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The magic of technology, the technology of magic..

The magic of technology, the technology of magic..

    Technology is quickly changing the world of magic, as illusionists incorporate everything from iPads to digital projection in their acts. Some magicians, however, object to the use of devices in performances. So when does digital trickery take the magic out of magic? Antony Funnell investigates…

Science fiction supremo Arthur C. Clarke once declared: ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’. But does the analogy work the other way around?

Techno-illusionists like the internationally renowned Marco Tempest argue magicians and illusionists need to embrace new technologies in order to stay relevant to a modern, digital audience.

‘I’m a cyber-illusionist or techno-illusionist,’ says Tempest, ‘which means I combine magic and science to create illusions. You could think of it as magic for the 21st century.’..

Read more of this very interesting article, courtesy of ABC News..

Poker pro Phil Ivey accused of cheating by Atlantic City casino..

Poker pro Phil Ivey accused of cheating by Atlantic City casino..

A little something not necessarily magic related… but interesting. It does involve a deck of cards though…  From CBS News…

Phil Ivey calls himself “the greatest poker player of all time,” but a casino in Atlantic City has accused him of being something else: a cheat.

In a lawsuit, the Borgata claims Ivey pocketed more than $9.6 million by cheating at baccarat, the card game made famous by James Bond where the object is to pick the hand with the value closest to nine.

As a well-known poker pro who has won nine World Series of Poker bracelets and nearly $22 million in prize money, Phil Ivey was allowed to make a lot of requests. When he visited the Borgata in 2012, he requested a private pit, a particular set of playing cards and an automatic shuffler. Initially the hotel was happy to oblige the gambler, but now the casino thinks he made those requests just so he could cheat, reports CBS News correspondent Vinita Nair…

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Criss Angel, recovered from shoulder surgery, returns to ‘Believe’; ‘Magic Jam’ to continue..

Criss Angel, recovered from shoulder surgery, returns to ‘Believe’; ‘Magic Jam’ to continue..

By Robin Leach for the Las Vegas Sun..

Shoulder surgeons and rehab specialists have given their OK for Magician of the Century Criss Angel to restart his Luxor headliner show “Believe” at the Luxor on Tuesday.

“It will have a whole new look,” Criss told me. “We’ve got new music, lighting and costumes, and the entire cast and crew are excited to return.”

Cirque du Soleil’s “Believe” went on hiatus for 10 weeks while Criss recuperated from January shoulder surgery in L.A. for torn muscles that separated during a Times Square hanging escape stunt for his Spike TV series also titled “Believe.”…

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Zlwin makes magic on high seas..

Zlwin makes magic on high seas..

ABRACADABRA: He is only 25, but Zlwin Chew is making waves as a magician on board cruise ships, writes Yeoh Onn Chuan

HIS name is Zlwin Chew and it’s a name that many  who have met him will never forget.

Last year, this young and dynamic magician from Klang was one of the entertainment attractions on cruise ships, enthralling audiences both on stage and off with his magic performances.

It was five years ago in April 2009 when, as an amateur and armed with only a deck of cards and minimal magic skills, Chew proposed to the Zouk entertainment outlet in Kuala Lumpur the idea of him being their resident magician.

It was an audacious move, to say the least, and one that was motivated simply by a passion for this particular form of art.

Read more at the New Straits Times