Balloon Boy Gets His Own iPhone App
NEW YORK (CBS) Want to create your very own "balloon boy" hoax? There's an app for that!
PICTURES: The Bizarre "Balloon Boy" Incident
Developer Mosa Motion Graphics LLC announced last month that they have developed a new iPhone application called "Balloon Boys" that is inspired by the televised plight of Colorado couple Richard and Mayumi Heene, who are accused of pulling a spectacular hoax by reporting their son was aboard a runaway balloon.
PICTURES: The Bizarre "Balloon Boy" Incident
Now, users can create their very own "balloon boy" hoax by merging photos taken with the iPhone with a selection of silver balloon pictures, according to the company's press release.
"People are bombarded with the bizarre, yet all too real stories of our time," said Kari Adams of Mosa Motion Graphics, in the press release. "Being able to participate in the growing legend of the Balloon Boy, is like immersing yourself into an event sure to become an instant classic American folk-tale."
PICTURES: The Bizarre "Balloon Boy" Incident
"American folk-tale" or not, the memory of Oct. 15 is still fresh for many Americans who watched with astonishment and terror as rescuers chased a homemade balloon for 50 miles after the Heenes reported their 6-year-old son Falcon may have been trapped inside. The balloon landed in a dusty farm field, with no Falcon inside, and the family later announced they found the boy hiding at home.
But investigators became suspicious of the Heene family's reporting of events and eventually charged the parents with fabricating the hoax in order to get publicity for a reality show pitch. Richard and Mayumi Heene pled guilty to "false reporting to authorities" and "attempting to influence a public servant," on Nov. 13. It's not clear if Colorado will pursue the Heene family for the cost of the recovery effort.
"Balloon Boys" is currently available in the iTunes App Store, priced at only a buck.
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Photos: The Bizarre "Balloon Boy" Incident
Audio: Richard Heene's Frantic 911 Call
MORE ON CRIMESIDER
October 26, 2009 - "Balloon Boy" Family Says Sheriff Talks Too Much; Heene Lawyers Want Criminal Probe
October 26, 2009 - "Balloon Boy" Sheriff Jim Alderden Blogs About God, Guns, and Gay Rights
October 22, 2009 - Balloon Mom Will "Go Down With the Ship"
October 21, 2009 - Could Child Protective Services Take Balloon Boy from Richard and Mayumi Heene?
October 20, 2009 - Balloon Boy Story Keeps Floating: Police Question Richard Heene's Associate Robert Thomas
October 19, 2009 Balloon Boy Dad Richard Heene, Not His First Close Encounter With the Law
October 19, 2009 - Richard Heene, Balloon Boy's Father, Wears Bra, Makeup While Ranting on YouTube
October 19, 2009 - Aliens Spoke to Balloon Boy's Father Richard Heene at a Fast-Food Restaurant
October 19, 2009 - Balloon Boy Dad Richard Heene Thinks World Will End in 2012; Will He Be Out of Jail by Then
October 19, 2009 - Balloon Boy Family's Homophobic Rant in Rap Video
October 19, 2009 - "Mad Scientist" Richard Heene Cooked Up Balloon Boy Hoax Months Ago, Says Denver Man
October 16, 2009 - Balloon Boy Drama Was "Real Event," Says Sheriff
October 16, 2009 - Balloon Boy Falcon Heene 911 Call Released
October 16, 2009 - It Sure Wasn't Altitude Sickness, But Balloon Boy Falcon Heene Throws Up Twice on National TV