Rubik's Cube Gets a Makeover

(NEWSER) - A mathematician has devised a foolproof method for solving Sudoku puzzles, USA Today reports. The stimulating mental challenge of the game has attracted millions of fans all over the world, but, from a mathematical perspective, “the interesting fact about Sudoku is that it is a trivial puzzle to solve," says JF Crook of Winthrop University, whose Suduko-busting formula appears in Notices of the American Mathematical Society. More»

Mattel will produce hairless doll for sick children

(NEWSER) - Barbie-maker Mattel is creating a special doll for children who have lost their hair to illness. The new doll will be bald and a friend of Barbie, and she'll come with fashion accessories including hats, scarves, and wigs. Earlier this year, a Facebook campaign that garnered 150,000 "likes" urged Mattel to produce a bald version of Barbie, reports ABC News . Mattel won't sell the dolls in retail stores or profit from them but instead distribute the figurines exclusively to children's hospitals in the US and Canada. More»

Nokia eyes tattoo that vibrates as call alert

(NEWSER) - Hello, brave new world. Nokia may be working on an invention that would cause a tattoo to vibrate every time you get a call on your cell. The Finnish firm's filing with the US Patent Office describes tattooing, stamping, or spraying "ferromagnetic" material onto skin—or a fingernail—and linking it to a mobile device, reports the BBC . Vibrations could alert users to a variety of situations. "Examples of applications may be low battery indication, received message, received call, or calendar alert," all with different vibrations for each, notes the filing. More»

The iCEO is going for $60

(NEWSER) - Cuddle up with your favorite CEO: A 15-inch plush stuffed doll of the late Steve Jobs is now for sale. The "iCEO," released by pillow company Throwboy , will set you back $60. It features removable glasses, a black turtle neck, and real denim jeans, reports Mashable . The toy is limited-edition, with only 1,200 being made. No word yet on whether Apple will try to stop the doll, as it did with an action figure earlier this year . More»

Maybe even partners

(NEWSER) - Computers could get all our transistors going in the very near future when we finally accept them as "human," predicts a well-known futurist. Inventor and author Ray Kurzweil believes that humans and technology are blurring—he points to the bionic smartphones attached to nearly every human's hand—and will eventually merge. "We are a human-machine civilization. Everybody has been enhanced with computer technology," he told an audience yesterday at the South by Southwest Interactive conference. "They're really part of who we are." Machines will also continue to evolve on their own toward a human-like status, notes CNN . "If we can convince people that computers have complexity of thought and nuance we'll come to accept them as human," says Kurzweil. More»