rhgrafix wrote:The pictures are misleading, most magnet sets are 6x6x6 = 216, these must be 5x5x5 to equal 144 (with a few spares).

Um, the pictures show cubes of 5, with 19 to the side. How is that misleading?

Granted, they could have made it more clear in the description that these aren't the standard size cubes, but the pictures themselves are completely accurate.

Found an easter egg on today's page using the Woot app on my iphone. I don't know how to trigger it again.

Well as usual the JETster is in for 2 x 3 packs. I'll have an extra book but that's ok. I'm sure I can put it to use.

I have 16 sets so far, so with this I'll have 6 more albeit the 5x5x5 size. I'm sure I'll do some mixing and matching eventually. I wonder what would constitute a giant BUCKY?? I'll have to give it a try some day. Separating them could be a mess.

Feoen wrote:I just bought one. I just recently started using Woot and this is my second purchase. Funny, because I was in a store the other day and saw a single pack and was going to buy them but decided not to.

I have a concern, however, which is why I passed them up the first time:

If these magnets are "so strong", what is a safe distance to keep them away from technology?

My office workspace has dual monitors and two computers. I am most concerned about the monitors, but I'm getting the impression I shouldn't even keep them in the same desk as where my monitors are.

What are your experiences? Are these anyhow safe near technology?

For the most part, LCD monitors and solid state/flash drives (Like those in most phones) won't be affected by magnets. Granted, any electronic equipment can be affected by strong enough magnets, but once you get into magnets that strong, you'll be more worried about them crushing body parts than what they'll do to your electronics.

For magnetic hard drives, I've accidentally had a string of about 20 buckyballs stuck to the my computer case for a week, with no ill effects. I wouldn't do that again on purpose, but I keep them on the desk above the computer all the time with no problems.

If you have CRT monitors, you probably can affect them if you get the magnets close enough, but I'd be willing to bet even 6 inches away is going to be far enough that you won't have to worry about it.

Basically, you want to be cautious with them, but there's no need for extreme measures. Yes, these are really strong magnets, but they're also really, really small (Seriously, if you haven't seen them in person before, you're going to be surprised at how small they are).

Is anyone else bothered that they didn't just fill in the blue hexagon with the extra buckyball in the picture? :p

The Big Book of Bucky Vol. 1 retails for approximately $10. Subtract that from the cost and you're only paying $24.99 for what, 432 Buckyballs?

Not bad, not bad at all. In for one.

And as for the paint issue, my gold set I purchased back in 11/2010 has not chipped or flaked.

In for one. "The Big Book of Bucky" Is anyone else looking forward to vol. 2?

neenerneenernine11 wrote:Is anyone else bothered that they didn't just fill in the blue hexagon with the extra buckyball in the picture? :p

Definitely.

doesn't ship to canada? what the woot!

aliceinwootland wrote:So what's been the consensus, the color usually rubs off?

My black set have just gradually gotten less "black" over time, but it has taken a while.

My gold set, I noticed a couple flakes of gold on my desk one day. I dont know if that was a result of manufacturing imperfections that got snagged and flaked, or from hitting them too hard against each other, causing a flake, or what. I haven't used them as much as the black. Harder to tell if the gold is rubbing off, because of the metallic color.

Marlies37 wrote:I have purchased one set this morning and now decidet,that I want 3 more.Woot will not accept my order anymore,they state that I already ordered this item.....any suggestions as to how I get back in.

I believe you have to create a new account to order additional sets. I have seen this happen to other Wooters and creating another account would allow you to order more.

I gave in and got three. Loved the "real actual field test" video. Me, myself and I promise not to digest any of the balls and hold Woot accountable for my actions just in case I do decide to shallow two or three.

Finally made my first Buckyball purchase! I figure, yeah, they're mini-sets, but 144 * 3 = 432 / 2 = 216, so you're getting the equivalent of two regular-sized sets for the cost of a single specially colored set on a site like ThinkGeek, with a little more color variety thrown in. Plus the book as an extra bonus. Good deal.

I'm not linking anything so no one should see this posting removed...

Why did w00t! remove the posts linking to the YouTube video titled "Zen Magnets vs Buckyballs Comparison Video"? Someone posted a comment with the link shortly after the deal was posted, and I just now noticed it is gone. Why, w00t!?

That video shows very important information not only about to the quality of the BuckyBalls, but also about company that is behind them.

I've not been watching w00t much lately, but is it common knowledge that w00t! censors comment posts to protect their own sales or stifle information about companies they partner with/products they sell? If so, it's entirely unprofessional and uncalled for, and will result in my never w00ting again.

If w00t! has never commented on this before, can we get a statement now? I think anyone who buys from w00t! deserves an answer.

davidplace wrote:A question for color-blind users... can you tell the colors apart by darkness?

Yes. I'm not completely colorblind, in fact I don't even consider myself colorblind, but the optometrist I saw when I was a kid said I was partially colorblind. I can see colors, but many colors I can't see in a well-enough definition to tell them apart. Things that are close together like reds and browns, blues and purples, greens yellows and oranges, etc. I can't tell apart at all except by their relative brightness levels. Brown is darker than red, things like that. I used to get in trouble in school for coloring the seas in world maps purple (not my fault the colored pencils weren't labelled with their colors).

Now, to someone who is 100% colorblind I imagine red and blue might be more difficult to tell apart (for me it's obvious), but I'm sure people like that have found a way to adapt and work around the colorblindness.

Yes, quite a few kids have swallowed toys with small magnets, unbeknownst to parents or grandparents or neighbors, and a few even died. Those toys were recalled (can't remember the name of them). I see the recall notice that Woot posted at the bottom of the Buckyballs description. So, are these Buckyballs recalled? And are they similar in design to the toys that have hurt kids?

archshrk wrote:Real Actual Field Tests #7: BuckyBalls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qWHDsjMCGo

WARNING - I just learned this morning the 5-yr old child of a friend of mine swallowed a couple of magnets (unknown to the parents). When he complained he wasn't feeling well, they took him to the hospital. The hospital put him in an MRI which resulted in the magnets ripping his intestines up. This then required immediate trauma surgery.

docmom2four wrote:Yes, quite a few kids have swallowed toys with small magnets, unbeknownst to parents or grandparents or neighbors, and a few even died. Those toys were recalled (can't remember the name of them). I see the recall notice that Woot posted at the bottom of the Buckyballs description. So, are these Buckyballs recalled? And are they similar in design to the toys that have hurt kids?

The recall was just for warning label on the package. It used to say they were for children 13+, but apparently federal standards say that they're only safe for children 14+. They've been using the wording "Keep away from all children" since March, and since the red and blue are (I'm pretty sure) new colors, they're almost definitely in the new packaging. Even if these are in the recalled packaging, just know that you shouldn't give them to 13-year olds. These ARE very dangerous if swallowed (Watch the video from the woot! description), so you don't want them left around where young children or pets might get them. But honestly, if a 13-year old is putting bits of metal in his mouth, I'm not sure that he's going to keep from doing so just because he's 14, either...

Mogul345 wrote:Anyone have a good idea how many of these it would take stuck to the bottom of a motorcycle so it will trip the induction sensors at stoplights?

I've heard rare earth magnets are strong enough, but they're not easy to shop for. Maybe if you spread some all around the bottom of the frame?

Old speakers are also a good source for traffic sensor magnets.

Mogul345 wrote:Anyone have a good idea how many of these it would take stuck to the bottom of a motorcycle so it will trip the induction sensors at stoplights?

I've heard rare earth magnets are strong enough, but they're not easy to shop for. Maybe if you spread some all around the bottom of the frame?

If you want them for that, I'd suggest instead the "curiously strong" magnets here: http://www.thegreenhead.com/2005/09/curiously-strong-magnets-neodymium.php

Not, you understand, that I've actually used them for what you want, but think they should be better than BuckyBalls.

You might have access to old 3.5" hard drives; the magnets from them are usually fairly strong, as well.

Have the normal silver Bucky Balls and love them. The clored ones will make a nice edition. Poor mans bling, wear it and impress your friends with how geeky you are!

dmorton357 wrote:Good point on the math!

Simple.

6*6*4
4*4*9
...
et cetera

Feoen wrote:
[...]

I have a concern, however, which is why I passed them up the first time:

If these magnets are "so strong", what is a safe distance to keep them away from technology?

My office workspace has dual monitors and two computers. I am most concerned about the monitors, but I'm getting the impression I shouldn't even keep them in the same desk as where my monitors are.

What are your experiences? Are these anyhow safe near technology?

I've had them on my desk, ON my cell phone, over my computer case, near my laptop, by my e-reader, etc. I find that for the most part, most electronics are robust enough to handle almost direct contact without any noticeable issues--that's not to say that you should use them to make cases for electronics, but temporary contact is likely not going to be an issue. Obviously, if you have something you know is very sensitive to magnets, keep them away.

I have an old CRT monitor, and I find the formation of the magnets changes the strength. (It apparently has something to do with physics. Whodathunkit?). If I have them in line/string form, they start affecting my CRT monitor about 2 inches away. In block form, they affect it about 1 inch away, and around the same or slightly less when clumped up. In order to leave any semi-permanent marks, I basically have to shove them at my monitor and rub them around, but even so those marks disappeared after a few days. Either way, it's not likely something you'd do by accident.


The balls are very strong, but they have a very limited range. Usually, setting them 1 inch and a half or so apart on a flat surface is enough for them to stay still.


Long story short: Don't panic if you make accidental contact with something electrically powered, but don't use them to play ping-pong with your favorite motherboard, either.

Short story long: anything written by Charles boghogens.

Torn between buying this or a 2000 set of Pixelblocks. *sigh* Such a hard life.

rpiddy wrote:doesn't ship to canada? what the woot!

As of right now, nothing ships to Canada (see postal strike).

neenerneenernine11 wrote:Is anyone else bothered that they didn't just fill in the blue hexagon with the extra buckyball in the picture? :p

Clearly you've never played with Buckyballs. The magnetic field wouldn't allow that. Whole shape would get screwed up, or more likely it would just keep rejecting the one you tried to put in the center.

I just have to question 'limited edition' Buckyballs.. are they trying to make them sound like hard to get collectibles? Next they will be on tv, hand painted with Obama's face.. and if you call within the next 10 minutes, you will get another set absolutely free, just pay separated shipping and handling...

I wonder when they'll start making colorful 1/8" Cube magnets? I got a set of 125, and they are alot more fun then Buckyballs.

davidplace wrote:A question for color-blind users... can you tell the colors apart by darkness?

D

Most colorblind people (like me) are red-green colorblind (dichromat). We have no trouble with this purple, grey and orange set.

Just kidding. The red, blue and silver are quite easy to see and differentiate between. If you had a red and green color that were not very "primary" examples of their color, we'd have more trouble.

jstiles85 wrote:Clearly you've never played with Buckyballs. The magnetic field wouldn't allow that. Whole shape would get screwed up, or more likely it would just keep rejecting the one you tried to put in the center.

Nope. Ball in the center of a hexagon works.

archshrk wrote:Real Actual Field Tests #7: BuckyBalls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qWHDsjMCGo

WARNING - I just learned this morning the 5-yr old child of a friend of mine swallowed a couple of magnets (unknown to the parents). When he complained he wasn't feeling well, they took him to the hospital. The hospital put him in an MRI which resulted in the magnets ripping his intestines up. This then required immediate trauma surgery.

IANAL, but assuming this story is true, your friend should lawyer up and get the hospital's malpractice insurance to pay up. X-Rays should always be done prior to an MRI, especially with children (because they swallow things!), and they should have caught that.

I don't usually like the ideas of lawsuit, but if what you say is really is all there is to it, then that's malpractice.

There are *two* poles!

(ST:TNG, FTW)

This is a very bad investment/ go to you tube and watch the ZEN MAGNETS vs BUCKSTERS the hucksters and you would never buy these POS.

Zen Magnets are out of the game for the foreseeable future due to the Nd prices. Who knows how long that will last!

I put off buying from them last year at my peril, now it seems that Buckyballs may be the only choice.

After watching that zen video I want some damn Zen Magnets. Too bad they are all sold out for awhile. Forced to grab these lower quality magnets... Ugh.

BobLemon wrote:I think you all are spending way too much time playing with your balls... if you don;t touch them the paint will not come off.... I'm not sure these were ment to be played with... since its a limited edition.

Yes, play with them too much, the paint falls off and you grow hair on your palms.

Do not taunt buckyballs.

Sold out just *minutes* before the Woot day ended...

You probably wouldn't want to use them near, on, or in your microwave oven.