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Europe's Space Agency Prepares to Solve 5 Mysteries of Jupiter
Europe's Space Agency Prepares to Solve 5 Mysteries of Jupiter
Home to a tangerine storm larger than Earth, owner of peachy winds so frigid you'd probably freeze on impact, and collector of 79 separate moons, Jupiter is something of a spectacle. Even its enormity is barely comprehensible. Take every planet in our solar system, slap their masses together, multiply that by two and you get a chunk about the size of it.
Who knows what could be going on over there. I mean, really.
Which is why, in April 2023, the European Space Agency plans on sending a space probe to join NASA's Juno orbiter in studying the Jovian lifestyle. It's called Juice, or the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer. "Juice will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons -- Ganymede, Callisto and Europa -- with a suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments," ESA said in the mission's overview.
And on Monday, the agency also laid out five specific mysteries it wants to tackle once Juice gets to its destination at this mammoth of a planet in, hopefully, 2031.
ESA's first major question is the obvious one you might've guessed from Juice's full name: What's going on with Ganymede, Callisto and Europa?
In short, these three moons are at the forefront of the agency's endeavor because they're all suspected to have some sort of water on, or under, their surfaces. Europa, in particular, is projected by astrobiologists to have a hefty amount of H2O and, well, water equals the potential for alien life, which leads us to another of Juice's queries.
Has there ever been life on any of Jupiter's moons -- or, I guess, on Jupiter? In truth, probably not on the latter, because there's neither land nor water on this planet. There's only gas and atmospheric water vapor. Basically, if you tried to stand on Jupiter, you'd just fall in until you were crushed by the planet's immense gravity concentrated toward the center. That's if you could make it that far.
But returning to Europa, an icy world very much with solid ground, scientists currently have this region at the top of their lists of places we might find evidence of extraterrestrial life. In fact, NASA is building a spacecraft dedicated to scanning Europa for such remnants. It's called the Clipper, and it's quite impressive.
Jupiter, center, and its moon Europa, left, are seen through the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam instrument 2.12 micron filter.
NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)
Next, turning to Ganymede, another of ESA's wonders is: Why is Ganymede the only moon in our solar system with its own magnetic field? This one's pretty odd. Ganymede's magnetic field is so strong, in fact, that it even gives rise to auroras in its atmosphere, similar to the way Earth's magnetic field produces the northern lights when electrons get caught within.
Ganymede in the shadow of Jupiter, with its aurorae glowing.
NASA, ESA
But for some unknown reason, the rest of its moon community can't relate to its magnetic ventures. It's an outsider that way. "Juice's tour of Jupiter will include multiple flybys of these ocean-bearing moons, before culminating in orbit insertion around Ganymede -- the first time a spacecraft will have orbited a moon in the outer Solar System," ESA said.
Further, getting a little more general, ESA also wants to know if, and how, Jupiter's complex space environment shaped the trajectory or conditions of its moons. With 79 individual satellites orbiting it, this Jovian world basically holds its own solar system -- if Jupiter were the sun, that is.
And finally, the fifth and final box ESA hopes to tick while dissecting Jupiter is how such colossal balls of gas come into existence in the first place. Though colored with hues on the cooler end of the spectrum, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn are also wispy cradles of zippy molecules floating around our solar system. What would give rise to these extreme mini-universes?
If all goes well, by the 2030s, we may have some answers.
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Is the Crypto Market Bouncing Back? Here's What You Need to Know
Is the Crypto Market Bouncing Back? Here's What You Need to Know
This story is part of Power Money Moves, CNET's coverage of smart money decisions for today's changing world.
In July, the cryptocurrency market bounced back to a $1 trillion market capitalization (the total dollar market value of crypto today) for the first time in recent months. But while the market looks healthier than just a couple of weeks ago, it's still far from last November's peak, which reached $3 trillion. In an economy with high inflation and recession risks looming, is crypto still a worthy investment?
After bullish highs in 2021, cryptocurrency dropped to pessimistic lows this year, tumbling into bear market territory which investors are dubbing another "crypto winter." The $2 trillion crypto market crash wiped out investor gains, cost thousands of people their jobs and obliterated once staple digital currencies, including the crypto token luna, which lost all of its value following stablecointerraUSD's collapse in May.
While crypto is starting to trend upward, volatile highs and lows are nothing new in the crypto markets -- and skeptics have long characterized crypto as an empty bubble destined to burst. Critics have called bitcoin, stablecoins and NFTs simply a new digital version of an old con primed to swindle and scam. But investors see the world of digital coinage as a step forward, a kind of "Money 2.0" that will democratize finance and power the metaverse. Amid the seesawing prices and teetering sentiments, one thing hasn't changed: Cryptocurrency remains controversial, risky and wildly volatile.
Read more: The World's Biggest NFT Festival vs. the Crypto Crash of 2022
In simple terms, cryptocurrency is a digital token, ownership of which is recorded on a blockchain, a distributed software ledger that no one controls. This is designed to make it more secure, in theory. bitcoin and ethereum are the two most widely known cryptocurrencies, but more than 18,000 tokens are traded under different names (dogecoin is one famous example).
Despite gyrating prices and a relative lack of regulation, cryptocurrency is seen by many as the next financial frontier. Developments like President Joe Biden's desire to explore a digital US dollar to multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ads underscore a growing desire from powerful government and corporate institutions to quickly legitimize crypto in much the same way as stocks and bonds.
But it's worth considering whether cryptocurrency is a smart investment for you... especially in light of the current downturn and the ever-present potential for a major crash (in crypto and the US economy, generally).
"Cryptocurrency is one of those categories of investing that doesn't have those traditional investor protections," said Gerri Walsh, senior vice president of investor education at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. "They're outside the realm of securities trading. It's an area that's in flux, as far as regulations go."
Professionals caution that investors shouldn't put more than they can afford to lose into crypto, which offers few safeguards, plenty of pitfalls and a spotty track record. If you're thinking about adding crypto to your portfolio, here are five key questions to consider before you begin.
What are the risks of investing in crypto?
Before investing in crypto, you should know there's almost no protection for crypto investors. And since this virtual currency is extremely volatile and driven by hype, that's a problem. It's easy to get caught up in tweets, TikToks and YouTube videos touting the latest coin -- but the adrenaline rush of a market spike can easily be washed away with a dramatic crash.
You should be on the lookout for crypto scams. One often-used scheme is a pump and dump, in which scammers encourage people to buy a certain token, causing its value to rise. When it does, the scammers sell out, often pushing the price down for everyone else. These scams are prominent, and they took in more than $2.8 billion in crypto in 2021.
From the US government's current policy perspective, you're on your own. At this time, the government provides no deposit protection for crypto as it does for bank accounts. This may change following Biden's March executive order, which directed government agencies to investigate the risks and potential benefits of digital assets.
So far as we can tell, only one company offers crypto insurance: Breach Insurance, with a Crypto Shield offering that promises to cover your accounts from hacks. Other companies, such as Coincover, provide theft protection, which alerts you if there's suspicious activity on your account. Coincover maintains an insurance-backed guarantee that if its technology fails, it will pay you back up to the amount you're eligible for, which depends on the level of protection the wallet you use offers. (Neither Coincover nor Breach Insurance will cover you against scams.)
Despite all the hype, scams, periodic crashes (and persistent risks) in this market, Cesare Fracassi, who runs the Blockchain Initiative at the University of Texas, Austin, still thinks crypto has a viable future.
"I think crypto holds a possible solution to some of the problems of the traditional financial sector," Fracassi said. "The current, traditional financial system is noninclusive, it's slow and expensive and incumbents, including large banks and financial institutions, basically have a lot of control. I think crypto is a venue through which you can actually break the system."
How do I start investing in cryptocurrency?
If you're considering buying crypto now, as prices have dipped, it's worth noting that there's no guarantee the market will recover. But the simplest way to get your feet wet with crypto investments is to use US dollars to buy a cryptocurrency using a popular exchange like Coinbase, Binance or FTX. A handful of well-known payment apps — including Venmo, PayPal and Cash App — will let you buy and sell cryptocurrency, though they generally have limited functionality and higher fees.
Whether you're using Coinbase, Binance, Venmo or PayPal, you'll be required to provide some sensitive personal and financial information... including an official form of identification. (So much for bitcoin's reputation for anonymous transactions.)
Once your account is set up, it's simple to transfer money into it from your bank. And the barrier to entry is quite low: The minimum trade amount is $2 on Coinbase and $15 on Binance.
Read more: Best Bitcoin and Crypto Wallets for 2022
What percentage of my portfolio should be in crypto?
Crypto is so new, there isn't enough data yet to decide how much of your portfolio "should" be in cryptocurrency, according to Fracassi.
"We need decades of returns in order to understand whether a specific asset is good in a portfolio," Fracassi said. "We know that on average stocks return about 6% more than bonds. That's because we've had 60 to 100 years to see the average returns on stocks and bonds."
Like all investment decisions, how much you pour into crypto will depend on your risk tolerance. But investment professionals suggest that investors keep their exposure low, even for those who are all in on the technology. Anjali Jariwala, a certified financial planner and founder of Fit Advisors, recommends that clients allocate no more than 3% of their portfolio to crypto.
If I make money on crypto trades, do I have to pay taxes?
Yes. Whether you're buying, selling or exchanging crypto, the IRS wants to know about it. Your tax liability depends on your particular situation, but crypto investments are broadly treated like other investments, including stocks and bonds.
You don't need to report crypto on your tax return if you didn't sell or exchange it for another type of crypto. Buying and holding also doesn't need to be reported. If you did sell or exchange crypto, though, you'll need to report any gains or losses realized, just like you would for stocks and bonds.
Adding crypto trades won't make your tax return any easier. But popular tax software like TurboTax, CoinTracker and Koinly now connect with wallets and exchanges to automatically track your cryptocurrency holdings, sales and transfers.
Is there a way to learn about crypto without investing in the currencies themselves?
Buying tokens is the most straightforward approach to experimenting with cryptocurrencies. But other opportunities exist for exploring the crypto world while potentially protecting your money from seesawing swings.
Here are a handful of alternatives:
Buy shares of crypto companies. Many companies in the crypto space are publicly traded. Buying shares of Coinbase Global or PayPal Holdings rather than of the coin itself allows you to benefit from the business proceeds of these companies, which are in part generated by crypto. You can also buy shares of companies that make crypto-related hardware, such as Nvidia and AMD.
Invest in crypto ETFs or derivatives.Specialized exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are available for crypto. ETFs are baskets of securities, such as stocks, commodities and bonds, that follow an index or sector, in this case, crypto. Futures and options are also available for some crypto products, though these advanced types of investment vehicles come with their risks.
Get a job in crypto.LinkedIn, Indeed and Monster list thousands of jobs in crypto. Whether you've got a traditional finance background or you're a software engineer, there's a boom in the blockchain labor market. There's also Cryptocurrency Jobs, a job board dedicated to blockchain careers.
Whether you'll plunge into crypto waters is ultimately up to you, but bear in mind it isn't the only place to start your investing journey. And beyond crypto, there are other digital assets to consider, too, including NFTs. But if you do take the plunge, be sure to invest in a good wallet to keep your digital currency safe.
Read more: Air Travel Is More Expensive in 2022: Here Are Smart Ways to Save Money When You Fly
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
What States Can and Can't Do When Banning Abortion
What States Can and Can't Do When Banning Abortion
For more information about your reproductive health rights and related federal resources, you can visit the US government's
Reproductive Rights
site.
Whether someone can get an abortion or related medical procedure mostly hinges on which state they live in after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month and ended the constitutional right to abortion. But the switch from federal protection to state law isn't straightforward and has led to confusion and misinformation on what pregnant patients and physicians can do.
In this still developing landscape, how confident can people be that their treatment is still legal?
"The answer to all your questions is 'Who the heck knows,'" said Dr. Louise Perkins King, a surgeon and bioethicist at Harvard Medical School. "And that's the problem."
The US Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance on July 11 reminding physicians of their responsibilities under the existing Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTLA, which supports the need to treat and stabilize patients in an emergency, including pregnant patients who may require an abortion. Days later, Texas sued the Biden administration over the law, which allows for medical assistance to save the life of the mother, because, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, it "seeks to transform every emergency room in the country into a walk-in abortion clinic."
On Tuesday, a judge in Texas blocked the EMTLA guidance, so physicians in that state may no longer be protected by federal law if they perform an abortion when they deem it medically necessary but it falls outside of Texas' interpretation of a life-endangering pregnancy. Physicians nationwide who are members of the American Association of Pro-Life Gynecologists and Obstetricians or the Christian Medical and Dental Association are also exempt -- a total of about 18,000 health care providers, according to the court document.
Texas' new trigger law -- which will be in effect on Aug. 25 -- bans all abortions except when the pregnancy puts the mother "at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function." Physicians who perform an illegal abortion will be committing a felony. It doesn't make exceptions for rape, incest or fetal abnormalities, and it also doesn't make an exception for when the pregnant person's risk of death would come from a "claim or diagnosis" that they'll be hurt or might die in the future. (This could be interpreted to mean a doctor can't provide an abortion if a woman threatens to die by suicide because she has depression.) All abortions are currently banned in Texas after the state's Supreme Court ruled that a law from the 1920s could stand.
Legal battles within some states will continue to shape post-Roe America, with the landscape changing by the day. And lawsuits like the one in Texas clarify the country's stance on whether state law preempts federal rule on abortion or reproductive health care. Basically, can federal regulations trump state law?
"There's going to be cases that are going to have to determine this question," I. Glenn Cohen, a professor and bioethicist at Harvard Law School, said.
The argument over medication abortion access -- which is banned or restricted in many states but still available to people if they order it (not without risk) online -- will likely also be one of the first big court cases post-Roe, Cohen said. Questions of whether federal regulations on medication abortion conflict directly enough with state restrictions will continue to be center stage.
Medication abortion, for use in early pregnancy, accounts for more than half of abortions in the US. Restricting the pills is the new frontier of abortion bans.
Robyn Beck/Getty Images
Other federal guidance issued by the Biden administration includes a reminder to pharmacists that they are required to fill medication and birth control prescriptions for patients. Failing to do so is discrimination based on pregnancy status. This was in response to the many reports of women having treatment delayed or prescriptions denied while health care workers try to navigate around new state laws.
Here's what we know today.
Can states ban abortion pills? Not completely, but some are trying.
Any state with a current total ban on abortion -- including Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Wisconsin -- also bans medication abortion. Heavy restrictions in other states, including Tennessee and South Carolina, which ban abortion after about six weeks, also extend to medication abortion. This means providers can't prescribe the medication in those states and patients can't fill prescriptions at pharmacies.
"If a state law bans abortion broadly, that includes medication abortions," Elisabeth Smith, director of state policy and advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told MedPage Today.
But abortion bans and state laws seek to punish abortion providers or people who assist them, not the person seeking the abortion (there's reason to believe this might change in the future). For now, people living in the most restrictive states can still order pills from an overseas pharmacy, including Aid Access. However, the pills could take awhile to arrive and potentially put the person past the point of pregnancy for which the medication is safe and effective (about 10 weeks).
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
The fate of medication abortion pills in Republican-leaning states centers on mifepristone, the first pill given in the two-dose regimen of medication abortion. Because the US Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone as a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy over 20 years ago, states shouldn't be able to restrict it, the US attorney general's office argued the same day Roe was overturned. (Misoprostol, the second pill, is used off-label for abortion and miscarriage treatment. It's also used to treat health conditions such as stomach ulcers.)
Whether this federal regulation (and the FDA's stamp of approval) supersedes state laws will need to be decided. Cohen said this is likely to be determined by the Supreme Court as "one of the first post-Dobbs cases."
"It's unclear whether that's going to be a winner of an argument, to be perfectly honest," Cohen said.
Last year, the FDA extended a pandemic-era rule that allowed patients to get medication abortion pills through the mail, instead of requiring them to be prescribed in person. This was seen as a victory for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other medical groups, which viewed the in-person requirement as unnecessary for a medication that's safe and effective in early pregnancy.
But states have their own requirements for medication abortion, and providers licensed in Montana can't prescribe pills to patients who travel over from a restrictive state like South Dakota, NPR reported.
Read more: Worries About Post-Roe Data Privacy Put Spotlight on Period Apps
Ectopic pregnancies can't result in a delivery and require medical treatment. Symptoms can start with typical pregnancy signs, including a missed period, but can progress to abdominal or pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, weakness and more.
Svetlana Gustova/Getty Images
Can states ban treatment for high risk pregnancies? The HHS says no, but doctors say state laws are restricting care.
Even though the most restrictive states banning abortions leave room for some degree of medical emergency, practicing physicians need to decide where the medical emergency line is – and risk prosecution if a state sees it differently.
This month, the story of a 10-year-old girl who was raped and pregnant and who traveled to Indiana from Ohio, where abortion is banned around six weeks without exception for rape or incest, made headlines. Not only was the physician publicly questioned by Indiana's attorney general on whether she followed state law, but Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in the aftermath that the girl should've been able to legally get an abortion under the state law's medical emergency exemption. Ohio's OB-GYNs disagreed.
"It states specifically 'medically diagnosed condition,' and as far as I can tell, adolescent pregnancy is not a medically diagnosed condition that's listed," Dr. Jason Sayat, a Columbus OB-GYN, told the Ohio Capital Journal.
The Department of Health and Human Services reminded physicians and hospitals that if they want to keep their Medicare agreement and avoid "civil penalties," they must treat pregnant patients and provide abortions if necessary as required under the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The EMTLA, now blocked in Texas, outlines certain life-endangering pregnancies that doctors must treat regardless of state law, including ectopic pregnancies, preeclampsia and complications of pregnancy loss.
But that narrow line of abortion exceptions for medical emergencies given by states like Wisconsin is what's troubling Dr. Jennifer McIntosh, a maternal-fetal medicine physician practicing in the state. While Wisconsin's attorney general said he wouldn't enforce a ban, physicians there stopped performing abortions because the state has a pre-Roe criminal statute that prohibits most abortions. The "save the life of the mother" abortion exception language in that law can leave out health conditions which may not be an immediate emergency but can become one down the line.
"Some of what we do is to prevent emergencies from happening," McIntosh said. "To have to wait for an emergency to actually appear puts your patient's life at risk."
The treatment for an ectopic pregnancy is termination, because terminating the pregnancy is the only safe outcome when an embryo grows outside of the uterus, typically in a fallopian tube. Without treatment, the fallopian tube is likely to rupture, which can lead to internal bleeding and death. But some laws, like one in Texas, specifically restrict medications including methotrexate, which has led to access problems for people who are pregnant as well as people who are taking methotrexate for another health reason.
Complicating confusion and risk over how abortion bans will affect treatments for ectopic pregnancies is the fact that more rare types of ectopic pregnancies exist, including ones where the pregnancy is growing inside a C-section scar or other area outside the safety of the main cavity of the uterus -- but still technically in the uterus. These rarer kinds of ectopic pregnancies are also life-threatening, and may be more difficult to diagnose and treat as such in a state that bans abortions with an emphasis on the pregnancy being in the uterus.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
States are not prosecuting people who have abortions (yet)
Current state laws -- both those in effect and those in limbo in court -- prosecute other people involved in an abortion, not the person who's pregnant.
But the health impact may be already felt when a doctor is hesitant to treat patients, or pharmacists are reluctant to fill a prescription for mifepristone before interviewing a woman to ascertain whether her pregnancy is already ended and her situation is in line with state law.
"Even in these straightforward cases of basic OB/GYN practice, the laws leave providers questioning and afraid," Dr. Carley Zeal, an OB-GYN in Wisconsin, told The New York Times. "These laws are already hurting my patients."
Aside from hesitancy among health care providers, physicians also fear that worries people have about being prosecuted for having an abortion or miscarriage will stop patients experiencing complications from any kind of pregnancy loss from seeking care.
That's because it was already happening, before Roe was overturned. According to the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, there were over 1,700 arrests or prosecutions of women from 1973 (when Roe became law) to 2020 where their pregnancies were the focus of the case against them.
So will doctors report you if they suspect you had an abortion?
"The vast majority of health care professionals will not do that, because that's not caring for their patients," King said. But, she added, "I'm sure there's a very small, but unfortunately detrimental, minority who might."
Your current access to birth control shouldn't be impacted by the overturn of Roe v. Wade. However, there's reason to believe that could change in the future.
Carol Yepes/Getty Images
Birth control is still protected under the Affordable Care Act
Right now, IUDs, birth control pills and other birth control methods are legal in all 50 states. And they should also be covered at no out-of-pocket cost for those covered under the Affordable Care Act. The right to birth control is protected under two Supreme Court rulings: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Eisenstadt v. Baird. (Another Supreme Court Case, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, chipped away a little of that protection, however, finding that some corporations are exempt for religious reasons.)
Plan B or "morning after pill" brands are also not included in abortion bans, because they will not end an existing pregnancy. Most health plans should also cover them.
Legislators in Missouri last year voted to block taxpayer funding for IUDs and emergency contraception, casting doubt that all birth control devices will be protected indefinitely, at least in some states. The claims of legislators like Paul Wieland, a Republican state senator in Missouri, are that anything that has the potential to disrupt a fertilized egg's implantation into the uterus is an abortifacient.
The medical community has been clear that IUDs and emergency contraception do not cause abortions and will not end an existing pregnancy. Copper IUDs work mostly by causing a chemical change in the sperm and egg before they meet, according to the World Health Organization. Hormonal IUDs like Mirena work mostly by thickening cervical mucus so sperm can't reach the egg, and can also prevent ovulation. Plan B and similar pills likely won't work if a person has already ovulated, meaning the chances of it stopping implantation are currently understood to be slim.
Nevertheless, unlikely occurrences or instances where a fertilized egg may be prevented from implanting into a uterus could be called into question in future court cases.
Read more: Could a Post Roe v. Wade World Impact Your Access to Birth Control?
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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Behind the 'Flame' malware spying on Mideast computers (FAQ)
Behind the 'Flame' malware spying on Mideast computers (FAQ)
The Flame worm that has targeted computers in the Middle East is being called "the most sophisticated cyberweapon yet unleashed" by Kaspersky Lab researchers who discovered it. Lurking on computers for at least five years, the malware has the ability to steal data, eavesdrop on conversations, and take screen captures of instant message exchanges, making it dangerous to any victim. But a possible link to malware found on computers in Iran's oil sector has experts saying it's got to be the work of a nation-state.
CNET talked with Roel Schouwenberg, senior researcher at Kaspersky, the company that uncovered the malware, to find out who is behind it and how dangerous it really is.
What is Flame? Flame is a sophisticated attack toolkit that leaves a backdoor, or Trojan, on computers and can propagate itself through a local network, like a computer worm does. Kaspersky Lab suspects it may use a critical Windows vulnerability, but that has not been confirmed, according to a Kaspersky blog post. Flame can sniff network traffic, take screenshots, record audio conversations, log keystrokes and gather information about discoverable Bluetooth devices nearby and turn the infected computer into a discoverable Bluetooth device. The attackers can upload additional modules for further functionality. There are about 20 modules that have been discovered and researchers are looking into what they all do. The package of modules comprises nearly 20 megabytes, over 3,000 lines of code, and includes libraries for compression, database manipulation, multiple methods of encryption, and batch scripting.
The malware is named after one of the main modules that is responsible for attacking and infecting additional computers. There are multiple versions circulating, which are communicating with as many as 80 different command-and-control servers. Kaspersky has an updated technical analysis here and McAfee's technical blog post is here. This report on the malware, from the Laboratory of Cryptography and System Security (CrySyS Lab) at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, refers to the threat as "sKyWIper."
"Flame is very modular. Basically a target will get infected with the main component and then the attackers will only upload modules to the target as they see fit," Schouwenberg said. "We assume that we don't have all the modules that exist in the wild."
How does it spread? Flame spreads within a network via a USB thumb drive, network shares, or a shared printer spool vulnerability, but spreads only when instructed to do so by the attackers. It's unclear what the initial point of entry is. "We expect to find a spear phishing e-mail with a Zero-Day exploit," Schouwenberg said.
Since we first published this FAQ, Microsoft has revealed that Flame gained a foothold by spoofing one of the company's own security certificates. Specifically, the virus tapped into rogue certificates for Microsoft's Terminal Server that appeared to be signed by the company and were therefore seen as legitimate. Microsoft has released security advisory describing the steps it's taking to remove the risk, including the issuance of a Windows patch to fix the security hole.
How long has Flame been around? "We have the first confirmed report of Flame in the wild in 2010, but there is circumstantial evidence that dates it back to 2007 and some speculate it may go back further than that," Schouwenberg said Kaspersky Lab researchers discovered the malware several weeks ago after being asked by the United National's International Telecommunication Union for help in uncovering malware dubbed "Wiper" that was stealing and deleting sensitive information on computers in Iran's oil sector.
How does Flame relate to Wiper? "Wiper could be a Flame module that is uploaded to a target machine when the attackers want to wipe the data from the computer. There is no evidence to link the two together, but the timing is coincidental," Schouwenberg said. "So, we have an open mind to Wiper being a Flame plug-in." Iran's National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), which is called "Maher," said software to detect Flame was sent to companies in that country at the beginning of May and a removal tool is ready now. Recent incidents of mass data loss in Iran "could be the outcome of some installed module of this threat," the center said, speculating that attacks in which data from Iran's gas company computers may have been linked to Flame. Officials in Iran suspect that Wiper and Flame are somehow linked, the Associated Press reports.
Why wasn't Flame discovered earlier? Whoever created Flame took extreme efforts to write the code so that it would evade detection for as long as possible. "Clearly it's another multimillion-dollar project with government funding, so one of the top priorities has been stealth," Schouwenberg said. While a later variant of Stuxnet was detected because it spread aggressively, Flame only spreads after it is instructed to do so remotely. Flame is unusually large in size and uses an uncommon scripting language, Lua, so it doesn't look malicious at first glance. "Flame authors have adopted the concept of hiding in plain sight," he said. Because Flame doesn't use a rootkit technology, free anti-rootkit tools won't be able to detect it. "Finding it is going to be more complicated," according to Schouwenberg.
Who created the malware?
It's unclear who wrote and distributed the malware, but Schouwenberg said researchers believe it was a nation-state or someone hired by a nation-state because of the advanced nature of the threat. Just because the code is in English does not mean that an English-speaking country is behind it, he said when asked if he thought the U.S. and/or Israel are behind this malware as is believed with Stuxnet. Meanwhile, liberal Jewish blog Tikun Olam
cites an unidentified "senior Israeli source"
as confirming that Israeli cyber warfare experts created Flame to "infiltrate the computers of individuals in Iran, Israel, Palestine and elsewhere who are engaged in activities that interest Israel's secret police including military intelligence."
Is it related to Stuxnet and Duqu? Flame shares some characteristics with two previous types of malware that targeted critical infrastructure systems and which used the same technology platform: Stuxnet and Duqu. Schouwenberg thinks the same entities are behind Flame. For instance, Flame and Stuxnet both spread via USB drive using the "Autorun" method and a .LNK file that triggers an infection when a directory is opened. Flame also can replicate through local networks using a Windows-based shared printer vulnerability that was exploited by Stuxnet as well. Kaspersky hasn't uncovered Flame using any previously unknown vulnerabilities, called "Zero-Days," but since Flame has infected fully patched Windows 7 systems through the network, there may be a high-risk Zero-Day being exploited. "We are operating under the assumption right now that basically Flame and Stuxnet were two parallel projects commissioned by the same nation-sate or states. The Stuxnet platform was created by one team or company and Flame by another tea m or company, and both teams had access to this common set of exploits," he said. Flame is 20 times larger than Stuxnet, which was previously believed to be the most sophisticated piece of malware ever.
How serious is this? Kaspersky researchers believe there is much more to Flame than they know now. "We operate on the assumption there are other modules we don't know about, which could elevate Flame from cyber espionage to cybersabotage," Schouwenberg said. "Given the conservative method of spreading, we assume that the vast majority of infections we are seeing are intended targets ... The amount of manpower required to maintain this operation is very significant. Flame uses more than 80 C&C (Command and Control) servers, which we haven't seen before. This shows the amount of resources committed to this project."
Who is being targeted with Flame? The highest proportion of infections are in Iran, followed by "Israel/Palestine," Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, according to Kaspersky. Symantec says the primary targets are in "the Palestinian West Bank, Hungary, Iran and Lebanon." "With Flame, we haven't been able to say what binds all the targets together other than that they are in the same geographical region," Schouwenberg said. "We are trying to work with incident response teams globally to contact these victims and find out more, but right now we don't know what type of data has been stolen." Victims include educational institutions, state-related organizations and individuals.
How widespread is Flame? So far there are only estimates as to how widespread Flame infections are. Kaspersky researchers have seen between 300 and 400 infections on customer computers reporting back to them, but researchers speculate there could be more than 1,000 infected computers worldwide. Most of the infections are in Iran and other countries in the Middle East. There are a few in the U.S., and Schouwenberg said those could be due to someone in the Middle East using a virtual private network based in the U.S. to circumvent Internet filters in that country as opposed to genuine infections on U.S.-based computers. "We're looking into sinkholing (taking control of) some of the Command and Control servers and getting data from there to have a more accurate reflection of infections," Schouwenberg said.
Here are the countries with the most Flame infections discovered by Kaspersky. Securelist
Does it affect me? Most of the major antivirus software now detects Flame, so updating your security software will protect you. Kaspersky also has offered tips for manually removing the malware. The software is not designed to steal financial data and does not seem targeted at consumers, so chances are your computer is safe.
What does this all mean? While Flame represents another sophisticated cyber espionage attack, it's not exactly a harbinger of cyberwar. Countries have been conducting cyber espionage for years, but it wasn't until Stuxnet, with its links to the U.S. and Israel, that a Western country was fingered by researchers. Stuxnet is believed to have been designed to sabotage Iran's nuclear program after diplomatic and other efforts had failed. That said, Flame does show that sophisticated attacks on critical infrastructure are happening, and succeeding. "The good news is that like Stuxnet, Flame appears to be highly targeted," Eric Byres, chief technology officer and co-founder of Tofino Industrial Security, writes in a blog post. "But the bad news is that this worm clearly indicates that industry, especially the energy industry, is now a key target in a rapidly growing world of sophisticated, government sponsored malware."
"You could call it military-grade malware, which is obviously a class above (other malware) and generally these are covert operations so remaining stealth is top-most priority," Schouwenberg said. "In the end, it was anti-malware that found this type of attack."
Editors' note: This FAQ was originally published May 30 at 2:40 p.m. PT. It has been updated since then with additional information, including on May 30 the Tikun Olam report of a source saying that Israel is behind Flame, and on June 4 with with details on Microsoft's security advisory to address the spread of Flame through rogue Microsoft security certificates.
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Behind the 'Flame' malware spying on Mideast computers (FAQ)
Behind the 'Flame' malware spying on Mideast computers (FAQ)
The Flame worm that has targeted computers in the Middle East is being called "the most sophisticated cyberweapon yet unleashed" by Kaspersky Lab researchers who discovered it. Lurking on computers for at least five years, the malware has the ability to steal data, eavesdrop on conversations, and take screen captures of instant message exchanges, making it dangerous to any victim. But a possible link to malware found on computers in Iran's oil sector has experts saying it's got to be the work of a nation-state.
CNET talked with Roel Schouwenberg, senior researcher at Kaspersky, the company that uncovered the malware, to find out who is behind it and how dangerous it really is.
What is Flame? Flame is a sophisticated attack toolkit that leaves a backdoor, or Trojan, on computers and can propagate itself through a local network, like a computer worm does. Kaspersky Lab suspects it may use a critical Windows vulnerability, but that has not been confirmed, according to a Kaspersky blog post. Flame can sniff network traffic, take screenshots, record audio conversations, log keystrokes and gather information about discoverable Bluetooth devices nearby and turn the infected computer into a discoverable Bluetooth device. The attackers can upload additional modules for further functionality. There are about 20 modules that have been discovered and researchers are looking into what they all do. The package of modules comprises nearly 20 megabytes, over 3,000 lines of code, and includes libraries for compression, database manipulation, multiple methods of encryption, and batch scripting.
The malware is named after one of the main modules that is responsible for attacking and infecting additional computers. There are multiple versions circulating, which are communicating with as many as 80 different command-and-control servers. Kaspersky has an updated technical analysis here and McAfee's technical blog post is here. This report on the malware, from the Laboratory of Cryptography and System Security (CrySyS Lab) at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, refers to the threat as "sKyWIper."
"Flame is very modular. Basically a target will get infected with the main component and then the attackers will only upload modules to the target as they see fit," Schouwenberg said. "We assume that we don't have all the modules that exist in the wild."
How does it spread? Flame spreads within a network via a USB thumb drive, network shares, or a shared printer spool vulnerability, but spreads only when instructed to do so by the attackers. It's unclear what the initial point of entry is. "We expect to find a spear phishing e-mail with a Zero-Day exploit," Schouwenberg said.
Since we first published this FAQ, Microsoft has revealed that Flame gained a foothold by spoofing one of the company's own security certificates. Specifically, the virus tapped into rogue certificates for Microsoft's Terminal Server that appeared to be signed by the company and were therefore seen as legitimate. Microsoft has released security advisory describing the steps it's taking to remove the risk, including the issuance of a Windows patch to fix the security hole.
How long has Flame been around? "We have the first confirmed report of Flame in the wild in 2010, but there is circumstantial evidence that dates it back to 2007 and some speculate it may go back further than that," Schouwenberg said Kaspersky Lab researchers discovered the malware several weeks ago after being asked by the United National's International Telecommunication Union for help in uncovering malware dubbed "Wiper" that was stealing and deleting sensitive information on computers in Iran's oil sector.
How does Flame relate to Wiper? "Wiper could be a Flame module that is uploaded to a target machine when the attackers want to wipe the data from the computer. There is no evidence to link the two together, but the timing is coincidental," Schouwenberg said. "So, we have an open mind to Wiper being a Flame plug-in." Iran's National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), which is called "Maher," said software to detect Flame was sent to companies in that country at the beginning of May and a removal tool is ready now. Recent incidents of mass data loss in Iran "could be the outcome of some installed module of this threat," the center said, speculating that attacks in which data from Iran's gas company computers may have been linked to Flame. Officials in Iran suspect that Wiper and Flame are somehow linked, the Associated Press reports.
Why wasn't Flame discovered earlier? Whoever created Flame took extreme efforts to write the code so that it would evade detection for as long as possible. "Clearly it's another multimillion-dollar project with government funding, so one of the top priorities has been stealth," Schouwenberg said. While a later variant of Stuxnet was detected because it spread aggressively, Flame only spreads after it is instructed to do so remotely. Flame is unusually large in size and uses an uncommon scripting language, Lua, so it doesn't look malicious at first glance. "Flame authors have adopted the concept of hiding in plain sight," he said. Because Flame doesn't use a rootkit technology, free anti-rootkit tools won't be able to detect it. "Finding it is going to be more complicated," according to Schouwenberg.
Who created the malware?
It's unclear who wrote and distributed the malware, but Schouwenberg said researchers believe it was a nation-state or someone hired by a nation-state because of the advanced nature of the threat. Just because the code is in English does not mean that an English-speaking country is behind it, he said when asked if he thought the U.S. and/or Israel are behind this malware as is believed with Stuxnet. Meanwhile, liberal Jewish blog Tikun Olam
cites an unidentified "senior Israeli source"
as confirming that Israeli cyber warfare experts created Flame to "infiltrate the computers of individuals in Iran, Israel, Palestine and elsewhere who are engaged in activities that interest Israel's secret police including military intelligence."
Is it related to Stuxnet and Duqu? Flame shares some characteristics with two previous types of malware that targeted critical infrastructure systems and which used the same technology platform: Stuxnet and Duqu. Schouwenberg thinks the same entities are behind Flame. For instance, Flame and Stuxnet both spread via USB drive using the "Autorun" method and a .LNK file that triggers an infection when a directory is opened. Flame also can replicate through local networks using a Windows-based shared printer vulnerability that was exploited by Stuxnet as well. Kaspersky hasn't uncovered Flame using any previously unknown vulnerabilities, called "Zero-Days," but since Flame has infected fully patched Windows 7 systems through the network, there may be a high-risk Zero-Day being exploited. "We are operating under the assumption right now that basically Flame and Stuxnet were two parallel projects commissioned by the same nation-sate or states. The Stuxnet platform was created by one team or company and Flame by another tea m or company, and both teams had access to this common set of exploits," he said. Flame is 20 times larger than Stuxnet, which was previously believed to be the most sophisticated piece of malware ever.
How serious is this? Kaspersky researchers believe there is much more to Flame than they know now. "We operate on the assumption there are other modules we don't know about, which could elevate Flame from cyber espionage to cybersabotage," Schouwenberg said. "Given the conservative method of spreading, we assume that the vast majority of infections we are seeing are intended targets ... The amount of manpower required to maintain this operation is very significant. Flame uses more than 80 C&C (Command and Control) servers, which we haven't seen before. This shows the amount of resources committed to this project."
Who is being targeted with Flame? The highest proportion of infections are in Iran, followed by "Israel/Palestine," Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, according to Kaspersky. Symantec says the primary targets are in "the Palestinian West Bank, Hungary, Iran and Lebanon." "With Flame, we haven't been able to say what binds all the targets together other than that they are in the same geographical region," Schouwenberg said. "We are trying to work with incident response teams globally to contact these victims and find out more, but right now we don't know what type of data has been stolen." Victims include educational institutions, state-related organizations and individuals.
How widespread is Flame? So far there are only estimates as to how widespread Flame infections are. Kaspersky researchers have seen between 300 and 400 infections on customer computers reporting back to them, but researchers speculate there could be more than 1,000 infected computers worldwide. Most of the infections are in Iran and other countries in the Middle East. There are a few in the U.S., and Schouwenberg said those could be due to someone in the Middle East using a virtual private network based in the U.S. to circumvent Internet filters in that country as opposed to genuine infections on U.S.-based computers. "We're looking into sinkholing (taking control of) some of the Command and Control servers and getting data from there to have a more accurate reflection of infections," Schouwenberg said.
Here are the countries with the most Flame infections discovered by Kaspersky. Securelist
Does it affect me? Most of the major antivirus software now detects Flame, so updating your security software will protect you. Kaspersky also has offered tips for manually removing the malware. The software is not designed to steal financial data and does not seem targeted at consumers, so chances are your computer is safe.
What does this all mean? While Flame represents another sophisticated cyber espionage attack, it's not exactly a harbinger of cyberwar. Countries have been conducting cyber espionage for years, but it wasn't until Stuxnet, with its links to the U.S. and Israel, that a Western country was fingered by researchers. Stuxnet is believed to have been designed to sabotage Iran's nuclear program after diplomatic and other efforts had failed. That said, Flame does show that sophisticated attacks on critical infrastructure are happening, and succeeding. "The good news is that like Stuxnet, Flame appears to be highly targeted," Eric Byres, chief technology officer and co-founder of Tofino Industrial Security, writes in a blog post. "But the bad news is that this worm clearly indicates that industry, especially the energy industry, is now a key target in a rapidly growing world of sophisticated, government sponsored malware."
"You could call it military-grade malware, which is obviously a class above (other malware) and generally these are covert operations so remaining stealth is top-most priority," Schouwenberg said. "In the end, it was anti-malware that found this type of attack."
Editors' note: This FAQ was originally published May 30 at 2:40 p.m. PT. It has been updated since then with additional information, including on May 30 the Tikun Olam report of a source saying that Israel is behind Flame, and on June 4 with with details on Microsoft's security advisory to address the spread of Flame through rogue Microsoft security certificates.
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iPad Air 2020 review: The budget iPad Pro
iPad Air 2020 review: The budget iPad Pro
It's hard to keep track of iPads. Apple's tablets are pretty fantastic and versatile, but also blend together across a wide spectrum of sizes and prices. Knowing which one to get is usually a matter of weighing what you're willing to spend and how much you're planning to do.
All iPads, right now, can do similar things. They all support Pencil sketching, keyboards and trackpads and all current models have pretty new processors. So the redesigned iPad Air, starting at $599 (£579, AU$899), is either one of two things: a fancier everyday iPad for you, or a cheaper iPad Pro. And the price, based on how you configure and deck it out in accessories, can vary widely.
After using it for weeks now, it's become my favorite iPad. In fact, I've mostly forgotten about the iPad Pro. The Air is basically as good, for less. And if you're really, really interested in a Pro, which was last updated back in March, I'd consider just waiting till next year to see what else gets introduced -- like a mini LED display, perhaps. The more I've used the Air, the more I've appreciated that Apple has really made an affordable Pro that strips out a few features you probably were never likely to use.
Adding USB-C, a crisp larger display and fast performance, plus support for the Magic Keyboard and Pencil 2, make it feel pretty great. And it's the same size as what was previously my favorite iPad, the 11-inch iPad Pro.
But that doesn't mean the Air is necessarily the best iPad for you. For its price, the standard eighth-gen iPad remains the better deal, and the go-to for most people (especially kids). Consider the eighth-gen iPad this way: basically last year's iPad Air at a lower price.
The perfect size, with one new Touch ID button
The 11-inch iPad Pro has been my favorite size for a while. This new fourth-gen iPad Air is exactly the same size and fits the 11-inch Pro's cases and keyboards, too. It feels identical, with one exception: It has Touch ID on the top power button, instead of Face ID.
So I slapped the old Smart Keyboard from the iPad Pro 11 on and things felt almost exactly the same. iPad Pro who?
The display is basically the same as the 11-inch Pro, but not exactly. It's weird. The 11-inch Pro has an 11-inch, 2,388x1,668-pixel LCD with 600 nits max brightness. The Air has a 10.9-inch, 2,360x1,640-pixel LCD with 500 nits max brightness. I never noticed the difference. The side bezels seem a hair bigger on the Air. The iPad Pro also has smoother ProMotion screen refresh, at up to 120Hz, versus the iPad's more normal feel. ProMotion is lovely, but I'm also fine without it.
Touch ID is right there, on the power button.
Scott Stein/CNET
What about the new Touch ID button, though? The Air doesn't have Face ID, which the Pros and iPhones have. The Face ID camera is cleverly hidden around the black bezel of the Pro and works at nearly any orientation. Meanwhile, the Air is Apple's first device with a fingerprint sensor on the small power button on its edge, instead of the circular home button (which this iPad doesn't have).
You have to remember which direction your iPad is facing, because that Touch ID could end up just about anywhere. Luckily, a pop-up on-screen indicator lets you know where it is when Touch ID is needed. But the orientation sometimes works for my left forefinger, sometimes for my right. I registered two fingers for practical comfort in landscape and portrait. The new Touch ID button seems to work reliably so far and there's no reason why future iPhones (or even the Apple Watch) couldn't get these little Touch ID buttons, too.
Compared to the 2019 iPad Air, the 2020 version gets a big chip boost and Pro-like extras (USB-C).
Scott Stein/CNET
How fast is it?
The new A14 chip, also in the iPhones 12, is in the Air. It sounds faster than any other iPad and that's half-true. The A14 is certainly faster than the A12 on the iPad and iPad Mini, based on benchmarks in Geekbench 5 and even in everyday use (initial runs show a score of 1,118, and a multicore score of 4,675 -- higher is better). But the iPad Pro's A12Z is faster in multitasking, while the Air beats it in single-core speed. Which is weird. The A12Z has more graphics power in its chip. But if you really wanted an iPad Pro, it would make me want to wait for a Pro with a possible A14Z chip next year.
The front camera is fine, but still not great for Zoom
We're all in video chats now. The iPad Air hasn't solved the iPad's biggest video chat problem, which is that the front camera ends up on the side in landscape mode. You'll look like you're staring off-screen in Zooms. The 7-megapixel camera is better than the entry-level iPad's, but I would have preferred something more centered for video chats.
Magic Keyboard and Pencil: not included.
Scott Stein/CNET
Accessories will cost you
Apple's iPad pricing slope starts seemingly affordable ($329, often on sale for $299 or less) and climbs up from there with storage tiers, models with extra features and pricey but useful accessories. It's a lot like car shopping -- suddenly you're getting the all-leather interior and deluxe extras.
The Air is a semiexpensive midrange model in that analogy, and those fancy extras can add up fast. The base 64GB $599 (£579, AU$899) iPad Air doesn't feel like enough storage for an iPad made to last years. But there's no 128GB model, so the 256GB version bumps to $749. (Skip the cellular add-on unless your office is paying.)
And then, the Pencil and keyboards. The Air supports all the newest Apple accessories like the snap-on magnetic Pencil 2 and the Magic Keyboard with trackpad. The Pencil 2 is $129 and the Magic Keyboard is $299, which is half the price of the iPad Air itself. You end up climbing to over $1,000 and now this is hardly a budget iPad anymore. No, it's not compatible with the first-gen Pencil, either.
You could even end up talking yourself into the iPad Pro at that point: the 128GB 11-inch Pro is $799, $50 more than the 256GB Air. And so it goes.
With a keyboard, still great for writing.
Scott Stein/CNET
It multitasks, but iPads are still not the same as laptops
A word, once again, on the promises and limits of iPads as true computer replacements. iPads are shockingly versatile and with a keyboard case slapped on, I can find myself suddenly using it like a laptop for hours on end. That's the great thing about iPads and iPadOS. The 10.9-inch screen is big enough to split two apps reasonably well and monitor different things at once, too.
Apple's also made a lot of strides in iPadOS 14 to enable file storage, drag-and-drop between multitasked apps, plus trackpad and mouse support and better Pencil support for scribbling and annotating on the iPad more easily. But, it still doesn't feel exactly like a laptop. File storage can get weird. Browser support is better but not perfect. And when I tried split-screening Zoom and Gmail and discovered that my camera was cut off in multitasking mode, I realized that there are some limits that have real impacts right now.
The iPad Air, between the 2020 iPad (left) and iPad Pro (right). The Air is Pro-like, but the basic iPad is as good as last year's Air.
Scott Stein/CNET
A more affordable fancy iPad, but do you need it?
For my tastes, I prefer the new iPad Air over any other current iPad. And I'd want the Magic Keyboard, too, plus the extra storage. But that places me at $1,100 or so after tax, and that's a pretty fancy iPad setup indeed.
And much like a lot of Apple's product lineups, that's the key: knowing where you should land on pricing and upgrades. The odds that you'll just use the base 64GB iPad out of the box with no extras is pretty slim, unless you already have some 11-inch iPad Pro accessories lying around.
Just know that this Air really does feel like it's left off some less essential iPad Pro features and offered up a more affordable device in return. It's like when the iPhone XR arrived after the iPhone X. Not exactly the same, but in a lot of ways more than good enough.
It's great that Apple upgraded the Air so much since last year. But also remember that last year's perfectly capable iPad Air is still around: It's just basically been turned into the entry-level iPad and it's more affordable than ever.
Update, Nov. 24: Adds CNET Editors' Choice award. First published Oct. 21.
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TVs in 2022 look pretty exciting: A buyers guide
TVs in 2022 look pretty exciting: A buyers guide
This story is part of The Year Ahead, CNET's look at how the world will continue to evolve starting in 2022 and beyond.
CES 2022 has come to a close, and the important news about new TVs is out of the bag. Most major TV-makers have introduced their biggest and best screens, talked up improved picture quality and dropped buzzwords like HDMI 2.1, mini-LED and 8K resolution. Most will be familiar to TV shoppers, while some that are actually new, like QD-OLED, are mashups of existing terms that still require lengthy explanation.
As CNET's resident TV reviewer, I can link you to plenty of places to readthoselengthyexplanations, but this article isn't one of them. Instead you'll find my best advice on what those new introductions mean and how, when and even if it's worth buying a new TV. Let's dive in.
Do you need a new TV in 2022?
Unless your current TV is broken, no you don't. But if you want a TV in another room, or your current TV feels like it's getting long in the tooth, its screen is too small or you want better picture quality or a better smart TV system, you might want a new TV. And if you've saved a bunch of money during the pandemic by not traveling or commuting to work or eating out, maybe you have a little extra to indulge that want.
Depending on how old your current TV is, a new model -- whether one released in the last year or a new TV just announced at CES -- could be a sweet upgrade you'll appreciate every time you watch.
What's the best time of year to buy a TV?
Starting in the fall . New models like the TVs introduced at CES 2022 appear in spring and their prices are highest then. Significant discounts start in November and go through Black Friday and the holiday season. Around the beginning of the new year after CES (i.e. now) they'll remain affordable, and sometimes the Super Bowl in February has the best deals on last year's TVs. Soon those will start to disappear and be replaced by the new models in spring again.
Buy a 2021 TV now or wait for a 2022 model?
It all depends on how long you can wait. If you want the latest and greatest technology, you're probably already set on a 2022 model. But if you want the best value, without missing much, a better move is to buy a 2021 TV now, before they disappear later this spring and summer. A 2021 TV at a given size or price will generally have very similar picture quality and features compared to its 2022 counterpart.
If you can't decide, and you're not in a hurry, just wait until fall to get the best price on a 2022 TV.
What new CES 2022 TVs and features stand out?
Here's a short list of my favorites so far, based on prior experience and information the manufacturer provided. Reminder: I did not attend the show and haven't seen any of these, with the exception of LG, in person.
The 42-inch LG C2 is the smallest OLED TV yet.
David Katzmaier/CNET
LG C2 OLED TV: As the successor to my Editors' Choice TV for the last two years, the latest version is the odds-on favorite to win again. The fact that it comes in a new 42-inch size is great news for people who couldn't fit bigger OLEDs into their rooms, but I'm excited to see how low the price will fall on the 77-inch version.
Sony X95K Mini-LED TV : Last year the Samsung QN90A earned my respect as the best high-end alternative to OLED, but Samsung has yet to announce any specific 2022 QLED models, so this Sony is my pick for now. Sony has an excellent track record with full-array local dimming and this is its least expensive model with mini-LED. It won't be cheap, however.
QD-OLED: The first Sony and Samsung TVs featuring a new OLED panel by Samsung Display are going to be expensive, and I probably won't recommend most people buy over more-affordable OLEDs like the C2, but I can't wait to see them in person.
Sony's remote finder: This isn't a reason to buy an expensive TV, but it sure is cool and I hope every TV maker adopts it soon. It allows the remote to emit a sound so you can find it under the couch cushions or wherever you lost it.
Samsung's gaming hub: I'm not into cloud gaming, but I love the idea of consolidating all the game-related stuff, including game mode settings and access to consoles, in one place. There's also the ability to split-screen YouTube videos and your game at the same time. LG's game optimizer was my favorite last year, and still seems to offer more options, but so far Samsung's gaming features look easier to use.
Samsung's new gaming hub for 2022 TVs offers one-stop access to cloud and console games.
Samsung
What else does a 2022 TV buyer need to know?
Basically, it's early. CES is the beginning of what we know about new TVs this year, not the end.
Brands I've lauded as the best TV values in the past, namely TCL and Vizio, haven't unveiled their bread-and-butter 2022 models yet. Both are still selling their older TVs, including models I still highly recommend like the TCL 6-Series Roku TV and the Vizio MQ7 series.
And if you're looking for an inexpensive TV, something you can put in a kid's bedroom or guest room and stream smart TV apps with ease, my top pick is still TCL's 4-Series Roku TV. This venerable workhorse hasn't changed much in the last couple years, and I don't expect any major differences when the new version is inevitably announced soon. Maybe it will get Google TV, but the safe bet is still Roku in my book.
My buying advice will continue to evolve as prices are announced, new models appear and I get the chance to review them in person. Stay tuned to CNET throughout the year for updates.
