For lack of a better word, Wow. My ex's kids had these little cubes about 1/8th the size of this that had little screens on one side. They had little stick figures that "lived" in them. They would do random things -- walk around, jump up and down, etc. If you shook one they gave you what for, but if you put one next to another, they would leave their cube, enter the other, and interact with the other cube's resident. The kids had 4 of them and all 4 put together was a hoot. Like peeking into a tiny, 4-apartment building. This reminded me of those. Great review, as always.
The main drawback is that it has no main features... incredibly slow frame rate, terrible apps, $579 price tag, no third party support, horrible programming API... almost all of the games are variations on the same theme. This is the kind of thing that will end up in landfills very quickly or on eBay second hand for $50 for people trying to recoup some of their loss.
@@vorpal22 I agree they will have trouble selling them but.. people that wait long enough till the company goes out of business and this product isn't sold anymore, will likely fetch a high price on eBay.
@@aussieknuckles Could be... it's hard to predict these things. For example, in 2019, I bought five video games off Amazon for between $40 - $50 each (around $230 total). They are all out of print now, and I checked eBay for the going rate of used copies (not even new ones), and three of them are worth $200+, one of them is worth around $250, and the fifth one (which isn't even a good game) is selling for about $370. Crazy. I had completely forgot about this shovelware. I wonder if they did ship by December 2022 like they said they would? I'm going to go poke around online for a bit and find out.
@@aussieknuckles LOL I just checked their website, and no, sure enough they didn't make their self imposed deadline. It's now listed as shipping during Q2 2023. I'll be really surprised if it ships then, since it's already supposed to have shipped for well over a year now (and I think possibly two years).
for a thing with 24 screens, you didn't say much about them, other than they're OLED screens. the refresh rate looks pretty abysmal - 10-15fps? i understand they need to conserve power, but it looked like early 2000s nascent touchscreen tech. those thick black frames also ruin the aesthetic substantially, even if they are necessary to keep the product rigid and less prone to damage from dropping. the whole thing looks like an interesting concept that simply required some tech that unfortunately still doesn't exist in a form sufficient enough to make it actually feasible. it's like trying to make a laptop before thin LED screens were good and viable. if the rubik's cube twisty modular part is just not feasible yet... why not just make it a 6-sided 6-screen touchcube? they can simulate the rubik's cube's twisting just with better screens and touch gestures. without the physical twisting, they can focus on making the cube MUCH prettier without compromising on structural integrity. sure, they won't be able to beta-test the modular computing part (which is cool on its own too btw) but only because it won't be necessary, and might actually improve the device's compatibility with standard android apps. overall, just feels like a product that didn't have enough public testing. there's no way anyone would buy that for $250.
The frame rate is terrible. There are videos on UA-cam of the programming API, which is horrid (so many functions all in caps, very C-like but much worse) and nobody has watched them. The programmer's voice isn't even synched properly with the video in any of the videos. The projected date of delivery has been pushed back multiple times. The price isn't $250. It's $579, but if you preorder NOW (for December), you can get it for the high high cost of $349. Do they seriously think this thing is worth as much as an OLED Switch? I completely agree with you that a six sided six screen cube would have made much more sense, and probably have much better opportunity for application development. I don't think the device does have any compatibility with Android apps. It uses a completely different programming language than Android, which promotes Java or languages that compile into Java bytecode like Kotlin. (C / C++ are supported but discouraged by Google.) The WOWCube uses a programming language called PAWN which is mostly used for scripting and only supported in a handful of apps / devices. I predict this will go very badly.
It looks beautiful. I would buy it just for the visualizations and screen savers. I'm not big on puzzles, either. Good review, btw. Exactly what I needed to know for this product.
Thank you for review! I'm totally loving the WOW Cube! It's like a cool new version of the old Rubik's Cube, but way more awesome with its different dimensions. I went all in and upgraded to the black edition, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Seriously hoping it arrives before the end of the year - that would make for an awesome Christmas gift!
I had it two weeks and my cat knocked it off the dresser and cracked it. Ugh. It does not wow, bordem with it takes over pretty fast. Battery sucks juice to dead when you leave it off the charger. It is stiff and turns to hard. It randomly resets in the middle of play. Worst money I have ever spent.
Furthermore, we have no idea how installation of other apps will be handled or how much they will generally cost. This device seems like it is likely to be more difficult to program than any standard gaming console or phone. As a software developer, I'd like to know more about what the dev kit for this looks like. What is it based on? I'm guessing due to the novel design, it is going to be quite complicated to do simple things.
I think it's a impressive proof of concept but agree it's a bit pricey but kudos to the kid he Is obviously passionate about it maybe if he could get the price down to something more reasonable it could possibly sell well
A Rubik's cube is a mathematical puzzle based on graph theory. This has eight cubes instead of the 26 on a Rubik's cube. Even though this claims to have a "Rubik's Cube" in the video, they really aren't that comparable.
its bullshit misconception that you need an expensive product to get things done. Honestly they sell this concept in order to keep up with their sales number. A lot of problems can simply be solved with old school low tech method but I guess there are a small portion of the human population who wants to stand out and be admired as the smart ones in the society.
@@laupeter4594 I don't really see much of a use for this thing. A three dimensional timer? That's just silly and shows how the user interface is actually quite poor rather than a strength. I don't think this thing will find a market.
You seem to be the wrong person to review this cube. You admit to not liking puzzles yet you are reviewing a puzzle? At least you stated that your family liked it enough that you had to pry it from their fingers.
It is not supposed to be a puzzle: while it can support puzzles, it has a lot of different apps that have nothing to do with puzzles. It's difficult to know whether this will get support or be used for gaming much at all. I personally think it will flop, but I'll wait to be surprised.
Well done with your videos. Problem with wowcube is that its multidimensional design is actually very confusing for elderly whose visuo-spatial awareness tends to deteriorate. Great idea but these developers have no idea how the human brain works cos they aren't trained in that area. Companies should consider hiring someone with a relevant background rather than just take a technical IT guy who scored A+ in college to do the job! Just cos you are smart at school doesn't mean you know how the world works. They like to create one gadget and then self-indulge in their "intelligence" because no one criticizes them.
That's a good point, though I don't think the elderly are neccessarily their target market. It's important to try new things and innovate, even if it doesn't always work out right. And who knows, maybe there'll be a killer app one day.
This is absolutely true and why Apple does so well. As a tech guy who has a PhD in computer science / math, I can say that tech people generally are terrible at making user interfaces because we think about tech very differently than most people who don't have our same background. You need usability experts and usability testing with your target audience to get a good design.
For lack of a better word, Wow.
My ex's kids had these little cubes about 1/8th the size of this that had little screens on one side. They had little stick figures that "lived" in them. They would do random things -- walk around, jump up and down, etc. If you shook one they gave you what for, but if you put one next to another, they would leave their cube, enter the other, and interact with the other cube's resident. The kids had 4 of them and all 4 put together was a hoot. Like peeking into a tiny, 4-apartment building. This reminded me of those.
Great review, as always.
Ah yeah, Cubeworld toys. They're pretty impressive toys back in 2005.
@@AMetalOxide -- THANK YOU! I never would have remembered the name, lol.
I think they can have characters living inside the cube and even perhaps talking, theyll be winning.
The main drawback of the cube is its price.
The main drawback is that it has no main features... incredibly slow frame rate, terrible apps, $579 price tag, no third party support, horrible programming API... almost all of the games are variations on the same theme. This is the kind of thing that will end up in landfills very quickly or on eBay second hand for $50 for people trying to recoup some of their loss.
kindof makes sense a 12yo made this
@@vorpal22 I agree they will have trouble selling them but.. people that wait long enough till the company goes out of business and this product isn't sold anymore, will likely fetch a high price on eBay.
@@aussieknuckles Could be... it's hard to predict these things. For example, in 2019, I bought five video games off Amazon for between $40 - $50 each (around $230 total). They are all out of print now, and I checked eBay for the going rate of used copies (not even new ones), and three of them are worth $200+, one of them is worth around $250, and the fifth one (which isn't even a good game) is selling for about $370. Crazy.
I had completely forgot about this shovelware. I wonder if they did ship by December 2022 like they said they would? I'm going to go poke around online for a bit and find out.
@@aussieknuckles LOL I just checked their website, and no, sure enough they didn't make their self imposed deadline. It's now listed as shipping during Q2 2023. I'll be really surprised if it ships then, since it's already supposed to have shipped for well over a year now (and I think possibly two years).
Now on sale for only $299. But luckily your video has just saved me $299. Thanks.
Would not buy. Seems like a novelty gadget that won't sell well and will have practically 0 third party support.
Interesting idea, but definitely needs “killer apps”
for a thing with 24 screens, you didn't say much about them, other than they're OLED screens. the refresh rate looks pretty abysmal - 10-15fps? i understand they need to conserve power, but it looked like early 2000s nascent touchscreen tech. those thick black frames also ruin the aesthetic substantially, even if they are necessary to keep the product rigid and less prone to damage from dropping.
the whole thing looks like an interesting concept that simply required some tech that unfortunately still doesn't exist in a form sufficient enough to make it actually feasible. it's like trying to make a laptop before thin LED screens were good and viable. if the rubik's cube twisty modular part is just not feasible yet... why not just make it a 6-sided 6-screen touchcube? they can simulate the rubik's cube's twisting just with better screens and touch gestures. without the physical twisting, they can focus on making the cube MUCH prettier without compromising on structural integrity. sure, they won't be able to beta-test the modular computing part (which is cool on its own too btw) but only because it won't be necessary, and might actually improve the device's compatibility with standard android apps.
overall, just feels like a product that didn't have enough public testing. there's no way anyone would buy that for $250.
The frame rate is terrible. There are videos on UA-cam of the programming API, which is horrid (so many functions all in caps, very C-like but much worse) and nobody has watched them. The programmer's voice isn't even synched properly with the video in any of the videos. The projected date of delivery has been pushed back multiple times.
The price isn't $250. It's $579, but if you preorder NOW (for December), you can get it for the high high cost of $349. Do they seriously think this thing is worth as much as an OLED Switch?
I completely agree with you that a six sided six screen cube would have made much more sense, and probably have much better opportunity for application development.
I don't think the device does have any compatibility with Android apps. It uses a completely different programming language than Android, which promotes Java or languages that compile into Java bytecode like Kotlin. (C / C++ are supported but discouraged by Google.) The WOWCube uses a programming language called PAWN which is mostly used for scripting and only supported in a handful of apps / devices.
I predict this will go very badly.
At 7:00 its clearly telling you to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. Not on a vertical axis like youre doing
It wasn't that clear!
@@MakeUseOf *facepalm* How much more clear could it be?
Still, who needs a three dimensional timer? It seems unnecessary.
If there isn't already a Lament Configuration app for this device, thats a major missed opportunity
It looks beautiful. I would buy it just for the visualizations and screen savers. I'm not big on puzzles, either. Good review, btw. Exactly what I needed to know for this product.
$579 beautiful?
Thank you for review! I'm totally loving the WOW Cube! It's like a cool new version of the old Rubik's Cube, but way more awesome with its different dimensions. I went all in and upgraded to the black edition, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Seriously hoping it arrives before the end of the year - that would make for an awesome Christmas gift!
You with the timer makes me cry in pain
It's great if you want to set a random time though...
The name kinda sounds ridiculous, wish they could rename it to something cooler
It doesn't WOW you? (LOL it doesn't wow me either.)
I had it two weeks and my cat knocked it off the dresser and cracked it. Ugh. It does not wow, bordem with it takes over pretty fast. Battery sucks juice to dead when you leave it off the charger. It is stiff and turns to hard. It randomly resets in the middle of play. Worst money I have ever spent.
$300 bucks...too pricey
Furthermore, we have no idea how installation of other apps will be handled or how much they will generally cost.
This device seems like it is likely to be more difficult to program than any standard gaming console or phone.
As a software developer, I'd like to know more about what the dev kit for this looks like. What is it based on?
I'm guessing due to the novel design, it is going to be quite complicated to do simple things.
The fps on this thing seems dreadful
I think it's a impressive proof of concept but agree it's a bit pricey but kudos to the kid he Is obviously passionate about it maybe if he could get the price down to something more reasonable it could possibly sell well
I want to try it
when your Rubik’s cube is from year 2937
A Rubik's cube is a mathematical puzzle based on graph theory. This has eight cubes instead of the 26 on a Rubik's cube.
Even though this claims to have a "Rubik's Cube" in the video, they really aren't that comparable.
Where I bought?😊
Last I heard, it's stil in presale stage I'm afraid. Looks like production was harder than expected.
If it was glass, i would get it. Plus imagine sending whatsapp messages on a rubic's cube
Fantastic review 🙂
It's really an interesting engineering device, but so far pretty expensive
its bullshit misconception that you need an expensive product to get things done. Honestly they sell this concept in order to keep up with their sales number. A lot of problems can simply be solved with old school low tech method but I guess there are a small portion of the human population who wants to stand out and be admired as the smart ones in the society.
@@laupeter4594 I don't know what are you talking about, but it sound with passion so I press the like button because it looks like you need it!
@@Chemy. lmao 😂😂
Honestly, just wish for it on christmas
@@laupeter4594 I don't really see much of a use for this thing. A three dimensional timer? That's just silly and shows how the user interface is actually quite poor rather than a strength. I don't think this thing will find a market.
You seem to be the wrong person to review this cube. You admit to not liking puzzles yet you are reviewing a puzzle? At least you stated that your family liked it enough that you had to pry it from their fingers.
My apologies for having an opinion and presenting multiple views. Did you order this and are looking for validation?
It is not supposed to be a puzzle: while it can support puzzles, it has a lot of different apps that have nothing to do with puzzles.
It's difficult to know whether this will get support or be used for gaming much at all. I personally think it will flop, but I'll wait to be surprised.
Well done with your videos. Problem with wowcube is that its multidimensional design is actually very confusing for elderly whose visuo-spatial awareness tends to deteriorate. Great idea but these developers have no idea how the human brain works cos they aren't trained in that area. Companies should consider hiring someone with a relevant background rather than just take a technical IT guy who scored A+ in college to do the job! Just cos you are smart at school doesn't mean you know how the world works. They like to create one gadget and then self-indulge in their "intelligence" because no one criticizes them.
That's a good point, though I don't think the elderly are neccessarily their target market. It's important to try new things and innovate, even if it doesn't always work out right. And who knows, maybe there'll be a killer app one day.
Yes, because a product's success or failure is hinged on whether or not it appeals to... elderly people...?!
How does this make sense this isn't for elderly this is for cube enthusiasts
The elderly could perhaps not buy this then...
This is absolutely true and why Apple does so well. As a tech guy who has a PhD in computer science / math, I can say that tech people generally are terrible at making user interfaces because we think about tech very differently than most people who don't have our same background. You need usability experts and usability testing with your target audience to get a good design.