The Griddle has another sudoku variation up called Quad Clue Sudoku.  This variation features a six by six sudoku grid with four numbers at some of the grid intersection points.  These four numbers correspond to the four numbers in the four ajoining squares.  It’s another way of providing starting clues, without telling you exactly where they are.  Enjoy!

The New York Times has started up a new blog called Wordplay and it is, not surprisingly, a crossword puzzle themed blog.  I looked through some of the previous posts and most of them seem to be about the NYT crossword that day, with a few news items about Will Shortz sprinkled in.

iRectangles is yet another puzzle app for the iPhone.  This app is based on the nikoli puzzle sikaku.  For the puzzle, you are given a grid of arbitrary size.  Some of the individual squares in the grid have numbers in them.  These numbers correspond to the number of squares in a rectangle.  The object of the puzzle is to section off the grid into a collection of rectangles such that each rectangle has a single number in it that is the rectangle’s area.  There should be no spaces left over in the grid.

I’ve found a couple sites, just by googling, that has some examples of the puzzle that you can try.  And, of course, there is always the iPhone app.

Back in January, I wrote about an idea for Texas Holdem puzzles.  One of the recent coments on that post directed me to a site with puzzles exactly like the ones I described.  Check it out.

Tredoku is another sudoku variation.  In a tredoku puzzle, the grid is laid out in varrying three dimensional patterns.  The same rules still apply.  The same numbers can not appear in the same rows or columns or the same internal square.  In Tredoku, rows and columns continue even over 90 degree turns in the grid.

The main advantage here is that grid orientations are virtually endless.  And it’s a little bit neater than massively overlapping sudoku grids.  There’s currently a tredoku blog set up where you can go and try some of the puzzles.  Enjoy!

From the MAKE blog: A new puzzle called Trigears.  Trigears is a set of three gears that must be positioned so that all three gears mesh at a single point and the gears do not jam when they spin.  One of the creators notes that there are no other puzzles like it.  I can’t think of one.  The puzzles were made in a very limited run so, if you want to buy one at Puzzle Palace, it will cost you $425.

You read that right.  Will Shortz and Merl Reagle will be guest starring in a crossword themed episode of The Simpsons this weekend.  In addition, the New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle will be related to the show somehow.  Read more about it here.

From The Griddle, a new puzzle called Grid Fill.  In Grid Fill, you are given a set of words and a grid.  The words fit into the grid taking up either an entire row, or one of the marked off internal areas.  The puzzle part comes in because the rows and the marked off areas overlap.  It’s really more of a logic puzzle like Sudoku instead of a word puzzle.  Enjoy!

Playful Planet Games is creating an iPhone version of their word puzzle game Konstroo.  Currently they are looking for puzzle enthusiasts who would like to beta test the iPhone version.  They only have limitted spots so, if you’re interested, make sure to sign up soon.

Results are posted for this year’s World Puzzzle Championships.  Team USA won again this year.  The individual winner was Ulrich Voigt from Germany.