Upcoming puzzles

[Dan the Beginner]

More details on the Monster Go AI cube's construction and performance, from a source in China:

It has non-adjustable magnets. Core is essentially the same as the one in Gan I Carry, ie not the latest and greatest from Gan (I2). The software, Cube Station, is exactly the same one and therefore functions the same way across the different models from Gan. The battery is the same CR1632 used in I Carry (and also in Xiaomi's smartcube). There is no gyroscope in this Monster Go AI cube.

Cubeast already supports this cube, based what's written in the latest Changelog of that software. I would encourage every smartcube owner to use an independent software like Cubeast (in addition to what the cuber makers provide). The value of a common platform, with common menus, user interface, and cloud based features for competitions, common database of performance stats, etc cannot be over-stated.

Performance wise, it is said to be looser and less stable in comparison. It probably needs more accuracy in finger skills.
I also learned that it has weaker magnet strength. That may not matter so much, as it is targeting very young children more than highly skilled speedcubers.

 

[Kaiju_cube]

I never really got the appeal of creator cubes but I guess it's for people who really love certain YouTubers? The description sounds like a mystic + angstrom setup.

I picked up a JPerm cube from SCS because I wanted to help support his channel. I've found it pretty informative and I like his dry humor and no BS approach.

it's been the nastiest cube I've ever owned.

I was excited to get a cube that's "Set up by the pro shop"... man this thing has just leaked grease for months. Every time I pick it up it would be practically dripping in grease. I'd wipe it down and clean it up and rub an alcohol pad across all 6 sides,.. and the next time I picked it up it would be all greasy and nasty again.

Then I started wiping in between the layers with paper-towels and alcohol and trying to get all the extra grease out,.. and it was still greasy next time I picked it up.

....matter of fact let me get it out of the storage case right now and look at it...I've cleaned it at least 20 times and I bet it's still leaking grease since I haven't touched it in weeks...

yup.... nasty... I don't even like to touch this cube because it's always covered in grease after cleaning it over and over.

My one 'Setup by the pro shop cube' and it's the nastiest cube I don't like to touch. It's just an RS3 too, nothing special, I have a bunch of them.

It doesn't impress upon me ever wanting to order another cube that's 'setup by the pro shop'. I do better setups on my own and they don't leak grease for months.

Look at how wet it is, on all 6 sides. Plus that means it's leaving grease in the padding of the cube case I store it in as well. :confused: :? out of (50+? idk) 3x3 cubes I own this is the only one that does this.

I honestly don't even understand how it can still be leaking grease after I've cleaned it a couple dozen times and done a bunch of solves on it. I've turned all the layers and wiped out all the grease and scrubbed it with alcohol and it still is greasy the next time I go to pick it up.

At this point I'd have preferred to just send JPerm the $5. rather then continue to waste time trying to get this cube to not be nasty. I guess the only solution is to completely take it apart and scrub every inch of it. But since I have like 5 other RS3M cubes I really have no urge to do that.

..for a while there it seemed like every time I made an order from TheCubicle I got a free RS3M cube. So I have plenty.

It's a shame though because imo it makes the SpeedCubeShop pro setup seem like something I would never want to have done to a cube.

 

[Kaiju_cube]

on another note. I read a few days ago Rubiks has a new cube coming out with a new core. They got rid of the old ball core and have updated the classic Rubiks 3x3.

Of course I read it late at night and saw the picture of the new cube, and now I can't find it and can't remember where I saw it or find any information about it.

I'm almost starting to wonder if I imagined the whole thing.

The classic Rubiks 3x3 does really need an update though.

 

[Eli Apperson]

I picked up a JPerm cube from SCS because I wanted to help support his channel. I've found it pretty informative and I like his dry humor and no BS approach.

it's been the nastiest cube I've ever owned.

I was excited to get a cube that's "Set up by the pro shop"... man this thing has just leaked grease for months. Every time I pick it up it would be practically dripping in grease. I'd wipe it down and clean it up and rub an alcohol pad across all 6 sides,.. and the next time I picked it up it would be all greasy and nasty again.

Then I started wiping in between the layers with paper-towels and alcohol and trying to get all the extra grease out,.. and it was still greasy next time I picked it up.

....matter of fact let me get it out of the storage case right now and look at it...I've cleaned it at least 20 times and I bet it's still leaking grease since I haven't touched it in weeks...

yup.... nasty... I don't even like to touch this cube because it's always covered in grease after cleaning it over and over.

My one 'Setup by the pro shop cube' and it's the nastiest cube I don't like to touch. It's just an RS3 too, nothing special, I have a bunch of them.

It doesn't impress upon me ever wanting to order another cube that's 'setup by the pro shop'. I do better setups on my own and they don't leak grease for months.

Look at how wet it is, on all 6 sides. Plus that means it's leaving grease in the padding of the cube case I store it in as well. :confused: :? out of (50+? idk) 3x3 cubes I own this is the only one that does this.

View attachment 16685

I honestly don't even understand how it can still be leaking grease after I've cleaned it a couple dozen times and done a bunch of solves on it. I've turned all the layers and wiped out all the grease and scrubbed it with alcohol and it still is greasy the next time I go to pick it up.

At this point I'd have preferred to just send JPerm the $5. rather then continue to waste time trying to get this cube to not be nasty. I guess the only solution is to completely take it apart and scrub every inch of it. But since I have like 5 other RS3M cubes I really have no urge to do that.

..for a while there it seemed like every time I made an order from TheCubicle I got a free RS3M cube. So I have plenty.

It's a shame though because imo it makes the SpeedCubeShop pro setup seem like something I would never want to have done to a cube.

Oof you should talk to SCS about it. They generally have really good custom cubes. I would go with TC if you want good premium cubes.

 

[CubeRed]

I picked up a JPerm cube from SCS because I wanted to help support his channel. I've found it pretty informative and I like his dry humor and no BS approach.

it's been the nastiest cube I've ever owned.

I was excited to get a cube that's "Set up by the pro shop"... man this thing has just leaked grease for months. Every time I pick it up it would be practically dripping in grease. I'd wipe it down and clean it up and rub an alcohol pad across all 6 sides,.. and the next time I picked it up it would be all greasy and nasty again.

Then I started wiping in between the layers with paper-towels and alcohol and trying to get all the extra grease out,.. and it was still greasy next time I picked it up.

....matter of fact let me get it out of the storage case right now and look at it...I've cleaned it at least 20 times and I bet it's still leaking grease since I haven't touched it in weeks...

yup.... nasty... I don't even like to touch this cube because it's always covered in grease after cleaning it over and over.

My one 'Setup by the pro shop cube' and it's the nastiest cube I don't like to touch. It's just an RS3 too, nothing special, I have a bunch of them.

It doesn't impress upon me ever wanting to order another cube that's 'setup by the pro shop'. I do better setups on my own and they don't leak grease for months.

Look at how wet it is, on all 6 sides. Plus that means it's leaving grease in the padding of the cube case I store it in as well. :confused: :? out of (50+? idk) 3x3 cubes I own this is the only one that does this.

View attachment 16685

I honestly don't even understand how it can still be leaking grease after I've cleaned it a couple dozen times and done a bunch of solves on it. I've turned all the layers and wiped out all the grease and scrubbed it with alcohol and it still is greasy the next time I go to pick it up.

At this point I'd have preferred to just send JPerm the $5. rather then continue to waste time trying to get this cube to not be nasty. I guess the only solution is to completely take it apart and scrub every inch of it. But since I have like 5 other RS3M cubes I really have no urge to do that.

..for a while there it seemed like every time I made an order from TheCubicle I got a free RS3M cube. So I have plenty.

It's a shame though because imo it makes the SpeedCubeShop pro setup seem like something I would never want to have done to a cube.

Yeah I agree with @CubableYT there maybe they made a mistake and did something wrong to it? Definitely contact SCS.

 

[Kaiju_cube]

I didn't really think about complaining to them. I figured that's just how they do things.

 

[LBr]

Another cube named "AI"! LOL. Aren't they just a cube with a battery, sensors, and Bluetooth? The functions and smartness are in the apps, separate from the cube and most of the apps are quite underwhelming. We are still in very early days.

I have some thoughts:

One day most 3x3 cubes will be smart, cheap and they all look alike. There is only so much you can improve the physical properties of the cube.

There will be a standard, avery smart and user friendly app or apps for all cubes, like Microsoft Windows or Google Chrome are to PCs, and they can cost more than the cube, but are easy to use and importantly standardised. Why do we have to learn yet another buggy App, deal with different terminology, and work out the quirky interfaces, etc each time? And then find out how the stats are presented or even what they actually mean due to differences in definitions? This could be hugely rewarding for some startup. All it takes is for some serious venture effort and programmers.

Online games will be popular. Competitions will be more and more popular online, in time overtaking the traditional in-person competitions, as standards are set and implemented for authentication and security, eg using encryption and hardware IDs, in competition models.

That's where manufacturers and organisers may want to consider IMHO.

Update. I just checked and I believe there are at least 100, 000 active cubers. That's a significant community and market.

Umm, I think in the future, most cubers will have a bare bones 3x3 with no smart tech inside, and a smart cube. The traditional 3x3 will be better for endurance solving and long sessions, but the smart cube is better for breakdowns and battles. The reason to not solve on long sessions with smart cubes are because it's heavier and because (at the moment, not so much in the future probs) it makes the cube feel clunkier. I personally don't believe that smart cubes will overtake regular cubes in popularity unless the WCA overhauls their rules and only allows smart cubes on competitions. This is because I don't believe in the fact stated that online competitions will overtake in person competitions, and personally think of that as slightly insulting to the community and the WCA, because meeting another cuber is literally awesome, so I hope that doesn't come true.

 

[qwr]

I've turned all the layers and wiped out all the grease and scrubbed it with alcohol and it still is greasy the next time I go to pick it up.

But did you clean the core? That's probably where the lube is leaking from.

 

[Dan the Beginner]

Umm, I think in the future, most cubers will have a bare bones 3x3 with no smart tech inside, and a smart cube. The traditional 3x3 will be better for endurance solving and long sessions, but the smart cube is better for breakdowns and battles. The reason to not solve on long sessions with smart cubes are because it's heavier and because (at the moment, not so much in the future probs) it makes the cube feel clunkier. I personally don't believe that smart cubes will overtake regular cubes in popularity unless the WCA overhauls their rules and only allows smart cubes on competitions. This is because I don't believe in the fact stated that online competitions will overtake in person competitions, and personally think of that as slightly insulting to the community and the WCA, because meeting another cuber is literally awesome, so I hope that doesn't come true.

You have a point there about meeting other cubers. I was thinking about new possibilities that online competitions could bring, e.g. have 10 times as many people "attending", while offering just about every cuber the ability to enter a major competition without having the means to travel and freedom to be there physically. So, online competitions overtaking in person competitions mean just that, in the increased number of cubers attending and in the number of competitions each cuber can attend. There will no doubt still be all the local, regional and world competitions, but there will be also new exciting ways of competing IMO. Huge competitions can be held when things are automated, considering the normally manual work involved in the scrambling, timing, result recording, collating, ...

 

[Dan the Beginner]

Here's some info I got for the GAN mini M Pro, that should be available very soon. It is nice, small and super light at 53mm and 55g. The core is the same as what's in the 11 M Duo and it performs similar, but apparently more stable and faster due to its smaller size. The spring adjustment system is new, and similar to Moyu's (2 dials). Magnet strength is adjustable. It is like a mini 11 M Pro, and the most featured small cube. There are core magnets as well and replacement rods.

What is unique is that it has different widths in its pieces?! The corner pieces are slightly less in width than the centre and edge pieces. The result is like a larger cube with all the 6 faces sanded down. The edge pieces actually look uneven (width vs depth). Here is a photo of it compared to a regular 56mm Gan cube.

Apparently, with the middle layers slightly wider, that has the advantage of avoiding bigger fingers (not children's) getting caught or jammed in the gap when doing M moves on this small cube, but is it legal? Gan seems to take more liberty with its shapes, e.g. the round centre piece .



See also more description here on this Australian shop:

GAN 11M Pro Mini 53mm 3x3 Speed Cube

Looking for a premium flagship 3x3 but the standard 56mm cubes are too big for you? Look no further than the GAN 11 M Pro Mini! Although 3mm smaller sounds like a minor adjustment, the difference in feeling is very noticeable which makes the GAN 11M Pro Mini the perfect choice for one handed...

www.dailypuzzles.com.au

 

[Kaiju_cube]

But did you clean the core? That's probably where the lube is leaking from.

no, like I said I haven't dismantled it because I have a bunch of these cubes and it seemed like more work than I felt like doing at the time. I really thought it would stop leaking after a few cleanings and solves. That's generally been my experience.

Like (for example) Shengshou cubes always come greasy, very greasy. I cleaned them up and do a couple solves and it (squeezes out?) the extra grease and then the cube is fine.

But my JPerm cube just keeps on leaking. Lol. It's hard to even see in those pics I posted since I shrunk them down just how wet all the sides are. It's really gross to pick up and it gets all over your hands.

 

[Dan the Beginner]

no, like I said I haven't dismantled it because I have a bunch of these cubes and it seemed like more work than I felt like doing at the time. I really thought it would stop leaking after a few cleanings and solves. That's generally been my experience.

Like (for example) Shengshou cubes always come greasy, very greasy. I cleaned them up and do a couple solves and it (squeezes out?) the extra grease and then the cube is fine.

But my JPerm cubes just keeps on leaking. Lol.

A new feature - Self-Lubricating?

 

[qwr]

What is unique is that it has different widths in its pieces?! The corner pieces are slightly less in width than the centre and edge pieces. The result is like a larger cube with all the 6 faces sanded down. The edge pieces actually look uneven (width vs depth). Here is a photo of it compared to a regular 56mm Gan cube.

Oh yeah old Alpha mini cubes from a very long time ago did this. Trivia: one of the Alpha cofounders went on to found GAN.

 

[CubeRed]

Oh yeah old Alpha mini cubes from a very long time ago did this. Trivia: one of the Alpha cofounders went on to found GAN.

So is it possible for it to be wca legal, do you think?
EDIT: Ok, probably not.

 

[SH03L4C3]

If its not WCA legal, I dont see much potential

 

[Dan the Beginner]

If its not WCA legal, I dont see much potential

Especially at this price, I understand, but is WCA really so important to the success of a cube? If so, it is going to be niche, but it may become a collector's item! I mean if it cannot sell well, there may not be anything like it in future, after this one. It's pretty unique, with its top specs for a small cube, and being the only 53mm I can see. Perhaps it should go even harder and make it more unique, e.g. UV coated and put in a domed glass display case. I would love to see a black version. There does not seem to be any small and stickered quality cube from any brand.

 

[One Wheel]

So is it possible for it to be wca legal, do you think?
EDIT: Ok, probably not.

Different thickness layers are common on big cubes, and there's nothing in the regulations that would suggest that it would be illegal.

 

[Dan the Beginner]

Different thickness layers are common on big cubes, and there's nothing in the regulations that would suggest that it would be illegal.

Maybe this is worth looking into by those who set regulations, as it could be seen as unfair to some competitors, or as counter productive for promoting cubing, if only one model, and an expensive and hence unaffordable, have an advantage in competition through a non-standard design. I understand that there needs to be progress and incentives for new designs, but it might be better if there is some control, e.g. if the new cube designer is required to submit to the regulating body an application and have such designs only approved for a year or two later, so that others can prepare, have time and chance to acquire and train up using the new cube. Besides costs, I am aware that the existing sponsored cubers and other more privileged will have an advantage, as they have access and in fact are given new models, often months before others, and already well ahead in the use of newer cubes with advantages.

 

[DuckubingCuber347]

Maybe this is worth looking into by those who set regulations, as it could be seen as unfair to some competitors, or as counter productive for promoting cubing, if only one model, and an expensive and hence unaffordable, have an advantage in competition through a non-standard design. I understand that there needs to be progress and incentives for new designs, but it might be better if there is some control, e.g. if the new cube designer is required to submit to the regulating body an application and have such designs only approved for a year or two later, so that others can prepare, have time and chance to acquire and train up using the new cube. Besides costs, I am aware that the existing sponsored cubers and other more privileged will have an advantage, as they have access and in fact are given new models, often months before others, and already well ahead in the use of newer cubes with advantages.

I don't really think there's an advantage to having the layers being different sizes. If there was we'd see more demand and a flagship performance cube like this. Total size on the other hand does play a big part in performance and preference. Do you think the total dimensional size of the puzzle should be regulated also? Even one year is a lot in the world of cubing as hardware innovation changes so rapidly, what would even be the point of making a new design if others could copy and improve your idea before you can even have a chance of releasing it to the public?

 

[One Wheel]

Maybe this is worth looking into by those who set regulations, as it could be seen as unfair to some competitors, or as counter productive for promoting cubing, if only one model, and an expensive and hence unaffordable, have an advantage in competition through a non-standard design. I understand that there needs to be progress and incentives for new designs, but it might be better if there is some control, e.g. if the new cube designer is required to submit to the regulating body an application and have such designs only approved for a year or two later, so that others can prepare, have time and chance to acquire and train up using the new cube. Besides costs, I am aware that the existing sponsored cubers and other more privileged will have an advantage, as they have access and in fact are given new models, often months before others, and already well ahead in the use of newer cubes with advantages.

I disagree. For a long time stickerless cubes were disallowed on the grounds that a) a partial turn could reveal information about a hidden side of the cube, and b) they were not readily available to the general public. Once (b) was no longer an obstacle it was judged that stickerless cubes were ok, and allowed for competition. Stickerless is different in that it's not really something that you can modify another cube to get it. Otherwise I think the puzzle regulations as they stand are actually pretty good.