Rubik’s TouchCube goes on sale as first fastest time is set!

Rubik’s aficionados eagerly awaiting the on-sale date of the world’s first fully electronic Rubik’s Cube – The Rubik’s TouchCube™ - need wait no more. But as first TouchCubes™ become available, a fastest time for solving the impressive puzzle has already been – setting a challenge to all that own one.  

New York, August 31, 2009 – Speedcubers from around the world gathered at the Rubik’s Cube U.S. National Championships at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California to put their dexterity to the test with Techno Source’s fully electronic Rubik’s Cube the TouchCube™. 

For many puzzlers, the U.S. Nationals provided the first opportunity to see the highly anticipated Rubik’s TouchCube and in celebration a competition was held amongst these Rubik’s boffins to set the first fastest time.

International competitors, included David Calvo Vivas, Spain; Stefan Pochmann, Germany; and Lars Vandenbergh, Belgium; who were thanked for making the long trek for the honour of being the first to compete.

This created fierce competition from the speedcubers and the result saw Stefan Pochmann setting the fastest solve time in an impressive 1 minute 32.75 seconds!

The Rubik’s TouchCube features touch sensor technology on all six sides, coloured lights in every square, and an accelerometer that knows which of the six touch-sensitive sides is up and active.  Now, with just the swipe of a finger, players can mimic any move of the original 3” x 3” Cube. 

The time set by Pochmann was impressive but is a reflection on the added challenge that this new cube poses - the World Record for the original currently stands at a fraction over 7 seconds. And now that a marker has been set, it is expected to reduce dramatically over coming months especially as a further competition has been set at the Rubik’s World Championships in Dusseldorf in October.

Eric Levin, president of Techno Source commented:  “We were excited to let the speedcubing community, true Rubik’s enthusiasts, finally get their hands on the Rubik’s TouchCube at the U.S. Nationals. There was some fierce competition onsite as speedcubers swiped [instead of twisting and turning] to solve this hi-tech Rubik’s Cube for the first time.”