"There's something special about the gadget that "just works." Technology can open opportunities for those devices but also complicate and weigh down products that have done just fine without things like sensors and software. So when a product like the beloved Rubik's Cube gets stuffed with wires, processors, and rechargeable batteries, there's demand for it to be not just on par with the original-but markedly better."
"The Rubik's Cube did all that without electronics and with a current MSRP of $10. The WOWCube takes the opposite approach. It's $399 (as of this writing) and ditches the traditional 3×3 grid in favor of a 2×2 grid that can still do the traditional Rubik's puzzle (albeit on a smaller scale) and perform a host of other tricks, including playing other games and telling the weather."
The WOWCube integrates sensors, processors, and rechargeable batteries into a Rubik's Cube–inspired toy, adding digital features such as games and weather displays. The device carries a $399 price and replaces the classic 3×3 layout with a 2×2 grid, reducing visible squares from 54 to 24 and making the puzzle significantly easier. The smaller puzzle increases accessibility for casual or inexperienced solvers while disappointing hardcore cubers who want a standard 3×3 or harder variants. The added electronics expand capability and appeal but also raise cost and risk diminishing the simple mechanical charm that defined the original.
Read at Ars Technica
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