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It's called the StealthHawk Pro. A military-grade micro helicopter drone, barely the size of your hand. (stealth-hawkpro)

Do you hate drones that last twenty minutes and require you to change a rotor blade at the slightest brush with a tree branch? Want a drone so reliable it's been approved to protect soldiers in the field? Do you long for the days when devices were self-contained and didn't have to depend on weird apps and your phone's battery that kept draining? In this case, you can stop reading and go straight to the “How to get it” section, as no further explanation will be needed. 

You've been lugging around this heavy suitcase which, for some reason, is four times the size of the drone inside. This stupid app took forever to start working. You managed to make it fly. It flew for about 20 minutes and you think it hit a bush on the way back, but from the look of the drone, you would think it crashed into a wall.

This is called a “general public” drone. The cheap stuff that's made with the idea of saying "bad luck." You just have to buy a new one. 

But really, what can we do about it? It's not like we can get one of those super durable, super reliable drones soldiers use on the battlefield for our personal use. Is not it ? Well…


What are we talking about ?

Designed to withstand battlefield conditions, the StealthHawk Pro is a completely independent device. No need for an extra phone or app with micro transactions and ads. It's like one of those remote control helicopters you had as a kid, except this one isn't a toy. The StealthHawk Pro is a very, very powerful tool. 

Top-secret military technology made available to consumers? We had to try one...


But what makes the StealthHawk Pro so special?


Generally, the military does not like their equipment to stop working in the middle of a fight. It's pretty bad for your health. That is why they ask companies to manufacture products according to their strict specifications. We ordinary people almost never get to see these amazing pieces of technology in action, let alone use them ourselves. But not anymore.

The StealthHawk Pro is remarkably small for a drone, it can handle some of the most adverse conditions that would cause other drones to literally crash and burn on takeoff, and it does it almost completely silently. We flew it over the head of a member of our office and he didn't even notice.

More importantly, it's a military drone, which means the signal is encrypted so no one can hack into it and see your videos, and the range far exceeds that of any Bluetooth device on the market. .

Listing all the features of this incredible piece of technology would take us all day, so here are the main ones:

  • Super small and portable. It weighs less than 33 grams!
  • Day and night vision modes
  • 4K Ultra HD camera with encrypted high range wifi transmission
  • Up to 25 minutes of flight
  •  Incredibly durable. Can fly in light rain, extreme temperatures and winds up to 20 knots.
  • GPS and non-GPS vision based navigation for indoor flight.
  •  No need for a phone or app, completely autonomous device.
  • Almost completely silent
  • Encrypted signal so no one else can pirate your videos
  • Up to 2km signal range!
The military wants nothing but the cream of the crop, and the StealthHawk Pro is exactly that. While flying, one really has the impression of handling an advanced military hardware tool.

How much does the StealthHawk Pro cost?

Ok, so we can buy this great military gadget. But it's probably going to cost a price only the military can afford, right? Fake. The normal retail price of the StealthHawk Pro is just €298. But with the civilian launch of the product, the company (which has long since recouped more than its money's worth) decided to make a big splash, making it available to the public at a massive 50% discount and free shipping. free international! You can now get your StealthHawk Pro for just €149.

If you're a fan of drones, tech, military gadgets, or just want something really reliable, the StealthHawk Pro is truly one of the most impressive gadgets we've seen this year. Go buy it while it's still on sale! (stealth-hawkpro)


Illustration: Alzheimer's

 

By: Dr Stéphane Cohen*

The gradual loss of thinking skills such as memory, reasoning and psychomotor speed is a natural part of aging. However, studies such as the FINGER clinical trial have shown that it is possible to prevent cognitive decline through lifestyle improvements.

The impact of lifestyle factors on memory has been widely studied. However, previous research has typically focused on a single lifestyle factor, such as diet, physical activity, smoking, or drinking. It is important to understand the combined effect of multiple lifestyle factors on memory decline.

For this reason, Dr. Jianping Jia, Ph.D., a neurologist and professor at Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, and colleagues investigated the combined effects of six lifestyle factors on memory decline in a large study population over a 10-year period. period.

In an interview with Medical News Oil Dr. Jia said:

"Efficient strategies to protect against memory decline can benefit large numbers of older adults. Our results showed that adherence to a combination of healthy lifestyles was associated with slower memory decline in older adults, including those genetically susceptible to memory decline."

The results of the study appear in the BMJ.

Dr. Richard J. Caselli, professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic, who was not involved in the study, described the study as "well done and generally supportive of the results of studies such as the FINGER study, this time in a Chinese population. ”

Large study with a decade of follow-up
The researchers recruited 29,072 study participants from northern, southern and western China aged 60 or older with typical cognitive functions. Their average age was 72.2 years and 51.5% were male.

Genetic testing at baseline showed that 20.43% of study participants carried the APOE ε4 gene, the strongest known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

The researchers followed the participants at regular intervals over the next 10 years, in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2019.

At baseline and at each follow-up, the researchers assessed participants' memory using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), which includes the measure of immediate recall, short recall without delay (3 min later), long recall without delay (30 min later), and recognition of long delays.

Six factors of a healthy lifestyle For this study, Dr. Jia and his colleagues used US guidelines and results from previous studies to define a healthy lifestyle. They identified six factors:

  1. a healthy diet – meeting the recommended intake of at least 7 of the 12 eligible foods (fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, dairy products, salt, oil, eggs, cereals, legumes, nuts and tea)
  2. regular physical exercise – at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week
  3. Active social contact (attending meetings or parties, visiting friends or relatives, traveling and chatting online) – at least twice a week
  4. active cognitive activity (writing, reading, playing cards, mahjong and other games) – at least twice a week
  5. never smokes (participants who had smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime) or used to smoke (participants who had quit smoking at least 3 years before the study)
  6. never drank alcohol or drank occasionally

The researchers categorized the participants into groups based on their number of factors related to a healthy lifestyle:

  1. 0-1 healthy lifestyle factors = unfavorable lifestyle (6967 participants)
  2. 2-3 healthy lifestyle factors = average lifestyle (16,549 participants)
  3. 4-6 healthy lifestyle factors = favorable lifestyle (5556 participants)

A healthy lifestyle slows down memory decline

The average memory test scores of all participants declined steadily over the decade, consistent with how memory declines with age. However, the highest scores on memory tests were observed in the favorable lifestyle group and the lowest in the unfavorable lifestyle group, indicating that participants with a favorable lifestyle had a decline in memory. memory slower than those with an unfavorable lifestyle (by 0.028 point/year).

The results showed that a healthy diet had the strongest effect on memory, followed by active cognitive activity, regular physical exercise, active social contact, never having smoked or never have drunk.

This study did not identify the mechanisms responsible for modifying memory loss. However, the researchers speculated that they may include "reduced stroke risk, improved cognitive reserve, inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation, and promotion of neurotrophic factors."

Dr. Caselli told MNT that the "results echo heart-healthy behaviors (diet, exercise, non-smoking in particular), with the addition of active social and cognitive activity, [and] cardiovascular health [ …] in turn is important for our cognitive health, so whether directly or indirectly [beneficial to memory], these results seem credible and consistent with other well-conducted studies.

Dorly JH Deeg, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology of aging at the University of Amsterdam Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, also praised the study for its sample. wide and varied population and the many analyzes supporting the results.

Healthy lifestyle vs genetic risk of Alzheimer's

The APOE ε4 allele, present in 20.43% of study participants, is correlated with earlier and more rapidly progressive memory decline and represents a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

In this study, the researchers observed that a healthy lifestyle positively affected the memory of all participants, whether or not they carried the APOE ε4 allele.

“[W]e find that some people are discouraged upon finding out that they carry ε4 […] The results of this study will hopefully give these people hope that they can actively mitigate their genetic vulnerability” , said Dr. Caselli.


Limitations of the study and next steps

In their paper, Dr. Jia and his colleagues identify several study limitations, including that lifestyle factors were self-reported and therefore subject to measurement error. In addition, memory was assessed using a single neuropsychological test. They also acknowledge that the study design did not assess whether a healthy lifestyle began to affect memory before age 60.

Dr. Caselli told MNT that the possibility that some participants are in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease cannot be ruled out. "Although this required a 10-year follow-up, the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease is closer to 20 years, so things like social and cognitive activity may already begin to decline in subtle ways before 'A person with the disease at the preclinical stage only develops overt symptoms and is diagnosed with MCI [mild cognitive impairment],' he said.

In comments to MNT, Dr. Deeg pointed out that the researchers "excluded a large number of participants (30% of eligible people)". In the study document, "[t]his is described as 'under 60, declined to participate, etc.' As a reviewer, I don't think that's a satisfying explanation,” she said.

Dr Deeg told MNT that the results of observational studies such as this "should be replicated in randomized controlled trials".

“Such trials have been done – usually with a single lifestyle factor, primarily physical activity. Unfortunately, the results are not unequivocal, and a recent JAMA article showed no effect,” she added. “So we have a long way to go to find out which intervention would work and why – and for that we need to know what the underlying mechanisms of the brain are."

In a related editorial to this study, Séverine Sabia, Ph.D., research professor at Paris Cité University in France, and Archana Singh-Manoux, Ph.D., research professor at University College London recommend that future research be focus on “identifying not only the factors that matter most, but also the threshold at which they matter and the age at which intervention is likely to be most effective. (ma-clinique)

 

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp (Legion-Media)

MAXIM - On the eve of the final court hearing in the case "Depp v. Hurd" took place in Virginia. The court sided with the actor and concluded that the description of domestic violence against his ex-wife, set out in an essay for The Washington Post, was slanderous. Moreover, the judge concluded that the article was written and published with "malicious intent": Heard was well aware that this was a lie.

The actress will have to pay Depp $ 15 million: ten for damages and five punitive damages. Depp was also assigned payments: $ 2 in favor of Hurd for libel against her by lawyers. During the case, the actor's team said that the 2016 incident, when the police came to the couple's home, was an "ambush" organized by Hurd and her friends.

Johnny Depp (Legion-Media)

Both sides have already released official messages to fans and the press. “The court gave me back my life. Finally, a new chapter begins, ”Depp wrote on his social networks. Hurd, in turn, said that the reason for the defeat was the "influence" of her ex-husband: "I am even more disappointed in what this sentence means for other women." (symbol)

Amber Heard after the court session (Legion-Media)


 

Kate Middleton and Prince William with children. (Legion-Media)


Maxim - Kate Middleton is adored by fans not only for her balanced style and always impeccable images: the Duchess of Cambridge does not strive to appear in public every time in a new image, but she is always able to surprise.

The day before, at the solemn parade, which closed the series of festive events in honor of the Queen's platinum jubilee, she appeared in a bright Stella McCartney dress: less formal than the previous image for service in St. Paul's Cathedral, but similar to it in one unusual detail.

Kate invariably chooses laconic fitted styles that emphasize her slender figure. The outfit of the British designer was no exception: a fuchsia-colored dress with oblique drapery on the chest visually created a harmonious hourglass silhouette. Air sleeves gathered at the wrist added lightness to the image. (symbol).

Kate Middleton and Prince William with children. (Legion-Media)



 

Illustration.

MAXIM - While we were locked up at home, deprived of physical interactions, the digital economy has established itself as the new commercial space, on a global scale. It was therefore necessary to find solutions to meet these new challenges and electronic payment has become essential in almost all countries of the world.


Digitalization and pandemic: a favorable context

Much more than a simple technological tool, the Internet has profoundly changed consumer trends. It is no longer necessary to browse shopping malls in search of the latest trend or to queue at the checkout to satisfy your shopping desires. Today, technology is speeding up this process even further, making it possible to find and order products, all while paying with an often pre-registered card.

In 2021, e-commerce represents more than 13% of retail trade, and continues to grow, favored by repeated confinements. Companies around the world sell their products across the globe, and buyers jostle on sites and marketplaces hosted around the world.

 

Means of payment: the new challenge for merchants

Online interactions are increasing, and transactions are thus crossing physical borders. But if it is obvious in France to register your bank card on the Internet, it is a completely different reality in other countries, even bordering ones. In Germany, for example, consumers favor direct debit rather than bank cards, using solutions such as Sofort or Giropay. Similarly, buyers in Portugal mainly use Multibanco, a post-payment solution that allows them to pay for their purchases after ordering, directly from an ATM. The bank card is not a standard, and what the French will consider as the basic method of payment, will only be an alternative solution in another country, even within Europe. A company that develops online, and therefore wants to be accessible from any country, cannot therefore content itself with offering its customers the payment methods of its home market. The integration of different payment solutions is a strategic issue for merchants in a globalized world, because this diversity becomes a real asset for the competitiveness of a company.


 APIs and software integration

But integrating a payment option is not just about adding a button to the customer interface. This integration is carried out using APIs, which link the various parties involved in a transaction, namely the customer, his bank, the merchant and his bank. But this process can sometimes hurt the competitiveness of traders. Indeed, banks, being obliged to offer APIs, have generated them without always taking into account the customer experience. From their point of view, integrating payment solutions that are not or hardly present in a territory constitutes an opening to competition. They are therefore not particularly encouraged to do more than the bare minimum to develop these tools, which are essential to the fluidity of the user experience.

Faced not only with payment methods in other countries, but also with payment solutions in installments such as Alma or Klarna, the role of APIs is crucial in the payment process. In commerce, customer loyalty is the sinews of war, but a consumer who does not enjoy a satisfactory end-to-end experience is less likely to be loyal. APIs and the integration of payment solutions into them are therefore essential to the development of the digital economy.


The pandemic: vector of innovation

In this context of e-commerce growth, new players have been able to take advantage of the rigidity of the banking system in the face of the challenge of APIs. With the pandemic, the number of online sales increased sharply, by around 50% in value compared to the previous year. What has been a nightmare for many companies has turned into an opportunity for the e-commerce ecosystem. This boom has allowed companies to develop, as is the case for Stripe, a specialist in the integration of electronic payments which has taken advantage of this vacuum left by traditional players to become a leader in its field. This pandemic is a vector of innovation and strong development for the digital economy, which has accelerated the modernization of an entire ecosystem.

However, ways to connect all players in this economy have been overlooked. But not for long: today, banks and companies seem to better understand the challenge that APIs represent in these interactions. On the one hand, the priority is more on improving the customer experience, taking into account the differences between payment habits in each country, and improving connections between stakeholders. On the other hand, the monetization of APIs has become a hot topic, as this technological tool has become essential. It's a safe bet that banking players have not said their last word, and intend to exploit all the opportunities presented by the digital economy.