Digital Combat Systems' latest hard-core simulation, puts you in control of a single-seat, coaxial-rotor Russian Ka-50 attack helicopter. The $50 download replicates everything: the aerodynamic forces that affect each subelement of the Ka-50's airframe; the detailed physics of the turbo-shaft engine, with each component (the engine inlet, the compressor, and the combustion chamber, for example) modeled independently; and the electrical power generation that feeds the Ka-50's avionics, hydraulics, engines, and auxiliary power. Matt Peckham, who writes says that he has "never seen a sim half as obsessed with modeling the minutia both over and under the hood."

For hyperenthusiasts ready to soak up this sim's stunning graphics--and churn through its 350-page manual--Matt recommends taking off with 's $170 X52 Pro Flight System, a programmable precision stick-and-throttle rig that is fully compatible with Windows Vista.

Optoma Pico Pocket Projector

The prospect of being able to project an image anywhere becomes a reality with Optoma's Pico Pocket Projector, the first shipping product we've tested in this burgeoning new category. The Pico Projector ($400 street), includes cables to hook it up to a TV or mobile device (iPod, PDA, digital camera, or the like), along with a carrying case, an AC adapter, and two lithium ion battery packs (which Optoma says will last 90 minutes each). At its native resolution of 480 by 320, the Pico can project an image measuring 60 inches diagonally from a distance of 8.5 feet.

For more details, read our full review of the .