The Best of Google Chrome Cube Lab's Custom Rubik's Cubes
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Rubik's Cube, Google adorned its Doodle space with an interactive version of the insanity-inducing puzzle.
.In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Rubik's Cube, Google adorned its Doodle space with an interactive version of the insanity-inducing puzzle. The toy that has frustrated millions over the last four decades was created by Erno Rubik, a Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor, in 1974. It took him several weeks to solve his own cube, so don't get too frustrated with the Doodle if you get stuck.
In addition to adding the Cube to their front page, Google launched the Chrome Cube Lab. The Cube Lab is a space in which developers can create their own custom Cubes, and users can attempt to solve them. To make the Cubes, Google combined these tech superpowers:
- Chrome, complete with Javascript engine, allows the Cube to be twisted on any device.
- HTML5 & CSS3 allows the style to appear 3D and help make the Cube motions fluid.
- Three.js allows the cube to be rendered in real time. This is the part that actually lets the Cube be constructed and rotated across three axes.
- Google Web Fonts actually created a new font for the Cubes, called Rubik, of course. It is brand new and open-source.
- Google Cloud is where the Cube Lab lives, in the Google App Engine. It hosts the entire experience.
And now, for the best of Cubes that were created so far:
Scanwich Cube by Jon Chonko
This is a delicious looking Cube.
Circle Cuba by Paul Trillo
Squares made of circles make this Cube is especially challenging.
Game Face by Jay Quercia
This Cube gets extra points for featuring a beard.
If you want to try your hand at making your own Cube, check out the developer's page. And if you want to solve them, good luck.
