Two-minute review

Netvue’s Birdfy Feeder AI is one of the most widely available and premium bird feeder cameras on the market. It comprises the feeder and camera, and solid metal bracket to screw it to a wall or fence. Also included is a strap, which I used to mount it on a tree trunk, and there are also clips for mounting it on a bird feeder pole. There’s even a plastic Arca Swiss-style plate that you can use to mount it on a tripod, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding somewhere to set it up. The camera has an IP65 certification which means it is dust tight and water resistant. It’s well protected under the roof of the feeder, and there are covers for ports that aren’t being used. My review sample was outside during a storm, and has thus far survived. 

Setting up the camera is easy – it connects to the Netvue smartphone app for iOS or Android, much like any other camera device, in this case relying on a QR code to help register the connection. Connecting to my home network via 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi was equally straightforward for anyone with experience with Wi-Fi compatible devices. On the rear of the bird feeder is a 5dBi Wi-Fi antenna that can be rotated to get a better signal, but with the feeder positioned around 10m from my house I had a good signal with no need for tweaking anything at either end. Netvue says Birdfy AI is compatible with Amazon Alexa, which could make for some fun integrations; however, I couldn’t get this to work. It would have been great to watch the footage directly on a smart TV, or to have Alexa turn on a smart plug that powered some kind of water cannon every time the Birdfy detected a squirrel. 

The camera is powered by an internal battery that can be charged via the supplied USB-C cable, and there’s also an optional solar panel kit. This adds a solar panel, 3m USB-C cable and the option to either mount the panel using a twisty flexible arm that can be wrapped around a tree branch, or a more traditional security camera-style ball-head mount.

I would recommend getting the Solar panel kit, given that it’s a relatively small additional outlay. During a very busy few days of testing I received over 100 movement notifications from the camera triggered by birds, squirrels, branches blowing in the garden, and even myself just walking out to the garden. All of this action meant that the battery lasted for around a week. If I had mounted the solar panel in a nice sunny spot, it would have kept the battery topped up, and possibly completely full. I did mount the camera in a different position where it received little activity, but where the solar panel received hours of summer sunshine, and the battery life was always at 100%.

Filling the feeder involves simply opening the hinged roof and filling the vessel surrounding the camera. The feeder holds 1.5 liters of seed, which will take weeks for birds to eat, but a matter of a few minutes for squirrels to eat and spread everywhere. It took a day or so before the birds and squirrels found their new feeding spot, after which time it was a hive of activity. Alerts regularly came, even telling me what was visiting and, if it was a squirrel, recommending that I turn on the feeder’s light and alarm. The alarm, which sounds for a few seconds, scared the squirrels initially, but they soon got used to it, and repeated sirens did nothing to stop them from eating the food. If you use the option to mount the Birdfy to a pole, a baffle is supplied to prevent squirrels from climbing to the pole to steal food.

Generally, the AI bird recognition works well. Netvue claims that it can identify over 6,000 bird species, although this was hard to put to the test in a south London garden. It did know the difference between a wood pigeon and a European robin, although it wasn’t always perfect – it turns out that, side-on, a squirrel also looks a bit like a sparrow. If you don’t need the bird recognition AI, there’s also a Birdfy Feeder Lite, which costs around £200 / $200 / AU$329 (if you're in Australia, you can only get it from Amazon). This is essentially the same device, including the solar panel option for a little extra money, but it lacks the AI bird recognition features; if you change your mind, the AI recognition can be added for $4.99 a month.

The Full HD footage captured by the camera is as good as that from other security cameras. It’s sharp enough, and detailed, but it is subject to image compression. However, this isn’t a device for capturing high-quality photos and video; it’s designed to let you watch and identify the birds visiting your garden, and share videos with friends and family.

Photos and video can be saved to a microSD card in the camera, but the clips, which can be between 10 and 30 seconds long, are also saved online for 30 days, and can be downloaded to your smartphone for sharing.

The Birdfy is equally useful as a security device. The squirrel alarm could be used to scare off unwanted human intruders, and the built-in speaker can also be used to alert potential intruders to your presence, or just to talk to someone in your garden; it essentially acts like a Ring security camera with a bird feeder bolted onto it. 

Netvue Birdfy Video Sample

Another optional accessory is the Birdfy Perch Pro, which replaces the standard perch at the front of the feeder with a larger one. It has holders so you can add a suet fat ball, some fruit and even some sugar water for hummingbirds (maybe not essential in London). It’s a nice addition that will increase the variety of birds that come to visit.

Overall it’s a well-made product that’s easy to set up, with an equally intuitive app. My only negative point would be the choice of color for the feeder. While it looks modern, and would look good on the side of a modern house if you want to mount it in a more rustic environment the white plastic and blue stick out like a sore thumb.

 Should I buy the Netvue Birdfy Feeder AI?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Netvue Birdfy

The first thing to note when you install a birdfeeder camera is that, contrary to The Carpenters, birds won’t suddenly appear the second you install one. For this review I mounted the camera to a tree in my garden and left it there for a week.

Over this time I had the chance to test the battery life and see how this was improved by the optional solar panel, which wasn’t always in full sunlight. I altered the sensitivity settings to test how well the movement of birds (and squirrels) was detected, and distinguished from motion such as the branches of a tree blowing in the wind. 

I was also able to see how the camera fared in a thunderstorm, particularly given it was mounted to the tree using just a velcro strap.

First reviewed June 2023

Most of us are familiar with Adobe Acrobat - the original and, in our tests, the best PDF editor right now. And chances are, for many Acrobat Reader is the go-to free PDF reader on the computer. There’s also Acrobat Pro, of course, a more beefed up app for Windows or Macs, with many more features. But did you know the company also adds some of the best eSign software solutions on the market, dedicated to filling in and signing PDFs, called Acrobat Sign? No? Well stick around as we’re taking it for a spin. 

• You can try Adobe Sign by clicking here 

Adobe Acrobat Sign: Pricing & plans

• Standard Adobe subscription packages, bundling Sign with Acrobat

Like most Adobe apps, you’ll need to sign up for a subscription - there are plans for personal and business use. And there are plenty of choice here (arguably, a little too much choice, making the whole process more clunky than it needs to be). It also bundles Adobe Sign in the Adobe Acrobat subscription packages. . 

Prices for individuals start at $12.99 a month when you sign up to Acrobat Standard for the year. The more advanced Acrobat Pro adds additional features for $19.99 a month on an annual contract. 

For teams, costs for Acrobat Standard starts at $14.99 per month, per license. The Acrobat Pro version starts at $23.99 per month per license. Both require you to sign up for an annual contract, with no month-to-month subscription plans available. 

The two main services for commercial use come in two tiers: ‘Acrobat Sign Solutions for small business’, and ’Acrobat Sign Solutions for enterprise’.

With the former, you’re able to sign and collect signatures, track the progress of the docs you send out, include customized branding, send files in bulk, collect signatures from the website, and follow the usual industry-specific compliance requirements. 

The latter includes being able to use the service on computers and mobile platforms, integration with other services (including SalesForce, Workday, and ServiceNow), access to Adobe Sign’s APIs, as well as advanced authentication features. There is no advertised price for that tier as you’re encouraged to call Adobe’s sales force instead to get a custom quote tailor made for your business.

You can try the ‘small business’ service free for 30 days without even needing to hand Adobe your credit card details, although you will have to create an AdobeID, if you don’t already have one. We did find it hard to locate online though, as most pages seem to redirect you to the Acrobat Pro software, but you can go straight to the free trial page by clicking here. 

For more detailed information, find out more in our guide How to download Adobe Acrobat.  

• Pricing & plans: 4/5

Adobe Acrobat Sign: Interface

• A simple, well-organized interface makes it easy to find what you need 

You’ll find the interface is divided in a pretty classic way: a menu bar at the top, with commands such as Send, where you prepare the emails you need to send, including attaching the files that have to be filled in. You can grab these from your device or through integration with some of the best cloud storage services, including Box, Dropbox, and Google Drive. You have the option to password protect your docs, and set reminders should your recipients be a little slow on the uptake.

The Manage option is where you go to check the progress of the files you’ve sent, organize your templates, and web forms. Workflow is where you create automated routines for jobs you do often, and Reports acts as a sort of analytics, showing you graphs and charts and leaderboards to keep track of productivity.

There’s also a series of large buttons in the lower half of the home page, providing you with quick links to commonly used commands.

Below the menu bar and to the right is a progress bar to help you see at a glance how many documents are In Progress, and how many are ‘Waiting for You’ to perform additional actions before they’re finalized.

• Interface: 4.5/5

Adobe Acrobat Sign: Tools

• Many tools, from the usual for such a service to rarer customization options

Before you send any document, they of course have to be prepared: fields must be inserted, as well as locations for signatures, dates, checkboxes, etc, must be set. Adobe Sign can detect the presence of existing form fields in your document, and offers to convert them for use. 

We found it did a pretty admirable job of adding editing boxes in the right places, but all fields were set to standard text boxes. It was then up to us to convert them to other types, but still, that did save us a lot of time. Of course, your mileage may vary with such an automated system, and your documents might be better formatted than ours - or worse…

Whether you need to make modifications to existing fields or add new ones, you’re free to make alterations and additions to your document. Double-click on an existing box to see a vast number of options open to you.

These range from the basics, like who has access to it - which can be yourself, a specific recipient, anyone, or everyone. You can change the field type to request a signature, or only accept an email address, name, company, or date, make sure it’s ‘required’ or can be left blank, and allow the box to extend to multiple lines.

This is all pretty standard fare. However, Acrobat Sign also includes more formatting-heavy options, offering you a limited choice of fonts, size and even color, followed by tools to help you paste this formatting to other boxes you’ll add from then on.

It’s fair to say most people will likely not bother with such customization, and stick to the default settings. But it’s always good to have options for those who will enjoy taking the time to craft the perfect document for their business.

Speaking of perfect documents, you’ll find a sidebar to the right with a wealth of different fields, broken down into various categories. Aside from the usual, you have options like adding a stamp, a drop down menu, radio buttons, an image, the ability to insert additional files, and set hyperlinks.

To add them to your file, simply drag one from the sidebar onto it. Resize and reposition it, double-click on it to set its parameters, click on ‘OK’ and you’re done.

If this will end up being a document you use regularly, you also have the option of saving it as a template, so you won’t have to reinvent the wheel next time you send it.

The recipients do not need an account to fill in the form, and they’ll find a very handy yellow arrow to guide them through the filling-in process. Each time they hit the Return key or click on that arrow, they’ll be sent to the next field assigned to them.

When it comes to signing, you’re presented with four options. Type lets you create your name with a handwritten-type font provided by Acrobat Sign. Other services we’ve looked at offer you a choice of the best fonts, but Acrobat Sign just has a single one. Draw lets you use your mouse or trackpad to recreate your signature. The Image options allows you to import a photo or scan of your squiggle, while Mobile uses your phone’s touchscreen to do a better job than a mouse or trackpad would.

The process is pretty seamless - you need to give Acrobat Sign your phone number, it’ll send it a link (with a short time limit), which will take you to a website where you’ll sign on the dotted line with your phone in landscape orientation (take note, Apple Preview). When you click on Done, your signature is sent back to your document in seconds. Click on Apply, and it’s inserted.

• Tools: 4/5 

Adobe Acrobat Sign: Microsoft Power Automate integration

• Good integration with a competitor’s service to help you automate your workflow

It’s worth noting that Acrobat Sign seamlessly integrates Microsoft Power Automate within the interface’s Workflow tab. You’ll need to login to your existing Microsoft account within the interface to take advantage of it. 

With it set up, you’ll be able to set commands so automatic notifications can be rerouted to Microsoft Teams or Slack, you’ll have the ability to dynamically generate documents, or even have the completed files automatically sent to your chosen online storage service. You’ll also be able to create custom workflows by dragging pre-set blocks, one on top of the other, which integrate with your preferred services. It’s great Adobe allows you to make use of a competitor’s service right inside its own interface. 

• Microsoft Power Automate integration: 4/5

Adobe Acrobat Sign: Scorecard

Should I buy...?

Buy it if...

You run a business that needs to fill in and sign documents on a regular basis, you require versatile editing capabilities, and integration with Microsoft Power Automate. 

Don't buy it if...

You very occasionally have to deal with online documents. We've tested many of the best Adobe Sign alternatives out there, and they may be better suited to more modest needs. 

Adobe Acrobat Sign: Alternatives

We've tested a range of eSignature software solutions and services. For alternatives to Adobe Sign, check out our DocuSign review, PandaDoc review, and Apple Preview review.

Cognito Forms simplifies administrative tasks, boosts productivity, and promotes collaboration by automating routine processes and streamlining project management by using a customizable online form builder. An apt example would be that you can prepare an email list by quickly collecting information through forms. As a global leader in form building, Cognito Forms fill the gap between traditional form builders and large enterprise systems — it’s simple enough for beginners yet comes with lots of power-packed features for developers. 

Simple yet sophisticated, Cognito Forms allows anyone without coding experience to create online forms in just minutes. To create your first form using Cognito Forms, you can choose a template and personalize the fields and layout to suit your requirements. From simple surveys to complex registrations, it’s all really quick yet hands-on. 

Cognito Forms: Plans and pricing

Cognito Forms offers a range of plans tailored to suit your specific requirements.

The Individual plan allows one user, unlimited forms, 500 monthly entries, and 100 MB of storage, all free of cost. It’s ideal for individuals who aren’t very well-versed in form creation.

The Pro plan builds advanced forms with no ads at $15 per month. You get support for 2 users, which may be underwhelming, but you can always add extra users at an extra $5 per month per user. What’s more, you get unlimited forms, 2,000 monthly entries, and 1 GB of storage. Small businesses and professionals seeking advanced form functionalities will find this plan suitable.

The Team plan is perfect for growing teams and businesses that require collaboration and payment integration – create flexible workflows and integrate with Square and PayPal at $35 monthly. Besides the usual unlimited forms, you get to onboard 5 users, 10,000 monthly entries, and 10 GB of storage.

The Enterprise plan comes with 20 users, unlimited forms, unlimited entries, and a massive 100 GB of storage. Because of its hefty price tag of $99 per month – still at par with a mid plan of most other form builders, it’s best suited to large organizations with complex form requirements and extensive storage needs. 

Cognito Forms: Features

With a simple-to-understand interface, creating forms with Cognito is a breeze. Simply click on “create new form” and use the “plus” sign buttons to add as many fields as you need. You get an option to select from 17 field types and 5 layouts. Every field can further be customized as per your needs. Let’s find out what more Cognito Forms have to offer.

Streamlined data collection

Cognito Forms helps you to easily customize the data collection process, whether for surveys, order forms, lead forms, work orders, or internal/external documentation. This is made possible through the platform's flexible field types, which enable the accurate and relevant collection, validation, and handling of various data types.

Cognito Forms goes the extra mile by offering functionalities such as electronic signatures for legally binding documents, file uploads for attachments, lookup fields for managing frequently used lists, rating scales for tailored feedback, repeating sections for user-friendly forms, and save and resume options for longer and complex forms.

Efficient data management

Cognito Forms simplifies data import and export by generating custom Excel templates that match the form fields, ensuring accurate mapping and facilitating seamless data transfer between systems. Whether you're migrating from other systems or need to generate reports or archives, the visual interface allows you to seamlessly consolidate or transfer data in and out of your account.

You can sort and filter information by column and content, ensuring the data you need is readily accessible. You can also personalize and store your preferences, ensuring a seamless data management experience upon each login.

Cognito Forms simplifies bulk actions by allowing you to select multiple entries simultaneously. You can perform various functions like changing status, downloading files, exporting data to Excel, and deleting entries, saving time and effort. You can also share entry data via email and effortlessly route sales leads or work orders to others. 

Integrations made easy

Cognito Forms takes data integration to the next level with its robust native and third-party integrations.

The platform seamlessly integrates with popular website builders like WordPress, Wix, and Weebly. You can easily embed forms directly into the websites, allowing you to collect information efficiently and make changes effortlessly.

Leverage analytics with Google Analytics integration to gain valuable insights into form performance, optimize content collection effectiveness, and improve completion rates.

The power of integration expands further with Cognito Forms' compatibility with Microsoft Power Automate, Zapier, Make, and JSON Webhooks.

Workflow automation simplified

You can collaborate seamlessly around the data using Cognito Forms' robust workflow features. And automate entire processes, from information gathering to approvals and assignments. 

I particularly liked the conditional and customizable email notifications to keep your team informed and engaged throughout the workflow. For instance, upon a user's completion of a purchase on your e-commerce platform, you can promptly email your fulfillment team. It’ll help them to swiftly process and ship the order, ensuring that there are no delays.

Security and compliance at its best

Cognito Forms ensures secure data transmission through robust encryption protocols, utilizing TLS 1.2/SSL encryption and HTTPS at all times. The platform's hosting on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform guarantees compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations, instilling confidence in its reliability.

With strict administrative, technical, and physical safeguards in place, Cognito Forms enables the secure collection and storage of protected health information (PHI), ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of patient data.

This form builder also helps you to customize your security protocols to suit your unique needs — you can enhance account security by enabling two-factor authentication and so on. Data integrity is upheld with preventive measures against JavaScript injection, and sensitive information is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption.

The platform adheres to US and international regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). It empowers individuals to control their data by offering explicit consent requests and transparent data handling policies.

Seamless online payment integration

Cognito Form's integrated online payment features and trusted processing partnerships make it a breeze for businesses to accept card payments directly through their websites. 

With popular payment providers like PayPal, Square, and Stripe, you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Their online transactions adhere to Payment Card Industry, PCI (DSS) Level 1 standards and robust security measures, including encryption and secure data transmission. No matter what, customer payment information remains safe throughout the form submission process.

Stripe, available on all Cognito Forms plans, allows you to accept online payments through credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Square consolidates your online and offline credit card processing, offering a single, easy-to-manage solution. Meanwhile, PayPal, one of the world's most recognized online payment platforms, seamlessly integrates into your forms, enabling simple online sales.

Cognito Forms: Interface and in use

Cognito Forms' V2 update offers a seamless and intuitive interface, enhancing the form-building experience. Dropdowns, date pickers, and time pickers open effortlessly with tabbing or clicking. Loading animations, improved field animations, and a visible header on the "form not available" page improve the form display. 

Field styling is consistent, and branding has been refreshed. Address fields are aligned, and spinners allow continuous value adjustment. Integrations are streamlined, and embedding multiple forms is easier. 

Error messages are more precise, with required asterisks adapting to different backgrounds. The asterisks are now lighter for improved visibility on dark backgrounds.

Cognito Forms: Support

With a dedicated customer support team, Cognito Forms ensures you receive a comprehensive response within 24 hours. They respond to support requests between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday. 

One of the standout features is the ability to supplement your support requests with screenshots or videos. This visual aid helps the support team better understand your problem, leading to quicker resolutions.

Furthermore, Cognito Forms boasts a team of real people, not bots. While the human touch guarantees the highest quality support possible, tailored to your needs, the absence of bots means you cannot really reach out for help outside the above-mentioned time.

But sure enough, there are blog posts, user guides, FAQs, and video tutorials to unlock more valuable insights and assistance.

Cognito Forms: The competition

Let's take a closer look at two key competitors and how they compare to Cognito Forms:

Typeform stands out for its visually appealing and interactive forms, creating an engaging user experience. It offers various themes and designs, but its specialty lies in surveys and questionnaires, providing advanced logic and branching options. 

However, Cognito Forms distinguishes itself with its robust form-building capabilities and ease of use. Cognito Forms is easier to set up and administer. 

JotForm, a strong competitor, excels in customization options. It provides a vast selection of form templates and a drag-and-drop editor, enabling users to create highly personalized forms. 

JotForm also offers advanced form fields, allowing for more intricate data collection. While both JotForm and Cognito Forms are excellent form builders offering similar advantages, I’d give JotForm a few extra points for its feature updates. 

Cognito Forms: Final verdict

Overall, Cognito Forms is a reliable and efficient solution for transforming how businesses automate their tasks and enhance productivity. Its powerful data collection capabilities, intuitive interface, and versatile features empower you to tackle complex challenges easily. 

While there are some limitations, the platform offers robust support, seamless payment integration, and top-notch security. Try Cognito Forms today to experience its potential firsthand and determine if it fits your organization's needs perfectly.

We've listed the best content marketing tools.