Magic Cap

<h2 id="mobile-agents">Mobile agents</h2>
<p>The Magic Cap operating system includes a new <a href="/facts/Mobile_agent/Ku9V1u69">mobile agent</a> technology named <a href="/facts/Telescript_(programming_language)/DNCclHYu">Telescript</a>. Conceptually, the agents carry work orders, travel to a Place outside of the handheld device, complete their work, and then return to the device with the results. When the Magic Cap devices were delivered, the only Place for agents to travel was the PersonaLink service provided by <a href="/facts/AT%2526T/y3Lo9uhk">AT&T</a>. The agents had little access to functionality, because each agent had to be strictly authorized and its scope of inquiry was limited to the software modules installed on the PersonaLink servers. The payload carried by these agents was also hampered by the slow dial-up <a href="/facts/Modem/9H0Xwtq0">modem</a> speed of 2400 bit/s.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>
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The authentication and authorization system of the mobile agents in Telescript created a high coupling between the device and the target Place. As a result, deployment of agent-based technology was incredibly difficult, and never reached fruition before the PersonaLink service was shut down.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Apple_Newton/wU1h4FBj">Apple Newton</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Bob/tIx29zDj">Microsoft Bob</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Danger_Hiptop/4CWLb025">Danger Hiptop</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.pencomputing.com/magic_cap/">Archive section and "time capsule" dedicated to Magic Cap</a> – <i>Pen Computing Magazine</i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.11/11.05/MakingMagic/">"Making Magic"</a> – a developer's introduction to General Magic and Magic Cap by Richard Clark, <a href="/facts/Scott_Knaster/pEjAXJuY">Scott Knaster</a>, and the staff of General Magic (from <i>Mactech</i> 11:5)</li>
<li><a href="http://joshcarter.com/magic_cap/">Magic Cap Resources</a> – a combination blog and gallery with links to Magic Cap software, documentation and other information. Also includes a photo gallery of Magic Cap devices.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Bill Atkinson Part 2 - Triangulation 362. YouTube. Triangulation. 31 August 2018.  21:12 minutes in. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Bill Atkinson shows the credits screen on Magic Link device, and Tony Fadell is mentioned in the conversation. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN-bLcJWch8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN-bLcJWch8</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Bill Atkinson Part 2 - Triangulation 362. YouTube. Triangulation. 31 August 2018.  21:12 minutes in. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Bill Atkinson shows the credits screen on Magic Link device, and Tony Fadell is mentioned in the conversation. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN-bLcJWch8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN-bLcJWch8</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"Darin Adler". Boost C++ Libraries. <a href="http://www.boost.org/people/darin_adler.htm" target="_blank">http://www.boost.org/people/darin_adler.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"Magic Link Users Guide (primary manual)". Sony eSupport. <a href="http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-find.pl?mdl=PIC-1000" target="_blank">http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-find.pl?mdl=PIC-1000</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"AT&T severs PersonaLink for PDAs". CNET News. July 11, 1996. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/ATT-severs-PersonaLink-for-PDAs/2100-1023_3-217269.html" target="_blank">http://news.cnet.com/ATT-severs-PersonaLink-for-PDAs/2100-1023_3-217269.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Magic Cap open-in-new

Magic Cap