Games Archives - Geek for Hire

A Bluetooth-Connected App to Solve Your Puzzle Cube?

Posted on October 31, 2021November 27, 2021 by Gail Eddy in Entertainment Apps, Games, Smartphone Apps

What with Bluetooth this and Bluetooth that, have you ever thought about a Bluetooth-connected app to help with solving a puzzle cube? Last year, Santa dropped a non-smart, non-Bluetooth puzzle cube into everyone’s stocking. They were all different. Some were super easy, and others, like the triangle-shaped one, were diabolical! We had fun sharing them, but they are all so mixed up now. I don’t think that they will ever get solved again!

UPDATED: originally published on 5/26/2021. We sometimes post links to products where we may earn a small commission. This won’t change the price you pay, in fact, sometimes we know about additional discounts! As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

A little history:

The original puzzle cube was invented by Erno Rubik in 1974. It took him a month to solve it! Mr. Rubik is Hungarian and has degrees in Architecture and Design.

“Puzzles bring out important qualities in each of us: concentration, curiosity, a sense of play, the eagerness to discover a solution.”

You can read more in his book Cubed.

What’s interesting to me is that Rubik spawned a whole new puzzle industry. There’s a snake cube puzzle, a puzzle ring, even puzzle cubes with famous paintings!

Is there a Bluetooth-connected Puzzle Cube?

I’ve just found out that there are several STEM toys that keep your brain active with improved cognitive mapping skills, increase eye-hand agility, AND help you solve the cube. There are several. The most well-known are the Rubik’s Connected Cube, and the GoCube. They are both physical cubes that connect to your smartphone. They track your progress and help you learn how to solve the puzzle faster.

Want to see how the GoCube puzzle works?

The GoCube was introduced back in 2018 with a Kickstarter campaign. It was designed to help people learn how to solve the puzzle cube faster, and, more importantly, to learn where your logic is breaking down. Before long, you’re moving up to higher and higher levels. GoCube also has a community of other “cubers” worldwide. They’ll match you up with someone at your level to compete against. Awesome!

Here’s their original video from the Kickstarter:

You CAN do the Cube:

If you just want to learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube fast, head over to Ruwix. Have you been wondering: how does a Rubik’s Cube work? Ruwix is dedicated to helping you learn the logic behind the madness. This site will even show you how to form the Rubik’s Cube White Cross and the yellow cross. I think if you keep at it, you’ll learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube in 20 moves or less too. Hashtag: #YouCanDoTheCube

What I love about the GoCube:

I love that the GoCube lights up
I like that it can sense the position of each square exactly and help you “see” the position spatially. Then, it helps you solve it without making you feel like an idiot.
I love that it helps kids of all ages learn logic and spatial awareness.

What I don’t:

My only knock is that the GoCube seems a little expensive. Keep on the lookout for discounts. If GoCube has a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal, I’ll update this post.

Conclusion: Should you get a connected Puzzle Cube?

These connected puzzle cubes are great STEM toys that help you learn at the same time. This would be a very cool gift for the holidays! You can purchase it directly from GoCube or Amazon. If you’re thinking about getting more than one, scroll down on the GoCube page for their BOGO deal.

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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More Tech Tips:

Are VPNs worth it? More here.
Are you interested in learning more about Extreme Privacy?
We have seen a lot of Facebook hacking lately. Here’s what you should do ahead of time to keep your account safe.
And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

Is It Just Me, Or Is My Favorite App Down?

Posted on August 30, 2016September 8, 2016 by Gail Eddy in AT&T, eMail, Entertainment, Games, Passwords

Does this happen to you too? I head over to a certain app, whether for business or just goofing off, and I can’t log on! I try again and again, being very purposeful entering my password. I shut down the application and restart it. I shut down my phone/laptop/tablet and restart it, but the problem persists. What is going on?!

In some cases, it could be the application itself which is having the issue. Their servers are not infallible, despite what they might claim.

But WordPress can go down. And so can Facebook, Twitter, Quickbooks Online, and many other. To check the status of your app when you are having issues head over to any of these sites:

Down Detector – I like the visuals of their graph. Very easy to understand. Down Detector tracks Facebook, Netflix, AT&T, Verizon, eBay, Twitter, and many others: http://downdetector.com/
Down Right Now – I like the visuals of this site as well. They mostly track Social Media and email sites: http://downrightnow.com/
Outage Report – Not only does this site provide a graph of down times, but they have a map to show where the outages are occuring. In addition to Social Media and entertainment sites, this site also tracks online gaming apps: http://outage.report/

If you are experiencing difficulties getting on to one of your favorite apps, remember to check one of the above sites. and record your problem too.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet, but I’m tempted! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

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Olympics!

Posted on August 2, 2016September 8, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Entertainment, Entertainment Apps, Games, Smartphone Apps

Will you be following the Olympics? More and more people I know don’t have cable or satellite TV service anymore and are wondering how to keep up. Here are some suggestions:

If you do still have a TV with an antenna, tune your set to NBC. If you are near a large city that still broadcasts, you should be able to pick it up. (Unless you’re in Colorado’s Foothills!)
Your second option is to view it via NBC’s live stream: Note that I had to reload the page a few times before it would start playing. I’m guessing their servers are busy!
You can also try Sling.com. They have a one week free trial. Remember to cancel before the free trial ends though, or get ready to pay $25 per month.
You can also download the Olympic app on your phone: Note that it’s not very intuitive and takes a while to figure out how to navigate it. If you’re just looking for results, though, this is a good place to start.You can also get information about the upcoming Olympics in PyeongChang, Tokyo, and Beijing.

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5 Good Things to Know about Pokemon Go

Posted on July 26, 2016September 8, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Entertainment, Entertainment Apps, Facebook, Games, Smartphone Apps, Social Media

Have you downloaded the new Pokemon Go App yet? Are you playing it? It seems to be taking the nation by storm! You can find out all about it at the Pokemon website: http://www.pokemongo.com and you can download it from the iTunes store or, for the Android from Google Play.

If you are playing, make sure you appropriately manage your security settings. (In fact you should always be careful with how much you share from your phone with game developers.)

Pokemon sure has been getting some bad press though. Consider some of these stories:

Veteran Memorial overrun by Pokemon players
Pokemon Go players go mad.
Falling, tripping, and other mishaps.

The Good News:

But it’s not all bad news. There have been several good things to come out of this new craze. For example, people with anxiety, autism and Asperger’s are finding the Pokemon Go helps them get out and be more social. According to this article in Inverse:

“… the game is reportedly helping people overcome anxiety and other mental health issues, bringing an array of players together under one common passion. Such has been the case for a few parents of autistic children, who have been sharing stories about the game easing their children into incredible social interactions.”

Pokemon has helped people find things:

According to one story, two women found a toddler: “Looking for new Pokemon Friday night, as they’d done before, the two stumbled upon a little girl who looked to be no older than 2, crossing a busy street by herself.”

Another teen found a missing man who had recently died.

Businesses have realized they can use Pokemon to their advantage. In fact, this Forbes article is full of ideas that businesses can use to lure in more Pokemon players – and potential buyers!

“Instead, take a cue from this local indie clothing store, which got into the spirit of the game by saying, “come get your PokéBalls and previously rocked threads. Gotta catch ‘em all in style!” That’s bound to leave a positive impression, get people talking and, with the overwhelming media attention this game is getting, potentially get your local business some exposure in the press.”

And players are accidentally getting more exercise! One friend posted this on her Facebook a few days ago:

“I’ve walked 26 miles this week playing Pokemon GO. This is the weight loss plan I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”

In fact there’s even a guide for people who want to do interval training!

“Interval training … is a workout where you push yourself as hard as you can in short bursts, rest, then repeat. … This kind of stop and go activity is perfectly suited for the walk-and-stop play of Pokémon Go, and knowing that you get to play while you exercise can be a huge motivator. You’ll collect items at PokéStops (like eggs that only hatch if you walk or run), hatch said eggs with the massive number of steps you rack up, wear down rival gyms so you can take over, find wild pokémon to catch, and get fit all at the same time.”

Is it all just a mad scheme? How long do you thing this craze will last?

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iPad Games For Your Cat

Posted on April 21, 2015December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Apple, Entertainment, Entertainment Apps, Games, iPad, Mac's

I’ve been hearing about games you can play with your cat on your iPad. I decided to try a few and see how Dot (our cat) liked them. I started with this article on MacLife.com.

I have a silly rule about applications for my phone and iPad. All apps (except for the ones required for business) must be free! Most of the free apps I found were published by Purina/Friskies.

If you don’t have a screen protector, I’d recommend getting one before letting your cat play with your iPad!

First we tried Cat Fishing 2. Dot seemed interested in the fish swimming around the screen and watched them intently. But she never tried to catch them or attack them in any way. The game makes two sounds. Dot didn’t seem to notice the fish bubbles, but when the iPad meowed at her, she jumped about a mile!

Next we tried Nifty Cat Games. It showed a fly buzzing across the screen. Before Dot could express an interest one way or another – a mere fifteen seconds later – this nifty screen popped up:

Next we tried Game for Cats. I’m starting to think my cat just is too cool for the iPad. Here’s a photo of her with the laser tag game:

I think we’ll just stick to the old fashioned cat toys!

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a Free Report on what to look for to protect yourself from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.