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Following up on my review of the Seagate IronWolf 8TB, for balance purposes, it's good to look at what WD is selling into the same retail space.
The WD40EFPX is the model I’ll be looking at in this review, and it has an especially interesting history I’ll dive into in depth. This specific model was first introduced on 14 September 2022, representing one of WD's more recent iterations in the Red Plus line-up. It ships with a significantly upgraded 256MB cache compared to the 64MB of the original WD40EFRX.
The WD40EFPX uses CMR technology rather than SMR, which is particularly significant in RAID environments. CMR drives deliver superior performance during array rebuilds and avoid the write cliff issues that plague SMR drives under sustained workloads.
It runs at 5400 RPM, connects via SATA 6Gb/s, and is rated for NAS systems with up to 8 bays. The workload rating is 180TB per year, suited to backups, file sharing, media streaming, and similar tasks in compact tower NAS units. The 4TB model uses air rather than helium as the internal atmosphere, unlike the higher capacity 12TB and 10TB designs that use helium and not air.
The 4TB model sells for just under $200, whereas its Red Pro brother is closer to $300. That might seem like a good deal, but in December of 2025, it was $150. That said, it’s $20 less than the Seagate IronWolf 4TB.
If you are buying lots of drives, then you would be better off investing in larger capacities that lower the cost per TB, but for a four-bay NAS where 12TB of RAID 5 space is enough, then these might be the smart option.
In performance and durability terms, the WD40EFPX isn’t the best NAS drive we've tested, but it gets the job done.
WD Red Plus 4TB: PriceWD Red Plus drivesModel
Capacity
Cache
Dollar Cost
Cost Per TB
WD40EFPX
4TB
256MB
$194.99
$48.75
WD60EFZX
6TB
128MB
$325.00
$54.17
WD60EFPX
6TB
256MB
$332.50
$55.42
WD80EFPX
8TB
256MB
$303.03
$37.88
WD100EFGX
10TB
512MB
$389.99
$39.00
WD120EFBX
12TB
256MB
$669.99
$55.83
WD120EFGX
12TB
512MB
$509.00
$42.42
This is as complete a list of current Red Plus models as I could assemble. I left out the old 1TB, 2TB, and 3TB models because they’re just old stock, and I also didn’t include the 8TB WD80EFZZ (128MB cache) since it appears to be discontinued.
As is evident from the cost per TB, the best value is the 8TB WD80EFPX, and the worst is the 12TB WD120EFBX, which uses helium where all other drives use air. The 4TB model isn’t a bargain, especially when you consider that only a few months ago it could be found for less than $150.
All the prices quoted here are from Amazon.com, and it may be possible to find these drives cheaper elsewhere.
The typical asking price for the Seagate 4TB IronWolf is $219, or that’s what B&H Video wants for one. This is $1 more than the Toshiba N300 4TB from the same retailer, and it’s a 7200RPM drive.
Overall, the WD Red Plus 4TB seems competitively priced, if that’s something you can actually say about drives in the current economy.
(Image credit: Western Digital)WD Red Plus 4TB: DesignRed Plus drives are available from 1TB up to 14TB. The 4TB WD40EFPX sits at the lower end of the range. With these smaller capacities, air-filled construction is standard. Drives pushing into double figures move to helium-sealed designs and, at higher capacities, step up to 7200 RPM class motors.
The Red Plus sits below the Red Pro in the family hierarchy. Red Pro is rated for up to 24-bay systems and carries a 300TB per year workload rating, while Red Plus covers systems with up to 8 bays.
From an external design perspective, there isn’t much to talk about here – it’s a 3.5-inch SATA mechanism that we’ve seen on computers for over twenty years. Most of the more interesting aspects of this design are inside and have WD buzzwords attached to them.
These include an adaptive compensation system with a shaft fixed on both sides, and three-dimensional balancing minimises the negative effects of vibration, particularly in multi-drive enclosures, called 3D Active Balance Plus. Other drive makers have something similar, but call it something else.
WD Red drives also include a multi-axis shock sensor that automatically detects subtle shock events and dynamic fly-height technology, allowing each read/write function to compensate and protect data. I suspect that was originally designed for laptop drives, but anything that avoids the heads from coming into contact with the recording surface is useful.
But the best feature of these drives isn’t a physical feature; it's software.
NASware 3.0 enables seamless integration, robust data protection, and optimal performance for NAS systems operating under heavy demand. It fine-tunes drive parameters to match NAS system workloads for optimum performance. This firmware also includes NAS-specific time-limited error recovery settings, optimised spin-up timing to reduce array-wide power surges, and adaptive thermal throttling.
So how does this hardware compare to its primary competitor, the Seagate IronWolf 4TB (ST4000VN006)?
These two drives occupy the same market position and share a remarkably similar specification sheet. Both run at 5400 RPM, use a SATA 6Gb/s interface, carry a 256MB cache, and are rated for up to 8-bay NAS systems. Both use CMR recording and carry a 180TB per year workload rating. MTBF on both is rated at 1 million hours, and both carry a 3-year warranty. They are literally brothers from different mothers.
Active power draw is 4.7W for the WD40EFPX and 4.8W for the ST4000VN006. IronWolf idle power is 3.96W, and standby drops to 0.5W. WD does not publish a specific idle figure prominently for the WD40EFPX, though the drives behave comparably in practice.
The difference is negligible in a real-world NAS. Across a four-drive array running 24/7 for a year, the delta between these two drives would amount to pennies on an electricity bill. Power is effectively a tie.
The WD Red Plus is consistently described as quieter than the IronWolf in real-world NAS deployments. Both drives include rotational vibration sensors at the 4TB capacity level. However, my testing consistently placed the Red Plus as being the quieter drive, and this aspect could be extra useful in home and near-desk environments.
But what NAS customers are most interested in is reliability because, as I can attest, having drives fail in a working NAS can be stressful.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)The WD Red Plus carries a non-recoverable read error rate of 1 in 10^14, while the IronWolf quotes 1 in 10^15. The IronWolf's figure is ten times lower, meaning statistically fewer uncorrectable errors per bits read. In practice, this rarely matters at the 4TB capacity level, and real-world failure rates across both brands are broadly comparable.
Real-world failure data from Backblaze between 2022 and 2024 shows WD Red Plus 8TB and above models carrying an annualised failure rate of approximately 1.4 to 1.8%. Comparable IronWolf figures tend to hover in a similar bracket, making reliability broadly comparable across the two brands. I haven’t got data for the 4TB models, but since they are similar enough to the 8TB models, it’s not unreasonable to assume that the hardware has much the same reliability.
There are, however, a few performance differences I’ll mention later, and Seagate has a health management system.
IronWolf drives include IronWolf Health Management, which works with leading NAS systems to provide prevention, intervention, and recovery recommendations to ensure peak system health. It is enabled on Synology, QNAP, Asustor, and other major platforms. It provides drive health telemetry beyond standard S.M.A.R.T. data, giving users early warning of potential issues.
IronWolf also includes three years of complimentary Rescue Data Recovery Services, with an industry-leading recovery rate of 95% in the event of accidental data corruption or drive damage.
WD Red Plus has no equivalent to either of these features. There is no bundled data recovery service and no proprietary NAS health management system beyond standard NASware 3.0 and S.M.A.R.T. compatibility.
In WD’s defence, many NAS makers are introducing their own AI logic to monitor drive health, regardless of brand, but IronWolf Health Management is one of the reasons these drives have been so successful.
To understand more about this drive, let’s cover the lineage that brought us to the WD40EFPX.
WD Red Plus 4TB: History of the Red Plus range(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)The WD Red NAS HDD series arrived in 2012. It was a direct response to the growing popularity of home and small business NAS systems. Regular desktop hard drives were designed with single-use deployment in mind, and NAS use demanded something different.
Faster read and write speeds, higher workload tolerance, and suitability for multi-drive, always-on environments.
The WD Red line launched with 1TB, 2TB, and 3TB models. The 4TB variant expanded the range, giving home users and small businesses the full 4TB maximum for up to five-bay NAS units. The original 4TB model carried the model number WD40EFRX.
A unit manufactured in September 2013 used a Marvell 88i9446-NDB2 dual-core drive controller, a Hynix 64MB DDR2 cache IC, and NASware 2.0 firmware. Western Digital described the rotational speed as "IntelliPower" rather than publishing an RPM figure — a marketing term that obscured what was, in practice, a variable-speed 5400 RPM class design.
The drive shipped with TLER (Time Limited Error Recovery) enabled from the factory, which was an important distinction from consumer desktop drives. It made the WD Red family genuinely RAID-compatible, something that mattered greatly in multi-bay arrays where a drive that spins on an error for too long can be rejected by the RAID controller.
Over the following years, WD evolved the NASware firmware, introduced new form factors, and added the WD Red Pro tier for more demanding environments. The original WD Red remained the affordable CMR option for home and SOHO users throughout this period, and the WD40EFRX remained in the lineup for several years.
A key hardware progression during this era was the increase in cache size. Across the Red Plus lineup, cache memory has grown from 64MB in early models to 256MB in current ones. The WD40EFRX shipped with just 64MB, which by today's standards looks overly modest.
Then came the most significant and damaging chapter in WD Red history, and this directly shaped how the Red Plus line came into existence.
Western Digital began shipping SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) drives from early 2017, but declined to disclose this to customers, even when directly asked. The EFRX suffix was quietly retired and replaced by the EFAX suffix. What buyers did not know was that the new drives used a fundamentally different recording method.
The larger EFAX drives at 8TB and above remained CMR. The smaller capacities at 6TB and below transitioned to SMR. EFRX drives were removed from production pipelines.
Users began experiencing problems adding the new WD Red NAS drives to RAID arrays. SMR drives were not intended for random write workloads, and NAS rebuild operations like resilvering in ZFS terminology use exactly that kind of sustained random writing.
RAID resilvering tends to overload the cache on SMR drives, sending them into minutes-long pauses. Faulty firmware on the WD40EFAX also caused drives to return IDNF S.M.A.R.T. errors under intensive workloads, which RAID controllers typically interpreted as drive failure.
All my NAS were once populated with these drives, and successively they died like dominoes, until none of them survived. What annoyed me, and others, was that while internally WD knew why the death rate on these drives was high, sales staff were still pushing the line that all WD drives were CMR and that the company would make it "very clear" if SMR technology were used.
In 2020, consumers discovered what was happening. A class action lawsuit followed in the United States. The lawsuit alleged that WD had surreptitiously introduced SMR technology into WD Red NAS drives without disclosure, in an effort to reduce costs while keeping the selling price unchanged.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)In an attempt to mitigate the fallout from this sorry exercise, a structural reorganisation of the entire Red lineup was performed by WD.
The WD Red name was retained for device-managed SMR drives across 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, and 6TB capacities, and it was positioned as suitable only for lighter SOHO workloads. A new WD Red Plus brand was created to cover all CMR drives across all capacities from 1TB to 14TB. WD Red Plus was specifically aimed at more write-intensive workloads, including ZFS.
WD described Red Plus as "the new name for conventional magnetic recording (CMR)-based NAS drives in the WD Red family." Critically, the WD40EFRX model number was retained and repurposed as the WD Red Plus 4TB, allowing existing owners to verify that their older drives were CMR by checking the model-number suffix.
During the transition period, WD Red Plus devices were sometimes delivered with a "WD Red" label, but the model number confirmed the CMR identity. This caused ongoing confusion in the channel.
Following the rebrand, there were two 4TB model numbers for Red Plus drives.
The WD40EFZX appeared as a transitional model, shipping with a 128MB cache and confirmed CMR recording. It was described as a 5400 RPM SATA 6Gb/s CMR drive with NASware 3.0 technology and an MTBF of up to 1 million hours.
Alongside that is the focus of this review, the WD40EFPX. As I’ve already mentioned in the introduction, this drive ships with an upgraded 256MB cache and uses CMR technology rather than SMR and has the same 5400 RPM rotational speed.
These drives closed the chapter on the hidden SMR debacle, and as a result, WD’s standing with those deploying NAS storage has recovered.
WD Red Plus 4TB: Performance(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Testing drives for NAS use is fraught with problems because NASes are configured to hide the actual performance speeds from you, using their memory as a cache.
As an example of this, I connected a single WD40EFPX to a TerraMaster F4-425 Pro, accessed it over a 2.5GbE LAN, and achieved read/write speeds of 296 MB/s.
As this drive is rated by WD at 180 MB/s, those numbers are plainly artificial.
Therefore, ironically, rather than using a NAS to evaluate the speed of this drive, I resorted to testing it on a regular PC.
Here are my results:
Drives
WD Red Plus
IronWolf
Part No.
WD40EFPX
ST4000VN006
Capacity
4TB
4TB
AJA
Read
MB/s
187
190
Write
MB/s
179
185
ATTO
Read
MB/s
206.24
192.35
Write
MB/s
197.35
191.76
CrystalDiskMark Default
Read
MB/s
201.23
200.77
Write
MB/s
208.26
199.33
CrystalDiskMark RealWorld
Read
MB/s
212.46
200.22
Write
MB/s
204.42
199.11
PCMark
Score
801
677
Bandwidth
MB/s
124.49
103.69
MS Winsat
Random 16 Read
MB/s
1.71
1.6
Sequential 64.0 Read
MB/s
168.53
158.16
Sequential 64.0 Write
MB/s
204.65
190.5
Read Time with Sequential Writes
ms
1.385
1.946
Latency: 95th Percentile
ms
12.685
34.685
Latency: Maximum
ms
64.723
62.341
Average Read Time with Random Writes
ms
5.267
9.898
When you ask the sorts of questions that AJA, ATTO and CrystalDiskMark have the answers, then the Red Plus 4TB is remarkably similar to the IronWolf 4TB, with perhaps a tiny edge to the WD drive. That said, those results are all within variance and hardly conclusive.
PCMark and Winsat come down more on the Red Plus side, and it’s especially interesting that read time with sequential writes is lower on that drive than the IronWolf. And, that extends into latency, which is generally better on WD.
With time short for testing, I wouldn’t call these results definitive and on a different PC, they might be entirely reversed.
But they do strongly suggest that the slight price premium that WD is asking might be worth it, although there isn’t any practical way of testing the resilience of the drive over the long run. And that’s specifically where customers have had an issue with this brand previously.
WD Red Plus 4TB: Final verdict(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)If Western Digital could move on to Nasware 4.0, or something that brings it closer to the Health Management technology that Seagate already has, then they might see a migration back to the days before they tried to slide SMR drives past their customers.
Because the Red Plus is a bit quicker than the IronWolf equivalent, even if it costs proportionally more.
But frankly, the cost of NAS drives of this capacity is way too high to actually encourage people to buy them, even if the underlying technology seems sound.
To paraphrase Monty Python, if Nvidia and the AI evangelists hadn’t artificially nailed storage to its perch, drives of this capacity would be pushing up the daisies by now.
But instead, we have the indefensible exercise in which Seagate, WD and Toshiba profit massively from phantom demand, and every day is Christmas at their factories.
If you must buy drives for a deployment, then go with the 8TB and 10TB models, as they offer the best value, if that means anything when HDDs are nearly as expensive per TB as you could buy SSDs capacity at one point in the past two years.
For more storage solutions, we've reviewed the best NAS devices.
- This portable display combines work and entertainment in a single compact device
- Connectivity hub aims to replace traditional laptop docking stations entirely
- InnLead Monhub’s 60Hz refresh rate may limit the fast-paced gaming experience quality
InnLead Monhub has launched a 15.6-inch FHD 1080P portable screen hub designed for multi-device use across work, travel, and entertainment contexts.
This monitor uses a 1920 x 1080 resolution at 141 PPI with LCD IPS technology for general productivity and media consumption on compact portable setups.
It combines IPS panel visuals, 60Hz refresh rate, 280 cd/m² brightness, and 1000:1 contrast for mixed productivity and media tasks usage under typical indoor conditions.
Connectivity and display structure under scrutinyThe InnLead Monhub claims to turn any workspace into a flexible setup with connectivity that includes HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, dual Type-C, USB, and TF or microSD card support.
The brightness of the display reaches between 280 cd/m² and 250 cd/m², alongside 1000:1 contrast and 16.7M color support for varied viewing conditions.
This portable monitor supports plug-and-play connections, allowing laptops, consoles, and smartphones to extend displays without the complex setup steps required.
Marketed partly as a business monitor, the device emphasizes remote productivity, yet reliance on a single 60Hz panel may limit more demanding workflows.
It comes with a light travel weight of around 730g, although the 1075g standard weight may still feel noticeable inside compact bags.
Crowdfunding uncertainty and use case debateThe InnLead Monhub is currently on crowdfunding through Indiegogo, a stage where promised specs and final retail hardware often diverge.
SmartDock, the branding behind the device, pitches one screen as a replacement for separate laptop docks, console adapters, and phone stands.
Ava InnLead, the project's creator, frames the pitch around mobility, though that promise has not been tested outside the company's own marketing.
“With Monhub, we bring high-resolution visuals, seamless multi-device connectivity, and ultimate portability — empowering you to work, game, and create anytime, anywhere,” the company said
While casual gamers may find the 60Hz refresh rate acceptable, competitive players accustomed to faster panels will likely notice the difference immediately.
The device also claims broad compatibility with Mac, PC, consoles, and mobile hardware, a list that sounds simple until different operating systems and drivers get involved.
The built-in stand is described as sturdy and adjustable, though how it performs after repeated daily setup and breakdown remains untested.
As with most Indiegogo campaigns, Monhub's real test will not be its specification sheet but whether the finished product matches what backers were shown.
Disclaimer: We do not recommend or endorse any crowdfunding project. All crowdfunding campaigns carry inherent risks, including the possibility of delays, changes, or non-delivery of products. Potential backers should carefully evaluate the details and proceed at their own discretion.
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, June 30 (game #849).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Not a red herring
NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
- NATION
- CHILD
- MINT
- DEEM
- CLOUT
- MEET
• Spangram has 12 letters
NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: top, 5th column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #850) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #850, are…
- HINT
- INDICATION
- CLUE
- EVIDENCE
- INTIMATION
- SPANGRAM: TELLTALESIGN
- My rating: Hard
- My score: Perfect
I went around this board at a pace Mrs Marple would be impressed by until I reached the dastardly last word. I just could not see INTIMATION at all and it took me a few minutes before I finally linked the letters in the right order.
Fortunately, the theme was no mystery and thinking about red herrings I found TELLTALESIGN before any game or non-game words.
Meanwhile, I had to chuckle when the first word I got was HINT — frequently this is something I need to get going on Wednesday, but not today!
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, June 30, game #849)- WRITER
- DIRECTOR
- CAST
- PRODUCER
- CREW
- EDITOR
- SPANGRAM: THATSSHOWBIZ
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.
A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, June 30 (game #1115).
Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.
What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #1116) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…
- CHICAGO
- LONG ISLAND
- NIGERIA
- COLOGNE
- INDIANAPOLIS
- MUNICH
- LIMERICK
- SINGAPORE
- CASABLANCA
- CUBA
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- CHAMPAGNE
- GUINEA-BISSAU
- CHINA
- FARGO
- MOSCOW
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Product placement
- GREEN: Cinematic classics
- BLUE: Drink up
- PURPLE: Hidden in plain sight
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections today (game #1116) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: THINGS NAMED AFTER PLACES
- GREEN: BEST PICTURE WINNERS/NOMINEES
- BLUE: PLACES IN COCKTAIL NAMES
- PURPLE: STARTING WITH COUNTRIES
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1116) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #1116, are…
- YELLOW: THINGS NAMED AFTER PLACES CHAMPAGNE, CHINA, COLOGNE, LIMERICK
- GREEN: BEST PICTURE WINNERS/NOMINEES CASABLANCA, CHICAGO, FARGO, MUNICH
- BLUE: PLACES IN COCKTAIL NAMES CUBA, LONG ISLAND, MOSCOW, SINGAPORE
- PURPLE: STARTING WITH COUNTRIES DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, GUINEA-BISSAU, INDIANAPOLIS, NIGERIA
- My rating: Hard
- My score: 1 mistake
My mistake came by including MOSCOW instead of LIMERICK in the list of THINGS NAMED AFTER PLACE.
At the time, I was thinking the Russian capital should be in the list because of the MOSCOW Mule but after getting one away I realized that there were three other PLACES IN COCKTAIL NAMES.
This was all after getting the four movie titles — I knew all four were classics but didn’t think they were all BEST PICTURE WINNERS/NOMINEES. From the list I thought FARGO was a winner but it lost out to The English Patient in 1997.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, June 30, game #1115)- YELLOW: DIVIDING STRUCTURES FENCE, GATE, HEDGE, WALL
- GREEN: PARTICIPATE IN SOME WINTER OLYMPICS CURL, LUGE, SKATE, SKI
- BLUE: COMMON RECYCLABLES BOTTLE, BOX, CAN, NEWSPAPER
- PURPLE: WHAT "DRAFT" MIGHT REFER TO BREEZE, ON TAP, RECRUIT, SKETCH
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, June 30 (game #1618).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.
Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.
If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:
Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• E
• O
• L
• S
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1619) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1619, are…
- EASEL
- OTTER
- LYRIC
- SHACK
SHACK and LYRIC came easily enough today, but both EASEL and OTTER took me a while to find.
With EASEL, I tried every available letter with A-S-E-L before using the letter E again. Sometimes the simplest solution is the hardest to see.
Daily Sequence today (game #1619) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1619, are…
- SORRY
- EXTOL
- QUEUE
- BUTTE
- Quordle #1618, Tuesday, 30 June: HALVE, DRYER, THERE, MINTY
- Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
- Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
- Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
- Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
- Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
- Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
- Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
- Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
- Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
- Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
- Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
- Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
- Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
- Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
- Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
- Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
- Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
- Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
- Stduy claims AI adoption outpaces governance, creating long-term code maintainability challenges
- Saved developer time is now being spent on reviewing, validating and governing AI
- Accountability and trust are now more important than speed and productivity
Even though 91% of organizations have two or more AI coding tools in active use, four-fifths (79%) of the more than 1,500 developers surveyed by GitLab believe software delivery hasn’t accelerated at the same pace as developer productivity, implying challenges along the workflow could be diminishing returns.
Around three in four believe developers are writing code faster (78%) and producing higher-quality code (73%), but a new report from the coding platform believes there’s much more to AI than speed alone.
GitLab describes this as an ‘AI paradox’, where developer time is being taken up reviewing, validating and governing AI despite its promised productivity impacts.
Is AI just shifting problems downstream?In fact, 85% agree that the biggest constraint now is code review and validation, rather than code creation, proving that problems have simply been moved downstream instead of removed entirely.
But now that AI is deeply engrained within developer workflows, two in five (43%) now struggle to distinguish AI-generated code from human-written code, making it difficult to maintain security and quality in the long term. Three in four (73%) say they’re concerned about the long-term maintainability of AI code.
And it’s this visibility that’s causing one of the biggest headaches for coders, with a third (34%) now unable to determine whether AI-generated code played a role in an incident.
“The events of the past few months, including supply chain attacks, reliability issues, and regulators tightening expectations around AI traceability and provenance are making clear that speed without control is a liability, not an advantage,” Chief Product and Marketing Officer Manav Khurana commented.
Most companies (92%) now experience some form of governance challenges when it comes to vibe coding, and four in five admit they’ve adopted AI coding tools faster than they’ve implemented governance policies.
Trust to become a key differentiator – not speedWhile coding has become a major use case for generative AI since its mainstream introduction in late 2022, policies are still falling behind. But developers know this, and 91% now plan to invest in governance over the next year, with 98% allocating budget specifically for this.
Looking ahead, developers are preparing to enter a new era of AI, where generating code is no longer a priority. Instead, it’s all about governance.
“Organisations that will ship trusted software faster are the ones building the foundations of accountability with context, traceability, and governance baked into the platform, not just bolted on after the fact,” Khurana added.
But reading between the lines, it’s been clear that developers haven’t been entirely comfortable with AI for some while. Stack Overflow’s 2025 developer survey found that many are turning their backs on the tech due to privacy, pricing and quality reasons. Nearly 46% distrust AI to some degree, compared with just 33% who trust it.
Developers have now reached a point where AI has very clear use cases, but GitLab’s report clearly shows that traceability, accountability and trust will become competitive advantages in the future.
- Samsung launches cryptic social media campaign
- It appears to be about the next generation of foldables
- More specificially, Samsung is trying to tell us about shapes
Samsung is slicing up pizza, smearing paint, and playing with puzzles all in an effort to hint about what's to come in its next big Unpacked product event this month, which we all expect to be about foldables.
After clearing out its social media accounts, Samsung returned with a handful of social, almost ASMR videos that focus on sound and visuals but offer little in the way of concrete information.
The social media campaign starts with a photo booth printout that features four images of a woman and her dog. The print includes a substantial top border with the word "Snapply." Someone cuts that off before we see the words, "Cut to what matters."
Next, there's a pepperoni pizza where someone uses a rolling pie cutter to slide out a small, rectangular shape. They remove the slice, slide away the remaining pie, and the words "A whole new slice" appear. Next, there's a tiny dog puzzle. Someone removes the top row of pieces, and the words "Feels just right" appear. The last one, though, might be most telling.
It starts with some paint drops on a white palette. A squeegee slides over them to mix the colors and reveal the number 8 with the words:
"Bold stroke
New shape"
One thing we can glean here is that all of these social media bits are talking about design, shape, or aspect ratio. After all, the word "shape" and words that apply to shape appear throughout.
The "8" makes sense. We're still sporting our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 devices, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 are, presumably, the next phones in line. There are rumors of a new wide device, too, which fits the "new shape" idea Samsung is teasing here. Beyond that, though, we don't know much.
This is differentSamsung told us via email that the company is "hitting reset."
"After seven generations of pushing the boundaries of foldables, Samsung is taking a different approach to how it builds anticipation this year," the company wrote.
This new social media campaign is purposely devoid of product details and encourages guesswork. The recurrent shapes and patterns are intentional.
Clearly, all these videos are not just about the shape. They might be trying to tell us about some of the new features coming with the next generation of Galaxy Z foldables. For instance, there is another hint, perhaps unintentional: both the puzzle and the paint video are, according to the fine print, AI videos with edits. Were they created on the new devices? Only time will tell.
Take our advice and keep watching all of Samsung's social media channels for additional hints and details.
- Rotary Mouse replaces traditional mouse wheel with continuous motion
- Device claims faster navigation through documents and spreadsheets
- Users report smoother timeline scrubbing in editing software
The scroll wheel on a mouse has barely changed in three decades, and most people have stopped questioning whether it still works well.
However a device called the Rotary Mouse now argues it lets users move through documents, spreadsheets, and timelines at speeds that ordinary flicking simply cannot match.
The product's pitch centers on a single mechanical swap, replacing the familiar up-and-down wheel motion with a continuous rotary dial that the maker says feels closer to turning a knob than clicking a switch.
A Different Motion, A Different ClaimAccording to the campaign, the rotary input allows users to scroll or scrub through content up to 2.5 times faster than a standard mouse wheel, while also reducing the repetitive strain associated with constant flicking.
Instead of short up-and-down movements, users rotate the wheel like a small knob, controlling speed and direction through pressure and motion.
The device still supports conventional vertical scrolling, meaning users can switch between familiar input and rotary control without changing devices or habits.
It measures 119 mm by 64 mm by 40 mm in a matte black, ergonomic shell, weighs just 59g without its battery, and supports 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity.
The Rotary Mouse also features an optical sensor with switchable 800, 1200, and 1600 DPI sensitivity settings, allowing users to fine-tune cursor speed and precision.
Its left and right buttons are silenced through a middle button built into the rotary wheel itself.
The device ships with one AAA alkaline battery and a USB wireless receiver, and works across Windows, Linux, Mac OS, and Android.
Some testers describe the Rotary Mouse’s motion as more fluid and easier to control, especially when trying to stop at precise points on a timeline or page.
The design also introduces tactile feedback through clicks during rotation, which is intended to help users maintain control during faster movement.
Early use cases and mixed reactionsEarly adopters have tested the device in video editing software where timeline scrubbing is a frequent task requiring fine control and repeated movement.
In programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, the Rotary Mouse is used as a scrubbing tool, where turning the dial allows users to move through video timelines more smoothly than repeated scrolling
In simulation racing setups, the same rotary input can be mapped directly to steering control, turning the dial into a compact alternative to traditional wheels or keyboard-based steering.
This makes it useful in games such as Euro Truck Simulator 2, Assetto Corsa, and BeamNG.drive, where gradual steering inputs are required and can be replicated through controlled rotation.
The concept has also gained attention online, with thousands of upvotes across PC enthusiast communities discussing alternative input devices and ergonomic design ideas.
The creator, Melvin Wong, an electronics engineer with long experience in hardware development, says the idea came from reducing finger strain during long computer sessions.
Prototypes were built using 3D printing techniques before evolving into early production units.
He claims that continuous rotation reduced repetitive strain while unexpectedly improving navigation speed across large digital workspaces during testing phases.
However, independent verification of the claimed speed improvements remains limited, and real-world performance likely depends on user behaviour and application type.
The Rotary Mouse is currently in crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where it has raised $3,654 against a $14,794 goal from 61 backers, with 18 days left before the campaign ends.
The team also says it has already sold more than 30 pre-production Founder’s Edition units and is aiming to begin shipping the final product by December 2026.
Disclaimer: We do not recommend or endorse any crowdfunding project. All crowdfunding campaigns carry inherent risks, including the possibility of delays, changes, or non-delivery of products. Potential backers should carefully evaluate the details and proceed at their own discretion.
I’m someone who likes the idea of taking a dedicated camera with me wherever I go, in the hopes of capturing higher quality shots than what I can manage with my iPhone 15 Pro. I already have an OM System OM-D E-M10 MKIV, but I’ve taken it away with me on holiday exactly one time, where I used it exactly one day.
Despite being quite small (at least compared to many full-frame alternatives), I found it to be too bulky to fit in a sling bag, especially when spare lenses were thrown into the mix.
It was with this in mind that I actually used a Fujifilm Instax mini camera during my recent trip to Europe. Not only was it easier to fit into my bag, but it made me carefully consider compositions, and I love the fact I now have physical, printed photos to admire.
I can still admit digital is more convenient however, which is why I’ve been keen on the Panasonic Lumix S9, and now it’s 42% off ahead of Prime Day, now is a great time to snap it up.
The Lumix S9 is, admittedly, better suited to videographers than photographers, but given my casual relationship with taking photos, combined with its compact, gorgeous looks, I believe it to be the perfect snapper for my needs.View Deal
Now, as I’ve just mentioned, the Lumix S9 is definitely geared more towards videographers, due to its support of open gate 6K video, which benefits from the full height and width of the 3:2, 24.2MP full-frame sensor. The Lumix S9 also boasts one of the best image stabilisation systems when shooting video that we’ve come across.
Unfortunately, this capability would be lost on me, as a videographer I am not. I’m far more interested in the S9’s picture-snapping credentials, and based on our Panasonic Lumix S9 review, I’m in for a treat if I hit the ‘buy now’ button.
That’s because the 24.2MP sensor — which is essentially the same as the one found in the Lumix S5 II — takes great still images, with superb noise control and dynamic range, meaning it can capture detail in darker areas.
Also, its bigger sensor is better suited to low-light photography compared to my E-M10 Mark IV’s micro four thirds one, although the latter does still take lovely images.
The S9 also employs real-time LUTs (look-up tables) which, despite being recommended for videos, allow you to use a range of colour profiles to help enhance images, although I am a little intimidated by the fact that Panasonic doesn’t make this the easiest of options in its photography menu system. I’m still keen to try this feature for stills.
Future | Tim ColemanFuture | Tim ColemanFuture | Tim ColemanAnd then there’s how the camera itself looks. I’m pretty infatuated with the S9’s aesthetic — it’s compact and minimal, two qualities I adore. However, one of the biggest gripes we had in our review is the fact there’s no viewfinder. On paper, this won’t be a huge deal for me if I’m not using the camera constantly but, clearly, I have to point it out. The screen does extend and tilt though, which will help when composing shots.
Another advantage that the S9 has is based on Panasonic’s L-Mount Alliance membership, which allows you to use any full-frame L-mount lens from other members, like Leica and Sigma — although this particular offer comes included with an 18-40mm kit lens. If you’re keen to know more, our friends at Digital Camera World have put together a guide to the best lenses for the Lumix S9 to help you on your way.
All in all, I think this is a superb camera, although I did baulk at the AU$3,299 RRP, which is why I held off buying it for this long. Thankfully, the 42% discount fixes that in a big way. Less than two grand for a very capable full-frame shooter? Count me in.
When I think of Enola Holmes, one word springs to mind: naff. Average, run-of-the-mill, mundane, as our friends across the world might put it instead.
It's been four years since the sequel and six years since the original movie came to Netflix, and I have no bearing on where it sits culturally. As an avid internet user in my pre "I have a job reviewing film and TV" days, the Millie Bobby Brown-led franchise felt like a complete flop. But look at the trilogy from a critic's perspective, and it's been a solid entry into the streamer's canon.
Watching Enola Holmes 3, I finally get it. As Sherlock's little sister takes on her wildest case — Sherlock (Henry Cavill) himself being kidnapped — I understand the brief writer Jack Thorne is trying to fulfil... a harmless one.
Suitable for all the family thanks to its genuinely fun and compelling (though not exactly unexpected) narrative, Enola Holmes 3 has all the hallmarks of a solid three-star movie. In fact, it's the most three-star movie to ever three-star.
Can you guess the ending? Yes. Do you care? Probably not. Will you look at your phone occasionally while streaming it, or maybe get started on those pesky household chores you keep putting off? I'd put money on it. Will you lose the storyline or interest if you suddenly pop out to make a coffee and keep the TV running? Not in the slightest.
It's safe storytelling at its most entertaining, and I felt a little like I imagine a baby does when a sensory YouTube video presents them with dancing fruit. Gripped, unmoving, but ultimately numb to what's actually going on.
Enola Holmes 3 must have been an actor's dream working holiday — like Mamma Mia! without the singingIf you have an account on X/Twitter or Instagram and are into pop culture, you have probably seen the pictures of the cast wrap party for the 2008 movie version of Mamma Mia! — which involved the likes of Meryl Streep and Colin Firth getting drunk and doing karaoke in Croatia.
In my mind's eye, Enola Holmes 3 had the same effect on its cast. Set and filmed in Malta, the exciting action sequences, picturesque heartfelt scenes walking along the coast, and frequent galivanting around the capital Valette likely amounted to a similar jovial spirit (and imagine a wrap party abroad with a Netflix budget).
The cast is just as stoic as they ever have been, with standout Helena Bonham Carter as a vagrant outsider, a veritable thrill. They're having fun, so we're having fun along with them, with the ingenious use of animated title cards to explain Sherlock lore, a shrewd interactive touch.
It's not particularly taxing or sophisticated as far as storytelling is concerned, but the existence of this IP wouldn't work if it tried to be. Let's stick with tried and tested easy-on-the-eye action, please.
Netflix needs to stop casting actors with 'iPhone face' in its period dramas (Image credit: Netflix)Before I come to my main gripe, let me make clear that Millie Bobby Brown is a) beautiful and b) absolutely doesn't deserve to have her appearance critiqued by the internet.
Instead, I wish that the costume and make-up departments had paid closer attention to its continuity, particularly around 'iPhone face' (the theory that someone cast in a period drama has clearly seen an iPhone).
As Brown has matured over the last six years, it's understandable that she'd want make-up that matches where she is in life. The result is that, unlike the previous two movies, she's got a full face of easily identifiable foundation, contour, and lip liner, which definitely wouldn't have been the case in the late 1800s.
Add to this that wider shots show Brown wearing gel acrylic nails — whereas close-ups show her slightly dirtied yet authentic natural nailbeds — and the illusion of a genuine period drama is ruined.
Continuity seems to be a wider issue across Enola Holmes 3, such as shots spliced together in a single scene not properly keeping track of whether someone's eyes have just been opened or closed. Much like the harmless safety of the narrative, it's this lack of attention to detail that keeps the franchise cocooned in its middling category, though armchair detectives might enjoy trying to spot said mishaps.
Still, it all adds to the light-hearted spirit of the piece, doesn't it? How likely is it that Sherlock, the Sherlock Holmes, could really be kidnapped anyway? Just roll with it, as the saying goes.
- Playground Games confirms Fable uses Forza Horizon's tech engine
- The studio "built a ton of additional technology" on top of the base engine
- Creator of the Fable series, Peter Molyneux, wasn't involved with the game's development "at all"
Fable will utilize the same engine as the Forza Horizon series, which Playground Games says has been a "gift" for the upcoming role-playing game (RPG).
During a press Q&A at an Xbox event adjacent to this year's Summer Game Fest (SGF) attended by TechRadar Gaming, associate game director Craig Littler discussed how the team applied the Forza tech engine to create Fable's sprawling fantasy world, as well as how it evolved certain elements.
"In terms of synergies with Forza, so we're on the same technology base, the same engine, the Forza tech engine," he said, "and that's been a real gift for us, because it's the engine that we've been working on for over a decade at Playground, and it's the great engine that's produced the Forza Horizon series, and that's the engine that we're using for Fable as well."
It's not just the same reused tech, however. The developer explained that the team has "built a ton of additional technology on top of" the base engine and had to change from racing to a character-based game.
"We've had to invest heavily in locomotion and animation and also things like cinematics and quests," Litler added, "but really the Forza tech engine is incredibly good at extremely high fidelity graphics, as well as world-class streaming. And so for us, using that base for Fable is just a match made in heaven, combined with our experience, and honestly, a team that are just huge fans of this franchise."
He went on to confirm that Peter Molyneux, the creator of the Fable series, wasn't involved with the development of the new title "at all," saying, "He's a legend, and we played a bunch of his games, but this is very much Playground vision for Fable."
Fable will officially launch on February 23, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.
Easemate.ai launched in 2025 with a simple pitch: one platform for everything AI.
It doesn't make you choose between a chat assistant, an image generator, or a video tool. You get all three, alongside study utilities, document readers, and image editing features. The range of supported models is equally wide, covering GPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, Grok, Kimi K2, and Qwen 3 on the chat side alone.
The creative side is where things get particularly ambitious. Easemate integrates image models including Nano Banana, Midjourney, Flux Kontext, GPT-4o, and Seedream, with a video catalogue stretching to Sora 2, Google Veo 3, Kling, Seedance, and Runway. Few platforms at this price point give you that many models in one place.
We've been reviewing B2B software and AI platforms at TechRadar Pro since 2012. Easemate sits in a crowded but useful category of multi-model AI aggregators that we've tracked closely. You can also check out our AI tool roundup for 2026 and deep dives into platforms like OpenClaw or Moltbook.
What is Easemate.ai?Easemate.ai is a web-based AI platform that consolidates multiple AI models and task-specific tools into a single subscription.
Rather than routing you to one underlying model, it lets you switch between GPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, and others depending on what you need, without juggling separate accounts.
The platform divides its offering into four main areas: AI Chat, AI Study & Research, AI Photo, and AI Video. Within those, you'll find tools for ChatPDF, document summarization, math and science solvers, flashcard generation, image-to-video conversion, and YouTube transcript extraction.
It targets a broad user base (students, solo creators, freelancers, and small businesses) rather than positioning itself as a developer tool or enterprise solution. If you want a single dashboard that covers daily AI tasks without managing multiple subscriptions, Easemate's pitch is worth considering.
Easemate.ai: At a glanceAttribute
Notes
Underlying model(s)
Multi-model: GPT (various), Gemini, Claude 3 Haiku, DeepSeek, Grok 4, Kimi K2, Qwen 3 for chat; Nano Banana, Midjourney, Flux Kontext, Wan, Kling, Seedream and more for image/video
Best for
Students, solo creators, and small businesses needing all-in-one AI access
Distinguishing functions
Multi-model chat, ChatPDF, image generation, video generation, math/science solvers, AI writing tools, face swap, YouTube summarization
UI features
Browser-based interface, desktop and mobile (iOS and Android); no-login trial available for select tools
Subscription costs
Basic (free), Lite ($8.90/month intro, then $9.90/month), Pro ($19.90/month intro, then $24.90/month)
API pricing
No public API; consumer-facing platform only
Buy it if…- You want multi-model AI chat without juggling accounts. Easemate puts GPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, and Grok 4 in one place, which saves real time if you regularly compare outputs across models.
- You need creative tools alongside a chat assistant. The combination of image generators and video models in one subscription is hard to match at Easemate's price point.
- You're a student or researcher on a budget. The free tier includes 30 sign-up credits, daily check-in bonuses, and up to 200K AI chat tokens per day.
- You need consistent professional image or video output. Users report a "prompt drift" issue where the platform ignores specific instructions, alters faces, or changes scenes unexpectedly.
- Reliable customer support matters to you. Support is online-only and has drawn criticism for being slow to resolve credit-related problems.
- You want granular model control. Access to Veo 3 and Sora 2 comes through Easemate's own interface rather than direct API access, which limits parameter customization.
Getting started on Easemate.ai is frictionless. The platform lets you try select tools without an account, and signing up takes under a minute. Once logged in, the 30 free credits appeared immediately, and the interface guided me clearly toward the main tool categories. For a platform with this many features, the navigation stayed surprisingly tidy.
Where I hit friction was in creative generation. I ran several image prompts through Nano Banana and Flux Kontext and found outputs solid roughly two-thirds of the time. There were noticeable cases where the platform deviated from my descriptions, and rerunning the same prompt sometimes produced very different results. Video tools showed similar inconsistency.
The value case is real at the Lite tier, though. For $8.90 in the first month, rising to $9.90 after that, you get 1,200 credits, access to up to 120 images and 60 videos per month, and multi-model AI chat. That's a fair deal for casual creative work or students managing multiple AI tasks, as long as you aren't expecting the precision of a dedicated tool.
Easemate.ai: FeaturesThe AI Chat section covers GPT (multiple versions), Gemini, Claude 3 Haiku, DeepSeek, Grok 4, Kimi K2, and Qwen 3. For most conversational tasks (drafting, translating, summarizing), having that range in one tab is useful. The daily free token limit of 200K is also more generous than most comparable platforms.
The study and research tools are well-executed and clearly the original backbone of the platform. Math, physics, and chemistry solvers work step-by-step, making them practical for students rather than just returning a final answer. Flashcard and quiz generators, mind maps, and AI Scholar round out a toolkit that serves academic workflows more carefully than most multi-purpose AI platforms do.
On the image side, the model selection is broad: Nano Banana, Midjourney, Flux Kontext, GPT-4o, and Wan 2.5 are all accessible on paid plans. Nano Banana produces good commercial-style images; Flux Kontext handles text-in-image prompts reasonably well. The consistency problem persists, particularly with prompts involving specific faces or complex scenes.
Document tools perform well. ChatPDF, Chat Doc, and Chat PPT let you upload files and query them conversationally, with OCR support for scanned content. The YouTube summarization tool is a genuine highlight: paste a link and get structured notes with timestamps, which worked better than expected in testing.
Easemate.ai: User experienceThe interface is clean and well-organized. Tool categories sit in a top navigation bar, each expanding into a dropdown with clearly labeled options. First-time users shouldn't need a tutorial to find their way around, and the browser-based experience works consistently across devices.
The credit system is where the UX gets murky. Different tools consume different credit amounts, and it's not always clear how many you're spending before you generate. A failed generation still costs credits, which user reviews flag repeatedly. Easemate's team has acknowledged this in public responses, but the system itself hasn't changed.
Easemate.ai: Customer supportEasemate offers support via email at support@easemate.ai and through a help portal on the website. There's no live chat, phone line, or priority tier for paid subscribers. Documentation covers pricing and credits at a surface level but doesn't go deep enough for troubleshooting edge cases.
User perception is mixed. As of early 2026, Easemate held an overall rating of 2.0 to 3.0 out of 5 stars with most review aggregators, with positive feedback on ease of use offset by complaints about reliability and support responsiveness. More recent reviewers show a wider range of experiences — solo creators praise the video output quality, while others report credits consumed by failed generations with no satisfying resolution.
(Image credit: Easemate)Easemate.ai: Pricing- Basic (free): 30 sign-up credits, daily check-in bonuses, up to 200K AI chat tokens per day, limited image and video access
- Lite ($8.90/month intro, then $9.90/month): 1,200 credits, up to 120 images and 60 videos per month, full model access; annual billing drops this to $7.49/month intro, then $8.49/month
- Pro ($19.90/month intro, then $24.90/month): 3,000 credits, up to 300 images and 150 videos; annual billing drops to $16.90/month intro, then $20.9/month
The free tier is actually usable for light AI chat and occasional image generation — it's not a locked demo. Lite is the sweet spot for individuals. Easemate also sells one-time credit packs that never expire, ranging from 500 credits at $4.90 up to 15,000 credits at $104.90, with discounts of 10–30% depending on bundle size. There's no API access or developer-tier pricing.
Easemate.ai alternatives you should consider- ChatGPT Plus: At $20/month, you get GPT-4o, o4-mini, and DALL-E 3 in a more mature, reliable environment. A better choice if text generation and image creation are your primary needs.
- Perplexity Pro: Covers multi-model chat with web search grounding and document uploads. Weaker on creative generation but more dependable for research-heavy workflows.
- Adobe Firefly: Produces commercially safe, high-consistency image output with better prompt fidelity than Easemate's image tools, though it lacks the platform's broad AI chat and video coverage.
- Tested AI chat tools across GPT, Gemini, Claude, and DeepSeek for writing, summarizing, and translating tasks, comparing output quality and response speed across models.
- Generated images and video clips using Nano Banana, Flux Kontext, Kling, and Veo 3 with a range of prompt types to assess consistency and prompt adherence.
- Used document and study tools, uploading multi-page PDFs and PowerPoint files to test ChatPDF accuracy, and running math and science problems through the step-by-step solvers.
My testing involved hands-on use of Easemate.ai across its four main tool categories over several sessions, combined with a review of third-party user feedback on Trustpilot and review platforms to benchmark real-world reliability against my own observations. Pricing details were verified directly against the official Easemate.ai pricing page.
- Lee Cronin's The Mummy is coming to HBO Ma on July 3
- The horror movie is a reimagining of the iconic Mummy franchise
- It follows a mummified young girl who is returned to her family eight years after she disappeared
Lee Cronin's The Mummy is heading to HBO Max on July 3, making it one of the huge new movies heading to the streaming service that month.
The horror movie is a reimagining of The Mummy franchise and features Nasmaranian, an ancient Egyptian demon that possesses victims. The chilling story follows a family who are reunited with their long-missing, mummified daughter, only to learn something is very wrong with her.
This is a much gorier take on the story than the famous Mummy series starring Brendan Fraser, and the movie features scenes of body horror and plenty of great scares.
Take a look at the trailer ahead of its streaming debut.
Lee Cronin's The Mummy was a box office hit, but divided the critics(Image credit: New Line Cinema)Plenty of horror fans flocked to see Lee Cronin's The Mummy when it was in theaters, and the movie earned $90 million back from its $22 million budget.
Audiences and critics were left divided by the horror movie, with its two Rotten Tomatoes' scores being wildly different. Critics only awarded Lee Cronin's The Mummy a 45% Tomatometer score, with the consensus being that it was gory and scary, but dragged on too long and relied on cliches and jump scares too much.
The audience were a lot more forgiving here, giving Lee Cronin's The Mummy a 75% approval rating, praising the movie for being highly entertaining and full of gross scenes. It didn't seem to matter if it was predictable because many horror fans did enjoy it regardless.
If you haven't seen it yet, why not check it out this weekend and see which side of the debate you fall on?
Created by twin brothers Madhav and Mukund Jha, Emergent is a dedicated “vibe coding” platform, and its marketing as such has made it one of the key names in the no-code landscape.
Launching officially in 2025, Emergent has over 6 million worldwide users. But does it live up to the billing? And how does it compare with competing no-code platforms?
To find out, we created a test prompt and evaluated Emergent’s ability to create a usable web app. We also compared Emergent directly with tools like Base44, Hostinger Horizons, and various others, looking at features, price, ease of use, integrations, and deployment.
For more alternatives, take a look at our rundown of the best no-code platforms.
Emergent: FeaturesUnlike most no-code tools, Emergent lets you select your LLM, including those created by OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
Other features include integrations with third party platforms, and mobile app development. With the Pro plan it also gives you the option of custom agent development and analytics to measure your web app or agent’s demand.
And, of course, it will create a web app or other software tool from the instructions you give it. That's a pretty decent feature in its own right, regardless of everything else.
Emergent: Interface and ease of useYou can get to work immediately with Emergent, which offers a standard text entry field for inputting a prompt. If has a choice of full stack app, mobile app, or landing page.
When it comes to entering a prompt, Emergent will quiz you further. For example, with our prompt for a web app (see more on that below), the interface asks questions about the choices within the web app, as well as its overall design. This is before the code is generated, and makes you feel like Emergent is interested in the outcome.
In truth, it is attempting to get things finalized before proceeding. We’ve seen some other no-code tools go “off script” with the finished product, and Emergent avoids that with this technique. However, the initial prompt had clear parameters, so it was slightly disconcerting to be asked questions that were already answered.
Emergent: Integration and extensibilityAn impressive collection of integrations give Emergent uses that go beyond generating a static web page or mobile app. It has Google Suite integration, databases can be maintained with Supabase, and there is Stripe integration for payment handling.
Elsewhere, Emergent has integration with Giphy, but for a more professional angle, it also supports Slack integrations, and Resend too. What seems to be missing, however, are supported functional linkups with tools like Asana or Clickup for project management. Other no-code platforms offer a number of alternatives (e.g. Supabase or hosted within the no-code platform, Stripe or PayPal, etc.) so it is disappointing to seen the options somewhat limited in this regard.
Emergent: Deployment and MaintenanceA completed web app can be deployed as a live website, either to your own hosting or a subdomain within Emergent (although this is limited to paid plans only). Anything it generates for you can also be shared to GitHub for collaboration. Changes made on GitHub can also be pushed to the code on Emergent. Perhaps the most impressive GitHub integration is the ability to pull existing projects from your repository and work on them within Emergent.
(Image credit: Emergent)If you need to change anything, the Emergent AI chatbot can respond to requests. However, if you’re using this for vibe coding and have something you can polish in code, there is a browser-based IDE option to switch into.
Creating a crypto calculator with EmergentComparing no code tools is not an exact science, so we opted to create a task that each of the no code platforms that we’ve looked at should be able to complete.
This is a straightforward task, formatted as a prompt, to create a cryptocurrency calculator. The aim is to build a tool that works via a browser and can display the current price of a crypto asset in either of three currencies: USD, GBP, and Euros. Using a free API (CoinGecko and ExchangeRate-API are both offered), the tool should be interactive, supporting changes to the input budget.
(Image credit: Emergent)Our prompt was as follows:
Build a tool that compares the price of a specific asset (like Bitcoin) against multiple fiat currencies simultaneously.
Functional requirements:
API Integration: Connect to a free API (like CoinGecko or ExchangeRate-API).
Input Handling: A field where the user enters a "Budget" (e.g., $1,000$).
Dynamic Calculation: A list or table that automatically updates to show how much of the asset the budget buys in USD, EUR, and GBP.
Toggle Switch: A "Dark Mode" or "Refresh" toggle to test UI state management.
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So, how did Emergent perform?
Good news first: it produced an attractive and usable web app. However, it did not perform as expected in the generation of the project and was considerably slower than competing tools. The prompt was input at 12:22 pm, but the project did not complete until 12:39pm. Completing a web app of this kind by hand would take far longer than 17 minutes, but we’ve run the same prompt with other tools, and each produced a web app in a fraction of the time.
In Emergent’s favor, it is by far the most verbose of the no code tools we’ve looked at. To start with it offers a choice of AI, some free, some premium. Once the prompt is evaluated, it also tests various questions, offering you a multiple choice. For example, the matter of whether to limit the tool to the specified currencies or add others was posed.
Other no code tools have simply proceeded and added those currencies, going off-script, so it was refreshing to see Emergent effectively asking permission to do that.
Reviewing the temporary share link on a mobile device (Android) confirmed that the web app worked well in multiple screen resolutions and form factors.
(Image credit: Emergent)Replit: Pricing and documentationFour pricing options are available with Emergent: three aimed at individuals, and one aimed at enterprise and large-scale operations.
The free plan affords 10 monthly credits, which should be enough to begin no code development. With the Standard plan at $20/month (an annual plan works out at $17/month), Emergent is aiming at first time builders requiring a few extra features.
Things scale up considerably with the Pro plan ($200/month, or the equivalent of $167/month if you pay for a year up-front), which gives you 750 monthly credits. The enterprise option is called a Custom plan, and comes with no specified subscription. Instead, pricing is based on an initial demo and a quote offered based on the requirements of your project.
If you need any help, you can of course ask Emergent. Additionally, a collection of in-depth documentation covers everything from getting started to GitHub integration, rollback support, and more.
Emergent: The CompetitionPrice-wise, Emergent has similarly-priced plans as the competition, although it is noticeably slower. The timing we recorded for generating the web app from the no-code prompt was three times longer than the next slowest (Replit).
One thing that sets Emergent’s free plan apart from its competitors is the lack of free deployment. This means that unless you have something set up for hosting, your no-code project is going nowhere. It’s a policy that is in stark contrast with what we’ve seen elsewhere, where you either get 30-days free hosting for your web app, or a longer term option. So, unless an active, paid plan is in operation, a no-code project with Emergent can only be shared, not published, and then only with a temporary link. This expires after 30 minutes, which may limit your sharing options.
Emergent is a popular name in the no-code/vibe coding market. Unfortunately, while it offers useful post-prompt interactions to help you polish the prompt further, it just doesn’t deliver the same degree of instant completion as you get with, say, Lovable or Hostinger Horizons. Similarly, its list of integrations is shorter than other tools.
Emergent: Final Verdict(Image credit: Emergent)My experience in the no-code arena began with Emergent, so I have a certain amount of affection for it. I’ve seen many excellent demonstrations of what is possible with this tool, but was ultimately disappointed at how slow Emergent is compared with, say, Lovable or even Replit, and what integrations it fell short on.
Price-wise, most of the no-code tools we’ve looked at are in roughly the same ballpark, so this isn’t much of an issue. However, in testing our prompt, Emergent was on the brink of exhausting the AI credits, which could be a problem if you’re just feeling your way with this technology.
It has a useful choice of features (I enjoy being able to flip the LLM choice) and its conversational element can have a striking effect on the created web app. However, while 6 million users can't be wrong, I feel Emergent has slipped behind the competition.