Magic Tricks

~Quick Review~

Packaging - 9/10
Makers/ePODS - 8/10
Receiver - 9/10
Instructional Video 8/10
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~Long Review~

Upon Receiving the Device you get probably by far the most Over the top packaging. You take the top off the canister, the top lights up and fades through a series of colors, and music plays. There is a switch on the inside of the lid next to the Instructions link/ password along with a micro USB input to charge the lid. … to charge … the lid! (More on this later)

The markers are really well made. They contain an ink well/bladder to keep the markers lasting for a long time and to protect the ePODS (The electronics) (more on those in a second). The markers function like regular markers, but the colors do seem a bit … Weak I guess is a decent way to put it. The color is fine, but the colors are just bland I guess. But no one seems to notice which is fine. In the instructions, we are informed on how to change the nib of the markers but not what to do if the ink is empty/dried up. This means when I am faced with this, I’ll have to get creative with a solution.

The ePods are built into the ends of the markers and can be removed by using the cap of the markers and popping off the ends. The ePods have a pretty long range to them and their settings can be changed through the receiver. Since the ePods can be removed, it allows you to get creative with what you can put them in. From Easter eggs to candy. All are taught in the instructions. (More on this later).
My biggest issue with the ePods is the fact that they are battery-powered. The lid is rechargeable. The Receiver is rechargeable but the ePods take a disk battery. (I understand its most likely to make them smaller, but my headphones are around the same size and are rechargeable. It’s probably to keep the cost down… who knows). The receiver can let you know if the batteries in the ePods are low so that’s a good thing. The ePods are labeled to indicate which side is Positive and what side is negative so you can make sure the batteries are put in correctly. In the instructions, they inform you that if you do not plan to use the markers for over 6 months or so, remove the batteries. The ePods use a gyroscope or Angle sensor to not only power on the ePods but to activate the Markers, which makes using the markers pretty easy and intuitive.

The receiver.
When you first get it, it feels pretty lightweight which was concerning as it can feel a little cheap. It comes with a strap to secure the receiver and a mounting clip. Making it easy to hide on your body. The receiver allows you to change the tilt sensitivity of the makers, the strength of the vibration, and how you obtain the information which is probably my favorite feature. You can get the information by vibration and or by an LED light that changes color to match which marker is being picked up. This makes it easier to identify which marker is being selected. When a marker is triggered there is a 5 cycle kind of timer where it will vibrate the number of times to indicate which color has been selected 5 times. Once the cycle is complete, that marker becomes “Inactive” just in case. But the receiver has a reset button. This will allow you to reactivate all the markers which allow for some pretty interesting revelations (explained in the instructions) Also when the receiver is going through a cycle, the participant can change their mind before the 5th cycle and it will switch to the new marker while keeping the first selection still active. They call it a fail-safe. Which is a pretty nice feature to have

The instructions seemed to have been filmed in a cLog and were not really color corrected or graded. SO the entire video seems muted and low contrast. Which is probably the only negative thing I have about it. That and the timestamp card is seen only briefly. The instructions for the device are thorough except for what to do if the Ink wells go dry and what have you. Not to mention there is no information on whether or not the ePods can be installed into other markers or not. So that’s gonna needs some experimenting on my end. Outside of that, the information offered goes pretty in-depth. Wile also offers a handful of different routines and ideas to be used with the device in general. There are of Course color matching routines, Cards tricks, and much more. Enough material and ideas that almost everyone can get something out of it. The routines offered do get a bit to explain at times (have a lot of steps or explanations to give to the participants) Which is fine for what it is. But this product is most definitely not for everyone. It can be self-working but will still need some creativity to come up with routines that suit your style/shows.

All in all, this is a really great product. You can tell a lot of thought went into the construction of everything to not only give a great product but also a great presentation and a positive opening experience. What I thought would have been dope is if the ePODS were rechargeable and had a wireless charging feature in the base of the markers so when you store them top-down in the case (that’s how they are basically deactivated) the Fancy Pants lid would recharge them like an AirPods case. But then these things would be stupid expensive. Still would be cool tho.