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  • GitHub Acquired by Microsoft

    GitHub Acquired by Microsoft

    GitHub, the world’s largest repository of code, is set to be acquired by Microsoft. The deal is to the tune of 7.5 billion dollars in Microsoft stock. That number is pretty astonishing, conisdering GitHub is just a storage service. What does this acquisition mean for code developers and designers? Will things be changing behind the scenes for the site? 

    Reservations by GitHub Developers 

    Microsoft is known as being a very corporate and profit-minded company. They didn’t grow to be one of the largest forces in tech by accident. With their reputation, developers have been somewhat nervous regarding this acquisition. GitLab, a major competitor of the code-hosting site, has seen a surge of users following the breaking of this news. Microsoft has attempted to reassure developers, however, stating that their intent is to keep the service just the way it is now.  

    Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, had a few words wit regards to the move. “Microsoft is a developer-first company, and by joining forces with GitHub we strengthen our commitment to developer freedom, openness and innovation… We recognize the community responsibility we take on with this agreement and will do our best work to empower every developer to build, innovate and solve the world’s most pressing challenges.” 

    What This Means for GitHub 

    On the corporate side, however, GitHub and Microsoft will both see some personnel changes. Nat Friedman, Microsoft’s current Corporate Vice President, will be installed at CEO of GitHub. GitHub’s current CEO, Chris Wantstrath, will become a “technical fellow” at Microsoft.  

    Regarding the acquisition, Wanstrath had this to say. “I’m extremely proud of what GitHub and our community have accomplished over the past decade, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. The future of software development is bright, and I’m thrilled to be joining forces with Microsoft to help make it a reality… Their focus on developers lines up perfectly with our own, and their scale, tools and global cloud will play a huge role in making GitHub even more valuable for developers everywhere.” 

    When Does this Happen? 

    The acquisition isn’t final yet, so these changes won’t take place immediately. A regulatory board will review the acquisition, but experts see little reason to block the move. Once it’s complete, developers can expect to see few changes on the user-end. However, Microsoft will likely turn the code repository into an Azure service, hosted on their cloud platform. Aside from that superficial change, though, Microsoft seems unlikely to change much else for fear of scaring off developers.
     

  • Asus to Enter Gaming Phone Space with ROG Phone

    Asus to Enter Gaming Phone Space with ROG Phone

    Early reports from various outlets have begun to describe Asus’ entry into the phone market. The ROG Phone, which shares a name with Asus’ gaming computer line, is set to boast powerful gaming performance. Razer entered the mobile market last year with their aptly-named Razer phone. However, Razer hasn’t quite managed to capture the attention of gamers. Most who prefer gaming on the go have stuck to their gaming laptop or Nintendo Switch. They instead opt for using their phone as, well, a phone. But Asus seeks to change that, and it looks like they might do just that. 

    Air Buttons 

    The first innovation worth noting on the ROG phone is the Air Button technology. While the phone sports a normal large touchscreen display and has no physical buttons, it does have Air Button sensors. Those sensors can tell when a finger falls as though it were mashing a button, giving haptic feedback and sending the input. The Air Buttons are programmable, allowing gamers to program key actions, like pulling a trigger, to the handy input. 

    TwinView Dock 

    Another fascinating addition that Asus is bringing to the smartphone market are gaming-related peripherals. The TwinView dock is one of them, turning the phone into something of a Nintendo DS-like gaming apparatus by adding a second screen. The dock also sports two physical shoulder buttons in lieu of the Air Buttons, which makes the phone feel more like a dedicated gaming device.  

    AeroActive Cooler 

    A peripheral set to be included with every ROG phone, the AeroActive cooler seeks to combat a common criticism of long gaming sessions on phones. Mobile devices don’t have any room for a cooling system, meaning that long sessions of Fortnite or Pokemon Go will cause the phone to heat up and have worse performance. To remedy this, the ROG Phone will come standard with this cooling device to help maintain a stable temperature. The option to keep the phone cooler for longer will make it a more attractive phone for serious gamers. 

    ROG Phone: A True Gaming Smartphone? 

    The ROG Phone has all the design choices that could make a phone desirable as a gaming platform. It even sports a side-mounted charger, in addition to the bottom-mounted one, to allow for gaming while charging. Asus has also promised a dock to allow your phone to be displayed on a monitor or computer screen, sort of a reverse game-streaming.  

    If gaming smartphones are ever going to be a viable market, the ROG Phone is set to be the phone to make them so. If this one underperforms, it likely won’t be the fault of the phone, but instead the hard-to-predict whims of gamers. For now we’ll have to await further details, as Asus hasn’t even floated a release date yet. 

  • Interested in Losing Yourself in Another World? Check out our Favorite VR Laptops

    Interested in Losing Yourself in Another World? Check out our Favorite VR Laptops

    Since VR-capable computers tend to be very hefty machines, they are commonly desktops. However, what’s the fun of a VR set-up if you can’t show it off to your friends? Nothing’s quite as cool as showing up to a friend’s house and letting them try out VR. Parties were people can try the tech out are super fun! You can even take it on a plane ride to help pass the time while waiting to arrive at your destination. Which laptops are the best for VR, though? It’s pretty resource-heavy, so you have to pick the right one! 

    Dell Inspiron 15 7000 

    Dell’s Inspiron line carries some pretty hefty graphics, which is great for VR! It’s also at a great price point, coming in at $800, which makes it the most budget-conscious pick on this list. The main drawback to this laptop is the display, which is suboptimal. But if you’re looking to have a VR headset on while using it, it’s actually not as big a drawback! It also sports a great battery life, helping you get the most time out of your virtual reality fun! 

    Origin PC EVO15-S 

    The Origin is a very, very slim machine with a lot of power under the hood. It boasts an impressive Max-Q GTX 1070 graphics card that manages to be small, quiet and powerful all at once. You’ll be able to throw this laptop in a bag and still have plenty of room for your VR headset’s carrying case! The origin also has a great amount of storage, so you can download tons of games, and it offers great battery performance. All of this can be yours for around $1,600, which, considering how great of a laptop this is, is a great price. 

    Asus ROG Zephyrus 

    Asus, known for their high-quality builds and rock-solid durability, has a great laptop for VR. The Zephyrus also boasts an N-Vidia Max Q graphics chip, which helps it to be a thin, powerful machine like the Origin. The drawbacks to this laptop are a bit more noticeable, though. For one, it has a relatively short battery life, which somewhat negates the purpose of having a laptop instead of a desktop. It also has this weird, small, right-aligned track pad that is just… It’s bad. The 1080p screen isn’t as much of an issue if you mean to spend more time with the VR headset on, though. If you can get over those drawbacks, and the $2,700 price point, this Asus is awesome for VR. 

    The Strongest Laptop For VR: Alienware 17 R4 

    The Alienware 17 R4 is one of the strongest gaming laptops on the market. It sports a ton of options for configuration, allowing you to customize your experience. VR enthusiasts won’t be disappointed: framerate, graphics and response time will all be top-notch with this laptop. It has Nvida GTX 1080 graphics, putting some serious power in your hands.  This one gets our nod because of its wide array of options. If you’re a VR enthusiast, you can customize it to suit all your needs. As such, the price will reflect that. For comparison, a high-end model of this laptop would run around $3,000, but you can outfit it to your tastes. 

  • Facebook Remains Popular, but Not Among Teenagers

    Facebook Remains Popular, but Not Among Teenagers

    A Pew Research Center study has collected some interesting data regarding teenagers’ online usage. Surprisingly, teens are using Facebook much less in recent years. What did the study find they were using more? And what other sites have less teens engaged with them than they used to? 

    What Sites Are Teenagers Visiting?  

    The poll shows that the sites receiving the most teen visitors are YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. 32 percent of teens stated they used YouTube most of the time, while Snapchat snagged 35 percent of teens and Instagram got 15 percent. Facebook, by comparison, was only 10 percent of teens’ most visited sites.  

    Which Other Sites are Receiving Less Teen Visitors? 

    Other sites once regarded as teenage destinations online are also seeing less traffic from that age group. Tumblr, a popular blogging site, barely showed up in the poll. The same goes for Twitter, which is quite surprising, and Reddit. It seems that teens are mostly drawn to visual apps, finding their entertainment in pictures, videos and music, not text-based apps that are more static. 

    Other Findings 

    Other interesting findings in the study include smartphone ownership. A positively massive 95 percent of teenagers polled stated they had a smartphone. With regards to internet usage, 45 percent of the teens thought that it had neither a positive nor a negative impact on their lives. This relative disinterest in the medium with which many of them spend all their time is concerning.  

    What Does this Mean?

    What do you make of these findings? Were you surprised at the apps they’re using more often, and how little they’re using Facebook now? Is it a good thing that teens are connecting with one another with these platforms? And how do you feel about the overwhelming number of smartphone-equipped teens with internet addictions who think nothing of it? 

    We all have our own answers to these questions, of course. For my part, I understand the desire to stay connected. I do, however, worry that these kids are spending so much time wishing they were somewhere- or someone- else, that they forget to be happy with who they are. Studies have linked social media with more feelings of alienation and loneliness. I just hope these trends reverse in the coming years and kids learn to be okay just being where they are. 

  • Fortnite For Switch! Get Ready to Battle on the Go!

    Fortnite For Switch! Get Ready to Battle on the Go!

    Fortnite, the astronomically popular battle royale shooter, is coming to Switch! The Korean ratings board posted their rating for the Switch version, confirming that the game is being ported. This news, ahead of E3, shows that Epic likely planned to announce the port at the large game conference.  

    Fortnite and Switch: A Match Made in Heaven 

    Fortnite, with its cartoony graphics and fast-paced action seems to be a perfect match for Nintendo’s hybrid console. Getting to battle and build while in handheld mode is sure to be hours of fun! Additionally, the Switch has very little in the way of free-to-play games, meaning the game will have little competition on the system. Children are likely to download it, thanks to its free-to-play model and bright graphics. Those same children will certainly then pester their parents for a few bucks to spend on in-game items, thus securing a great revenue stream for Epic.  

    While the demographics of the system make it a natural fit, this move also makes sense from another perspective. Fortnite had already been ported to every other modern console! The Xbox One and PS4 both have versions of the game, as does PC, of course, and even mobile! If the popularity of the game on mobile is any indication, demand for a handheld battle royale game is quite high. 

    Epic in the Headlines 

    Epic has been in the headlines recently thanks to more than just their mega-popular game. PUGB Corporation, the Korean company that makes rival game PUBG, has accused Epic of copyright infringement. To that end, PUBG Corp has sued Epic in Korea. Given just how much money both games make, it seems likely that if a case materializes, it will be incredibly high stakes.  

    In the meantime, though, both games continue to host millions and millions of players every day, all vying for the number one spot. If you’re interested in checking out Fortnite today, it’s free to download and on (nearly) every system! 

  • iOS 12, What We Got at the WWDC Today

    iOS 12, What We Got at the WWDC Today

    Its here! The World Wide Developer Conference is here! In its first day Apple (AAPL) unveiled iOS 12, the next major software update for iPhones and iPads. Here what we are getting in the September update.

    iOS 12 Speed Increase

    Apple Senior Vice President of Engineering Craig Federighi emphasized that with iOS 12, its all about speed. “For iOS 12, we’re doubling down on performance,” said Federighi. We know Craig, we have the need for speed, its important, its inherent, there is nothing we can do about it. Apparently this speed increase will extend to older iOS device users as well.

    Federighi said iPhone users can generally expect apps to get 40% faster, with the Camera launching up to 70% faster.

     

    AR Updates

    I predicted this was coming in my what to expect from the WWDC article earlier last month. I knew as we all dis that the iOS 12 update would include updates to Apple’s augmented reality software tools. Dubbed ARKit 2.0, the upgrades add the ability for multiplayer AR games on separate devices. In other words, both players will see the same scenario through their phones’ displays.

    Also announced by Apple is that USDZ as part of ARKit 2.0. USDZ is  a new AR-focused file format Apple developed in partnership with Pixar that lets users share 3-D models. Abhay Parasnis, CTO of Adobe (ADBE), took the stage to announces USDZ support across Adobe Creative Cloud. Its good to see these two getting along since the ugly adobe flash debates of the late 2000’s.  Parasnis locked in all in by saying.“With Creative Cloud, designers will be able to use apps they’re familiar with to create amazing AR content,”. That is all I needed to hear.

     

    Memoji

    Yeah, who didn’t see this coming. Now you will have the ability to emoji your self to an Animoji of yourself, dubbed Memoji. Sometimes people facetime me before I’ve have my morning coffee, not cool and highly invasive, I say. Now I can respond with my beautiful half me, half Elvis Memoji. Problems solved.  Apple says it will let users create their own personalized Animoji, or animated emoji, down to that new hairdo and sunglasses.

    Yeah more Animojis too,  including a ghost, a koala, and freaking T-Rex! I don’t know why that excites me so much but just let me have this moment people.

     

    Group FaceTime

    Well this scares me to pieces. When group text hit it drained my battery life for years to come, with constant, insistent banter from mild acquaintances grouped with my closest and most despised friends. It wasn’t uncommon in 2013 before group chat etiquette was willed in to existence that one would received 60-70 messages in the 15 minute span that weren’t staring at their phone.   braces yourself people for group facetime…

    Group FaceTime, which will work on iPhone, iPad, Mac, with audio available for the Apple Watch, takes the idea of group video chat to a whole new annoying  level for iOS 12. This will let up to 30 people all participate in the same FaceTime.

    Federighi demonstrated how group FaceTime works, with a row of tiles at the bottom displaying all the FaceTime participants. As someone speaks, a video window above that row of that speaker enlarges.

     

    The Final Thought

    Its the first day people. we still got lots more to come. I just wanted  to share a little bit of what I was excited about and some of the things that will breed new technological nightmares… Ill keep you updated daily with the best from the WWDC. See you tomorrow…maybe..

     

     

     

  • Luke Cage Season 2: What’s in Store for the Unbreakable Man?

    Luke Cage Season 2: What’s in Store for the Unbreakable Man?

    If you’re still reeling from Avengers: Infinity War and looking for some more Marvel to whet your appetite before Ant Man and the Wasp swoop in, I have good news for you! Luke Cage Season 2 hits Netflix on June 22nd. If you’ve been following the man with unbreakable skin, you’ll remember that after the events of the first season, he was jailed for crimes he didn’t commit. In Defenders, Foggy Nelson was able to help Luke earn his freedom back. Now that you’ve had a brief refresher, let’s get into what to expect from season 2! 

    Returning Characters 

    You can expect all the villains who survived the first season to make another appearance. In the official trailers we see both Mariah Dillard and Shades, the two primary non-Cottonmouth villains from season one. Additionally, Netflix series stable Claire Temple makes another appearance. In this season it looks like she’s still dating Luke, as the trailers show them living together.  

    Misty Knight, who had her arm severed by villain Bakuto in the Defenders, returns with a prosthetic arm. In the original comics Misty’s prosthetic arm came courtesy of Tony Stark, but it seems this time it was made by the Rand Corporation. Speaking of Rand, that company’s CEO, Danny, will be making an appearance this season as well… 

    Luke Cage and Danny Rand: Heroes for Hire? 

    Danny, who is also known as the Immortal Iron Fist, will be returning this season to help Luke train in the martial arts. This could set up for a potential crossover for the two heroes. In the comics, Luke and Danny are the two main members of the Heroes for Hire. The for-profit super-heroics of that group often entice heroes like Daredevil, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing to join the fray. 

    And while we’re talking about Colleen Wing, it’s worth noting that Danny’s presence could suggest she’ll make an appearance too. Colleen and Misty hit it off in the Defenders, so maybe we’ll see a hint of their team-up as the Daughters of the Dragon. 

    New Villains: Nightshade and Bushmaster 

    The trailers heavily focus on a dangerous new entity in Harlem: Bushmaster. John McIver, AKA Bushmaster, is a Caribbean supervillain with enhanced strength and durability like Luke’s. In the comics, Bushmaster forced the scientist who experimented on Luke to repeat those same experiments on him. This gave McIver the same powers as Luke and allowed him to fight the Heroes for Hire with his bare hands. It’s unclear where McIver has acquired his powers in the show, though. Some scenes in the trailer make look like he may even be using a mystical source, such as voodoo. 

    Also appearing this season is Tilda Johnson, a villain also known as Nightshade. In the comics Nightshade is primarily depicted as being a manipulator of werewolves. It seems unlikely that the relatively grounded Netflix Marvel universe will be using her in that capacity. We’re looking forward to seeing what she brings to the table when Luke Cage premieres on June 22nd! 

    Feature Image Credit: Next Episode

  • Tesla Model S Crashes While Using Autopilot… Again

    Tesla Model S Crashes While Using Autopilot… Again

    While Elon Musk focuses on putting “boring tunnels” underneath LA to ease traffic jams, his company’s cars can’t stop running into emergency vehicles. In Laguna Beach, California, on May 30th, a Model S in autopilot mode crashed into an unoccupied police car. This isn’t the first (or second) time this has happened, either. In January, a Model S in Culver City, California hit a fire truck. Then, again, in April, a Model S in Utah id the exact same thing. Both vehicles were also operating in Autopilot mode. What’s going on here? Does Elon Musk have a secret plan to set his cars loose on emergency services to undermine the country? No, probably not. 

    Why Does the Model S Keep Crashing? 

    It’s fair to remind everyone that there are hundreds of car accidents every single day. It just so happens that a lot of attention is paid to those that occur when an Autopilot program like Tesla’s is in play. While the luxury car company strongly reminds drivers to remain aware of their surroundings when using the feature, it seems many operators fail to do so.  

    But why emergency vehicles? What gives? Well, it makes sense when you see the details. In the three aforementioned cases, the emergency vehicles were stopped on side of a road. Autopilot’s braking works best when the vehicle is following another moving vehicle. However, emergency vehicles at an angle that are also not moving might not be enough to trip the Autopilot’s sensors.  

    Insurance Companies Don’t Like the Autopilot’s Instability 

    Hopefully Tesla owners didn’t go broke buying their Model S, because the thing is becoming expensive to insure. Reports from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that the Model S is the most expensive car in the US to take out a policy on. The average cost of insuring one? Around $1,800 a year! That’s almost as much as I had to pay when I was a teenager with a few accidents on his record!  

    To offset this, Tesla has partnered with Liberty Mutual to keep rates for their cars more reasonable. Liberty Mutual and Tesla have an “InsureMyTesla” program that seeks to address these absurd rates. In a statement given to Ars Technica, a Tesla spokesperson stated, “Tesla guarantees that there will always be an insurance provider that will charge less for a Model S or X than any other car with a similar driver, price and vehicle category.” 

  • HP Omen 15: Early Reports of HP’s New Gaming Flagship

    HP Omen 15: Early Reports of HP’s New Gaming Flagship

    Once considered a bit of a joke among gaming enthusiasts, HP has managed to recapture some of their lost respect with their Omen line. Omen gaming laptops are surprisingly excellent, sporting great design, size and performance all for a reasonable cost. The HP Omen 15 is no exception: early takes on the new laptop show it’s got some seriously impressive hardware under the hood. Not to mention, it’s sleek, sexy and well worth the attention it’s getting. Let’s dive on in! 

    Design 

    HP took a page from Razer’s book and went with the sleek, black matte plastic look. It even has the glowing logo on the back, but Omen’s logo is much less subdued than Razer’s. The back plate has a series of cross-hatchings that give the laptop an industrial, almost alien appearance. The keyboard section of the computer is aluminum, giving the laptop a premium finish.  

    The most striking aspect of this year’s design, however, is the incredibly small bezels. Compared to other laptops, the Omen 15’s display looks huge, even though it’s comparable to most modern gaming laptops. The reduced bezel size does wonders for the viewer: the laptop itself vanishes and only the game you’re playing remains. 

    Hardware 

    The Omen 15 wouldn’t be a gaming machine without the right graphics. And boy, does it have the right graphics. This mean machine sports Nvidia cards, specifically the GTX 1070 with Max-Q, 8th gen Intel processors, and options for 32gb of RAM. What’s more, the laptop has both solid state and hard drive options for memory, allowing for the best of both world when it comes to storing your games.  

    Both forms of memory, as well as the RAM, can all be accessed through a single panel. This is an excellent design decision for those who want to upgrade their rigs as technology improves. These design decisions, coupled with the beefy hardware, make the Omen as serious contender in the realm of gaming laptops. The high-tier rigs of the Omen 15 will be able to handle 4K graphics at 60Hz, which puts it on par with modern gaming desktops. That’s some serious power for this little thing! 

    Omen 15 Meant to be Gaming Hub 

    HP also announced some additional features and accessories for their new laptop. Omen’s new program, Omen Game Stream, is slated to launch with the laptop. It will allow users to stream games from their laptop to another screen, like the one in their living room. The Omen 15 promises 15 gigabit wi-fi, which should allow for even the most demanding of games to be streamed via the software. 

    Other accessories set to launch include the Reactor Mouse and the Sequencer keyboard. Their cool sci-fi names underscore their cool sci-fi innards. Both are stated to make use of optical mechanical sensors, allowing for lightning-fast response time from both. HP has also announced a headset called the Mindframe headset, set to launch later in the year. The Mindframe is stated to have internal cooling, an odd choice for a headset, but perhaps required during more serious gaming sessions! 

  • Mars Express Probe’s Breathtaking Photos of Mars Show the Red Planet’s Astonishing Beauty

    Mars Express Probe’s Breathtaking Photos of Mars Show the Red Planet’s Astonishing Beauty

    Is there anything more exciting than exploring space? A few million miles from Earth, our celestial neighbor, Mars, floats in space. It hides eons of geological history just beneath its red-hued surface. One of the best ways for us to study the Red Planet is through deep-space probes, like the European Space Agency’s Mars Express. 

    The ESA launched the Mars Express in 2003. At first, it seemed to be a disappointment, as it never established connection with Earth. However, scientists discovered that the probe was still intact, it just wasn’t sending a signal because its antennae didn’t deploy. Thankfully, connection with the probe has been reestablished, and it has sent back some absolutely stunning photos. 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    Hebes Chasma 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    This image shows a mesa within the Hebes Chasma. The horseshoe-shaped indention has some black substance piled at the bottom. This image captures some of the rugged beauty of the Martian geography. 

    Noctis Labyrinthus 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    This stunning picture shows motion and makes Mars feel like a living place. The tumbling sand, the windswept landscape and the dramatic lighting all make you feel like you could walk out onto this plateua.  

    Arabia Terra 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    The Arabia Terra region is dotted with various impact craters. The craters are all showing varying degrees of erosion, as each was made in very different eras of Mars’ history. 

    The South Pole 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    Here you can see the southern pole of Mars. That large white region is frozen ice and carbon dioxide. While it looks smooth from this distance, that region is actually full of chasms and plateaus. Shots like this serve as a reminder that mars had water on its surface once. Can you imagine what a Mars with rivers and lakes would have been like? 

    Unnamed Crater 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    In this image of an unnamed crater, you can see a massive body of frozen water ice in the bottom. The crater pictured is hundreds of miles wide. Imagining the impact that would have caused such a reshaping of the surface is mind-boggling! 

    Seasons on Mars 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    Here you can see a portion of the northern ice caps of Mars in summer. In the summer, the carbon dioxide ice actually evaporates into the atmosphere. Only the water ice is left behind. That should give you some indication of just how cold the Red Planet is! For context, carbon dioxide freezes at -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which is -78.5 degrees C. When winter returns, the ice caps will once again be covered in carbon dioxide ice. 

    The North Pole 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    These breathtaking spiral patterns are formed by Mars’ north pole. This shot, as you can see, was taken from an angle, so as to capture the starry sky beyond the cold planet.  

    Phobos 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    Pictured here is Phobos, one of Mars’ moons. The surface is craggy and riddled with craters from countless meteor impacts in the distant past. Phobos has such a small mass that a human on it would feel like Superman. The gravity is so low, you could easily leap twenty feet into the air. 

    Reull Vallis

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    This is Reull Vallis, a region well-known for its channels that resemble dry riverbeds. New research suggests that’s exactly what they are: geographical features caused by running water cutting across the landscape. Scientists have noticed similarities between this region of Mars and the glacial valleys of our own Earth. It is incredible to think that, at one point in time, Mars may have looked like our very own planet does now.   

    The Most Amazing Picture from the Mars Express 

    Photo Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin 

    In this stunning shot, you can see the southern ice cap of Mars. This shot gives a great perspective for the ice cap’s size relative to the planet. Remember, Mars is only a little smaller than Earth: you could easily fit all of North and South America in the landmass you see pictured.