5 Best Government Apps for Saving Time and Money
The federal government is clearly getting comfy with communicating 21st Century style. This week the White 
House launched its new Advise the Advisor program on YouTube that encourages us to send our best ideas on the topic du jour to the White House's big thinkers (2,500 character limit.) And just last week the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau launched the hippest government website to date. Twitter and YouTube are the recommended ways to send Elizabeth Warren and her merry band of consumer advocates suggestions, gripes, and pleas, and there's even an animated welcome video directed by Ron "Opie" Howard that channels Arrested Development. Let's just say we've moved past the days of Washington denizens referring to "the Google."
Still, this is the big sclerotic federal government we're dealing with, so I am not going to assume that just because Washington has learned how to use social media, they are going to really listen to what we have to say (though I am rooting mightily that the CFPB becomes everything Warren fought for).
For now, what's most compelling tech-wise coming out of Washington are a handful of helpful apps produced by various federal agencies that can save you both time and money. Pair these Uncle Sam apps with Farnoosh Torabi's list of 16 great money saving iPhone apps and you're good to go.
- My TSA.gov As you're nearing the airport, check to see the wait time in the security line at various checkpoints throughout the airport and start plotting your survival strategy. The TSA is even trying out crowd sourcing, allowing users to report their real-time wait times as well. The TSA app is available for the iPhone, as well as on the web. If you're headed outside the country, you might want to keep the web-based Find Your Embassy app handy in case you lose your passport or find yourself in the midst of a local uprising. And for those of you jetting to warmer climes who are wondering how much sunscreen to slather on, there's the UV Index app courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency, which is available for Android, Blackberry and the web.
- IRS2go Come on, you know what your life has been missing is a live Twitter feed from the IRS. Well, wait no more. In addition to giving you access to the IRSNews Twitter feed, this iPhone app connects you to daily tax tips from the IRS (they are actually pretty good) and even allows e-filers to check on the status of their refund.
- FuelEconomy.gov If you're out shopping for a car and wondering how many barrels of oil a particular model will run through in a year on average (it breaks it down into imported and domestic barrels), the carbon footprint and yes, the mpg, the Department of Energy gives you this info, alas only in a web-based app. In addition, the Alternative Fueling Station Locator, also from the Department of Energy, is handy for anyone who has made the switch over to biodiesel, ethanol, or an electric car, and needs to find a place to fuel up or plug in.
- USAJobs Granted, given the tenor in Washington, there's not likely to a be a WPA-like flood of new federal jobs coming anytime soon, but this app keeps you up to speed on the latest government job listings. iPhone only.
- Recall.gov One app keeps you up to date on whether your car, crib, or the cauliflower you picked up at Trader Joe's the other day is the subject of a federal recall. This app collects the latest recall info from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture. One ding: no iPhone app, just Android or a web-based mobile app.
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