Chilli X has birthday - everyone gets presents, but no cake

If you look under your seats, you'll find a bevy of free iPhone apps. That's right ... you get an app, you get an app, everybody gets an app (or 16)!

We've mentionedChilli X a few times, and I've developed a fondness for their collection of sleek, simple iPhone apps with great-looking interfaces. And now it's their first birthday, and they're giving out presents: this weekend only (starting right now), you can grab any (or all) of Chilli X's iPhone apps for FREE.

There are plenty to choose from; 16 apps in the App Store and one just submitted for approval today. We've mentioned Done [iTunes link], MyCal [iTunes link] and Playlist Alarm Clock [iTunes link], but much has happened since then. What follows is a roundup of some of the latest apps, but you can find them all by searching for "Chilli X" in the App Store.

First up: StarTime [iTunes link]. This one is strictly for Trekkies; an LCARS clock. It doesn't do much besides display the time, but it does it with finesse that would make Gene Roddenberry proud (or possibly sue, but Chilli X seems to have that covered). There's not much else to say about this one ...

Next, and one of my favorites, is PlaySafe [iTunes link]. Victor mentioned Flicktunes previously, and PlaySafe is in the same vein: a full-screen, flick-driven controller for your music, designed for use while driving. PlaySafe is simpler than its competitors, and better looking.

While it lacks some of the extra functionality (like slide volume control or 30-second skip, both in development), its simplicity makes it, in my opinion, the most elegant of the bunch. It has a great-looking display, and is extremely easy to use.

Then there's Juiced [iTunes link], which is (yet another) battery monitor, but again, one of the best-looking you'll find. It shows the current charge level as a liquid-filled battery, complete with bubbles and changing colors depending on the charge. Tapping the screen adds hash marks to the container for an accurate (within the 5% proximity allowed by the SDK) reading of your current battery level, and rotating to landscape provides further information and lets you see how long your charge will last with various activities. Simple, yes, but elegant.

The one app you can't get for free this weekend is RandomPlay, their most recent (and as of yet, unavailable) submission to the App Store. When launched it displays the cover art for 12 random tracks from your iTunes library and starts playing the one in the top left. Tap to play a track, double-tap to delete it, and shake to shuffle. It's in line with their modus operandi of simple yet useful apps, and definitely looks like it will meet or exceed their bar for quality interface design.

If you're not already a Chilli X fan, this is the weekend to give it a shot. The "birthday bonanza" is on now, and all of their apps are free for the next couple of days. Head on over to the App Store, search for "Chilli X" and enjoy the feast!