The ZhanChi is Dayans 5th and final cube. What? You say there was another Dayan cube? No. No there wasn't. This was Dayan's exit from designing 3x3's, and it was a good one. While the GuHong and other cubes were definitly good, the ZhanChi was the beginning of what is now considered "modern 3x3's".
The ZhanChi had no outstanding flaws. All cubes before this had some issue. The Alpha cubes couldn't corner-cut as well, the GuHong had block corner-cutting and pops, and Rubik's brands were, and still are, just bad. The ZhanChi, on the other hand, had none of these problems. It had rounded and smoothed curves on the corners and edges which resulted in all around better corner-cutting, and the torpedoes held the cube together. With all of this was Dayan's signature buttery feel, and sticker-less options. The ZhanChi was the first cube to have such large gaps between the corner stocks and edge wings, which gave it a customizable factor. It could be as fast or as slow as you want it to be, based on how you lube it. The gaps also helped internally for reverse corner-cutting.
I've talked about Dayan a lot this week, but there's a reason for that. Dayan released some of the most important 3x3's of all time. They created speedcube 3x3's as we see them today. And while they have ceased creating new 3x3's after the release of the ZhanChi (Directly after the release of the ZhanChi. The Dayan 5 ZhanChi was the final 3x3 created by Dayan. There was never another. Never.), Dayan will always be remembered for their service to our community.
I'm not scared of anything. Well, accept glass. I'm kinda scared of glass...
-GIR
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
The GuHong (V1)
I've referenced the GuHong numerous times already, so today I'll be covering it more. The GuHong is the Dayan 2, being the successor to the Dayan Taiyan. The GuHong was the cube that made Dayan's name and set it apart from other cubes, such as the popular Alpha series. The GuHong was the first, and in my opinion only, major performance spike. The GuHong was the first cube to have 45 degree corner cutting and turning at its quality. The GuHong is the divider between older and modern 3x3 design.
The GuHong was released when the only really viable speed cubes out there were Rubik's brands and Alpha cubes. All these cubes were great, but when the GuHong dropped, EVERYTHING THAT WASN'T A GUHONG BECAME OBSOLETE. The GuHong simply out-performed all the competition. Nothing could contest with it. The only cubes that would compete with the GuHong would be other Dayan cubes for quite some time. Even though the GuHong had a popping problem, its benefits far outweigh that one con for the time. Nowadays, the GuHong is still considered a viable option, and I personally used one as my main only 6 months ago. Not to mention the GuHong got a re-release called the GuHong V2 which had torpedoes to prevent pops.
However, as all incredibly good things are (Or at least very often), it was met with controversy. VCubes stated that the GuHong violated their 3x3 design patent. In reality, the GuHong looked nothing like their 3x3 patent, and the lawsuit was resolved (However, we don't know who won, nor how it was settled). Despite this, many people have noticed and announced that the VCube 6 and VCube 5 resemble the GuHong when certain pieces are glued together. I would dive deeper into this, but doing so would involve me in the ever growing (And in my opinion unnecessary) VCube controversy, which I don't want. It's ridiculous enough as it is.
The GuHong created a huge performance increase in 3x3 performance. And while today 3x3 design has improved, the improvements to performance has been incredibly small in comparison to the performance increase seen in the release of the GuHong. Not only that, it also solidified the Dayan name which would continue to dominate the 3x3 market for quite some time. Without this cube, 3x3 performance would be very different than it is today. This was definitely a very important 3x3, and it will never be forgotten.
Something else that will never be forgotten is today, Armistice day. Today, at 11:00 AM, the fighting in the Great War stopped. I dedicate this post to Armistice day. That sounds stupid, but hey. That's life. It means something.
What's in the juice? All my wealth and power! Infused with pink lemonade.
-GIR
The GuHong was released when the only really viable speed cubes out there were Rubik's brands and Alpha cubes. All these cubes were great, but when the GuHong dropped, EVERYTHING THAT WASN'T A GUHONG BECAME OBSOLETE. The GuHong simply out-performed all the competition. Nothing could contest with it. The only cubes that would compete with the GuHong would be other Dayan cubes for quite some time. Even though the GuHong had a popping problem, its benefits far outweigh that one con for the time. Nowadays, the GuHong is still considered a viable option, and I personally used one as my main only 6 months ago. Not to mention the GuHong got a re-release called the GuHong V2 which had torpedoes to prevent pops.
However, as all incredibly good things are (Or at least very often), it was met with controversy. VCubes stated that the GuHong violated their 3x3 design patent. In reality, the GuHong looked nothing like their 3x3 patent, and the lawsuit was resolved (However, we don't know who won, nor how it was settled). Despite this, many people have noticed and announced that the VCube 6 and VCube 5 resemble the GuHong when certain pieces are glued together. I would dive deeper into this, but doing so would involve me in the ever growing (And in my opinion unnecessary) VCube controversy, which I don't want. It's ridiculous enough as it is.
The GuHong created a huge performance increase in 3x3 performance. And while today 3x3 design has improved, the improvements to performance has been incredibly small in comparison to the performance increase seen in the release of the GuHong. Not only that, it also solidified the Dayan name which would continue to dominate the 3x3 market for quite some time. Without this cube, 3x3 performance would be very different than it is today. This was definitely a very important 3x3, and it will never be forgotten.
Something else that will never be forgotten is today, Armistice day. Today, at 11:00 AM, the fighting in the Great War stopped. I dedicate this post to Armistice day. That sounds stupid, but hey. That's life. It means something.
What's in the juice? All my wealth and power! Infused with pink lemonade.
-GIR
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
The FangShi
/*Note: I'm reffering to the FangShi ShruanRen in this post. Whenever I say "FangShi, know that I'm referring to the ShruanRen. I'm to used to calling it "The Fangshi" amongst friends. My bad*/
The Fangshi was a first for a lot of things. It was the first 3x3 to be accepted as a legitimate competitor to Dayan, it was the first cube to introduce an edge piece wing design that linked under the center for added support, which alone brought upon a revolution that would completely change 3x3 design, and it was the first cube to introduce a vastly different fell in comparison to other cubes. The Fangshi, created by Funs Puzzle, was the beginning of a new 3x3 generation. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But the Fangshi did pave the way for many 3x3's, including MoYu's 3x3's which are today considered to be the best 3x3's around. The Fangshi brought about another 3x3 design revolution.
Ever since the release of the GuHong, Dayan was at the top of the 3x3 market, and it had no viable competition. It remained this way until they released the ZanChi, considered by myself and many others to be their best cube yet. But after the ZanChi's release, a competetor came up that, for the first time, matched their quality and, in some instances, surpassed them. This cube was the FangShi, and it blew up in popularity. More people switched to a cube that wasn't Dayan than ever before. Unlike the Dayan cubes, the Fangshi didn't have torpedoes. Instead, it had a mechanism that linked the corners and edges together, and linked the edges through the center to create a tight fit of the pieces which prevented pops very well.
Its name translated to "Frosted Blade", which made sense. Its pieces were frosted over with a certain type of plastic, giving it a feel like no other. Most cubes up to this point felt smooth and "buttery". The FangShi on the other hand felt rough and "sandy". This was due to the layer of frost on the pieces. As you broke the cube in, the frost layer comes off, drastically changing its fell while in use, becoming "crispy" and "clacky" (Those last two were my opinion, but anyone who has a FangShi can agree, it clacks).
Since its release, many other manufactures have used a similar wing design to the FangShi, and it is now widely considered standard anti-popping measures. If it wasn't for the FangShi, odds are cubes would be popping more than they are today.
Of course I've caught a storm dragon, Jimmy! I even turned him into a dwarf!
-GIR
The Fangshi was a first for a lot of things. It was the first 3x3 to be accepted as a legitimate competitor to Dayan, it was the first cube to introduce an edge piece wing design that linked under the center for added support, which alone brought upon a revolution that would completely change 3x3 design, and it was the first cube to introduce a vastly different fell in comparison to other cubes. The Fangshi, created by Funs Puzzle, was the beginning of a new 3x3 generation. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But the Fangshi did pave the way for many 3x3's, including MoYu's 3x3's which are today considered to be the best 3x3's around. The Fangshi brought about another 3x3 design revolution.
Ever since the release of the GuHong, Dayan was at the top of the 3x3 market, and it had no viable competition. It remained this way until they released the ZanChi, considered by myself and many others to be their best cube yet. But after the ZanChi's release, a competetor came up that, for the first time, matched their quality and, in some instances, surpassed them. This cube was the FangShi, and it blew up in popularity. More people switched to a cube that wasn't Dayan than ever before. Unlike the Dayan cubes, the Fangshi didn't have torpedoes. Instead, it had a mechanism that linked the corners and edges together, and linked the edges through the center to create a tight fit of the pieces which prevented pops very well.
Its name translated to "Frosted Blade", which made sense. Its pieces were frosted over with a certain type of plastic, giving it a feel like no other. Most cubes up to this point felt smooth and "buttery". The FangShi on the other hand felt rough and "sandy". This was due to the layer of frost on the pieces. As you broke the cube in, the frost layer comes off, drastically changing its fell while in use, becoming "crispy" and "clacky" (Those last two were my opinion, but anyone who has a FangShi can agree, it clacks).
Since its release, many other manufactures have used a similar wing design to the FangShi, and it is now widely considered standard anti-popping measures. If it wasn't for the FangShi, odds are cubes would be popping more than they are today.
Of course I've caught a storm dragon, Jimmy! I even turned him into a dwarf!
-GIR
Monday, November 9, 2015
The LunHui
//For no real reason, this week I'm going to list some 3x3's I think made 3x3 design what it is today, //and commend them for their service to our community.
The LunHui is a 3x3 created by Dayan, and is also known as the Dayan 4. So what? I haven't heard of the LunHui. Just another Dayan cube. Whatever. Well, this cube brought the modern speedcube into being, as it introduced something revolutionary. Something that is incredibly important to modern 3x3 design. The torpedo. (It might be debatable whether torpedos are important nowadays, as modern 3x3 design now has many other forms of anti-popping mechs other than the torpedo. But regardless, it was definitely important, and is still used today.)
The torpedo is a simple thing. Just a small add-on for cubes that linked corners to edges to prevent pops. This was, arguably, the first anti-popping mechanism in a 3x3 ever, and it was very efficient. Since their introduction, torpedos have made an appearance in every Dayan cube since, and the GuHong and LinYun were re-released with torpedos later. Nowadays, almost all cubes have a torpedo, or something based on a torpedo. Sadley, the LunHui never got all that much attention when compared to its brothers, and instead the GuHong and Zhanchi (Which now both had torpedos) rose up as Dayans most famous 3x3s.
In their favor though, both of those puzzles are much better. (In my opinion, which is shared by most.) The LunHui seems to have been designed with the main focus being anti-popping. The corners have two stocks, the edge has an interlocking mech that looks similar to an older version of Fangshi's wing design, and the center anchors the edges down. in all, it seems this was Dayan trying to make an unpoppable cube. It worked, but not completely. I have a LunHui (Although I can't find it at the moment.) and it still popped from time to time. They likely wanted an unpoppable cube because of the performance of their other cubes. The GuHong and LinYun were both considered the best speed cubes of their time, and the only thing holding them back was the simple fact: They still popped. The LunHui was likely a response to this. Dayan making one of their best cubes, and now it wasn't pop-prone. But in making the design so pop-resistant, they sacrificed some performance. It gained a blocky feel due to its sub-par corner-cutting, and the way it interlocked kept it fro popping regularly, but when it did pop, the mech also caused many other pieces to pop with it, causing bigger pops.
So in the end no, the LunHui wasn't perfect (No, perfection wouldn't occur until 2014and 2015.). But it did introduce a piece of hardware that would be used as standard for years to come, and definitely helped the speed 3x3 designs of today to become as great as they are. For that, I believe it deserves to be commended. So TY Dayan. We'll see you later this week.
Take these beans and shove 'em up their nose! Dragons hate beans!
-GIR
The LunHui is a 3x3 created by Dayan, and is also known as the Dayan 4. So what? I haven't heard of the LunHui. Just another Dayan cube. Whatever. Well, this cube brought the modern speedcube into being, as it introduced something revolutionary. Something that is incredibly important to modern 3x3 design. The torpedo. (It might be debatable whether torpedos are important nowadays, as modern 3x3 design now has many other forms of anti-popping mechs other than the torpedo. But regardless, it was definitely important, and is still used today.)
The torpedo is a simple thing. Just a small add-on for cubes that linked corners to edges to prevent pops. This was, arguably, the first anti-popping mechanism in a 3x3 ever, and it was very efficient. Since their introduction, torpedos have made an appearance in every Dayan cube since, and the GuHong and LinYun were re-released with torpedos later. Nowadays, almost all cubes have a torpedo, or something based on a torpedo. Sadley, the LunHui never got all that much attention when compared to its brothers, and instead the GuHong and Zhanchi (Which now both had torpedos) rose up as Dayans most famous 3x3s.
In their favor though, both of those puzzles are much better. (In my opinion, which is shared by most.) The LunHui seems to have been designed with the main focus being anti-popping. The corners have two stocks, the edge has an interlocking mech that looks similar to an older version of Fangshi's wing design, and the center anchors the edges down. in all, it seems this was Dayan trying to make an unpoppable cube. It worked, but not completely. I have a LunHui (Although I can't find it at the moment.) and it still popped from time to time. They likely wanted an unpoppable cube because of the performance of their other cubes. The GuHong and LinYun were both considered the best speed cubes of their time, and the only thing holding them back was the simple fact: They still popped. The LunHui was likely a response to this. Dayan making one of their best cubes, and now it wasn't pop-prone. But in making the design so pop-resistant, they sacrificed some performance. It gained a blocky feel due to its sub-par corner-cutting, and the way it interlocked kept it fro popping regularly, but when it did pop, the mech also caused many other pieces to pop with it, causing bigger pops.
So in the end no, the LunHui wasn't perfect (No, perfection wouldn't occur until 2014and 2015.). But it did introduce a piece of hardware that would be used as standard for years to come, and definitely helped the speed 3x3 designs of today to become as great as they are. For that, I believe it deserves to be commended. So TY Dayan. We'll see you later this week.
Take these beans and shove 'em up their nose! Dragons hate beans!
-GIR
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Batteries
Good news: I got the villager amiibo! The store was smart enough to keep them behind the counter, so there were still enough left, even though I came later than most. Sadley, this post will be short, as I have much homework. But hey, it's still here, right?
So, how about those batteries? Specifically lithium Ion batteries. Many people are under the impression that LI batteries can get what's called a "memory". A battery memory is basically when a battery life continues to get worse due to the fact that it is charged to much. This, to my knowledge, isn't true. A memory is actually the result of crystal formation inside the battery. Because of this, there is less room for energy to be stored, resulting in less battery life over time. While this can occur in some batteries, LI batteries function in a way that makes this a non-issue. This isn't to say that LI batteries can't get worse battery life over time though. Battery life will get worse as a battery is used, as it is being worn down over time. The simple solution to this is to swap out your battery once every 1 or 2 years. I'm doing this with my Nexus 5, as the battery life is terrible (I don't use the thing during the day because I'm at school, and it comes out at 50% at 3:00 in standby.) So yeah. Batteries. They help life.
I'm just glad it's the undead we're fighting and not Trolkin!
-GIR
So, how about those batteries? Specifically lithium Ion batteries. Many people are under the impression that LI batteries can get what's called a "memory". A battery memory is basically when a battery life continues to get worse due to the fact that it is charged to much. This, to my knowledge, isn't true. A memory is actually the result of crystal formation inside the battery. Because of this, there is less room for energy to be stored, resulting in less battery life over time. While this can occur in some batteries, LI batteries function in a way that makes this a non-issue. This isn't to say that LI batteries can't get worse battery life over time though. Battery life will get worse as a battery is used, as it is being worn down over time. The simple solution to this is to swap out your battery once every 1 or 2 years. I'm doing this with my Nexus 5, as the battery life is terrible (I don't use the thing during the day because I'm at school, and it comes out at 50% at 3:00 in standby.) So yeah. Batteries. They help life.
I'm just glad it's the undead we're fighting and not Trolkin!
-GIR
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Life is interesting
Well, I went to get a Villager amiibo only to discover it comes out tomorrow. I guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Also, this post is being done on mobile, as my computer is being ridiculous. These weekend posts are going to be much shorter, and will basically be me talking about life, so sorry if that's disappointing. But hey, life interesting. Mostly because we know nothing of it.
Note: The following is my opinion and outlook on life. If you disagree, that's good. That's what life's about. Just saying, if I sound crazy don't judge. Because I am crazy.
Life is arbitary. What parts you ask? All of it, I say. We all look at the world and see it in our own way that will always be different from each others. There isn't a right or wrong way. There is only the way you see it, and the way others see it. You have to believe what you say, otherwise its pointless. Believing in you're way is good. It's what makes you, you. But no matter how much you believe in your way, there will always be someone who disagrees. So until we can find a way to explain life and how you should live it that everyone is happy with and agrees on, then in my opinion, there is no right way for anything.
All of this is worded terribly, but I'm bad at explain things. Sorry about that. And I know this isn't the kind of posts I said I would do, but its all good, right? We're still in friendship land.
Friendship land? Hah! Try getting Etho to sing.
-GIR
Friday, November 6, 2015
Am(ii)bo(s)
When Nintendo announced that they were releasing a toy-to-game concept to some of their games, nobody thought they would be as much of a success as they have been. The novelty of having smash amiibos specifically has caused this market to skyrocket. Some amiibos have gone up in price tremendously, while others have stayed the same 12$ their entire life thus far. And while it makes sense for certain amiibos to go up in price, (The 30th anniversary Mario figures, and the gold and silver Mario figures) some amiibo have gone up in price for no other reason than demand. Amiibos like the smash series Marth, Littler Mac, Ness, and even to a degree villager have gone up in price tremedously. None of these characters are particularly better than the other characters, and some such as Little Mac are seen by many to be worse than many other characters. So why have they gone up in price?
A good reason for this is a new hobby called amiibo hunting. Amiibo hunting is essentially amiibo collecting. Because so many people want to get all of the amiibo though, on the day of new amiibo releases there are often huge lines before the store opens. Stores often sell out in minutes, so many people traverse to different stores in order to get the amiibo they're looking for, warranting the name "amiibo hunting". But why do stores sell out so quickly? With this huge audience, you'd think Nintendo would produce a TON of amiibo in order to make some quick cash and satisfy the market. Well, that's not the case. The fact is, initial sales of amiibo was much, much larger than Nintendo thought it would be. When Nintendo realized that there was huge demand for amiibos, they promised to produce more in the future. And while they have re-released certain amiibos many times in order to give the people what they want, it's never enough. They don't produce enough amiibo during the re-releases, and the re-releases are few and far between. This is what's caused the hobby of amiibo hunting to become widespread. People amiibo hunt because they have to in order to find the amiibo that they want.
This all combined has created a huge demand and little supply simultaneously, which has led to the drastic increase in price. I personally am not one to amiibo hunt, but Villager is re-stocking tomorrow, and I want me some of that. Wish me luck.
It does more than just that Jimmy. I sharpen my sword with this beard!
-GIR
A good reason for this is a new hobby called amiibo hunting. Amiibo hunting is essentially amiibo collecting. Because so many people want to get all of the amiibo though, on the day of new amiibo releases there are often huge lines before the store opens. Stores often sell out in minutes, so many people traverse to different stores in order to get the amiibo they're looking for, warranting the name "amiibo hunting". But why do stores sell out so quickly? With this huge audience, you'd think Nintendo would produce a TON of amiibo in order to make some quick cash and satisfy the market. Well, that's not the case. The fact is, initial sales of amiibo was much, much larger than Nintendo thought it would be. When Nintendo realized that there was huge demand for amiibos, they promised to produce more in the future. And while they have re-released certain amiibos many times in order to give the people what they want, it's never enough. They don't produce enough amiibo during the re-releases, and the re-releases are few and far between. This is what's caused the hobby of amiibo hunting to become widespread. People amiibo hunt because they have to in order to find the amiibo that they want.
This all combined has created a huge demand and little supply simultaneously, which has led to the drastic increase in price. I personally am not one to amiibo hunt, but Villager is re-stocking tomorrow, and I want me some of that. Wish me luck.
It does more than just that Jimmy. I sharpen my sword with this beard!
-GIR
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