If you're an old-school computer user, you're aware of interactive fiction -- the text-based games you'd play by typing such curt instructions as "pick up tweezers," "drop bologna," and "talk to hedgehog." has devised Frotz, a Z-code interpreter (the engine necessary to play these games), and offered it for free on the App Store. Included with Frotz are a host of free games and links to many more.

-- CHRISTOPHER BREEN

Best view of the friendly skies

Armchair flying is about all this private pilot is able to do these days. On my desktop, that's courtesy of the X-Plane flight simulator. And now, thanks to the power of the iPhone, I can take (some of) that desktop experience with me when I leave the house. $10 X-Plane 9 for the iPhone offers a realistic flight model, four different aircraft models, three airports, and even a few instrument approaches. The frame rate is surprisingly good, and the graphics are impressive -- especially when considering that the simulator is running on a phone.

-- ROB GRIFFITHS