Technology
eVTOL prototype promises 150 mph city-to-city hops
Vertical Aerospace, a U.K.-based company in the aerospace industry, has recently unveiled its latest full-scale eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) prototype, the VX4.
This development marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey toward creating sustainable urban air mobility solutions.
The VX4 is the most advanced eVTOL aircraft developed by Vertical Aerospace, featuring proprietary technology and components from strategic partners.
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VX4 prototype (Vertical Aerospace)
The technology behind VX4
The VX4 is an eVTOL UAM (urban air mobility) aircraft designed to carry one pilot and four passengers. It features a cruise speed of 150 mph and a range of 100 miles, making it ideal for quick urban commutes. The aircraft can handle a payload of 992 pounds and is supported by eight low-noise propellers and eight electric motors.
Large windows and a skylight enhance the passenger experience, providing spectacular views during flight. The VX4 features a high gull wing configuration with flaps and ailerons, and its wing ends serve dual purposes as winglets and anhedral surfaces. The tail is configured in a V shape with rudders, and under the tail, VHF antennas offer aerodynamic benefits at high angles.
The VX4 has a wingspan is 49 feet, 2 inches. Its length is 42 feet, 8 inches. And its height is 13 feet, 1 inch. Its retractable tricycle-wheeled landing gear ensures smooth landings and takeoffs.
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VX4 prototype (Vertical Aerospace)
THE CRAZY 2-IN-1 ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMES EQUIPPED WITH 2-SEAT AIRCRAFT HIDDEN INSIDE
A technological leap in eVTOL design
The VX4 prototype represents a major advancement in eVTOL technology, showcasing a 20% increase in power-to-weight ratio compared to its predecessors. The VX4 is the first prototype to incorporate Vertical’s proprietary battery technology, which was developed at the Vertical Energy Centre. This new battery system is the most powerful and the lightest produced by the company to date.
Vertical Aerospace has collaborated with several global aerospace partners, including GKN Aerospace, Honeywell and Leonardo, to integrate advanced technologies into the VX4. Approximately 60% of the aircraft’s components come from these strategic partners, which has been crucial in enhancing the aircraft’s overall performance.
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VX4 prototype (Vertical Aerospace)
THIS FLYING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BREAKS RECORD WITH 523-MILE NONSTOP FLIGHT
The VX4 is designed for safety
Safety is paramount in the VX4’s design. It incorporates Distributed Electric Propulsion, which provides redundancy for enhanced safety. With multiple propellers and motors, the aircraft can safely land even if one or more components fail. The use of electric batteries and motors, with fewer moving parts, makes the VX4 not only less complex but also more reliable than traditional petroleum-fueled aircraft. This focus on safety and efficiency positions the VX4 as a leading contender in the future of urban air mobility.
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VX4 prototype (Vertical Aerospace)
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How the VX4 could transform your daily commute
The VX4 is designed to offer a luxurious and sustainable travel option that could soon be accessible to you and me. Its goal is to offer a quieter, more efficient alternative to traditional helicopters and ground transportation, potentially reducing travel time and congestion in busy urban areas. What this means for you is the possibility of swift, eco-friendly daily commutes across your city.
Vertical Aerospace’s collaboration with major airlines and operators, such as Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines, indicates that you might soon have the opportunity to experience eVTOL flights as part of your travel itineraries. This integration into existing airline networks could make eVTOLs a common feature in the travel landscape, offering a seamless and efficient way to reach your destination.
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VX4 prototype (Vertical Aerospace)
The company’s path to certification and commercialization
We reached out to Vertical Aerospace about this article, and Chief Technology Officer Michael Cervenka offered this statement: “Our new most advanced and powerful full-scale VX4 prototype is now undergoing piloted flight testing at our Vertical Flight Test Centre in the Cotswolds, UK. And we are making good progress towards certification, which will ultimately lead to seeing the VX4 in UK skies as well as around the world.
“We are in a position where eVTOLs are going from exciting, but distant, prospect to emerging reality for people. They offer a solution to many of the problems faced by people in urban areas – pollution, congestion, noise – and we think there will be a significant appetite for them. As with any new form of transport, we know there will be questions from the public about safety, but our eVTOL will be held to the highest safety standards in the world – the same as commercial airliners.”
VX4 prototype (Vertical Aerospace)
Vertical Aerospace soars with $6 billion in pre-orders for VX4
Vertical Aerospace has already secured 1,500 pre-orders for the VX4, valued at an impressive $6 billion. These orders come from major airlines and operators across four continents, including Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and Bristow Group. The strong interest from these industry leaders underscores the trust and confidence in Vertical’s innovative approach to urban air mobility.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Imagine a world where your daily commute is not only faster but also environmentally friendly. This is the promise of the VX4, offering a luxurious and efficient alternative to traditional travel methods. With its quiet operation and advanced design, the VX4 is poised to transform urban mobility, making it accessible and appealing to everyone.
When eVTOL options like the VX4 become available, are you ready and willing to embrace this new mode of urban transportation for your daily commutes? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show
Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.
There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:
The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.
That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).
While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.
Technology
300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions
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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.
They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.
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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What you need to know about fake AI extensions
Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.
Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.
These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.
While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:
- AI Assistant
- Llama
- Gemini AI Sidebar
- AI Sidebar
- ChatGPT Sidebar
- Grok
- Asking ChatGPT
- ChatGBT
- Chat Bot GPT
- Grok Chatbot
- Chat With Gemini
- XAI
- Google Gemini
- Ask Gemini
- AI Letter Generator
- AI Message Generator
- AI Translator
- AI For Translation
- AI Cover Letter Generator
- AI Image Generator ChatGPT
- Ai Wallpaper Generator
- Ai Picture Generator
- DeepSeek Download
- AI Email Writer
- Email Generator AI
- DeepSeek Chat
- ChatGPT Picture Generator
- ChatGPT Translate
- AI GPT
- ChatGPT Translation
- ChatGPT for Gmail
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These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)
How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works
These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.
Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.
In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.
The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.
Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.
If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.
We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”
BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK
Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions
If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.
1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions
On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.
2) Change your passwords
If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.
3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords
A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active
Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Use an identity theft protection service
Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.
6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated
Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.
7) Use a personal data removal service
Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaway
Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.
Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Technology
Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance
Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.
It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.
In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”
He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)
The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.
Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”
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