For the customer... AFCI's (if they live up to the hype)
For us... I know I'll get hammered for this... but do you know how we checked for live circuits before the volt tics became commonplace? (Yeah I know... don't use 'em to check for live/dead circuits... don't rely on 'em etc...)
We put our finger on ground and lightly touched the wires with our thumb... You get a tingle...it's hot... (Only on 120V, however) I saw guys in Wisconsin do this in a hospital not more than two years ago...
Personally, I like the no-contact approach...