Something cool but fishy on my iPhone

January 27, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

I’m an owner of an iPhone and I’m happy every time someone asks me to show it off to them. It amazes me that even after all this time, the iPhone still gets so much attention when I use it. I’ll put it through its paces and smile when I hear the oohs and ahhs. Even though people know about the iPhone, for one reason or another they just haven’t seen one up close nor held one in their hands and tried it out for themselves.

And now that Apple released the latest 1.1.3 version of the iPhone’s operating system, there’s even more to show off such as the pseudo GPS ability in the Google Maps application. However, I’ve recently been using something that brings a whole new meaning to showing off the iPhone.

The reactions I’m getting to the software products from Hottrix are like nothing I’ve seen before. Basically, Hottrix has produced a series of videos that run on the iPhone and other mobile devices, but they aren’t perceived to be videos by the people watching them. Before I go any further, let me dispel any concerns about what Hottrix is offering. These are not applications that could void your iPhone’s warranty. Nor are they Web applications that require you to go online to run them. They are simply mpeg4 videos, which run just like any other video you’d run on your iPhone.

You download them and use iTunes to install the videos into the iPhone’s iPod Video library as you would any other. But these videos have been designed to fool you into thinking that you are actually looking at the iPhone’s home screen. But in fact, they are a running video of the home screen. And depending on the Hottrix video you are running, some very bizarre things are going to happen.

My favorite one so far is actually Hottrix’s latest. It’s titled iGoldfish, and here’s how I set it up. I’ll be using my iPhone or showing it off when I surreptitiously run the iGoldfish video. I happen to mention that just the other day, I dropped my iPhone and it fell into the water. After the horrified looks appear, I smile and say not to worry and that I’ve discovered that while the iPhone really isn’t waterproof, it still continues to work just fine. The only problem I’ve noticed is that whenever I tap on the glass a few times (I begin to tap on the iPhone’s glass that’s displaying the home screen), something begins to happen that didn’t happen before I dropped it into the water.

At that very moment, you begin to hear bubbling noises and a really large goldfish swims in from the edge of the display in front of the home screen image. This is not a cartoon goldfish but the video of a real goldfish! Jaws drop. I nonchalantly continue to explain that I’ve decided to keep her in my iPhone and have named her “Goldie.” I then position my pinched fingers at the top of the iPhone and pretend to drop a bit of food for her. Of course I’ve timed the video just as a bit of food appears at the top of the screen and floats down in front of Goldie where she eats it with a loud, audible crunch. Goldie then swims off to the left and you still hear the bubble noises. The observers go wild and say things tantamount to “Oh my god, I’ve never seen anything like that!” And that’s just one of the videos you can get.

My favorites include iBeer, iMilk, iWater and iChampagne. With these, you again begin by showing the iPhone home screen. I say there’s a hidden switch I can press whenever I’m thirsty. Pressing it makes the home screen vanish and you see and hear the iPhone fill up with the beverage of choice. You shake it a bit and then hold the upper right corner to your mouth and begin drinking. As you tip the iPhone further back, the beverage looks as if it is pouring out into your mouth. For Halloween and Goths, a blood version is also available. Just a little practice and you’ll have them eating out of your hand with this one.

And speaking of eating out of your hand, there’s iMunchies. Shake your iPhone and it begins popping popcorn. With this video, you stick your index finger and thumb behind the iPhone and it looks like your finger is reaching in and grabbing a kernel. Pop it into your mouth, swallow and then pour the rest of them into your cupped hand with crunching sound effects included. Eat with gusto.

Hottrix offers a variety of other videos for the iPhone and other mobile devices such as a video that makes it look like you’re getting an important call from work complete with a frantic voice screaming something inaudible. It’s perfect when you need an excuse to make your escape from someone.

As I said, the iPhone is a lot of fun when you’re using it seriously and just playing with it. But now there’s more to playing on your iPhone than just playing games. With the offerings coming from Hottrix, your fun is just getting started. These are a real blast, and you’re going to want them all. Prices range from $1.99 to $2.99 per video.

Visit the Web site at www.hottrix.com.

X Craig Crossman is a national newspaper columnist writing about computers and technology. For more information, visit his Web site at www.computeramerica.com.