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• Security researchers found an unprotected Amazon S3 bucket
• It belongs to WorkComposer, an employee tracking app
• The bucket contained 21 million screenshots

A major time-tracking company has been leaking sensitive screenshots on the open internet, putting countless people and organizations at risk of identity theft, data breaches, wire fraud, scams, and more.

Cybersecurity researchers at Cybernews found an archive of “millions of real-time screenshots” generated by WorkComposer, which calls itself an “employee productivity monitoring tool”.

These screenshots show what the employee is working on at any given time, which could include sensitive communications and emails, login portals, passwords, intellectual property, proprietary data, and more.

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Millions of screenshots

Leaking these screenshots is a major privacy violation, and could spell trouble for the company, if data watchdogs and privacy organizations get involved.

Cybernews said that WorkComposer exposed more than 21 million images in an unsecured Amazon S3 bucket. The company claims to have more than 200,000 active users.

It could also spell trouble if it turns out that cybercriminals found the bucket in the past. At press time, there was no evidence that it did happen, and the company apparently locked the archive down in the meantime.

WorkComposer is basically a surveillance tool built primarily for remote workers, allowing bosses and managers to keep track of what their employees are doing. It logs hours, app use, but most importantly - it grabs screenshots every 20 seconds.

Undefended, or poorly protected databases are one of the most common causes of data leaks. Just this year, more than 2.8 billion records were leaked across the web, as businesses of different sizes and in different industries were found holding sensitive data in an unlocked cloud instance.

Security researchers are warning that many companies don’t truly understand the concept of “shared responsibility” when it comes to securing the cloud, and have urged organizations to secure their databases and monitor the logs for unauthorized entry.

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Bildr is a no-code platform that relies on a visual development environment to help users create web apps. The platform has a strong emphasis on real-time collaboration, and you can use its intuitive, drag-and-drop interfaces, and extensive customization options to conjure up apps without any coding knowledge.

In this review, we will dive into the platform's features, ease of use, integrations, deployment, pricing, and how it’s positioned in the no-code space.

Bildr: Features

Bildr’s primary feature is its visual editor, which allows users to create apps simply by dragging and dropping pre-configured components onto a canvas.

This editor provides access to all kinds of user interface (UI) elements, such as buttons, forms, text inputs, tables, and other visual components that can all be customized as per your needs.

(Image credit: Bildr)

You can even use AI to style these elements. All you need to do is enter a prompt for an element, such as “add a cool gradient with red, blue, and white,” and the platform will do the styling for you.

Although Bildr pushes a blank canvas approach, the platform does offer a handful of pre-built templates that you can use, and customize to fit your requirements.

Another good thing about Bildr is that it offers built-in tools for common actions, like user authentication. You can use these to add login screens, user registration, and password management without much effort.

User authentication is actually implemented as what’s known as a pattern in Bildr parlance. Think of patterns as pre-built components, which have all the flows, and the logic built into it. All you need to do is import a pre-built pattern, and tweak it to your heart’s content.

Like all good no-code platforms, you can also connect Bildr to external data sources residing in popular third-party databases such as Google Sheets, Airtable, Xano, and others.

Also, every app built on Bildr is automatically optimized for smartphones, tablets, and desktops, ensuring a consistent experience across form factors.

Finally, while Bildr is designed to build web apps, you can use the platform to create Chrome extensions, and blockchain-enabled decentralized Web3 apps, as well.

Bildr: Interface and Ease of Use

One of the key strengths of Bildr is its intuitive, user-friendly interface. The interface is centered around a drag-and-drop editor, which is a common feature in no-code platforms.

You can use the editor to easily put together your apps by dragging and dropping various elements onto Buildr’s infinite canvas. The advantage of the infinite canvas is that instead of building and viewing individual pages, you can use it to look at your entire app in one view, and even manipulate it in a very visual way. For instance, you can easily drag and rearrange your pages, and position them how you want, using the mouse.

(Image credit: Bildr)

Many people compare Bildr’s dashboard to that of the Figma interface design tool. It has a learning curve, which makes it seem a little daunting and cumbersome, especially if you’re upgrading from designed-for-beginners no-code platforms like Adalo. But tinker with it for a bit, and you’ll soon learn to appreciate its dexterity.

The basic approach of the visual design environment is pretty much the same, and easily navigable. You have a panel for adding components, another to tweak its settings and properties, and a central workspace for building the app.

The components are clearly categorized, and users can easily search for specific elements within the platform. You can use the properties panel to fine-tune attributes, modify styling elements like color, size, and borders, and configure each element’s positioning with padding, margins, and alignment.

In addition to the components, you can also use Bildr to set up flows, and define triggers, actions, and conditions to control your app. You can set automatic responses to user interactions, and even program dynamic interactions without writing any or perhaps a little code.

Combined with the platform's design flexibility, which is particularly appealing to anyone who wants granular control over their designs, Bildr’s drag-and-drop functionality ensures that you can cobble together a polished app even without any technical skills.

Bildr: Integration and Extensibility

One of the key considerations when evaluating no-code platforms is its ability to integrate with external services and tools.

In that vein, you can integrate Bildr with external APIs, and then display, and manipulate data directly within the app. Thanks to this ability the platform can communicate with virtually any service that offers an API, essentially extending its capabilities beyond what’s baked in.

Bildr also integrates with popular services, such as Stripe for processing payments, and Auth0 for authentication.

(Image credit: Bildr)

Also, while Bildr is primarily a no-code platform, it also provides an option to add custom JavaScript, which is a great extensible feature for anyone with the know-how.

Bildr: Deployment and Maintenance

Like all good no-code platforms, you can use Bildr to deploy and maintain apps built using the platform. You can essentially roll out apps with a handful of clicks.

You can publish an app for free inside a Bildr subdomain, as well as on your own custom domains. The platform can also create auto-renewing SSL certificates for you. In addition to traditional web apps, Bildr also lets you transform your artwork into NFTs that you can then sell. It offers a NFT mint contract that you can customize as per your requirements.

While Bildr has a scalable infrastructure, many users believe Bildr is ideally suitable for small to medium-sized apps. Popular opinion says if you are working on complex, and high-traffic apps, the platform’s built-in scalability features might not be enough for you.

Bildr: Pricing and Documentation

Like its peers, Bildr’s pricing is structured around subscription tiers, with additional features as you move higher up the level.

For starters, the platform offers a free tier with basic features. You can use it to experiment with the platform. It offers 1GB bandwidth, 20,000 data records, and 5,000 API calls. You’ll need to switch to one of the paid plans to unlock more functionality, and increased usage limit.

The Launch Plan costs $29/month ($24/month billed yearly) and lets you publish apps to custom domains without any Bildr branding. It comes with 25GB bandwidth, 50,000 data records, and 50,000 API calls.

If you need more resources, there’s the Pro plan that costs $119/month ($99/month billed annually), and over 250 GB of bandwidth, 250,000 data records, and 500,000 API calls. The paid plans also let you invite and collaborate with other builders. The Launch plan allows two collaborators, while the Pro plan allows up to five.

There’s also the one-time $999 Bildr Studio Pass that you can use to create and publish any number of web apps to a custom domain. It also gives you access to several more templates, including those for Web3 apps.

(Image credit: Bildr)

To get the most out of the platform, it’s best if you peruse through Bildr’s official documentation. Although it doesn’t offer the same number of video tutorials as you get on some other platforms, there’s enough to help you get a feel for the platform’s capabilities.

Bildr also doesn’t offer traditional forum boards for users to pick each other’s brains. Instead the platform has a Discord channel for its community, with private channels and events for Studio Pass owners.

Bildr: The Competition

Bildr competes with a wide range of no-code platforms, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Bubble is one of the most popular no-code platforms for building web apps. It too has an intuitive visual editor, though it is often cited for being more flexible and feature rich when compared to Bildr.

Bubble also offers a wider range of prebuilt templates, which makes it easier for inexperienced developers to get started quickly. Bildr, on the other hand, has fewer templates, and targets developers who want granular control over the appearance and behavior of their apps, even if it takes more time to set them up from scratch.

Another option that’s more suitable for beginners is Softr. While it too has more templates than Bildr, Softr may not have all the features and customization options you get with Bildr.

Bildr: Final Verdict

Bildr’s standout feature is its flexibility. The platform does have a learning curve, especially for those new to no-code tools, and its depth of customization may seem overwhelming at first

That said, Bildr is praised for its strong design tools, and collaborative environment. This makes it especially attractive for anyone who prioritizes aesthetics and user interface aspects, and need to build highly customizable web apps. On the flip side though, this makes Bildr less suited for quick, and simple web apps.

Overall, if you are looking for a versatile no-code tool that offers deep customization options, Bildr presents itself a strong choice, though it might take time to unlock its full potential.

Here’s our list of the best web design software.

• 20th Century Studios has released the first trailer for Predator: Badlands
• The sci-fi action franchise's next movie is hiding some big secrets in plain sight
• Its teaser contains an Independence Day Easter egg and strong ties to the Alien franchise

Almost 20 years have passed since the last Alien vs Predator (AvP) movie landed in theaters.

But, based on the first trailer for Predator: Badlands, another installment in the much-maligned crossover film franchise – and an entry that could redeem that movie series in many people's eyes to boot – might be here sooner than anyone expected.

That's because Badlands, one of this year's new movies that'll arrive on November 7, drops some not-so-subtle hints that it's an AvP movie in all but name. Oh, and there's also an unexpected reference to another sci-fi film franchise that indicates that it may exist in the same universe as the Alien and Predator movie series.

But enough waffling! Watch Badlands' first teaser below and see if you can spot the aforementioned clues before I explain all.

As you'll have noticed, there's a very clear reference to the Alien movies in Badlands' first-look footage via Elle Fanning's character, who's called Thia.

For those who might have missed it, though: at the 0:25 mark, Thia's eyes roll back into her head to reveal a telling sign that's not actually human, but an android.

Thia is no ordinary robotic humanoid, either – as *ahem* eagle-eyed viewers noted a logo imprinted onto the back of her eyes indicating that she was created by the Weylan-Yutani Corporation. That's the sinister fictional megacorporation that exists in the Alien franchise, which prioritizes profits and experimentation on dangerous alien lifeforms over the lives of its employees.

Elle Fanning's Thia is a Weyland-Yutani synthetic android? Interesting... (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

That's not the only reference to Weyland-Yutani in Badlands' teaser. It's hard to make out but, at the 0:50 mark, a smashed-up, orange-colored truck can be seen on the right side of the screen – and it's adorned with the Weyland-Yutani logo too.

Oh, and before I forget: scroll back to the very start of the teaser and, amid the other skulls that are hung on the wall of what's likely the Predator's dwelling, look closely at the skull sitting at the center of the collection. Look familiar? That's because it's the skull of one of the aliens in the Independence Day film franchise.

Neat, eh? Although, that now begs the question of whether those movies also exist in the same universe and the Alien and Predator films...

Why Predator: Badlands could secretly be the third entry in the Alien vs Predator movie series

Alien: Romulus was well received by fans and critics alike last August (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Of course, those Weyland-Yutani Easter eggs could be nothing more than simple reminders that xenomorphs (the aliens in Alien) and the yautja (the actual name of the Predator species) exist in the same universe. However, wouldn't it be cooler if, at some point, Badlands performs a narrative bait and switch and turns into an AvP film?

Awful though the previous two AvP movies are, I certainly hope so – and that's down to the individuals who have revived the Alien and Predator series, two stalwart film franchises of the '80s and '90s.

Dan Trachtenburg, who directs Badlands, is also the filmmaker behind 2022's Predator prequel movie Prey. That flick, which is available on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally), is a film I labeled as "the best Predator movie since the 1987 original" in my Prey review.

With Trachtenburg also on directing duties for Badlands, I'm confident he'll deliver back-to-back brilliant entries as part of his wider Predator franchise reboot. Indeed, Prey and Badlands notwithstanding, another Predator film – an animated anthology flick called Predator: Killer of Killers – will also make its debut this year. It'll be available to stream at home from June 6.

Did you spot the Weyland-Yutani logo on this damaged vehicle? (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

As for the Alien movies, filmmaker Fede Alvarez gave us that franchise's best installment since 1986's Aliens with last year's Alien: Romulus. With a sequel to that big-screen offering currently in development, the future looks similarly bright for the xenomorph and facehugger-starring sci-fi horror film series.

Okay, but what's all of this got to do with the possibility that Badlands is actually an AvP movie? The trailer's Weyland-Yutani nods aside, Alvarez has previously outlined what he'd like to see from a new AvP film.

Speaking to Collider in February, the Argentine said: "The way I would do it [a new AvP film], most likely, if it could be done this way… It’s harder to keep secrets online… The best AvP will be the one that you don’t know is AvP until the other guy shows up.

"You think you’re watching a Predator movie, and then they land in some place and there are creatures, and f*****g hell, it’s a Xenomorph. That would get me. 'F**k yeah!' You’d go crazy.

#PredatorBadlands arrives in theaters and IMAX November 7. pic.twitter.com/6LIzcYbg54April 23, 2025

"Or, vice versa," Alvarez continued. "You’re in an Alien movie, and then suddenly a mysterious creature is there, and you can hear that sound, and you see the cloak, and you go, 'Is that a f****g Predator?' And then turns out it is. That would be the way to do it, don’t you think? Once you put it in the title, it’s like, ‘Spoiler alert.'"

When pressed by Collider as to whether he'd ever team up with Trachtenburg to make such a film, Alvarez added: "I can’t speak for Dan. At some point, once there’s another Alien, and I know he’s working on a sequel to Prey, one day if we feel like, 'Yeah, that’s what we cannot wait to see, I think that’s a movie we could do."

Is all of that Alvarez's coded way of suggesting Badlands could be another AvP film? Probably not, but I live in hope that I'm wrong!

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• Nintendo has confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller will work with some regular games
• However, there may be issues due to the controller's layout
• It also won't be compatible with the original Nintendo Switch

Nintendo has issued an update on the Switch 2's wireless GameCube controller, stating that it will be usable with games outside of the Nintendo Switch Online GameCube library.

However, players should expect to encounter issues or inconsistencies. In a statement to Nintendo Life, a Nintendo spokesperson said:

"The Nintendo GameCube controller is designed for use with the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection of games and is an optional way to play those games.

"Since it doesn’t have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games. The Nintendo GameCube controller can only be used on Nintendo Switch 2 and is not compatible with Nintendo Switch."

The Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller does have some notable additions to keep it more in line with the Joy-Con 2 and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. That includes Home, Capture and GameChat buttons, as well as a 'ZL' button at the top presumably to act as a bumper opposite the 'Z' button.

While most buttons do seem present and accounted for compared to other Switch 2 controllers, the GameCube's face button layout is certainly unorthodox and this may be where those aforementioned issues stem from.

It is a curious thing that the new GameCube controller won't be compatible with the original Nintendo Switch given that console got its own wired GameCube controller that launched alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Hopefully, this new variant will eventually have control schemes built in for some Nintendo Switch 2 games. Potentially the upcoming Kirby Air Riders or a future Smash Bros. title. Fingers crossed..

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• Sony has deployed a new PS5 software update which adds two new features
• PlayStation’s 30th anniversary classic console designs have returned and now be accessed
• The PS5 now has a new Audio Focus feature to increase immersion

Sony has released a new PlayStation 5 software update that sees the return of its classic console designs.

The update rolls out today and, as detailed in a new PlayStation blog post, contains two new enhancements based on player feedback.

The first and most notable feature of the update is the return of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary PS5 UI designs, which honour the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4.

These retro console designs were limited time when they were first released, but Sony has decided to bring them back.

Players will be able to find the designs under a new feature called ‘Appearance’ under the Settings menu.

“Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from our community, we’re happy to bring back the look and feel of the four console designs for players to customize the home screen on PS5!” Sony aid.

(Image credit: Sony)

Then there’s the new PS5 Audio Focus feature, which is designed for increasing immersion through presets that “amplify soft sounds to meet your hearing preferences, ensuring a clearer audio experience when using headphones or headsets.”

These presets will make it easier for players to distinguish sounds like in-game character dialogue, subtle sound effects, and party voice chat, “for a more immersive gaming experience”.

PS5 users can find the new feature in the sound settings, or the control centre during gameplay, and can choose between four presets, each with three different levels, including Weak, Medium, and Strong. You can check out the presets below.

• Boost Low Pitch: Amplify low-frequency sounds like roaring engines and rumbling noises.
• Boost Voices: Amplify voice chats, character voices, and other middle-frequency sounds.
• Boost High Pitch: Amplify high-frequency sounds like footsteps and metallic noises.
• Boost Quiet Sounds: Amplify low-volume sounds in a wide range of frequencies.

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• "Verified on LinkedIn" feature is being expanded
• Other sites, such as Adobe's Content Authenticity and Behance can now display the same badge as well
• LinkedIn wants to help combat identity theft and online fraud

LinkedIn is expanding a feature designed to combat one of the biggest problems in online business - identity theft and authenticity challenges.

The site is taking its “Verified on LinkedIn” feature even further, extending the verification system beyond its platform.

External sites, such as Adobe’s Content Authenticity app and Behance, can now integrate LinkedIn verification as well, allowing creators to display the “Verified on LinkedIn” badge on their profiles, too.

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Host of new threats

Identity theft and social engineering are one of the biggest methods of cybercrime today.

Major criminal organizations, including state-sponsored groups such as North Korean actors Lazarus, often create fake accounts on LinkedIn and use them to target high-profile individuals such as CEOs, software developers, or government employees.

In fact, one of the biggest crypto thefts happened after Lazarus created a fake recruiter profile on LinkedIn and a fake job, and invited a blockchain developer for an interview. During the interview process, the developer was dropped a piece of malware, which enabled the theft of roughly $600 million in different tokens.

This attack campaign has been ongoing for months, with cybersecurity researchers dubbing it Operation DreamJob.

Other groups have followed suit, on both sides. Besides creating fake recruiter profiles and fake jobs, they would also create fake software developer personas, landing jobs at major companies and using privileged access to steal sensitive data.

“Verified on LinkedIn” was originally launched in April 2023, initially as a free verification system that allows users to confirm their identity, workplace, or education, using government-issued IDs, work email addresses, or third-party services such as CLEAR, or Microsoft Entra. LinkedIn users that verify their identities get a badge added to their profile page, showing other platform users that the person is authentic.

A year later, the company expanded this feature to include recruiter verification, as well, in an attempt to combat job-related scams. Verified recruiters receive a checkmark badge on their profiles, as well.

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• Windows 11 24H2 caused a plane to completely disappear from GTA: San Andreas
• A lengthy investigation determined it was a coding error in GTA, and not Microsoft’s fault
• The error in the plane’s Z axis positioning, which was finally exposed by the 24H2 update, effectively shot it into space

A two-decade-old game has produced a marked demonstration of just how strange the world of bugs can be, after Windows 11 24H2 appeared to break something in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – though I should note upfront that this wasn’t Microsoft’s fault in the end.

Neowin picked up on this affair which was explained at length – in very fine detail, in fact – by a developer called Silent (who’s responsible for SilentPatch, a project dedicated to fixing up old PC games, including GTA outings, so they work on modern systems).

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released way back in 2004, and the game has a seaplane called the Skimmer. What players of this GTA classic found was that after installing the 24H2 update for Windows 11, the Skimmer had suddenly vanished from San Andreas.

The connection between applying 24H2 and the seaplane’s disappearance from its usual spot down at the docks wasn’t immediately made, but the dots were connected eventually.

Then Silent stepped in to investigate and ended up diving down an incredibly deep programming rabbit hole to uncover how this happened.

As mentioned, the developer goes into way too much depth for the average person to care about, but to sum up, they found that even when they force-spawned the Skimmer plane in the game world, it immediately shot up miles into the sky.

The issue was eventually nailed down to the ‘bounding box’ for the vehicle – the invisible box defining the boundaries of the plane model – which had an incorrect calculation for the Z axis (height) in its configuration file.

For various reasons and intricacies that we needn’t go into, this error was not a problem with versions of Windows before the 24H2 spin rolled around, purely by luck I might add. Essentially, the game read the positioning values of the previous vehicle before the Skimmer (a van), and this worked okay (just about – even though it wasn’t quite correct).

But Windows 11 24H2 changed the behavior of the code of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, so it no longer read the values of that van – and with error now exposed, the plane effectively received a (literally) astronomical Z value. It wasn’t visible in the game any longer because it was shot up into space.

And so the mystery of the disappearing seaplane was solved – the Skimmer, in fact, was orbiting a distant galaxy somewhere far, far away from San Andreas. (I feel a spin-off mash-up game coming on).

(Image credit: Rockstar Games) Analysis: Too quick to pin the blame

This is a rather fascinating little episode that shows how tiny bugs can creep in, and by chance, go completely unnoticed for 21 years until a completely unrelated operating system update changes something that throws a wrench into the coding works.

It also serves to underline a couple of other points. Firstly, that there’s a complex nest of tweaks and wholesale changes under the hood of the 24H2 update, which comes built on a new underpinning platform. That platform is called Germanium, and it’s a pivotal change that was required for the Arm-based (Snapdragon) CPUs that were the engines of the very first Copilot+ PCs (which was why 24H2 was needed for those AI laptops to launch).

In my opinion, this is why we’ve seen more unexpected behavior and weird bugs with the 24H2 update than any other upgrade for Windows 11, due to all that work below the surface of the OS (which is capable of causing unintended side effects at times).

Furthermore, this affair highlights that some of these problems may not be Microsoft’s doing, and I’ve got to admit, I’m generally quick to pin the blame on the software company in that regard. My first thought when I started reading about this weird GTA bug was – ‘what a surprise, yet more collateral damage from 24H2’ – when in fact this isn’t Microsoft’s fault at all (but rather Rockstar’s coders).

That said, much of the flak being aimed at Microsoft for the bugginess of 24H2 is, of course, perfectly justified, and the sense still remains with me that this update – and the new Germanium platform which is its bedrock – was rather rushed out so that Copilot+ PCs could meet their target launch date of summer 2024. That, too, may be an unfair conclusion, but it’s a feeling I’ve been unable to shake since 24H2 arrived.

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• A Reddit user's conversation with ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode turned sinister
• A bug in the audio caused ChatGPT's Sol voice to start sounding demonic
• The hilarious results are a must listen

It's fair to say there's a sort of uneasiness when it comes to AI, an unknown that makes the general public a little on edge, unsure of what to expect from chatbots like ChatGPT in the future.

Well, one Reddit user got more than they bargained for in a recent conversation with ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode when the AI voice assistant started to speak like a demon.

The hilarious clip has gone viral on Reddit, and rightfully so. It's laugh-out-loud funny despite being terrifying.

Does ChatGPT voice turn into a demon for anyone else? from r/OpenAI

In the audio clip, Reddit user @freddieghorton asks ChatGPT a question related to download speeds. At first, ChatGPT responds in its "Sol" voice, but as it continues to speak, it becomes increasingly demonic.

The audio has clearly bugged out here, but the result is one of the funniest examples of AI you'll see on the internet today.

The bug happened in ChatGPT version v1.2025.098 (14414233190), and we've been unable to replicate it in our own testing. Last month, I tried ChatGPT's new sarcastic voice called Monday, but now I'm hoping OpenAI releases a special demonic voice for Halloween so I can experience this bug firsthand.

We're laughing now

You know, it's easy to laugh at a clip like this, but I'll put my hands up and say, I would be terrified if my ChatGPT voice mode started to glitch out and sound like something from The Exorcist.

While rationality would have us treat ChatGPT like a computer program, there's an uneasiness created by the unknown of artificial intelligence that puts the wider population on edge.

In Future's AI politeness survey, 12% of respondents said they say "Please" and "Thank You" to ChatGPT in case of a robot uprising. That sounds ludicrous, but there is genuinely a fear, whether the majority of us think it's rational or not.

One thing is for sure, OpenAI needs to fix this bug sooner rather than later before it incites genuine fear of ChatGPT (I wish I were joking).

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Vantrue E1 Pro dash cam: two-minute review

While there are literally hundreds of models to choose from out there, I always prefer to stick with the big-name best dash cams. This includes the likes of Nextbase, Garmin, and Vantrue, which recently unveiled its new and updated Element 1 Pro Dash Cam (more commonly referred to as the E1 Pro).

The E1 Pro is well worth a look for anyone who needs a compact, cost effective in-car solution. It's centered around the small black box design, which measures (approx) just 4.7 x 2 x 4.7 inches / 12 x 5 x 12cm. Even then, the design manages to squeeze in a neat little LCD screen on the rear, which proves invaluable for setup steps during installation. The information graphics are a little less easy to read when it’s being used on the move, but it’s a valuable part of the E1 Pro’s appeal.

Vantrue originally released this model a few years ago, and we got to take a first look at it back in 2022, when it was known as the Vantrue E1. The design appears to have changed little since then, with one of its most distinctive features being the protruding circular lens arrangement.

However, Vantrue has beefed up the innards, so instead of 2.5K video there's now crisp and clear 4K 3840 x 2160p 30fps footage on offer thanks to a Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 sensor. Another appealing factor of this model is the 158-degree wide-angle lens, which offers a pretty expansive view of the road ahead.

Vantrue also likes to highlight its PlatePix software, which is designed to offer greater clarity when capturing details such as license plates or road signs. The company claims this delivers a 50 percent clearer view than standard 4K HDR.

High-quality footage needs card space, and to that end Vantrue has upped the microSD card compatibility to a whopping 1TB, although my test unit arrived with a rather leaner 128GB card. Alongside the improved shooting capacity, the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam packs in plenty of other features and functions, including voice control, a solid supporting app with fast Wi-Fi transfer rates, GPS, and improved temperature protection, as well as the benefit of a supercapacitor internal battery.

My review unit also came supplied with a circular polarizing filter or CPL, which can be screwed to the front of the lens. This cuts through reflections and glare, and can be particularly useful in situations where harsh light is an issue, especially when it comes to capturing finer details including license plates. There's also a remote control if the buttons on the box itself, or voice control, don’t appeal.

(Image credit: Future)

The box includes everything you need to get up and running, including all the cables and an installation tool for pushing wires behind trim. The Vantrue E1 Pro is designed to operate as a solo unit, so there's no option to plug a rear-facing camera into the assembly. However, it's keenly priced, so should appeal to anyone who's going to be content with a front-facing only model.

Another point to remember – and this is the case for the majority of dash cam models, is that the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam will need to be hard-wired into a vehicle to exploit its advanced parking features. Power can also be supplied via a standard 12V socket, which is found in the majority of vehicles; however, there is value in the parking mode, in which the E1 Pro can capture footage 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after motion is detected. If you’re prone to parking in less-than-ideal neighborhoods, it could be a valuable feature, and worth the extra cost of adding in the hardwire kit.

Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam: price and availability

The Vantrue Element E1 Pro Dash Cam is often listed by its model number, the E1 Pro, and is available now directly from the Vantrue website as well as online retailers including Amazon. VanTrue has it listed for £139.99 in the UK market and $129.99 in the US, while Amazon lists it for £129.99 in the UK, and sells the E1 Pro for $149.99 in the US. As always, it’s worth shopping around and keeping an eye out for special offers, as prices for dash cams can fluctuate a lot. I'd expect this model to be regularly on sale for a good 10% less.

The keen price point pits the E1 Pro against the likes of the Nextbase Piqo 2K and Miofive S1 and is excellent value for the features on board.

Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam: specs Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam: Design

One of the most appealing aspects of the Vantrue E1 Pro is its cute, cubist design. It’s basically just a small black plastic box, but with all of the stuff needed to make it appealing at the same time. There’s an LCD screen on the back, which packs in a very decent resolution and looks great in use, even though the information icons packed into the small viewing area are a bit too much to take in with a quick glance.

Another great feature with this model is the mounting bracket, which can be attached to a windshield directly via an adhesive pad or by first mounting it to a static sheet, which makes removal easier if the camera needs to be transferred to another vehicle. While it is in situ, the dash cam also features a slide-out bracket, which means the camera can be pulled out and put away if needed, leaving just the windshield part in place.

(Image credit: Future)

As mentioned, Vantrue now supplies this model with a polarizing filter, which I found to be a valuable addition, especially for use in variable lighting conditions. Fitting it can be a little awkward, mind, especially for anyone with large fingers, as the threading process is quite fiddly. Nevertheless, I like the way this also keeps the F1.8, 7-glass lens nicely covered, and it's much easier to wipe over in case of any unwanted fingerprint marks. Overall, the build quality is very impressive, and everything you need to get started is inside the box, including a Type C data cable if Wi-Fi isn’t available.

(Image credit: Future) Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam: Performance

Specification was left a little bit wanting on the original incarnation of this design, and i's in this department where the real improvements have been made. Vantrue has upped the quality of the innards, with 4K 3840 x 2160p 30fps footage now delivered very nicely by the Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 sensor. The F1.8 lens and 158-degree wide-angle field of view captures impressive coverage of the road ahead, and I found little to grumble about during everyday use.

(Image credit: Future)

The addition of the polarizing filter is useful, and it did seem to keep glare to a minimum, and VanTrue’s PlatePix software seems quite good at boosting the definition of license plates and the like. Similarly impressive results were recorded after dark, so I do think this model is a solid all-rounder, and clearly an improvement over the original model – and it can be purchased for roughly the same price.

(Image credit: Future)

Vantrue is a past master at delivering great app support, and that’s very much the case here. As this model shoots 4K there is a little more to think about in terms of file management, although the up-to 1TB microSD card option takes the pressure off a lot. That capacity can handle up to 66 hours of footage, plus the loop recording can be adjusted in 1-, 2-, or 3-minute segments. There is also the appeal of Wi-Fi transfer; otherwise the Vantrue E1 Pro supports what is fairly standard 5G, or cable transfer if that’s preferred.

Should you buy the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You bought the original version
The Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam is a genuine improvement over the original model, and feels like much better value for money with its beefier spec.

Compact design is a must-have
One of the most appealing aspects of the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam is its compact form factor, which is ideally suited for vehicles with a smaller windshield area.

Capturing details is a crucial requirement
Vantrue makes much of its PlatePix software, and alongside the polarizing filter and better sensor does deliver more detailed footage.

Don't buy it if...

You need a more manageable form factor
Be warned: the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam is quite a compact model, and using it might be a challenge for anyone with chunky digits.

You need a rear-view solution too
This model is designed to run solo, which means there's no option for connecting a rearward-facing camera for a complete solution.

You aren’t too bothered about 4K appeal
Having the beefier-quality video produced by the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam is a real plus, but cheaper alternatives are plentiful if you’re not bothered about this.

How I tested the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam

• I installed the dash cam into a test car for an initial period of two weeks
• I used it for various journeys during the day and at night
• I connected it to my phone and downloaded recordings for comparison

After receiving my review loan unit, I fitted the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam to a family-sized car using the supplied cable and powered it via the 12V socket. The camera was fitted with a 128GB microSD card, which allowed me to test the reliability of recording 4K files to media. The resulting data was also shared to my phone, with files being managed by the VanTrue app on an Apple iPhone, along with cable transfer for good measure.

One of the very useful features of the Vantrue E1 Pro Dash Cam is the mounting bracket, which allowed me to remove it whenever needed and click it back into place just as quickly. Although I wasn’t able to hard-wire this model into my test vehicle, I have every reason to expect the optional parking monitoring features to function just as well as everything else.

• First reviewed April 2025

It's been almost 30 years since an NFL player played a true two-way season. Heisman winner Travis Hunter could be the next — but first, he has to be selected in the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday.

(Image credit: From left: James Gilbert/Getty Images, Christian Petersen/Getty Images, Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A rural Minnesota town is home to the biggest tech giant you've never heard of. Now it's riding out an unprecedented kind of storm.

(Image credit: Dan Koeck for NPR)

The number of American children and teenagers in juvenile detention has sharply declined over the last few decades, but as overall numbers decrease, data shows Black and Native American youth are far more likely to be incarcerated than white children.

(Image credit: Stephen Smith)

Welcome to our liveblog for Adobe Max London 2025. The 'creativity conference', as Adobe calls it, is where top designers and photographers show us how they're using the company's latest tools. But it's also where Adobe reveals the new features it's bringing to the likes of Photoshop, Firefly, Lightroom and more – and that's what we've rounded up in this live report direct from the show.

The Adobe Max London 2025 keynote kicked off at 5am ET / 10am BST / 7pm ACT. You can re-watch the livestream on Adobe's websiteand also see demos from the show floor on the Adobe Live YouTube channel.But we're also at the show in London and will be bringing you all of the news and our first impressions direct from the source.

Given Adobe has been racing to add AI features to its apps to compete with the likes of ChatGPT, Midjourney and others, that was understandably a big theme of the London edition of Adobe Max – which is a forerunner of the main Max show in LA that kicks off on October 28.

Here were all of the biggest announcements from Adobe Max London 2025...

The latest news

• Adobe has announced the new Firefly Boards in public beta
• New AI tool for moodboarding lets you use non-Adobe AI models
• Firefly has also been updated with the new Image Model 4

Welcome to Adobe Max London 2025

(Image credit: Future)

Good morning from London, where it's a classic grey April start. We're outside the Adobe Max London 2025 venue in Greenwich where there'll be a bit more color in the keynote that kicks off in about 15 minutes.

It's going to be fascinating to see how Adobe bakes more AI-powered tools into apps like Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro and Firefly, without incurring the wrath of traditional fans who feel their skills are being sidelined by some of these new tricks.

So if, like me, you're a longtime Creative Cloud user, it's going to be essential viewing...

We're almost ready for kick off

(Image credit: Future)

We've taken our spot in the Adobe Max London 2025 venue. As predicted, it's looking a bit more colorful in here than the grey London skies outside.

You can watch the keynote live on the Adobe Max London website,but we'll be bringing you all of the news and our early reactions here – starting in just a few minutes...

And we're off

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's David Wadhwani (Senior VP and general manager of Adobe's Digital Media business) is now on stage talking about the first Max event in London last year – and the early days of Photoshop.

Interestingly, he's talking about the early worries that "digital editing would kill creativity", before Photoshop became mainstream. Definite parallels with AI here...

Jumping forward to Firefly

(Image credit: Future)

We're now talking Adobe Firefly, which is evolving fast – Adobe is calling it the "all-in-one app for ideation" with generative AI.

Adobe has just announced a new Firefly Image Model 4, which seems to be particularly focused on "greater photo realism".

A demo is showing some impressive, hyper-realistic portrait results, with options to tweak the lighting and more. Some photographers may not be happy with how easy this is becoming, but it looks handy for planning shoots.

Firefly's video powers are evolving

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's Kelly Hurlburt is showing off Firefly's text-to-video powers now – you can start with text or your own sample image.

It's been trained on Adobe Stock, so is commercially viable in theory. Oh, and Adobe has just mentioned that Firefly is coming to iOS and Android, so to keep an eye out for that "in the next few months".

Firefly Boards is a new feature

(Image credit: Adobe)

We're now getting out first look at Firefly Boards, which is out now in public beta.

It's basically an AI-powered moodboarding tool, where you add some images for inspiration then hit 'generate' to see some AI images in a film strip.

A remix feature lets you merge images together and then get a suggested prompt, if you're not sure what to type. It's collaborative too, so co-workers can chuck their ideas onto the same board. Very cool.

You can use non-Adobe AI models too

(Image credit: Adobe)

Interestingly, in Firefly Boards you can also use non-Adobe models, like Google Imagen. These AI images can then sit alongside the ones you've generated with Firefly.

That will definitely broaden its appeal a lot. On the other hand, it also slightly dilutes Adobe's approach to strictly using generative AI that's been trained on Stock images with a known origin.

Adobe addresses AI concerns

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's David Wadhwani is back on stage now to calm some of the recent concerns that have understandably surfaced about AI tools.

He's reiterating that Firefly models are "commercially safe", though this obviously doesn't include the non-Adobe models you can use in the new Firefly Boards.

Adobe has also again promised that "your content will not be used to train generative AI". That includes images and videos generated by Adobe's models and also third-party ones in Firefly Boards.

That won't calm everyone's concerns about AI tools, but it makes sense for Adobe to repeat it as a point-of-difference from its rivals.

We're talking new Photoshop features now

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's Paul Trani (Creative Cloud Evangelist, what a job title that is) is on stage now showing some new tools for Photoshop.

Naturally, some of these are Firefly-powered, including 'Composition Reference' in text-to-image, which lets you use a reference image to generate new assets. You can also generate videos too, which isn't something Photoshop is traditionally known for.

The new 'Adjust colors' also looks a handy way to tweak hue, saturation and more, and I'm personally quite excited about the improved selection tools, which automatically pick out specific details like a person's hair.

But the biggest new addition for Photoshop newbies is probably the updated 'Actions panel' (now in beta). You can use natural language like 'increase saturation' and 'brighten the image' to quickly make edits.

(Image credit: Future) Illustrator is next, homies!

(Image credit: Future)

It's Illustrator's turn for the spotlight now, with Michael Fugoso (Senior Design Evangelist) – the London audience doesn't know quite what to do with his impressive enthusiasm and 'homies' call-outs.

The headlines are a speed boost (it's apparently now up to five times faster, presumably depending on your machine) and, naturally, some new Firefly-powered tools like 'Text to Pattern' and, helpfully, generative expand (in beta from today).

Because you can never have enough fonts, there's also apparently 1,500 new fonts in Illustrator. That'll keep your designer friends happy.

(Image credit: Future) Premiere Pro gets some useful upgrades

(Image credit: Future)

AI is supposed to be saving us from organizational drudgery, so it's good to see Adpbe highlighting some of the new workflow benefits in Premiere Pro.

Kelly Weldon (Senior Experience Designer) is showing the app's improved search experience in the app, which lets you type in specifics like "brown hat" to quickly find clips.

But there are naturally some generative AI tricks, too. 'Generative Extend' is now available in 4K, letting you extend a scene in both horizontal and vertical video – very handy, particularly for fleshing out b-roll.

Captions have also been given a boost, with the most useful trick being Caption Translation – it instantly creates captions in 25 languages.

Even better, you can use it to automatically translate voiceovers – that takes a bit longer to generate, but will be a big boost for YouTube channels with multi-national audiences.

A fresh look at Photoshop on iPhone

(Image credit: Future)

It's now time for a run-through of Photoshop on iPhone, which landed last month – Adobe says an Android version will arrive "early this Summer".

There doesn't appear to be anything new here, which isn't surprising as the app's only about a month old.

The main theme is the desktop-level tools like generative expand and adjustment layers – although you can read our first impressions of the app for our thoughts on what it's still missing.

'Created without generative AI'

This is interesting – Adobe's free graphics editor Fresco now has a new “created without generative AI" tag, which you can include in the image’s Content Credentials to help protect your rights (in theory). That label could become increasingly important, and popular, and in the years ahead.

Lightroom masks get better

(Image credit: Future)

One of the most popular new tricks on smartphones is removing distractions from your images – see 'Clean Up' in Apple Intelligence on iPhones and Samsung's impressive Galaxy AI (which we recently pitted against each other).

If you don't have one of those latest smartphones, Lightroom on mobile can also do something similar with 'generative remove' – that isn't new, but from the demos it looks like Adobe has given it a Firefly-powered boost.

But the new feature I'm most looking forward to is 'Select Landscape' in desktop Lightroom and Lightroom Classic. It goes beyond 'Select Sky' to automatically create masks for different parts of your landscape scene for local edits – I can see that being a big time-saver.

A new tool to stop AI stealing your work

(Image credit: Future)

This will be one of the biggest headlines from Max London 2025 – Adobe has launched a free Content Authenticity web app in public beta, which has a few tricks to help protect your creative works.

The app can apply invisible metadata, baked into the pixels so it works even with screenshotting, to any work regardless of which tool or app you've used to make it. You can add all kinds of attribution data, including your websites or social accounts, and can prove your identity using LinkedIn verification. It can also describe how an image has been altered (or not).

But perhaps the most interesting feature is a check box that says “I request that generative AI models not use my content". Of course, that only works if AI companies respect those requests when training models, which remains to be seen – but it's another step in the right direction.

A 'creative civil war'

(Image credit: Future)

The YouTuber Brandon Baum is on stage now talking (at some considerable length) about what he's calling the "creative civil war" of AI.

The diatribe is dragging on a bit and he may love James Cameron a bit too much, but there are some fair historical parallels – like Tron once being disqualified from the 'best special effects' Oscars because using computers was considered 'cheating', and Netflix once being disqualified from the Oscars.

You wouldn't expect anything less than a passionate defense of AI tools at an Adobe conference, and it probably won't go down well with what he calls creative "traditionalists". But AI is indeed all about tools – and Adobe clearly wants to make sure the likes of OpenAI doesn't steal its lunch.

That's a wrap

(Image credit: Adobe)

That's it for the Adobe Max London 2025 keynote – which contained enough enthusiasm about generative AI to power North Greenwich for a year or so. If you missed the news, we've rounded it all up in our guide to the 5 biggest new tools for Photoshop, Firefly, Premiere Pro and more.

The standout stories for me were Firefly Boards (looking forward to giving that a spin for brainstorming soon), the new Content Authenticity Web app (another small step towards protecting the work of creatives) and, as a Lightroom user, that app's new 'Select Landscape' masks.

We'll be getting involved in the demos now and bringing you some of our early impressions, but that's all from Max London 2025 for now – thanks for tuning in.

One of the oldest no-code app builders, Bubble can help you build web and mobile apps without writing a single line of code. Bubble provides a comprehensive point-and-click visual development environment, where users can design interfaces, set up workflows, and create databases, without writing any code.

In this review, we'll examine the features of Bubble, its user interface, ease of use, integration and extensibility, deployment and maintenance options, pricing, documentation, and how it compares to its peers..

Bubble: Features

Bubble AI is one of the platforms’ most interesting features. You can use it to create a blueprint for an app, and then review its features, and refine it as per your needs. It’ll then generate the app, which you can then customize using the UI builder.

To design the app you can drag-and-drop UI elements into the canvas and arrange them as required. The platform gives you access to a wide range of pre-built UI elements, such as buttons, input forms, and containers like popups, which can all be customized to match your apps’ look and feel.

Best of all, you can also arrange elements responsively for various screen sizes to ensure your app has a consistent user experience across devices.

(Image credit: Bubble)

Then there’s Bubble’s marketplace, which offers a wide range of both free and paid plugins that can help you extend the functionality of your app. You can use the plugins to integrate with popular services such as payment gateways, analytics tools, communication platforms, log in services, and more.

Similarly, the marketplace also hosts lots of free and paid templates for pre-built apps that you can use as starting points.

Bubble also has an AI page creator that can generate pages for your apps based on a description or prompt. This is meant to simplify the process of creating common page types, such as landing pages, forms, and dashboards, which you can then tweak to meet your requirements.

In addition to the apps’ UI, you can also use Bubble to visually define actions that occur when specific events are triggered in the app, such as a button click. Bubble also has a flexible database management system that you can easily connect with your app, and manage, via a graphical interface.

Bubble: Interface and Ease of Use

Bubble’s interface is pretty intuitive for anyone who has worked with no-code tools before. All of its interfaces, including the UI builder, the workflow editor, and others are logically organized and easily navigable.

The platform’s app design interface includes a canvas where you can drag-and-drop all kinds of elements and components to create the layout of your app. Additionally, you also have the ability to group the various elements, adjust their spacing, and more.

On the left of the canvas are its various sections, led by the Design section that houses all options to help you create and arrange UI elements. Then there’s the Workflow section where you define how your app reacts to user interactions, like button clicks, by setting up a sequence of actions that Bubble will perform in response to those events.

There’s also the Data section where you can define how your app accepts data from the user, and manage the database. Another important section is the Plugins section from where you can browse, install, and tweak add-ons to extend your app’s functionality.

(Image credit: Bubble)

Together with the ready-made templates for all kinds of use cases, and the AI app and page builders, Bubble offers enough to help ease users into the platform.

That said, first timers may find the sheer number of options in the designer a little overwhelming. So while you can get started with your app rather quickly, it might take you some time and effort before you can utilize the platform's full potential.

Bubble: Integration and Extensibility

One of Bubble’s USPs is its extensive integration and extensibility options. We’ve already mentioned its extensive marketplace of pre-built plugins. The platform can also integrate with AI tools such as ChatGPT, and DALL-E, and you can go further by integrating it with dozens of popular apps thanks to Zapier.

The platform also offers several extensibility options for advanced users. For starters, you’ll appreciate its API connector that allows you to interface with external systems by connecting your app to any JSON or XML-based API.

The API Connector also supports various authentication methods like OAuth2. You can also go beyond the platform’s capabilities by integrating custom JavaScript code to extend your app.

(Image credit: Bubble)

In terms of extensibility, Bubble's database is also quite flexible and supports custom data types and fields. This makes it fairly straightforward to create complex data structures and relationships, and tailor the app to fit your unique requirements.

And while Bubble can’t create native mobile apps yet, several users have used tools like Phonegap and GoNative to turn Bubble web apps into native apps.

Bubble: Deployment and Maintenance

Deploying apps created with Bubble is straightforward.

You can preview your app at any time to ensure everything works properly. Once you're satisfied, you can then deploy the app to a Bubble-provided domain, or to a custom domain from a third-party domain registrar like GoDaddy, in a couple of clicks.

The platform uses Cloudflare Content Delivery Network (CDN) for all apps to ensure your apps can be accessed quickly from anywhere in the world.

In terms of scaling, when your app starts grabbing eyeballs, Bubble can increase traffic and data storage needs as required. You can ask the platform to do this automatically, which shields against sudden spikes in traffic, and is perhaps more suitable for large-scale apps. You can also scale manually for better control and to keep costs in check.

Like all good app builders, Bubble also has a version control system that you can use to track revisions. It’ll help you make and test changes in a development version of the app, and then deploy them to its live instance without much effort.

(Image credit: Bubble)

You can also use Bubble to connect with popular analytics tools to track visits to your apps and get all kinds of insights. The platform also keeps detailed logs of every action performed within your app to help you track user interactions, and more. You can essentially use these logs to identify potential issues and troubleshoot problems.

Bubble: Pricing and Documentation

Bubble offers a tiered pricing model to suit different needs.

The free plan is good to learn the ropes and familiarize yourself with the platform. Its paid plans start at $29/month for the Starter Plan that’s meant for individual developers, followed by the $119/month Growth Plan for building complex apps, and the $349/month Team Plan for larger businesses.

To publish your app you’ll need to subscribe to one of the paid plans, all of which also offer the option to deploy to a custom domain. The paid plans also offer security features, and can handle more traffic. Starting with the Growth Plan you also get the ability to collaborate on the apps with more than one user.

The platform has a lot of learning resources. There are written tutorials, step-by-step guides, and video walkthroughs that’ll help new users through their journey of getting oriented with the platform, to building complex apps.

Then there’s Bubble’s Academy that offers structured courses for everyone from beginners to experienced campaigners. The platform also points to various other community built learning resources, both free and paid.

Talking of community, Bubble’s community-supported forum is the primary outlet for dispensing help and support.

Bubble: The Competition

Bubble goes up against several other no-code platforms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

For instance, Adalo can create both web and mobile apps, and offers a more streamlined experience for creating native mobile apps. However, developers often cite it as being less versatile than Bubble when it comes to creating web apps.

Similarly, there’s Thunkable that you can use to build native mobile apps. However, it too lacks Bubble’s comprehensive web app capabilities. That said, both Adalo and Thunkable have a less steep learning curve than Bubble.

Then there’s Glide that can create web and mobile apps from your existing data. While it is often cited as being simpler to use than Bubble, it doesn’t offer the same flexibility and scalability that you get with Bubble, especially when it comes to complex apps.

Bubble: Final Verdict

Bubble offers all the features you’d expect from a no-code platform to create everything from simple to complex apps. It has intuitive point-and-click interfaces, and also caters to advanced users who want to extend their apps through API integrations, and custom code.

Bubble primarily focuses on web app development, and while it can be used to create mobile-friendly apps, they are essentially web apps optimized for mobile browsers. However, its developers have announced that you’ll soon be able to use Bubble to create native mobile apps as well.

All things considered, Bubble stands out for its versatility and depth, and is a good option especially for those looking to create complex and scalable apps.

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Lovable is a relatively new entrant in the rapidly expanding field of no-code platforms that help businesses spin up all kinds of apps without writing a single line of code.

In this review, we will explore Lovable’s features, interface and ease of use, integration and extensibility, deployment and maintenance, pricing, documentation, and how it stands in comparison to its competition.

Lovable: Features

One of the main reasons for Lovable’s growing popularity is its AI app builder.

You describe your app idea in natural language, which the platform will use to create a fully functional app for you. The AI prompt can be as simple as “Create a login page” to something more complex like “Can you build me a CRM app and hook it up to a database, along with an authentication system that allows users to sign up, and log in.”

Once you enter the prompt, Lovable’s AI builder will generate the app’s user interface (UI), along with the backend, complete with the necessary database tables, forms to input customer details, and even set up functionality for viewing, editing, and deleting customer records.

(Image credit: Lovable)

Going one step ahead, you can also use the AI to further edit and refine your app by describing changes to the AI.

Besides AI, Lovable also offers an array of pre-built templates that you can use as starting points to speed up the development process. These templates cover a wide range of application types, such as marketplaces, CRMs, analytics, cryptocurrency trading, and more.

This is especially helpful if you are a green horn developer, and don’t have a clear idea for the app, or someone who wants to roll out apps quickly.

On the backend, Lovable relies on Supabase, which is an open source alternative to Google’s Firebase platform. It’ll help you add databases, authentication services, and other backend functionalities, to your apps.

You can also hook Lovable to your GitHub, and it’ll transfer your project's code to your GitHub repository for two-way sync of edits. This means the platform will be aware of any manual commits you make in the repo, and roll them into the app on its own. This functionality is somewhat unique, as most other no-code platforms just hold on to the code.

If you don’t have a GitHub repo, you can also view, and even edit the code in Lovable itself.

Lovable: Interface and Ease of Use

Lovable has a simple dashboard with a textbox smack in the middle of the screen where you can describe your app idea.

If you’re new to building apps, Lovable suggests leveraging pre-built styles to improve your app’s appearance. Lovable points to 21st.dev where you can browse pre-built designs, and then copy its prompt into Lovable.

After you’ve described the project, Lovable will tell you how it’ll go about building the initial version of the app, describing its features, and design elements. On the right, it’ll tell you the files it’ll create, and then write the code.

When it’s done spinning up the first iteration, it’ll open it up for preview. You can then tweak the layout, and other aspects of the app via more prompts. For more control, you can even make edits to the different elements inside the app using Lovable’s Figma-like visual editor.

(Image credit: Lovable)

You can also attach images to guide the AI. For instance, you can browse the designs at Dribble, screenshot the relevant section, upload it to Lovable, and ask it to redesign the relevant section of the app based on the uploaded design.

The dashboard also gives you access to projects that other users have built. Explore a few to see how others have used the AI to refine, and fine tune their apps. You can also use one of the templates to get off the ground, and then refine it with the AI builder.

The intuitive interface makes it fairly simple to navigate through the different pages in your app. You can also easily switch between the manual edit mode, and the AI mode.

Lovable ensures the UI of your app is responsive, and works well on both desktops and mobile devices. You can easily toggle between web, and mobile views to visualize how your app looks across different screen sizes.

Very helpfully the platform also lets you define global styles by adding a system prompt in the project settings’ Knowledge field, such as “make sure all buttons have rounded corners.” From then on, everytime you ask Lovable to add a button, the AI builder will ensure it adheres to this predefined style.

Lovable: Integration and Extensibility

Lovable leverages popular tools and frameworks such as React, Tailwind CSS, and the Vite JavaScript build tool to optimize frontend performance. This helps ensure your app adheres to industry best practices.

As we’ve mentioned before, Lovable natively integrates with Supabase for backend database capabilities, and more. Supabase can also handle things like user authentication, and supports several authentication providers, from plain email signups, to Google logins, and more.

One way to extend your app, is to ask Lovable AI to modify the database to connect the frontend UI to the backend, for instance, to create and save login details. Based on this information, Lovable will then automatically create the appropriate tables as required, and it’ll write the SQL for you.

(Image credit: Lovable)

You can also instruct Lovable to integrate payment gateways, social media APIs, or data analytics tools directly into your project. Simply ask the AI to "help me integrate Stripe into my app," and then follow its instructions to implement the integration, which basically involves handing it your API keys.

Remember however, Stripe integration doesn’t work in the preview. To test the integration, make sure to first deploy your app. Also refer to the platform’s documentation to see how to make test payments using dummy card details.

If you are looking for something more than simple payments, for instance, subscriptions and role-based access based on payment tiers, Lovable recommends using Supabase.

Besides Stripe, Supabase, and GitHub, Lovable also has a list of over a dozen verified integrations that work well with the platform. These include OpenAI, Anthropic, Replicate, Highcharts, p5.js, Clerk, and more.

Then there are several other unverified integrations, which will work with the platform, but might make you jump through more hoops. There’s Perplexity, Zapier, Google Workspace, Notion, Calendly, SendGrid, Ticketmaster, and others.

Lovable: Deployment and Maintenance

Deploying and maintaining apps built on Lovable is pretty straightforward as well.

After you’ve built and previewed your app, essentially all it takes to deploy it is a single click. By default, your Lovable app is accessible via a Lovable subdomain, but you can also connect it to any custom domain you own.

You can maintain, and debug your apps using the Lovable AI. For most issues, the platform will give you a “Try to fix” button that will automatically solve many issues for you. If that doesn’t work, you can describe the error in detail to the AI, and ask it for directions.

(Image credit: Lovable)

One of the best things about Lovable is that it actively monitors your code, and might recommend refactoring your code to make it more scalable, and easier to maintain.

The platform also includes built-in version control, which allows you to track changes, bookmark important versions, and roll back to previous versions, without much effort. This makes it easier to track, and review your progress, and undo any mistakes.

Lovable: Pricing and Documentation

Lovable has a tiered pricing plan, starting with a free tier with limited functionality, followed by several paid plans that offer more features and higher usage limits.

For instance, on the free plan, you can prompt the AI five times/day, with a total limit of 30 messages/month.

The Starter plan costs $20/month and increases this to 100 messages a month, with no daily caps. The Launch plan at $50/month bumps this up to 250 messages, while with the $100/month Scale1 plan you get 500 messages/month, but can pay more for additional messages. All paid plans also enable you to publish your app on custom domains.

Lovable handholds you through a series of illustrated introductory documentation, quick start guides, and video tutorials. They cover everything from helping you write the right AI prompts, to fleshing out your apps by integrating them with Supabase, Stripe, and other verified and unverified services.

You can take your queries to Lovable’s Discord community, while paid users also get access to premium support options.

Lovable: The competition

Lovable shares the space with other AI-assisted no-code app builders.

For instance, Bubble, one of the popular platforms, too has an AI builder, but it places a 300 characters limit to the prompts. Bubble is often touted as a good option for building complex apps, as it offers greater flexibility, but has a steeper learning curve.

Then there’s Softr, which again places a 200 characters limit on its prompts. It’s very user friendly as well, though it might fall short for those of you who need deep customization, and control over their apps.

(Image credit: Lovable)

Hostinger has also recently ventured into the no-code space with their Horizons tool. Just like with Lovable, you can use Horizons to build, edit, and enhance your apps just by using AI. However, Horizons is still under active development, and doesn’t offer all the features, and conveniences you get with Lovable.

Lovable: Final Verdict

Lovable’s extensive use of AI for everything from creating the app, to adding new functionality, and debugging, makes it one of the best no-code platforms for anyone who’s new to building apps.

You’ll have to hone your prompt writing skills to get the most out of the platform, especially if you are on the lower tiers of its paid plans. Based on the list of featured projects, it appears the platform can manage rather complex workflows, which is a definite plus.

All things considered, Lovable’s user-friendly interface, integration capabilities, and extensibility, make it a compelling option for anyone looking to build apps in record time.

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