Recently near Timmins, Ontario Canada, researchers found a small pocket of water that is estimated to be 2.64 billion years old.  The water was found one and a half miles below the earth’s surface, in the oldest known part of the North American crust, the Canadian Shield.  The depth of this pocket of water is the exciting part due to the fact that it was left untouched and untampered with by standard erosion and seismic activity, which means this pocket of water contains the gasses from that period 2 and a half billions years ago, giving us a glimpse at environmental conditions of ancient Earth.

However rather than just teaching us about the Earth’s past, it makes scientists excited over the possibility that there also could be untouched pockets of water on Mars.  The researchers found the Timmins pocket had as much hydrogen gas the water found within hydrothermal vents.  That level of hydrogen has been known for creating unique ecosystems that thrive in strange and harsh environments.  This information could definitely be used to advance scientists beliefs that there could be alien life living under the surface of mars.

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The Nvidia’s Android powered handheld console, Shield, which we originally revealed in February of this year, has finally begun taking preorders today for its upcoming June release.  The original pre-order date was the 20^th of May, but apparently has been bumped up.  The device has a reasonable $349 price, and pre-orders can be made directly to Nvidia or from participating retailers such as Gamestop, Newegg and Canada Computer.

Shield will come with full Google Play access as well as a myriad of different add ons such as TwitchTV, Hulu Plus, TegraZone, Expendable: Rearmed and Sonic 4 Episode II THD.  Nvidia stated that growing buzz for the device was the reason for the bumped up pre-sale date.  More likely they wanted to space themselves a bit from Microsoft’s reveal of it’s new next gen Xbox on Tuesday the 21^st.  Either way, this device deserves a bit of it’s own time in the spotlight.

If you haven’t yet, check it out and get yours ordered today!

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Think the Samsung Galaxy S4 is pretty great? Things are only getting started, as several variants could be one their way in the near future.  The newest of these rumored devices is the Galaxy S4 Zoom. 

It is a variant of the yet to be released S4 Mini, but this handset’s special niche is the fact is will boast a 16 MP rear facing camera, with 10x optical zoom.  I’ll give you a minute to re-read that, yes 10x optical zoom.  That blows the Nokia 808 PureView’s miniscule 3x zoom out of the water.  According to Unwired View, this variant arrived for certification at the Bluetooth SIG this week under the model number SM-C101.

Samsung is making a run at a majority market share with all its variations of their Galaxy S4s (at least if rumors are to be believed).  They have brought to the table the mini for those that don’t want such a large screen.  Also a variant that is similar to the Xperia Z, made to be rugged and withstand the worst conditions that can be thrown at you, and now the S4 Zoom which will have amateur shutterbugs doing backflips at the possibility.

Thus far optical zoom was really the only thing traditional cameras had over the previously limited point and shoot cameras in mobile phones.  This will pave the way for a new standard in mobile phone cameras if it takes off like I’m sure it will.

This variation is rumored to land soon, maybe even as early as June according to some of the circulating rumors.  Keep your eyes open for more info on this handset.  It will surely be a hit with users serious about photography and those casual snappers alike.  What do you think about the Zoom?  Is this a technology that you would like to see on your phone, or should it be left to the handheld camera market?

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AT&T subscribers, listen up.  AT&T is now offering the long awaited Samsung Galaxy S4 on their US network.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a 32GB, 5 inch Super AMOLED 1920×1080 display with a quad core 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor running the show with 2 GB of RAM. It also has a super high quality 13 MP rear facing camera and 2 MP front facing camera.  What will this set you back you ask?  You can own one for a reasonable $249.99 with a new two year contract with AT&T.

That price is quite reasonable for this powerhouse of a phone.  What do you think of the Galaxy S4, how does it compare to other flagship handsets from brands like Nokia, Sony, Apple and HTC?

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The Sony Xperia Z is certainly a head-turner, but Sony isn’t stopping there. Next up for Sony is the Honami, also known as the Sony Xperia i1 – at least if rumors prove correct.

So what do we know about the Honami? According to the latest leaked specs, the CPU is supposedly a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.3 GHz CPU with 2GB of RAM memory. It is also believed to have a 16 or 20MP camera and a 5-inch full HD display. Other specs include water/dust resistance and a 3000 mAh battery. As for the size, the phone will be a bit on the thicker side at 10mm.

Whether these rumored specs are accurate we can’t be sure, hopefully soon we will get some confirmation of what the Honami is actually packing directly from Sony in due time.

What we have heard no rumors about is if it will be modeled visually off the Sony Xperia Z, or if this baby will have its own lines and style. As we know from the past, don’t take these “leaked” stats as fact, but if accurate, this sounds like it’ll be the new big daddy of the Xperia Z, and hopefully equally as impressive when it arrives on market.

What do you think of Sony’s handsets as of late? Are you interested in the Sony i1 or not?

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Time crystals, seems like something out of a sci-fi movie or even the “Final Fantasy” game series.  A perpetual motion machine, an item that can oscillate for eternity without any energy application.  This has long a goal of scientists and inventors, but the idea has fallen short as make believe and an impossibility.  What if however, a Nobel prize winning physicists says it’s possible?

Wired reported that MIT’s Frank Wilczek has made that very claim, putting himself out there to be shunned from the scientific community for such outlandish claims.  But it was with great consideration and thought that he came to the idea that, theoretically, it is possible.  His idea states:

When matter crystallizes, its atoms spontaneously organize themselves into the rows, columns and stacks of a three-dimensional lattice. An atom occupies each “lattice point,” but the balance of forces between the atoms prevents them from inhabiting the space between. Because the atoms suddenly have a discrete, rather than continuous, set of choices for where to exist, crystals are said to break the spatial symmetry of nature — the usual rule that all places in space are equivalent… Eventually, his equations indicated that atoms could indeed form a regularly repeating lattice in time, returning to their initial arrangement only after discrete (rather than continuous) intervals, thereby breaking time symmetry. Without consuming or producing energy, time crystals would be stable, in what physicists call their “ground state,” despite cyclical variations in structure that scientists say can be interpreted as perpetual motion.

An interesting claim, but one that clearly isn’t going to be excepted by the scientific community at large. Not everyone thinks his idea is that of science fiction.  A Berkeley team of scientists, after reading the idea, decided to attempt to make the crystal based on the concept.  If they succeed, it will rewrite the basic ideas of time as we know it, and destroy the fundamental concept of time symmetry.  The Berkeley researchers are optimistic and have said it can take “anywhere between three to infinity years” to accomplish.  But until then we can only wonder.

What do you think of Wilczek’s idea, completely outlandish or could he be right/

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Have an iPhone or iPad? Thinking about buying a new app? Today’s the day to do it. Apple is currently running the 50 billion apps competition.  One lucky winner will snag a $10,000 Apple Store Gift Card if they happen to be the 50 billionth app purchaser.

You can finally get that Macbook you’ve been wanting and a lot of swag to go along with it.  The 50 billionth download will get the grand prize, but fear not if you are not the lucky type, the next 50 downloads will each win a $500 gift card.  The promotion began on April 29, and will run until the last card has been given away.  They are already up over 49 billion, so you better get on it!

No entry required, just download and you’re in the running.  You are limited to 25 entries and must be 13 years or older. There is also a no purchase necessary option, just go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/50-billion-app-countdown/entry-form/ and complete the entry form.  It’s nice to see companies giving back to their customers, so hop on the Apple Store and get downloading!

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Recently Bloomberg reiterated its earlier reports that there is a risk of delays to the Apple iOS 7 due to a much anticipated UI refresh and an extensive “software overhaul.”  Bloomberg also reported that Apple was “exploring more dramatic changes” for the Calendar and iOS 7 Mail apps.  These apps are expected to be so different that they will likely come at a later release.  Overseeing the development of the iOS 7 remake is Jony Ive.  He has reported to Bloomberg that it will contain stunning “realistic” images and UI elements over that of a flat UI.

However, Apple is not just looking to change the look of the new OS, Jony Ive supposedly has been keeping his eye on innovation and exploring new ways for consumers to interact and control their devices in future OS releases.  Ive has reportedly “met with makers of gesture technology” to discuss the addition of new features to the iOS.  Bloomberg does stress however that these extreme interface changes are most likely not going to be part of the iOS 7 release, but for future unveils.  Apple has promised that it’ll have both the new version of OS X and iOS 7 to developers by this year’s June WWDC conference.

It sounds like Apple is keeping their eye on the future and continuing to develop new technology to maintain their foothold on the tech market.

Are you excited for the release of iOS 7 and the new mail and calendar apps?  What new things are you hoping to see?

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Google has set its sights on the high end market of notebook with its latest notebook, the Chromebook Pixel, but their plans don’t end there. According to a new rumor, Google plans to release cheaper Android OS and Intel Atom notebooks that are expected to be as low as $200. Both Acer and Asus also have plans to release the new Chromebook later this year.

While details are sparce right now on what we know about the Asus Chromebook, it is expected to be unveiled in the third or fourth quarters of 2013.  We know slightly more about the Acer Chromebook.  It supposedly had a 11.6 inch screen and is expected to be for sale in July of 2013.  We do not know any more about these devices at this time, but they are supposedly going to be mid-range devices and should be quite a bit cheaper than the projected price of the Chromebook Pixel.

With all the interest in the Chromebook, Google is quickly establishing itself as a heavy hitter in the notebook game.  What do you think of Chrome OS, are you okay with using a cloud-driven OS for your laptop needs or would you rather stick to a more traditional Windows, Mac or Linux device?

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More details are coming together about the anticipated release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. We have learned from information discovered by a User Agent profile that the S4 Mini will be given the model number GT-i9190.  This also helps back up the previous rumors the phone will have a 4.3 inch screen with a 860×540 pixel resolution.

Unfortunately, there is still quite a bit we don’t know about the S4 Mini, though previous rumors help us fill in the blanks. If the rumor mill is to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will feature a dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and either a 8GB, 16GB, 32GB variant. It will likely run Android 4.2.2 OS with the standard Samsung features that have already been introduced with the Galaxy S4.

So when is it coming? We still can’t say for sure, though Samsung will probably release it not too terribly long after the Galaxy S4′s launch in order to best capitalize on the hype. Would you consider a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini or would you rather stick to the more powerful Galaxy S4?

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