The connected person’s guide to surviving an alt-right protest

On Wednesday, alt-right group “Patriot Prayer” got its permit for a weekend rally on federal land inside San Francisco. It was issued despite strong opposition from Mayor Ed Lee and city officials, state lawmakers, and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

This hate group circumvented the city and state because it chose a location on federal land — a situation of concern to every community that doesn’t want a Charlottesville on its doorstep. And because we don’t have a choice, we’re getting ready. That doesn’t just mean counter-protests, but our entire police force will be on guard — and since we’re a city of technophiles and hackers, citizens will be paying particular attention to our phones and networks.

Like every city in America, we don’t want out-of-control dudes with tiki torches cosplaying Nazi Trump or murdering people with their cars. We especially don’t want to be making a “safe space” for Patriot Prayer, the same organization that nursed the Portland hate crime murderer. To top it off, The San Francisco Examiner reported that militia group Oath Keepers said they’ll be at the rally too, which is planned for Saturday, August 26 at Crissy Field in San Francisco.

During the Wednesday press conference at City Hall, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Supervisor London Breed, and SFPD Chief William Scott explained the permit’s tight restrictions for Saturday. Along with no firearms (and a long list of other things) the police chief said that tech like drones and large cameras won’t be allowed either.

This means everyone will be using their phones for everything, stretching cell tower networks to their limit. If you’re nearby, expect your phone to constantly be looking for signal, and, in turn, for that to run your battery down fast. Data will be slow, if not brought to a shuddering standstill. If you’re attending, plan to communicate with friends via text message (preferably an encrypted text app like Signal) because DMs probably won’t work.

Featured Patriot Prayer guests are telling their “warriors” to “suit up and boot” for a fight in San Francisco. They should probably care more about the security of their phones than the insecurity of their nationalist masculinity though.

In case they haven’t noticed, hackers have declared “open season” on Patriot Prayer-style enthusiasts: Getting confrontational MAGAs all in one spot with phones in hand is a hacker’s dream come true.

The same goes for the authorities. Police and law enforcement will absolutely be monitoring social media and intercepting traffic for threats, changes in plans, and anything they can use to find crime. Police can target specific areas with tools like Media Sonar, which simultaneously monitor posts on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Vine, Periscope, and Flickr, among others.

In addition, authorities are more frequently using fake base stations, also called “IMSI catchers” or “Stingrays” to track the activities and locations of citizens at protests, and to intercept their communications. They’re used by police and the federal government in the U.S. for what’s called “lawful surveillance.” The “lawful” part is up for debate according to digital civil liberties groups. In countries outside the U.S., this practice has been commonplace for quite some time.

Basically, if you’re going to any of the weekend’s events in San Francisco, or any other city for that matter, prep your phone for being in a crowd, being surveilled, and in case things get weird.

Android, iPhone, Blackberry… Whatever phone you have, there are a few things you’ll want to do to it before you go anywhere near neighborhoods that might have a rally, march or protest coming by. What matters most is that you know how to best use the phone you have, and find out about any limitations in function, form, or in securing your privacy before you use it.

It might feel like our phones are being used against us, but our devices are where we find power and leverage as citizens — so leaving them at home is never an option.

Device security 101

• Activate a device password
• Turn on encryption
• Install and use a secure (encrypted) messaging service
• Install and use a VPN
• Keep your device and apps updated

Ultra-cautious Android users will want to check out apps like SnoopSnitch. This app collects and analyzes mobile radio data to make you aware of your mobile network security. It warns about threats like fake base stations (the above-mentioned IMSI catchers), user tracking, and other red flags like unexpected, over-the-air updates.

You can counteract data collection, malicious hacking, potential government spying, and stalkers by following a few best practices. Turn off Bluetooth and don’t let your phone join open Wi-Fi networks: This will prevent a significant number of hacking attacks. Put your phone in “Airplane” mode until you need to use it, both to reduce your surveillance risks from fake cell towers, and to save your battery.

Log out of all non-essential accounts and apps when you go to any event like a march or protest. This will also reduce your surveillance risks, and any risk you’ll face if you get hacked. Essential apps to stay logged-in to are the ones you use to share the event (and media associated with it) and communicate with your group. Use encrypted apps, like Threema, Signal, or even WhatsApp for this.

You may hear people telling you to get or use a “burner” phone for the protests; this is a phone you use when you leave your actual phone at home, and you can make it as anonymous as you like. If you want to learn more in detail and find technical instructions for everything described in this article, like burner phones, I talk about it in extensive detail in How To Be A Digital Revolutionary.

Keep your phone PIN or password protected in case it falls into someone else’s hands. Avoid using the fingerprint unlock for your phone too: it’s legally less protected than your password or PIN. Also, your finger can be used to unlock the phone without your consent, and authorities have been reported doing this. To this end, the timing of San Francisco’s Nazi invasion is good for those who have access to a certain new Apple feature. This week news hit of what people are calling the iPhone’s “cop button.”

An iOS 11 trick, currently in beta, allows the user to quickly disable the fingerprint passcode entry feature Touch ID when the power button is pressed five times in quick succession. An option to dial 911 pops up on the screen, but Touch ID is disabled unless the user enters their passcode (which is harder for law enforcement to oblige you to do).

To get your phone ready for action

• Back up your address book and all files.
• Activate “Find my phone” (or Prey)
• Sign out of every app you won’t be using.
• Make sure your password is on.

You should definiteltly do a quick inventory of the apps you use for taking photos, recording video, posting status updates, and communicating with your community. Make sure they’re easy to access. Some phones will let you assign a key or make a shortcut for taking photos or video; set that up so you’re always ready.

Lastly, put a few files on your phone that you can access without having to use wifi. Make one a map of the areas you’ll be in. Consider including a file of emergency contacts, like your family, an attorney, or a legal hotline. On the ACLU’s Know Your Rights page, you’ll find a variety of docs that list your rights in different situations. These are great because it’s hard to focus when you’re under stress. Examples of things you may want to keep with you include “Demonstrations and Protests,” “If You’re Stopped by Police,” “Photographers,” “LGBT High School Students,” and more.

As a lifelong San Francisco resident, I can tell you that Patriot Prayer has no clue who they’re dealing with. Like many, the only San Francisco they know is that of an outsider; one who thinks that only recently transplanted techie jerks live here. That’s partly true, but it’s not actually who we are. Even if idiot techies who’ve flocked to carpetbag on our shores are too ignorant of history to spot the hypocrisy of “free speech” Nazi Facebook groups, we San Franciscans can see their bullshit coming from a galaxy away.

My city is a place that knows the deadliness of fascist rhetoric and ideals like theirs. The first diagnosis of Kaposi’s sarcoma occurred here on April 9, 1981; San Franciscans then lived through the horror of an entire population nearly eradicated by AIDS that was hastened by Republican neglect comparable to Hurricane Katrina. Unlike Trump and his extremist Nazi followers, we have triumphed over genuine discrimination and life-threatening adversity, and we have the brains to think through the egregiously harmful eventualities of their childish, selfish, and hypocritical world views.

We are a colorful, tough city of fighters and survivors. Our capacity for love and acceptance is as fierce and immovable as our strength and resilience to fight for what’s right: These things are immutable to us. Our city is not only diverse, it is considered a “gay mecca” — a place where people of all genders and orientations are welcome, and we will tear down the sky to protect you.

So, you know. Patriot Prayer’s little nudge-nudge-wink “we’re not violent” hypocrisy “free speech” roadshow will come here and get their little kicks, then move on to the next town who doesn’t want them. In the meantime, everyone please secure your devices and do be safe while Reddit is in town.

Images: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office / AP Photo (Stingray); AFP/Getty Images (SF Mayor Ed Lee)

Use Google Home to stream CBS All Access to your TV

You can already use your voice to control your Spotify account with Google Home. The connected speaker also works with Chromecast as a sort of voice-enabled remote control for Netflix. Now Google Home can do the same thing with your CBS All Access and CW TV accounts. Which means, of course, that you can use your voice to watch the upcoming Star Trek Discovery or the latest episode of The Flash with Chromecast built-in.

The CBS All Access addition was first spotted by Android Police. Google confirmed to Engadget that both CBS and the CW are now available via Home. The feature requires a subscription to the service of your choice and can be enabled in the Videos and Photos section of your Google Home app. Keep an eye on your home app, as the new updates are rolling out “as they get ready,” according to a Google spokesperson.

Via: Android Police

Feed the Taylor Swift hype machine for a better chance at tickets

Buying tickets to a play or concert online is an absolutely terrible experience these days. Between fighting bots and ridiculous handling fees, fans get the short end of the stick when they can’t make it to the venue to buy direct. Taylor Swift is partnering with Ticketmaster and its Verified Fan program to sidestep some of that frustration with Taylor Swift Tix. But this too comes at a price.

“Taylor Swift is committed to getting tickets into the hands of fans… not scalpers or bots,” the ticket microsite reads. Her solution? Roping fans into doing her label’s marketing department’s job. As she explains in the video below, if you help spread the word online, you’re earning priority placement in a ticket waitlist for your venue of choice. The devil is in the details, though.

If you want “the greatest boosts” in line, you’ll have to pre-order her new album Reputation via the control panel, at iTunes, Target, Walmart or from Swift’s store directly. And if you want the album with guaranteed release date delivery, you’ll have to pony up even more cash for next day shipping. Oh, sorry vinyl fans, it’s only available on CD — unlike her previous record, 1989.

You can also earn “high boosts” by buying new merch, too. Which currently consists of her new CD and nothing else. Don’t want to spend any money? Well, you can watch the lyric video for her new single “Look What You Made Me Do.” Problem is, like registering for Tix, that’s a “low boost.”

“Your boosts are automatically applied for up to 5 views, per day. Watch every day and receive your boosts.” Gotta dethrone “Despacito” any way possible, I suppose.

“We worked closely with Taylor Swift to craft a unique approach to our Verified Fan program that rewards her fans with access to the best tickets first,” said David Marcus, EVP and head of music for Ticketmaster North America. “By removing bots and scalpers from the equation, and adding a series of fun activities to help registrants boost their spot in line through our official Verified Fan Activity Meter, we’re able to ensure that tickets make it into the hands of Taylor’s most avid fans, at fan-friendly prices.”

Ticketmaster says you don’t have to make a purchase to receive an access code — those will be available to all verified fans. However, the company did confirm that buying something “may improve” a user’s spot in line to get tickets.

Everything about this scheme will benefit Swift one way or another, under the guise of getting better access to tickets to what’s surely going to be one of this fall’s biggest (and highly scalped) concert tours.

At its inception, Verified Fan was supposed to check your Ticketmaster account info and then send an SMS with codes to buy tickets. Think of it like two-factor authentication, but for concert tickets. What Swift is doing here perverts what was supposed to be a fan-friendly way to buy tickets into another part of her big money-making machine.

Even though it’s artist merch, if you still have to pay more than list price for buying tickets, is that really much different than buying from a scalper or reseller?

Update: This post has been updated with a quote from Ticketmaster.

Source: Taylor Swift

LeEco is trying to crowdfund an electric scooter

Troubled would-be Chinese tech empire LeEco is looking to launch another product, but it needs you to crowdfund it first. A Kickstarter for their electric powered standup scooter will go live on August 28th, if you’re willing to take the risk.

The foldable, lean-to-steer “Scooterboard,” as it’s known, will have a maximum speed of 15 MPH and have a range of 9.3 miles on a full charge. The device is a “post-development, fully functional electric rideable ” three-wheeled scooter, according to LeEco. The crowdfunding campaign will have a modest goal of $25,000, though there’s no information on pricing or tier rewards yet.

Crowdfunding is a safer option for LeEco after its rough year. The company’s ambitions overstretched its means, and its fall from grace resulted in its Chinese assets frozen and a lawsuit from Vizio over the two companies’ failed $2 billion deal. LeEco shuttered its US operations back in May, so a single-item Kickstarter is probably a much more feasible project to get new products into the American market.

Via: The Verge

Source: LeEco

MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone Prize Pack from Toddy Gear

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Toddy Gear to give MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone prize pack that includes a Bottle Opener Case for the iPhone 7, an iPhone charging cable, a microfiber Smart Cloth, and a Wedge iPhone stand that doubles as a screen cleaner.

Toddy Gear has been known for its colorful, high-quality microfiber cloths for years. The cloths, priced at $9.99, come in a wide range of colors and patterns and are made from 100 percent microfiber that’s designed to keep the your iPhone, iPad, and Mac screens free from smudges and fingerprints.

They’re dual-sided, with a plush side that’s meant to clean off dust and debris and a smooth, silky side for polishing your screen.

Toddy’s Wedges, priced at $14.99, are similar to its cloths, as they’re made from the same microfiber, but are filled with a heavy sand-like material that lets them serve as a stand for an iPhone or iPad. The plush bottom of the wedge cleans your screen just like the cloths.

Toddy offers a range of charging cables that are durable, fun to look at with unique colors and patterns, and affordable at $14.99. Toddy’s cables are Apple-certified and work with all Lightning-equipped devices. There are also microUSB versions and a hybrid with both a Lightning and a microUSB connector.

Along with cloths and cables, Toddy creates a range of cases for the iPhone. The company’s Bottle Opener case, priced at $25.99, comes in a range of patterns and includes a bottle opener on the back, making it a solid case choice for parties.

We have five Toddy prize packs to give away. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (August 25) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 1. The winners will be chosen randomly on August 25 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

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Gear Up: Taotronics wants to replace all of your audio needs

In case you haven’t noticed, those of us here at AndroidGuys love audio accessories. Whether it’s headphones, speakers, or a complete sound system, we love testing out new products to determine whether they’re worthy to grace your home.

TaoTronics is one of those companies which has a decent following, but is still looking to make a stamp on the market. The company was gracious enough to send us a new Bluetooth speaker and a set of Bluetooth headphones, with the purpose of providing you with an honest review.

TaoTronics Super Loud Bluetooth Speaker

Jumping right into the review here, we’re going to take a look at the TaoTronics “Super Loud” Bluetooth speaker. When you first take a look at this thing, you might be reminded of the JBL Flip series, minus the ridiculous pricing.

This speaker provides 360-degree sound, making sure to cover every inch of your room, and then some. At a recent party, I fired this up and threw on some Spotify and actually had to turn it down because folks in the living room couldn’t hear anything, while the speaker was across the house.

As for controls, you’ll find the power button, pairing button, and volume rocker on the “rear” of the speaker. However, if you want to crank up the tunes without finagling with buttons, there’s an awesome rotating dial on the top which goes all the way to 11.

Also found on the rear of this speaker is the microUSB charging port, along with the 3.5mm headphone jack. These are hidden by a rubber flap that quickly snaps back into place when you’re done charging it up.

Speaking of charging, TaoTronics included a 5,200mAh battery in this speaker, which has been rated for about 15 hours of usage. While I didn’t use the speaker for 15 consecutive hours, I was able to go about 16 hours before the speaker gave me the heads up that it needed some juice.

This speaker is so awesome, that I’ve recently set it up to connect to my Amazon Echo Dot, so that I can get some punch when I want to ask Alexa to pump some tunes from my Spotify.

If you’re interested in snagging one of these for yourself, you can hit the button below and grab one for just $49.99 with free Prime shipping. So what’re you waiting for? Go get one and get the music rolling!

Buy the TaoTronics Super Loud B/T Speaker!

Taotronics TT-BH07 Bluetooth Headphones

I have something to admit — I’m addicted to headphones. Not just Bluetooth headphones or over-the-ear ones, but all of them. I’m by no means an audiophile, but I do love a good set of headphones regardless.

That brings us to the TaoTronics TT-BH07 Bluetooth headphones. These bad boys feature an impressive “spec sheet” which includes Bluetooth 4.1, aptX capabilities, and IPX5 splash resistance. But there are some more perks with this set of Bluetooth headphones.

First and foremost, ever since I picked up a pair of the BeatsX Bluetooth headphones, I’ve become enamored with headphones that include magnets in the earbuds. TaoTronics doesn’t disappoint and has included this feature with the TT-BH07 headphones. This magnet is also pretty strong (relatively), making it easy for the earbuds to find one another, and difficult for them to come apart while they are stashed away in your bag.

Another important feature for me is battery life. Quite frequently I’m found traveling and don’t want to be left in my travels with a set of dead headphones. The TT-BH07 headphones are rated for 5 hours of continuous playback, but an incredible 175 hours of standby time.

As for real-life usage, I was able to squeeze a bit more battery out of these, coming in around 5.5 hours. That’s plenty for me, as my travels never last longer than that before I can get to a charger. (Or you could get this awesome Mophie Power Capsule for your headphones and never have to worry about it!)

Sound quality on the TT-BH07 was rather impressive, providing a sound that was very similar to my BeatsX, and sometimes sounding better in the bass department. As for how they stand up to the likes of Anker’s SoundBuds lineup, I would say that these are neck-and-neck and are practically interchangeable for reliability and sound quality.

Plus, the TT-BH07 feature an in-line mic, which also features a charging/pairing LED indicator, volume controls, and your charging port. This has saved me on more than one occasion, making me feel even more enamored with the TT-BH07.

Oh, and if you’re worried about these not fitting your big ears, don’t worry as TaoTronics has included three different sets of ear-tips and ear hooks. This will make sure that you get the perfect fit, no matter the size of your ears.

Now for the price. With all of these features, you would these are priced around the $150 price point of the BeatsX. Nope. You can hit the button below and snag a pair of your own for just $25.99, which is a ridiculous price.

Buy the TaoTronics TT-BH07 Headphones!

Conclusion

TaoTronics may not be a household name like Anker or Beats, but the company is definitely working in the right direction. By no means are these the only two products offered by TaoTronics, as they offer other smartphone accessories to fit your needs.

Let us know what you think about these audio products and if you’ll be picking them up for yourself!

Huawei’s new budget T3 and M3 Lite tablets now up for sale at online retailers

Why it matters to you

Budget tablets are much better than they used to be, and Huawei has just released four options, each costing $250 or less, that might just be enough for your needs.

Back in May, Huawei unveiled a new tablet to compete with Amazon’s popular Fire 7: the MediaPad T3 7. At $90, the 7-inch Huawei offered a solid alternative to Amazon’s budget darling, with a few small improvements in specs and build quality to justify a slightly higher price. Now, Huawei has returned with two more tablets in the T3 line — 8-inch and 10-inch models — as well as a moderately more powerful series known as the MediaPad M3 Lite. They’re now available online from Amazon and Newegg.

Huawei MediaPad T3 10-inch

First, let’s talk about the new T3 models. Both the 8-inch and 10-inch variants receive Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 425 system-on-chip alongside 2GB of RAM. It’s a worthy improvement over the MediaTek MT8127 and 1GB RAM found in the 7-inch T3. Both tablets come with 16GB of storage on board, 4,800mAh batteries, and 1,280 x 800 LCD displays. They’re wrapped up in a Space Gray anodized aluminum chassis, and run $140 and $160 for the 8- and 10-inch versions, respectively.

Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 8-inch

If you need a bit more of everything, the M3 Lite might be a better fit. Huawei has upgraded the processor in these tablets to a Snapdragon 435, and added an extra gigabyte of RAM for a total of 3GB. If you opt for the 10-inch model, you’ll get a significantly larger battery, too — 6,600mAh, versus the 4,800mAh unit in the 8-inch M3 Lite. The 8-inch will cost you $200, while the 10-inch is priced at $250. Both benefit from the inclusion of full HD displays — a step up from what you’d find in the T3 series.

Huawei is also touting improved sound in the M3 Lite, thanks to a partnership with Harman Kardon. Like the standard MediaPad M3, these devices feature Huawei’s SWS 3.0 Smart Sound technology, which differentiates between music and video to deliver the proper audio experience for the content on screen. Each one of these tablets runs Android 7.0 Nougat, though Huawei isn’t specific as to the revision. On top of that, you’ll find the company’s EMUI 5.1 interface.

The budget tablet market is a very busy one, and four new models within the space of $200 might seem like overkill. Fortunately, at the very least it means you’ll have a plethora of choices in finding the device that ticks all your boxes. For more info, check out our always-updated guide on the best inexpensive tablets on the market right now.

Take up to $210 off new and refurbished iOS tablets with our top 6 iPad deals

Let’s face it: Apple products don’t come cheap. For the Mac-heads out there, however, the simplicity of use, reliability, and build quality of Apple hardware is hard to beat and well worth the price. You can still catch some solid discounts on Apple gear if you’re vigilant, and to give you a head start, we’ve smoked out some current iPad deals that can save you as much as $210 on a selection of new and professionally refurbished iOS tablets.

Refurbished Ipad deals

Arguably the best way to snag deep discounts on iPads and other Mac gadgets is to buy stuff that is refurbished by the professionals at Apple. These recertified iPads all come with brand-new outer shells and batteries, making them look and feel practically brand new, and are covered by a one-year warranty.

• 7.9-inch 128GB iPad Mini 4: The iPad Mini 4 boasts a 7.9-inch Retina display and weighs in at just .67 pounds which makes for a compact and easily portable tablet. This refurbished model comes with 128GB of flash storage and can be yours for $339 directly from Apple, saving you $60. The iPad Mini is soon to be discontinued, so now’s the time to grab one if you’ve been eyeing it.
• 9.7-inch 64GB iPad Air 2: The super-light iPad Air 2 features the enhanced 9.7-inch Retina display and is the perfect choice for someone who wants a thin and light tablet that doesn’t sacrifice screen size. A nice 15-percent discount of $70 knocks this 64GB iPad Air 2 down to $379.
• 7.9-inch 128GB iPad Mini 2 with cellular service: The iPad Mini 2 features the same 7.9-inch display as the Mini 4, but this one adds cellular connectivity for those of you with data plans from Verizon and AT&T. It also provides the biggest discount of all the iPad deals on our list at its $419 price tag, saving you a whopping $210.

New Ipad deals

These iPad deals aren’t as hot as the discounts on refurbished models, but if you really want a tablet that’s brand-spanking new, then you can still enjoy some nice savings on these picks from MacMall:

• 9.7-inch 128GB iPad with cellular service: This tablet features Apple’s excellent 9.7-inch 2,048 x 1,536 Retina display as well as compatibility with modern LTE cellular data services. A $50 discount means you can snag this brand new iPad for $509 from MacMall.
• 10.5-inch 64GB iPad Pro: The midsized iPad Pro has a 10.5-inch 2,224 × 1,668 Retina screen which utilizes the same color gamut technology as the 4K and 5K iMac computers, delivering a truly crisp and vibrant picture. The 64GB iPad Pro is on sale at $609 for a savings of $40.
• 12.9-inch 64GB iPad Pro: If you need a bit more screen real estate and don’t mind the added size, then the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is for you. This iOS tablet runs on a 6-core A10X Fusion CPU, offers 64GB of internal storage, and can be yours for $749 after a $50 discount.

More deals

• Score a new work laptop and save with our favorite Amazon Chromebook deals
• Enjoy your tunes on the fly with the Beats Tour2 headphones, now just $50
• 8 must-have portable tech gadgets you can score for cheap right now

Looking for more great deals on Apple gadgets and other electronics? Check out our deals page to score some extra savings on our favorite tech.

AMD’s Vega graphics card likely to be in short supply until October

Why it matters to you

If you’re looking to upgrade your PC to a Vega GPU, you might find it difficult to find the card at retail until October.

AMD’s Vega architecture made its debut in June 2017, when the company opened pre-orders on the Frontier Edition of the hotly anticipated graphics card. The Radeon RX Vega series was made available on August 15 — but just a matter of days later, there’s now word that the GPUs are set to be in short supply for the new couple of months.

If you’ve been looking for a Radeon RX Vega card at retail but came up short, understand that you’re not alone. Sources in the upstream supply chain indicate that AMD simply can’t meet demand as a result of low packaging yield rates, according to a report from Digitimes.

The design of the Vega series integrates high bandwidth memory into the GPU, which makes the packaging process a little more difficult, and has resulted in yield rates that are lower than anticipated. There are also reports that issues with Advanced Semiconductor Engineering’s packaging technology could be a contributing factor.

AMD has noted that demand for the cards has been higher than expected, and confirmed that it is working with its manufacturing partners to ensure that more stock can be distributed to retailers as quickly as possible. Both the standalone Radeon RX Vega graphics cards and the bundled Gamer Packs are set to be made available, reportedly within the coming days.

It’s expected that the supply chain shortages will mean that most retailers will only receive a small allocation of the GPUs. As a result, the graphics cards aren’t expected to be easy to find until at least October.

This of course isn’t an ideal situation for AMD to be in, given that demand for the cards seems to be particularly high. There are reports that Nvidia has reconsidered its plans to rush production of its new Volta architecture, delaying the move from late 2017 to the previously rumored timeframe of early 2018.

Digital Trends’ review of the Radeon RX Vega series concluded that the cards offer superior gaming performance and excellent memory bandwidth, all at a price point that’s very compelling — it’s a good option for anyone looking for a cost-effective GPU, assuming you can find one in the wild.

Awesome RC buggy is the closest thing to driving a Mars rover here on Earth

Why it matters to you

With its rugged design, front-mounted HD camera, and robot gripper arm, the Turtle Rover could be one of the best RC vehicles we’ve ever seen.

How many self-respecting, tech-loving space nerds don’t want to get their hands on their very own version of a Mars rover? A team of engineers from Poland’s Wroclaw University of Technology — who previously won multiple prizes for their development of Mars rover prototypes — is hoping the answer is “none.” That’s because they’ve just launched a Kickstarter campaign for something called the Turtle Rover, a remote-controlled vehicle that promises to give you the experience of piloting a space buggy on the Red Planet, only without the cost of actually getting there.

“Turtle Rover is a NASA-inspired, four-wheeled platform which can easily work in almost any type of terrain on Earth: Grass, forest, stones, or even in the water,” Marcin Twardak, co-founder of Turtle Rover, told Digital Trends. “It’s completely dust- and waterproof. What’s most exciting [is that] the platform is open source, [meaning] we share source code, circuit diagrams and mechanical documentation. Thanks to that, everyone can adapt the platform to their own needs.”

The vehicle is controlled via a mobile app, which uses Wi-Fi to communicate to distances of up to 650 feet. As with many drones on the market, you can control the vehicle by seeing the world from its perspective — courtesy of a front-facing HD camera. Through the app, you can also control the Turtle Rover’s robot gripper arm, although you can also modify it yourself to add other third-party accessories.

“We believe Turtle Rover is an amazing opportunity for makers,” Twardak said. “Now, if you want to learn programming on some serious hardware, you don’t have too much to choose from. There are some products available on the market, but there is not a single one complex enough to both provide all the hardware and that could be used outdoors.

“If you want to test your electronics, software or other hardware in real-world conditions you need to buy industrial platforms, which are extremely expensive and still need extra equipment to run. We believe the people — geeks and makers — will create a community around Turtle Rovers, and together we’ll build this new segment of the robotics market. It’s the supporters who will tell us what to develop and what to suppress, and discover where to use the platform in real life.”

Turtle Rover is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter, where it will set you back 1,547 euros ($1,838) for a completed version with battery and Raspberry Pi microcontroller. Shipping is set to take place next June.