Practise to become color neutral

There is a heavily debate on speedsolving.com about color neutrality. A cuber called jskyler91 is saying that it's possible to become color neutral within one month if using his "method". The method is based on the following:

  1. Start practising with your opposite color as your new cross color for 4 days
  2. Practising a new color for another 5 days
  3. On day 10 practise both the opposite color and the newly choose color always starting with the best cross option
  4. Practise the opposite color to the color choosen in step 2 for 5 days
  5. On day 16 practise both your original oppostise color and both the colors you have been working with this far always choosing the best cross alternative
  6. Choose a new color and practise for 5 days
  7. Use the oppostite color of the one in step 6 for 5 days
  8. On day 27-30 practise all colors except your original always choosing the best alternative
  9. On day 31 and forward always choose the best cross alternative

I have been thinking about this for a very long time myself but been to lazy to do it or given up after a few tries. This method is forcing you to always go for the color you have choosen for a period of time and get used to it. However, I have been practising with the opposite color for some time on and of for the past years so I feel pretty comfortable with that. I decided to give the method a try but jumped right into step 2 instead. After an hour of experimenting I could gradually increase the TPS when focusing on applying the "color filter" he is talking about. I do belive that it has potential and will continue practising to become color neutral.

Although, you only save a move or so according to Lars Vandenbergh's cross study you have the options to choose an easier more finger friendly cross instead of maybe a nasty cross. You only save a move but it can help you to get more fluency in your solve.

I'm also experimenting little with the Roux method and sometimes I can't find anything good with my original colors when there sometimes are some really good starts with other colors I'm not used to, so I definately think this method WILL work.

Another nice feture is that you will have to start to think again and be more active during F2L. Learning new things makes it more fun if you feel boresome always doing the same cross color over and over.The thing is after the 30 days NOT to fall back and doing the original cross color again 100% of the time. I think I can be little tricky to find an evaluate 6 crosses in 15 seconds but we will see.

Seven Towns forces Dayan to change color scheme

The color scheme that Rubik's has Copyrights to, is: White - Yellow, Blue - Green, Red - Orange. More specifically, when these colors are used on a cube, in the RWB clockwise configuration, it then represents the Rubik's copyright image. So the image (logo or brand recognized image) is what's the issue here.

If anyone recalls the Japanese color scheme, this issue has happened before. The solution at that time was to use the same colors as Rubik's, but configure them in a different order... Blue - White, Red - Orange, Green - Yellow. But now it looks like Dayan has chosen to comply to Seven Town's request to change their colors. Orange, will now be replaced with Purple.

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Purchased some new cubes this weekend

Haven't purchased some cubes for the last 2 years or so so I thought I should browse around little for some new. I was totally blown away of how many new cube that have been released during this period and also the number of cube stores that had popped out. Last time I ordered there where only like 3 or 4 stores that I knew of, now I found 15+ stores. Really fun. The prices didn't seem to vary that much between them so I went for Mefferts.com where I previously ordered many times before. They are both reliable and fast and the shipping is free. The second order I placed was at HKNowStore.com which seems like a credible cube store. They has also free shipping and a large range of different cubes. I will let you know when the cubes arrive from both Mefferts and HKNowStore.

Mefferts

Gear Pyraminx Black

The Dino Cube by Mf8 and SmaZ Black

WitEden Super 3x3x7:01 Magic Cube Black

WitEden Super 3x3x8ⅡMagic Cube Black

Venus Pillow Black designed by: Evgeniy

Gear Shift Black

Curvy Copter designed by Tom van der Zanden Black

New Pyraminx designed by Adam G. Cowan and Timur Evbatyrov black

The Feliks Pillow designed by Adam G. Cowan black

3x3x6 Tower Black

Bermuda Special&House 4 By DaYan Black

Full Function 3x3x9 RoadBlock Cube II Black Body

Full Function 3x3x7 II Cube Black Body

Full Function 3x3x9 II Cube Black Body

Full Function 3x3x9 I Cube Black Body

New Helicopter Dodecahedron by Mf8

Crazy Tetrahedron Plus in 4 Solid Colors Earth

Dino-Dodecahedron by Mf8 Black

Bermuda Cubes Earth by DaYan Black

 

HKNowStore

DaYan Gem III Cube Black Body

DaYan Gem IV Cube Black Body

CT 4x4x4 AI Bandage Black Body Cube

CT 5x5x5 Burr Cube Black Body Cube

CT 4x4x4 B443A Bandage Black Body Cube

CT 3x3x3 3-Slices Black Body

CT 3x3x3 Big Block Black Body

Super Square Star Black Body

Super Square Column Black Body

Super Square Triangle Black Body

2-Layers Gimmick Black Body Puzzle

3-Layers Pillow Gimmick Black Body Puzzle

Master Skewb Puzzle Black Body

Tuttminx Black Body

Dayan LingYun II Black Body DIY Kit

Dayan GuHong Black Body DIY Kit

Dayan ZhanChi Black Body DIY

Dayan LunHui Black Body DIY

DINO Cube Black Body

Official Latch Cube from Japan in Display Box

3x3x3 Standard PVC Stickers Set

Roux solve UR / UL

Rules:

  1. M2 preserves orientation. U/U'/U2 are always allowed
  2. If you do an M/M' move it must be followed by a U2 move and then M/M' move to preserve the orientation

Steps:

  1. Place the pieces diagonal from each other, meaning that, e.g. the UR piece is in DB and the UL piece is in UF. It could also be other way around (UB and DF) which piece is where doesn't matter.
  2. Do M' U2 M' to place them opposite to each other in the same layer either in top or bottom layer.
  3. Place them in the bottom layer with M2 if not already OR if not solved
  4. Adjust the upper face (AUF) so that the edges will be solved when doing another M2
  5. Do M2 to place them in the U-layer
  6. AUF again to place the correctly with U/U'
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Step 6:
Tip: You can also solve the UF and UB edges instead of the UL and UR edges as long as you place them in UL and UR after this step.

World record weekend

Two new world records have been beaten this weekend 17/12-2011.

First one is Mats Valk set in the Dutch Nationals Netherlands Zaandam for the 4x4x4 single time of 30.02 seconds. The former record was held by Feliks Zemdegs with a time of 30.28 seconds set in Australian Nationals 2011

Second is Michał Pleskowicz set in Kociewie Open 2011 in Poland, Starogard Gdanski for 3x3x one-handed single of 9.53 seconds. The former record was held by Piotr Tomczyk with a time of 10.68 seconds set in Swierklany Open 2011

Roux EO

Four un-oriented edges

M' U2 M'

case 1 leads to arrow case 4
Direct case: (M' U2 M') U2 (M U M)
Reflection: None
case 2   leads to arrow case 4
Direct case: (M' U2 M') U2 (M' U M')
Reflection: None

M2

case 3   leads to arrow case 4
Direct case: M2 U' (M' U M')
Reflection: M2 U' (M U' M)

 M' U M'

case 4
Direct case: (M' U M')
Reflection: (M U M) or (M U' M)

2 un-oriented edges

M' U M' / M' U' M' / M U M / M U' M

case 5 leads to arrow case 4
Direct solve: (M' U M') U (M U M)
Reflection:  (M U M) U (M' U M')
case 6 leads to case 3
Direct solve: (M' U M) U' (M' U M')
Reflection: None
case 7 leads to arrow case 4
Direct solve: (M' U M') U2 (M' U M')
Reflection: (M U M) U2 (M U M)
case 8 leads to arrow case 4
Direct solve: (M' U M') U' (M U M)
Reflection: None

6 un-oriented edges

M' U M'

case 9 leads to case 5
Direct solve: (M' U M') U2 (M U M) U (M' U M')
Reflection: None