This would have been an email to Edrei but I thought it would be good to share.

You should read this first, to get a good idea of how to do a cube blindfolded:
http://solvethecube.110mb.com/index.php?location=blindfold

As of time of writing, I have not ever solved a regular 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube blindfolded (definition: you get to look at it once, then when you look at it again it must be solved, and the cubes are all equal size, texture and shape to avoid differentiation by touch. The Rubik’s Mirror has cubes of different sizes and I can solve that blindfolded.)

I was hospitalized for contact dermatitis – I’m fine don’t worry, and I’m out of the hospital already! So I took the time spent there to learn how to do it blindfolded.

I use the Stefan Pochmann method as described in the link above, where you swap two pieces at a time, and remember which pieces to swap. I would either solve all edges first or all corners first.

Each corner sticker is given a letter. Each edge sticker is also given a letter. Since there are 24, it seems right to give each one an alphabet!

Corners.

Edges.

This assumes you have a proper Rubik’s Cube where the yellow is opposite white, red opposite orange, blue opposite green, like in the picture. You can choose any method of distributing the letters on the stickers.

There are only two formulas to truly learn – the T-Permutation and a (modified) Y-Permutation. The T-Permutation works on the edges while the Y-Permutation works on the corners.

The T-Permutation and (modified) Y-Permutation are actually made of 2 same sequences!

Sequence 1 = RU R’U’R’ FR
Sequence 2 = R U’R’U’ RU R’F’

The T-Permutation is Sequence 1 then Sequence 2.

The Y-Permutation is Sequence 2 then Sequence 1.

The T-Permutation swaps UL and UR edges, and UFR and UBR corners. UR is the source piece, so move the target ‘slot’ into UL in any way you prefer on the condition that you not displace UFR and UBR!

The Y-Permutation swaps LUB and DFR corners, and UL and UB edges. LUB is the source piece, so move the target ‘slot’ into DFR in any way you prefer on the condition that you not displace UL and UB!

So in an example cube, I would do the corners by looking at the corner with Q first, then seeing what is the corner piece with the V sticker, and determining where it should go. An example sequence:

JFPGVCXE

Then I would work on the edges, for example:

MSKELBGXUQJTOV

There was a closed cycle, which is why it took longer – on a good day you’d only have to remember 10 letters. For some reason, remembering them on my fingers seems to help. Remembering is not the problem – screwing up on one of the sequences, or doing the wrong reversal steps e.g. moving edge T to position in B via the back face and reversing the steps via the front face!

I have done a complete edge-only blindfold solve (very hard) and a complete corner-only blindfold solve (less hard since there are less corners than edges.) I have yet to commit to memory both a edge letter sequence and a corner letter sequence. Ah, there is so much to practice!

The first Transformer I bought in a long time! Transformers Generations Wheeljack.

My colleagues have some way cool FansProject toys – here’s Springer!

Prime turret.

Optimus Prime and the whipping boy Hot Rod.

Transformers Animated in front, and a Transformers Energon Superion decked out with FansProject accessories.

The large gun and add-on plates are awesome! I have the original Transformers Energon Superion, all bought separately.

Foot plates that also transform into vehicle-mode accessories.

More Transformers Animated figures. I have to say they reached a new level of toy design with these!

And here is my like for Wheeljack – left to right: Transformers Generations Wheeljack, Transformers Energon Powerlink Downshift and Transformers Cybertron Downshift.

One of my favorite Angry Birds. (Thank you Waifon!)

Amateurs may prefer the black explosive bird, but as a 3-star Angry Bird athlete, I highly regard the white bomber bird as well.

A 1x3x3 Rubik’s Cube. Not mine. 🙁

The Androski kits. Assemble your own using tiny, easy-to-lose pins. Annoying to build, and looks better on the box cover.

On the plus side, the ski dude holds my Android phone up!

The glue for the base gave way, sadly, so this little bugdroid fell off my office cubicle. 🙁

Yes, they aren’t called little Andys – Google employees refer to the Android mascot as the bugdroid!

Death is this star.

Here are some toys from a while back, when I still bought toys. This is Darth Vader who transforms into a Death Star! My last Star Wars Transformers purchase. It got ridiculous trying to collect all of them, even the repaints! So I stopped here.

Tankor (who really should be called Octane) from Transformers Universe. I think this was the last proper Transformer I bought.

Silver Alternity Convoy. Not mine.

Ultimate Bumble Bee. Note mine.

Blokus Trigon. Endgame. Not mine. Insanely fun.

Me camwhoring with the classic 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube. Picture thanks to Jepf and his Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 DC.

The classic 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube and a glue-on mod 3x3x5.

Top left: A smiley Eastsheen 5x5x5.
Bottom left: Christmas season (then.)
Top right and bottom right: YongJun 7x7x7 smileys. They both exist at the same time.

The classic Rubik’s Cube. I have loads of 25th Anniversary Rubik’s Cube which have peeling stickers. Anybody wants to buy them for custom sticker jobs?

I take anywhere from 37 to 50 seconds on average. I prefer starting by building a 2x2x2, expanding to 2x2x3 and so on. I don’t have space in my head for lots of formulas so I still use the basic beginner formulas – flip edges, permutate edges, permutate corners, rotate corners. I do know how to flip edges and permutate edges without messing with the corners but I don’t do it by habit, unless I am doing limited-look cubing.

Limited-look cubing?

As in, I take a look, solve a 2x2x2, take another look, attempt to solve a 2x2x3, take another look, attempt to solve 2 layers, take another look and solve the top layer. On good days I can take 4 looks but it usually goes from 5 to 8 looks. Blindfolded cubing is basically limited-look cubing, limited to 1 look!

Pocket Cube. Takes me 43 seconds.

It solves like a Rubik’s Cube but with the occasional corner parity error (which is solved by a edge flipper like L’U’F’UFL.)

Rubik’s Revenge. I’d solve the center 2×2 on each face, then check with the corners to see if each 2×2 is on the right face (since there is no center cube). Then there is a formula to assemble the edges (3 at a time), as well as a formula if you have 2 edges to swap. Finally you solve it like a regular Rubik’s Cube. However there are two kinds of parity errors that might happen, both needing their specific formulas.

Because I never really remembered one of those two formulas, I eventually forgot both formulas! So I’d say generally that even-numbered cubes are not something I enjoy solving, and so I didn’t time myself on these.

Top row is the Eastsheen 5x5x5; bottom row is the Professor’s Cube. I am thinking of selling the Professor’s Cube to whoever will give it a good sticker job because the Eastsheen, while a bit loose, is a lot smoother and quicker to solve. The Professor’s Cube is more geary, and I don’t intend to lubricate it.

It takes me 4 minutes 57 seconds (297 seconds). Solving odd-numbered cubes are easy – you work on the center 3×3 on each face, and learn one formula to assemble the edges (3 at a time), and one more formula in case you end up with 2 edges to swap. Finally you end up with a regular 3x3x3 format and solve that.

Yong Jun 6x6x6. I call it the Devil’s Cube. I love how the color scheme is – the much lighter green versus deep blue, and lighter orange versus dark red, and yellow versus black, make this cube solvable in tungsten orange lighting. You won’t end up mixing up the white/yellow, red/orange or green/blue pairs in tungsten lighting!

It solves just like a Rubik’s Revenge. The same parity error formulas are used. It tends to lock up internally – you can often rotate in say UD/RL but not FB. Only way to solve this is to rotate UD/RL until FB faces can be rotated (you have to hear the internal pieces click on place.)

Yong Jun 7x7x7. I’ve tried the V-Cube 7, and that one was too smooth and yet more prone to locking up. This Yong Jun copy however is physically perfect – no locking, and smooth, smooth action!

I solve this by making a 3×3 on each face, then expanding this to 5×5 in a very fun algorithm. Then I assemble edges (3 at a time) and use another formula for 2 last edges. This process needs to be done twice due to twice the number of edges. Finally I solve it like a regular Rubik’s Cube.

The fastest I ever did this was 20 minutes 11 seconds (1211 seconds). I have only had this for less than a week! It can take from 22 to 28 minutes on average. However, this is my most favorite cube yet – building the 5×5 faces are really fun!

Also, it shares the same color scheme as the Yongjun 6x6x6, very handy!

Megaminx copy. Dodecahedron; does not change shape. Algorithms used are all the same as the Rubik’s Cube – in fact, I learnt a few more methods from the instruction book on this one, to solve the Rubik’s Cube!

Fastest time 6 minutes 9 seconds (369 seconds). It’s easy but tedious due to the 50 cubies needed to be moved!

Rubik’s Cube keychain and Siamese Pocket Cube keychain. Didn’t bother timing myself on these – the Siamese variants all just take twice as long as a regular cube.

Void Cube copy. Takes 1 minute 19 seconds (79 seconds). Solves just like a Rubik’s Cube, with a possibility of a parity error (due to misaligned, invisible center!) So I do a UD’ and realign the edges in the middle layer.

Rubik’s Mirror Blocks. Looks complex but is really a Rubik’s Cube with shifted, variable layer thicknesses. Each layer has a distinct height, so you can solve this blindfolded without memorizing. You just need to touch and align the cube heights. It’s fun to solve, but often so much better to look at unsolved.

This takes me 2 minutes 25 seconds (145 seconds). Blindfolded, this takes 5 minutes 26 seconds (326 seconds).

I can’t find my Sudoku Cube for this photoshoot; it’s hiding somewhere in my house. This picture is taken from Thinking Inside The Cube. I didn’t solve this much because it was quite tedious!

Smiley Cube copy. Just a stickered version of the Rubik’s Cube. Real tight though. The center cubes have orientation, making it slightly harder.

Giant Siamese Rubik’s Cube copy. I made them Siamese myself, using a penknife and superglue! These giant cubes were from a time when original Rubik’s Cubes were not found anywhere in Malaysia and I had to buy all these cheap plastic cubes that would either lock up or fall apart. These giant cubes never locked up but their center faces would fall out (the plastic would break, thus making it unrepairable!)

Rubik’s World. Solves like the Pocket Cube.

Master Pyramorphix copy. Looks complex, but is really a Rubik’s Cube in disguise.

Takes me 3 minutes 43 seconds (223 seconds) to solve. It takes a while to figure out what is what!

Skewb copy. Takes me 1 minute 6 seconds (66 seconds). I just need 2 formulas to solve this, which I figured out in under an hour with a paper and pen! Supposing the UFR and UFL corners were shortened to R and L, I’d do either L’RLR’ or L’R’LR to permutate centers and rotate corners. I’d do either formula twice to rotate only corners, leaving centers intact, or do the formulas thrice to swap centers but leave corners intact.

Meffert’s Pyraminx. It uses ball bearings and tends to pop edges easily so I prefer to play with my plasticky Pyraminx copy. I forgot the formula I came up with for permutating edges but I remember taking under 1 minute to solve this.

Square 1 copy. I had the original Square 1 but it’s hiding somewhere in the house. This is friction-ful plastic. I used to remember the formulas for swapping 2 corners and swapping edges, but not anymore. 🙁

I think I used to take 3 minutes to solve it.

Super Square 1. Takes forever to fix the center 2 layers. However this works very much like the Square 1. Fortunately it is way smoother, but the seashell shape in the Square 1 picture (bottom-right) is impossible to make, for some strange reason – the pieces won’t budge once that many edges are next to each other.

Rubik’s 360. I haven’t gotten round to really playing with this, but I’ve already gotten 2 balls in their correct containers.

Rubik’s Twist. Used to be called the Rubik’s Snake. You can’t mess it up per se so I never bothered timing how long it takes to get into ball form.

Rubik’s Shells. There are two buttons on the axis that, when pressed, lock the two wheels (there are four, two on each side) and this makes the puzzle permanently harder. I couldn’t bear with such a puzzle that had such a ultimatum so once I Googled the formula I solved it and kept it away.

Rubik’s Magic. Never timed myself on this. It’s quite a fragile puzzle – I’ve seen kids snap this, so I handle mine slowly and with care.

I like how it changes shape.

I think I solved this a few times many years back and never bothered timing. It’s not even a twisty puzzle!

I have the Magic Ball too, which is just a spherical Rubik’s Cube. Can’t find it though.

I also had the Atomic Chaos (Kaos) and loved it – I figured out my own solution entirely. Don’t know where that noisemaker is, either!

Here’s what it looks like:
http://www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/chaos.htm

Heck I even made a QBASIC game out of this.

I also have the Walt Disney puzzle (spot the Lion King!) To its left is an old iQ-branded Megaminx, and the original Square 1 (how I miss you.) Then there’s that load of fake plastic Rubik’s Cubes around it. Picture taken from Rubik Cubism.

Oh yes, I’ve won a Guitar Hero II guitar + game for the Xbox 360 before… quite a fluke that was.

And here are more links to help you identify puzzles:
Wikipedia’s entry on combination puzzles
Inside Polyhedra puzzles – patent designs and how they do it!

Here’s more cube pr0n:
Cube Cube Cubed! (Part 1)

Today is a different kind of pr0n – the twisty puzzle kind!

Clockwise from top: Megaminx copy, Rubik’s Cube, Void Cube copy, Pocket Cube, Master Pyramorphix copy, Eastsheen 5x5x5, and Rubik’s Mirror Blocks in the middle.

My passions; there’s my Minolta Dynax 7 with Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan with Sony HVL-F58AM flash and orange flash gel; there’s the Rubik’s line from 2x2x2 to 5x5x5; there’s the Olympus Zuiko 50mm F1.8 on my DIY infrared-modded Fujifilm Q1 Digital; on my Yamaha F-210 acoustic folk guitar. Yes, I play guitar (and not just Guitar Hero/Rock Band/Frets On Fire.)

This is a Rubik’s Cube, taken apart, to spray with silicone lubricant (to make it real smooth and fast to solve.)

Funky patterns!

Clockwise from left: Eastsheen 5x5x5, Professor’s Cube, Rubik’s Revenge, Rubik’s Cube, Pocket Cube, Siamese Pocket Cube keychain, Meffert’s Pyraminx. Lying flat is the Rubik’s Magic.

Top to bottom: Master Pyramorphix copy, Void Cube copy, Rubik’s Mirror Blocks. The Mirror Blocks grips onto the Void Cube’s… void tightly.

The Rubik’s Revolution. I wish I didn’t buy this gimmicky electronic game – it talks, lights up, but it does not rotate at all! You play 6 games like Light Speed, Rapid Recharge, Pattern Panic, Code Cracker, MultiPlayer Madness, and Cube Catcher. Not what I expected at all, and probably more fun for someone who is not able to solve the real thing. Yes I wouldn’t mind selling this!

Here it is, next to a 25th Anniversary Rubik’s Cube. I would not recommend the 25th Anniversary one to anybody – it has an extra layer of protective film which peels off quickly and easily resulting in an ugly cube.

Here’s a Japanese DIY Speedcube. They include lubricant in the package, as well as some advanced algorithms. I honestly haven’t had the time to learn them.

At Toys’R’Us Suria KLCC, there was a Rubik’s Cube competition – solve it under 100 seconds and win a free Rubik’s Cube T-shirt. Yes, I won one!

At Sony Style there was a Sony Rubik’s Cube. Cool skin!

The Master Pyramorphix copy is cute – it can transform shape. Here it is, being a Koopa turtle (primarily red or green, with a yellow underside.)

It’s even pretty with corner permutations! I love the reverse N scheme and X scheme.

Here it is, next to the Meffert’s Pyraminx.

Reggae time!

Left to right: Rubik’s Cube, Eastsheen 5x5x5, Yong Jun 7x7x7.

And finally, for a nice big group shot.

Left to right: Meffert’s Pyraminx, Siamese Pocket Cube keychain, Rubik’s Cube, Rubik’s Revenge, Professor’s Cube, Yong Jun 6x6x6, Yong Jun 7x7x7.

Top row left to right: Skewb copy, Super Square 1. Behind: Rubik’s 360.

More about each individual cube in my next blog entry!