iMunchies turns your iPhone (or iPod touch) into a popcorn machine that lets you reach right into the screen and start snacking. Really.

Now before I break the magician's code and explain how iMunchies works, let me show you how it looks when you show it to your friends…

You begin by saying something like, "Hey, check this out… I've got one of only a handful of super-secret über-beta iPhone II prototypes right here," and then pause for a moment to allow them to express their disbelief. Continue by explaining, "Yeah, not only is it faster and more powerful, it's got a bunch of awesome new features… and my very favorite is this built in popcorn maker." Display the iPhone, which looks perfectly normal:

After a few seconds the home screen is replaced by the popcorn maker. You hear the sound of popcorn popping and the popper begins to fill up:

When the popper is filled, stick your finger right into the screen and grab a kernel or two, like this:

Now hand your friend a kernel of popcorn, like this:

The reactions are priceless. I've had more than one person absolutely convinced that my iPhone really did make popcorn.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!! (Do not read the following if you don't want to know the secret of this effect.)

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The secret is that the whole thing is a QuickTime movie. Hide a kernel of real popcorn in the hand you're using to hold the iPhone and secretly start the movie playing. Then, at the appropriate time (around 15 seconds from the start), pretend to insert your finger as shown and grab the piece of real popcorn. Done well, it's extremely convincing and lots of fun, too.

To see a performance of the whole iMuchies routine on YouTube, click here.

Now if popcorn isn't your thing, you'll be happy to learn that Hottrix also offers several similar gags such as iBeer:

iGoldfish (notice the piece of food floating down in front of the Stocks icon):

And for the Jewish contingent, there's even a special version of the iGoldfish that turns into an iGefiltefish before your very eyes:

I've seen them all and in my humble opinion iMunchies (the popcorn one) is the best and most effective. That said, the others are also quite clever and well worth their (low) price.

The Bottom Line

How can you not love a stupid iPhone trick, especially when it costs a mere three bucks? I've had more fun showing this to my friends than almost any other iPhone gadget I own. Highly recommended.