Not -that- much has changed. Roux seems more popular now than it was, but CFOP with dual cross is still pretty common. Rowe Hessler and Mats Valk have been documenting a set of algs for last slot + OLL, but I don't think many people use them... Winter Variation (or at least the easier cases) seems to have become a more common thing too.
The Roux solvers seem to be more common than rare, nowadays. Alex Lau has pretty much proved its worth with that sub-7 Ao100 (which is absolutely amazing), and there are plenty of people who are learning, but the dominant method is still CFOP. Rowe and Mats made VLS (Valks Last Slot), and Mats says that he knows most of the algs on his side of it. Rowe and Mats both have different sets, but it's essentially the same idea: insert last F2L pair while orienting all last layer pieces. Not many people seem to use it, but to me, it seems very promising. Robert Yau and Christopher Olson also developed a new method for 2x2 which they call TCLL, or Twisty CLL, where you create your first layer, but you leave one corner rotated, and then you solve the entire cube.
Chris's website has the full algorithm set, and I believe he knows most of them. That method seems extremely promising to the elite 2x2ers who can one-look easily, and when I get to the sub-2.5 stage or so after learning full EG, I plan on learning it. Other than that, there's nothing I can come up with on the top of my head.
What's the best puzzle hardware that's been around?
The general consensus seems to be that:
- Best 2x2s are Maru LingPo, Dayan Zhanchi 2x2 (made with similar mechanism to the Zhanchi 3x3), and WitTwo 2x2 v1 (v2, according to most including Chris Olson and others, sucks)
- Best 3x3s are MoYu Weilong and Aolong (all versions seem to have been received well), and the Zhanchi still holds up well, I hear
- Best 4x4s are AoSu and WeiSu, and maybe Konsta/Florian Modded SS v5, though AoSu and WeiSu hold up better than the modded SS
I don't know about side event puzzles and any larger cubes, since I don't do those events.
15 puzzle sims are quite popular now. Ben made a multiplayer sim with loads of variations and sizes of slidypuzzles. He is also the best at solving them. He has loads of videos on his YouTube and you can find the sim on a thread somewhere.
Yeah, Ben is amazing at 15 puzzle. There's a video around of him with UWR in an Ao12 (?) on 15 (or was it 8?) puzzle sim. It's very impressive.
What other things have happened that I should probably know about?
World Championships 2013 was awesome. Feliks won 1st place at 3x3, and Mats and Kevin Costello III both got second and third podium respectively. Also, US Nats 2014 (which is going on right now) is probably going to be awesome, considering the sheer amount of people that are there. Feliks and Mats flew in.
Maskow is still the best at 3x3 Multi BLD. That guy is insane.
Currently, Anthony Brooks is speedcuber-in-residence at the Liberty Science Center, where they have an exhibition called "Beyond Rubik's Cube" that has lots of awesome things related to the Rubik's Cube. Apparently, it has a lot of stuff that the cube can be applied to, not just tons of cubes. He made lots of media appearances, and says that he believes that the exhibition (and his presence there) will really help our sport grow, which is just awesome. We're all really proud of him.
Welcome back! I hope you stick around and see what's new, as well as what's going on right now!
