iHobo
iHobo is an odd premise to say the least – You watch over after a homeless young person who sits on your iPhone for three days like an adult human tamagotchi. In the process you’ll find out what challenges homeless people face daily, and how you can at least try to help.
As you can see from these screenshots, he sometimes will just wander off – leaving you to wait, and muse on those homeless people that exist all the time, 24/7 – but you never pass in the street.
The app is clearly dividing audiences, and generating some interesting discussion in the reviews about the issues of homelessness, and what point exactly is being made (along with some bugs).
It’s a good showcase of how the low barrier to entry for mobile apps is generating some exciting new work, not just for the gaming and commerce sectors. Along with the usual ‘share’ functionality, you can also donate to Depaul UK straight from your iPhone, a nice touch to make a tangible difference.
Admitedly, there’s not a huge depth to it; you can only give the guy a sleeping bag, money or food depending on his current state. iHobo does make a salient point though – if you neglect the homeless, he gets into serious problems.
