In today's fast-paced world, the internet has become an indispensable tool for many individuals. It has revolutionized how we gather information, communicate with others, and access resources. However, not everyone experiences the web in the same way. Millions of people with disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, and cognitive impairments, face significant challenges while accessing online content. Many websites and applications are not designed with accessibility features, making it difficult for people with disabilities to navigate and use them effectively.

This is where AudioEye comes into play. AudioEye is a technology company that provides digital accessibility solutions to make online content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. AudioEye's platform uses cutting-edge technology that makes it easy for users to access online content on various devices. The platform includes features such as text-to-speech, keyboard navigation, and other accessibility tools that help people with disabilities easily use websites and applications.

AudioEye is enhancing digital accessibility and fostering inclusivity by making online content more reachable for everyone, thereby narrowing the digital divide. The company is committed to making the internet accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability. With AudioEye's technology, people with disabilities can access online content more easily, allowing them to participate more fully in today's digital world.

• Interested in AudioEye? Check out the AudioEye website. 

Features

AudioEye is a powerful tool that helps businesses and organizations make their websites accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. It achieves this by using automated technology to scan and identify accessibility issues across the website, such as missing alt text or poorly labeled links. This technology is based on the WCAG, which stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It's a set of internationally recognized recommendations developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.

However, AudioEye understands that automated technology alone cannot cover everything. That is why it employs certified professionals who manually evaluate and remediate complex accessibility issues that cannot be fixed automatically. These experts bring a human touch to the process, ensuring that every aspect of the website is accessible to people with disabilities.

Other companies also take an automated vs. manual approach to web accessibility. These include but aren't limited to, Allyant, AccessiBe, and UserWay, which we also reviewed. 

AudAudioEye'sproach to web accessibility is comprehensive and multifaceted, making it an industry leader. It focuses on compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), among other regulations, which businesses and organizations must follow to avoid legal issues. By providing an automated and manual solution, AudioEye ensures that every website it touches is usable by as broad an audience as possible.

The key features of AudioEye include:

Automated Scanning and Remediation: The first thing AudioEye does is scans each website element and identifies issues preventing users from accessing or interacting with the content. Once identified, AudioEye’s technology provides detailed recommendations for remediation, which can be implemented by the website owner or their web development team. This process ensures that the website complies with accessibility guidelines and standards, making it easier for all users to access the content and functionality of the site.

Manual Testing and Remediation: While AudioEye’s automated technology can handle many accessibility issues, some complex problems require human expertise to ensure full compliance with accessibility standards. In these cases, AudioEye’s team of experts provides customized solutions and support to ensure that all users have equal access to digital content.

Real-time Monitoring: AudioEye continuously monitors the website after the initial remediation and fixes new issues as they arise.

Accessibility Statement and Certification: Additionally, it provides a certification stating that a website complies with global accessibility standards, such as the WCAG. This certification helps to reinforce a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility for all users. By obtaining this certification, website owners can demonstrate that they value accessibility and are taking steps to ensure that their website is usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities.

User Interface Adjustments: The toolbar that allows users to adjust a website’s presentation is a great feature, especially for those with visual or cognitive impairments. Changing things like font size, contrast, and navigation can significantly impact the user’s experience and allow them to engage with the website more effectively. It’s also an easy-to-use feature that doesn’t require technical knowledge, making it accessible to everyone.: The toolbar that allows users to adjust a website’s presentation is a great feature, especially for those with visual or cognitive impairments. Changing things like font size, contrast, and navigation can significantly impact the user’s experience and allow them to engage with the website more effectively. It’s also an easy-to-use feature that doesn’t require technical knowledge, making it accessible to everyone.

How does AudioEye use artificial intelligence? 

Most software solutions now include artificial intelligence (AI) in the code, and AudioEye is no exception. AI uses the tool to enhance digital accessibility by identifying accessibility errors and implementing automated fixes. 

AudioEye's machine learning algorithms are trained to scan websites and pinpoint the most prevalent accessibility errors. These errors can include missing alt text for images, unclear link descriptions, and improper color contrast. By automating this process, AudioEye can efficiently analyze large websites and flag potential roadblocks for users with disabilities.

AudioEye doesn't just detect issues; it can also propose automated fixes for some common accessibility problems. This significantly reduces the time required for human experts to assess and address these issues. AI can still play a role in more complex situations by generating potential solutions that act as a starting point for human specialists. This collaboration between AI and human expertise allows AudioEye to streamline the accessibility rectification process.

Installation, setup, and compatibility

AudioEye works with various industries and web platforms. Its integration with all major CMS platforms, including WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, and Wix, makes it easier for customers to identify and address accessibility issues on their websites.

In addition to its automated accessibility platform, AudioEye provides a wide range of training tools to help customers achieve compliance and improve user experience. Customers can attend webinars to learn about digital accessibility best practices, read guides that provide step-by-step instructions, or browse through AudioEye's blog for the latest industry news and insights.

AudioEye also offers case studies that showcase how its solutions have helped other businesses achieve compliance and improve user experience. Its technical documentation is available for customers who want to dive deeper into the technical aspects of digital accessibility.

To foster a sense of community among its customers and encourage knowledge-sharing, AudioEye has created a community board where customers can ask questions, share ideas, and learn from each other. AudioEye's comprehensive suite of tools and resources makes it an excellent choice for businesses looking to improve their website's accessibility and user experience.

Plans and pricing

AudioEye distinguishes itself from other web accessibility providers by offering transparent pricing options for potential customers. It provides customized packages that cater to individual proficiency levels and needs. These packages range from basic monitoring and automated fixes to fully managed services by AudioEye.

Currently, AudioEye offers three plans: Automated, Self-Managed, and Managed. You can also opt for additional services such as document remediation, accessibility training, mobile app audits, custom legal response, and more.

In addition to the package type, AudioEye pricing is determined by the monthly page views your website receives. Depending on your needs and web footprint size, plans start at $59/month and can exceed $500/month. 

AudioEye offers a free trial to try out the service before you commit. The best plan for you will depend on the size and complexity of your website and your specific accessibility needs.

Final verdict

AudioEye is largely praised online by current customers. Many of these folks have appreciated its ease of use, free trial, and ability to improve legal compliance. They mentioned that the tool is user-friendly and that they could quickly integrate it into their websites. The free trial has also benefited many customers who wanted to test the tool before purchasing it.

However, some customers have pointed out that the AI tools used by AudioEye are only partially reliable. They have noticed that the tool sometimes mislabels images and videos, confusing users with disabilities. Nonetheless, this is a common issue in the industry, and many businesses are still working on ways to improve their AI tools.

While a few customers have expressed reservations about AudioEye’s pricing structure, which increases with the number of pages on a website, it’s crucial to highlight that this is a standard industry practice. Many businesses, including AudioEye, base its charges on the size or complexity of the website. Despite these concerns, many customers have found AudioEye an invaluable tool in making their websites more accessible to all.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Check out our Google Lighthouse review
• We've also featured the best AI tools. 
• You will also be interested in our best web accessibility services of the year.

Yahoo Mail is a popular email service from the house of Yahoo. Although its popularity has tapered off in recent years, it’s still a widely used email provider. Its free plan offers you a huge 1 TB of storage, along with attractive theme customizations, Smart Views, third-party email syncing, and much more. 

In this article, we’ll look deeper into Yahoo Mail, discussing its features, pros, cons, and pricing to find out why it's among the best email providers in 2024. 

Yahoo Mail: Plans and pricing

Yahoo Mail offers two plans—Standard and Plus. Some common features of both plans include one-tab unsubscribe, automatic email organization, and customizable notifications. 

Standard Plan

Much like other email providers, Yahoo Mail offers a free plan as well, but that's with a massive storage of 1TB. To put it in contrast, Gmail offers 15GB of storage, which isn’t for emails alone—it is shared across Google Mail, Drive, and Photos. Outlook also offers 15GB of mailbox storage, where you can store as many as 75 million emails.

Yahoo Mail Plus

Yahoo Mail Plus, the paid plan, is priced at $5/month, and here you get 5 TB. You also get 500 temporary emails, as compared to just 3 on the free plan. Other notable features include auto-forwarding and self-emails. 

One thing we didn’t like about the free plan was the recurrent pop-ups of ads, which take up a considerable part of your screen. The Plus plan does away with such pesky ads. Lastly, you also get a 14-day free trial to take the email service out for a test run risk-free.

Yahoo Mail: Features

Let’s look into some of the best features Yahoo Mail has to offer:

1. Burner emails

How often have you signed up on a website just to read an article, and then find your email inbox spammed by unwanted newsletters? Yahoo Mail keeps your inbox clean by allowing you to create temporary email addresses every time you do not want to provide your original email 

The free plan lets you create 3 such emails, while with the paid one, you can create up to 500 of them.

2. All email accounts in one place

We appreciate how Yahoo Mail integrates with other email providers like Google, Microsoft Outlook, and AOL. This makes it possible for you to manage multiple email accounts from a single dashboard.  

Click on Settings > More Settings > Mailboxes. Click “Add mailbox,” and choose your email provider (say Gmail). Enter your Gmail address and follow the prompts that appear. When finished, click “Done.”

You can now view your Gmail account on the left-hand side panel of your dashboard and access tabs like inboxes, drafts, spam, sent, and more. 

3. Smart Views

On the left panel, you’ll find several views—Photos, Documents, Subscriptions, etc. Now, say you want to find a particular important document that you received a month back. 

All you have to do is click on the “Documents” view and you’ll see all the documents in your inbox. This works for recipes, subscriptions, and travel tickets too.

Compare this to something like Gmail, where you have to input keywords in the search bar to find a particular email in your inbox with the attachment you’re looking for. This can get tedious and you might struggle to find old documents. 

4. Third-party syncing

If you dig deeper into Yahoo Mail’s settings, you’ll find several useful third-party sync settings. For instance, you can connect Google Drive and Dropbox to easily access files you need to send as attachments.

Yahoo also allows you to import contacts from Gmail, Outlook, and AOL. Plus, you can connect your LinkedIn account to get more information about your email contacts.

5. Automatic email organization

Yahoo Mail automatically groups emails with the same subject line and sender into a single thread of conversation. This makes it easy for you to keep track of a series of emails dealing with the same subject. 

Sure, Gmail introduced this feature first, but Yahoo’s implementation has been much better. Unlike Gmail’s cluttered view, where you only see a part of the message in the thread, Yahoo shows you the message in its entirety.

Yahoo Mail: Ease of use and setup

Yahoo Mail is pretty simple to set up—visit the official website and click on “Create Account.” You only need to provide your full name and date of birth, then choose a password and an email handle. 

Next, you’ll need to verify your phone number through a one-time password. That’s it! Your free account is up and running.

You also have the option to go for the paid plan, which, undoubtedly is more feature-packed than the free tier. Plus, there’s a 14-day free trial that you can use to get a risk-free trial of the service.

Yahoo Mail: Interface and dashboard

The interface is pretty clean, with all the tabs on the left panel—inbox, sent, received, etc. You can choose from 12 themes to customize your inbox, along with “Light,” “Medium,” and “Dark” modes.

There are three message layouts to choose from—“List,” “Right,” and “Bottom.” The Right view, for example, throws your inbox to the left side of your screen. The email you open appears on the right side, with the inbox still visible, which is exactly how Microsoft Outlook does it.

Similarly, in the Bottom view, the inbox appears at the top, with the messages you open at the bottom. The List view is similar to Gmail’s interface, with the inbox appearing in a long list at the center of the screen. 

You can even customize the “Compose” tab, choosing between a full window or a compact one. The latter is just like Gmail, where the Compose box opens in the bottom-right corner. There’s also a “Message Tab” option. When activated, each email will open in a separate tab within Yahoo Mail itself, which makes it easy to multitask and view several emails simultaneously.

One thing that caught our eye was the amount of space that ads took up on the free plan. Ads can easily cover one-fourth of your screen, which can be pretty annoying. The Interfaces of competitors like Gmail and Outlook are not raided by ads like Yahoo Mail’s.

Yahoo Mail: The competition

Here’s a quick look at how Yahoo Mail fares against some of its peers:

Yahoo Mail vs Gmail

Gmail offers certain features Yahoo doesn’t. For starters, you can segregate your emails into three tabs—Primary, Promotions, and Social. This keeps your inbox more organized with all important emails in one place. 

The Yahoo inbox, on the other hand, can get quite messy. Yes, there are Smart Views where you can view email attachments separately, but the messages can get lost in a long list of emails.

Google is also far more configurable with other apps like Google Calendar, Drive, Docs, Google Meet, and more. This brings more to the table for teams looking for a productivity tool, instead of just an email provider. 

Yahoo vs ProtonMail

ProtonMail’s biggest advantage is its security, which is why you’ll find it on our list of the best secure email providers. Each email is end-to-end encrypted, which makes it difficult to intercept them. Plus, you can password-protect your emails for added security. This is something Yahoo lacks. 

However, Yahoo Mail’s free plan is miles ahead of ProtonMail. Where Yahoo offers 1TB of free storage, Proton offers only 500 MB. Plus, you only get three labels, three folders, and one filter. 

With Proton, you don’t necessarily have to provide your phone number, like Yahoo. But, if you do, you can get 1 GB of storage, which is still a tenth of what Yahoo offers.

Yahoo Mail: Final verdict

Yahoo Mail is a decent email provider, with grouped conversations and different Smart Views. Its huge 1TB free storage is certainly class-leading in an industry where the standard is 15-20 GB. 

Plus, you can customize your inbox with attractive themes and different inbox views. The interface is pretty clean too, with all the tabs on the left-hand side. That said, the inbox can feel cluttered since you can’t segregate your important messages from social or promotional emails.

Unlike ProtonMail, Yahoo doesn’t have strong encryption in place, which makes it susceptible to data leaks. This is why it's tough to recommend it for businesses with sensitive databases. Plus, Yahoo lacks configuration and integrations which you get with providers like Gmail. For instance, scheduling and syncing your calendar with Gmail is more convenient than Yahoo.

However, Yahoo Mail does a good job with its free plan that packs features like customizable notifications, automatic email organization, Smart Views, and one-tab unsubscribe.

iTop Data Recovery, as the name suggests, is a comprehensive tool for recovering all your lost data. iTop is a popular VPN with a focus on data security and privacy—so data recovery is just one of its services. Other popular services include a screen recorder, password manager, PDF manager, data protector, iTop private browser, and of course, a virtual private network (VPN).

The best part is all of its products have individual pricing. So, instead of investing in an expensive all-in-one plan, you can simply pick the one you want for your security.

Today, though, we'll talk about iTop’s data recovery arm. Keep reading to find out if it's the right platform for you, as we dive deep into its pricing, features, and set-up guide.

iTop Data Recovery: Plans and pricing

The pricing is pretty straightforward. There’s no difference in the features you get under each plan—the only difference is in the duration of the subscription: 

As you can see, the longer your subscription, the lesser you'll be shelling out on a monthly calculation. For example, on going from the monthly plan to the annual plan, the price drops from $26.99/month to just $2.5/month—that’s unlike any other provider we've seen, ever. The best part is that the annual pricing makes it one of the cheapest services around, accessible to individuals and small businesses that might not have a large budget.

Speaking of iTop’s features, you get usuals, such as automatic backup, smart filter, and deep scan on every plan.

On top of that, every plan, including the basic monthly plan comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. Depending on the plan you choose, this money-back window can either be 30 or 60 days—so enough time for you to try out the tool without risking a penny.

iTop Data Recovery: Features

We'll now dig deep into our favorite features of iTop Data Recovery: 

1. Recovery in 100+ data loss scenarios  

There are one too many ways through which you can lose your files. It could be because of an unexpected system crash or a virus or you might even accidentally delete it yourself. 

Whatever the cause is, you need a data recovery tool that can retrieve the lost files in almost every scenario. iTop is designed to work in a 100+ data loss scenario and get your files back, thanks to its advanced algorithm—you get a whopping 95% recovery rate.

2. Smart filters  

A phone or a laptop that you have been using for years will have tons of data. Searching for a relatively small-sized file that was lost is the same as looking for a needle in a haystack. However, iTop has found a way around this issue through Smart Filters. 

These filters let you decide where you want to look for the file and what formats should be checked. In simple terms, looking for a lost image in Local Disk D is much easier than looking for the same image across the entire system. These filters not only save time but also increase your chances of actually recovering the data.

There’s also its new and improved Deep Scanning feature that can recover any lost data, even from the Recycle Bin.

3. Preview before recovering

Wouldn't it be upsetting if you go through so much trouble to recover a certain file only to later realize that it's the wrong one? That’s why the preview feature is so important. 

Once iTop finds a match for your requested file, it lets you preview it before recovering it. If it matches then voila! Otherwise, you can resume the search without missing a beat.    

Speaking of file preview, iTop works with 1,000+ file types, so no matter what you’re looking for, whether it's an image, text document, audio, or video, iTop can surely help you find it and then preview it for you.

4. Recovery from 300+ storage devices

Your lost file doesn’t have to be hidden in your PC’s default storage. It could be in a new SD card or the SSD, no one really knows. Thankfully, with iTop, it's okay not to know.

All that you have to do is start the scan, it’ll automatically dig deep into various storage devices such as SSD, SD card, HDD, your hard drive, and of course your PC’s default memory. In short, it’ll search every corner of your device until it finds the file you are looking for.

5. Automatic backups

Sure, iTop can easily recover your lost files within a few minutes, but wouldn't it be better if those files weren't lost in the first place? Accidents might happen but if you turn on automatic backup, there won't be any consequences. Even if you accidentally delete the file, you’ll still have a copy of it safe with iTop.

Also, it's perfectly fine if you don't want to automatically back up everything. There’s also a manual backup option that lets you make a second copy of only those files that are important to you.

6. Partition recovery

This tool comes in handy when you’re missing a file that helps your system boot up. Without that, your system won't even start so you can forget about accessing iTop.

In a situation like this, you can take the help of iTop’s Partition Recovery tool that can dive deep into your system’s hard drive at the most basic level, bypassing the boot stage, and searching for lost files. Then once you recover it, you can start the system as usual.

7. Secure recovery

The best part about iTop is that the entire recovery process is very safe. Everything happens locally so that no third-party agent (such as hackers) can access your confidential data. The software itself is clean and virus-free.

Also, since the entire process is offline, you’ll have more control over decisions like what drives should iTop access and what should remain out of its reach. 

iTop Data Recovery: Ease of use and setup

Getting started with iTop Data Recovery is pretty simple. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: You can either visit its official website, go to Plans and Pricing at the bottom of the page, and find the Data Recovery tool or you can just click here.

Step 2: Once you are in, you’ll see a Download Now option in the top right corner of the screen. Click on it, following which the software will start downloading. 

Step 3: After it's downloaded, find the software in your Downloads section and hit run. This will open the iTop set-up wizard. 

Step 4: From here on, you’ll be asked a few questions such as whether you accept the usage license, if you want to create a desktop icon, etc. Just keep on clicking Next until the app’s running. If you have a stable internet connection, installation should only take a few seconds.

Step 5: Once the installation is complete, click on Finish. You should find the icon in your desktop menu. Open it. A new window will launch.

Step 7: Here, you’ll find a large button in the center labeled “Scan.” You’ll find files or locations that you want to scan. Besides that, you’ll have the option to select the file type you want to scan i.e. photos, videos, PDFs, or something else. From the options on the top right corner, you’ll be able to access the settings menu and backup.

Step 8: You are not done yet. If you haven't already purchased a plan, you’ll need to click on the “Activate” button to get one. If you have already purchased it, click on the key-like icon on the top menu and register yourself. 

iTop Data Recovery: Interface and dashboard

iTop is really easy to use. The entire download process only takes a few minutes and there are no difficult steps—just a few clicks and that's it. Speaking of the interface, it's one of the most compact software we have seen. There aren't too many menus or hidden options that can confuse a new user. 

However, it's important to remember that when you click on a new option, say “backup,” it opens a whole new window. So, the only way you can go back to the previous page is if you switch windows—there’s no other back button.

Another benefit of using iTop is the dashboard size. It only takes up about half the screen so you can still go about your other tasks in the background while using the app. 

iTop Data Recovery: Final verdict

iTop is truly one of the best in the industry and hence a must-try. The pricing, particularly the annual subscription, is insane value for money—and the price keeps going down as the length of your subscription increases. Downloading and setting up only takes a few minutes and the dashboard is quite easy to use.

Most importantly, iTop, with a 95% data recovery rate, does a great job recovering your data. Also, it's designed to work against 100+ types of data loss scenarios and it can extract data from 300+ storage devices. 

On the monthly and the annual plans, you also get automatic updates i.e. the app will automatically update when there's a new version, ensuring you have a seamless experience at all times.

StartMail is a popular email service provider with a special focus on security, privacy, and email management. Founded in 2013, the platform can be used independently or in collaboration with other email services such as Apple Mail or Outlook. 

The tool’s primary purpose is to amp up encryption, leak-proof your email contents, and give you more control over how your emails travel. Read on as we review its best features, pros and cons, pricing, and whether it's the best email service provider for your needs.

StartMail: Plans and pricing

StartMail has a very straightforward pricing model, with only two plans to pick from. 

In addition to the individual benefits on each plan, some features are common to both, such as 20GB of storage, email management, a built-in ad tracker and blocker, one-click email deletion, support for multiple devices, and end-to-end encryption for all emails.

Personal plan

This plan is priced at $5/month when billed annually and lets you pay in Bitcoin (only when you opt for annual billing). It also offers a 7-day free trial. You can create unlimited burner email IDs for temporary use and then delete them all at once with a single click if/when needed.

The only thing you might not like about this plan is that all your emails will contain the StartMail domain. It’ll look something like this “yourbusinessname@startmail.com”. 

Although this is standard practice and something that both Gmail and Outlook do, StartMail isn't as household a name as them, so this might not be best for large businesses. Without your own domain, your customers might confuse your brand with StartMail. The only way to fix this issue is through the Custom Domain plan. 

Custom Domain plan

Priced at $5.85/month (annually), the Custom Domain plan lets you create your own domain, meaning your emails will look something like “yourname@yourbusinessname.com” which is more professional and your customers will be able to easily identify your brand. 

StartMail: Features

StartMail is one of the best secure email providers around. Here are some of its standout features: 

1. Email aliases

One of the best things about StartMail is that it lets you create multiple aliases. This way, when you need to log into a new site, you can just use one of your aliases, get the job done, and dispose of that email.  

All of this protects you from unnecessary spam. You might have noticed that despite unsubscribing for email notifications, some sites go a little overboard and keep trying to reach you. In a situation like this, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by simply using a temporary email ID. 

2. Group subscriptions

StartMail offers something known as group subscriptions where you can add your family members or friends to your account.  

The best part about this is that everyone will get their own separate inboxes and none of the emails will overlap. Plus, instead of paying for each plan separately, you’ll only have to pay a discounted rate for each additional inbox. 

3. Password protection

Just because you are sincere about data security and protection doesn't mean everyone else is, and that’s why StartMail offers password protection—a feature that protects the sensitive contents of your email and prevents it from leaking in case the recipient doesn't have appropriate encryption in place. 

The feature is pretty simple to use. All you have to do is toggle the switch on your email screen that says “Encrypt”. Then click on the blue button at the top that says “Send Encrypted”. 

A new window will pop up where you’ll be asked to set a password as well as enter a hint for the password. 

4. Adequate storage

Right out of the box, StartMail offers 20GB of cloud storage to every user, so you’ll hardly ever run out of space. To give you a rough idea about how much 20GB really is, it’ll take you about 2,097,152 emails (not considering the size of their attachments) to fill up to 20 GB. 

It's also worth noting that both Gmail and Outlook offer 15GB of storage each, meaning StartMail is slightly better than the industry leaders in this regard.

5. PGP signature

Along with password-protected emails, StartMail has a bunch of other email security features that together provide world-class, unbreakable encryption. For instance, you can add a PGP signature at the end of your email.  

The PGP signature consists of random letters and numbers but is actually a code that tells the receiver that it was written by the owner himself. In case someone hacks your email account and tries to send emails to your contacts, this signature (or the lack of it) will warn the recipients.

Using PGP, you can also encrypt your email in just one click and ensure that only the intended recipient is able to read the contents of the email. It basically leverages the public key-private key process where you use your public key to encrypt the email while you're sending it and the recipient will decrypt the email with their private key while receiving it.

6. Email management

StartMail has some incredible email management features. You can customize the inbox view and use filters to easily find the email you’re looking for. What’s more, you also get to permanently block spam users and move them to the block list. 

If you’re moving from a different email service provider, migrating and merging contacts will only take a few clicks. The best part is that it works with all your favorite email apps such as Thunderbird, Outlook, or Apple Email.

We loved StartMail’s auto-response, which can greatly benefit businesses. When you’re away on a holiday or simply away from your desk, turn on the auto-responder tool; it’ll send an automated email (that you need to craft beforehand) to anyone who tries to reach you during that period.

Similarly, if you want to reach out to all of your customers at once, StartMail will help you create a group and send emails in bulk.

7. No tracking

Another reason to praise SmartMail’s security is how it automatically blocks tracking pixels, which can be used to track your email activity. It also has built-in malicious link protection, which shows you the full web address before you click on an external link. Plus, it hides your IP address in email headers so that you cannot be tracked by any third party.

StartMail: Ease of use and setup

Setting up StartMail is pretty simple—all that you have to do is go to its website and get yourself a new plan. It's worth noting that you can try it out risk-free with a 7-day free trial if you choose the Personal plan. 

Next, you’ll get a sign-up page where you’ll have to enter your email ID, password, and display name. Once you've given the required info, hit “Next”.

On the next page, you’ll be asked to enter your payment details. You will see this page even if you opt for the 7-day free trial—don't worry, they’ll charge your card only when the free trial is over, so click “Next" when you see this page.

Pick a payment tenure you like—a monthly or annual subscription. Enter your card details and click on “Next” again.

Once you've completed the process, you’ll be asked to add recovery details so that you can log back into your account in case you forget your password. After that, your account will be created and ready for use.

StartMail: Interface and dashboard

StartMail's dashboard looks pretty similar to Gmail, except for the color scheme, of course. There’s a neatly organized menu on the left corner that consists of options like inbox, sent, drafts, spam, work folder, and more. 

In your inbox, there's a list of all the emails you’ve received recently which you can filter or sort them as per your preference. This is also where you can change the layout of the emails. 

Speaking of filters, you can also create your own—simply enter a word and if an email contains that word, it’ll be moved to a folder of your choice. Apart from the usual “inbox” and “sent”, you can also have your own custom folders. Overall, we’ll say SmartMail is pretty beginner-friendly and easy to operate.

StartMail: Final verdict

StartMail stands tall as a revolutionary email management platform in what most will say is a tough industry, given the sheer amount of market share that Gmail and Outlook hold.

What sets SmartMail apart is its delightful combination of email management and security. One of our favorite features is Email Aliases. In a world where every website encourages you to share your email in order to access its content, StartMail ensures that you can keep your actual contact details private by allowing you to create burner email IDs. 

Plus, you're getting 20GB of storage space, which is more than what other email service providers like Gmail and Outlook offer. What's more, Group Subscription allows you to manage multiple inboxes under the same primary domain at a discounted price—and you also get to create your own custom email domain with your brand’s name at a reasonable price. 

Overall, with its features, user-friendly interface, and affordable pricing, StartMail is an email service you must try out—there's a 7-day free trial so you can take it for a test drive without putting any money on the line.

The Elegoo Neptune X4 Max is the largest of the Neptune 4 range, and as the machine is assembled, the full scale of the 3D printer becomes apparent. While the machine itself is large, with much of that size allocated to the vertical space, the footprint is not much greater than standard-sized printers.

We've tested plenty of the best 3D printers, and as is common with these large-format models, two struts help brace the vertical and contribute to a rigid structure. As we've seen with previous Elegoo machines, the build, once constructed, is solid and robust. It still follows the tried-and-tested bed-slinger design. Although this design has been updated with the Klipper firmware that pushes the print speed to a maximum of 500mm/s, along with all the trimmings that come with it, the design does feel a bit dated.

However, on the flip side, this means that you get a very large and reliable printer with a few quirks for a small amount of money.

Elegoo Neptune 4 Max: Design

As with the other Neptune printers, Elegoo has opted for the standard bed-slinger Cartesian design, which essentially means that this printer is just like the other Neptune printers but on a larger scale. Like the fantastic Neptune 4 and Pro, the head, interface, and design are much the same, with the Max being a mix of the standard and Pro design. So, there is no segmented heat bed, but the rest of the upgrades seem to be included.

Aside from the scale, the biggest difference in the design is the supporting braces on either side. These braces help with the 3D printer's rigidity and support the machine's speeds with the Klipper software.

Otherwise, as you look over the machine, everything else is much as you'd expect with this style of printer. The design and features have settled down enough for the quality of the machines in this design to be quite consistent.

However, there is one big difference that you won't see on any other FFF printer of this type, and that's the huge row of fans that sit behind the print head and aid in filament cooling. When the machine is running, you have a choice, through a small switch, to have these on or off, and then they're controlled by the machine as to when they are and are not needed. It's a design feature that stands out as it is so different from the usual cooling systems we see on print heads and should ensure the filament across the platform is cooled however fast the print head moves away from the filament it has just laid down. It's a great idea that has worked well on the smaller machines and has been scaled up here.

Elegoo Neptune 4 Max: Features

The Elegoo Neptune 4 Max, like the rest of the Neptune 4 range, is a feature-rich 3D printer that adheres to the traditional bed-slinger design. However, there is a significant difference between the machines we saw a year ago, particularly in the firmware that now powers these machines.

The powerful Klipper firmware is at the core of the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max, enabling the machine to achieve impressive printing speeds of up to 500 mm/s and accelerations of 12000 mm/s². This performance is supported by a high-speed motherboard powered by an ARM 64-bit 1.5G quad-core processor coupled with 8G RAM for handling complex print files.

The printer offers a substantial build volume of 420 x 420 x 480 mm, allowing for large-scale projects or multiple prints simultaneously. The tool head features a high-temperature nozzle that reaches up to 300°C, powered by a 60W ceramic heating element and a brass heating block. This makes it compatible with a wide range of filaments, including high-temperature materials like nylon. However, as this is an open-design printer, some sort of enclosure would be beneficial for these more advanced materials.

A key feature of the Neptune 4 Max is its dual-gear direct extruder, featuring a 5.2:1 reduction ratio for smooth filament extrusion, complemented by an all-titanium alloy throat pipe to reduce clogging and ensure rapid heat dissipation.

For connectivity, the printer offers options like Wi-Fi, LAN, and USB disk, as well as the convenience of online remote control printing and multi-machine network printing control. This means if you have the Neptune 4 Pro, you can monitor two or possibly more machines from one place. The printer is designed for ease of use and maintenance and features a PEI magnetic platform, so models are easy to remove once completed.

Cooling is managed with a combination of 4015 thickened double-sided cooling fans and a 3010 ball-bearing blower fan, ensuring omnidirectional heat dissipation. Additional 6025 ball-bearing blower fans enhance cooling for newly deposited layers, reducing warping or deformation. While the fans and cooling are not usually prominent features, on this machine, their placement and size make them a significant part of the printing process and design.

The structural stability of the Neptune 4 Max is ensured by a robust Z-axis configuration with dual lead screws, motors, and tie rods, alongside a Y-axis design featuring two rows of 3+3V wheels for smooth operation. Silent drives and POM V-guide wheels contribute to quiet printing and what appears to be a very proficient large-scale printer.

Elegoo Neptune 4 Max: Performance

The initial machine build is straightforward, requiring the usual minimal amount of assembly before you have a working machine in front of you. One note, however, is that even if you have built countless machines in the past, the size of this one makes it extremely difficult to balance and assemble on your own. While determination will enable you to get through the process, a pair of helping hands for around a minute will make the whole process infinitely easier.

Once the construction is finished, the machine can be plugged in and powered up. The boot sequence is quite lengthy, around a minute, and then you have the calibration process to run through. The interface for the machine is good, if not the most user-friendly initially, with the UI looking a little dated. However, when it comes to pure functionality, it hits the mark and enables you to select the calibration options you want before you start your first print. That calibration process takes a good 15 minutes to complete.

From experience with new machines, I always ran a first-layer check, and it was instantly apparent that some fine-tuning was going to be needed. A little adjustment, then a little more, then quite a bit more, 0.47, and the nozzle was finally meeting the platform in the way that it should, and that first layer print was looking good. I then switched off the machine, sorted out the test prints, returned to the Neptune 4 Max, switched back on, loaded a print, and left it to do its thing. Returning 20 minutes later, the print was welded to the print head.

A week later, with a new head installed, the process continued. Again, the same thing happened, although this time, it was caught. It was apparent that the Neptune 4 Max has a very short memory. Sometimes, it will remember your adjustments, and sometimes, it will not, so as part of the print process, the Z-Axis adjustment was checked every time, even when the interface said that the setting was being saved.

After the initial issues, the prints started to roll off the platform, and for a machine of its size, the quality of the prints was excellent. There is plenty of detail, and even though the layer height isn't the slimmest, the quality of the finish is good.

After several weeks of printing, the machine slowly started to prove itself. Aside from a couple of occasions when I forgot to tune in the adjustment, the prints all completed successfully.

Elegoo Neptune 4 Max: Print quality

Dimensional accuracy - score of 5 

Target 25 = X: 24.97mm / 0.03mm Error | Y: 24.95mm / 0.05mm Error 

Target 20 = X: 19.92mm / 0.08mm Error | Y: 19.92mm / 0.08mm Error 

Target 15 = X: 14.91mm / 0.09mm Error | Y: 14.98mm / 0.02mm Error 

Target 10 = X: 9.88mm / 0.12mm Error | Y: 9.98mm / 0.02mm Error 

Target 5 = X: 4.94mm / 0.06mm Error | Y: 4.94mm / 0.06mm Error 

X Error Average = 0.076

Y Error Average = 0.046

X&Y Error Average = 0.061

Fine Flow Control - score of 2.5 

Fine Negative Features - score of 4

Overhangs - score of 3 

Bridging - score of 4 

XY resonance - score of 2.5

Z-axis alignment - score of 2.5

Adding up the totals gives a final score of 23.5 out of 30.

Elegoo Neptune 4 Max: Final verdict

The Elegoo Neptune 4 Max is a great machine and frustrating. When it comes down to a refined design, it manages to tick the box; the bed-slinger open frame design is easy to work with. The updated Klipper firmware has given this style of machine a new lease of life that will appeal to anyone looking for a reliable and affordable 3D printer with many advanced features.

However, these machines just can't match the next generation's quality and reliability. When you can get one of the newer machines for roughly the same price, it's difficult to justify the older design, especially when there are a few quirks. The overall design is solid, and the build quality is good, but the touchscreen interface does seem dated, and then there's the issue with the constant need to set the Z-axis.

What you get with the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max is a solid machine with quirks. Once that first layer is down and secure, you know you're going to get a great print of decent quality. So, if you're on a budget and you're hyper-vigilant with your print process, then this is a very affordable way to get great large-scale prints. If you just want a no-fuss large-scale printer, then this may not be for you.

Should You Buy the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max?

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This all-in-one A4 inkjet is aimed at home workers or a small office, so it’s compact and efficient and comes with essential business features such as auto duplex printing, high-res scanning and integrated wi-fi with AirPrint. It’s also relatively inexpensive for an EcoTank, so don’t expect to find premium features like an ADF (automatic document feed), NFC, or even a touchscreen interface. 

The main selling point of the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is its super-low running cost and the very generous amount of ink included in the box. The five bundled bottles could give you a staggering 14,000 black and white pages plus 5,200 color, which is the equivalent of 72 cartridges and a consumables cost saving of 90 percent. If you’re looking for one of the best small business printers, that already sounds like a good business plan, but let’s see how it performs.   

Epson EcoTank ET-2850: Design & build

Epson has been selling refillable ink tank printers for 20 years and the design is so refined now that it’s no surprise to see EcoTanks dominating the supertank market. Our EcoTank ET-2850 sits quite low down Epson’s product tree and it actually looks a little lopsided with the ink tanks bulging forward on the right. However, by increasing the tank volume to 127ml in the case of black, you are able to print 7,500 monochrome pages before needing to refill. That’s enough to leave even the best laser printers lagging behind. 

The large control panel tilts upward from the front to make the tiny 3.7cm LCD screen slightly easier to see when you’re standing over it. Below that is the paper out tray, but no paper in tray. You’ll have to shell out for the step-up Epson EcoTank ET-3850 [ https://www.techradar.com/reviews/epson-ecotank-et-3850 ] if you want a front-loading paper tray. All you have on the ET-2805 is the rear paper tray, which can hold a maximum of 100 sheets. 

There’s an A4-size glass scanner bed on top and a USB port for a data cable on the left side, but no other inputs. Again, Ethernet and USB Host ports are reserved for the more expensive models. At least the lack of features makes for a simple and small design. The weight is little more than 5kg. 

Epson EcoTank ET-2850: Features & specifications

There are plenty of the best ink tank printers on the market right now, and the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is one of the more affordable supertankers, so it is quite light on features and relatively low-spec. There’s no ADF for example and no front paper tray. Nor is there a USB Host Port, NFC, touchscreen or Ethernet port. The print speed is a modest 10.5ppm (pages per minute) for mono simplex printing and has fewer nozzles than other EcoTank printers. The configuration here is 180 black nozzles and 59 for each color, whereas the step-up Epson Eco-Tank ET-3850 we tested has 400 black nozzles and 128 for each color.

What the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 does have are all the features essential for a small office printer. It can auto duplex at a reasonable rate and resolution, it can scan and copy any size document up to A4 and it has Wi-Fi with AirPrint compatibility. Being an inkjet, it can handle a wide range of media, including coated photo paper and card up to 300 g/m² in weight while its Micro Piezo heat-free technology is lower on electricity than a laser too. 

As mentioned, you’re getting enough ink in the box for a total approaching 20,000 pages. And with a set of replacement ink bottles costing around US$51 (£40) and yielding up to 13,500 this is about the lowest cost per page of any printer. 

Epson EcoTank ET-2850: Setup & operation

To get started, simply connect the power cable, load some paper in the rear tray and turn on. Then follow the instructions that appear on the color display. After choosing the language, the next prompt suggests downloading the companion app called Epson Smart Panel onto your smartphone. You can use this app for the rest of the setup instead of peering at the puny 3.7cm display. In fact, this excellent app makes remote operation of the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 very easy.    

Epson EcoTank ET-2850: Performance

The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 passed all our print quality tests with no misprints or paper jams, but it did not excel at any of them. It prints at a reasonable speed in simplex mode, though auto duplexing takes significantly more than twice as long. Epson’s black ink is pigment based, which is generally best for text documents due to its durable and quick drying properties. But while plain text appears smudge-free and clearly legible on plain paper, it’s just not as crisp as the best inkjet printers we’ve tried. This must be due to the lower number of nozzles this printer has to play with. The resolution will probably look fine for most purposes, but at very small point sizes, the letters begin to merge more than they do with rivals like the Canon PIXMA G620/G650. 

With mixed color documents, the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is more impressive because Epson’s dye-based C/M/Y inks are particularly vivid hues. Soluble dyes bond better than pigment inks on coated paper too, but in reality, the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is not great at printing photos on glossy photo paper. First impressions are good, thanks to the bright palette, but compared with other inkjets, our test photos lacked depth and fine detail. In a printer that will be primarily used for business, it’s not a big problem, but it’s not in the same league as any of the best photo printers, and we certainly wouldn’t recommend this model for use as such.

The A4 scanner works well and makes decent duplicates, but again, it cannot match other inkjets for sharpness so your copies will always be a bit softer than the original. Simply put, the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 turns out legible text and bright colorful documents, but is slightly below average when it comes to clarity.

Epson EcoTank ET-2850: Final verdict

Arguably, this could be the best all-in-one printer for anyone who prints a lot of documents and the occasional photo thanks to its extremely low running cost and an ability to print on any kind of paper. It’s no photo printer, so don’t expect the highest quality prints, but it prints reliably enough with its pigment black and dye color combo. Once you accept that the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is a fairly basic business model with no touchscreen, no NFC and no front paper tray, it begins to make sense as a piece of essential and economical office equipment.  

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