The United States Census Bureau recently released an Android-based app that aggregates, in real-time, official U.S. economic data from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 "We took our economic dashboard and made it available for mobile devices," says Raul Cisneros, deputy director, center for new media and promotions at the Census Bureau. "That dashboard is embeddable in a website and is automatically updated," he adds. 

   The app is also continuously updated with indicator data that measures the U.S. economy. Each indicator, such as construction spending, new residential construction or the unemployment rate, has a detailed page of explanations and an adjustable-time-frame graph that charts its movement over the last one to 24 months. Indicators have a schedule of information release which can be monitored on the app. Users can also set up e-mail notifications of new data releases.

   One reviewer on Google Play says he wants the app to provide the Consumer Price Index, which isn't included. The same reviewer called for the addition of comma-delimited files so others could capture the data. But he points out that all of these data are available online at http://www.census.gov/main/www/access.html, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics websites.

   The benefit of the free app is that it collects this data in one place, presents it on mobile devices and updates it automatically.

   "We’ll have others coming," says Cisneros, about two upcoming apps. "They’re in development. One will show where populations with similar characteristics live. The other will show demographic information on specific cities."