Magic SMS - new iPhone app

[Angelo Carbone]

A new app for the iPhone has just been released today. Read someone's mind by text message. Uses a never before used principle.

Take a look.

Magic SMS - A NEW iPhone magic trick

[Richard Kaufman]

Angelo, will it work on an iPad?

[Angelo Carbone]

Probably not alas.

[Richard Kaufman]

Does not work on an iPad because an iPad is not a phone! But it looks clever.

[Jonathan Townsend]

? in terms of OS or function? One can also use an iPod as a phone if one knows how to add on the missing module.

[Richard Kaufman]

Well, I don't know squat!

[Angelo Carbone]

Yes I believe you can download Skype for free on iTunes which will allow the ipod/ipad and iphone to make free calls over the internet but alas the app is designed to match the look of the iphone interface and not the Skype interface.

[Tom Stone]

A new app for the iPhone has just been released today. Read someone's mind by text message. Uses a never before used principle.

I just bought it. Pretty nifty! :)
Unfortunately, it all is in English, which means that I can't use it here in Sweden, even though I like it.

If you plan to update the app with localized text strings, I'd be happy to provide Swedish text.

[Angelo Carbone]

Hi Tom!

Glad you like it.

I hope you do not feel let down because it is not in English but it does say in the advert description of the app that the replies are only in English for now. Thanks for the offer of Swedish translation. Excellent!

:)

[mrgoat]

Just bought it.

The "never before used principle" takes the great ideas of iphone app tricks before it not having to do memory work for the cuing and replaces it with, er, having to do memory work for the cuing.

Not for me, iForce still = my fave app.

[Angelo Carbone]

No problem if you don't like it MrGoat. A lot of apps nowadays do require some degree of memory work eg which way to turn a phone over, where to tap on a card back to code in a card etc. I wanted to get away from a trick dependent on the way a phone is turned over and or icon swiping and want a hands off approach. Some memory work is needed alas - I am not a miracle worker :grin:

Actually it is not a bad memory system. Once you know it - you know it.

[Jonathan Townsend]

We might want to form a consensus on doing a spoof and then a push into a borrowed phone to do our tricks.

I mean just getting someones personal data out seems to be a known technology - but getting an app in and having it either hide or fade away when done opens up options.

In my experience so far, getting someone's phone in hand long enough to do a direct setup is about like borrowing a credit card for a trick - not so easy or comfortable.

[Travis]

How is this different than Penn & Teller's text message app, other than the fact that you are texting with someone other than P&T? By the way, if you don't have the P&T app, it's quite funny.

[Tom Stone]

This is completely unrelated, but...

If you create a new contact, and write a phone number (A) in the field designated for the contact's first name, and then write a different phone number (B) in the field designated for phone numbers.
Then, call this new contact once.
Now, in the latest calls area, you can let someone redial number A and he will end up at number B without knowing it.

Don't know if it can be used for anything, but it's an interesting idea.

[Angelo Carbone]

Travis. Few differences. In Magic SMS you can have the specatator think of a card AND a color too! 530 combinations. Also once you know what the card and colour are, you never touch the phone so you can't be accused of inputting or coding in some secret info. P&T chat is excellent. Both use completely different methods. Magic SMS is one sent and one reply message. P&T chat is back and forth chat sms with either Penn or Teller. Hope this helps.

[Angelo Carbone]

Tom. Interesting indeed and am sure there is a trick in there somewhere. Go on. Get to work and think of one lol! :-D

[Travis]

Just downloaded this, Angelo (after seeIng Derren Brown's post about it on FB). It's brilliant, sir. Extremely well thought-out.

[Angelo Carbone]

Thanks Travis! I didn't know he posted about it on his Facebook. Cool!

[IrishMagicNews]

And Tweeted about it too Angelo, saying how he is "loving it" and how well thought through it was.

[John McDonald]

Got this, the work is easy to do, as with everything Angelo does the app is top rate stuff. Usingon my ipod touch - no issues.Thanks Angelo.

[Angelo Carbone]

Thanks John! So how do you get away with it on an ipod touch as people know it doesn't have a celular radio? Unless u pretend its an iphone and put a thicker case on it????

Just got a quote from Derren Brown which is nice:
"The best magic trick app that I've seen; beautifully thought through."

[John McDonald]

Yep, it's in a leather case and basically looks identical to an iphone.

[Angelo Carbone]

Another top endorsement for Magic SMS:

"This is such a strong and effective use of magic on the iPhone finally." - David Blaine

[Anthony Blake]

I've been playing with this app for the past few days and the reactions I get are amazing...

Two things though...

1) The Homescreen Photo - the app tends to turn the photo I select sideways. I've tried to correct this by altering the photo so that it is also sideways and maybe it would show correctly but alas it continues to show the homescreen photo/wallpaper/wallpaper sideways... I've even used other photo's/wallpaper's and it still does it... don't know why that is...

2) The Time - the app shows the time in big numbers at the top of the false security login... thing is it's in 24-hour time... I know that this is common in Europe but in the US the majority of us use 12-hour time... this creates an incongruity for the handsfree moment that your spectator handles the phone as it's glaringly apparent that it's quite different...

Yes, the iphone lets you use 12 or 24-hour time and there is a switch for it in the settings, but having to change to 24-hour time either permanently or just for the effect is annoying (plus, American's are not used to 24-hour time so they wonder why, unless you've been in the military, you are using the odd time sequence)... maybe in an update you can incorporate a switch that allows you to use either 12 or 24-hour time...

It's still a good app though... oh, and until I can fully memorize the color code I've created a tiny crib for it... I've attached it to the side of a Sharpie "Brain Echo" style... after the phone is put down and before the return text message comes in I take out a business card and the Sharpie and ask for the color & card... as I write down both on the back of the business card I take my peek of the code (I only need the color code as the card code is extremely easy to remember)...

The other thing I do is if I perform the effect for a man I have him place the phone in his shirt breast pocket (if they have one) right after I send the initial text to the psychic... if it's a woman (or a man doesn't have a pocket) I have them hold it in-between their hands... I have found that their having control of the phone almost the entire time amps up the amazement and response the effect gets (they tend to forget that I sent the text message and in their minds they often believe they were the ones that sent it)...

[Angelo Carbone]

Thanks for the feedback Anthony. I will certainly look into why the images turn sideways. App has been tested many times.

As for the 12/24hr time setting, I will see if this can be included in a future update.

Update 1.1 has already been done and a major feature of it is being able to customise the SMS reply and have it say anything you want. Awaiting Apple's approval.

[Angelo Carbone]

Just had a thought....

With the new version of Magic SMS around the corner here is one new presentation you can do.

You give your spectator 10 colored marker pens and a piece of paper. You ask her to think of any card and to write it down with any pen. She then folds it up and sends a text to the psychic friend to guess what her card is. Moments later she gets a text back saying:

Hello Jane! So you have been given a piece of paper and several marker pens. You then thought of a playing card and wrote it down right? Well how on earth could I possibly know that you used the Blue pen to write down the Four of Spades? :)

So there is the added kicker of the psychic knowing which pen she used to write with, when all along she was thinking the trick was only about the card.

You could also have given her a marked deck and she chooses one card and then writes it down and folds up the paper.

Now that the SMS reply can be customised, this will open up so many doors to presentations.

Also in addition to the playing card, instead of asking someone to think of a color, you can predict which colored socks they chose or are wearing. What colored ball they picked from a bag. What colored shirt they are wearing. Which colored paper they wrote on etc...

[Angelo Carbone]

Good news...

Version 1.1 is now live on the app store. Go update if you own it or if you don't own it, now is a great time to purchase the improved Magic SMS.

In version 1.1 the default reply has been re-worded but the best part is you can now customise the reply to say what ever you want. Other tweaks added too!

Have fun!

[mrgoat]

I've just realised something reading this again:

"The Effect: You tell your friend that you know someone called Simon who is psychic and that you want to put him to the test. You ask your friend to freely think of any colour and then to make it even more difficult to think of any playing card as well. Nothing is spoken or written down.

You send a text message to Simon asking him to guess what your friend is thinking of. You then turn off your phone and put it aside NEVER touching your iPhone AGAIN."

You *do* touch your phone again. As many people have pointed out in the reviews on the app store.

Angelo, what say you?

[Angelo Carbone]

I was so confused when I read that review because I could not see how on earth that person could think what he thought.

Once the user/owner/magician sends the text message and turns off the phone and puts it aside, the user/owner/magician does NOT touch the phone again. Period. The spectator does thouch the phone after the SMS arrives otherwise how on earth are they going to read the SMS message? :) They pick up the phone and unlock it to get access to the SMS. This is clearly mentioned in the description.

This is what frustrated me when I read the review. The review is untrue and the ad description is true. The magician does not touch the phone, once the SMS message has been sent.

It is very frustrating that one cannot reply or even contact the person who makes a comment on the app store as all they leave is a username which you can't contact and the developer cannot make a comment back in the app store. Very unfair. An eBay rating system or the ability to easily contact another person (like in eBay) would be a better system. This has been a major gripe with all developers from reading the developers forums. Users are essentially anomynous and can say whatever they want and there is no wait to set the record straight or help them out if they have a probem. You would think if you paid for an app and have a problem you would contact support so you don't lose out on your money. Not for some. They would rather slate it. Unfortunately it is also common for other developers of competitive apps to give a poor review under disguise of a fake username. Again this is common from reading the forums. I am not saying this is the case here (no similar trick out there) but it does happen.

Luckily the these odd comments are a minority. Only 2 people said you touch the phone after when in fact you don't. So confused.

[Travis]

I use this all the time. It kills.
Once I've sent the text message, I never touch the phone. The spec does everything. You can even let the spec send the text message him/herself. The only time you must touch it is for a split second to apparently turn the screen off using the button on top. All of this occurs before any information is revealed at all, and the phone is never touched by the magician again from this point on.

[Denis Behr]

Open the App and click on the icon on the top left corner.

[Angelo Carbone]

Glad you like it Travis!

I would love to hear what some of the sms replies are that are being used in the app now that you can customise it in 1.1.

Here are a couple of replies...

"Hi John! I was expecting a text from someone today as Michael told me he was going to put me to the test. Wants me to prove my psychic powers. :) Anyway I believe that you are thinking of a playing card. That card is the Four of Spades. I love your green jacket by the way ;-)"
[Virtual psychic gets the credit]

"Hi John! I see that Michael is performing some magic on you right now. Earlier today he sent me a prediction as a text. In it he said he was going to make you think of the colour Orange and the Eight of Hearts. Good isn't he?"
[Performer gets the credit]

[Travis]

I played with the idea of having a jacket, shirt, necktie, etc. named, but it occurred to me the spectator might think that my psychic friend is nearby and can see him/her, or that I simply sent an earlier text (or called) to inform her of what the spec is wearing. I think it could still be initially surprising, but ultimately I feel a thought-of color is stronger. Or, as Angelo suggested, a choice that occurs in the moment, such as choosing from a number of colored pens to write the name of the card.

[Angelo Carbone]

Good news for US users of the app. Version 1.2 is now live.

I know military time (24hr clock) is not popular in the States so the new update now supports 12 hour format so everything will look perfect. Other minor tweaks too!

If you have the app already go update. If you don't have the app, now is a good time to purchase it as for a limited time only there is a 33% discount off the retail price.

"The best magic trick app that I've seen; beautifully thought through." - Derren Brown

"This is such a strong and effective use of magic on the iPhone. Finally!" - David Blaine

"Magic SMS is the coolest effect I've seen in years! Trust me you'll be texting everyone about this. Amazing!" - Dynamo

"Magic SMS represents a real leap forward in the development of iPhone magic. If you have an iPhone and like magic, you should buy it." - MAGIC Magazine Review

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/magic-sm ... 72560?mt=8

[Angelo Carbone]

Good news for those that are interested, the iOS 7 version of this app has been uploaded to iTunes and is now in the hands of Apple and hope they approve it soon.

In the mean time you can join the Facebook group for more updates, news and tips.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/734692059898824/

[Travis]

That is great news, Angelo!
Cheers!

[mrgoat]

Good news for those that are interested, the iOS 7 version of this app has been uploaded to iTunes and is now in the hands of Apple and hope they approve it soon.

In the mean time you can join the Facebook group for more updates, news and tips.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/734692059898824/

Is this the one with the coloured cards Mark fried me with?

EDIT: oh, in case you didn't know, I'm Damian, from the Circle!

[Angelo Carbone]

It is indeed Damian. I hope you liked it.

[mrgoat]

It is indeed Damian. I hope you liked it.

Fooled the tits off me.

I just bought it.

Huzzah!

[Angelo Carbone]

Hey just so you know, the Magic SMS currently in the app store is not for ios7 devices. It says so in the ad copy.

Magic SMS 2 for ios7 is in review with Apple right now so not for sale yet.