatible smart devices
01:19like lights, locks, and room and temperature,
01:21all from the same app.
01:22This integration with Google Home
01:24has existed for several years now,
01:25but new for this year,
01:26ADT is introducing its Trusted Neighbor feature,
01:29which lets you assign specific roles
01:31to people that you trust,
01:32giving them access to your home in predefined situations.
01:36The idea is you want or need someone to enter your house,
01:39but only at certain times under certain circumstances.
01:42But how does it all work?
01:44The Trusted Neighbor feature
01:44uses Google Nest's doorbell facial recognition
01:47to offer hands-free entry,
01:48automatically unlocking its paired Yale Smart Lock.
01:52For example, you might wanna grant access
01:54to your dog walker for an hour every Monday morning,
01:56or allow your neighbor to enter your home
01:58to put away a package once it's recognized on the doorbell.
02:01This access can be time-restricted
02:03in increments of one hour up to 24 hours,
02:05with the option to set notifications
02:06for both you and the trusted contact.
02:09It'd be great, though, in my opinion,
02:10if ADT added shorter time increments,
02:12say, for example, five minutes or 30 minutes,
02:15for simpler tasks like bringing the package through
02:17or watering your plants.
02:18They don't need that much time.
02:20Now, one of the key benefits with this system
02:21is that it eliminates the need for physical keys
02:24or shared passcodes,
02:25which can be easily duplicated or misused.
02:28Speaking from past experiences,
02:29I've had packages pile up while I've been out of town,
02:32and the ability to just let a trusted neighbor in
02:34to quickly handle it would've been great.
02:37Testing this out, I received an alert
02:38when a package was sighted by the doorbell,
02:40and thanks to the flexibility of the system,
02:42my trusted neighbor could safely enter
02:44and bring everything inside.
02:46ADT's total safety package is modular,
02:48so if you want to add more devices or features later,
02:51it's easy to do so without a complete overhaul.
02:53♪♪
02:57Right away.
02:58♪♪
03:01And its integration with devices like the Google Nest Hub
03:04allows you to monitor your system
03:05through voice commands or touch controls.
03:07You can ask Google to show you the front door camera,
03:09lock the back door,
03:10but of course, if you're already using
03:12Alexa or Apple HomeKit
03:13and you're heavily investing in those systems,
03:14the Google-centric nature of ADT Plus may not be for you
03:17as it lacks compatibility with those ecosystems.
03:19Now, let me show you the hardware.
03:21I've got set up.
03:22Front and center is the Google Nest doorbell.
03:25It's the first line of monitoring,
03:26detecting strangers, packages, deliveries,
03:28and even recognizing those familiar faces.
03:31Inside, there's a door sensor
03:32that detects when the front door opens or closes,
03:35and on the left side of that door is the ADT touchscreen.
03:38This display gives me a quick view of the system's status
03:41and lets me arm or disarm it in seconds.
03:43It's clean, modern,
03:44and it blends in with the rest of the setup.
03:46Above the door, there's a motion detector
03:48that covers the living room and kitchen area.
03:51On my living room bookshelf is the Nest indoor camera.
03:54It's small and discreet,
03:55but gives me full visibility of the key areas in my home,
03:57even in low light.
03:59Underneath that,
04:00we've got the massive Google Nest Max display,
04:02which ties everything together.
04:03It lets me check on my cameras,
04:05control my smart devices,
04:06and see and respond to alerts.
04:08And in the kitchen, I've added another Nest Max,
04:10mostly for music
04:11and following along with the recipes while I cook.
04:13And while it's not directly tied in with the security system,
04:16extras like the Google Nest thermostat
04:18can be bundled together with your ADT package
04:20since it's so well integrated with that Google ecosystem.
04:23In the hallway is the main ADT Plus hub.
04:26This acts as the brain for the whole system,
04:28and it's got a couple of unique features.
04:30Aside from having the keypad and function buttons
04:32for arming and disarming the system,
04:34or calling emergency services like the police,
04:36fire, or paramedics,
04:38the idea with this is that it can be moved
04:40to any central location in your home,
04:42so it can reach and communicate with your other ADT sensors
04:44without having dead spots.
04:46The hub's other main function,
04:48which you'll never really notice
04:49unless you're checking your notifications in the app,
04:51is that it's responsible for updating
04:53the other hardware remotely.
04:55Now, here's one of my favorite parts.
04:56Everything communicates wirelessly.
04:59And aside from the ADT display,
05:00which just needs a few screws to install,
05:02the whole system is very renter-friendly and modular.
05:05For someone like me who likes to move around a lot,
05:07having a security system that is this flexible
05:10is a huge plus.
05:11Finally, there's the ADT smoke and carbon monoxide detector,
05:14which will automatically notify emergency services
05:16if triggered,
05:17and the water and temperature sensors
05:19to warn you about frozen pipes and leaks
05:21before they turn into disasters.
05:24One thing to keep in mind is that ADT Plus
05:26isn't the cheapest home security option out there,
05:28but you're paying for a full-service package
05:30that's deeply integrated with Google's ecosystem.
05:33For most people, the front door protection package
05:35can be a great entry point.
05:36It's usually priced at $718,
05:38but is currently available for $359.
05:40This covers the basics and includes the ADC base,
05:43motion detector, door and window sensors,
05:45the Yale smart lock,
05:46and of course, the Google Nest doorbell.
05:48The total safety package bumps things up
05:50with additional sensors, an indoor and two outdoor cameras.
05:53That one is currently listed for about $823,
05:56which is a decent deal
05:57considering all the additional hardware you're getting.
05:59Beyond the upfront cost for hardware, though,
06:01you'll need to factor in the price
06:02for professional monitoring,
06:03which starts at $44.99 per month
06:06with a minimum one-month commitment.
06:07This plan also includes access to Google Nest Aware,
06:10which would typically cost $8 a month on its own.
06:13So, if you already use Google Nest products,
06:15this might feel like a win-win.
06:17That said, before deciding if ADT Plus
06:19is right for securing your home,
06:21there are a couple things you should keep in mind.
06:22First, just like with a lot of other home security companies,
06:25ADT's hardware is proprietary.
06:27And so, with their sensors, their base,
06:29you won't be able to move it to a new service
06:31if you decide to switch.
06:33That said, if you do wanna switch,
06:34you can continue to use all the Nest hardware,
06:36including the cameras, the displays, and the doorbell.
06:39And if you want, you can subscribe to Nest Aware
06:41if you wanna have that extended video playback.
06:43But maybe even a bigger point than that
06:45is even though the system can be completely hands-free
06:47to re-enter your home,
06:49you might not wanna keep it that way.
06:51By default and recommended by ADT,
06:53the system will actually send a notification to your phone
06:55asking for confirmation before unlocking the door.
06:58And while that does kind of take away
06:59from some of the magic of this system,
07:01it does give me extra peace of mind
07:03knowing that it's not going to misidentify someone
07:05or get spoofed.
07:06And because this feature is still in beta,
07:08there's of course gonna be room to improve,
07:10but also I'd imagine over time potential vulnerabilities
07:13that could be found.
07:14So keeping that extra layer of security
07:16is probably the way to go, at least for right now.
07:19On a positive note though,
07:20the core functionality of your ADT Plus
07:23trusted neighbor system continues to work just as well,
07:26even without facial recognition.
07:28You'll still be able to grant control
07:29and secure access to your home.
07:31Your neighbors will just have to use the app
07:33in order to auto unlock your door
07:34when they're ready to enter,
07:36which again, I think is a smarter choice.
07:39But let's ask the real question here.
07:41Is a system that depends on other people,
07:43no matter how much you trust them, worth potential risks?
07:46You're essentially handing over control,
07:48albeit selectively and securely to others.
07:50If you have a solid network of people that you can rely on,
07:52ADT Plus offers incredible convenience and peace of mind,
07:55which could justify the additional costs.
07:58But it's also important to ask yourself
07:59if you're comfortable with the idea of external help
08:02having access to your home.
08:03The balance between convenience and security is delicate.
08:06And in the end, it's all about how much trust
08:09you're willing to invest,
08:10both in your neighbors and your technology.
08:13But let me know what you think about
08:14the brand new ADT Plus trusted neighbor home security system
08:17with facial recognition being such a core feature.
08:20Is this something you'd add to your home today?
08:22Thanks for watching.
08:23Till the next one.
08:23Catch you later.
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