Bottle Rocket Apps has released the Laser Cats Live Wallpaper app for Android phones and tablets.  Laser Cats Live Wallpaper combines the majesty of cats with the power of lasers in a way never seen before! Marvel as cats float across your device’s desktop, shooting lasers in response to your touches.

Laser Cats features many of the cats owned by the team members at Bottle Rocket Apps (www.bottlerocketapps.com), one of the world’s leading full-service mobile app development firms, focused on creating hand-crafted apps for the world’s most discriminating brands.  Exclusively for Android,  Laser Cats Live Wallpaper contains more than a dozen cats with unique laser colors, with biographies for each cat visible in the wallpaper settings. Tablet-optimized cats are included as well!

Laser Cats Live Wallpaper is available for $0.99 on the Android Market. Bottle Rocket Apps is donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this app to Operation Kindness, the oldest and largest no-kill, non-profit animal welfare organization in North Texas.  Operation Kindness is a nonprofit shelter that cares for homeless or unwanted cats and dogs in a no-kill environment. They never euthanize an animal to make room for another. They care for all the animals they take in until they are adopted. To learn more, visit www.operationkindness.org.

Liven up your Android desktop with Laser Cats, and help support a great cause at the same time!

Executive editor Jason Ankeny wrote:

The Civil War Today doesn’t simply revisit and reconsider history–it’s bound to make history as well, going down in App Store lore as the gold standard for how tablets can render conventional textbooks irrelevant by illuminating our shared heritage in new and unprecedented ways.

The Civil War Today, one of three apps by Bottle Rocket featured by Apple in the iTunes App Store Essentials Hall of Fame, is available for $5.99 on the App Store.

One of our values at Bottle Rocket, is “be restless”. To us this means never settling and always actively improving ourselves and our work. This includes the tools we use to run our business. One of the big initiatives we took in 2011 was implementing a new project management system so that we could get a better handle on how our resources were being allocated. In this past year, we have learned many things about the evolving project/process management of a rapidly growing company operating at the leading edge of design and technology.

Outdated Information Leads to Incorrect Results

Using a project management system is a great way to log tasks, have conversations, share files and collaborate. But, if you aren’t keeping the system up-to-date constantly, no one will trust the data and use of the system will decline over time. If your Project Managers are not updating tasks as parts of the project change, then people are relying on bad data. You may be asking a team member to work late on something that isn’t important or might not be utilizing an available resource during a window of opportunity. As a Project Manager, it’s your responsibility to communicate to the appropriate internal team members and failure to do so leads to mistrust. Eventually entire teams will stop using the system and the process will fail. But when data is kept fresh, the system becomes the trusted source for accurate information and use skyrockets.

Timing is Everything

Before we got our new project management system, we were able to estimate the amount of time a project would take, but it was always a rough estimate. We now are recording time so that we can monitor employee’s workloads and make sure our estimates are accurate. It was a strong conviction of the management team to make sure people understood why we were logging time – not to be the timesheet police, but to help maintain a work/life balance for our team members. Time tracking helps us determine when new resources are needed, forecast potential resource gaps and optimize our use of time.

You Won’t Get It Right on the First Try

No matter how much set up time or training you have, the system will never be perfect when you begin. The important thing to remember is that implementing a new project management system can be a full-time job, especially in the first few months before and after the implementation. It’s important to get people’s approval on the system and get constant feedback and consensus from all disciplines in your business. If people see value in the system, they will use it. If not, your efforts will be wasted. Put yourself in the shoes of each person in your organization and ask yourself “how will this make me more efficient so that I can focus on what I really love to do.”

Being a part of a company that has grown four times its size in the past year has been an amazing challenge. But with an unwavering focus on constant improvement and “being restless”, it is a challenge that we have met successfully.

What challenges have you experienced as your company grows? We would love to get some insight or provide you some encouragement.

Now in their second year, the Media Vanguard Awards honor next-gen media and draw hundreds of submissions in a wide variety of fields.  This year the MVAs have honored publishers and broadcasters like time.com, HBO and other highly respected brands.  SPIN Media, NPR and other MVA winners were honored at the Media Vanguard Awards, which is part of the ME: Media Evolved conference, on November 15th in Manhattan.

SPIN Play for iPad and NPR’s suite of apps have been featured on the iTunes App Store countless times, are included in Apple’s iTunes App Store iPad Hall of Fame and have received extensive critical acclaim.  SPIN and NPR have shown that print and other traditional media outlets can have a nice home on mobile devices, if they embrace the platform.

SPIN Play for iPad is free to download from the AppStore and includes a daily feed of news and reviews from SPIN.com.  SPIN Play also offers users access to premium issues which feature SPIN’s industry leading editorial content, as well as 60+ steaming songs and 30+ streaming videos each month.  Each issue allows users to connect with their favorite artist in a way never before possible on any medium.

NPR’s suite of apps include NPR for iPad, NPR News for iPhone/iPod Touch and Android and NPR Music for iPhone/iPod Touch and all are free to download.  NPR’s apps offer a deep variety of content in News, Music, Arts and Lifestyle.  The apps also provide access to NPR’s award winning content via podcasts, programs and thousands of streaming radio stations.  This is the second year in a row that NPR’s apps have won the MVA in their category.

SPIN Play can be downloaded free at spin.com/ipad.  An annual subscription is available for $7.99 via In-App purchase and single issues can be purchased for $1.99 each.  All NPR apps can be found in the mobile section of NPR.org.

Congratulations to Bottle Rocket’s partners at NPR and SPIN Magazine for this tremendous honor!

Both WIRED and Gizmodo recognize four of Bottle Rocket’s apps as essential apps in the 2011 WIRED App Guide of 400 Essential Apps.

The lucky winners include:

• NPR News (editor’s pick for News)
• NPR Music
• SPIN Play
• Civil War Today

Coding. Mobile.  Cloud.  APIs.  Good food.  Awesome prizes.

This past Saturday, the AT&T Hackathon introduced the the latest cutting edge tools to deploy your own app with a website backend, fully hosted in the cloud.  Alternatively, you can come pitch your idea and scout for developer talent, who can help you build your app!

Mobile App Hackathon, an event produced by the AT&T Developer Program, and Apigee was designed for attendees (technical & non-technical) to learn about new technologies, build apps/mobile apps, get fed, compete for prizes across different categories and most importantly: meet new people and scout for teammates to work on new or current projects.

This year Bottle Rocket helped AT&T host the event including providing an inspirational keynote and developer support throughout the day.

Dallas gave a tremendous showing with 111+ attendees and pumped out 17 apps. It was an especially exciting event because John Donovan and Jon Summers also stopped by the event incognito and chatted up the devs.

The winners are as follows:
1st Place – Pastie Cam
2nd Place – Meteor Mission
3rd Place – myCost
SierraWireless 1st Place – Pastie Cam
Sierra Wireless Honorable Mention – Representus
Sencha Winner – CoachPlan
$50 Youngest Hacker Award – This prize went to the two youngest winners that participated in the hackathon. One young hacker had an especially great idea for a “magic watch”, and received an iPod Nano watch as a special prize.
learncodethehardway.org Winners – Catch 22 for presenting a half way finished app! Apigee will be buying these guys an online class from learncodethehwardway.org so that they can deliver a full app the next time.

From killer app to killer business…

From November 2 through 4 in San Francisco, attendees at Open Mobile Summit & Appcelerate met the leaders of the mobile app economy and CEOs of the hottest app businesses on the planet shared the secrets to their success and their thoughts on the evolving landscape.  Our own Founder & President, Calvin Carter, was there speaking as an “App Idol.”

Attendees talked to the developers and execs behind today’s most successful apps, and they learned how to build and monetize killer apps – and securing long-term future in the open mobile economy.

Key issues discussed were:

• The changing landscape for app development: Navigate the latest trends in platforms and app monetization, and understand key developments that will influence markets for apps in the next 12 months
• The secrets to a successful mobile publishing business: Strategies to help you build, and maintain, a profitable business
• Platform wars: Who’s winning, which new platforms should you keep an eye on, and what’s the latest in html 5, java and flash
• Development techniques: How to accelerate your development time and reduce costs, plus practical tools to deal with fragmentatrion today
• App monetization: The latest revenue strategies such as in-app monetization, microtransactions, freemium, subscriptions, advertising, lead-gen, and virtual goods
• Adoption and Stickiness: How to generate rapid adoption, and keep people coming back for more!
• Distribution: Navigate the very latest distribution models such as CPI, incentivized installs, and cross-promotions.
• The Mobile UI: What you need to know about the role of design in attracting users
• Analytics: Which app analytics you need to pay close attention to, and which can be sand traps
• New market opportunities: From enterprise apps through to developing for tablets and devices “beyond the phone”

On November 1, all app-propriate attention will turn to the Javits Center in New York City for Apps World North America 2011.  Attendees will network with industry leading brands and developers to discover the future of multi-platform apps.

Apps World offers two days of action packed engaging content including 30+ sessions, across three tracks covering all aspects of the social media and apps ecosystem:

• Marketing Track:  Day one of the marketing track considers how apps can work within a comprehensive mobile marketing plan – with contributions from big brands making waves in the sector – before moving on to exploring some of the latest innovations that marketers should have on their radar.
• Developer Zone:  The Apps World developers’ workshop will be the place for app developers and entrepreneurs to focus on the development of profitable apps across different apps stores. Technical presentations from leading developers and apps stores will cover a myriad of opportunities and challenges faced when developing apps.
• Social Media Marketing Forum:   This track  explores the broader impact social media is having on consumer behaviour. It examines the strategy for using this new channel in marketing and PR.  From monitoring ROI to building online communities. 

American consumerism has created an ideal environment for all things apps and brands are hoping to fully exploit this platform to command the attention of their customers and potential customers via their placement on the mobile screen.  Researchers predict that one-third of U.S. homes will have “connected TV” by 2015 which means that all arrows point to TV apps and a chance for viewers to see their TVs not as a big box in the living room, but rather as a multimedia device that is as connected as their pc and mobile device.

Apps World North America 2011 will delve into these topics and more as we bring together many of the region’s top app Developers, Network Operators, OS Vendors, Brand & Marketing Managers and Technology Providers; looking to connect, build partnerships and network whilst becoming educated and inspired by the latest developments within this exciting industry.

Foodies and Top Chef fans everywhere can now rejoice as everyone can become a judge using our iPhone and Android app.  Rate dishes just like a Top Chef would, and learn about other best and worst rated dishes near you.  Gain new judging achievements as you refine your judging skills.

Rate your plate while in a restaurant, learn how to rate like a Top Chef judge, and discover dishes in your area that other Top Chef judges deem delicious.

Available in Apple’s iTunes store and Google’s Android Market, look for this FREE app icon and download it today.  WE think you will find the Top Chef app a great combination of the best features of Food Spotting and Foodgawker.com with the interactivity of the Top Chef show from Bravo TV Networks.  Whether purely for dish discovery or as an informal “who has the best taste” competition among friends, use the Top Chef app to enjoy world-class cookery wherever you are. 

Doodle Bomb

Blast your way through 77 mind-bending physics puzzles as you guide your hero to the ultimate goal of “Bomb Master”. Interact with unique physics driven machines and characters who will help (or hurt) your attempt to infiltrate the enemy base using as few bombs as possible.

LATEST STATS:  35 million missions completed to date.  Over 165 years spent in app to date.

Annoying Orange: Kitchen Carnage

He’s cute.  He’s Annoying.  He’s an Orange!  To some, he’s the king of comedy, the prince of puns, the earl of irritation!  And to others, he’s just a royal pain in the butt. Call him what you like, just don’t call him an apple! He hates that!

LATEST STATS:  Over 8 million games completed in first 4 months.  Over 50 years spent in app in first 4 months.

Here at Bottle Rocket, we’re proud to be helping you spend your years with the most awesome apps!