Message #3788

From: Melinda Green <melinda@superliminal.com>
Subject: VeryPuzzle selling a puzzle it calls a 4D cube
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2017 01:17:56 -0700

Nan just reported a TwistyPuzzles forum pos <http://www.twistypuzzles.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&p=369591#p369591>t on the announcement of a new puzzle called HATO <http://www.verypuzzle.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=77>. Don and I have examined their video <http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzAwNjI2Mjc0OA==.htm> and have both concluded that nothing about it appears to be 4D, but you be the judge. Note that the video is in Flash and is on a pretty horrible site, but you can see it in action if you’re determined. The puzzle itself may be interesting. It has 6 colors, and is definitely not deep-cut since operating one small cube doesn’t affect the others. The company claims that it has significantly more states than the simulated 2^4 but that’s just more evidence that it’s not the same puzzle. Still, it’s interesting that others are thinking about a physical 2^4.

In related news, Don and I sat down and discussed my physical puzzle and he now sees it’s correspondence with the MC4D version. He’s very cautious and still needs to mull it over, but he’s no longer flatly denying their equivalence. Also, the printed puzzle project is coming along steadily, if slowly. In fact, the modelling may be good enough for production. I hope to make a public announcement soon.

Happy puzzling!
-Melinda