Rubik’s new brain teaser is on the ball

The new spherical puzzle from Erno Rubik is going to keep us on the ball according to the Daily Express this week.

THE inventor of the Rubik’s Cube has come up with a new brain-teaser that could prove even more ­frustrating to solve.

The tricky Rubik’s 360 dreamed up by Hungarian Professor Erno Rubik is a clear plastic ball holding six small balls of different colours. Players have to lock the balls into place to crack the puzzle.

“It doesn’t need batteries and looks as though it should be quite easy,” said David Hedley Jones, senior vice president of the Rubik brand. “But it is incredibly complicated. There are some really cunning tricks to it.”

He said Professor Rubik, 64, whose Cube craze has notched 350 million sales since 1980, was heavily involved in creating the 360.

It uses the original principles applied to the Cube and bright children as young as eight as well as adults will be able to tackle it. The 360 goes on sale next week costing £18. Toy store Hamleys has already had 3,500 inquiries. Head of sales Nigel Wheatley said: “It is our biggest item on the web. I expect thousands to be sold in days.”

Original Source: Daily Express

Rubik Cube inventor devises new puzzle to drive us all to distraction

Here is the latest article on the Rubik’s 360 as written in The Times on the 7th July 2009.

His cube was one of the most popular and infuriating toys of all time. Now Professor Ernö Rubik is hoping that the sphere will bring sleepless nights to the world’s obsessive puzzlers.

The creator of Rubik’s Cube is back with his first new puzzle for almost 20 years and early indications are that it is going to be every bit as irritating as the original.

Rubik’s 360, which goes on sale next week, features six small balls inside three interlocking spheres. The task is to lock each ball into colour-coded capsules on the outermost sphere. Professor Rubik said of his cube that it was “easy to understand the task, but hard to work out the solution”. It is just as aggravating to crack the 360.

In The Times newsroom yesterday, the angry rattles of plastic pellets signified dozens of journalists failing to coax so much as one ball from the centre of the sphere.

“You look at it and think, ‘It can’t be that hard’,” said David Hedley Jones, the senior vice-president of the Rubik brand. “But it is incredibly complicated — there are some really cunning tricks to it.”

Dan Harris, twice the British cube champion, is enthusiastic: “It looks pretty cool, is very tactile, and takes the same kind of physical dexterity and ‘touch’ as the cube,” he said.

“In terms of a mental challenge, it doesn’t compare, because there is only one configuration at the start, and one at the end.” But he added: “I think it has a much broader appeal. Most people who try the cube give up within a matter of days, but this is much easier, and more likely to keep people interested until they can solve it.”

Professor Rubik said that the 360 needed more manual dexterity than the original cube. “It’s a more kinetic challenge, more physical, because gravity is involved.”

Mr Hedley Jones acknowledged the task was initially very frustrating, but said: “Once you’ve learnt a few little tricks it becomes slightly easier.” Under conditions of strict secrecy, The Times was talked through the most basic of these tricks. All six balls remained resolutely in the middle.

Toy retailers anticipate that Britain is once again about to be gripped by Rubik’s fever. “It’s a great product. It’s going to be a strong seller for Christmas,” said Stuart Grant, buying director for The Entertainer shop chain.

Professor Rubik was a 30-year-old lecturer in the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest when he devised the cube in 1974 to teach his students about 3-D design. It took six years for it to leave the Eastern bloc, when it became an instant hit, selling in the tens of millions and permeating almost every home in Britain.

In The Times’s attempt to crack the 360, the first ball rolled into place after a mere five hours. This is unlikely to win a place at the first Rubik 360 tournament, in Düsseldorf in October. Mr Hedley Jones said that competition is likely to be fierce: “I’ve already seen someone do it in under a minute.”

Box of tricks

1974 invented by Erno Rubik in Budapest, Hungary

350m sold worldwide, enough to reach from pole to pole

7.08 seconds, the world record for completing the cube set in 2008

500kg weight of largest cube, three metres tall, on display in Tennessee

God’s algorithm name given to a 25-move solution, the shortest

Original Source: The Times

Rubik’s 360 mania is nearly upon us.

With the official launch of the Rubik’s 360 only a week away, Rubiks 360mania is just around the corner. Today saw some articles in the Telegraph and the Daily Express plus it has been mentioned on a few gadget & gizmo style blogs. One thing for certain, after the Hamleys launch, stock levels are going to be very low judging by the number of pre-orders already taken.

If you are looking to buy a Rubik’s 360 then you should look at doing it sooner rather than later or you will be waiting for the next shipment due to hit the UK in August. As far as we know, you will be able to buy the Rubik’s 360 from;

Hamleys - Available now
Amazon - Available now

Argos - Available end of July
Firebox - Will not be stocking the Rubik’s 360
The Toyshop - Out of Stock

We will add to the list of Rubik’s 360 suppliers as soon as we have further confirmations.

Rubik’s 360 now available from Amazon.co.uk

With the official Rubik’s 360 Launch just a fortnight away, the Rubik’s 360 has made its first appearance on the Amazon.co.uk Website. Any Rubik’s 360 orders taken via the Amazon site are being handled by Hamleys.

So do Hamleys have exclusive selling rights for this new puzzle from the people at Rubik’s?

We will let you know as soon as we do, but we expect the likes of Amazon, Firebox, Play and a few others to be selling the Rubiks 360 after the official launch.

In the meantime make sure you order your copy of the Rubik’s 360 as we expect the first batch of stock to go fast….very fast.

Rubik’s 360, beware of fakes

With the launch of the Rubik’s 360 just a month away, the world wide web is being flooded with  Fake Rubik’s 360 products. At the time of writing Ebay had 23 featured listings for the Rubik’s 360. Do not be fooled. Make sure that you only order an official rubik’s 360.

The Rubik’s 360 is not available here in the UK until its publicised launch at Hamleys in London on the 15th July 2009. As we reported in a separate post you can however pre-order your Rubiks 360 now, see more details below to Pre-Order Rubik’s 360

So for all UK residents, follow this link >>>>>> Pre-Order a Rubik’s 360 (UK) and if you are in the US the goto Amazon.com

Where can I buy a Rubik’s 360?

With the Rubik’s 360 due for release this July, one of the questions being asked is Where Can I Buy a Rubik’s 360?

Well according to the information we have either found on the interent or have been told, if you are living in the UK then you will be able to buy the Rubik’s 360 from the Hamleys store from the 15th July or you can pre-order one from their website and have it delivered to your door on this day. If you live in the US, then Amazon are alowing you to pre-order the 360.

So for all UK residents, follow this link >>>>>> Pre-Order a Rubik’s 360 (UK) and if you are in the US the goto Amazon.com

Over the next few weeks, we expect many other online merchants to start promoting the Rubik’s 360 ready for the summer launch. Details of these for people looking to buy a Rubik’s 360 will be added to this post.

Let the countdown begin.

Rubik’s 360 How does it work?

So the Rubik’s 360 is nearly here, so what’s all the hype about. Well firstly its come from the people that brought us the Rubik’s Cube. The cube that had captured the imagination of the world selling over 300 million copies. Secondly, its round!

Yes, you read that right, the new puzzle from the people at Rubik’s is round, hence the name Rubik’s 360. So how does the Rubik’s 360 work?

Well with Hamleys being the introduces of the Rubik’s 360 to the UK at their own Launch Party, who better to explain and answer the question, how does it work?

On their website they state, “The Rubik’s 360 is a clear plastic sphere with six coloured domes positioned around the circumference. Inside the outer sphere is another transparent sphere, inside this, a third sphere, containing 6 small coloured balls, with a hole in it, through which the small balls have to pass. The object is to manipulate the Rubik’s 360, so that the coloured balls pass through both inner spheres to the matching coloured dome on the outer sphere - then each one is locked into place. Like the Cube, there is a knack to solving the Rubik’s 360 - but it can take any number of tries. and a lot of perseverance to get there!“

So there have it. If that is not clear enough or you simply are just baffled by the fact that Rubiks’ new Puzzle is in fact a sphere, then the only way forward is to pre order your own copy now and have it delivered direct to your door on the 15th July, the day of Hamleys Official Rubik’s 360 Launch Party.

Pre Order from Hamleys for Delivery 15th July 2009 >>>>>> Click Here

Hamleys Rubik’s 360 Launch 15th July 2009

Hamleys have confirmed that they are holding the official Rubik’s 360 Launch Party at their Hamleys Regent Street Store on the 15th July 2009. If you can’t make the launch party to order your own Rubik’s 360 then you can pre-order yours now for delivery on the 15th.

Hamleys website entices you to be the first to own a Rubik’s 360, asking if you have the skill, dexterity and thinking to solve the new Rubik’s Puzzle. On their Launch Party page they even tell you the solution. Well almost as all you need to do is get get the coloured balls into the matching coloured domes with the solution lying in the clever way the spheres interact when you whirl and twirl the puzzle in your hands.

So can you wait to get your hands on the 360? Once you do whether you pre-order now or pick your puzzle up from th laucnh party on the 15th,  you won’t be able to put it down till you’ve solved it! Then like with the original Rubik’s Cube, you will want to do it again getting faster and faster in order to impress your family and friends. So the race is on, the Rubik’s 360 has arrived, pre-order your now before the stock run out.

Pre Order Rubiks 360 >>>>>> Click Here

Rubik’s 360 images

Way back in early February when we started our site dedicated to the Rubik’s 360 we contacted Drummond Park regarding some images for the Rubik’s 360 and they kindly sent us a ‘work in progress’ packaging image.  In our excitement at the revealing of the latest puzzle from the Rubik’s team we forgot to post it up on our site, so here it is.

Since then new images for the 360 have been few and far between. So when we heard that the Rubik’s 360 was now featured on the Hamleys website and available to pre-order we got hold of Drummond Park again who kindly sent us the latest version of the packaging. They also confirmed that the first shipment of the puzzle are being shipped in for the launch at Hamleys on the 15th July, with a further shipment following by sea a few weeks later at the beginning of August.

As you can see, the latest image is a lot brighter and more fun than the early edition and also includes a new style Rubik’s logo. Will this attractive looking package help increase sales? Well not really as we feel that the hype is more than enough to make this one of the best selling toys for 2009.

As already mentioned there are already two planned deliveries oc Rubik’s 360 stock on its way to the UK in July/August, but will this be enough?  Don’t miss out and Pre-order a Rubik’s 360 NOW.

So what about availability at Christmas? Christmas will without doubt be a very busy time for the Rubik’s 360, but no need to talk too much about this now, as we want to get through the initial launch first.

Getting back to the Rubiks 360 images, we hope to have some exclusive images for you very soon, so watch this space.

Rubik’s 360 UK Launch Date confirmed

After weeks of speculation surrounding the  launch date for the Rubik’s 360, Hamleys have quietly added details to their website confirming the 15th July as the official UK launch date. We only brought you the US version of news a few weeks back and as with the US Launch you can now pre-order a Rubik’s 360 from the Hamleys website and have it delivered direct to your door on this date. No other UK retailers, including Amazon have any details for the Rubiks 360, so it would seem Hamleys have an exclusive launch for what will be one of the most popular toys in 2009.

The new spherical puzzle from Rubiks has caused a lot of hype since it’s unveiling back in February. We expect a heavy marketing campaign to be run alongside the launch of the 360, which will cause an even greater amount of hype resulting in a possible lack of stock for those not making the most of th opportunity to pre-order.

At £18, the Pre-Order from Hamleys is we feel a bargain and one way of securing your own Rubik’s 360 from the first batch ever manufactured. Will the Rubiks 360 be as challenging as the originl cube? Who knows but if you don’t act now, you’ll just have to wait that little bit longer if stock runs out to find out.

Don’t Miss Out Click Here to Pre-order your Rubik’s 360 from the Hamleys Website for £18

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