Apple takes a not-so-subtle swipe at Samsung in latest newspaper ad

It's not a secret that Apple and Samsung don't like each other. The two companies have been embroiled in several runs of litigation that's been taking place in courtrooms around the world in the last three years, with the current dispute focused on software patents (surprise!). Even so, Apple took some time off on Earth Day, which is today, to take a less-than-gentle swipe at its main rival.

Apple purchased full-page ads in The Guardian and Metro, two highly-circulated British newspapers, with the ad delivering a subtle jab. The headline reads, "There are some ideas we want every company to copy." The first line of the copy, meanwhile, reads, "There's one area where we actually encourage others to imitate us." The burns, which can be heard if you listened hard enough, were references to Apple's claims that Samsung copied it when it came to the success of the Galaxy smartphone and tablet lines.

The main point of the ad was to highlight Apple's plans for the environment and to ask other companies to follow its lead when it comes to being "green." Even so, it looks like the company still has some Steve Jobs attitude in it, and couldn't help but subtly burn Samsung in the process. It's fun to see these two companies duke it out. Samsung delivered some jabs of its own not too long ago.

Apple ad on back cover of this morning's Metro: 'There are some ideas we want every company to copy'. pic.twitter.com/RNbgBNtjHZ

— David McClelland (@DavidMcClelland) April 22, 2014

(Image via Mashable)
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Lords of the Fallen challenges you to fight, die, and then do it all over again

The world CI Games has created for Lords of the Fallen is detailed, imaginative, and filled with things that are going to kill you repeatedly. The game is designed around the idea that you are going to die a lot, prompting obvious comparisons to the Souls games, Bandai Namco's other punishing action role-playing franchise. Despite a few similarities though, Lords of the Fallen is its own game, brimming with original ideas.

The Poland-based developer describes its new IP as an action game with RPG elements, and it's based around risk and reward. You can cut down the number of deaths you face by playing it conservative, but you'll miss out on a lot of power-ups, extra experience, and more. No matter how you play it though, you'll still need to embrace the strategic benefits earned by dying and learning from your mistakes.

Story

The past is present. Several millennia before the start of the game, the people of Lords of the Fallen's world rose up to overthrow their malevolent god. This victory ushered in a new era, in which the people created their own sense of morality. This also gave birth to the belief that evil could be completely expunged from the human nature. When demons and dark magic suddenly begin to appear in the world thousands of years later, the people are unprepared, and so they seek out an evil they understand to fight one that they don't. This is where the tattooed man Harkyn comes in.

In the world of Lords of the Fallen, the people mark criminals by tattooing the sins they've committed across their face for all to see; Harkyn's face is covered with writing, marking his dark past. This gives him an advantage in the current climate though. While the people see the rise of the demons as pure evil, Harkyn sees more to it. There is a reason for it, and he agrees to help discover what that reason is.

Sin and Sinner. Lords of the Fallen is a linear game for the most part, but it does offer branching choices that lead to multiple endings. CI Games was quiet on exactly during our demo time as to how these choices present themselves, but there will be moments where your earlier actions may come back to haunt you.

The devs claim Lords of the Fallen will take about 30 hours on average to complete, including some backtracking and exploration. Once an area's boss has been defeated, that area is clear, but there are hidden paths and secrets that can only be found by returning to locations you have already visited.

Gameplay

Every threat is deadly. Lords of the Fallen offers third-person action that combines weapon-based melee attacks with magic. When you begin a new game, you are asked to select one of three character types: Cleric, Rogue, or Warrior. This choice locks you into a specific magic path, with pre-determined spells for each character. You are free to equip any armor and weapon you choose though, and you can upgrade your character's skills and abilities however you like.

Throughout the game you'll face demons and creatures known as infected. The infected introduced in our demo are mutated humans, and they can kill you with just a few well-placed strikes – these are the standard enemies you'll encounter everywhere. They are also blind, giving you an advantage, albeit a minor one. Lords of the Fallen is not the type of game where you can wade into a group of enemies and hack and slash your way through. Every encounter requires you to approach your foe (or foes) with caution, blocking or dodging each strike. It's expected that you will die, so much so that CI Games introduced a clever risk-reward system around your mortality.

Die, rinse, repeat. When you die, you will leave behind a glowing orb filled with all the unspent experience you were carrying up to that part. You will then respawn near where you fell, but so will all the enemies in that area. The orb "leaks" experience, and the longer it takes you to retrieve it, the less you regain. If you die en route, you drop a new orb with whatever you collected in that brief life, and lose the original.

There is a way to play it safe though: at each save point you can bank any experience points you don't want to spend. These points can then be accessed at any other save point, but the gamblers out there may want to skip this. The longer you stay alive without banking experience, the more multipliers you earn to increase your haul.

Learn from your defeats. Several areas feature environmental traps you can use to your advantage, but this too requires you to weigh the risk versus the reward. In the demo we saw, a giant demon charged Harkyn. The first time through, the devs driving the game slowly and methodically wore down the beast, dodging its attacks until it fell. During this fight they pointed out several wooden planks on the ground that didn't seem to have any use.

For the second attempt, the devs lured the creature onto the wood when they faced off against it again. The planks collapsed, dropping the creature into a pit filled with spikes. CI Games noted that there will often be "easy ways out" like this, but there is a catch: In letting the enemy drop, it took its loot with it. Whether or not it's worth the sacrifice is a choice you have to make for yourself.

The easy way or the hard way. While there is only one difficulty setting in Lords of the Fallen, there are optional ways to make the game even more challenging. While facing a hulking boss demon, the devs made special note of the enemy's three-tiered health bar. With each new tier depleted, the boss gained a new attack, including the ability to become "enraged." When this happened, the boss gained attack and defense and simply charged.

A cautious player could take their time and wait for their moment, but the daring can run up and attack the boss to disrupt its ability to become enraged. The risk is being hit so hard you may instantly die, but if you manage to defeat the boss without letting it enrage itself, you receive a special reward – in this case a rare weapon. CI Games promised several challenges like this. It will often seem suicidal to complete many of these challenges, but the rewards are designed to make the risk worth it.

Presentation

A new world. Lords of the Fallen is designed for PC and next-gen consoles, and that is reflected in the game's attention to detail. CI Games went so far as to invent an entire, functional language using runes. These runes are used to craft new weapons and armor. It borders on overkill to create an entire language for what amounts to a mechanic that other games have offered for years, but it's a nice touch that speaks to the living world Lords of the Fallen takes place in.

The demo amounted to a quick glance at the philosophy of the game, but CI Games has created an entire world, complete with its own legends, morality, and history. We should see more on that leading up to the game's fall release.

Conclusion

Lords of the Fallen is going to kill you, but that's not a bad thing. The game is partially built around how well you handle your deaths, and what you learn from them. It also tempts you with a risk-reward system that allows you to determine in part just how difficult you want to make it. There's a freedom in that, even when it leads to death. Lots and lots of death.

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Dragon Age: Inquisition is out on October 7

BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition is officially confirmed for release on October 7, as a new gameplay trailer reveals. The two minutes of footage also shows off snippets of the game in action, and it sure does look pretty with the power of that Frostbite 3 engine behind it (the same one that powers Battlefield 4). There's also a little surprise for longtime fans; we won't spoil it, just watch the trailer.

October 7 is getting pretty crowded with big-ticket console releases. Dragon Age: Inquisition joins Sega's outer space horror adventure Alien: Isolation and WB Games' spin-off return to Tolkien fantasy, Middle-earth: Shadows of Mordor. The center cannot hold. It seems very likely that one of these releases will move at some point. You can probably rule Inquisition right out, because it's a BioWare sequel that's coming to PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as Windows. So which of the other two do you think will blink first?
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Assassin’s Creed: Unity reportedly features 4-player ‘narrative’ co-op [updated]

UPDATE: Ubisoft responded to our comment request with the stock reply for this sort of news. "Ubisoft does not comment on rumors or speculation." No surprises. E3 is just a few short weeks away now, so we'll know more soon enough.

ORIGINAL POST: Assassin's Creed: Unity continues to be the victim of leaked information, with the latest alleged unauthorized info-dump seemingly confirming that the game will feature a "narrative" co-op mode for up to four players. The detail was first revealed in a pair of tweets from a former NeoGAF poster – which also confirms that Ubisoft has two demos set for June's E3 trade show – and later confirmed independently by an unnamed Ubi source speaking to The Escapist.

Here are the two tweets:

It's the Ubi source that shared the fact that this co-op mode is narrative-driven. The suspicion is that Ubi's two E3 demos will appear in separate press conferences preceding the formal opening of the show, with one making an appearance during Ubi's presser and the other showing up at one of the console gatekeepers' presentations. Probably Sony, given the AC-related reveals we've seen during the PlayStation-maker's pressers at past E3 shows.

Bear in mind that none of this is formally confirmed. We've reached out to Ubisoft for comment, but don't expect much of a response.

Then again, Ubi readily addressed rumors of Unity earlier this year head-on with a proper announcement, with more details to be revealed at a later date. We know that the game is set in 18th-century France during the French Revolution, and we know it's coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. There are also rumors of a second AC game for 2014, codenamed (or possibly titled) Assassin's Creed: Comet, but there's been no official word on that one yet.

We've seen cooperative play in Assassin's Creed games before with the time-based murder mode Wolfpack that was introduced in Assassin's Creed III. The alleged narrative focus in Unity's co-op mode marks the first time the series has delved into wrapping a story around that kind of play. Assuming it's all true, of course.
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Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet review

Sony has yet to strike gold with a tablet. Its first Android slate was pie-shaped, and its second was recalled. Last year, Sony finally got itself on track with the Xperia Tablet Z (read our glowing review), but the device hasn't flown off shelves. Stellar sales or not, Sony is doubling down on quality this year. The Xperia Z2 tablet has everything going for it that Sony's last tablet has, and fixes some of its shortcomings. It may be the new Android tablet to beat.

Updated at 10:25 a.m. 4-21-2014 by Jeffrey Van Camp: The Xperia Z2 Tablet is now available for pre-order on Sony's online store for $500. It will be available in retail stores on May 4, 2014. 

Still a "wow" tablet

Last year, we were amazed that everyone who held the Sony Xperia Tablet Z would say "wow," and point out the thinness and lightness of the device. It's been a year, but Sony has done it again. Everyone that held our Z2 Tablet said "wow." There's a good reason, too. At 15.5oz, it's nearly 2oz lighter than its predecessor, and it's 0.5mm thinner, at just 6.4mm thick.

The Xperia Z2 Tablet is thinner and lighter than the iPad Air. That's no easy feat, especially with its added IP58 water resistance. A Z2 Tablet can sit in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes without dying. You won't find a waterproof iPad Air at the store.

Of course, the iPad does have strengths that Sony's tablet lacks. Its rear speaker is a little better than Sony's dual front-facing speakers, which still sound blown out (like most tablet speakers) at high volumes, though they are an improvement from the Tablet Z.

Additionally, because it's so thin, the Z2 will flex a little, which is scary. Bend it a little, and you'll notice pressure waves on the LCD screen. (Press your finger on your laptop screen; that's the kind of marks we're talking about.) The Z2 may be durable, but it's almost too thin for its own good.

The new Xperia Z2 Tablet is thinner and lighter than the iPad Air. That's no easy feat.

Jumping back to the positives, the Z2 tablet has a nice rubberized coating around it, which helps you keep a good grip and doesn't attract fingerprints. It also charges up with a standard Micro USB cable and has a MicroSD card slot so you can expand the 16 or 32GB of embedded file storage.

Finally, the power and volume buttons are both located on the left side of the screen, in the tablet's naturally-held horizontal (landscape) orientation (as oppose to being on the top, in portrait orientation, like other tablets). The positioning works well; it's easier to get to the buttons you need on the Z2 than with many larger tablets.

Overall, the Xperia Z2 Tablet still has that "wow" factor and is a comfortable device to hold. The bezel, or unused space around the 10.1-inch screen, is thicker than the iPad Air and newer tablets, but not annoyingly so.

A clean, fast Android interface

Sony has learned that the best way to create a great Android tablet is to stay out of Google's way. Google's operating system is fast and solid on its own. With the Z2 Tablet, Sony hasn't messed with that magic too much. It has the newest version of Android (4.4 KitKat) installed, which is fantastic. There are a few interfaces with a Sony vibe to them, like the pull-down notification and quick-settings menus, but that mostly means they're just a little more black and white than Google's usual Tron-like blue coloring.

We like the small tray of mini apps you can access on the Recent Apps menu, if only because we got some use out of the floating calculator to do some math while we were Web browsing. In addition, if you swipe to the left on the apps list screen, a menu pops up that will let you easily install, uninstall, re-order, or search through your apps. Sony even has its own "Sony Select" app store, which recommends apps, but then skillfully links back to the Google Play Store.

There are 55 apps pre-installed on the Xperia Z2, and a few of them are removable, which is nice. Most of these are the Google apps you want and some Sony apps like Walkman, Video Unlimited, and PlayStation. Sony's apps get updated through a special Update app, which will confuse some users, and annoy others due to its ugliness. Why couldn't Sony apps update through Google Play?

On the whole, the Xperia Z2 Tablet is extremely speedy and slick. We have no deal-breaking issues with the interface. There is still a lack of fantastic tablet apps for Android when compared to the iPad, but things are improving. See our list of Best Android Tablet Apps to get an idea of what's available.

Cutting-edge specs, especially for a tablet

The Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet costs $150 less than the $650 Samsung Galaxy S5, but it matches the hottest new phone's processing power and bests it in RAM. The Z2 Tablet has a best-in-class 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory (or 32GB for an extra $100), a slot for a 64GB MicroSD card, a 6,000mAh battery, a 2.2-megapixel front camera, an 8.1-megapixel rear camera, and it runs Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Z2 Tablet can handle just about anything you can throw at it.

It also has a 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel IPS LCD screen. Most good tablets have IPS screens; they're nice because they can be viewed at extreme angles. (Note: we turned off the X-Reality image enhancer feature in Settings > Display. It made movies and images too crisp and bold looking, so much that they looked unnatural.)

We ran all the usual benchmark tests and the Z2 Tablet, predictably, did very well on them. It scored an 18,100 on Quadrant (the powerful Galaxy S5 got a 23,000) and a 18,900 on 3D Mark's Ice Storm Unlimited test (GS5 got 18,500).

The difference over last year's Tablet Z is clear. This device does not have the lag that Sony's last tablet had. It can handle just about anything you throw at it, and is a great device for high-end 3D games, too.

It does have a camera, but…

The 8.1-megapixel camera on the Z2 Tablet is not great. Sony has included a ton of fun 3D effects that do things like put moving dinosaurs on the screen, and there are some Instagram-like filters and special features built in, but the rear camera of the Z2 Tablet doesn't take great shots. Outdoor shots lacked detail, especially close-ups. In low light, shots from the Z2 Tablet had an almost inexcusable amount of noise.

Like all of the big players this year, Sony has added a "Background defocus" mode, which lets you take pictures, then refocus them like a Lytro. It does this by taking two shots, one after another at different depths of field. We didn't try too hard, but we could not get this feature to work right. Even if it does, you will have to sit pretty still, because it takes a good couple seconds for the camera to take the two consecutive photos.

Video recording has similar problems. The processor on the Z2 Tablet can handle up to 4K video recording, but the camera cannot.

Having said all that, in a pinch, the Z2 Tablet will take a photo. We're not sure a cutting-edge camera is needed on a tablet. We have yet to find one that astounds us with its image quality.

Battery life is OK

There's nothing stellar or bragworthy about the Xperia Z2 Tablet's battery life, but it holds its own. We've gotten about 9-10 hours in our testing so far. Sony has included a 6,000mAh battery, or one about twice as large as a typical phablet phone, and there are a couple battery-saving modes if you run out of juice. Low-Battery mode can kick in when you get down to 20-30 percent battery life and a Stamina mode will shut off background apps when the screen is off, extending life considerably.

Conclusion

The Xperia Z2 Tablet is not perfect, but it's a winner. Its $500 price tag is steep for an Android tablet, but this time around Sony is a step above most devices out there. When your biggest rival is the iPad, you're on the right track. The Z2 matches or bests every Android tablet out there.

Highs

Incredibly thin and light
Vibrant, high-resolution screen
Comfortable to hold
Powerful processor & specs
MicroSD for more storage
Water and dust resistant

Lows
Lacks tablet app selection of iPad
Rear camera does not impress
A few of Sony's UI modifications are clunky
Must remove waterproof cover to access Micro USB
$500 is expensive for an Android tablet
So thin that you can flex it in your hands
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Mellow smartens up sous vide with app control and a sharp design

In the past two years alone, immersion circulators (the devices needed to cook sous vide) have become smaller, cheaper, and easier to use. However, there's a new one in the works that aims to take sous vide to a whole new level.

It's called Mellow, and as far as we can tell, it's the first sous vide cooker to feature so-called "smart" controls. But before we get into all the nifty high-tech features under the hood, let's take a moment to gawk at the stunning exterior.

Creators Zé Pinto Ferreira and Catarina Violante of FNV Labs, the brains behind Mellow, knocked it out of the park in the design department. We're getting some serious Dieter Rams vibes from this thing. The machine looks like an odd hybrid of a Braun SK 4 and a Brita filter pitcher, but instead of playing music or making your tap water taste better, it prepares perfectly-cooked food at the touch of a button.

Additionally, unlike some of the more popular immersion circulators on the market right now, Mellow isn't designed to be clipped, clamped, or otherwise affixed to the side of a pot. Instead, it comes with its own built-in water tank, so it just sits on your countertop, coaxing you in with it's sleek exterior and inviting you to use it more often.

But Mellow's beauty isn't only skin deep. Under the hood it's got some pretty stellar features, including Wi-Fi connectivity. Mellow can connect to your home network, allowing you to control everything from cook time to temperature using your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

In addition to an über-precise heating element that allows it to heat the tank and cook your food to perfection, Mellow is also equipped with a cooling unit. That might not sound like a big deal at first, but it's a complete game changer for sous vide. The addition of refrigeration allows you to place your unprepared food inside Mellow during the day, and leave it there until you want to cook it. Since you can control Mellow via Wi-Fi, you can drop food in it before you leave for work, and then use the app and arrange to have your meal finish cooking around the time you get home. This helps to solve the time problem of the sous vide cooking process, which often takes two hours or more.

Starting today, FNV Labs is accepting pre-orders for Mellow ($400) on its website, and expects to ship the first units to consumers in early 2015. Find out more here. 

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The Complete fall 2014 pilot list

Image Credit: Skip Bolen/CBS

In just four weeks, we'll find out if Anthony LaPaglia and David Schwimmer will stage comebacks to prime time, or if Flash will really fly for the CW. Chances are it will, but what about those comic book-inspired dramas in the works at Fox and NBC?

Here's your chance to see all the possibilities, but don't get your hopes up too high: A majority of these pilots won't make the cut for fall.

CBS

DRAMA

NCIS: NEW ORLEANS: The NCIS New Orleans office handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. New Orleans with its rich setting of music, fun, and debauchery is a magnet for military personnel on-leave. And with fun comes trouble. It is a natural backdrop for a unique character driven spin-off. Cast: Scott Bakula (Special Agent Dwayne Pride); CCH  Pounder (Dr. Loretta Wade).

BATTLE CREEK: When two detectives with very different world views are teamed up, they must answer the question: is cynicism, guile, and deception enough to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Michigan in the face of a complete lack of resources; or is the exact opposite true – it takes naïveté, trust and a boatload of resources? Cast: Josh Duhamel (Milton Chamberlain); Dean Winters (Det. Russ Agnew); Kal Penn (Det. Fontanelle).

MADAM SECRETARY: About the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics, and balances a complex family life. Cast: Tea Leoni (Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord); Tim Daly (Henry McCord); Bebe Neuwirth (Nadine Tolliver).

STALKER: Psychological thriller centered around a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Management Unit of the LAPD. Cast: Maggie Q (Detective Beth Davis); Dylan McDermott (Detective Jack Larsen).

FIELD OF PLAY: When a terrorist event rocks Washington, D.C., a retired CIA operative is pulled back into action, forced to investigate closer to home where the next generation of terrorists are being bred. Cast: Anthony LaPaglia (Coach Holden Weller); Samantha Mathis (Olivia Jordan).

SCORPION: An eccentric genius and his international network of super-geniuses form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age. Cast: Robert Patrick (Agent Cabe Gallo); Eddie Kaye Thomas (Toby); Katharine McPhee (Paige).

UNTITLED CUSACK/McCABE/ELMORE/CAVELL PROJECT: Series set in the world of Wall Street power and money. Charlie Cox (Jackson Holliday); Maggie Grace (Jamie Fields); David Morse (J.D. Conklin); John Cusack (guest star).

UNTITLED DAVID MARSHALL GRANT PROJECT: Soapy medical show centered around quadruplets – three brothers and a sister – who grew up on a reality show. Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis (Evelyn Lang); Ashton Holmes (Jason Lang); Anna Brewster (Dani).

CSI PLANTED SPIN-OFF: Technology, as we know it, has amplified human behavior to the point where faceless criminals are committing crimes at global proportions with a touch of a button.  Avery Ryan, Special Agent in Charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI in Quantico, VA, is tasked to solve high octane crimes that start in the mind, live on-line, and play out into the real world. Cast: Patricia Arquette (Special Agent Avery Ryan)

COMEDY

Image Credit: Getty Images
HOW I MET YOUR DAD: Kindred spirit of How I Met Your Mother, telling the story from a female point of view.  A brand new story with new characters and a new voice at its center. Cast: Greta Gerwig (Sally).

McCARTHY'S: Family comedy about a loud, sports-crazed Boston clan. Single camera. Cast: Laurie Metcalf (Majorie McCarthy); Joey McIntyre (Gerard McCarthy).

UNTITLED JIM GAFFIGAN PROJECT: Jim Gaffigan stars as the happily married and harried NYC father of five as he is in real life. Cast: Ashley Williams (Jeannie Gaffigan); Michael Ian Black (Daniel); Adam Goldberg (Dave).

SAVE THE DATE: Newly single, Katie drunkenly books a wedding venue and is now faced with the task of meeting the right man in time. Cast: Maggie Lawson (Katie); Michelle Trachtenberg (Hillary).

GOOD SESSION: A happy couple decides to see a therapist to help them decide if they should have a baby but quickly discover they have more to discuss. Single-camera. Cast: Mandy Moore (Lindsay); Tracey Ullman (Ellen).

MORE TIME WITH FAMILY:  Tom Papa stars as a husband and father making a career change to spend more time with his family. Cast: Alyson Hannigan (Cindy); Joe Pantoliano.

THE MISTAKE: A couple who just "finished" raising their kids discover they are pregnant.

CUZ-BROS: A successful, suave ladies man's perfect life gets turned upside down when his mess of a cousin needs a place to stay. Cast: Geoff Stults (Nick); Debra Jo Rupp (Merle); Andrea Anders (Stacey).

THE ODD COUPLE: A half-hour multi-camera comedy pilot based on Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. Cast: Matthew Perry (Oscar Madison); Thomas Lennon (Felix); Wendell Pierce (Teddy).
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