[URL=http://www.shapeways.com/model/192003/jack_s_cube.html?gid=cg14]Jack's cube[/URL]

A new lego mindstorm solver powered by a Samsung Galaxy S II set a new world record:
[url]http://gizmodo.com/5850505/rubiks-solving-cubesolver-ii-finally-bests-humanity[/url]

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[I][B]Update:[/B] This post previously incorrectly referred to the CubeStormer as the CubeSolver, and the reporter responsible has been suitably flogged.[/I]
[/QUOTE]
:smile:

I got back into this lately and bought a new cube which brought my times down to 1:19. Today I had an increadibly lucky last layer and solved it in 1:00. :flex:

[QUOTE=henryzz;298681]I got back into this lately and bought a new cube which brought my times down to 1:19. Today I had an increadibly lucky last layer and solved it in 1:00. :flex:[/QUOTE]

Once upon a time, a year or more before I came aboard this forum, I had my times down to ~45s on average, and broke 25s once. But that was long ago, and I no longer have a cube handy at the moment. (I'm sure I've forgotten some of the algorithms.)

Realized I haven't updated in a year. My best is now down to 42 seconds. Like usual this was a lucky solve. My second best is 52 seconds.

I had one of these years ago:
[url]http://twistypuzzles.com/museum/large/00579-01.jpg[/url]

[QUOTE=henryzz;341716]My second best is 52 seconds.[/QUOTE]
Cool! Do you use "learned formulas" or just "thinking" like the masters do? Years ago, in the 'eighties, when this toy appeared, I could solve it by myself, after hours of work, trying to picture it in my mind. Big pride, because none of my high-school colleagues could do it without doing one face first, then the layers, then applying formulas. Later I learned "solving formulas" which at the time started to appear in any newspaper/magazine, etc (the "cube fever", like "sudoku fever" was few yars ago, you could find sudoku games and tips in any magazine or newspaper you could buy). With the formulas (which I learned them by hart first, and understood them much later) I was much faster in solving the cube, spending no more then few minutes every time. But when I look to the masters on the web, I wanna cry. They don't use formulas, for sure. Especially those who make the world records for blind solving, they have the cube in their mind.
[YOUTUBE]mCyYPimImyM[/YOUTUBE]

Actually, as the record for non-blinded is somewhere at 5 seconds, with your time this is the guy you are competing with: :razz:

(check out at minute 2:22, during he was manipulating the 4th cube, he already was looking - and thinking - to the fifth! those are the masters! they are magnificent!)
[YOUTUBE]q1_ZzGSacVQ[/YOUTUBE]

:sm88:
The 17x17x17 custom made cube is available... for a neat sum of ~$1700 (on a special sale now, $100.28 off! tempting!)

I used learned formulas as do virtually all of the fastest solvers. There is just too much to be gained by sharing ideas. If someone gets below 20 seconds with purely their own ideas I would be very impressed. I have worked out why most of the sequences I use work. Currently I am in the process of learning F2L which means after doing a cross I solve the first two layers in one swoop rather than individually. The solve the middle layer it is necessary to mess up the bottom layer so it reduces the number of moves a lot. The trouble is there is a lot of permutations to learn. I have been working out what I can and looking up and seeing how others work in order to learn them. It needs quite a bit of practice. Once I am good at it I should be able to do it regularly in 40 seconds. My best solve didn't even use this method.
There are different methods than the layered approach that some use and variations of the usual moves can be used in certain situations once you understand the sequences.
For blindfolded solving instead of learning the whole cube and keeping that in your head you memorize a sequence of letters(mnemonics can be used for memorization) telling you what to do next(each letter represents a sequence of moves). It isn't as hard as it sounds. You don't have to keep track of the whole cube at once.