Out-of-towners interested in locating local restaurants, hotels and attractions just got a tool to make their stay in Albany a bit easier.

The Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau has just developed a new app for smartphones that will pinpoint restaurants, hotels, attractions and other nifty things and will even help make reservations and purchase tickets.

"Since there is a growing smartphone market out there, we thought it would be a good idea to help turn a phone into a mobile tool to help people navigate around Albany and to find things to do," CVB Director Rashelle Beasley said.

The app is a free download from Itunes and the Android store. For Itunes, search for the app using the phrase "Visit Albany," and on Android devices, search for the app using the phrase "Discover Albany."

"We think it's a neat tool to help visitors when they're in town," Beasley said.