Those Frustrating Rubik's Cubes

Now a creation is made so that they're no longer frustrating!

And it's not just a matter of building a robot to do it. The challenge was apparently in that he only used the "Lego Mindstorms NXT Retail-kit." That, and that it isn't connected to a computer of any sort. Find out all about how he overcame obstacles like the kit only having three motors and other interesting details at his site. He even has directions for how to build your own!

The video above will actually fast forward through the process a ways in, so it's not all in real time. Here's the performance stats, too, which I think are pretty impressive:

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  Scanning the cube: 1 minute
  
  
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  Calculating a solution: 20 - 40 seconds
  
  
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  Executing the moves: 1 - 5 minutes. Average 4.5 minutes (60 faceturns)
  
  
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  Average total time: 6 minutes

Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas

Yep, it's that time of year. It's officially December and if you haven't already started thinking about Christmas, this is when you should kick yourself in the butt and get a move on.

Or so I'm told.

Anywho, if you're looking for some frugal ideas or just something different than you would normally buy, you might want to check out Hillbilly Housewife's list this year. There are some cute ones that kids can help make, too, and don't be afraid to get creative with your gifts.....like for the epsom bath salts mentioned, try putting them in small baby bottles like above for a new mom or mom-to-be. Fun, cheap, and useful all at the same time. :)

And here's another article written by someone I know from Gather....worth a look as well!