Anne Dennon

Home Technology Writer

Anne has covered home security and home automation for Reviews.com for two years. She's interested in human-computer interaction and tech ethics. She previously worked in education and information literacy.

The Latest from Anne

Keeping Your Home Secure on a Fixed Income

Oct 15, 2019 | News

Many people, including seniors and Social Security recipients, live on a fixed income. The monthly check in the mail has to cover all of life’s expenses until the next month, and the next check. When affording the essentials is your focus, making room in your budget for home security may seem impossible. But if you’re…

SimpliSafe Home Security Review

Oct 11, 2019 | Review

SimpliSafe Home Security Review SimpliSafe lives up to its name, eschewing the long contracts and steep rates of traditional home security companies in favor of month-to-month subscriptions that cost less than half the industry norm. SimpliSafe solves a number of age-old home security problems, from contracts and their associated red tape (so long, early cancellation...

Smart Homes Aren’t Turning on Us, but Security Remains an Issue

Oct 07, 2019 | News

In August, The Verge reported that smart ovens from home automation company June were turning on in the middle of the night, broiling empty air or abandoned potatoes at 400 degrees or higher. June insisted that user error was behind all the “accidental preheating.” One user admitted he might have turned the oven on by…

Halloween and Home Security: Protect Your Home from Real-Life Scares

Oct 07, 2019 | News

Like the full moon and daylight savings time, Halloween is associated with a spike in abnormal behavior. Crime, both property and violent, track upwards on October 31st according to police data and criminologist studies. “The evening violent crime count on October 31 is about 50 percent higher than on any other date during the year.”…

Privacy Concerns and High-Tech Airbnbs: What Renters Should Know

Sep 30, 2019 | News

In 2017, a young couple traveling Europe with their 10-month-old in tow let themselves in to a charming Parisian apartment booked through Airbnb. The smell hit them first. The curtains and blinds were covered in mildew. They called Airbnb and vacated the flat. Suddenly without accommodations, they got back on Airbnb. They arrived at the…

How to Run an Airbnb with a Home Security System

Sep 30, 2019 | News

Responsible Airbnb hosting includes looking after your guests’ safety. That means having a working smoke detector, a stocked first-aid kit, and, potentially, a home security system in place. But some of the devices that make you feel safe can make your guests feel spied on. Balance security and privacy by placing recording devices only in…

How Good is Your Security Camera’s Night Vision?

Sep 27, 2019 | News

With so many new, sophisticated video capabilities out there, night vision can seem old-school. It calls to mind a ghostly green, pixelated image. Probably accompanied by a shaky voice coming through a Walkie Talkie. But night vision is still one of a security camera’s most important features. The technology behind your night vision security camera…

Best Night Vision Security Cameras

Sep 26, 2019 | Review

Most outdoor security cameras come equipped with night vision. Without it, surveillance cameras would be useless a good 50% of the time. But the technology that enables cameras to capture images in what appears to the human eye as complete darkness varies in function and picture quality. We started out with nine security cameras...

How Home Safety & Automation Can Reduce Your Insurance Premiums

Sep 19, 2019 | News

The average homeowner pays just over $1,000 per year to protect their property from the unpredictable, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Be it fire or hail, lightning or falling trees, home insurance enables you to repair damage caused by covered perils without voiding your savings account. Homeowners insurance also protects you against perils of…

The Pros and Cons of a DIY Wireless Home Security System

Sep 17, 2019 | News

We all want to feel safe in our homes. But only a fraction of consumers are willing to pay out for a traditional security system. According to a Reviews.com survey, 46% of U.S. adults find installing and maintaining a home security system cost-prohibitive. Industry analysis from Market Research Future points to “high initial installation cost”…