ORIGINALLY POSTED ON: www.facebook.com/groups/StraightTalkMagicReviews

REVIEW: WikiTest by Marc Kerstein
RATING: 10 out of 10!
GET IT HERE:
http://marckerstein.com/?apps
https://itunes.apple.com/…/wikitest-th......70786…
FULL REVIEW: I am very sorry to write this review.

It is perhaps the most amazing mentalism effect (described as “a modern book test that uses a borrowed smartphone”) that can be done with an iPhone that I have seen. I am *** sorry to tell you all about it. Marc Kerstein has created the mother of all mentalism effects using the MOABT as inspiration and creating an app that lets you travel with a show stopping effect at all times. Alas, because my desire to write overwhelms my selfish desire to keep this a secret, I tell you all that this app, which is not inexpensive, is astoundingly worthwhile.

The app, which can be bought on iTunes, costs $65. “No way am I spending that much money on a phone effect” I thought until I saw a performance on the Wizard Product Review. Because of that and the repeated declaration by many Magic Café users that WikiTest should be the Trick of The Year, I took the plunge. I am now a mindreading genius anytime and anywhere. Dear Marc Kerstein, please raise the price of this app immediately!

So here is how it goes: You ask anyone take out their own phone and to google how many articles there are on the Wikipedia. You then have them pull up the information and find out the average number of words in each article. You then take your own phone and multiply the number of articles by the number of words and come to some astoundingly large number of words that can be found on the wikipedia – billions! You then instruct the spectator to visit the wikipedia page and search for anything that would be on the wikipedia. Then, you instruct them to focus on a word, but not one of those itty bitty small words like “the” or “and” and tell them to hide the screen from view. You can then instantly, if you wish, name what they looked up in the wikipedia and through the process of mindreading and focusing on your spectator, you announce the word that they thought of within the article.

Having performed this effect many times, I can say that your spectators will be absolutely floored. Some spectators have actually and honestly asked me if I am truly able to read minds. I am not kidding. It is just so outrageously convincing and impossible that there is no other explanation. This is especially true since you never touch the spectator’s phone.

The app is very well designed and cleverly hides the method in plain sight. There are several ways to perform this trick, but one is a clear winner. You will need to have some audience management skills to make sure things go as planned at the outset, but it is not tough stuff. Although you never need to touch the spectator’s phone, there have been a few instances where I found I needed to help them google and search for the information about the wikipedia to get things going.

The app comes with easy to follow written instructions and links to a heavily edited performance from David Blaine’s television show. I wish Kerstein would have included some video tutorials explaining the technical side of the app because I still was left with many questions and had to monkey around with the settings a bit.

Above I referenced the Wizard Product review performance, which leaves out a crucial step by not show the entire performance. Not seeing this missing part of the trick does not matter, ultimately, because your spectator won’t care or even take note of what was not shown. I wish it would have been shown to be more representative of what you are purchasing, but they are not sellers of the product.

I think we can expect updates to the app as time goes on and that will only make this effect even stronger and easier to accomplish.
The trick is not hard to perform at all and it is easy to learn. The more you do it and get comfortable with the method, the stronger the effect gets. While there are no real angles to be concerned about, you need to make sure that the spectators are looking in the right direction and not something you don’t want them to see. This is easily accomplished by following the basic script in the instructions.

A few comments about the ad copy on the iTunes app store. The thought of word is a random word, but it is not truly random because of some basic parameters that you set for the spectator. While it is claimed that there is “no memory work needed” I do not think that is accurate. While technically correct, in order to present this in the strongest way possible, you need to memorize a handful of things.

I am not sure that any spectator can do any digital backtracking. Certainly, most spectators won’t try and others may try and fail.

Like I said, this is phenomenal. Awesome. Superb. Please keep it a secret.

Thanks for the great review of WikiTest, which is clearly high on the list for Trick of the Year.

Does anyone know if WikiTest will be released on Android?

I am really invested in this effect, I have also kept in touch with Marc, he has been very polite and answered to all my questions. I am trying to find an iPhone to be able to do this effect

My only question is if you have to have YOUR phone on you while they use theirs.

Yes, unless you use a con******te.

Mike

had a feeling, I know the performer need to have an iphone, but how about the spectator, do they have to have an iphone or will any phone work as long as you have the app on yours?

The spectator can have any phone (or tablet etc.) as long as it has an internet connection.

Mike

I talked to marc and bought this effect right away...IT SUCKS don't BUY IT, NO OTHER MAGICIAN SHOULD HAVE THIS POWER BUT ME!

awesome effect

Apparently this app uses cutting-each app technology. Is it possible that wikipedia app updates might stop this working in the future?

Well that review and the comments afterwards have sealed this for me... off to the App Store I go.

Actually it's $120 where I live. Stuff that.

Happy with this, not really been interested in app effects before but am glad I went for it... now looking into a bunch of others as there appears to be quite a few interesting ones available.

Any ideas if it'll work if I use an ipad instead of an iphone?

Hi all, long time reader of the forum but first time poster.
After years of card work, just getting into some mentalism.

My question for anyone who owns this is:
does either the performer or spec HAVE to have WIKI app or can they just open safari and go to wikipedia?

Thank you in advance!

Wikipedia opens up in the spectator's browser.

Mike

Can this be done in any local language/ country? When I google wikipedia I am directed to the wikipedia in my country (Norway), and the language is Norwegain. I will dound strange if I ask the to re-route to the english version. Will this work in a local language?

No, it works in several languages now, like French, Spanish and German...but until now not in Norwegian. Jan

Can I be notified if it becomes available in Norwegian?

Its a shame that apps like this aren't available on Android. I will never allow myself to own an Apple product, yet it itks me that so much magic is released exclusively for iPhone. I really would like this but there is no way I will buy an iphone, it really is a shame

Has anyone contacted the developer to see if it will be made for Android?