Hi everyone:
I recently developed a new magic app-Ultimate Predictor which is similar to Mental Killer and iPredict.
The difference is the capability to customize the magic by yourself!
If anyone is interested in this magic and would like to review it, Please PM me. I will give you promo code.
Thank you!

Ultimate Predictor is the 1st iPhone app which is able to continuously perform ¡§Random Call Prediction Magic¡¨.

Random Call Prediction:
A spectator tells the month he was born in or freely picks one card. Then, he is asked to press a random mobile phone number on Magician¡¦s iPhone. This number is totally random. Magician asks the random mobile phone number holder to name a month or any card. The month or the card will be exactly the same with the spectator¡¦s choice.

* NO stooge
* No wireless communication (No second iPhone, iPod or any other device)
* Card is shuffled and chosen by the spectator himself
* The mobile phone number is 100% random
* Impossible to detect the secrets.
* Cards can be replaced with ESP cards

Demo video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEvZt2oJcX4

App store:
http://itunes.apple.com/tw/app/3menapp-u......306?mt=8

I picked this up and and I have to say I am not impressed. First off a screen pops up EVERYTIME you want to do the effect so you have to start the efects before you get to the person and have it on your phone when you open it.

You can only do 8 recordings to start and then you have to buy additional slots which will allow you to do up to 12 recordings.

The method is ok but you used a feature that is found in Mental Killer and if you havent got permission from Max I would remove it. If you don't know what I am talking about please feel free to contact Max. I had him get a copy of your app as well so he knows all about it and is not pleased.

The fact that you can record your own custom messages is nice but limited. I for one will never use this and I will wait for Max to bring out Mental Killer pro which will address the recording issue, is much more direct and ultimately the most deceptive.

Just my two thoughts.

Not to mention. Who the heck just calls random people? Every time I have ever called a random number to try an effect like this I get told to p*** off.

Wow you missed the boat for sure Alexlin.. Max Krause has had this under his hat for sometime to be release as an update...

I for one will be going with Mental Killer pro

Wow dude, no offense but Max Krause, has spent a considerable amount of time and money to develop his app.

I personally would not even entertain the idea to develop anything based on someone else's idea, especially without consulting
with the creator and perhaps get a blessing.

and even using his copy-written app names to promote your app.

we stand on the shoulders of giants, sometimes we p**s down as we do it.

While the performance is different, this does seem uncomfortably similar to Mental Killer. I think contacting Max would have been the appropriate thing to do. Seems more like an add on to his app rather than a new app altogether. And from what I hear MK Pro is going to basically blow all that came before it away. As for the Ultimate Predictor effect regarding calling a random stranger, I think the trick should be what nasty word will he/she call you first. D***, F***face, A**wipe, etc... Seriously.

Dear ChadRees:
I have to explain that I have this idea for a long time. The 1st iPhone app I wrote is called GrandPa's Calculator which includes the prototype of Random Call and was released on Oct 2x, 2010. Then, we found that adding the capability to customize different "Calls" with different answers would be more fancy for magician. Otherwise, to force one card to laymen is more simple. Therefore, in November, 2010, our team decided to develop Ultimate Predictor. To my mind, iPredict and Mental Killer were released after November 2010.

However, when I saw both of them, I found that it is a coincidence that different people in the world were thinking of the same idea. Both of them are very great but not exactly the same with my idea.
In the past year, one member left and we attended an iPhone app competition. Fortunately, we won but no matter what I achieved, magic is still my "dream" and I want my own idea to be able to come true!!

As the issues you mentioned, I would like to answer in the following paragraph..
(1)a screen pops up EVERYTIME you want to do the effect so you have to start the efects before you get to the person and have it on your phone when you open it.

I guess that you are talking about when you launch Ultimate Predictor, you have to press "Magic" to enter the springboard. This will not matter. I suggest that you enter "magic" and press sleep button. It is reasonable that your iPhone is preset before performing.

(2)The fact that you can record your own custom messages is nice but limited.

Yes, in my opinion, to record more than 12 custom messages is tedious. 12 is a trade-off between the capability of custom message and reality. Maybe somebody wants to ask his friend for recording 52 different custom messages. I personally think it is not that necessary.

(3)Who the heck just calls random people?
Yes, I agree with you. Since you did this before, you know this is not reasonable. However, it depends what you said in the call. Moreover, the key is what the spectator thinks! If you could interact with the recording very naturally, it is still reasonable. Finally, the magic itself does not have to be a random call, it could be a custom answer machine or a friend of yours which could know the choice of spectator. The main difference of UP is its capability to customize and make your own magic.

(4)The method is ok but you used a feature that is found in Mental Killer
I guess you are talking about the "communication with iPhone". The method is quite different and I had in mind quite long time ago. But I agree with you. I can not prove that I did plan to develop UP one year ago. But if you take a look "GrandPa's Calculator", you would know it is logical to refine my idea based on my 1st magic app.

I also agree what jesse_james_mcguire said....i missed the boat. Next time, when I have a new idea , coding has to be very quick!

Anyway, thank you for your suggestions.

GrandPa's Calculator:http://itunes.apple.com/tw/app/grandpas-calculator/id396383662?mt=8

Alex Lin

I didn't give you my suggestion, I would most likely be banned from the Café if I did.

Alex,

Max Krause released Mental Killer on Oct 21st according to appshopper. You released Grandpa's Calc on Oct 28th. Max was also demonstrating his app on skype for almost 2 MONTHS prior to its release in the app store and was available to those with jailbroken phones prior to its release on Oct 21st. Here is a link to the thread back in August 2010 that max posted here on the café http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......=275&287

The feature you are using from Mental Killer has nothing to do with the Call Interface. It is the fact that you used the same method to tell whether or not you are on the app or the phone. That is Max's IP and you do not have permission to use it. Furthermore, I know Max is working on another update which uses that feature with even more versatility. That is 100% Max's idea and I know he is going to apple to dispute it if you don't remove it right away.

The bottom line is you made sure to say the app is similar to Mental Killer to try and push your sales. Pretty sad way to do business.

Dear ChadRees:
I acknowledge that I did not exactly know when mental killer was released or was planned to develop.
As you can see, my profile shows that I joined magic Café on November 3, 2010.
What I want to emphasize is I "DID NOT" take advantage of mental killer.
I am a nobody and I know mental killer until one day (around December, 2010) my friend told me mental killer is quite similar to my 1st app.

As to the issue I used the same method to tell whether or not the user is on the app or the phone,
it's not the reason I revised the interface as what mental killer did. I even want the calling to be exactly the same as native iPhone calling page. The reason is, in fact, I spent almost 2 months on this issue for being approved by app store.
They rejected UP because the calling page is too similar to the native iOS Phone app, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.
Then, we mentioned about our 1st app-GrandPa's Calculator which was approved and the calling page is 100% the same with native iPhone Calling page. They still can not accept it. They said "an app being out of compliance is not a reason for your app to be".
Finally, we mentioned about "Mental Killer". We said if we revise the calling page as how mental killer did, is it possible to be approved? They finally agreed several days ago.
Because they insist we have to revise the calling page, we use the same method to prevent the calling page to be 100% the same with the native one.

But, we did not do it on purpose. Actually, I am even afraid that the "back button" will be noticed when I perform this magic.
I know its a way to tell whether or not the user is on the app UNTIL TODAY.
However, in order to be responsible for what I did, I just remove this app from sale.
And I will upload another version whose calling page is not revised as how memtal killer did.
Also, I will send message to Max Krause for apology.

I just want to say I did not borrow idea from Max Krause, even though GrandPa's Calculator was released after Mental Killer.
I respect your comment. I admit Ultimate Predictor is not that "magical".
I develop UP for self realization not for money.
UP is in fact similar but I am not going to take advantage of its similarity from mental killer.

I just want to know the rule of magic circle.
Do I have to remove this app forever just because another similar idea is released before me?

Alex Lin

I just don’t understand why you would put out an inferior product when you were aware and informed of the original. It just seems like you are trying to take customers away from Max.

Dear ChadRees:
Thank you for your comment!
Yes, Ultimate Predictor is immature and inferior.
Mental Killer is definitely better than Ultimate Predictor.
I developed only for self realization.
Maybe no one would buy Ultimate Predictor.

Thank you and Magic Café.
I will try to be smart to develop more fantastic magic app.

Alex Lin

With that I am glad you are removing it from the marketplace. It is one thing to come up independently with something but another to piggyback on someone else s creativity. You are doing the right thing by no longer selling this.

Dear Chad Rees:
Max Krause just sent me a message and I really appreciate his generosity.
He said it is ok if I revise the back button with other symbol, so I will still sell it on app store when a new update is approved.
I would like to say "thank you " again and I indeed did not borrow the main idea from him.
I agree Ultimate Predictor is immature and inferior but the "market" will decide the future of UP.
Do you know Whatsapp and Line?
For me, they are "similar".
Line even combines the way to add new friends from Bump but I would rather think its an variation.
If someone asks me what the difference between UP and MK is, I would say they are "similar" but MK is more mature and powerful.
However, it does not mean I take advantage of MK for the similarity.
Anyway, I respect and appreciate your comment.

Alex Lin

Flooding the market with crap products that are weaker then the original product is very immature. The fact that you still want to put it up for sale even though the original is better is just rude. It's obvious you only want to make money off of magic and not help it grow. I really hope no one purchases this product, and if they do I hope they will know that your product is nothing like MK. Because the way you are advertising your product is making it sound like they are the same and if anyone were to find your product they might now purchase Max's thinking that if its as bad as your it is not worth the money.

I highly recommend you remove it from the market and work on something original.

(right now you are no different then those knock off Losander tables flooding the market. They are taking money away from the original creator and giving crappy product to the magic community)

Good grief !!!!!! give the guy a break, I think he has got the message about what you think of him and his app.......... remember the old saying..... 'those that can....do!! Those that can't.....talk about it!!!

From what I have read in this post, you seem to be more upset about the situation than Max is.

I agree with rasp. Chill out!

Dear ChadRees:
I acknowledge that UP is inferior, immature or even a "crap product".
But this is my ORIGINAL idea. When I had this idea, I did not see any other related apps on app store.
I devoted to iPhone programming because of this idea almost 1 and half years ago.
Yes, MK was released several days "before" my 1st app-GrandPa's Calculator which already possesses the prototype of "Random Call", but it does not mean I BORROW his idea!
I admire Max Krause and his MK. When I saw MK at the first time, I was thinking "This will make the performance easier because magician does not have to interact with the call. Why did not I have this in mind?"
The difficulty of performing UP is the "conversation" no matter if it is a random call.
So, for users, I left the capability to customize their own magic.
Finally, the reason I release UP till now is one of my members was very busy in his daily job and he quit until last August.
Consequently, the schedule was significantly delayed.
However, I respect your "criticism" on UP althrough your phrasing is quite aggresive.
I just hope you "understand" that I develop UP for self realization instead of money.
If someone wants to make money from developing iPhone magic app, I would rather suggest attending an iPhone app competition.
Finally, since Max Krause himself does not mind UP's release, take it easy and have a nice day!

Alex Lin

Alex, stop apologising and stop knocking your app!!

If you have spoken to Max and he is happy......then the sun will still rise in the morning and all is well in the world!! (apart from recession, wars, famine......and constant bickering on The Magic Café lol) Don't let the minority speak for the majority.

I have spoken to Max on Skype in the past and he comes across as a really nice guy/genius

I agree with rasp also. Alex is a developer, not a marketeer, so his intentions are not what others make out to be.

Wow. Really late to the party, but this is extremely clever. So happy it was updated this year, I hope you continue to do so!