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03/18/2013 12:01 AM

App Wrap: "Hater," "CityBot"

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NY1 highlights the coolest and newest apps for your cell phone or mobile device in the twice-weekly segment "App Wrap." NY1’s Adam Balkin filed the following report.

It's kind of like the anti-Facebook or bizarro Superman, the "Hater" app. You know how on Facebook when your friends post status updates you have the ability to "like" what they've said or shown? Well, now picture the opposite, where people post things they hate and others can add a thumbs down. It can be relatively meaningless hates like for certain celebrities or fashion or, developers say, the kind of hate that will help rally people to a cause.

"You can hate something so much that you're going to change it. I hate cancer, I hate the fact that there's starving children, I hate the fact that there's no gun regulation, I hate this, I hate that. There's political hates, there's fashion hates," says Jake Banks, a "Hater" app developer.

"Hater" is right now just a free iOS app but an Android version is due out within the next few months.

There are loads of apps available to give tours around places visitors have never been before, but what "CityBot" tries to do is tailor a tour towards people's particular tastes. Users can pick the kinds of things they like to do or would like to do, indicate how much time they have and the app does all the rest.

"It's going to take external content and not only bring in top-reviewed places but your preferences, tell you open hours of operation, any special events that are happening, it'll bring that in and save it, whether you have three hours or three days in a particular city," says Rana Hobbs, a "CityBot" developer. "You've got a personalized, customized itinerary that you can reference, save, distribute to friends who are visiting you, and use at a later date as well."

Right now, the app only works in Austin, Texas and San Diego and San Francisco in California. "CityBot" is a free app for iOS and Android devices.