Unless you’re one of those crazy Rainman-like guys who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute, then the cube has caused you some sort of frustration or grief at one point in your life. Well, this new Rubik’s Cube appears even more difficult than its predecessor.

Without colors on any side, the only leeway you get is from the varying sizes and even that will probably throw you off track.  On top of that, to create even more frustration, the surrounding sides of each individual block have reflective mirrors on its surface. I’m getting angry just thinking about solving this thing.

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Ever since playing Portal, I’ve always wanted my own Aperture Science portal gun. When the feds are chasing me, there is no getaway cleaner than teleportation. Instructables member Chiok feels the same way and hopes to get into the props and special effects industry by creating this replica of the famous portal gun found in Valve’s puzzle game, Portal.

Using some wood filler and a mess of plastic, foam, paint and chicken wire, Chiok created a near exact replica of the gun. If only it shot portals, then my wildest dreams would come true.

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Sometimes a bland leather wallet just isn’t enough. That’s why people come up with ideas like the Crossword Puzzle Wallet. You might not write on it but it’s totally solvable. #47 is Manual, #54 is Eliot and that’s all I got; I need help. That’s alright though, as you can expect to hold on to this wallet for as long as you’d like making it a much longer crossword puzzle game than the Sunday paper.

Once you’ve completed it, the wallet still has the power to hold your money and plastic but has lost its touch of originality. If only the puzzle could change daily.
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Star peg goes in the star-shaped hole, triangle peg goes in triangle-shaped hole and hexagon goes in-well you get the point. Though it may seem as harmless as a Fisher Price toy (or target-practice), this Puzzle Alarm Clock will probably piss you off early in the morning when you’re waking up.

It’s really a simple, yet beautiful thing. As the clock strikes 6:00AM, you’ll blindly fumble for the triangle, only to find you knocked it under your bed. As your wife screams at you to “Turn that fucking thing off!”, you’ll be trying to fit the hexagon piece in that your dog chewed up two days beforehand. Six minutes later and you’ll have thrown the clock at the wall and will be in the shower getting ready for work.

All the above fun can be yours for $40.

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There is an entire sub-culture of geeks who live in a world of Speedcubing. For you not of the geek persuasion, Speedcubing is the attempt to solve the Rubik’s cube as fast as humanly possible, sometimes in extreme situations, such as blindfolded and underwater. Available now in Japan is this Pro Rubik’s Cube Kit, which comes with all you need to be on the path to speedcubing glory.

The art of speedcubing is more complex then meets the eye. The Pro Rubik’s Kit comes packed with a removable tile which reveals a  special hole for adding in the included lubricant and for readjusting the tension in the mechanism. All of these factors are what lead to solving a Rubik’s in seconds. — Andrew Dobrow

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The Rubik’s puzzle has long been known for its cube-shaped colorfulness. Despite a few exceptions, the Rubik’s Cube remains just that, a six colored cube. What if you were to take the Rubik’s Cube, and mold it into the shape of a ball. You’d have something that looks eerily similar to the 3D IQ Sphere.

The 70 mm diameter of the IQ Sphere serves as both a brain activity and a sweet piece of nerd decoration for your desk, not to mention, it’s probably the only Rubik’s themed puzzle which you can throw a curve ball with. Get your own for $9. (more…)

Mixing together the design of Rubik’s Cube and the brain-teasing mathematics of Sudoku, the Sudokube is a puzzle that your brain might be too scared to even attempt. The product page claims this toy is for Ages 5 and up. What sort of 5-year-old is capable of solving this and where does he live? So I can kick his scrawny smug ass to prove my worth.

The square measures 2.25″ on all of its sides and is available for only $4. When the puzzle isn’t even complete in the promotional image, it’s time to worry. — Andrew Dobrow

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World record one-handed Rubik’s cube solver Chris Dzoan recently broke the record for solving the cube one-handed underwater in a new record time, clocking in at 25.502 seconds.

Prepping for the attempt was an impressive process, including lubing up the cube with silicon to make sure the puzzle moved properly underwater, strapping on a special weight belt for shallow waters, and mediating to control his breathing. We salute you with two geeky thumbs up. — Andrew Dobrow

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And we thought Rubik’s Cube was impossible, even with visual aid. This cube puzzle is made for those without sight, instead relying on touch, rather than color orientation.

Each side has a different pattern which you have to try and align with other same shaped patterns. Having the oppurtunity to say “I solved Rubik’s cube without looking at it once” is also a pretty cool perk. — Andrew Dobrow

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Usually I have my handy bathroom reader with me when I’m conducting my, erm, business. Though when your in a bathroom like mine, where you barely have enough room to fit your legs in to sit, it’s sometimes better to conserve the little room you have. The Mind Trainer Toilet Paper comes with a collection of 10 brain exercising games to play right before you use them for a slightly dirtier job.

The games that are printed on the sheets include Sudoku, memory trails word version, strip talking, memory trails with numbers, brain exercises, count the colors, more math, ladders, mental arithmetic, and stroop. The aim? Complete the puzzle before the paper is needed for its other job. Available now for $10. A premium price for rolled paper sheets. — Andrew Dobrow

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