Improving Mobile Access to Government Websites

Improving Mobile Access to Government Websites The U.S. federal government is working to improve access to the wealth of information and services available on its more than 11,000 websites from mobile devices like tablets and cellphones, according to an interesting new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). While most people still use desktop and laptop computers, consumers are increasingly using mobile devices to access websites with government information and services. As the GAO noted, millions of Americans use mobile devices every day to get information from websites. In addition, mobile users can now do many things on websites that previously required a desktop or laptop computer, like shopping, banking, and accessing government services. For example, the number of individual visitors using cellphones and tablets to access the Department of the Interiors information and services increased significantly from 57,428 visitors in 2011 to 1,206,959 in 2013, according to agency records provided to the GAO. Given this trend, the GAO pointed that the government needs to make its wealth of information and services available â€Å"anytime, anywhere, and on any device.†    However, as the GAO points out, mobile Internet users face a range of challenges accessing government services online. â€Å"For example, viewing any website that has not been â€Å"optimized† for mobile access- in other words, redesigned for smaller screens- can be challenging,† notes the GAO report. Trying to Meet the Mobile Challenge On May 23, 2012, President Obama issued an executive order entitled â€Å"Building a 21st Century Digital Government,† directing the federal agencies to deliver better digital services to the American people. â€Å"As a Government, and as a trusted provider of services, we must never forget who our customers are – the American people,† the President told the agencies. In response to that order, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget created a Digital Government Strategy to be implemented by the Digital Services Advisory Group. The Advisory Group provides the agencies with help and resources needed to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. At the request of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the government’s purchasing agent and property manager, the GAO investigated the progress and success of the agencies in meeting the goals of the Digital Government Strategy. What the GAO Found In all, 24 agencies are required to comply with provisions of the Digital Government Strategy, and according to the GAO, all 24 have made efforts to improve their digital services for those who use mobile devices. In its investigation the GAO specifically reviewed six randomly selected agencies: the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security, the National Weather Service (NWS) within the Department of Commerce, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The GAO reviewed 5 years (2009 through 2013) of online visitor data as recorded by Google Analytics from each agency. The data included the type of device (smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer) consumers used to access the agencies’ main website. In addition, the GAO interviewed officials from the six agencies to gather insights about the challenges consumers might face when accessing government services using their mobile devices. The GAO found that five of the six agencies have taken substantive steps to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. For example in 2012, the DOT fully redesigned its main website to provide a separate platform for mobile users. Three of the other agencies GAO interviewed have also redesigned their websites to better accommodate mobile devices and the other two agencies have plans to do so. Of the 6 agencies reviewed by the GAO, only the Federal Maritime Commission had yet to take steps to enhance access to their websites via mobile devices, but plans to enhance access to its website in 2015. Who Uses Mobile Devices? Perhaps the most interesting part of the GAO’s report is an accounting of who most often use mobile devices to access websites. The GAO cites a Pew Research Center report from 2013 showing that certain groups relied on cellphones to access websites than others. In general, PEW found that people who are young, have more income, have graduate degrees, or are African American have the highest rate of mobile access. In contrast, PEW found that people less likely to use mobile devices to access websites in 2013 included seniors, the less educated, or rural populations. Of course, there are still many rural areas that lack cellphone service, let alone wireless Internet access. Only 22% of people 65 and older used mobile devices to access the Internet, compared to 85% of younger people. â€Å"GAO also found that access to the Internet using cellphones has increased, primarily due to lower cost, convenience, and technical advances,† stated the GAO report. Specifically, the Pew survey found that: 74% of African Americans use cellphones to access the Internet.85% of people ages 18 to 29 used cellphones to access the Internet, compared to only 22% of seniors age 65 and older.79% of those using cellphones to access the Internet have incomes of at least $75,000.Only 50% of people living in rural areas use cellphones to access the Internet.74% have college degrees or higher, compared to 53% with a high school diploma and 51% without a high school education. The GAO made no recommendations in relationship to its findings, and issued its report for informational purposes only.

T4A(OAS) Tax Slips for Canadian Income Tax Returns

T4A(OAS) Tax Slips for Canadian Income Tax Returns A Canadian T4A(OAS) tax slip, or Statement of Old Age Security, is issued by Service Canada to tell you and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) how much old age security income you received during a tax year and the amount of income tax that was deducted. Deadline for T4A(OAS) Tax Slips T4A(OAS) tax slips must be issued by the last day of February the year after the calendar year to which the T4A(OAS) tax slips apply. Sample T4A(OAS) Tax Slip This sample T4A(OAS) tax slip from the CRA site shows what a T4A(OAS) tax slip looks like. For more information on what is included in each box on the T4A(OAS) tax slip and how to deal with it when filing your income tax return, click on the box number in the pull-down menu  above the sample T4A(OAS) tax slip. Filing T4A(OAS) Tax Slips With Your Income Tax Return When you file a paper income tax return, include copies of each of the T4A(OAS) tax slips you receive. If you file your income tax return using NETFILE or EFILE, keep copies of your T4A(OAS) tax slips with your records for six years in case the CRA asks to see them. Missing T4A(OAS) Tax Slips If you do not receive your T4A(OAS) tax slip, contact Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 during regular business hours. You will be asked for your Social Insurance Number. Even if you havent received your T4A(OAS) tax slip, file your income tax return by the deadline anyway to avoid penalties for filing your income taxes late. Calculate your OAS income and any related deductions and credits you can claim as closely as you can using any information you have. Include a note saying what you have done to get a copy of the missing T4A(OAS) tax slip. Include copies of any statements and information you used in calculating the income and deductions for the missing T4A(OAS) tax slip. Viewing and Printing T4(OAS) Tax Slips Online If you wish to view and print your T4(OAS) tax slips online, you can make arrangements through the My Service Canada Account. For detailed information, see the following Service Canada pages: Get Your Tax Information Slips Online, andTax Information Slips in My Service Canada Account. Other T4 Tax Information Slips Other T4 tax information slips include: T4- Statement of Remuneration PaidT4A- Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other IncomeT4A(P)- Statement of Canada Pension Plan BenefitsT4E- Statement of Employment Insurance and Other BenefitsT4RIF- Statement of Income From a Registered Retirement Income FundT4RSP- Statement of RRSP Income

German Language Spelling With a Double S or Eszett (ß)

German Language Spelling With a Double S or Eszett (ß) A unique feature of the German alphabet  is the ß  character. Found in no other language, part of the uniqueness of ß- aka eszett (s-z) or scharfes s (sharp s)- is that, unlike all other German letters, it exists only in the lower case. This exclusivity may help explain why many Germans and Austrians are so attached to the character. Since being introduced in 1996, spelling reform (Rechtschreibreform) has shaken the German-speaking world and caused raging controversy.  Even though the Swiss have managed to live peacefully without the ß in Swiss-German for decades, some German-speakers are up in arms over its possible demise. Swiss writers, books, and periodicals have long ignored the ß, using double-s (ss) instead. Thats why its all the more puzzling that the International Working Committee for [German] Spelling (Internationaler Arbeitskreis fà ¼r Orthographie) chose to keep this troublesome oddity in certain words while eliminating its use in others. Why not just toss out this troublemaker that non-Germans and German beginners often mistake for a capital B, and be done with it? If the Swiss can get by without it, why not the Austrians and Germans? Double S Reforms From Rechtschreibreform The rules for when to use the ß rather than ss have never been easy, but while the simplified spelling rules are less complex, they continue the confusion. German spelling reformers included a section called  sonderfall ss/ß (neuregelung), or special case ss/ß (new rules). This section says, For the sharp (voiceless) [s] after a long vowel or diphthong, one writes ß, as long as no other consonant follows in the word stem.  Alles klar? (Got that?) Thus, while the new rules reduce the use of the ß, they still leave intact the old bugaboo that means some German words are spelled with ß, and others with ss. (The Swiss are looking more reasonable by the minute, arent they?) The new and improved rules mean that the conjunction formerly known as  daß or that should now be spelled  dass  (short-vowel rule), while the adjective groß for big adheres to the long-vowel rule. Many words formerly spelled with ß are now written with ss, while others retain the sharp-s character (technically known as the sz ligature):  Straße for street, but  schuss  for shot.  Fleiß for diligence, but  fluss for river. The old mixing of different spellings for the same root word also remains  fließen for  flow, but  floss for flowed.  Ich weiß for I know, but  ich wusste for I knew. Though reformers were forced to make an exception for the oft-used preposition  aus, which otherwise would now have to be spelled  auß,  außen for outside, remains. Alles klar? Gewiss! (Everything clear? Certainly!) German Response While making things slightly easier for teachers and students of German, the new rules remain good news for the publishers of German dictionaries. They fall far short of true simplification, which many disappointed people had anticipated. Of course, the new rules cover much more than just the use of the ß, so its not difficult to see why  Rechtschreibreform  has sparked protests and even court cases in Germany. A June 1998 poll in Austria revealed that only about 10 percent of Austrians favored the orthographic reforms. A huge 70 percent rated the spelling changes as nicht gut. But despite the controversy, and even a Sept. 27, 1998 vote against the reforms in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, the new spelling rules have been judged valid in recent court rulings. The new rules officially went into effect on Aug. 1, 1998, for all government agencies and schools. A transitional period allowed the old and new spellings to coexist until July 31, 2005. Since then only the new spelling rules are considered valid and correct, even though most German-speakers continue to spell German as they always have, and there are no regulations or laws that prevent them from doing so. Perhaps the new rules are a step in the right direction, without going far enough. Some feel that the current reform should have dropped ß completely (as in German-speaking Switzerland), eliminated the anachronistic  capitalization of nouns  (as English did hundreds of years ago), and further simplified German spelling and punctuation in many other ways. But those who protest against spelling reform (including authors who should know better) are misguided, trying to resist needed changes in the name of tradition. Many counterarguments are demonstrably false while placing emotion over reason. Still, though schools and government are still subject to the new rules, most German speakers are against the reforms. The revolt by the  Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung  in Aug. 2000, and later by other German newspapers, is yet another sign of the widespread unpopularity of the reforms. Time alone will tell how the spelling reform story ends.

Diesel engine and Petrol engine ( Comparison ) Essay

Diesel engine and Petrol engine ( Comparison ) - Essay Example Despite their derivation from crude oil, the use of petrol or diesel engine varies according to the particular needs of the consumer who will drive the automobile such as fuel prices, fuel efficiency, fuel economy, running cost, taxes, etcetera (â€Å"Choosing between petrol and diesel†, 2013; â€Å"Buying A Car - Do I Choose Petrol Or Diesel?†, 2012; Foxall, 2012; Ottley, 2010; Work Truck Magazine, 2011). In terms of their chemical properties, diesel is denser than petrol and generates more energy upon combustion (Bloom, 2010). By design, a petrol engine consists of connecting rods, brasses, strap, jibs, cotter and set screws (Narayana, Kannaiah and Reddy 2007, 359). The major difference between a diesel engine and a petrol engine, apart from the different fuels, comes from the way in which fuel is combusted inside the piston cylinder. Fuel in the petrol engine is mixed with air, compressed by the pistons and then ignited by the spark provided from the spark plugs. On the other hand, a diesel engine differs in terms of the stage when air is compressed. As opposed to a petrol engine, air in a diesel engine is compressed first after which fuel is injected and ignited as the air heats up after being compressed (Brain, 2014). This essay will present an evaluative comparison of diesel and petrol engines in terms of their design and functioning. The engine’s compression ratio concerns to the amount to which the gasses can be squeezed into the engine’s cylinder. The higher the engine’s compression ratio the more preferable it is because compression generates high amounts of heat (â€Å"Difference between Diesel and Gasoline Engines†, 2012). Compression involves blending and evaporating the fuel and air molecules, which mix with each other appropriately by being thrusted together into a smaller and tighter area. High compression ratio in an engine enables the generation of greater power by burning fuel and

Is mobile marketing the future of advertising Case Study

Is mobile marketing the future of advertising - Case Study Example By definition, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is a new competitive weapon and way of companies to draw maximum benefits from one shot. In other words, it is a concept designed to give users of the marketing mix an opportunity to make use of all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation (Kortler 2002). Varey (2001) considers integrated marketing as a paradigm shift towards more personalise, customer-oriented, technology-supported marketing systems. Under this new approach, it is recommended that different communications channels used by the company to communicate with prospective customers and customers be integrated. Such an action will result to a clear, consistent and compelling message about the company's product and services. The effect of which will be glaringly reflected on the sales record subsequently (Kotler. 2005). Integration of a company's marketing communication activities can avoid confusion and disaffection in the minds of consumers and buyers, offering a comfortable identity to customers and staff (Kotler. 2005). As marketing has shifted to a more one to one direction, marketers have employed different methods to get to their target markets. Mobile advertising is fast becoming the order of the day (Baker 2007). The current revolution of information and communication technologies is changing our business environment drastically: new technologies influence the way we organize our work and the environment in whic h we compete, introducing new rules and new relative powers among incumbents, newcomers and even entire markets. This complex, evolving environments are referred to as New Technology Playgrounds (Ace 2001). Against this background, this paper seeks to answer the following questions Is mobile marketing the future of advertising' What are the variables that motivate companies to use mobile advertising' How do mobile marketing differs from the other advertising methods' What has been the trend in mobile marketing in the last five years' What proportion of the advertisement budget is allocated to mobile marketing' 1.1 Objectives and Purpose of Study This paper focuses on the growing trend of mobile marketing as a new way of advertisement. In particular, the paper seeks to analyse and evaluate if mobile marketing represents the future direction of advertisement. Other objectives include To examine the salient features of mobile marketing as compared to the other advertisement method. The paper also aims at analysing mobile marketing trend in the last five years through an examination of the budget allocated towards mobile marketing. 1.2 Importance and Significance of Study This study aims at delineating the use of mobile marketi

Ethical Challenges and Choices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Challenges and Choices - Essay Example 5) defined ethics as â€Å"the systematic inquiry into man’s moral behavior with the purpose of discovering the rules that ought to govern human action and the goods that are worth seeking in human life†. These ethical standards governing the existence of human life also encompass the realm of business entities with pertinent issues affecting the Board of Directors and senior leaders of diverse organizations. It is in this regard that this essay is written with the objective of identifying ethical challenges faced by members of the Board of Directors and senior leaders in organizations through a review of two (2) contemporary articles on the subject. A description of how the issues were handled and an analysis in terms of effectiveness in handling the situation given the scenario at hand would be proffered. A feature article published in the Associations Now – Volunteer Leadership Issue entitled Ethical Tips for Volunteer Leaders written by Frank Navran discussed challenging ethical issues on governance by board members in volunteer organizations. It clarified theoretical frameworks encompassing culture, in general, focusing on ethical culture, in detail. Navran averred that â€Å"Boards of even the smallest association are being held to standards of accountability for ethical culture that originated in publicly traded companies; their members and the public appear to expect that.† (2006, par. 16) The author presented relevant elements and measures of how board members contribute to an ethical culture through a standardized ethical system properly set in the organization, an ethics oversight, and an independent assessment of ethical issues. The article stipulated that â€Å"the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations (FSGO) have detailed and incentivized the establishment of effective systems to prevent and detect legal violations. These standards have become a template for organizational ethics systems for organizations of every size and sector. At a

Written Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Written Analysis - Essay Example Unless there are some drastic cultural, attitudinal and perhaps structural changes – and soon - the station will go bankrupt 1.1 My stakeholder: Ads and sponsorship team (paid director and assistants) – coordinate sponsors and sign up supporters (which according to the scenario we are losing). 1.2 Goal: To trigger a more intrinsically and extrinsically motivated ads and sponsorship team through direct, open and constant communication between the ads and sponsorship team and the sponsors. 2. 0 Introduction: The paper will talk about the challenges that confront FBi radio station in Sydney and ways in which to deal with them. Inferences from literature will be taken in light of the current situation at FBi and a communication strategy will be proposed for the chosen stake holder. The paper will talk in depth regarding the communication strategy, why it was chosen and how it should be implemented. 2.1 Background : FBi is an independent not-for-profit community radio statio n. It is located in Sydney, Australia. The station revolves around local alternative music. More than 50% of its music content is Australian and comes from local musicians in Sydney. It was established in 1995 in response to the huge hue and cry mad by the music communities Sydney. They demanded a radio service that would focus only on Sydney’s cultural life. After a lot of struggle, it was granted the license to broadcast across Sydney on 94.5 FM. This was a landmark for the radio station as today it holds the largest community radio license ever granted in the country. It runs at 150KW capacity and its signal stands at par with the most powerful commercial licenses. However numerous challenges have confounded the radio-station. It needs to deal with these challenges effectively and come up with ways to counter them. poor radio programming has led to declining ratings. It has suffered financial losses and this had led to an organizational culture of a sense of entitlement. U nless the stations comes up with ways to revamp the organizational culture and attitude the station will go bankrupt in less than a year. 3.0 Situation Analysis As mentioned before, poor-radio programming is resulting in a lot of losses for FBi. The company has incurred heavy financial losses in the last one year and if this goes on it is going to go bankrupt in the next one year. It will not have enough programs, sponsors and clients to support its existence. It will be difficult to make it sustainable. More-over it will loose all its clients. There are various stake-holders associated with the company. At the helm of the affairs are the internal and external clients of the company. These clients keep the radio running. Unless they are not satisfied, they wont be willing to invest in the company. Why would they invest in an organization which is not going to give them their desired results? They need to know that their investment of time, money and energy in the radio station will stand to benefit them. similarly, sponsors will also feel disillusioned with the company if the situation is not taken care of immediately. The organization is supported by sponsors like Pinnacle, City Jungle, and Fleet Foxes. They need to be assured that their investment is in something worthwhile and it will give them their desired benefits. The stake-holder whose point of view, I will be discussing are the ads and sponsorship team. They are the ones who bring in the money needed to run this organization. They contact and co-ordinate with the sponsors and generate funds for the radio to run. However in the current scenario, FBi radio is loosing out on sponsors. So