From Sea to Stress: USA.gov Adds Six Federal Government Mobile Apps to Their Directory
1. National Ocean Service (Mobile Web)
From NOAA
Cost: Free
A new mobile version of the National Ocean Service’s [part of NOAA] website delivers news, audio, video, Ocean Facts, and more straight to your smartphone.
Includes local tides database.
From the National Marine Fisheries Service
With the Release Mako Android app you can now report your live releases of shortfin mako sharks from Android mobile devices while still on the water.
The app uses a device’s built-in GPS, when available, to fill in exact location coordinates on the shortfin mako live release data form. The catch and release reports submitted via email allow fishermen to put their mako on the Shortfin Mako Shark Live Release Interactive Web Map at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/shortfinmako/Map/index.htm.
The submission form is easy to fill out and operates like the online submission form. Touching the latitude and longitude boxes provides an location when GPS is available. The app also includes information about shortfin mako stock status, fishing regulations, FAQs, and safe handling and release guidelines.
3. T2 Mood Tracker (iPhone App)
From the National Center for Telehealth and Technology
Cost: Free
T2 Mood Tracker allows users to monitor their moods on six pre-loaded scales (anxiety, stress, depression, brain injury, post-traumatic stress, general well-being). Custom scales can also be built. Users rate their moods by swiping a small bar to the left or to the right. The ratings are displayed on graphs to help users track their moods over time. Notes can be recorded to document daily events, medication changes and treatments that may be associated with mood changes, providing accurate information to help health care providers make treatment decisions.
Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing exercises have been documented to decrease the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ (stress) response, and help with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management. Breathe2Relax can be used as a stand-alone stress reduction tool, or can be used in tandem with clinical care directed by a healthcare worker.
Tactical Breathing Trainer can be used to gain control over physiological and psychological responses to stress.
Through repetitive practice and training, anyone can learn to gain control of your heart rate, emotions, concentration, and other physiological and Psychological responses to your body during stressful situations. This can dramatically benefit soldiers during stressful combat situations. Many of the techniques taught in this application were provided by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman from his book “On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace”.
Cost: Free
In collaboration with the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinical Standards of Care Directorate of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE)the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) developed a smartphone Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Pocket Guide to provide care providers with a comprehensive, quick reference that includes clinical practice guidelines for assessing and treating service members and Veterans who have sustained a mild TBI.
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About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.