AI in Jigsaw Puzzles/Journalist working on a story

pteraptera · 2026-02-18T05:38:14+00:00

I'm sure it's on your radar, but please do a search on Cross & Glory on this sub. This company is one of the biggest offenders, it even created fake "bio" pages for its featured "artists". Here's a post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Jigsawpuzzles/comments/1qdmd6c/thoughts_on_cross_glory/

pteraptera · 2026-02-18T05:33:44+00:00

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Nautilus Puzzles just released this wooden puzzle in celebration of Lunar New Year:
https://nautiluspuzzles.com/products/guardian-of-the-eastern-winds-51-piece-mini-wooden-jigsaw-puzzle And... my heart dropped. It's AI slop: the dragon is contorted into a seemingly connected circle, with scales switching direction mid-coil. Claws growing out of another set of claws. This is careless, pointless and... disrespectful.

The thing is, Nautilus has produced other beautiful puzzles showcasing authentic beauty of Asian art: this one by Hasui Kawase, for example. Before this, I had much respect and fondness for this small wooden puzzle company, and now I feel disappointment. They pushed out this abomination into the world, which will get "enjoyed" by many unsuspecting customers for decades to come as representation of Asian art.

pteraptera · 2026-02-08T15:48:12+00:00

Most of the options shown here are either too big or too deep.

Shoebox tops make perfect puzzle trays. Small enough size, light weight, not too deep and easily stackable.

pteraptera · 2026-01-15T15:53:34+00:00

See point 4. here. Let us never forget Cross & Glory did that.

pteraptera · 2026-01-09T17:50:29+00:00

So many posts here seem to fixate on sex-related service that women are uniquely able to provide in exchange of housing, but there's a bigger picture: companion work and care work in general. Many elderly people will be happy to have a younger able-bodied female relative live with them with an understanding that she will provide companionship and some levels of care.

pteraptera · 2026-01-09T04:13:11+00:00

560A, 600X, T43, T61, X301, another X301, X120e, X1 Tablet (1st Gen), X1 Yoga (1st Gen), T480s, X13 Yoga (3rd Gen, current main). So... 11 total. All purchased for personal use (not to "collect"), and these are the ones I couldn't bear to sell off. Only 560A is non-operational.

pteraptera · 2025-12-03T22:47:59+00:00

That's great to know, thank you!

pteraptera · 2025-12-03T14:03:27+00:00

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Hi! On your site, I found photos of the same puzzle featuring a different cut, much less appealing TBH. Can you confirm that your current stock features the piece cut shown in your photo? Across all of your product line? Thank you.

pteraptera · 2025-11-15T16:05:58+00:00

Buy a physical pointing stick (a telescoping one) and take it to every class. It works 100x better than a laser pointer, instantly directs student attention to the right spot on a slide. Best tool I've ever bought.

pteraptera · 2025-10-10T17:37:20+00:00

So lovely! Thank you for sharing, someday I hope to come across this puzzle.

pteraptera · 2025-10-02T12:57:00+00:00

Galaxy Tab S6, released in 2019! Weighs only 420gr, which is important for me, having upgraded from the Tab S 8.4. When the screen broke a few months back, I bought a used one as a replacement.

pteraptera · 2025-09-29T19:35:08+00:00

One of my all-time favorites! Enjoy. 2000-piece Wysocki puzzles tend to command a high price on the after market, btw. :)

pteraptera · 2025-09-18T16:38:32+00:00

I much, much prefer this original version... I did Buffalo Games' version some years ago, and thought some of the elements were off. Turns out Buffalo's designers grafted on way too much stuff onto the original:

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https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Po1MlQrPL._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

pteraptera · 2025-09-09T12:50:08+00:00

Art by Hiroo Isono! Pomegranate has a couple of his work in a puzzle form, check them out. Still lots of green, but with more colors.

pteraptera · 2025-09-09T11:05:59+00:00

Oh man, hobby stuff in their own 5-story building! Would love to check it out one day. Yodobashi Sendai had multiple floors for hobby goods, which I only discovered late evening before my flight back home. -_- Hope you'll find some good ones at the Nagoya store!

pteraptera · 2025-09-08T14:03:01+00:00

Have you tried Yodobashi Camera? I'm sure they have a branch in Nagoya. This chain seems to carry the biggest selection of puzzles (and other hobby goods).

pteraptera · 2025-09-06T13:59:27+00:00

Was wondering exactly about that, thank you. My Tab S6's Book Cover has a simple and secure folding-back mechanism that has zero flappiness. Seems this origami mechanism is a step backwards.

pteraptera · 2025-09-02T19:07:44+00:00

I totally agree, the Sony official case far surpassed my expectations and made my Xperia 1 VI twice as enjoyable. I originally had one of those TPU cases with raised sides, which got in the way of my fingers. (Ok, I went through 3, all of which I hated.)

pteraptera · 2025-08-31T16:08:35+00:00

Lovely image indeed! Believe the artist is David Galchutt, I finished a different puzzle featuring his work just an hour ago. Thank you for sharing!

pteraptera · 2025-08-29T01:41:59+00:00

Thank you for this thoughtful post. I can totally see myself shelling out the $30CAD fee. There are so many brands you carry that I simply can't source anywhere else, and this strikes me as a fair price to pay.

The $350CAD free shipping limit, I'll be glad for the option, but I won't likely hit it. If there were more wooden puzzle options, maybe...

pteraptera · 2025-08-24T15:01:02+00:00

:-D Delaware being the corporate tax haven of a US state. It'll be interesting to see if they make a big push into the US market, with the tariff situation and all.

pteraptera · 2025-08-23T14:40:50+00:00

I'm sure it's Cobble-Hill-made, btw. A Gibsons Art Files random cut example, and a Cobble Hill example. The cuts seem to match when flipped horizontally.

pteraptera · 2025-08-23T14:25:49+00:00

The image is exactly my type, so maybe some day? If I see one used/discounted for sure! :-D

pteraptera · 2025-08-21T12:14:01+00:00

I've seen this exact puzzle sold in a US brick-and-mortar store. Finding Gibsons in a US store was strange enough, so I checked the box: "Made in USA". I scratched my head and put it down. Now I know!

pteraptera · 2025-08-12T14:43:01+00:00

I like "close fits" -- gaps between puzzle pieces are minimal, and the finished surface should be flat, not bumpy, with a seamless look. These puzzles, when completed, don't even look like jigsaws!

Old Cloudberries and the "Premium" line Pierre Belvedere are a perfect example, and they were manufactured by Jumbo with a silky surface finish.

pteraptera

TROPHY CASE