Today’s remote work ecosystem has been flooded with video conference solutions, some of which are fantastically innovative and some of which are Zoom. uRLive belongs firmly in the former camp.

uRLive, a lightweight video call service, is basically like FaceTime for everyone. To use it, you simply click a link generated by another uRLive user–a link that functions much like an individual phone number, according to the creators–and you are instantly connected to that person via video call.

The main selling point of uRLive is its portability and general lack of software use. You don’t have to download an app, spend 10 minutes setting up and verifying account details, and then finagle a meeting time that uses your current email address, a one-time password, a lock of hair, and your exact GPS coordinates all to tell your boss that you’re doing what you’re supposed to; you simply click a link and the meeting sorts itself out.

This magical link can, of course, be shared at your discretion; however, it can also be embedded on your website or included on a digital resume, making it a stand-out way for clients or customers to reach out to you in a meaningful way.

uRLive is also the answer to the age-old problem of having to guide people through setting up a Skype (or Zoom, pick your poison) account because they “never thought to set one up before,” thus adding a substantial time sink to your meeting. Instead, you can send your uRLive link to the client in question and start talking within a few seconds.

There are a few different pricing options for this service, starting at $2 per month for a personal license that gives you your own link and page. If you want more advanced features like a chat widget for your website or a scheduling bot to take care of planning out your calls for you, you’ll pay between $20 per month and $100 per month depending on your needs and whether or not you plan on using uRLive for things like your company’s communication infrastructure.

uRLive is an easy-to-use relief of a service in an industry that is quickly going stale. If you’ve been looking for an alternative to the standard video conference options, this might be it.

The next generation of drones will master the art and aerodynamics of flight with actual wings! This complex engineering feat adds both stability and an unforeseen agility to drones, which means they will be more useful than ever before.

Darting, flapping, swooping, hovering, and soaring are a few of the improved capabilities these cross-wing ornithopters have, making them far superior to the often wobblier, stiffer versions on the market now. The creators of the ornithopters used reverse engineering based on detailed observation and study of how birds move to create a winged version of the flying robot drones.

Instead of the propellers and fixed-wings used in conventional drones, these new drones flap their wings and raise their tails in order to create a forward thrust, similar to how birds and insects fly. The X-wing designs make these flying robots better at maneuvering tight spaces, giving them greater control at varying speeds.

How exactly does the X-wing design excel where other flapping-wing designs have failed? The inventors form a team of researchers from Singapore, Australia, China, and Taiwan. In a recent Science Robotics magazine article, they explain:

“One difference is that our ornithopters make use of the “clap and fling” effect. The two pairs of wings flap such that they meet, like hands clapping. This makes enough extra thrust to lift their body weight when hovering.”

The ornithopters have control over nose and tail as well, and can quickly change from moving horizontally to moving vertically. They also use up to 40% less energy to run, and can be flown like a regular plane, or hover like an existing drone in order to conserve even more energy. Because of the greater control and increased capabilities of these drones, they also have more uses including being safe enough to fly inside.

One of the researchers responsible for creating this ornithopter, Lau Gih-Keong, an associate professor in mechanical engineering at Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University, spoke to CNN about specific future uses of these flying machines. The new drones can be used to maneuver in and out of nearly inaccessible, tight spaces. For example, they can easily fly in and out of a ventilation duct, where regular inspections are difficult but essential to system upkeep.

If you want to see how these next gen drones work, The Conversation published three videos of these marvels in motion. They look small, about the size of a hummingbird or even a large, flying insect. One can only imagine their potential after seeing how agile they are. In that same article, the researchers have said they will continue to refine and develop these and newer drones, based on the evolution of birds.

Taking notes is a process that has evolved substantially to fit individuals and has stayed relatively static in overall execution. It may be surprising, then, for us to say that a new take on note-taking is worth your immediate and full attention–but that’s exactly the case.

Relanote is a fresh entry in the arguably oversaturated “Notepad” app category. All of the features you’d expect in a minimalist note-taking app are there–encryption, note sharing, a free version, access across the four main computer and mobile platforms–but what makes it truly interesting is its hierarchical system of organization.

Somewhat like Slack, Relanote allows you to tag other notes by using the “@” symbol, and you can classify your notes by using hashtags within them. This is a super simple but effective way to organize, find, and utilize your notes without having to do any kind of copying and pasting, split window view, or swiping back and forth.

Once you’ve tagged a note in another note, you can zoom out to see how the two (or more) notes connect to each other in a visual “graph” that displays each of your tagged notes in a web. You can even filter different tags on the graph so that any irrelevant information is left out when looking for something specific.

The app also has a file-and-folder storage option to help organize your notes in a “physical” manner. “By leveraging the power of both methods, Relanote adapts to your way of thinking,” Relanote’s product page claims.

Relanote outlines quite a few upcoming features on their website, some of which include importing, exporting, themes, and templates for your notes. If you’d like to access these features, you’ll need to upgrade to the pro version ($4 per month) or the team version ($9 per month). However, Relanote makes it clear that the core principle of their app is present in the free version–and that’s enough to get you started.

A note-taking app that adapts to your particular process of writing, organizing, and revising sounds like a steal, especially when you consider that the base version is free for unlimited use. Especially if you’re a visual person who’s looking for a new way to record information, Relanote is worth your time.