Catégorie : Tech News

Fans of the Witcher series got a treat at The Game Awards 2024 in Los Angeles — a six-minute trailer revealing The Witcher 4, prominently featuring a grown-up Ciri, adopted daughter of Geralt of Rivia.

Geralt was nowhere to be found in the trailer, which doesn’t mean he’s not in the game. But Ciri will take center stage in the game as a protagonist, CD Projekt Red noted in a press release. While there wasn’t any gameplay in the trailer, it focused on the nuts and bolts of Witcher games: using steel and silver swords with some magic (along with a new chain weapon) to take down gruesome monsters.

While Studio CD Projekt Red described the trailer as a short story, suggesting it may not represent the game’s plot, it featured themes that will likely be reflective of the game: a young village girl is being prepared for a ritual sacrifice to a local monster, which Ciri steps in to kill. But upon returning to the villagers, she finds the girl dead amid calls for gods — to which the white-tressed Witcher angrily says, « There are no gods here — just monsters. » Chills!

While not showing gameplay, the studio noted that the trailer was made using assets and models from the game itself. CD Project Red also teased that it was built in Unreal Engine 5 on « an unannounced NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. » 

CD Projekt Red didn’t announce any release date or indication of when the game would be coming out, nor what platforms it will be released on.

I’m sure you’ve heard it from a passionate friend or unsolicited internet comment before: « If you want to get serious about gaming, or programming, or (insert another computer-related hobby or profession here), then you’ve got to get yourself a mechanical keyboard. »

But…is that even true? What makes a fancy, expensive mechanical keyboard better than your run-of-the-mill $25 board at Walmart?

Well, there are actually a few good reasons to shell out the extra cash for a quality keyboard. Depending on what you do when sitting in front of a PC or laptop, though, you might be better off saving some scratch. Here’s what you should know.

What’s a key switch?

A key switch is a small physical mechanism that sits under every key and tells your keyboard’s PCB (« printed circuit board ») when you’ve pushed something. It also gives the keyboard its unique typing feel and sound.

There’s certainly no shortage of switch types – mechanical and membrane being the most popular – and each has its own subtypes that modify the original formula for specific sounds and tactile feels.

Here’s a quick overview of some popular switch types and their characteristics:

• Chiclet: Essentially identical operation to a membrane key switch. It uses a mini rubber dome to transmit an electrical current when pressed. Often found on laptop keyboards, this switch produces a quick, snappy typing feel and an audible « click » sound – almost no customization potential.
• Capacitive: Measures changes in capacitance (energy) when keys are pressed. It is void of any mechanical components, so it typically has a very long lifespan. It still provides a small tactile bump when bottomed out, but it is not as clicky as mechanical switches – some options for customization.
• Mechanical: The crown jewel of modern keyboards – uses a spring-loaded mechanism to push metal pins down, completing a circuit and sending a signal to your keyboard’s PCB. Three usual suspects for mechanical switch types, linear, clicky, and tactile (with hundreds of further variations), make for unique typing sounds and feels. Very customizable.
• Membrane: Uses a small rubber dome under each key that, when pressed, transmits an electrical current to signify a keystroke. It is common in older keyboards and are quieter than most other switches with a soft typing feel. It is typically very affordable, but almost no customization options exist.
• Optical: Utilizes a beam of infrared light to detect when a key is pressed, sending a signal to the PCB. Super fast response times as they aren’t reliant on mechanical contact like membrane or chiclet keys. Typically, it has a very light and rapid typing feel with varying levels of « click. » Some customization options.

What mechanical keyboards do differently

So, what does a mechanical keyboard offer you? The number one theme is customization.

You’ll typically find three different mechanical switch flavors while searching for a new board: linear, clicky, and, my personal favorite, tactile.

Linear switches, also known as « red switches » because of their usual red hue, are the quietest of the bunch. They’re not quite silent, but they don’t give you that audible « click » you’ll get with a – you guessed it – clicky switch.

Clicky switches, or blue switches, do what they say on the tin. This is the typewriter-esque clicking and clacking you may hear coming from content creators or gamers’ setups. They’re the loudest of the group and have gained a cult following in recent years.

Tactile switches (or brown switches) are the middle of the pack. They provide a nice satisfying bump at the bottom where a red doesn’t, and they do so without the sharp click of a blue switch.

What if you don’t like the switch you decide on? I advise looking for the words « hot swappable » when you’re shopping. This means you can physically pull a key switch out of the board and replace it with a new one while the keyboard is still powered on.

You can also customize most keycaps or the outer shell over the switch that your finger actually touches. These are usually pretty cheap too, unless you go out of your way for handmade art.

Being able to replace both the switches and keycaps means your keyboard has essentially infinite durability as long as you don’t break the PCB and have the odd switch lying around for repairs.

This is why I love tinkering with mechanical keyboards.

You can design a look and feel you like, then give it a complete overhaul the next month and have essentially an entirely new keyboard for the price of a few switches and keycaps. Each configuration is a little project to work on, an experiment to be enjoyed or never used again.

But mechanical keyboards aren’t for everyone.

Why you shouldn’t use a mechanical keyboard

Sometimes, it makes a lot more sense to save money and roll with a budget membrane keyboard or push mechanics to the side in search of peak performance (looking at you, optical switches).

Or maybe you don’t like how mechanical boards look and feel. All valid reasons to ignore the hype and get a keyboard you’ll actually be happy using.

I love a good membrane or chiclet switch, like on the HyperX Alloy Core or Apple‘s Magic keyboard. If you like the smooth, speedy typing feel and don’t want to deal with customizations, there’s no reason you shouldn’t reach for one of these over a mechanical keyboard (besides negligible performance improvements that you won’t notice unless you play competitive games at the highest level).

And if you do want to compete at the best of your ability, you’re better off with something like an optical or hall-effect switch, which has those marginal performance gains over your mechanical-keyboard-using opponents that your game needs.

Plus, you can find all of the trinkets you’d find on mechanical keyboards, like volume wheels, dedicated media keys, and sound-dampening foam on keyboards with other switch types.

Mechanical keyboards aren’t one size fits all. I think they’re at their best doing the opposite, modeling a reflection of your ideas, feelings, and creativity. Make them bold and daring, paint your keycaps, tear out last week’s key switches, and go shopping for fun switch names like « Gateron Jupiter Banana » (a real switch, by the way, a bit stiff but gives a nice « thock »).

Don’t buy one if you don’t care about that. If you just want something that gets the job done and puts letters on your screen, save your money. Some of the best keyboards out there are affordable and feature membrane switches, like the Cherry Stream Desktop.

But if you are interested in diving into the world of linear, clicky, and tactile, I recommend taking a look at keyboards like the Keychron Q6 Max, which is perfect for work or play at a desk with its steel chassis and hot-swappable K Pro switches, or the Drop ALT, a fantastic 65% travel board that cuts down on size, not functionality.

Though most of the movies have been bad to very bad, it’s a shame Kraven the Hunter is likely to be the last non-Spider-Man film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. After Morbius, Madame Web, and three Venom movies failed to do much, Kraven the Hunter is so jam-packed with Spider-Man references you can almost see a path toward the Webslinger starting to take shape. A path that, now, is unlikely to be taken. And so, with the film now in theaters, let’s talk about all the Spider-Man connections and suggestions made in Kraven the Hunter.

We’re about to get into some major Kraven spoilers so if you plan on seeing the film, time to look away.

One of the biggest, figuratively and literally, connections to Spider-Man in Kraven is Rhino. Rhino, like Kraven, is one of Spider-Man’s most famous villains and even appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Here, Rhino is the film’s big bad guy, a gangster (played by Alessandro Nivola) who is seeking to take over the turf of Kraven’s father, Nikolai Kravinoff, played by Russell Crowe.

Rhino, real name Aleksei Sytsevich, explains he can turn into Rhino because of a procedure he got done in New York by a doctor named Miles Warren. We’ll have much, much more on Warren later this week but he’s a crucial Marvel Comics character and in Spidey’s home of New York. (Most of Kraven is set abroad.) Then, at the end of the film, we learn that Kraven’s brother Dmitri (Fred Hechinger) went to a doctor in New York to get a procedure and now can physically change his form into other people. He’s officially the Chameleon, a name he’s called numerous times earlier in the film because of his ability to mimic people. He doesn’t specify that it was Warren who did this, but Dmitri was the character Rhino told about Warren—so, we can assume it was.

So that’s just the start. Three potential members of the Sinister Six—Kraven, Rhino, and Chameleon, two of whom were created by the same mad scientist. And sure, Rhino dies in the film, but it’s a comic book world. What does death even mean?

Beyond the big three Spidey villains in Kraven, there are also two smaller ones. First is Calypso, played by Ariana DeBose. Calypso is the person who gave Kraven his powers thanks to a secret potion from her grandmother; later, we learn she’s something of a trained assassin herself, learning archery skills at “summer camp.” She’s a good guy in the film but, again, so is Kraven.

There’s also the Foreigner, played by Christopher Abbot. In the comics, the Foreigner is kind of a basic assassin/soldier, and here he’s got some weird hypnosis power. Nevertheless, he’s hired by Rhino to find Kraven and when he does, gives him a toxin that scares someone into submission by revealing their biggest fear. That fear for Kraven is, drum roll please, spiders. We see spiders begin crawling all over his body and dropping from the sky. It’s very lame that someone who fights lions and tigers and bears (oh my) would be afraid of spiders—but, you know, Spider-Man.

So that’s FIVE Spider-Man villains in the film and an actual link to spiders. Is there more? Of course. The film references the Daily Bugle twice, once online and second when the Foreigner brings a copy to a meeting to explain his distaste for Kraven. (Kraven killed his gangster boss who isn’t named but the paper refers to as a “hit man.”) That’s a lot of Spider-Man references and though there’s no clear road that leads them all to Spider-Man, it’s obviously groundwork. Much more than Morbius, Venom, or Madame Web did too.

Kraven the Hunter then ends with Chameleon accusing his brother of being just as evil as he or their dad was. And, in the final shot, he puts on the lion coat the character is known for. Is Kraven finally embracing that he’s a murderer? Maybe a second film would see that explored with brothers battling it out in New York. An event that would be covered by the Daily Bugle and, maybe, an intrepid new photographer by the name of Peter Parker. Maybe they’d cross paths with a blind mentor, Cassandra Web, or a famous doctor, Michael Morbius. Maybe another journalist, Eddie Brock, could’ve been in the city at the time. See where this all could’ve gone? Alas, though, Kraven might be it.

And no, there’s no post-credit scene. Kraven the Hunter is now in theaters.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

If you’re a PlayStation fan, you’re likely at least familiar with Shadow of the Colossus, Ico and The Last Guardian. They’re three atmospheric and unique titles that have influenced plenty of games over the last decade. And we’re going to get more from director Fumito Ueda, but it was quite the mysterious and brief reveal. All we know is that Ueda has a new title coming out, published by Epic, and it fits in right alongside with his prior work. It’s about the most minimal game reveals I can think of — there’s a spaceship taking off, and that’s about all I can really say at this point — but Ueda fans will be excited for this nonetheless. There’s no timeframe for release, but when it does arrive it’ll be out on PC and Xbox for the first time as well as PlayStation.

if you’re tired of high utility bills, you’re not alone. A recent CNET survey found that 78% of Americans are stressed about their energy bills. If you’re looking to cut down your energy spending, you may rightly think of looking at your heating and cooling system first, but you can also save some money on your water heater.

According to the US Department of Energy, water heating is one of the biggest residential energy uses and accounts for nearly one-fifth of total electricity costs. That costs the average American $400 to $600 per year.

So, how can you save money on water heating? Well, you could run less hot water. You can also try setting the temperature of your water heater a bit lower for some relief. However, you’ll need to find a balance between comfort and conservation. If you have an aging water heater, you can upgrade to a more energy-efficient option. Upgrading to a new water heater that meets the latest DOE standards could save households more than $100 per year. Some models will even produce enough savings to pay for themselves in just a few years.

However, it can be quite costly to upgrade a water heater. A recent Reddit discussion had users noting that new water heaters cost them anywhere from close to $1,000 to upward of $3,000, with some users saying they were quoted even higher amounts for larger capacity and tankless water heaters. However, there are ways to save money when upgrading.

If you’re considering upgrading, you’ll be happy to know there are upfront savings offered thanks to federal, state and local tax credits and incentives. Not only is it good for the planet, but it’s good for your wallet, too. We’ll guide you through everything you need to know to get the best savings on a new, energy-efficient water heater.

Types of water heaters

There are a variety of types of water heaters that you will encounter when choosing an option for your home. It’s best to understand the potential benefits and challenges that each type provides in order to figure out which option is best for the needs of your household. 

Traditional tank water heaters

There are two primary types of standard tank water heaters, which vary based on the type of energy source that is available. Gas tank water heaters use the fossil fuels natural gas or propane to heat water, which is stored in a large tank. 

Electric tank water heaters can heat water using electric resistance coils. These models are generally easier to install and maintain but may have higher operating costs compared with gas.

Tankless water heaters

Tankless water heaters, also known as on-demand water heaters, can heat water directly without a storage tank. They provide a continuous supply of hot water, which can be more energy-efficient since they only heat water when needed.

Matt Kunz, president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing, said choosing between a tank and tankless heater is the most common decision that homeowners have to make. 

« A tank water heater stores and heats large amounts of water and is suitable for homes that have a high demand for hot water. A tankless heater is more energy efficient as it heats water on demand. They are also more space efficient but are typically more expensive upfront, » he said.

Heat pump water heaters

A heat pump water heater uses electricity to move heat from the air or ground to heat water. You can think of them as operating like a refrigerator in reverse. While a refrigerator removes heat from inside and releases it into the air, a heat pump water heater pulls heat either from the air (air-source heat pumps) or the ground (geothermal heat pumps) and uses it to heat your water. This method makes them highly efficient, and they can reduce energy costs significantly, especially in moderate climates.

Solar water heaters

There are other water heaters that can be even more energy efficient, though, like solar water heaters. These heaters use solar panels to capture sunlight and convert it into energy for heat, which is then transferred to the water. These systems can provide substantial savings on energy bills, particularly in sunny regions, but typically carry bigger price tags for purchase and have unique maintenance needs. 

Point-of-use water heaters

Point-of-use water heater systems are small units that are typically installed close to the point of use, like sinks or showers. They provide hot water directly where it is being used, heating the water quickly. Most of the time, these systems are used to supplement larger systems.

Federal tax credit for water heaters

As you are searching for the right water heater for your home, keep in mind the incentive programs that are available for your purchase. « There are federal and local incentives and credits available to homeowners when purchasing a new water heater, » Kunz said. « Every program and credit are based on different homeowners’ needs, so it’s important to do your homework to find the incentive that best fits your needs to see if you qualify. »

There are two primary federal tax credits available that help to cover the cost of your upgrade: The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Residential Clean Energy Credit. 

Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit

The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit is part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and incentivizes homeowners to invest in energy-efficient upgrades, including certain water heaters. 

Eligible systems can include electric heat pump water heaters, gas water heaters with a certain energy efficiency rating and more. Homeowners can claim a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost, with a maximum credit limit of $1,200 per year, and up to $2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps. Qualifying heat pumps must meet or exceed the Consortium for Energy Efficiency’s highest efficiency tier. 

This credit helps offset the upfront costs of purchasing and installing qualified energy-efficient water heaters, making it an attractive option for those looking to enhance their home’s efficiency. Credits are claimable for home improvements made through 2032.

Residential Clean Energy Credit

The Residential Clean Energy Credit specifically targets renewable energy technologies, including geothermal heat pumps and solar water heaters. 

Homeowners can receive a tax credit of 30% of the installation cost for qualified geothermal systems through 2032, with descending credit rates still available in the years following. Unlike the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, this credit does not have a maximum limit, allowing homeowners to potentially benefit significantly based on the total installation costs.

Other water heater rebates and incentives

In addition to federal tax credits, there may be other incentives available to you based on where you live. To find information about state, municipal or utility company-offered incentives for energy-efficient water heaters, homeowners can start by visiting government websites, particularly those of state energy offices or departments of energy, which typically provide information on available incentives and programs. Check your utility company’s website as well for any rebates and incentives offered for energy-efficient appliances. 

Other rebates authorized and funded by the IRA are implemented by individual states. To see if your state has opened up applications for rebates, check out this database from the DOE. 

You can also sift through online incentive databases like the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, which compiles incentives at state and local levels and allows you to search by location and technology. Note that the database may not be comprehensive, and programs listed may have changed, but it is a great starting point. 

• The sixth day of 12 Days of OpenAI brought visual abilities to ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode
• You can stream video from your camera or share your screen with the AI
• Only subscribers to ChatGPT Plus and Pro have access for now

ChatGPT gazed upon day six of the 12 Days of OpenAI with a fresh eye courtesy of a new visual ability connected to its Advanced Voice Mode that lets you share your screen and live stream video to the AI chatbot. Instead of uploading photos and screenshots to ask ChatGPT questions, you can now show it what you’re looking at directly and ask for advice.

The feature is a bit like having a video chat with a friend, albeit one who isn’t sharing their own image back. But you can hear the AI’s voice, making the conversation hands-free. If you want to try it out, you can tap the voice icon in the ChatGPT app and then the video icon to start streaming video from your camera. To share your screen, just tap the three-dot menu and select “Share Screen.”

Imagine you’re struggling to assemble a new IKEA bookshelf (because who hasn’t?). Instead of staring at confusing instructions, you can point your camera at the half-built mess and ask ChatGPT, “What did I do wrong here?” The AI can check out the parts and offer step-by-step guidance.

If you need to tweak some settings on your phone or computer and aren’t sure how to do so, you can share your screen with ChatGPT to enable the AI to walk you through the menus and buttons to get things sorted. No more digging through endless tech forums or asking your friend who’s good with computers.

The feature might even make ChatGPT a better sous-chef. If your recipe says, “whisk until it thickens,” and you’re not sure if you’ve whisked enough, just point the camera at your bowl and ask ChatGPT for confirmation or a suggestion you might want to order in.

All-seeing AI eyes

OpenAI’s CPO Kevin Weil and his team demonstrated how ChatGPT can help make pour-over coffee by pointing the camera at their brewing setup to show off the new feature during its debut. The AI understood the coffee-making gear and walked them through the steps like a virtual barista.

The feature encourages treating ChatGPT more like a person than a computer, even more than just the voice interface. Being able to ‘see’ makes the AI seem more present in the real world and less like a chatbot in a vacuum.

OpenAI did acknowledge that sharing what your camera sees might make some wary of using the feature. It’s not automatically on, you have to activate it each time you use it so there’s no accidental video shot.

The new feature is only available for ChatGPT Plus and Pro users as of right now. Enterprise and Education tier subscribers will get access next month, but OpenAI didn’t say if or when the free tier will get access.

That makes sense since it probably demands a lot of computing power, and OpenAI doesn’t want ChatGPT to go down again after what happened on Wednesday.

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With Cyber Week behind us, many VPNs have returned to their “old self”. NordVPN hasn’t and it still rocks its impressive VPN deals and discounts.

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See at NordVPN

NordVPN Discounts Revealed

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As part of the NordVPN Holiday sale, the provider includes Cyber Insurance with NordProtect in the Ultimate plan. Both high-tier plans are equipped with Threat Protection to keep malware and snoopers away.

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As the gaming industry preps for its night of awards, rampant layoffs continue to put a damper on an otherwise joyful pastime. The latest casualties are reportedly a group of 99 employees for WB Games Montreal.

Radio-Canada says (via Game Developer) that many of the laid-off employees were subcontractors through Keywords Studios, a company that provides technical and creative services for gaming companies. Keywords worked on quality assurance for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Speaking of which, the layoffs coincided with Rocksteady’s announcement that it would stop supporting the Suicide Squad game on January 14. (WB Games Montreal helped develop the game.) The game launched last February, giving it the dishonor of lasting less than a year before its publisher pulled the plug. Its upcoming Season 4 Episode 8 will be its last.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, one laid-off staffer told the French-language Radio-Canada that they were given eight weeks’ notice before termination. WB Montreal is said to have given them a choice between joining a recall list for upcoming projects or receiving help from a job counselor. However, the source said the company doesn’t expect the registry to have any opportunities until 2026. That’s not much of a choice unless someone has savings to burn.

The news follows recent layoffs at Ubisoft, Xbox / Activision Blizzard and… far too many others to list. The gaming industry is projected to generate over $187 billion in 2024, a 2.1 percent annual growth.

Those of us who own one know it: The air fryer’s specific magical power is in imitating foods you would normally fry but without the actual frying part. 

Making frozen foods such as tater tots and chicken tenders taste and feel like they actually got deep fried, and restoring fried takeout items like mozzarella sticks and onion rings to their former glory is where the air fryer really shines. An air fryer has myriad other uses, but its capacity with fried items alone is worth the price.

But can you actually make fried food from scratch in an air fryer? With « fryer » in its very name, can an air fryer actually live up to its promise and produce convincing, homemade fried chicken? 

« You can get a great fried texture from making fried chicken in the air fryer, » said Yvette Ervin, owner and head chef of Brooklyn Chckn ‘N’ Lbstr. « It won’t be exactly the same consistency as it would from being deep fried in oil, however, it will still be really crispy and is a healthier alternative to conventional fried chicken. »

As a chef who has staked her claim on fried foods, Ervin shared her best practices when it comes to making fried chicken in an air fryer. I went ahead and tried them.

How does an air fryer work?

Deep frying and air fryer cooking are both considered dry heat cooking methods. Both achieve results via 360 degrees of contact with the source of heat. In a deep fry situation, it’s oil, and in an air fryer it’s — you guessed it — air. « An air fryer uses convection, like a convection oven, and it’s the air circulation that cooks the food and transforms it without using any type of trans oil or direct contact heat, » said Ervin.

While technically not frying, radiant heat from preheating the air fryer gets moved via a circulating fan in an enclosed space, cooking rapidly while creating an atmosphere that can effectively crisp skin or brown any coating on the food in a way that produces fry-like results.

Read more: Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Air Fryers

Air fryer chicken considerations

When it comes to making air fryer fried chicken from scratch, first, consider the chicken. While white and dark meat are individual preferences, as are bone-in chicken versus boneless tenders, different cuts require different approaches.

« The air fryer is mainly meant for quick, simple meals that you could just set to go and forget about it, » said Ervin. « Boneless will cook faster, and will also get an evenly crispy texture from the air fryer because of its uniform thickness. »

« Larger pieces of bone-in chicken tend to take more time, and they also need more attention, » Ervin added. This may involve flipping them during the cooking process, and checking for doneness. 

Bone-in chicken retains more flavor and juiciness during the cooking process, however, while boneless chicken can be easier to overcook. Dark meat contains more fat than does white meat; when released during cooking, it can add an additional oil element to crisp up the skin.

Preparing the chicken

Whatever chicken you’re working with, « the cooking time is going to vary if you have pieces of different sizes, » said Ervin. You can do yourself a favor by cutting them into pieces of similar size, especially with bone-in chicken. 

Whereas with deep frying you are able to observe the cook in progress and remove smaller pieces as they’re ready, most air fryers don’t have windows to see what’s happening inside the fryer. You can cut breasts and some thighs in half to match smaller pieces like wings and drumsticks. (Kitchen shears are a great way to accomplish this.)

The chicken should also be as dry as possible to start, to better adhere to the coating, and to not create opportunities for steam during the cooking process, which impedes the ability to get the exterior crispy or crunchy.

The coating is key

You can air fry chicken with skinless or skin-on pieces. But without any type of coating, « it’s not really fried chicken, » said Ervin, « but maybe more like roasted, or rotisserie chicken. » It’s still a potentially excellent outcome in an air fryer, but it doesn’t qualify as fried. 

« You want a flour or a batter, or even a fish fry coating, because it will make the item crispy and feel like fried chicken, » said Ervin. 

An argument can be made for skin-on chicken wings, which are typically deep fried without a coating, (note: without a coating) before they’re tossed in the traditional hot sauce mixture, and the air fryer also excels at this.

Sourcing various recipes for air fryer fried chicken, there are two schools of thought as respects the coating. The first involves a simple milk or buttermilk brine, and a single dunking in dry coating such as that made with flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, or a combination of those things. Cornstarch both absorbs moisture and prevents gluten development in flour, promoting a crispy outcome.

The second method is more aligned with deep fried chicken, where the chicken gets coated with flour or a flour-based seasoning mixture, dunked in egg or milk, and coated with flour again. This will create a thicker, fried-like coating on the chicken, whereas the first method produces more of a thin crust, or an extension of the skin.

In either case, « you don’t want to have it wet, » said Ervin. While a deep fryer can handle coatings such as a slightly fluid beer batter, the air fryer isn’t appropriate for that style.

Just a touch of oil

The final step is a light coating of oil, to make sure any dry flour isn’t exposed on the surface of the chicken. Some fat will be released from the meat itself and help hydrate the flour during the cooking process, but you’ll need just enough oil to moisten the coating. Ervin suggests olive oil or grape-seed oil, which can be carefully brushed on, or is best dispensed in a spray or pump bottle.

This is what separates fried chicken from air fryer fried chicken, as there’s far less fat to be absorbed by the coating, resulting in a fried-like exterior with a crispy coating but with a much healthier outcome.

The verdict on air fryer fried chicken

Using all the available wisdom, I swung for the fences with bone-in, skin-on chicken, cut to pieces of a similar size, and used a coating similar to that of a deep fried chicken. The pieces were dredged in a flour mixture containing both flour and cornstarch, dipped in an egg wash spiked with Tabasco, and coated a final time in the flour mixture. 

What I would recommend is to spritz oil on all sides of the chicken before putting the pieces in the air fryer, or to brush some oil on the air fryer basket itself to prevent it from sticking. Following the online recipe I sourced, I sprayed the top, and again once the pieces were flipped, but some of the coating got left behind.

After about 8 minutes on each side, the outcome was a convincing facsimile of fried chicken, without any of the hassle of deep frying. No deep fryer smell, no oil to discard, just a tasty, crunchy, healthier alternative to the real thing.

For more air fryer favorites, see how we made an entire chicken and 10-minute salmon in the countertop cooker.

Frequently asked questions

• Virtual hard drives are being abused in phishing campaigns, experts warn
• The virtual drives are used to drop RAT malware into unsuspecting inboxes
• The attack vector is particularly difficult of antivirus to detect

Mountable virtual hard drive files, typically in .vhd and .vhdx formats, allow users to create virtual volumes that function like physical drives in a Windows environment.

While these files have legitimate uses in software development and virtual machines, cybercriminals have increasingly exploited them to deliver malware, experts have warned.

Recent research by Cofense Intelligence has revealed such tools are now being used to bypass detection mechanisms like Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) and antivirus solutions to drop Remote Access Trojans (RATs).

The rising use of virtual hard drive files

This exploitation is particularly difficult to detect, even with sophisticated scanning tools employed by SEGs and antivirus solutions, as the malware remains hidden within the mounted files.

The latest campaign has shifted focus toward resume-themed phishing attacks targeting Spanish-speaking individuals. The emails contained .vhdx files that, when opened, executed Visual Basic Script to load the Remcos RAT into memory.

This campaign notably included autorun.inf files designed to take advantage of older versions of Windows that still support AutoRun capabilities, further demonstrating the attackers’ intention to exploit a wide range of potential victims with varying system setups.

AutoRun, a feature in older versions of Windows, allows a file to execute automatically when a volume is mounted. Attackers have often exploited this feature to run malicious payloads without user intervention in systems where AutoRun is enabled.

Although Windows Vista and later versions mitigate these risks by disabling automatic execution, users with outdated systems remain vulnerable to silent malware execution. Even without AutoRun, attackers can use AutoPlay to prompt victims into manually running the malicious payload, leveraging the human factor to bypass security controls.

Attackers were also able to bypass various SEGs by embedding malicious content within virtual hard drive files inside archive attachments, bypassing SEGs from major security vendors, such Cisco and Proofpoint.

Threat actors further complicate detection by manipulating file hashes within virtual hard drive files. By adding unnecessary filler data or modifying storage space allocation, they can create files that appear different in scans but still deliver the same malicious payload.

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