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Electric air taxi as quiet as a dishwasher poised to change air travel

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Electric air taxi as quiet as a dishwasher poised to change air travel

What if I told you that you could skip traffic and soar above the city in a sleek futuristic aircraft? We’re talking no traffic jams, no pollution and barely any noise? 

Sounds intriguing, right? Well, that is the promise of Supernal, the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company backed by Hyundai Motor Group.

The company has developed the S-A2, a state-of-the-art electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle that promises to revolutionize the way we travel in urban areas. Supernal believes it will set the gold standard for AAM in the future. 

I got a close-up look at it in person at the big computer electronics show, and I give it a thumbs up. So, what makes the S-A2 so special? Let’s take a closer look at some of its features and benefits.

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Kurt gives the S-A2 two thumbs up. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The air taxi’s performance and specs

One of the things that makes the S-A2 stand out from other eVTOL vehicles is its performance and specs. The S-A2 can fly fast and far, carrying up to four passengers and a pilot, while making very little noise.

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S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

The S-A2 can travel between 25 and 40 miles on a single charge, depending on the conditions and the route. It can cruise at speeds of over 120 mph, which is much faster than most cars on the road.

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S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

It can also fly at an altitude of 1,500 feet, which is high enough to avoid most obstacles and low enough to enjoy the scenery. And the best part is that the S-A2 is very quiet. It produces less than 65 decibels of noise when it hovers, and less than 45 decibels when it cruises. That’s quieter than a normal dishwasher.

S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

MORE: IS THIS HELICOPTER THAT CAN FLY ITSELF THE ANSWER TO ENDING CHOPPER CRASHES?  

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How the air taxi’s tilting rotors set it apart

One of the most remarkable aspects of the S-A2 is its eight tilting rotors, which are unique to the industry and solve a number of engineering challenges simultaneously. Each rotor can provide both vertical and horizontal thrust, allowing the vehicle to take off and land vertically like a helicopter, and fly horizontally like a plane. This gives the S-A2 more flexibility and versatility than conventional aircraft.

S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

The eight rotors also offer redundancy in all flight phases, meaning that if one or more rotors fail, the vehicle can still fly safely and land smoothly. This increases the reliability and resilience of the S-A2 and reduces the risk of accidents.

S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

Another benefit of the eight rotors is that they increase the aircraft efficiency by eliminating edgewise rotor flow and the dynamic instability that dedicated lift rotors are prone to. This means that the S-A2 can fly faster and farther while consuming less energy and producing less noise. The S-A2 is powered by all-electric motors, which equates to zero in-flight emissions and contributes to a cleaner and greener environment. The electric motors also reduce the noise level of the vehicle, making it more pleasant for both passengers and bystanders.

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S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

MORE: REVOLUTIONARY FLYING SPORTS CAR COMPLETES ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT 

Safety above all else

Supernal says safety is a design philosophy — and priority — that runs through every feature of the S-A2. The vehicle is built to meet global aviation safety standards for operation in markets around the world and to comply with the regulations and requirements of different authorities and jurisdictions.

S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

The S-A2 is also certified for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), which means that it can operate safely at night and in poor visibility conditions, such as fog, rain or snow. This increases the uptime and availability of the vehicle and expands the range of scenarios and situations where it can be used.

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Also, the S-A2 is built with multi-system redundancies, which means that it has backup systems for critical functions, such as navigation, communication, power and control. This ensures that the vehicle can cope with any unexpected failures or malfunctions, and maintain a high level of safety and performance.

S-A2 electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. (Supernal)

MORE: WHAT’S NEXT FOR TECH IN 2024

When will the air taxi be available?

Supernal says it is working towards meeting the highest standards of aviation safety for its S-A2 and lowering production costs before launching it in 2028.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Supernal’s S-A2 is pretty impressive and offers a lot of advantages over traditional modes of transportation. It’s fast, quiet, reliable and green. I had the opportunity to see the S-A2 up close at the big computer electronics show, and I was blown away by its design and performance. The S-A2 could just be the future of urban mobility, and I’m excited to see it come to cities around the country in the future.

What do you think about air taxis like the S-A2? Would you ride in one when they become available? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

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Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Amazon.com says things are fixed after some issues with logging in and checking out

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Amazon.com says things are fixed after some issues with logging in and checking out

If you were having issues shopping on Amazon or loading your playlists on Amazon Music on Thursday, you weren’t alone. For over three hours today, Downdetector showed a sizable spike in people reporting issues with checkout, search, and logging in. The problem seemed to be affecting both the site and the mobile apps. But an Amazon spokesperson tells The Verge that the issues are now fixed.

“We’re sorry that some customers may have temporarily experienced issues while shopping,” Amazon spokesperson Jennie Bryant says in a statement. “We have resolved the issue, which was related to a software code deployment, and website and app are now running smoothly.”

Several Verge staffers experienced issues themselves when there were problems. Clicking through to many products produced a “sorry, something went wrong” error, and even pages that did load were not showing pricing. Users reported being repeatedly logged out of their accounts when trying to check out or load their cart. Even the parts of Amazon.com that were working seem to be loading slowly.

The company has been dealing with AWS outages in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates due to drone strikes by the Iranian military, but there has not been any word of more widespread outages in the US or elsewhere.

Update March 5th: Added comment from Amazon saying that things are fixed.

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$163K in fake medical bill charges; AI uncovers it for you

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3K in fake medical bill charges; AI uncovers it for you

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Last summer, a man’s brother-in-law suffered a fatal heart attack. The hospital bill for four hours of emergency care: $195,628.

The man’s sister-in-law was ready to pay it. He asked her to wait. He requested an itemized bill with CPT codes, the universal billing codes hospitals use, and fed the whole thing into Claude, an AI chatbot.

Within minutes, Claude found duplicate charges, services billed as “inpatient” even though the patient was never admitted, supply costs inflated by 500% to 2,300% above Medicare rates and charges for procedures that never happened. He cross-checked with ChatGPT. Both AIs agreed. He wrote a six-page letter citing every violation by name.

The hospital dropped the bill to $33,000. An 83% reduction. Zero medical training. A $20 app.

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A man cross-checked a hospital bill with AI and got it reduced by some 83%. (Neil Godwin/Getty Images)

Your bill is probably wrong, too

That story sounds extreme. It’s not.

The Medical Billing Advocates of America estimates 3 out of 4 medical bills contain errors. The average hospital bill over $10,000 has roughly $1,300 in mistakes. And less than 1% of denied insurance claims are ever appealed. Hospitals and insurers are banking on the fact that you won’t check.

AI flips that equation. You don’t need to understand CPT codes or have a medical billing degree. You just need to paste.

You can use AI platforms, like ChatGPT, to spot errors or suspicious charges on medical bills. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The 5-minute audit

Step 1: Call your provider and request an itemized bill with CPT codes. Not the summary. The full line-by-line breakdown. You’re legally entitled to this.

Step 2: Open ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or Gemini (free versions work) and paste this:

“I’m pasting my itemized medical bill below. Please: (1) Explain every charge in plain English, (2) Flag any duplicate or suspicious charges, (3) Compare each charge to average costs, (4) Identify billing code errors or bundling violations, and (5) Draft a dispute letter I can send to the billing department. Here’s my bill:”

Step 3: Paste your bill. The AI will translate every line and tell you what looks wrong.

WOMAN SAYS CHATGPT SAVED HER LIFE BY HELPING DETECT CANCER, WHICH DOCTORS MISSED

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If the AI finds errors, call the billing department and ask for a supervisor. (iStock)

Step 4: If the AI finds errors (it probably will), call the billing department and ask for a supervisor. Reference the specific codes. Hospitals resolve disputes all the time when patients show up prepared.

Pro tip: Counterforce Health (counterforcehealth.org) is a free AI tool built specifically for insurance denial appeals. Worth bookmarking.

It’s time to give your medical bills a thorough examination. The AI will see you now.

Real talk. Everybody’s talking about AI. Nobody’s showing you what to actually DO with it. My new free newsletter, Splash of AI (SplashofAI.com), gives you one trick, one tool and one “wait, I can do THAT?” moment every single week. Five minutes. Plain English. The kind of stuff that saves you time, money or both. You’ll wonder how you got by without it.

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Send this to someone who is staring at a medical bill they can’t make sense of. Forward this right now. Seriously. This could save them hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and it takes less time than making coffee.

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Meta’s AI glasses reportedly send sensitive footage to human reviewers in Kenya

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Meta’s AI glasses reportedly send sensitive footage to human reviewers in Kenya

Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses could be sending sensitive footage to human reviewers in Nairobi, Kenya, according to an investigation by the Swedish outlets Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten. The report, which was published last week, claims Meta contractors in Kenya have seen videos captured with the smart glasses that show “bathroom visits, sex and other intimate moments.”

So far, at least one proposed class action lawsuit accusing Meta of violating false advertising and privacy laws has emerged in response to Svenska Dagbladet’s reporting, citing the company’s claim that its smart glasses are designed for privacy:

By affirmatively claiming that the Glasses were designed to protect privacy, Meta assumed a duty to disclose material facts that would inform a reasonable consumer’s decision to purchase the product. Instead, Meta hid the alarming reality: that use of the AI features results in a stranger halfway around the world watching the most private moments of a person’s life.

The Nairobi-based contractors interviewed by Svenska Dagbladet are AI annotators, meaning they label images, text, or audio, with the goal of helping AI systems make sense of the data they’re training on. “We see everything — from living rooms to naked bodies,” one worker says, according to Svenska Dagbladet. “Meta has that type of content in its databases.”

A former Meta employee reportedly tells Svenska Dagbladet that faces in annotation data are blurred automatically, though workers in Kenya say this “does not always work as intended,” and some faces are still visible. Another person reportedly tells the outlet that a wearer’s bank cards are sometimes seen in the footage they review as well.

Meta’s Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses come with a built-in AI assistant capable of answering questions about what a user can see. The glasses have soared in popularity in recent years, despite growing concerns over privacy and surveillance.

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EssilorLuxottica, the eyewear giant that Meta works with to develop the camera-equipped glasses, sold over 7 million of the AI-powered glasses in 2025 — more than tripling its sales in 2023 and 2024 combined. Last year, Meta made some changes to its privacy policy that keep Meta AI with camera use enabled on your glasses “unless you turn off ‘Hey Meta.’” It also stopped allowing wearers to opt out of storing their voice recordings in the cloud.

As reported by Svenska Dagbladet, the Kenya-based AI reviewers work with transcriptions as well, ensuring Meta AI provides the correct answer to the questions users ask aloud. In a statement to The Verge, Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton says media captured by its smart glasses “stays on the user’s device” unless they choose to share it with other people or Meta.

“When people share content with Meta AI, we sometimes use contractors to review this data for the purpose of improving people’s experience, as many other companies do,” Clayton says. “We take steps to filter this data to protect people’s privacy and to help prevent identifying information from being reviewed.”

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