Technology

Government Spends Exorbitant Price for ‘Crappy’ Smartphone App

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has an app with heat safety tips, a heat index converter, and the ability to get information from NOAA’s weather database. Let‘s just say it’s not Angry Birds in terms of app thrill factor.

OSHA Smartphone App Cost a Whopping $200K to Develop

OSHA heat index app. (Image via GeekOSystem)

So why are we reporting on it? The price tag. According to Rick Jones at Gun.io (via GeekOSystem), the government paid nearly $200K  for an app he calls “a steaming pile of shi*.” Jones, an Android app developer himself, says his rate is $100 per hour and that the app, at this level of sophistication or lack thereof, would have taken him about six hours. So, $200,000 versus $600:

Pardon my French, but I really cannot stress how bad this application is. Firstly, it isn’t actually capable of the function it is supposed to do. When I first tried the application, it told me that it was currently 140F in Boston. It is also extremely slow, it looks like butt, and it crashes all the time. It is completely horrible in every way.

Jones submitted a FOIA request for the source code and cost of the app. Although the source code was not provided, here’s the U.S. Department of Labor’s response regarding the cost:

The cost, including conceptualization, requirements analysis, content development, clearance, translation, programming and software design (including coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to interface with their database), testing, accessibility enhancements (for accessibility-enabled smart phones), and documentation for the Android implementation of the application totals $106, 467. Estimates for the additional programming and testing necessary to ensure similar functionality and accessibility across the available iPhone and Blackberry platforms are $56,000 and $40,000 respectively.

Jones admits that the quality of the app was no surprise, as he doesn’t expect much from the feds, but the sticker shock is what got him. GeekOSystem went on to report reviews of the app, which was 3.1 stars out of 5, but it does note several people have given the app praise and full marks. GeekOSystem itself calls the app “crappy” but also goes on to write that the federal government is still just beginning to dabble in smartphone apps.

Full Disclosure: This app was created by Eastern Research Group, which is based in the U.S. but owned by the U.K. company AEA. Eastern Research Group is a company I used to work for, although this project was outside of my group. There was no conflict of interest the writing of this story. I found this story on GeekOSystem before knowing ERG created the app.

Comments (52)

1 2
  • Eagle in NYC
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:10am

    As capitalism is economic freedom, I don‘t believe you can call Urkel Mugabe’s corrupt no-bid system “crony capitalism.” We’re not free to bid and get the stimulus money. Only his corrupt, fat cat friends are (The “1%.) Therefore, just as they corrupted the capitalist system of Germany, the National Socialist German Workers Party during the 1930s set up a similar corrupt system of CRONY SOCIALISM. (Think “George Soros” if you want a poster boy of Nazi crony socialism stealing the art and valuable of displaced Jews in Hungary, and now stealing the value of the currency – think the “money changers” in Christ‘s story about the corrupt currency speculators in The Temple’s courtyard – from England, France, Malaysia, and now the U.S [that we know of.] Crony socialist under Hitler, and now crony socialist under Urkel Mugabe.)

    Report Post » Eagle in NYC  
    • paintbrushbright
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 9:04pm

      Of course you know George Soros is bankrolling the OWS protesters to what avail? Is this a historic repeat of pre Nazi Germany? No one seems to know where this is going and who will be left standing in the streets. I expect the most corrupt will come out as the winner of the worst but once it is identified the American people will crush it with swift expedience and minor collateral damage.

      Report Post » paintbrushbright  
  • RightThinking1
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:03am

    Am I the only one who noticed that the screen shot of the app recommends drinking plenty of water? Didn‘t we just learn from the government that drinking water doesn’t provide hydration?
    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/e-u-ruling-water-does-not-prevent-dehydration/

    Report Post »  
    • prage2001
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:51pm

      I believe that was over in England…. or France…..or ….one of those Socialist countries…

      Report Post »  
  • LukeAppling
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:55am

    It is more of the Obama “crony capitalism” where he brings in his 60‘s radical friends installs them in his administration along with unvetted czars and they quietly rip off the public because Obama doesn’t understand the value of money he has been taught spend, spend, spend and then blame your opponent. We must awaken and dump these frauds as soon as possible or Greece will be America.We are spending $4,000,000,000 per day and our debt which turned over $15,000,000,000,000 last week is now approaching $15,050,000,000,000 already while Obama daily wastes millions personally on his TV speeches which no one watches any longer.Obama doesn’t care his goal is too banmkrupt america and when the ignorant public asks him what to do he will say make me The Priere[like Stalin] and I will fix it. His fix will be a marxist state run by eliteslike himself and America will be gone forever. When America goes freedom is gone everywhere.

    Report Post »  
  • B-Neil
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:24am

    Come on people; This is something we gotta have. It will save the planet………….what where we talking about. CARRY ON MAcDUFF

    Report Post »  
  • idarusskie
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:38am

    This is why you need to update the Davis bacon act. This act causes agencies to have to go out for bid fro anything over 2000.00 The programmer estimated 600 dollar for the government its could have gone into 2000 to program it themselves but they are forced by law to go out for bid.

    Report Post »  
  • Nursenevada
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:22am

    The only way to stop spending in Washington is for everyone to file an “EXEMPT” W4 alll in the same week.

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:20am

    Why is the governmet spending anything on apps? “Gosh, we just can’t find anything to cut in order to balance the budget.”

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • Sheepdog911
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:12am

    Stimulus at work. Someone who can’t put two lines of code together gets paid $200,000 to create a POS. Since most created jobs averaged nearly $500,000 per job – including the part-time jobs -, I’d say that we got off easy on this one.

    Report Post » Sheepdog911  
  • orionreplay6607
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:34am

    This app was probably designed/created by the son or daughter of someone in charge of acquisition. It was a small amount of money (in Fed terms) and would help this small business get a foot in the door. Matter of fact, being small business got it preferential treatment.

    The Feds pay this much for code to own the rights. It’s called Government Purpose Rights or GPR. The software vendor names his or her price for the government to take the software lock, stock, and barrel. From that time on, the software vendor loses the opportunity to collect untold millions in $0.99 app sales.

    If it was a good app. This one still sounds like it was a hunk of crap. And probably would never have sold individually.

    Report Post » orionreplay6607  
  • brickmoon
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 2:17am

    Government waste? There’s a crapp for that.

    Report Post » brickmoon  
  • SmoknHotPatriot
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:24am

    So let me get this straight. The government spent too much money, got horrible results, and this is news? Do I have that about right? Because it seems like business as usual in DC.

    Report Post » SmoknHotPatriot  
  • desertspeaks
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:04am

    Lets see, it runs like crap, crashes, doesn’t do what its supposed to do.. must be a liberal creation by some communist that is devoid of any skill, like the rest of the obama cabinet.

    Report Post » desertspeaks  
  • mikem1969
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:23am

    Tell me about it. They do this kind of crap all the time. They know there are ready made apps for phones, hand held devices, and pc’s that fit their needs with very little cost, but instead they spend thousands, tens of thousands, millions and so on to get an app made for them. I have witnessed this kind of waste first hand. Kind of like the 100,000 hammer and such.

    Report Post »  
  • hugo65hsv
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:46pm

    OMG the safety people.. I suffer so much of that nonsense at work, it makes me want to puck.. The untold billions of dollars spent every year in industry and our tax dollars to preach common sense.. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the government would have paid 2 million for that dumb down crap application… And been all proud of themselves for doing that…

    Report Post »  
  • GrumpyCat
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:46pm

    Clearly this genius for project management and efficiency should be forcibly applied to the health care industry! If they do a good job the Heath Care App might even be able to tell you to “take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” Dont’cha know if an *app* tells you to do something then it must be correct!

    Report Post »  
  • Thevoice
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:11pm

    Did we get a Super Committee App yet …

    Report Post » Thevoice  
  • LockeStep
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:44pm

    Any bets on whether some bureaucrat got a promotion for leading the project that came up with this?

    Report Post »  
  • GTH
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:03pm

    As a co-worker said to me recently. There really is something o this “Dumb Down America” stuff.
    They have us listening to talking lizards, talking candy bars, talking mops, and now this.
    Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain people….Just keep on talking on your cell phones, watching commercials and listening to the cartoon characters and everything is going to be alright.

    Report Post »  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:27pm

      They feed us Americans all kinds of crap. I like that word it is so expressive “Crap”, and a bunch of crappy, crap, crap. Very few words express an opinion of the quality of a subject like the word “Crap.” I don’t use cuss words, and crap fills that void pretty well. Sometimes crap fills it too well.

      Report Post »  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:29pm

      Giving non-human objects human-like quality cheapens the meaning of human life.

      Report Post »  
  • KingCanon
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:45pm

    Government spends exorbitant amount for nothing! This is news? Hmmmmmmmm…

    Report Post » KingCanon  
  • lukerw
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:44pm

    Do you need more proof that the Government is Totally REMOTE from Reality?

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • SilverBlaze
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:06pm

    Crony Capitalism. It is the only Capitalism that the Libs know

    Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:31pm

      Other than outright theft and bribery.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • USAForJesus
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:37pm

      As a software developer for profession. This is crazy. The highest price that I have ever quoted was 60,000 and that was for two developers to work for 4months each. And I have never charged for estimates. Estimates are although do take alot of time, I have never charged the customer.

      Report Post »  
    • Secret Squirrel
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:45pm

      .
      The app worked perfectly.
      It’s goal was to spend taxpayer money.
      It worked as intended.

      Report Post » Secret Squirrel  
  • I.Gaspar
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 7:35pm

    Wait til Obamadoesn’tcare really kicks in. This example of great gov’t management will be laughable relative to where we are going.
    The government will solve social security and medicaire by making sure that very few survive until eligibilty…and if if you do somehow survive, the illegal alien/doctors being paid $40k a year will do their best to let you die…and if that doesn’t do the trick, the government ethics panels at every hospital will make sure you’re no longer a drain on the government health system.
    Get ready….unless we vote every statist out of office and God is with us…because we will really need His help.

    Report Post »  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:00pm

      How do you know all this isn’t your punishment?

      Report Post »  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:13pm

      Do you still have a number? Oh why yes you do. Do you still get bought and traded? Why yes you do. So the punishment will continue.

      Report Post »  
  • Shasta
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 7:31pm

    Wow! I am an Android software developer too. My son tried to convince me to write an app called CrapQuest, which would direct the user to the nearest public and/or private toilet and allow them to rate the facilities from 1 to 5 turds. I declined, but now I wonder how much the government would pay me for it. Maybe entrepreneurship is not dead.

    Report Post » Shasta  
    • grayling646
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 7:37pm

      Boy, what a load of crap.

      Report Post »  
    • HollerFreedom
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:17pm

      George already made that app that on the “Seinfeld” show.

      Report Post »  
    • Shasta
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:50pm

      @HollerFreedom, you mean my son was plagiarizing? I will have a talk with him the next time he visits.

      Report Post » Shasta  
  • Alvin691
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 7:28pm

    Does it suck worse than the TheBlaze smartphone app, which crashed every time I open a page?

    Report Post »  
  • grayling646
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 7:25pm

    Jones should check a little deeper and see if the seller and the buyer have any kind of relationship. This sounds like one of those ‘brother in law’ deals.

    Report Post »  
    • crackerone
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 7:45pm

      Sounds like a President and a Tranny as a best friend deal.

      Report Post »  
    • TELITLYKITIS
      Posted on November 27, 2011 at 10:32am

      Ten to one- the guy or someone investing in the company gave money to OBaaaMaaa. !!! and it was a payback.!

      Report Post »  
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