The US government now offers greater than 100 handy apps for mobile devices. Investigate new apps users rate highly.
(Image: USA.gov, Apple)
If you ever wondered in regards to the speed of your mobile broadband, there is a new app which could assess its performance and share the important points right for your smartphone. Speed Test, released as portion of the Federal Communications Commission’s “Measuring Broadband America” program, is only one of greater than 100 apps available from the government.
Because it collects data, that’s then utilized by the FCC to create an in depth picture of mobile broadband performance nationwide, Speed Test raises some questions on user privacy. The FCC says its aim with this system and the app is to create open information, a top goal of the Digital Government Strategy. The agency claims that it won’t collect personally identifiable data within the process; instead, it is going to use the anonymous results to enhance both cellular and WiFi speeds on mobile devices. an internet site launching later this year will allow users to view Speed Test results and download the information.
Apps.USA.gov, a web site that houses all of the apps created by federal agencies — and the Spanish-language version apps.GobiernoUSA.gov — got a mobile-friendly update in April 2012. A “full stack” responsive redesign of the mobile app galleries has led to websites which are more conscious of the screen size of numerous devices, in accordance with the overall Services Administration. The GSA launched the redesign as portion of a broader “mobile first” initiative, which promotes the concept websites should first be designed for mobile devices.
The variety of apps on Apps.USA.gov is growing monthly as agencies continue to transition to mobile platforms. Under the Digital Government Strategy, agencies were required to mobile-enable a minimum of two priority customer-facing services earlier year or so. Agencies also needed to create APIs to permit developers to access government code.
What’s next for “mobile government”? More sharing among agencies to construct government-wide expertise in mobile; increased deal with user experience; emphasis on code sharing; and agencies rethinking their data structures and creating content models, Jacob Parcell, manager of mobile programs on the GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, said in a up to date post at the Mobile Gov Blog.
InformationWeek Government have been closely following the emergence of mobile government. In March 2013, we profiled 10 Helpful Apps From Uncle Sam. What follows is a slideshow of the newest apps released by agencies prior to now two months, selected in line with the very best user ratings. The whole apps are free and available for download on most desirable smartphones.
Elena Malykhina has written for The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Adweek, and Newsday. She covers the government, including NASA’s space missions, for InformationWeek.
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