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Welcome to the Bottle Rocket Blog! Find the latest news, announcements, shop talk and general iPhone discussions that affects our industry.

Get a Free Slice of Orange on the AppStore and Android Market!

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On Friday, Thruster, a division of Bottle Rocket Apps, released a “Lite” version of their popular fruit-slinging game Annoying Orange: Kitchen Carnage.  The free version of the game contains the most popular “Classic” play mode which allows players to blend, cut, microwave and shred the cast of the popular YouTube series while advancing in levels to unlock new fruits.  The full version of the game was released last April and reached #5 on the paid apps chart.

“Even a year after its original release, we knew the fans of the series would welcome a free taste of the popular game”, said Matt Johnson, Executive Producer of the game.  Since Friday the game has risen to #14 of all free apps on the iTunes store with more than 500,000 games played.  ”We are honored to have passed such app store bellweathers such as Facebook, Twitter and Angry Birds over the past 48 hours.”

You can get the free version of the game here: iPhone/iPod Touch or Android

… or upgrade to get two new modes (Balloon Pop and Endless) here: iPhone/iPod Touch or Android


Written by Adrienne Thomas

March 5th, 2012 at 10:00 am

Posted in Android,Apple,Application Launch,Thruster Apps,Uncategorized

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: Our February Charity of the Month

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Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is now the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF research is to improve the lives of all people affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D.

Jordan Sindelar, a developer for our Thruster team, “originally chose JDRF because of their history helping with juveniles”. However, through his research he realized that JDRF no longer solely focuses its research on juveniles. A staggering 85% of those in the US with T1D are adults. JDRF now focuses on all ages and all stages of the disease. Their volunteers can be found in over 100 chapters, branches, and affiliates worldwide.

Check out their website to learn more – http://www.jdrf.org


Written by Adrienne Thomas

February 28th, 2012 at 10:43 pm

Posted in Charitable Contributions,Uncategorized

24 Hours, 70 Passionate Rocketeers and 7 Trillion Neurons (give or take a few)

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Last week Bottle Rocket launched its first-ever “Rocket Science” event. For 24 hours rocketeers brainstormed, penciled, prototyped and then presented their way into Bottle Rocket history.

The purpose of the event was to give Bottle Rocket team members a chance to work on anything that inspires them, expands their skills and pursues mastery of their craft.

Sure, the office was littered with pencil sketches, nerf darts, empty Monster Energy cans, sleeping developers, wrappers from a 3am taco run and glow sticks from the 10 minute rave just before sunrise, but the results were well worth it!

At the end of the 24 hours we came away with over two dozen ideas from clever improvements to our process to exciting app opportunities and even forward thinking experiences users would love.

While we celebrated both the Magnificent Success and Brilliant Failure we will be supporting several ideas that we’re confident will improve the experience users, employees and clients have with Bottle Rocket Apps.

An event like Rocket Science is just one of the ways Bottle Rocket remains a leader in the industry. We are driven by our desire to grow as a team, develop as professionals, increase productivity and sharpen our skills.

“Rocket Science” was inspired by Atlassian’s FedEx Day. You can learn more about the concept here: http://www.atlassian.com/fedex-day

 


Written by Adrienne Thomas

February 27th, 2012 at 10:52 am

Posted in Bottle Rocket News,Miscellaneous,Uncategorized

Troubleshooting Memory Leaks in Android Applications

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Here at Bottle Rocket, we feel that we are in a unique position to knowledge share and give back to the mobile community and its students. Last night Adam Newman, an Android Developer at Bottle Rocket, had the chance to do just that…

Adam presented a session entitled “Troubleshooting Memory Leaks in Android Applications” to the Dallas Android Developers Group. His focus was to educate the audience on the use of the Eclipse Memory Analysis Tools (MAT), as well as various other techniques to avoid memory issues. The MAT set of tools is an extremely powerful ally in the fight against memory leaks. It is believed that a developer will write 90% better and more stable code after learning how to use these tools.

The Dallas Android Developers Group has made the talk available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPftNo-F3rA.

 


Written by Adrienne Thomas

February 16th, 2012 at 12:07 pm

Posted in Bottle Rocket News,Charitable Contributions,Uncategorized

Thruster, a division of Bottle Rocket Apps, Scores 2 for 2 in App Store “What’s Hot” Promotion

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Having just one app at a time recognized by the leading app store in the world is an honor. Having two at the same time is an epic event! Today Apple released this week’s “What’s Hot” list of games on the App Store. Both Annoying Orange Kitchen Carnage and Freddie W’s Flower Warfare are listed among other great apps like Assassin’s Creed and Doodle Jump.

Since its release last year, the only official game for the worldwide sensation Annoying Orange (soon to be a Cartoon Network series too) has amassed more than 13M game sessions. Thruster also sends out congratulations to Annoying Orange creator Dane Boedigheimer, who recently celebrated his 1billionth YouTube view. Great work Dane!

Visual FX superstar Freddie Wong joined the ranks of Thruster’s game portfolio with the psychedelic runner Flower Warfare: The Game. Inspired by the popular YouTube video of the same name, Flower Warfare has amassed more than 11M views. Since last month the game has amassed over 1.2M game plays which include 6.5M enemy kills, 7M boxes of cereal consumed and more than 4 years of time spent wreaking havoc on Rico and his men in game!

Annoying Orange: Kitchen Carnage is available for both iOS (download for iPhone; download for iPad) and Android (download for Android).

Flower Warfare: The Game is available for iOS and coming soon for Android!


Written by Adrienne Thomas

February 10th, 2012 at 9:06 am

Posted in Android,Apple,Industry News,iPad,iPhone,Thruster Apps

Food Network’s In the Kitchen – iPad App of the Week!

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Apple has selected another Bottle Rocket developed app as the “iPad App of the Week”! Food Network’s In the Kitchen app has been racing up the Top Paid iPad App charts since the update released at the end of January. In the Kitchen has ranked as high as #5 in the last week and now has the title of iPad App of the Week.

This is quite an honor for both Food Network and Bottle Rocket since only 75 iPad apps have been crowned iPad App of the Week since Apple began this recognition in 2010. This is Bottle Rocket’s fourth app to be selected as App of the Week. Food Network’s In the Kitchen app joins PBS, SPIN Play and The Civil War Today apps in this elite group.

Congratulations to the Food Network team!


Written by Adrienne Thomas

February 9th, 2012 at 9:05 am

Posted in Apple,Awards,Bottle Rocket News,iPad,iPhone,Uncategorized

Bottle Rocket, NPR, BET and SPIN Magazine Walk Away with 5 Best App Ever Awards and Honorable Mentions

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Bottle Rocket Apps is proud to announce NPR, BET and SPIN Magazine have been selected by 148 Apps’ Best App Ever Awards as having some of the best iOS and Android apps on the market.

The Best App Ever Awards are a true representation of how much users like an app – not just the best-selling apps on the market. Users must nominate an app, wait for the finalists to be announced and then vote for their favorite among the finalists in each category.

This year Bottle Rocket, and three of our valued clients, walked away with the following awards and honorable mentions:

  • 1st Place… Best Big Brand App - BET 106 & Park from BET Networks
  • 3rd Place… Best Music Info App – BET 106 & Park from BET Networks
  • Honorable Mention… Best News App (iOS) – NPR News from NPR
  • Honorable Mention… Best Music Info App (iOS) – NPR Music from NPR
  • Honorable Mention… Best Magazine App (iOS) – SPIN Play from SPIN Media LLC

This marks the third consecutive year that apps designed and built by Bottle Rocket Apps have won the annual contest. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year a record year for Bottle Rocket and our clients!

Some interesting stats from this years contest include:

  • 1,565,833 total votes cast
  • 1.1 million unique voters
  • 1,692 unique apps in the awards
  • 53.9% of the votes were for iOS apps
  • 46.1% of the votes for Android apps

For a full list of the winners, check out the site: http://www.bestappever.com


Written by Adrienne Thomas

February 7th, 2012 at 6:18 pm

Posted in Android,Apple,Awards,Industry News

Why did 111.3 Million People Tune-in to Watch the Super Bowl? For the Food, Of Course…

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Just in time for game day, Bottle Rocket Apps and Scripps Networks proudly announce the all-new Food Network’s “In The Kitchen” app for iPad.

Helping fans prepare delicious food for the big game, Food Network’s “In the Kitchen” for iPad raced to the #11 spot of all paid iPad apps on the App Store.

Brimming with 50,000+ recipes from celebrity chefs like Guy Fieri, Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay and Alton Brown, “In the Kitchen” for iPad was selected by Apple as a “New and Noteworthy” app.

Some highlights of the all-new app include:

  • Seasonal Collections: Great assortments of recipes for the Super Bowl, Valentines Day and more.
  • Compare Recipes: Browse several recipes side-by-side before making your selection.
  • Ratings and Reviews: See what other foodies think about the dish before you try it.
  • Take Notes: Add notes to your recipes to capture your preferences and continue to personalize them.
  • Shopping List: Make it easy to build a grocery list and share with family and friends.
  • Search Over 50,000+ Recipes: Find just the right recipe for tonight’s meal including filtering by cook time, complexity and even celebrity chef.
  • And more!

We’re adding even more features, as well as building an all-new version for iPhone coming late Spring. Look for more from Bottle Rocket Apps and Scripps Networks on the App Store soon.

And for those you’ve used and bought the app, tell us what you think.

Was it app-etizing?


Written by Adrienne Thomas

February 6th, 2012 at 10:16 am

Posted in Apple,Application Updates

Stonewall Gardens: Our January Charity of the Month

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Stonewall Gardens is a non-profit organization devoted to supporting the outdoor science lab program at Stonewall Jackson Elementary, a public school located in the heart of East Dallas. The garden has been growing for more than 15 years.  Today the garden is a 20,000 square feet outdoor laboratory, where students can enjoy tending to the crops, observing the complex workings of an ecosystem, and conducting scientific experiments.  The hands-on curriculum allows children from kindergarten through fifth grade to increase their understanding of science and their connection to nature.

Tom Jones, one of our superstar developers, nominated Stonewall Gardens because it “supports outdoor learning” and the “kids can bring home the vegetables they grow and actually eat them!”

Since the district’s funding was cut in 2008, the program has been entirely funded through community donations, foundation grants, and business support. Without the generosity of the community, this model program would not exist!

Visit their website to learn more and see how you can help – www.stonewallgardens.org


Written by Adrienne Thomas

January 20th, 2012 at 10:40 pm

Posted in Uncategorized

Ready, Aim…. FLOWER! Thruster announces their latest game, Freddie Wong: Flower Warfare!

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Thruster’s newest YouTube gaming collaboration features the VFX superstar Freddie Wong (FreddieW) on a fast paced rampage through endless levels to escape the clutches of Rico. The Flower Warfare app for iPhone / iPod touch brings Freddie’s hit video to life as you skillfully time treacherous jumps over spikes, toxic waste and bottomless pits while firing petals of destruction at your enemies. Rico’s men will stop at nothing to end your quest for higher consciousness… so fill them full of lead before you take a permanent dirt nap under the Double Rainbow!

Freddie’s team has worked with several Hollywood celebrities such as Kevin Pollak, Eliza Dushku, Jon Favreau in bringing his visions to life. Over 2.7M people have subscribed to FreddieW’s YouTube channel and the original Flower Warfare video, which the game is based on, has been viewed over 8.4M times. Since the the game’s release last week, over 8 months of time has been spent in the game, over 330K games have been played, 2M enemies have been killed and 2.2M boxes of cereal have been collected! FreddieW will be further unveiling the mystery of Rico’s stuff. You can check the latest video out here.

Grab your copy of the game on the iTunes App Store.

Thruster is a division on Bottle Rocket Apps focused on social, entertainment and gaming.


Written by admin

December 30th, 2011 at 4:44 pm

Posted in Application Launch

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