Da Vinci Code Mini Lockbox


Pretend you’re Tom Hanks and talk to a volleyball with this… no wait reboot, let’s try again… pretend you’re a slightly older and a little bit jaded and maybe at times just kind of going through the motions Tom Hanks and hide your stuff in a Da Vinci Code Cryptex puzzle box. To unlock this thing you turn the six cylinders, each fully equipped with all 26 letters of the English alphabet, arranged for your viewing pleasure in alphabetical order. Which is the best order for alphabets, according to 9 out of 10 linguistic professors surveyed just now. Facts.

Also a fact is that there are 11,881,376 different possible permutations which according to our calculations, if you tried one combination per second, you can guess it by the time the next Da Vinci Code sequel comes out. Not really sure what you could hide in there, besides maybe a clue or an engagement note or a golf pencil. It’s made of brass and seems to be pretty solid and well constructed according to the reviews. Great gift for puzzle fans, Tom Hanks fan (that’s right, singular), Da Vinci Code fans, and people who already have everything and are super hard to shop for because they have expensive tastes and are super picky and get all snobby and weird about gifts and it’s awkward for everyone involved. You know who you are.

Da Vinci Code Mini Lockbox

Build Your Own Wooden Tilt-A-Whirl Moving Music Box

Because who didn’t get into puzzles or model building during the pandemic (I got into miniature ships myself), the $55 ROKR Tilt-A-Whirl is a DIY music box wooden puzzle kit from the company’s Magic Amusement Park series. It’s based on the classic spinning teacups amusement park ride and features the outer decorations of an old traveling circus. It will make the perfect addition to my mantle, provided I can build it right without smashing all the pieces to bits with my Hulk hands.

The 280-piece model measures approximately 7″ x 8″ x 9″, requires about 5.5 hours to construct, and even features working lights around the spinning ride. It plays ‘Wind and Moon’ when turned on, and the cups start spinning. Unfortunately for me, the model is rated 4 out of 4 stars for building difficulty, meaning its successful construction is unlikely in my case. I’m more of a 1-star model builder or, if I’m being completely honest, a buyer of pre-built models. “Best to leave it to the professionals,” my wife will tell me while watching me burn my latest failed build in our fire pit.

A Patternless Glow-in-the Dark Jigsaw Puzzle For Driving Yourself Crazy

Want to go insane? Well, you’re in luck, because Japanese puzzle manufacturer Beverly has released this glow-in-the-dark Jigsaw Puzzle from Hell. Available from the Japan Trends shop for $42, it’s a 150-piece imageless jigsaw puzzle with phosphorescent pieces that glow in the dark. I can already imagine myself eating a handful of pieces in a fit of madness.

You may recall Beverly’s previous posted all white and all black jigsaw puzzles, but those were 1,000 and 2,000 pieces. At least this one is only 150 pieces. Sounds like a piece of cake by comparison. Still, not a piece of cake I’d want to eat. I know that sounds blasphemous, but I mean it.

I typically do jigsaw puzzles as a nice way to relax, not stress out and yell at myself for buying a patternless glow-in-the-dark jigsaw puzzle in the first place. What was I thinking? Not about my mental health, that’s for sure. That said, I did remove two pieces and regift the puzzle to a family member.

[via The Awesomer]

Heykube Electronic Puzzle Cube Teaches You How to Solve It: Kompanion Kube

You can find dozens of tutorials and tips on how to solve a puzzle cube, but a company called Heykube figured out a way to build the guide into the cube itself. The eponymous toy has LEDs at the center of each side. When you begin turning part of the cube, one of the LEDs will light up and will rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise, implying that you should do the same to that side.

The cube comes with a companion app that extends the cube’s “modes”, thanks to different patterns that you can try. It also has a timer. If you want, you can even turn off the LEDs and solve the cube like a regular one. The company also made Heykube’s Python library open source. If you have a Raspberry Pi, you can play with the cube’s lights and sounds, and even create your own puzzles.

You can buy the Heykube straight from the company’s online store for $100 (USD). It’s also on Amazon (affiliate link).

[via The Gadgeteer]

The World’s Largest Rubik’s Cube Is Over 8-Feet Square

Currently on display at the Nina Mall in Hong Kong, China, what you’re about to witness is the construction of the Guinness World Record holder for the largest Rubik’s Cube, measuring a very respectable 2.503 m x 2.505 m x 2.502 m – or about 27 square feet. So it’s not exactly square, but it’s very close. Or the measurements weren’t accurate. They used a tape measure, not laser beams.

I liked it better before they put all the colored stickers on the blocks. It looked way more…solvable. Now not only am I going to feel stupid for not being able to solve the cube, but I’m going to feel small too. Talk about adding insult to injury.

I remember the first time I ever solved a Rubik’s Cube. It was four years in the future from now, and I really felt accomplished. I mean more about building the functional time machine than solving the Rubik’s Cube, but still. It’s the little things.

[via GeeksAreSexy]

This Meat Puzzle Is Made of Literal Butcher Blocks

Thanksgiving is over, so I’ve officially had my fill of turkey for the year. Next time I have meat, I want it to be a nice hearty steak. Perhaps a rib eye or a New York strip. If you’d rather play with your meat than eat it, then maybe you’ll like this puzzle that lets you see all of the delicious parts of a cow.

Toy company Megahouse created this 3D puzzle that looks like a bull with all of its guts on display. Simply remove its plastic ribcage, and fill its torso with various cuts of meat. Presumably, you could use this knowledge to better understand how to butcher a cow – assuming you can read Japanese because that’s how all of the parts are labeled.

Now why the cow is sticking his tongue out is anyone’s guess. Maybe he’s taunting us because he’s made out of PVC, and you’d choke to death if you tried to eat any of him. Or maybe he’s just catching flies. Who knows?

Not a beef eater? That’s okay. Megahouse also makes chicken, pork, and tuna body part puzzles.

Rubik’s Tactile Cube Puzzle Lets Blind People Join in the Frustration

As much fun as it is to play with a Rubik’s Cube, it can also be quite frustrating if you don’t know the proper algorithms to use to solve it. There are countless videos and reference materials which show you how to solve the puzzle, though they assume that you can actually see the colors.

This special 3×3 Rubik’s Cube upgrades the standard color cubes with special tactile versions, so you can solve the puzzle even if you have a visual impairment.

Made by Winning Moves Games, the Rubik’s Tactile Cube matches up each color with an embossed shape that can be easily discerned with your fingertips. Blue is represented by a single solid dot, red is an open square, yellow is a grid of dots, orange is an X, green is an open circle, and white has no surface texture. Not only does this add a new dimension to the Rubik’s Cube, it opens the puzzle up to people who have limited or no sight. Of course, you can put on a blindfold or attempt to solve it in complete darkness too.

The Rubik’s Tactile Cube sells for $14.99, but is on sale for just $10.97 over on Amazon as of this writing. It’s a great idea, and a fun new spin on a classic puzzle.

You’ll Never Solve This Rubik’s Cube Toilet Paper Dispenser

Some people like to use their time on the toilet to read books or surf social media on their phone, while others use it to solve crossword puzzles. But I’ve never heard of someone trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while sitting on the pot. While you could just stick a regular Rubik’s Cube in your bathroom, this unofficial Rubik’s Cube toilet paper dispenser would make for a more permanent fixture.

The only problem I see with getDigital’s colorful toilet paper dispenser is that its cubes don’t turn. And no, you can remove the stickers and rearrange them either. So there’s an exactly 0.0% chance that you’ll ever solve this Rubik’s Cube. Though to be honest, that’s not much worse than my odds with the actual puzzle. On the flip side, you’ll never have to worry about which direction the toilet paper should hang off of the roll with this thing, since it only has one place for the paper to exit. First world problem solved!

Rubik’s Cube fans and 1980s kids can grab this toilet paper dispenser over on Amazon for $26.99. Now if only you could find some toilet paper to put inside of it.