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Moto G Stylus 5G Review: Great Specs For $500 But Limited Software Updates

Moto G Stylus 5G Review: Great Specs For $500 But Limited Software Updates

Motorola's Moto G Stylus 5G has everything you want from a sub-$500 phone at first glance. At $500 (which roughly converts to £320 and AU$560) it has higher-end features normally found on more expensive phones, including a 6.8-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 50-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. You also get a built-in stylus, a feature that Samsung is now only providing for its luxe $1,200 Galaxy S22 Ultra. The phone has great battery life to boot. It all sounds great for the money, but there are some important details to keep in mind if you go with this phone.

Motorola sells the Stylus 5G unlocked with a roomy 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. It also includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip, which is generally more powerful than the MediaTek one included in the $300 4G-only Moto G Stylus from earlier this year. Its 5G support includes sub-6 and C-band frequencies. A Verizon version will also support millimeter-wave 5G.

All this makes the phone fit right in with midrange rivals such as the $450 Galaxy A53 and last year's $449 Pixel 5A with 5G. But unlike Samsung and Google, which both commit to years of software updates, Motorola only promises one major software update to its G line of phones. This means that while the Stylus 5G is shipping right now with Android 12 and will eventually get Android 13, you'll only receive three years of security updates instead of any additional feature upgrades.

Motorola says this could be a perk, offering stability and consistency with its menus and interface. But even if you buy a cheaper phone, you shouldn't have to sacrifice updates because you probably want it to last as long as possible.

This makes the Moto G Stylus 5G worth considering if you want to hold onto the phone for two or three years, but it's a tougher sell if you want a phone that'll be viable for longer. It has many of the best Android 12 features, including the option to customize menus to your favorite color, and a long-lasting battery. And if a stylus is important to you on top of that, this phone could be the best pick for you.

The Moto G Stylus 5G has a few different apps optimized for the stylus.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Tall phone with a big battery

The Moto G Stylus 5G is a tall and thin phone, making it easy to hold and even text with one hand. I'm normally a fan of phones with screens longer than 6.5 inches because it's easier to watch videos and read. But the shape of the phone leaves its top half exposed, which would make it easier for a thief to snatch if you're not paying attention.

I can alleviate this by using the stylus and the phone's handwriting recognition keyboard instead, which gets me a better grip on the body. Yet that comes at the expense of speed and accuracy compared to touch typing and autocorrect. Putting the phone in a case paired with a PopSocket, or something similar, could also help with that safety concern.

Otherwise the screen is great for watching and reading content, especially since it provides the option to boost the refresh rate up to 120Hz. Motorola also provides options for using a dynamic refresh rate depending on how you're using the phone or a 60Hz option, both of which consume less power on the battery.

The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 5,000-mAh battery.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Yet with a beefy 5,000-mAh battery inside, the phone easily made it through a few full days of heavy usage with 120Hz on at all times. I watch a lot of YouTube, play games, take video calls, capture photos and videos and even on my longest day it still had 30 to 50% capacity when I was ready to go to bed. I averaged just over 3 hours of screen time each day but with less intensive usage patterns I'm sure the phone could easily last well into a second day.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)

Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

Note:

Higher scores are better

Geekbench 5 Multicore

Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)

Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Note:

Higher scores are better

While all that extra power is great, it's worth noting that the Stylus 5G does charge more slowly than rival phones. You get a power adapter -- something that's disappearing from most phone boxes lately -- but it's a 10W charger with a USB-A to USB-C cable. Motorola said that you can use a different power adapter with the phone, but the maximum speed it can charge is 15W. By comparison the Galaxy A53 also has a 5,000-mAh battery and can charge at up to 25W, but you need to buy a power adapter separately. When I ran the Stylus 5G down to 0%, it took roughly 2.5 hours to charge it up to 95% using the included charger.

Shockingly, there's a headphone jack included, something that's practically nonexistent for phones in this price range. Motorola includes Dolby Atmos, which can be applied to specific headphones and speakers that you connect.

The stylus inside the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Stylus features are nice, but lack impact

The Moto G Stylus 5G includes a stylus, but the best thing about it is its dedicated slot in the phone. When you remove the stylus, you'll see a menu of shortcuts including an option to take a screenshot to annotate, take a note or open a coloring book app. 

Motorola is also launching a Live Message feature, which lets you create an animated drawing and send it out through a favorite messaging app. I was easily able to make these, and send them to friends the way I'd send a GIF. My friends found the animations amusing but this isn't something I'd do every day.

The stylus is neat, but it's hard for me to imagine using it on a regular basis. If you need to sign a digital document, it's now easy to get that done with a service like DocuSign, Microsoft Office or Google Docs. Unless you absolutely need a stylus, you'd be better off considering the sub-$500 phones that don't include one. 

The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor camera.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Stable photography

The biggest improvement on the Moto G Stylus 5G over last year's version is with the inclusion of optical image stabilization. This reduces hand shake while taking photos, helping prevent motion blur.

The main 50-megapixel camera on the back of the phone is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel depth sensor camera. On the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

I took the phone to a dog park, where I needed to move quickly to get photos of the puppies. I shot plenty of great dog photos, including of my friend's dog Mel who got particularly aggressive with a football toy.

Photo taken on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Mel, the dog pictured here, wouldn't let any other dog near this football. Photo taken on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

I also took the phone to a Korean barbecue restaurant as well as to a karaoke night, where I used the phone's Night mode to help capture more detail in darker indoor settings. It captured all of the details of the meal, but at the theater the results were more saturated. There's a noticeable blur on objects that were farther away.

Night mode on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Night mode on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Photo taken on the Moto G Stylus 5G's front-facing camera.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

The front-facing camera also captured a lot of detail while I made faces at the camera.

Video isn't the phone's strong suit. You can choose between 30 and 60 frames per second, but otherwise it's limited to 1080p for capture. Last year's Stylus 5G includes 4K video recording, so I was surprised that feature didn't stick around. 

The footage I took at the dog park was OK, but wasn't particularly detailed even in good lighting. I wouldn't expect to capture anything more than short video clips that could be shared with friends or family.

Limited software support hurts an otherwise good phone

Even though the phone's stylus, good photography, larger screen and higher refresh rate all recommend it, it's hard for me to ignore Motorola's commitment to just one major Android update.

I used a Moto Z2 Play as my personal phone back in 2018. When it developed bugs, the slower software updates meant I couldn't be confident those issues would be resolved.

Motorola pledges security updates for three years, which will at least make sure the Stylus 5G isn't vulnerable to most malicious threats. But Samsung pledged to support Galaxy A phones for four years while Google gave the Pixel 6 three years of software updates and five years of security updates. Motorola is woefully behind in comparison.

Unless you crave the stylus and want a phone for $500 or less, I suggest waiting a few more weeks until after Google I/O. It's rumored Google will announce a cheaper Pixel 6A, possibly in the $450 to $500 price range. Motorola's $400 Moto G 5G, sans stylus, will also launch in the coming weeks. Once those phones are released, we'll have a better overall idea which is the best phone in this price range. 

Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) vs. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, Google Pixel 5A with 5G, Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Google Pixel 5A with 5G	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)
Display size, resolution	6.8-inch LTPS LCD FHD Plus; 2,460 x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.5-inch AMOLED 2,400x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.34-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60Hz	6.8-inch LCD FHD Plus; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60Hz
Pixel density	TBD	405ppi	413ppi	386ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.65x2.98x0.37 in	6.28x2.94x0.32 in	6.1x2.9x0.3 in	6.67x3.05x0.39 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	168.9x75.8x9.3 mm	159.6x74.8x8.1 mm	156.2x73.2x8.8 mm	169.54x77.48x9.35 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	7.58 oz; 215 grams	6.67 oz; 189 grams	6.45 oz; 183 grams	7.67 oz; 217.5 grams
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 12	Android 11	Android 11
Camera	50-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultrawide/macro), 2-megapixel (depth)	64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth)	12-megapixel (wide), 16-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 2-megapixel (depth sensor)
Front-facing camera	16-megapixel	32-megapixel	8-megapixel	16-megapixel
Video capture	1,080p	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 695 5G	Exynos 1280	Snapdragon 765G	Snapdragon 480 5G
Storage	256GB	128GB	128GB	256GB
RAM	8GB	6GB	6GB	6GB
Expandable storage	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB	None	Up to 1TB
Battery	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (charger not included)	4,680 mAh (18W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)
Fingerprint sensor	Side	In-display	Back	Back
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	Yes	None	Yes	Yes
Special features	5G-enabled; OIS for main camera; NFC for Google Pay, Stylus	5G-enabled; IP67 rating; supports 25W wired fast charging, Samsung Pay	5G-enabled, IP67 water rating, Dual Sim	5G-enabled, Stylus,
Price off-contract (USD)	$500	$450	$449	$400
Price (GBP)	Converts to £320	£399	Converts to £345	Converts to £285
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$560	AU$699	Converts to AU$620	Converts to AU$515

---

Source

https://nichols.my.id/how-to-recover-excel-unsaved-file-mac.html

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Europe's last dictator has a YouTube problem

Europe's last dictator has a YouTube problem

If you're a dictator, what you don't want is the world watching your every move -- but that's the attention Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko cast on himself Sunday.

Dubbed Europe's last dictator, Lukashenko earned Belarus a fresh round of local protests and international sanctions when he used military force to ground a RyanAir plane flying between Greece and Lithuania on Sunday. As the plane flew over Belarus' airspace, Lukashenko's government sent a MiG fighter jet to ground the flight full of civilian passengers. 

And what for? To take down a journalist and his Telegram group.

Police boarded the plane and arrested Roman Protasevich, a 26-year-old journalist who runs Nexta, an anti-establishment news channel that operates mostly on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, where it has over 1.2 million subscribers in a country of about 9 million. 

Online platforms are rattling restrictive regimes in Europe's east: In the aligned nations of Belarus and Russia, heroic activists like Protasevich and imprisoned Russian dissident Alexei Navalny use the twin powers of Telegram and YouTube to expose corruption and governmental malignancy. 

That these dissidents are being targeted for elimination and imprisonment now, after years in the public eye, is a sign of how threatening their online presence has become to Lukashenko and Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.

"These guys have really figured out how to use the internet to counter these regimes in the last few years," William Partlett, a professor at Melbourne Law School who researches post-Soviet societies, told me on a recent phone call. Because state TV is so controlled, creative and defiant young people flocked to YouTube and Telegram, where they can create their own news channels. 

While the Russian and especially Belarusian governments often target specific journalists or publications, Partlett says internet freedom has been strong in Belarus and Russia compared to a country like China. 

But now that resistance movements are being so effectively built using internet platforms, that freedom might soon become more compromised.

A RyanAir flight headed for Lithuania was diverted to Belarus. Belarus claimed there was a bomb threat on board, and had a MiG jet escort the flight to Minsk airport.

NurPhoto/Getty

Hanging by a thread

Anyone living in Belarus under the age of 27 has only ever known one president. The country, also known as "White Russia," held its first free elections in 1994. They were won by Lukashenko, and he's been in power ever since. 

For this reason, and for his autocratic ways, Lukashenko is known as Europe's last dictator. 

Lukashenko "won" the last election held in the country, officially scoring 80% of the polls. The European Union rejects this result, and observers believe the election was actually won by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a school teacher and wife of a jailed opposition leader. 

What followed were the biggest and most sustained protests the country has seen since independence, involving hundreds of thousands of people. Lukashenko met these democratic spasms with autocratic force: Over 30,000 protesters have been detained, reports The Economist, and over 4,000 say they've been tortured. Some have died.

Protests over last year's election were the biggest Belarus has seen since independence. 

Getty

In this environment, Nexta, created by Protasevich six years go, flourished. Its YouTube channel, with over 600,000 subscribers, circulates news. Its Telegram group spreads videos of police brutality against demonstrators and serves as an organizing ground for future protests.

Several Belarusian journalists and internet channels have been targeted by the regime ever since, often with trumped-up charges of tax evasion or similar crimes. The case of Protasevich, who fled Belarus in 2019 and has since been branded a terrorist, shows that leaving the country isn't enough to keep dissidents safe. 

Similar channels have frustrated Russia's government. Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, first gained traction a decade ago by blogging about Kremlin corruption. In recent years, his team set up a network of YouTube channels, spread across each region of the massive country, that countered state TV. His goal has been to unseat the Kremlin candidates in regional elections, encouraging liberal Russians to vote for whoever has the best chance to displace elected officials from Putin's United Russia party. Telegram groups are used to help organize rallies and demonstrations. 

The strategy proved successful in 2018, when the United Russia party lost three gubernatorial seats.

Those in power have taken notice.

After years of suppressing Navalny -- barring him from elections, having him arrested and charging him as a foreign agent -- Putin in 2020 apparently decided to eliminate him. Navalny's underpants were reportedly smeared with a toxic agent as he traveled from Siberia to Moscow. It's indicative of a broader clampdown on freedoms, both on and offline, that's happening in the two nations. (Putin denies being behind the poisoning.)

"Navalny existed and made all these videos for years and years, but something is happening now. Now they have him in prison. They've forced down a jet to get Protasevich," Partlett explained. "They're starting to lose the internet narrative." 

Despite his subsequent imprisonment, Navalny has shown that it's possible to rile regimes even from a jail cell. He regularly posts to Instagram through his lawyer, and shortly after his imprisonment his team posted a two-hour documentary on YouTube documenting a $1.5 billion mansion owned by Putin, intending to highlight the endemic graft of Russian politics. It's been viewed 116 million times.

Recent protests against Lukashenko in neighboring Poland. NEXTA's headquarters are in Warsaw. 

Nur Photo/Getty

No firewall 

What happens next? 

Lukashenko has been met with almost universal admonishment from world leaders. The EU will ramp up sanctions, initially put in place after last year's fraudulent election, and Ukraine has banned energy imports. 

"The outrageous and illegal behavior of the regime in Belarus will have consequences," warned EU President Ursula von der Leyen. "Those responsible for the RyanAir hijacking must be sanctioned." 

The key outlier is Russia. "It's an independent state," said Leonid Kalashnikov, a senior member of Russia's State Duma parliament, according to state media. "If they see a threat to their security, then they must fight this threat."

As is so often the case, experts worry that the sanctions are likely to hurt Belarus' citizens more than its leader. A new rule, for instance, bars Belarus' state airliner from flying to any European airport, making it harder for citizens to escape the regime.

Just as worrying is what this means for the limited internet freedoms enjoyed in Belarus and Russia. 

Russia has flirted with creating its own internet, separating itself from the world in the same vein as China, but little has come of that idea. It banned Telegram in 2018, but inadvertently blocked thousands of other websites before deciding to lift the ban, indicating that the gargantuan task of creating its own internet is out of reach.

So without the ability for widespread new-era censorship, Belarus' leader is resorting to age-old suppression tactics. The power of tools like YouTube and Telegram is evident in the desperation move of hijacking an international flight. In trying to block news on the internet, Lukashenko got attention from the world. 

---

Source

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Europe's last dictator has a YouTube problem

---

Europe's last dictator has a YouTube problem

If you're a dictator, what you don't want is the world watching your every move -- but that's the attention Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko cast on himself Sunday.

Dubbed Europe's last dictator, Lukashenko earned Belarus a fresh round of local protests and international sanctions when he used military force to ground a RyanAir plane flying between Greece and Lithuania on Sunday. As the plane flew over Belarus' airspace, Lukashenko's government sent a MiG fighter jet to ground the flight full of civilian passengers. 

And what for? To take down a journalist and his Telegram group.

Police boarded the plane and arrested Roman Protasevich, a 26-year-old journalist who runs Nexta, an anti-establishment news channel that operates mostly on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, where it has over 1.2 million subscribers in a country of about 9 million. 

Online platforms are rattling restrictive regimes in Europe's east: In the aligned nations of Belarus and Russia, heroic activists like Protasevich and imprisoned Russian dissident Alexei Navalny use the twin powers of Telegram and YouTube to expose corruption and governmental malignancy. 

That these dissidents are being targeted for elimination and imprisonment now, after years in the public eye, is a sign of how threatening their online presence has become to Lukashenko and Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.

"These guys have really figured out how to use the internet to counter these regimes in the last few years," William Partlett, a professor at Melbourne Law School who researches post-Soviet societies, told me on a recent phone call. Because state TV is so controlled, creative and defiant young people flocked to YouTube and Telegram, where they can create their own news channels. 

While the Russian and especially Belarusian governments often target specific journalists or publications, Partlett says internet freedom has been strong in Belarus and Russia compared to a country like China. 

But now that resistance movements are being so effectively built using internet platforms, that freedom might soon become more compromised.

A RyanAir flight headed for Lithuania was diverted to Belarus. Belarus claimed there was a bomb threat on board, and had a MiG jet escort the flight to Minsk airport.

NurPhoto/Getty

Hanging by a thread

Anyone living in Belarus under the age of 27 has only ever known one president. The country, also known as "White Russia," held its first free elections in 1994. They were won by Lukashenko, and he's been in power ever since. 

For this reason, and for his autocratic ways, Lukashenko is known as Europe's last dictator. 

Lukashenko "won" the last election held in the country, officially scoring 80% of the polls. The European Union rejects this result, and observers believe the election was actually won by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a school teacher and wife of a jailed opposition leader. 

What followed were the biggest and most sustained protests the country has seen since independence, involving hundreds of thousands of people. Lukashenko met these democratic spasms with autocratic force: Over 30,000 protesters have been detained, reports The Economist, and over 4,000 say they've been tortured. Some have died.

Protests over last year's election were the biggest Belarus has seen since independence. 

Getty

In this environment, Nexta, created by Protasevich six years go, flourished. Its YouTube channel, with over 600,000 subscribers, circulates news. Its Telegram group spreads videos of police brutality against demonstrators and serves as an organizing ground for future protests.

Several Belarusian journalists and internet channels have been targeted by the regime ever since, often with trumped-up charges of tax evasion or similar crimes. The case of Protasevich, who fled Belarus in 2019 and has since been branded a terrorist, shows that leaving the country isn't enough to keep dissidents safe. 

Similar channels have frustrated Russia's government. Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, first gained traction a decade ago by blogging about Kremlin corruption. In recent years, his team set up a network of YouTube channels, spread across each region of the massive country, that countered state TV. His goal has been to unseat the Kremlin candidates in regional elections, encouraging liberal Russians to vote for whoever has the best chance to displace elected officials from Putin's United Russia party. Telegram groups are used to help organize rallies and demonstrations. 

The strategy proved successful in 2018, when the United Russia party lost three gubernatorial seats.

Those in power have taken notice.

After years of suppressing Navalny -- barring him from elections, having him arrested and charging him as a foreign agent -- Putin in 2020 apparently decided to eliminate him. Navalny's underpants were reportedly smeared with a toxic agent as he traveled from Siberia to Moscow. It's indicative of a broader clampdown on freedoms, both on and offline, that's happening in the two nations. (Putin denies being behind the poisoning.)

"Navalny existed and made all these videos for years and years, but something is happening now. Now they have him in prison. They've forced down a jet to get Protasevich," Partlett explained. "They're starting to lose the internet narrative." 

Despite his subsequent imprisonment, Navalny has shown that it's possible to rile regimes even from a jail cell. He regularly posts to Instagram through his lawyer, and shortly after his imprisonment his team posted a two-hour documentary on YouTube documenting a $1.5 billion mansion owned by Putin, intending to highlight the endemic graft of Russian politics. It's been viewed 116 million times.

Recent protests against Lukashenko in neighboring Poland. NEXTA's headquarters are in Warsaw. 

Nur Photo/Getty

No firewall 

What happens next? 

Lukashenko has been met with almost universal admonishment from world leaders. The EU will ramp up sanctions, initially put in place after last year's fraudulent election, and Ukraine has banned energy imports. 

"The outrageous and illegal behavior of the regime in Belarus will have consequences," warned EU President Ursula von der Leyen. "Those responsible for the RyanAir hijacking must be sanctioned." 

The key outlier is Russia. "It's an independent state," said Leonid Kalashnikov, a senior member of Russia's State Duma parliament, according to state media. "If they see a threat to their security, then they must fight this threat."

As is so often the case, experts worry that the sanctions are likely to hurt Belarus' citizens more than its leader. A new rule, for instance, bars Belarus' state airliner from flying to any European airport, making it harder for citizens to escape the regime.

Just as worrying is what this means for the limited internet freedoms enjoyed in Belarus and Russia. 

Russia has flirted with creating its own internet, separating itself from the world in the same vein as China, but little has come of that idea. It banned Telegram in 2018, but inadvertently blocked thousands of other websites before deciding to lift the ban, indicating that the gargantuan task of creating its own internet is out of reach.

So without the ability for widespread new-era censorship, Belarus' leader is resorting to age-old suppression tactics. The power of tools like YouTube and Telegram is evident in the desperation move of hijacking an international flight. In trying to block news on the internet, Lukashenko got attention from the world. 

---

Source

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iPadOS 16 Hands-On: Monitor Multitasking Takes Steps Forward and Sideways

iPadOS 16 Hands-On: Monitor Multitasking Takes Steps Forward and Sideways

Twitter, Slack, Outlook and Safari are open all at once, and I'm browsing and scanning between all of them. This is on my monitor. It's like any other day. Meanwhile, I'm playing Catan on my iPad. Everything I'm doing is powered by the iPad, with the monitor connected via USB-C as a secondary display. I feel almost like I'm on a Mac. But… I'm not.

iPadOS 16 introduces a feature I've wanted on iPads for years: truer multiwindow multitasking, and real external monitor support for extended workspaces. A public beta preview of the software is available now (which I wouldn't recommend installing on your everyday personal device). How iPadOS makes both of these happen is the weird part. The navigation needs a lot of finessing, based on my early experiences so far.

You also need an M1-equipped iPad to make these new multitasking features work, which means a current iPad Pro or iPad Air model. No others will be compatible. These iPads are on the expensive side, making this a pro feature you may not even consider worth upgrading for yet.

Read more: iPad Air 2022 (M1) Review

I could go into other iPadOS features, but I'll do that later because, really, this is the feature this year. Stage Manager, which enables these extra multitasking perks, brings a whole new layout that's also extremely alien-feeling. And that's the problem with iPadOS now. It's powerful, and it's also strange and still not Mac-like enough.

It feels like Apple is trying to evolve a new computer interface, but through tiny steps and experiments. As iPadOS drifts between iPhone and Mac, picking up more parts of each and blending them, the pieces don't always make sense. That's where I'm at after trying the public beta out: striving to find my iPadOS sea legs.

Laying out iPad apps on a big monitor is finally useful in iPadOS 16.

Scott Stein/CNET

The Good: Monitor magic

Plug in a monitor now, and wow, it's just like a Mac. Apps can be opened on the monitor, or on the iPad, and the mouse or trackpad cursor will just move back and forth like on a monitor-connected Mac. I don't think Apple's new Stage Manager changes things much for people working directly on an iPad (see below), but wow, it opens up possibilities if you have a monitor nearby.

Using an iPad Air with Magic Keyboard attached, I just perched it in front of my Dell monitor and felt it become a two-screen device at last. It's particularly weird and fun to control apps with the keyboard and trackpad, while also doing things with the touchscreen on the iPad with an app open there. For me it was playing Catan while also responding to emails and Slacks. Dumb, and also awesome.

Now I'm playing some John Williams soundtracks while writing and Slacking and playing some Catan and checking Twitter, and this basically feels like my typical screen-immersed day, but all iPad-enabled.

The whole experience reminds me, in a lot of ways, of using Samsung's DeX, which allows desktop-type computer experiences on its tablets and phones when connected to a monitor. Years ago, I found that DeX ended up working surprisingly well, sometimes. Apple's doing a similar type of move on the iPad M1 models, but super powered. Running multiple apps at once is far more useful than you might think, since you're probably doing it unconsciously every day on your laptop.

Plug in a monitor, and you'll find that it connects the way monitors should, allowing separate apps to open independently of the iPad display. In a new Settings feature for Displays, you can also choose to mirror your iPad the way iPadOS only allowed previously (who wants that?). The monitor settings allow the second display orientation to be moved around: if you pick the monitor as "above" your iPad, the mouse/trackpad cursor will move from iPad to monitor when you move up. 

There's also a new extra resolution mode on the iPad display itself, which compresses text and apps for "more space." On the 11-inch iPad Air, it didn't seem to do much for my work experience other than make text smaller. On the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it can make the screen feel more laptop-like.

Getting apps to open simultaneously requires opening them from the dock and dragging them into position. App windows can be size-adjusted now, but not with full freedom. Windows can squish and stretch and go horizontal or vertical, but Apple limits the sizes and shapes. It feels like fuzzy experimentation to get the layout you want. And if windows get too big, Apple overlaps the windows. But only in very specific ways, so it's not as free as a regular Mac's window-based (not Windows-based!) OS.

The multiple windows get less useful on the iPad display, especially if you don't have the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro (right).

Scott Stein/CNET

The Bad: How does this work, again?

Getting all the apps to be open, and work, and figure out how to navigate them, is another matter. Apple has introduced Stage Manager, a new multitasking manager, but the app/feature only launches from within Control Center, by swiping down and tapping a cryptic icon with a block and three dots. No one will normally ever figure this out.

It gets weirder. Stage Manager has instances of grouped open apps, but if an app is already open, you'll just swap to that instance instead of overlaying it with the others that are open, although you can also drag open apps on and off that side dock and into your workspace. On the iPad itself, these other app windows stay open on the side, shrinking your free app display space. Apps can be re-expanded, but jumping back and forth to choose apps gets confusing fast. And then there's that three-dot icon above windows, which still handles app zooming, split-screening and minimizing just like iPadOS 15. Following me? I expect you're not.

I lost my way, despite being a longtime iPadOS user. And apps can't be easily dragged from one window to another, either. Just when I started feeling like I was slipping into a Mac flow, iPadOS throws me into an uncanny valley again.

And there are public beta bugs, too: connecting to a monitor turns off my iPad audio unless I use headphones. Sometimes I've had sudden crash restarts from too many apps open. And, if I unplug from the monitor, I find some app groups suddenly having empty black windows. Oh, and I tried launching Catan on my monitor, and it started up sideways. Beta explorers, good luck.

Stage Manager gets so annoying on the iPad display that I instantly turn it off again unless I'm connected to a monitor. To me, it's specifically a monitor multitasking Mode.

The deeper I go, the weirder and buggier it feels. I try launching Batman Returns on Apple TV to watch while I write this, and it automatically plays on the monitor instead of my iPad screen. I can shift the whole video up to the monitor completely, but not back down to the iPad again. And then when I try shifting Pages from the monitor to the iPad screen (which is done via that very small three-dot icon at the top of each window, which now has a menu that vaguely says "move to display"), the app suddenly goes blank and I have to force quit it.

Overall: A step forward (if you love monitors), but a weird one

iPadOS 16 has most of iOS 16's greatest hits, minus that cool new customizable Lock Screen feature. There's also an Apple-made Weather App, now, finally (yay?). There are more integrated ways to share docs and group-collaborate through Messages, or FaceTime, extending what was started last year. Apple's promising collaborative white board app, called Freeform, isn't in the public beta yet but is expected this fall.

I still don't recommend downloading a public OS beta from Apple on your main device, because too many strange and bad things can happen. The iPadOS 16 beta has crashed a number of times for me.

But just for that way it can make M1 iPads use an extra monitor as a true second screen, I'm already thrilled. I just wish the whole Stage Manager process made more sense and allowed for far more fluid or flexible window placement and screen-jumping, because right now it feels much like a beta feature. Even the way Apple allows you to turn the feature off and on via Control Center suggests that perhaps it's not thought of as an everyday feature yet, but instead, a "pro" one you'll need to consciously look for to use.

I'm enjoying writing and playing Catan at the same time, though. It's made having my iPad Pro at my desk a far more fun and far more productive tool, even if it's made me less productive. Sorry, it's my turn now. I'm going to build a city.

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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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