I've been working on an internet based card effect for a bit now, and thought I'd share it with Café members and get some feedback...

Effect: from any computer, the spectator goes to a web site. On the page are 52 cards spinning in a circle backs outward. They name any card, and they click any card. The cards turn face up, and one card comes forward out of the circle, which is their selection. It can be repeated without reloading the page. You NEVER touch the mouse, keyboard or computer, etc. There is only one web address.

Method: The page is controlled via a second web page. You have an accomplice that is listening in on yourself and the spectator. This can range from having a voice chat running in the background on the computer, an open cell phone in your pocket with your accomplice listening in, or, my favorite, someone close by with an iPhone or iPod touch controlling it.

the MOAOCT site:
http://jason.ushospitality.com/diamonds/reflectedcard38.swf

the control site:
http://jason.ushospitality.com/magic/Send3


it's a no brainer. click a card on the control page and that 's the card that will appear when you click any card on the MOAOCT page.When it's complete, you will get a "Data Written" confirmation. Click the back button on your browser to return to the control page. There is a "random" button at the top of the control site, to reset the site to have a random card appear when a card is clicked on the MOAOCT site. Reset the cards to random between card selections, and once you're finished with the effect, please set the cards to random for the next guy.

Once the card appears on the MOAOCT page, simply click it again and it will return to the circle, and all cards will turn backs outward again. There is no need to reload the page.

I did glean this idea from the café a while back, (having an accomplice page). Coming soon is a Send page that you pull up on your cell phone, and by inputting a number combination (in your pocket), you can set the card yourself, making it a solo effect.

Performance tips:
I would recommend not just asking a spectator to name any card, but find creative ways to use the site. I ask them "Do you have a favorite card"? Often they will blurt it out, as I say, "You didn't have to tell me". Repeat it using a marked deck, let them select a card face down, and relay it to your accomplice with a pre set verbal code. Force a card. Mix it up. I would like to hear other suggestions as well.

I'll keep this up for a bit, but I am going to move the site, it's still in beta, so I would appreciate any reports on bugs, and so on.

Feedback is welcome

Take care

Jason

Wow, this is pretty simple and straight forward! I like it!
The only problem I can foresee is if two (or more) people are accessing the 'control' page at the same time! Wouldn't that mess everything up?

I was thinking the same thing.

Yes, two people using the control page at the same time would not be pretty. I will add a login page for the control page, only allowing one person at a time access to the page.

Very nice, I can see lots of potential.
Congrats dude

Sorry I editted my post.

Hideo Kato

This is very cool. I'm looking forward to the page that can be activated by cell phone.

Great work!

I was much impressed Jason-san's creation and I emailed about this to a few friends. One of them reminded me that Tenyo Co. had uploaded a similar software on their mobile phone website. So I accessed Tenyo's mobile phone website and found I could still use the system. Its effect is as below.

Magician places his mobile phone on the table. The spectator names any card, or selects a card from a deck. When he presses the enter button of the phone, the picture of the selected card appears on the display.

In Tenyo's instructions of the trick, there are 3 different methods to signal the selection.

1. Self method
The magician pushes buttons of his phone two times in his pocket to send the data to the server. To distinguish buttons, pieces of sandpaper are paseted on several buttons.

2. Direct stooge method
A stooge in the room or in the theater sends the code from his phone after the name of the card is told or the selected card is shown.

3. Impromptu Stooge method
Before starting performance, the magician can send a mail to a friend in the room or the theater with the instruction to help the magician. (He doesn't need any experience of helping this trick). The instruction is so written the receiver clearly understand what he is to do. So he does his work after knowing the name of the selection.

Note

In Tenyo's methods, there can be no multiple access problem as the server handles individual accesses as different tasks.

I phoned and asked Tenyo Co., and they informed me that they released this trick in May 2006. (Sorry this is only for Japanese mobile phones. They have released 150 mobile phone tricks so far).

So I can say the principle used by Jason-san is same as Tenyo started to use about 2 years ago. However, I am much impressed with Jason-san's beautiful work.

Hideo Kato

RE: MOAOCT (Mother of all Online Card Tricks)

Way Kewl!

Congrats are well deserved!

Errin

Jason:

Very cool idea! The only suggestion I would give (not knowing much about this type of programming) would be that it would be really cool if the card selection was a little more dramatic - more animation. When you click the card, they all immediately flip around with the selection in a different spot. How hard would it be for the selection to move down out of the circle, still face-down, while all the other cards start turning face-up. Finally, the selection flips over to reveal their card?

This may be way more effort than what it's worth.

Anyway, cool idea, and nice work!

I like it!

Very nice concept. Just a couple suggestions, I think it would be nice to have an option that when the spectator click on the cards, its shows a random order deck instead of a new deck order one. Also, an option for red deck?

Malus

Thanks for the suggestions. Making the cards turn over in a new deck order was one of the hardest parts of writing this! But I think it's a good idea, as well as red backs. Perhaps I could have the options listed on the control site.

I do think it's a great idea for the cards to turn around one by one, I plan on adding that feature soon.

Thanks for the feedback!

Jason

I love this! Thanks so much!