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If you're streaming the Super Bowl, expect to lag behind Twitter and cable
If you're streaming the Super Bowl, expect to lag behind Twitter and cable
The 2022 Super Bowl is taking place in the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean the broadcasts or streams will be any more advanced than in recent years. NBC, the broadcaster for Super Bowl 56, has already said it won't be airing the big game in 4K resolution. And people who are watching the Super Bowl live through a streaming service are likely to experience a lag, just like in 2020 and 2021.
If you're planning to stream the big game through Peacock, YouTube TV, Sling TV or any of the other live TV platforms, expect your feed to be a bit behind. The length of the delay could vary, but based on last year's game, streaming services lag around 40 seconds behind what's on the field. Compare that to cable, satellite or antenna TV, where the time gap from on-the-field action is significantly less. It's usually a transmission delay of about 5 seconds, which allows for broadcasters to prevent unsavory content from appearing on TV.
In an era with Twitter, group chats and phone push notifications, a 40-second streaming delay can lead to spoilers of big plays. And with the increase in legalized sports gambling, it could also ruin the experience of trying to bet on the action.
This chart from last year's Super Bowl shows the delay behind the real-time play streaming services.
Phenix
Phenix, a technology company that provides the infrastructure for real-time video feeds, compared the streaming lags on apps from the NFL, Yahoo Sports, FuboTV, Hulu Plus Live TV, CBS Sports and YouTube TV. It found that last year's game (which aired on CBS) streamed fastest on YouTube TV with a delay of 42.2 seconds -- but that was only slightly quicker than the roughly 43-second delay from the NFL and Yahoo Sports apps. FuboTV came in at 44.8 seconds, while Hulu Plus Live TV finished last at 46.2 seconds. (Verizon offered an in-arena feed which was closest to real-time, but for 2022 that experience is limited to those in SoFi Stadium.)
The issue isn't internet speed but latency, that is, the time it takes to transfer what's happening in the real world back to your screen over the internet. Some streamers also tack on a few seconds to ensure a clear picture and smooth experience rather than generate pauses and buffering on your end.
NBC is the broadcaster for 2022's Super Bowl, but don't expect its own streams to be closer to real-time. Based on the company's feeds from the 2021 Stanley Cup, Phenix found that YouTube TV and AT&T TV (now DirecTV Stream) were still around 40 seconds behind the on-ice action, while Peacock lagged by 42.1 seconds.
The 2021 Stanley Cup, which was broadcast by NBC, wasn't much better than last year's Super Bowl.
Phenix
NBC did not respond to CNET's request for comment. We can't say whether the company is planning to make any improvements to latency in the feeds offered on Peacock or other streaming TV services for the 2022 Super Bowl.
In short, even in 2022, the best and fastest way to watch the Super Bowl is through cable, satellite or antenna TV. If you're planning to stream the game, be prepared for a delay, though there are still some steps you can take to bolster your network to avoid buffering and dropouts on game day.
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Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done?
Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done?
In the first part of our Living with Chromebook series, I outlined the initial hardware and account setup required to use a laptop running Google's Chrome OS. In this second installment, the focus is on productivity.
For my long-form Chromebook test-drive, I'm spending most of my computing time with the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook. Like the smaller 11- and 12-inch Chromebooks we've reviewed, it operates almost entirely within the Chrome Web browser, which looks and feels the same as the Chrome Web browser you may be using right now on your Windows or Mac OS computer.
That makes for a familiar experience in some ways, as many of us have already moved large swaths of our lives online, into Web-based tools such as Gmail, Facebook, and Netflix. More than most, I've embraced cloud services for as many things as possible, primarily because reviewing laptops means moving into a brand-new, fresh-from-the-box PC at least once or twice a week.
Working in the cloud If you're anywhere near as invested in cloud services as I am, then the transition to a Chromebook should hypothetically be fairly painless. Most of the things you want to do -- send e-mail, share via social-networking services, stream online video -- are available on a Chrome OS device, and largely work the same way as on a traditional OS.
That said, there's still a natural resistance to this type of Web-only setup. Maybe the idea that in a traditional PC there's a desktop lying underneath it all is a comforting one. Perhaps traditional folders-and-file systems are a security blanket, because despite having used Chromebooks before this, I found being locked into a browser-only world still felt confining, especially for office work -- documents, spreadsheets, and folders of files nestled within each other.
That's no doubt why the Chrome OS now has a more pronounced (if still rudimentary) file system than the very first Chromebooks did, making it possible to save and easily access files. This Hewlett-Packard model only includes 16GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage, but Acer's C7 Chromebook includes a standard 320GB platter hard drive. In either case, photo, music, and video files can all be stored and sorted there, by downloading online or sideloading from a USB drive or SD card. Consider it all to be backups for the versions "in the cloud," for those times when you can't get online.
Image and video files on the Chrome OS hard drive.
Do you need always-on Internet? While the original pitch for the Chromebook was that this would be an always-on device, connected to either Wi-Fi or mobile broadband, that idea seems to have fallen by the wayside. The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook, for example, does not include a 3G antenna, something found in the original Google Chromebook, as well as the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550. Google's high-end Pixel model even offers a 4G LTE version. But the bundled wireless service always comes with an asterisk; in the case of the 4G Pixel -- which is $250 more than the Wi-Fi-only version -- it's this: 100MB per month for two years of mobile broadband from Verizon Wireless. In other words, it's way too paltry to do anything substantive.
Perhaps sensing that always-on broadband isn't going to always work for sub-$400 laptops, Google now emphasizes the offline capabilities of Chrome, which are largely tied in to the offline modes that have been built into Google's various tools, such as Google Docs, over the years.
The offline-ready apps in the Chrome Web Store.
A few other Chrome-compatible Web tools also work offline, and Google has set aside a section of its Chrome Web Store (really just a dressed-up set of links to Chrome OS versions of web sites) to make them easier to find.
Google Drive as office suite I'll let you in on a little secret. I've been using Google Drive (nee "Google Docs") as my main word processor for a few years now, and it's such a useful, well-maintained online tool that the benefits far outweigh a few significant shortcomings. For that reason, using Google Drive on a Chromebook was a natural transition for me, and one of the elements of Chromebook use that felt the most comparable to using a non-Chrome OS laptop.
Like nearly all writers, I spent years using Microsoft Word on both Windows and OS X systems. It's still the default for word processing, and DOC and DOCX are still universal file formats (fortunately, Google Drive allows you to open and export these formats).
But, reviewing new laptops all the time, I was setting up a new system once or twice a week at least, which often made using these new laptops for writing a pain. Microsoft now has an ad-supported "free" version of Word that comes preinstalled on some (but not all) laptops, but previously, if you were lucky you had a trial version, or else nothing at all. Very often, I ended up either installing OpenOffice (a free, if clunky, office suite), or digging up an old install disc for Office 2003. Even under the best of circumstances, I had to remember to e-mail myself the latest version of my Word doc, or sneakernet it around on a USB stick. (Nowadays, I'd store the documents on Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, or the like, but I'd still be stuck installing the word processing software itself.)
So many of the work tools we use now are online and collaborative that it's hard to remember when that wasn't the norm, but when I started using Google Drive in earnest in 2009 it was a major change to my workflow. Even now, on the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook, I can open any document I've been working on from another laptop, add some text, and then seamlessly switch back to the first laptop at any point. It's also easy to share docs with anyone else via a few button clicks -- and multiple authorized users can access and edit a document in real time (which is something you may or may not want).
Working on a document in Google Docs.
Google Drive works best for simple text-based documents with minimal formatting. You can add images, tables, and other design elements, but these are not as full-featured as in Microsoft Office, and don't always translate as one might expect when exporting to a DOC file.
Another thing that drives me crazy about Google Drive is the lack of a "show hidden characters" command in its word processor. That's not something everyone uses, but for writers, especially those who got their start in print publishing, being able to see every tab, paragraph break, and even the spaces between characters is important. I've learned to live without it, but it's still my least favorite part of the Google Drive experience.
The presentation and spreadsheet apps included with Google Drive are somewhat less successful. My needs for XLS files are limited, but even then I've run out of available columns and been forced to start a new tab in a spreadsheet. In fact, all the Google Drive apps have size and complexity limitations, and you can find more details about that here. Those are limitations to the actual Google Drive platform, not something specific to Chrome OS or the Chromebook.
Another option for Microsoft Office purists is Office 365, the cloud-based version of Office. It's a paid service, not all features work in Chrome OS, and it doesn't facilitate the easy sharing that Google Docs does with anyone who has a free Gmail account.
It may be something you'll need to use every day, but I've had good luck exporting Google Docs files into the PDF format (it's a setting built right in to Google Docs under File > Download as), and the file browser in Chrome OS can open PDF files for easy reading.
One handy thing to keep in mind is that most Google Drive files can be accessed even when your Chromebook (or other PC) is offline. But, you have to set up the offline mode for your account first by following the instructions here. Gmail also has an offline mode, and you can find more apps and features that work on an offline Chromebook in this special section of the Chrome Web Store (of course, you'll have to be online to see this list).
Using a mouse, printer, and other peripherals One of the big problems I had with the less-expensive Chromebooks from Samsung and Acer has been the terrible touch pads built into those systems. I don't care if your laptop cost less than $200, if the touch pad is unusable, you're just not going to be productive on it.
The touch pad on the $329 HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook is a bit better, but still not even as good as the touch pads found on budget Windows laptops. It was passable for basic Web surfing, but if you plan on using your Chromebook for more than a couple of hours at a time, an external mouse is recommended.
Fortunately, despite not having any way to install drivers or dive into the deeper functions of pointing devices, I had good luck getting external devices to work. Both the wireless Microsoft mouse and the external Logitech touch pad I tried worked instantly, both via USB dongle (a second wireless mouse, from Targus, did not work).
Printing is a little more complicated. You'll need to use a service Google calls Cloud Print. That works one of two ways. The less likely scenario is that you already own one of a handful of Cloud-Print-ready printers, in which case you should be able to connect easily if you're on the same network. More likely, you have what Google generously refers to as a "classic printer," in which case, you have to run a Cloud Print app on a separate Windows or OS X machine, and from there, connect to your Chromebook.
This is about as far from the simple, stripped-down appeal of Chromebooks and the Chrome OS as one could imagine.
That said, when I followed the steps outlined in this support doc from Google, the Cloud Print feature worked the first time I tried it.
Workaround apps If your job involves only e-mail, text documents, and simple spreadsheets, moving to a Chromebook may well be a very simple transition for you, especially if you already make use of Google's online tools.
If, however, you have occasional need for programs such as Photoshop, you're going to have to find a workaround. There actually are a few basic image-editing features built into Chrome OS, but if you need to do more than adjust the rotation or brightness and contrast of an image, you'll hit a wall very quickly.
I've always used a Web-based tool named Pixlr for emergency photo edits. It's a cloud-based image editor that looks and feels a lot like Photoshop. You upload an image, edit it, then download the resulting file. It works well enough in a pinch, although if you're a heavy Photoshop user, a Chromebook just isn't for you.
I found Pixlr listed in the Chrome Web Store, but "installing" the app really just takes you to the Pixlr Web site. Similar online tools, including some basic video editors, can be found in the Creative Tools section of the Chrome Web Store. One caveat, especially if you're working with big images: remember that you'll have to both upload and redownload the image file, so make sure you have the time and bandwidth to work that way before you count on an online app such as Pixlr.
You can be productive on a Chromebook, sometimes As an on-the-go system for catching up on e-mail (especially if you use Gmail or Google's corporate e-mail services), and creating or editing basic office documents, a Chromebook works, and works well considering the less-than-$250 investment (for the Samsung Chromebook Series 3, the most affordable Chromebook CNET can recommend).
That said, it does not excel in any particular area, and even a budget Windows laptop offers more flexibility and the ability to run more software. Even if you only need a particular app once in a great while, unless there's an online version that works in the Chrome browser, you're out of luck.
Here's what worked:
Google Drive/Google Docs works the same as it does on non-Chrome PCs
Having cloud-based documents makes it easy to share and access documents on multiple PCs
Many mice and other accessories are plug-and-play
Offline access to some features helps the Chromebook be more universally useful
Here's what didn't:
You're stuck with second-rate online alternatives to programs such as Photoshop
Setting up a printer is a hassle
Google Docs lacks many of the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office
In the next Living with Chromebook installment, we'll look at entertainment options in Chrome OS, from streaming video to games.
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Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done?
Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done?
In the first part of our Living with Chromebook series, I outlined the initial hardware and account setup required to use a laptop running Google's Chrome OS. In this second installment, the focus is on productivity.
For my long-form Chromebook test-drive, I'm spending most of my computing time with the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook. Like the smaller 11- and 12-inch Chromebooks we've reviewed, it operates almost entirely within the Chrome Web browser, which looks and feels the same as the Chrome Web browser you may be using right now on your Windows or Mac OS computer.
That makes for a familiar experience in some ways, as many of us have already moved large swaths of our lives online, into Web-based tools such as Gmail, Facebook, and Netflix. More than most, I've embraced cloud services for as many things as possible, primarily because reviewing laptops means moving into a brand-new, fresh-from-the-box PC at least once or twice a week.
Working in the cloud If you're anywhere near as invested in cloud services as I am, then the transition to a Chromebook should hypothetically be fairly painless. Most of the things you want to do -- send e-mail, share via social-networking services, stream online video -- are available on a Chrome OS device, and largely work the same way as on a traditional OS.
That said, there's still a natural resistance to this type of Web-only setup. Maybe the idea that in a traditional PC there's a desktop lying underneath it all is a comforting one. Perhaps traditional folders-and-file systems are a security blanket, because despite having used Chromebooks before this, I found being locked into a browser-only world still felt confining, especially for office work -- documents, spreadsheets, and folders of files nestled within each other.
That's no doubt why the Chrome OS now has a more pronounced (if still rudimentary) file system than the very first Chromebooks did, making it possible to save and easily access files. This Hewlett-Packard model only includes 16GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage, but Acer's C7 Chromebook includes a standard 320GB platter hard drive. In either case, photo, music, and video files can all be stored and sorted there, by downloading online or sideloading from a USB drive or SD card. Consider it all to be backups for the versions "in the cloud," for those times when you can't get online.
Image and video files on the Chrome OS hard drive.
Do you need always-on Internet? While the original pitch for the Chromebook was that this would be an always-on device, connected to either Wi-Fi or mobile broadband, that idea seems to have fallen by the wayside. The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook, for example, does not include a 3G antenna, something found in the original Google Chromebook, as well as the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550. Google's high-end Pixel model even offers a 4G LTE version. But the bundled wireless service always comes with an asterisk; in the case of the 4G Pixel -- which is $250 more than the Wi-Fi-only version -- it's this: 100MB per month for two years of mobile broadband from Verizon Wireless. In other words, it's way too paltry to do anything substantive.
Perhaps sensing that always-on broadband isn't going to always work for sub-$400 laptops, Google now emphasizes the offline capabilities of Chrome, which are largely tied in to the offline modes that have been built into Google's various tools, such as Google Docs, over the years.
The offline-ready apps in the Chrome Web Store.
A few other Chrome-compatible Web tools also work offline, and Google has set aside a section of its Chrome Web Store (really just a dressed-up set of links to Chrome OS versions of web sites) to make them easier to find.
Google Drive as office suite I'll let you in on a little secret. I've been using Google Drive (nee "Google Docs") as my main word processor for a few years now, and it's such a useful, well-maintained online tool that the benefits far outweigh a few significant shortcomings. For that reason, using Google Drive on a Chromebook was a natural transition for me, and one of the elements of Chromebook use that felt the most comparable to using a non-Chrome OS laptop.
Like nearly all writers, I spent years using Microsoft Word on both Windows and OS X systems. It's still the default for word processing, and DOC and DOCX are still universal file formats (fortunately, Google Drive allows you to open and export these formats).
But, reviewing new laptops all the time, I was setting up a new system once or twice a week at least, which often made using these new laptops for writing a pain. Microsoft now has an ad-supported "free" version of Word that comes preinstalled on some (but not all) laptops, but previously, if you were lucky you had a trial version, or else nothing at all. Very often, I ended up either installing OpenOffice (a free, if clunky, office suite), or digging up an old install disc for Office 2003. Even under the best of circumstances, I had to remember to e-mail myself the latest version of my Word doc, or sneakernet it around on a USB stick. (Nowadays, I'd store the documents on Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, or the like, but I'd still be stuck installing the word processing software itself.)
So many of the work tools we use now are online and collaborative that it's hard to remember when that wasn't the norm, but when I started using Google Drive in earnest in 2009 it was a major change to my workflow. Even now, on the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook, I can open any document I've been working on from another laptop, add some text, and then seamlessly switch back to the first laptop at any point. It's also easy to share docs with anyone else via a few button clicks -- and multiple authorized users can access and edit a document in real time (which is something you may or may not want).
Working on a document in Google Docs.
Google Drive works best for simple text-based documents with minimal formatting. You can add images, tables, and other design elements, but these are not as full-featured as in Microsoft Office, and don't always translate as one might expect when exporting to a DOC file.
Another thing that drives me crazy about Google Drive is the lack of a "show hidden characters" command in its word processor. That's not something everyone uses, but for writers, especially those who got their start in print publishing, being able to see every tab, paragraph break, and even the spaces between characters is important. I've learned to live without it, but it's still my least favorite part of the Google Drive experience.
The presentation and spreadsheet apps included with Google Drive are somewhat less successful. My needs for XLS files are limited, but even then I've run out of available columns and been forced to start a new tab in a spreadsheet. In fact, all the Google Drive apps have size and complexity limitations, and you can find more details about that here. Those are limitations to the actual Google Drive platform, not something specific to Chrome OS or the Chromebook.
Another option for Microsoft Office purists is Office 365, the cloud-based version of Office. It's a paid service, not all features work in Chrome OS, and it doesn't facilitate the easy sharing that Google Docs does with anyone who has a free Gmail account.
It may be something you'll need to use every day, but I've had good luck exporting Google Docs files into the PDF format (it's a setting built right in to Google Docs under File > Download as), and the file browser in Chrome OS can open PDF files for easy reading.
One handy thing to keep in mind is that most Google Drive files can be accessed even when your Chromebook (or other PC) is offline. But, you have to set up the offline mode for your account first by following the instructions here. Gmail also has an offline mode, and you can find more apps and features that work on an offline Chromebook in this special section of the Chrome Web Store (of course, you'll have to be online to see this list).
Using a mouse, printer, and other peripherals One of the big problems I had with the less-expensive Chromebooks from Samsung and Acer has been the terrible touch pads built into those systems. I don't care if your laptop cost less than $200, if the touch pad is unusable, you're just not going to be productive on it.
The touch pad on the $329 HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook is a bit better, but still not even as good as the touch pads found on budget Windows laptops. It was passable for basic Web surfing, but if you plan on using your Chromebook for more than a couple of hours at a time, an external mouse is recommended.
Fortunately, despite not having any way to install drivers or dive into the deeper functions of pointing devices, I had good luck getting external devices to work. Both the wireless Microsoft mouse and the external Logitech touch pad I tried worked instantly, both via USB dongle (a second wireless mouse, from Targus, did not work).
Printing is a little more complicated. You'll need to use a service Google calls Cloud Print. That works one of two ways. The less likely scenario is that you already own one of a handful of Cloud-Print-ready printers, in which case you should be able to connect easily if you're on the same network. More likely, you have what Google generously refers to as a "classic printer," in which case, you have to run a Cloud Print app on a separate Windows or OS X machine, and from there, connect to your Chromebook.
This is about as far from the simple, stripped-down appeal of Chromebooks and the Chrome OS as one could imagine.
That said, when I followed the steps outlined in this support doc from Google, the Cloud Print feature worked the first time I tried it.
Workaround apps If your job involves only e-mail, text documents, and simple spreadsheets, moving to a Chromebook may well be a very simple transition for you, especially if you already make use of Google's online tools.
If, however, you have occasional need for programs such as Photoshop, you're going to have to find a workaround. There actually are a few basic image-editing features built into Chrome OS, but if you need to do more than adjust the rotation or brightness and contrast of an image, you'll hit a wall very quickly.
I've always used a Web-based tool named Pixlr for emergency photo edits. It's a cloud-based image editor that looks and feels a lot like Photoshop. You upload an image, edit it, then download the resulting file. It works well enough in a pinch, although if you're a heavy Photoshop user, a Chromebook just isn't for you.
I found Pixlr listed in the Chrome Web Store, but "installing" the app really just takes you to the Pixlr Web site. Similar online tools, including some basic video editors, can be found in the Creative Tools section of the Chrome Web Store. One caveat, especially if you're working with big images: remember that you'll have to both upload and redownload the image file, so make sure you have the time and bandwidth to work that way before you count on an online app such as Pixlr.
You can be productive on a Chromebook, sometimes As an on-the-go system for catching up on e-mail (especially if you use Gmail or Google's corporate e-mail services), and creating or editing basic office documents, a Chromebook works, and works well considering the less-than-$250 investment (for the Samsung Chromebook Series 3, the most affordable Chromebook CNET can recommend).
That said, it does not excel in any particular area, and even a budget Windows laptop offers more flexibility and the ability to run more software. Even if you only need a particular app once in a great while, unless there's an online version that works in the Chrome browser, you're out of luck.
Here's what worked:
Google Drive/Google Docs works the same as it does on non-Chrome PCs
Having cloud-based documents makes it easy to share and access documents on multiple PCs
Many mice and other accessories are plug-and-play
Offline access to some features helps the Chromebook be more universally useful
Here's what didn't:
You're stuck with second-rate online alternatives to programs such as Photoshop
Setting up a printer is a hassle
Google Docs lacks many of the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office
In the next Living with Chromebook installment, we'll look at entertainment options in Chrome OS, from streaming video to games.
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8 Ways to Protect Your Money During a Recession
8 Ways to Protect Your Money During a Recession
This story is part of Recession Help Desk, CNET's coverage of how to make smart money moves in an uncertain economy.
What's happening
With the latest GDP report showing another consecutive quarterly decline in economic activity, the country is likely in a technical recession.
Why it matters
Previous recessions have all seen pervasive layoffs, higher costs of borrowing and a tumultuous stock market.
What it means for you
Worry less about the macroeconomic news of the day and focus on what you can control. Take inventory of your financial life, gather facts and make moves to protect your savings.
While many economists still refuse to use the R-word, the warning signs indicate the US economy is now likely in a technical recession. In addition to another quarterly drop in GDP, or gross domestic product, consumer confidence has gone down, the stock market is in bear territory and inflation is still soaring, despite four interest rates hikes from the Federal Reserve.
An increase in layoffs -- another key indicator of a recession -- is also being felt across the country as many companies, particularly in the tech sector, have announced layoffs in recent months. And if you ask most people, they'll say it's become undoubtedly harder to make ends meet. At least one poll conducted in June finds a majority of Americans, or 58%, believe we are in a recession.
But then others point to some key factors that point in the opposite direction -- for example, low unemployment levels, rising spending and a healthy banking sector.
While the National Bureau of Economic Research makes the official call on a recession -- and so far it's remained tight-lipped -- whether we call this challenging financial period a recession or not seems like a pretty subjective matter of interpretation.
At CNET Money, we're dedicated to supporting your financial health with accurate, timely and honest advice that takes into consideration the pressing financial questions of our time. That's why we're launching the Recession Help Desk, a destination where you will get the latest, best advice and action steps for navigating this uncertain period.
First, a quick look back at the US economy
Since the Great Depression, the US has had about a dozen economic setback periods lasting anywhere from a few months to over a year. In some ways, there's always a recession on the horizon: Economies are cyclical, with upswings and downturns. We can't predict what will happen in advance, and sometimes we can't even tell what's happening while we're in the middle of it. Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology of Money, may have said it best when he tweeted back in April: "We're definitely heading toward a recession. The only thing that's uncertain is the timing, location, duration, magnitude and policy response."
Attempting to figure out recession specifics is a guessing game. Anyone who tells you different is likely trying to sell you something. The best we can do right now is draw on history to build context, get more proactive about the money moves we can control and resist the urge to panic. This includes reviewing what happened in previous recessions and taking a closer look at our financial goals to see what levers to pull to stay on track.
Here are eight specific steps you can take to create more financial stability and resilience in a turbulent economy.
Read more: Bear Markets: Expert Stock Market Advice for Investors
1. Plan more, panic less
The silver lining to current recession predictions is that they're still only forecasts. There is time to assemble a plan without the real pressures and challenges that come with being in the thick of an economic slowdown. Over the next couple of months, review your financial plan and map out some worst-case scenarios when your adrenaline isn't running high.
Some questions to consider: If you did lose your job later this year or in early 2023, what would be your plan? How can you fortify your finances now to weather a layoff? (Keep reading for related advice.)
2. Bulk up your cash reserves
A key to navigating a recession relatively unscathed is having cash in the bank. The steep 10% unemployment rate during the Great Recession in 2009 taught us this. On average, it took eight to nine months for those affected to land on their feet. Those fortunate to have robust emergency accounts were able to continue paying their housing costs and buy time to figure out next steps with less stress.
Consider retooling your budget to allocate more into savings now to hit closer to the recommended six- to nine-month rainy day reserve. It may make sense to unplug from recurring subscriptions, but a better strategy that won't feel as depriving may be to call billers (from utility companies to cable to car insurance) and ask for discounts and promotions. Speak specifically with customer retention departments to see what offers they can extend to keep you from canceling your plans.
3. Seek a second income stream
Web searches for "side hustles" are always popular, but especially now, as many look to diversify income streams in the run up to a potential recession. Just like it helps to diversify investments, diversifying income streams can reduce the income volatility that arrives with job loss. For inspiration on easy, low-lift side hustles that you might be able to do from home, check out my story.
4. Resist impulsive investing moves
It's hard not to be worried about your portfolio after all the red arrows in the stock market this year. If you have more than 10 or 15 years until retirement, history proves it's better to stick with the market ups and downs. According to Fidelity, those who stayed invested in target-date funds, which include mutual funds and ETFs commonly tied to a retirement date, during the 2008 to 2009 financial crisis had higher account balances by 2011 than those who reduced or halted their contributions. "Those who panic and sell 'at the bottom' often regret it because trying to time the market can result in losses that are very difficult to regain because stock prices can change quickly," said Linda Davis Taylor, seasoned investment professional and author of The Business of Family.
If you have yet to sign up for automatic rebalancing, definitely look into this with your portfolio manager or online broker. This feature can ensure that your instruments remain properly weighted and aligned with your risk tolerance and investment goals, even as the market swings.
5. Lock interest rates now
As the policy makers raise interest rates to bring down inflation levels, interest rates will increase. This potentially spells bad news for anyone with an adjustable-rate loan. It's also a challenge for those carrying a balance on a credit card.
While federal student loan borrowers don't have to worry about their rates going up, those with private variable rate loans may want to look into consolidating or refinancing options through an existing lender or other banks, such as SoFi, that could consolidate the debt into one fixed-rate loan. This will prevent your monthly payments from increasing unpredictably when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates again this year, as expected.
6. Protect your credit score
Borrowers may have a tougher time accessing credit in recessions, as interest rates jump and banks enforce stricter lending rules. To qualify for the best loan terms and rates, aim for a strong credit score in the 700s or higher. You can typically check your credit score for free through your existing bank or lender, and you can also receive free weekly credit reports from each of the three main credit bureaus through the end of the year from AnnualCreditReport.com.
To improve your credit score, work towards paying down high balances, review and dispute any errors that may be on your credit report or consider consolidating high-interest credit card debt into a lower interest debt consolidation loan or 0% introductory APR balance transfer card.
7. Rethink buying a home
While home prices have cooled in some areas, it remains a competitive housing market with few homes to go around. If rising mortgage rates are adding more pressure to your ability to buy a home within budget, consider renting for a little longer. If you're also worried about your job security in a potential recession, then that's even more reason to take pause. Leasing isn't cheap at the moment, but it can afford you more flexibility and mobility. Without the need to park cash for a down payment and closing costs, renting can also keep you more liquid during a potentially challenging economy.
8. Take care of your valuables
The advice that was born out of the sky-high inflation period in the late 1970s still applies now: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
With ongoing supply chain issues, many of us face high prices and delays in acquiring new cars, tech products, furniture, home materials and even contact lenses. This includes replacement parts, too. If a product comes with a free warranty, be sure to sign up. And if it's a nominal fee to extend the insurance, it may be worth it during a time when prices are on the rise.
For example, my car has been in the repair shop for over three months, waiting for parts to arrive from overseas. So, in addition to paying my monthly car payment, I have a rental car fee that's adding up. If nothing else, I'll be heading into a possible recession a more cautious driver.
Read more: Smaller Packages, Same Prices: Shrinkflation Is Sneaky
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Buying an iPhone 11 in 2022 Might Make Sense for You
Buying an iPhone 11 in 2022 Might Make Sense for You
Since the debut of the iPhone 11 in 2019, we've since seen the debut of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12. And in a few days, we're likely to see the debut of the iPhone 14 at Apple's next event on Sept. 7. The iPhone 11 may be over two years old, but it might still be a good choice, especially since Apple discounted it to $499 last year. While we recommend that you wait for the next Apple event before buying any iPhone at all, especially since prices for current iPhone models will likely decrease afterward, the iPhone 11 does have a lot to like as a phone that's under $500.
For instance, do you mind using an iPhone that feels a bit dated? Or do you think saving several hundred dollars is more important than carrying the latest phone? What about 5G -- how important is that to you? If you're shopping on a budget, the iPhone 11 is still a great choice. Although you'll be missing out on some newer features, the iPhone 11 gives you all the basics you'd want from an iPhone, including battery life that's on par with the iPhone 12, a great dual-lens camera that includes night mode and a processor that's still fast enough for everyday tasks.
Read more:Here's how the iPhone 11 compares to the iPhone 12 and how the iPhone 13 compares to the iPhone 12.
But if you have some wiggle room in your budget, here are some questions to ask yourself. (For the purposes of this article, I'm going to assume that you are currently using an iPhone.) And if you're still mulling over your decision after that, here's how the iPhone 13 compares to the last five years of iPhones as well as our list of the best iPhones. Plus, check out all the differences between the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
5G connectivity: iPhone 11 doesn't have 5G. But do you really need it right now?
One of the iPhone 11's biggest missing features compared to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 is 5G connectivity. The iPhone 11 is an LTE-only device, and if you don't care for the next-gen wireless tech just yet (service is patchy in the US after all), then the iPhone 11 should suit you just fine. Remember that 5G debuted on the iPhone 12 lineup and getting access to faster bands of 5G depends on where you live, so going for the iPhone 12 makes your purchase more future-proof.
Angela Lang/CNET
Display quality: You won't get a 120Hz refresh rate on an iPhone 11 (or iPhone 12)
The iPhone 11 uses a crisp LCD screen that refreshes at 60 frames per second, or 60Hz. Apple traded up in the iPhone 12, equipping it with an OLED screen, though it kept the display at 60Hz just like most phones. OLEDs are typically more vibrant than their LCD counterparts, with richer contrast and inkier blacks. If you watch a lot of videos on your iPhone and want a superior viewing experience, an OLED screen might make more sense for you. The iPhone 13 also boasts an OLED panel too, though Apple bumped up the refresh rate for the Pro models to 120Hz. The faster refresh rate will translate to smoother, snappier scrolling through apps and websites.
Apple's Wallet app will be able to store driver's licenses in iOS 15.
Screenshot by CNET
Software support: How long will the iPhone 11 get iOS software updates?
Apple's latest operating system, iOS 15, is supported on many older iPhones, and the oldest is the 2015 iPhone 6S (Here's how to download the new OS, but you may want to wait.) Based on that and some quick mental math, we can deduce that Apple plans to provide iPhone support for up to six years from launch. As a result, with the iPhone 11, unveiled in 2019, you can rest comfortably knowing that you can expect updates through 2025.
Read more: iOS 15's biggest new features: FaceTime, Apple Wallet and Notifications get new tricks
Durability and water resistance: How durable do you want your iPhone to be?
If you do opt for the iPhone 11, you will miss out on a few durability features that are available on the newer iPhone models. One of the iPhone 12's big improvements is the material of its display. Apple calls it "ceramic shield" glass. Made by Corning, the ceramic shield glass covering the phone's display is apparently harder than most metals. Indeed, we can confirm that the iPhone 12's ceramic shield is tough. Our iPhone 12 drop tests show it protected the hardware from drops as high as 9 feet. (CNET's iPhone 12 Mini drop tests yielded similar results.) The iPhone 13 also has the same ceramic shield glass on its display.
So if you're a big klutz and are prone to slips and drops, springing for the iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 is a wise move (or just get a really nice iPhone case). Keep in mind, the iPhone 11 isn't a delicate darling, either. It also survived CNET's drop and water tests and earned a CNET Editors' Choice Award. You can read our iPhone 11 review for more details.
Read more: Farewell iPhone case: The case for the caseless phone
Price and budget: How much do you want to spend on an iPhone?
As I said earlier, Apple is selling the nearly two-year-old iPhone 11 for $300 less now than when it first launched, making it a great choice for those shopping on a budget. But, as also mentioned previously, the iPhone 11 could become even cheaper once Apple debuts its 2022 line of iPhone models. Also of note, the current iPhone 12 and 12 Mini might come down in price and hit that $499 level, as typically Apple lowers the price of existing iPhone models once the newest model goes on sale.
It's also worth considering carrier deals from Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, all of which may subsidize the price of an iPhone in exchange for committing to a cellular service plan. Last year the three companies offered hundreds of dollars off with those contracts, and possibly pay off the phone entirely with a device trade-in. Just keep in mind that there are plenty of caveats to those deals, like commitments ranging from 24 to 36 months.
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Apple's getting ready for a Sept. 7 event , which is very likely to be the moment we learn about the company's next iPhone line.
The newest version, expected to be called the iPhone 14, is rumored to include an always-on display similar to what's on the Apple Watch now, allowing for constant glanceable information without ruining battery life.
Apple hasn't really said what it plans to announce at its event, only sending out a cryptic invitation to the press, with an Apple logo seemingly set in a night sky, suggesting potential camera improvements or last year's rumored satellite emergency calling. The image looks like something we might see from the James Webb Space Telescope, whose stunning photos have already begun changing how we view the cosmos since first being released earlier this summer. In its announcement, Apple included the teaser words "Far out."
Read more: Apple Makes 'Far Out' iPhone Launch Event Official For Sept. 7
The iPhone 14 launch will also mark the 15th year since the original iPhone's debut, in June of 2007. Back then, the device wasn't the sure hit it is today. Many tech industry watchers were enthusiastic about Apple's prospects of course, but it hadn't proven it can build reliable phone technology before then. It was also up against massive competitors such as Microsoft, Palm and Research in Motion, whose Blackberry devices ruled the business world at the time. Within a decade though, Apple -- as well as Google's popular Android software -- had bested all three companies.
While the iPhone will be a key product we see at Apple's event this year, and likely what most people focus their attention on, the company's expected to hold other events later this year with other devices to show off. Those include new Mac computers with upgraded chips and new iPads.
Read more: Everything We Know So Far About the iPhone 14
When is the Apple event?
Apple's online-only event will be Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. PT, which is 1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST and 3 a.m. AEST. (Sorry, Australia.) Here's a handy time zone converter to help find what time it'll be where you are.
Where can I watch Apple's livestream?
You'll be able to stream Apple's event straight from the company's website. Meanwhile, we'll be reporting on the event live here at CNET.
What can we expect, besides the iPhone 14 launch?
Apple's digital events are fast paced and slickly produced. And even though Apple's now trying its hand at in-person events again as coronavirus pandemic-era health concerns slowly recede, the company still seems to be applying what it's learned about how to make its events more compelling. During its last event, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple held a livestream but then offered in-person demos for the press afterward.
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The best Halloween movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and more
The best Halloween movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and more
Halloween movies are a thrilling watch year-round, but there's no better time to enjoy them than when chillier temperatures settle in. Especially this year, with the COVID-19 pandemic changing the way we partake in classic Halloween activities like trick-or-treating, you might need something to transport you to fictional places where the horrifying stuff isn't actually real. (We all cope differently, right?)
Here are our top picks for the scariest, creepiest and sometimes silliest films to stream or watch on demand on platforms including Hulu, Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, HBO Max and others. We've noted which of these films require higher-tier streaming subscriptions like Hulu Plus Live TV, or a Showtime or Cinemax add-on.
Read more: 15 of the best movies to see on Amazon Prime Video
Disney
Hulu started life as a joint venture between ABC, NBC and Fox. Since Disney (ABC's parent) absorbed most of the Fox Entertainment properties, however, it's been buying out its remaining partners and converting Hulu to more of a Disney Plus for adults. As such, you can watch the movies below with their full, R-rated gore intact. The baseline subscription includes commercials, and you can also bundle this with Disney's other online properties, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
(Available on Hulu Plus Live TV. Also available on Peacock.) We always appreciate a well-done horror comedy! You can catch the sequel, Zombieland Double Tap, on Starz.
(Also available on Tubi.) Something about murderous children in a cornfield just feels autumnal.
It's a Swedish film about a little girl vampire. Are we selling it? It's fantastic, trust us.
(Also available on Tubi.) We don't particularly get this franchise, but Hellraiser viewing parties are a pretty common Halloween activity. You do you.
Quite frankly, this adaptation isn't the greatest, but then again neither was the first one. Still it definitely has some chilling moments.
(Available with Showtime add-on.) The first Paranormal Activity was pretty unnerving. It might be worth a revisit this Halloween.
(Available on Hulu Plus Live TV starting Oct. 7.) We refuse to fact-check this, but Get Out is possibly the only Oscar winner on this list. That's inaccurate. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for Rosemary's Baby. And The Silence of the Lambs won like 5 Academy Awards too. Are you happy? Get Out is fantastic though.
Get Out
Universal Pictures
Our 8-year-old selves still believe deep down this is the greatest Halloween movie ever made. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, please, please return to making films.
This Korean creature feature is easily one of the best films on this list.
As far as haunted house movies go, this one is better than The Amityville Horror, but not quite as good as The Conjuring.
(Available on Hulu Plus Live TV starting Oct. 8.) Once again we learn abstinence is the only way to prevent slow-moving nightmare monsters from trying to kill you. What a helpful PSA!
(Available on Hulu Plus Live TV.) This is the part where you stop reading the article and immediately go put on Ghostbusters. Don't worry, this article isn't going anywhere. We'll wait.
(Available on Hulu Plus Live TV.) Rebecca's mom really loves the Madea movies. And who are we to deny you options?
(Available on Hulu Plus Live TV.) On the one hand, it's a pretty good remake. On the other hand, Zack Snyder directed it. Your call.
(Available with Cinemax add-on.) Don't you want to finally understand what a "Jacob's Ladder scenario" actually is?
Ever since Dead Snow came out, we are always 100% down for any movie with Nazi zombies.
(Available on Hulu plus Live TV. Also available on Spectrum.) It's possible Rebecca has seen this film more than any other film on this list. Don't judge!
Saw (2004)
(Available on Hulu with Cinemax add-on.) If you plan on watching Saw, we also recommend checking out our interview with screenwriter Leigh Whannell. He tells us about his 5-year-old's bedtime story demands and let's just say, twisted storytelling definitely runs in the family.
Netflix hardly needs an introduction, but the biggest streaming service out there remains a mixture of TV shows and movies, including content licensed from other studios and a growing stable of originals.
We probably didn't need a family-friendly version of The Omen, but we enjoyed it nevertheless.
If you've come to this list looking for the scariest horror films, watch this one. Maybe with the lights on.
Anjelica Huston is majestic in this Roald Dahl adaptation.
Even if you're not into super dark films, the storyline in this Guillermo del Toro masterpiece will be enough to win you over.
One of our favorites and Zelda Rubinstein's performance is really just the cherry on top.
This is probably the most under-the-radar film on this list, but it's absolutely worth your time.
Certain horror fans find themselves disappointed when the "big bad" turns out to be metaphorical. Don't worry, this one has a satisfying "actual monster" payoff.
This movie is carried by Mark Duplass and his amazingly sinister face. A delightfully creepy watch.
(Also available on Spectrum.) Ghost movies are great for Halloween, right?
Universal Pictures
Already subscribe to HBO? You can probably get HBO Max at no extra charge. Think of it as (wait for it) "HBO Plus" -- everything on HBO, plus a bunch of additional back catalog and exclusives from Warner's catalog, as well as some nice licensed exclusives like Doctor Who and the Studio Ghibli library.
Shark movie!!! Sorry, didn't mean to get that excited. But we did see The Meg on opening weekend. Are you a "shark movie" person? No better time to find out!
Possibly the last time we found the ending to a horror film surprising.
I (Rebecca) thought this movie was really scary when I was 13. It might still be scary. There's really no way of knowing these things.
We all know the saying, "In space, no one can hear you scream," but your neighbors will definitely be able to hear you scream while watching this on your couch.
It's pretty rare with a horror masterpiece to stumble upon a masterpiece of a sequel, especially with a different director. Thanks, James Cameron!
John Landis doesn't get enough credit for being able to blend horror and comedy.
While The Shining is probably the favorite horror film of many and may not have needed a sequel, it's one of the better Stephen King adaptations in recent years.
A very enjoyable example of a dark comedy and horror mashup.
Disney
You know ... for kids! It's probably not the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of "horror," as nothing here eclipses PG-13 scares. But it also has the full libraries for everything from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and The Simpsons, to name just a few of the big content silos you'll find here. As with Hulu, you can subscribe to this solo, or as a Disney/Hulu/ESPN bundle.
A cult classic you can finally stream.
(Also available on Hulu Plus Live TV.) It's really a Christmas movie, but also you should be watching it year-round.
This vibrant, touching film brings Day of the Dead to life in the most beautiful way.
Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, but this is simply a Disney classic.
Feel-good and Halloween don't always go hand in hand, but this nostalgic Halloween classic always warms our witchy little hearts.
As if trusting her new beau wasn't hard enough already.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Peacock is NBCUniversal's recently launched streaming app that includes several free movies and TV shows. Paying customers can unlock the platform's full library of content, and can also pay a little more to go ad-free.
You should really watch/rewatch them all, but the third film does have the most Halloween-y vibe.
You can't get more classic than Frankenstein!
We love a good dystopian film.
Another for the classics fans.
Screenshot by Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET
This ad-supported network offers a range of free TV shows and movies. It's available on devices including Roku and Amazon Fire TV, as well as on Android and iOS. You won't need an account to watch content, but creating one enables you to save favorites and resume playback when switching between devices.
Is it really Halloween if you haven't watched a creepy Tim Burton film?
A cannibal villain is as horrifying as it gets.
Not exactly sure if a flick about a viral outbreak is something you want to watch right now, but if it is, you're in luck.
MGM
Existing Showtime cable subscribers can access all of its content on the Showtime Anytime app on most major app platforms. But you can also get it as a straight streaming app for a monthly fee. (Disclosure: Showtime and CNET are owned by the same parent company, ViacomCBS.)
(Also available on Netflix.) This is one of our favorite films to watch on Halloween. Hannibal Lecter is a magnificent villain.
If you don't barf while watching the shaking cameras, it's a pretty good creature feature.
This would pair well with The Omen for a Halloween double feature.
We're going to throw this out there: More films should be set in the 1600s. Provided they're as good as The Witch.
Focus Features
Like Showtime, this premium cable movie service is also available "over the top" as a direct streaming option on most app store platforms.
This is the quite possibly the most perfect Halloween movie on this list. Demon spawn! (If you're interested, you can also find the 2006 version on Hulu.)
Not big on horror? No worries, you can check out one of the greatest comedies ever made instead.
Is it just us or does anyone else find Edward Scissorhands incredibly soothing to watch?
Jeff Goldblum in a creature feature is all we're really looking for in a Halloween film.
Watch this after you finish watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET
Epix is another pay cable channel that's expanded its horizons to the digital realm. Get it with your cable or satellite subscription, or as a digital streaming option instead.
We're almost positive people have written dissertations on the influence of this film on the horror genre. So, we dunno, maybe check out?
Definitely worth it for Vincent Price.
(Also available on Hulu.) Creature features often don't get enough love in the horror genre. But this one was our jam!
Warner Bros. Pictures
Prime Video is thrown in "for free" for anyone subscribing to Amazon's membership program, which otherwise guarantees delivery of a wide array of products in two days or less at no additional charge. It's got a ton of movies and TV shows from third-party studios, and a growing list of Amazon exclusives, too. Note, however, that only the first few selections are available via Prime; the rest are available as 48-hour rentals at a pay-per-view cost.
This movie will freak me out always and forever!
Chris Sarandon as a vampire? Sold!
(Available to rent.) This Michael J. Fox classic about a teen werewolf will have you howling for more! I promise that's the last pun in this article.
(Available to rent.) It's a Halloween movie list, so I'm obligated to include Pumpkinhead.
(Available to rent.) One of the few films on this list that is also a cinematic masterpiece.
(Available to rent. It's also available on Hulu Plus Live TV.) I know the found footage gimmick is tired, but do you actually remember how scary this movie was? An entire generation couldn't go camping for like a decade after it came out.
(Available to rent.) This film was so scary that I still can't bring myself to watch any of the sequels or prequels! But if you are interested in watching The Conjuring 2, it's available on HBO Max.
(Available to rent.) I went as the Bride for Halloween one year. This isn't relevant to my recommendation, but I'm trying to sell you on a film from 1935.
(Available to rent.) Carrie is so good! Sissy Spacek just has a special place in my heart. It isn't at all related to Halloween, but you should also check out Coal Miner's Daughter.
(Available to rent.) This is the American remake of Let the Right One In. And it's pretty well done for US market cash grab.
It (2017)
(Available to rent. Also on Hulu plus Live TV.) This film is alway a thrill. The sequel is also available on HBO Max.
(Available to rent.) Frankly, I could use more sci-fi horror films. And more Vin Diesel.
(Available for rent.) For all the gore lovers.
(Available to rent, though the 1972 version is included with a Prime membership and is also on Hulu.) I'll say this about the remake: it's probably more suspenseful than the original. But the original left me feeling emotionally violated, and that's a special kind of horror that's hard to replicate. Still the remake is worth a watch.
(Available to rent.) Down with the yuppies! Honestly this is one of my all-time favorite films.
(Available to rent.) As a child I was only afraid of two things: Chucky and spiders. I am still terrified of both. But hey, now I'm also afraid of heights!
(Available with a Prime Video Channels subscription. Also available on Tubi.) It's Wes Craven so I'm not even going to bother trying to convince you. Just watch it.
Raw (2016)
(Available to rent.) Watch only if you have a strong stomach!
(Available to rent.) OK, here's our pitch: Jessica Walter and Clint Eastwood. Are you sold?
(Available to rent.) Not to be confused with the Brooke Shields film The Blue Lagoon. This one is about a lagoon monster.
(Available to rent.) You'll never want to fly again.
(Available to rent.) This is possibly one of the worst films ever made, but it stars Gerard Butler as Dracula. So you should probably watch it anyway.
(Available to rent.) Nearly half the movies in our roundup were in some way inspired by this classic slasher film. An absolute Halloween classic.
