Remember that scene in the Wizard of Oz when the scarecrow first comes off his pole and learns to walk. If you could control that gangly dance on your iPhone, you would have iChalky.

Chalky is a stick figure that is much more complex than he appears. Chalky lives in a virtual world controlled, much like ours, by gravity and mass. His moves are not predetermined; he responds to the accelerometer and and his behavior is a result of “the mechanical constraints that define him.”

According the developer’s web site, “He illustrates the fact that humble perceptual measurements and simple constraints set in a physically meaningful environment can lead to interesting and sometime unexpected behavior.”

Technical jargon aside, iChalky is tons of fun. Tilt the iPhone to send Chalky slip-sliding along the bottom of your screen. Turn your phone full circle and watch as chalky flips in the air. Turn, toss or tumble, Chalky will respond by trying to maintain balance and hold himself upright.

You can also grab an arm — or a leg or a head — and watch as Chalky dangles and flails for solid footing. Or, grab both arms and stretch iChalky across the screen.

Remember the scarecrow? Well, Chalky also has a dancing streak. Whenever Chalky hears music he’s eager to show off his moves. The music can come from any source near your iPhone’s built-in microphone — the radio, your music library, you can even sing into your phone. iChalky’s not picky he’s always ready to shake his groove thang.

At 99 cents, this is not a purchase that requires a lot of thought. Download iChalky and play.

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category: Editor's Picks, Entertainment