DC Government Apps Store

Was opened last night in time for the O’Reilly Gov 2.0 summit and expo here in DC.  The apps store has both web-based and mobile phone applications.  One that caught my eye is the Are You Safe? Washington, DC, iPhone application.  Kind of  like walking around the city with a Geiger counter for safety.

These first-wave attempts at pulling government data and information are impressive.  And I expect we will see the day when the data behind these apps, and much more information about a city, are accessible in a standard format so citizens can build their own applications — where government becomes  more of a data platform.

For instance, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC attracts  huge crowds, and many foreign visitors, each spring.  I could easily foresee a powerful application for trip planning, day walks, and event attendance.  With live data you’ve know where to stay (for those inveterate procrastinators), know what’s available in real-time (like parking, event tickets), and draw walking maps on-the-fly.  Could include audio snippets much like a guided museum tour since your phone will know where you are.

That would be “augmented reality,” to borrow the phrase from Tim O’Reilly.