Google's new drawing game is fun even if you can't draw

Back in the Stone Age, before we were all completely plugged in and focused on our gadgets at all times (you know, like, 2002), people would get ... bored. Of course, everyone still finds themselves bogged down by dull moments throughout the day, even with the brightly-lit screens of their devices jockeying for attention. Google, one of the biggest boredom fighters known to man, just dropped a brand new distraction to keep us all occupied. And it's based on one of the all-time classic time-killing activities: doodling. 

Quick, Draw!, which is just one of the features in Google's new A.I. Experiments initiative, gives players a favorite new mindless activity in exchange for training its machine-learning tech systems. It's a win-win for everyone involved.The concept is simple and akin Draw Something with AI. After entering the portal, the computer prompts players to sketch an object on a 20-second clock using the mouse or touchscreen. While the player doodles, the neural network throws out its best guesses of the subject, stopping mid-sketch if it's correct. 

I gave it a try on a desktop and my iPhone. It's a fun time. But I have to admit, I'm not very good at it. 

This cheap, folding helmet is exactly what bike-sharing programs need

                                            

This folding helmet might be the ultimate accessory for bike-sharing programs. It's made of paper, lightweight, collapsible (and thus easy to carry) and cheap to produce. 

Paper isn't exactly known for being protective, but the EcoHelmet hopes to challenge that perception with this helmet's design. As recipients of the 2016 award, the product has officially made believers out of British tech giant, Dyson. The helmet, which received the top prize in Dyson's 2016 design contest, unfolds to stretch out the "honeycomb" lattice, which makes is sturdy enough to protect your precious noggin. It's made from recycled paper, which both justifies the "eco" part of its name and keeps production costs so low that the helmet could be sold for less than $5 apiece.

Contrary to skepticism about durability, designer Isis Shiffer says she put the helmet through the ringer and it's surprisingly shock-absorbent. It's important to note that the helmet will only stand up to a limited number of uses, weakening over time (and it's probably useless in the rain). Users will have to replace them fairly regularly; luckily, that's a pretty low-cost solution.Shiffer hopes to debut the helmet in New York this spring. The biggest challenge: Selling people on the idea that paper will keep them safe.

Look how huge the new 15-inch MacBook Pro's trackpad is

That didn't take long: Days after iFixit tore down the 13-inch version of Apple's new, Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pro, the 15-inch variant got the same treatment.

Unsurprisingly, the 15-inch MacBook Pro is pretty much a bigger version of its little brother. And it's similarly tough to repair. It scored a one on iFixit Repairability Score, meaning pretty much no one except professionals should ever open this thing. With the processor, RAM and flash memory soldered onto the logic board, and the battery glued to the case, there's very few things a user can replace on her own.
That said, the teardown reveals some interesting details about the biggest, thinnest, newest MacBook Pro.
For example, just look at this comparison between the Pro's force feedback-equipped trackpad and an iPad mini 4. It's huge!.

Also interesting are Apple's brand new fans (photo on top), which come in pairs on the Touch Bar MacBook Pro and keep the device cool. Apple says the fans' asymmetric new blades have better performance than regular ones and produce less noise. 

MashTalk: Coping with America through Snapchat Spectacles and new MacBook Pros

As reality slowly sinks in that Trump will become president of the United States of America, many of us are turning to other things — anything — for comfort.

For us at Mashable, it was Snapchat's Spectacles, the $130 camera glasses it started selling last week, the new MacBook Pros with Touch Bar and pointing fingers at Facebook's fake news problem for influencing election results.Because next week is Thanksgiving in the U.S. and we'll be off spending times with our families, we've got an extra long MashTalk for you guys this week.Joining me on this week's podcast is Mashable chief correspondent Lance Ulanoff and tech editor Pete Pachal.

After getting the Spectacles overnighted from LA (thanks Saba!), I spent last weekend using them in New York City. If you haven't read it, you can read my Spectacles review here.I snapped videos of myself eating pizza, flying a drone, taking photos with my phone — all hands-free.

Though the camera-equipped sunglasses are only being sold through a "Snapbot" vending machine, which appears to be making its way across the country, and most people have yet to try them, I was really wowed by its simplicity. While not perfect (importing snaps to your phone is a slow process), Spectacles are shaping up to be one of the hottest "toys" of the year (along with the NES Classic Edition, of course).

Amazon is ready for Alexa owners to stay home for the holiday shopping season

When Amazon announced its slate of Black Friday specials (or at least the big time "Turkey 5" deals that weren't part of the two-month-long sales celebration that started Nov. 1), it teased the debut of a cool wrinkle within the online shopping experience. 

Owners of Alexa-enabled devices connected to Amazon Prime accounts will soon have access to exclusive deals — if they ask for them. 

From Nov. 18-21, Amazon is holding the first ever "voice shopping weekend." It's simple: just say "Alexa, what are your deals?" within range of a connected device (or if you're boring just visit the Voice Shopping Weekend page) to find out what's on sale. 

Initially, shoppers were promised 70 Alexa-exclusive discounts without any details. As the sale is underway, some of them have come to light, along with exactly how to ask for them:

Save $50 on an Amazon Tap – say, “Alexa, order an Amazon Tap.”

Save $80 on a 32-inch Samsung 1080p LED TV – say, “Alexa, order a Samsung TV.”

Save $30 on a Sphero Star Wars BB-8 App controlled robot – say, “Alexa, order a Star Wars robot.”

Save $15 on a Philips Hue LED Starter Kit with 2 Bulbs & Hue Bridge Hub – say, “Alexa, order a Hue Starter Kit.” 

Save $80 on Beyerdynamic Limited Edition Headphones – say, “Alexa, order studio headphones.”

Save $130 on a 10-piece All-Clad stainless steel cookware set – say, “Alexa, order an All-Clad cookware set.”

Save $10 on LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box – say, “Alexa, order a Lego Classic Brick Box.”

Save 30% on a 48-pack of Amazon Basics AA batteries – say, “Alexa, order AA batteries.”

Save 35% on Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles – say, “Alexa, order Lindor truffles.”

“This is the first holiday that Prime members will be able to use their voice to shop and we’re excited to offer exclusive deals they won’t find anywhere else,” Amazon Vice President of Voice Shopping Assaf Ronen said in the announcement. "And, the fun doesn’t stop after this weekend. Make sure to ask ‘Alexa, what are your deals?’ every day because we’ll have exciting deals throughout the holiday season and beyond.”

With the need for a full cabinet of voice shopping officials and plans for a big splash in the holiday season, asking for your deals is sure to become a seasonal tradition. Just don't use your Echo to order a Tap — Alexa might get jealous. 

Apple has disbanded its wireless router team, report says

The iPhone and Mac maker has reportedly shut down its wireless router team, which builds its AirPort wireless routers, and shifted them over to work on other products such as the Apple TV, according to Bloomberg.

Apple currently sells three AirPort models: AirPort Express ($99), AirPort Extreme ($199) and AirPort Time Capsule ($299 with 2TB of storage, $399 with 3TB). 

With the division disbanded, it seems unlikely Apple will release another AirPort again. The closure of the wireless router division follows Apple's exit from selling its own external monitors (Apple promoted an LG 5K display on stage during its new MacBook Pro announcement last month instead).

Dependence on Wi-Fi chipmaker advancements is cited as one possible reason why Apple is reportedly getting out of the router business. However, ending development of routers could "make Apple's product ecosystem less sticky."

Apple introduced the AirPort in 1999 as a means to help popularize Wi-Fi and transform the Mac into the center of its media hub strategy.

Today, Wi-Fi is ubiquitous and most people have it set up with their internet installation (either renting equipment or buying their own cheaper alternatives). Moreover, speedy LTE connections are also readily available.

Simply put: Most consumers have no reason to buy an Apple-branded wireless router anymore. It's no surprise wireless routers are lumped into Apple's "other" product category (Apple TV, iPod and Apple Watch, accessories, etc.), which makes up only about 5 percent of the the company's total annual sales.

Don't have Wi-Fi? That's no a problem anymore, either. Whether it's Starbucks, McDonald's or public parks, there are tons of ways to get online wirelessly now.

What's most interesting, however, is folding some of those engineers to work on the Apple TV. Will we see a beefed-up version with more powerful wireless specs? Or, perhaps, maybe the Siri-powered Amazon Echo "killer" that has been rumored for some time? It's certainly a possibility given how much Apple has been positioning the Apple TV as a home hub.

Don't think of Apple disbanding the AirPort team as a bad thing, but more of a refocusing. In the '80s and into the '90s before Steve Jobs returned, the company produced a long list of its own inkjet and laser printers. After Jobs returned and cleaned house, dumping printers and all the other stuff the company wasn't very good at making, Apple was able to refocus on its core products, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Five ways Wi-Fi rules the world

We’ve come a long way from the early days where internet was all about information and entertainment — the new mantra is all about speed and quality of connectivity. We now expect instant and reliable connection to the internet, for a reasonable price. While mobile data services have improved for the AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) model for the TV streaming and first-person shooter binges, there is no cost-effective replacement for good old Wi-Fi.

But, sufficient Wi-Fi speed has been challenging as our devices get faster and our HD/Ultra-HD video streaming subscriptions take over TV; and as broadband speeds have zoomed up to 100-1000 Mbps, the need for a reliable Wi-Fi has never been so important. If your phone or laptop lags or connection lags in certain areas of the house or you see your 200 Mbps Internet service going down to a trickle in that new TV room with the 65 inch 4K screen, hit the pause button before upgrading your speed (and shelling out cash to your internet service provider). Your router has a lot to do with your Wi-Fi experience, so make sure yours is up for the movie/gaming night challenge. 

New tech, such as the NETGEAR Orbi a tri-band Wi-Fi system that delivers consistent speeds through concrete walls and canvases up to 4,000 square feet, is the gold standard of dependability and coverage. The NETGEAR Orbi Wi-Fi system uses an Orbi Router and Orbi Satellite to provide you whole home Wi-Fi coverage and speed. Better Wi-Fi benefits us all, in more ways than we might realize. We’ve got five reasons Wi-Fi is already ruling the world.