Experience immersive workshops on product development, team building and resilience in the approach to failure, told through the General Magic story.
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General Magic is available to watch on VOD platforms worldwide.
Learn MoreLearn MoreHost a private screening of General Magic for your organization paired with live panels and team-building workshops.
Learn MoreGet a custom quoteGeneral Magic is the story of the original creators of the smartphone, who after a great failure, changed the lives of billions.
In 1990, at a secretive Silicon Valley start-up, a small and passionate group of innovators and engineers formed to build a magical device that would enable anyone to connect everyone to everywhere and everything – a personal computer in your pocket.
General Magic, though relatively unknown, is considered by many to be one of the most influential innovation startups in the history of technology. This pioneering team—featuring visionaries like Tony Fadell (co-creator of the iPod and iPhone, founder of Nest, author of Build), Megan Smith (former White House CTO, founder of shift7), Marc Porat (original visionary of the smartphone), Andy Hertzfeld (software engineer, original Macintosh team), and Joanna Hoffman (marketing, original Macintosh team)—created the first smartphone and laid the foundation for many of the 21st century's most transformative communication and digital technologies.
While the business of General Magic ultimately did not succeed, the groundbreaking technologies developed by this trailblazing startup and the subsequent ventures led by its team have profoundly impacted the lives of billions.
Discover the General Magic story.
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Please contact us for more information about how to host a private screening, panel or team building event. Former General Magic employees are able to speak on request.
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“A rippling standing ovation followed the film. We Estonians are typically straight faced as people, resistant to emotion or expression in public, but the film resonated something deep within our audience.
“My hope and dream is that General Magic elevates the purpose of each Town employee.”

The compelling story of General Magic shows the powerful value that lies in failure, perseverance and teamwork amongst other empowering themes. Teams and groups will find inspiration in this legendary piece of history.
She tucked the notebooks into her khaki suitcase, next to her father’s photograph. Reza’s saffron seller gave her a lift to the airport. He handed her a small envelope. “For the flight,” he said. Inside was a single, dried jasmine flower and a scrap of paper with a Farsi word: پایداری ( Paidari ). Persistence.
New dialogue and narrative branches for core characters.
The author herself is a cipher. From fragmented biographic notes dispersed throughout the footnotes (which often spill onto the next page, like algorithmic hallucinations), we gather that Sendicate is a dual national—perhaps Iranian-American or Iranian-Canadian—who returned to Tehran for a university research project on “Digital Resistance in Semi-Authoritarian States.” She was 24 when she arrived. She left at 28, not by choice, but by the quiet revocation of her exit permit, which she eventually bypassed via a land border to Turkey. 4 Years in Tehran -v0.7- -Monia Sendicate-
The game attempts to paint a picture of daily life, integrating cultural, social, and logistical aspects of living in Tehran, which provides a unique backdrop for the story. Why "4 Years in Tehran" Stands Out
Based on walkthroughs and community discussions, the v0.7 update is subtitled "[Beginning Of All Troubles In Mahsa Life]". This suggests a narrative turning point where the relatively calmer atmosphere of earlier versions gives way to more significant drama and challenges. 2. Character Development She tucked the notebooks into her khaki suitcase,
: Key peers who represent opposing social paths within the urban environment.
: This host family is far from normal, plunging Mahsa into an unpredictable environment where she must protect herself while managing her classes. New Features in Version v0.7 “For the flight,” he said
Unlike traditional visual novels where choices offer flavor dialogue, v0.7 introduces permanent flags that modify how secondary characters view Mahsa. Opting for compliance over resistance alters the game's tone from an institutional drama to an explicit narrative. 2. Visual Overhauls

Michael Stern has practiced law in Silicon Valley for 35 years. He has worked with General Magic, Pixar, Adobe, NeXT, and eBay. His varied background as an English professor, journalist, and Dickens scholar led to the story development of the General Magic documentary.
“Working at General Magic was an all-consuming, life-changing experience for me. The company was full of the smartest and most creative people I had ever known. It was a story that cried out to be told.”
Matt is a multi award winning director, writer, cinematographer and producer. At the Tribeca Film Festival, he was nominated for the Best New Director Award.
“There was this amazing moment reviewing the archival film, seeing all these young people sitting on the floor of a tiny office … the people who made the iPod, Nest, Android, eBay, the emoticon, the touch screen, the modem, tools we can’t imagine living without today.”
Sarah, a Peabody Award winner and Emmy nominee, was part of the original documentary crew at General Magic. She has held a number of roles in the Tech industry, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer at Kheiron Medical, dedicated to the detection and treatment of breast cancer using AI.
“Our hope is that this film will inspire the next generation of technologists and makers to learn from those who have gone before them and apply the lessons of General Magic to solving the most important problems of our day.”
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