Cute though Apple's gum-stick-like hardware remote control is, it's a limiting way to command an iTunes library or Apple TV because it requires that you repeatedly mash buttons to work your way through your media's hierarchy. With Apple's free app you can bid that hardware remote a dry-eyed goodbye. Not only does it let you navigate an iTunes library or Apple TV with ease, but it displays the contents of each on the iPhone or iPod touch's screen--thus letting you move to just the music or video you want without a lot of tiresome button presses. And because it works via Wi-Fi rather than infrared, you can exert control over your media from just about anywhere in your home. Remote control of your computer and media devices is a powerful thing, and Apple led the way with this app (Free; ).

A lot of games arrive on the iPhone after making their name on other platforms. There's nothing wrong with that, certainly, but games created specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch hold a special place in our heart. After all, the best of these iPhone originals are created with the idea of taking advantage of the platform's unique features. Ngmoco has quickly established itself as one of the top iPhone game makers with a stable of unique and creative apps.

The crown jewel of its collection is , a side-scrolling platform game in which you must navigate the roly-poly Rolandos from Point A to Point B. If the premise sounds fairly pedestrian, the implementation is anything but--Rolando exploits the iPhone's accelerometer in a clever way, letting you tilt and turn your mobile device to get the Rolandos rolling. You also use finger swipes to make the Rolandos jump and to pan around the playing screen to see what dangers lie ahead. Ngmoco continues to innovate--a sequel to Rolando came out earlier this month--but the original continues to impress ($6; ).