Cut The Rope

Cut the Rope is a new iOS game that will most likely explode in popularity just as Angry Birds did a few months ago. Cut The Rope debuted on the App Store this week in both a free and $0.99 version and has already nabbed the No. 1 spot in both paid and free apps. CTR’s fun and addictiveness levels are very similar to that of Angry Birds and you find yourself unable to stop playing as you progress from level to level.

The idea of the game is pretty simple. There’s a piece of candy hanging from a string and a little green monster with a sweet tooth. By cutting the rope and using various other special items, your goal is to get the candy into the monster’s mouth and collect as many stars as possible along the way (up to three). The game is also GameCenter ready and you can unlock achievements to share with your friends.

This is a definite must download. I’ve already given it five stars on the App Store.

-Tim

PayPal

This is an oldie but goodie that I rediscovered this weekend after getting my Bling Tag. If you haven’t

caught on to the Bling Tag craze, you should. Bling Tags bring PayPal into meatspace by allowing you to link your tag, which is meant to be attached to a cellphone, to your PayPal account. Once linked, you can use the tag at participating retailers much in the same way you would use a debit card. Instead of charging your bank account, Bling charges your PayPal account. Bling seems to be on an all out marketing blitz – at least on campus – in hopes of achieving a critical mass of users. I got my tag on Saturday outside the Football game from a lady who said “Hey, you want ten bucks?” I got those ten bucks and then when I linked to my PayPal account I got another ten bucks. You know what that means? I’ve been eating free Treehouse all weekend.

So there I was yesterday morning, out and about, when an urge for a delicious burrito struck. I had no cash and no idea how much of my free $20 I had spent. Enter PayPal iPhone app to the rescue. This allows you to do some seriously cool things like splitting a bill, transferring funds by bumping iPhones and even cashing checks by taking a picture of the front and back with your iPhone’s camera. You can also manage account details like what credit cards and back accounts are connected to your account. The interface is both attractive and intuitive and you can set a four digit pin for quick access.

When I take over the world, phones will make wallets and cash obsolete. Until then, a Bling Tag and PayPal’s iPhone app are a step in the right direction.

-Isaac

Remote

Apple finally took the time to update its Remote app and some much needed bug fixes have taken care of. The new app is compatible with both the iPhone and iPad, now works with AppleTV, and maintains a more stable connection to your computer. Most of the capabilities are still the same, but the iPad version looks very similar to the iPad iTunes app and has been designed well. Additionally, Apple has added a new feature that lets you use simple finger gestures to easily control your new AppleTV.

All in all a very good update.

-Tim