"Strange Rain" is quickly becoming one of the most popular new apps for the iPhone and iPad... but what exactly is it?

"The easiest way to describe it is that it's a portable rainy day," said Erik Loyer, the app's Santa Clarita, California-based creator.  But the app appears to be more than just a rainy day.   CNN.com describes "Strange Rain as "a unique mashup of game, short story, easter-egg hunt and ... what? Meditation tool, maybe?"

In its most basic mode, "Strange Rain" depicts a stormy sky with raindrops spattering on the touchscreen. Tapping the screen in various combinations prompts music and, as the user progresses, more bizarre events.  In "whispers" mode, seemingly random words appear along with the rain. And in "story," taps reveal snippets of a first-person story, written by Loyer, in which a man stands outside in the rain for reasons that slowly become more apparent.  The choices the player makes can change the storyline along the way.

Loyer said he's been pleasantly surprised at the way people say they use the app.  "I've had a few users say, 'It helps me fall asleep at night,' " he said. "I had a user say, 'I have chronic pain and it helps me get my mind off of it.' "

For more info go to: http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/01/24/strange.rain/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Courtesy of CNN

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