Widget provides one-click access to travel tips
TSA, Customs and Border Protection find an easy way to make traveling easier
The Summer Travel Widget
Location: www.tsa.gov/travelers/share_widget.shtm
Agencies: Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection
Technology: JavaScript, HTML
The Transportation Security Administration developed the Summer Travel Web widget in conjunction with the Customs and Border Protection agency to provide travelers with easy access to helpful travel tips.
TSA and CBP also provided the widget to their travel industry partners to let them post it on their Web sites.
Web widgets are basically chunks of code that someone can install on an HTML-based Web page without needing to compile content.
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The widget is designed for partners to easily display information without worrying about security issues, said Martin Erb, a Web analyst at TSA. The widget resides on the upper right-hand corner of the TSA.gov home page and has two icons, one for U.S. travel tips and one for international travel tips.
Clicking on the U.S. travel tips icon leads visitors to a TSA page that features a slide show presentation that displays the steps people should take to ensure smooth passage through security checkpoints. It also lists approved and prohibited items. Clicking on the international travelers tips directs visitors to CBP’s travel page.
TSA used a widget during the Secure Flight campaign, an effort that the agency launched to enhance security by improving watch list matching, a TSA spokesperson said. Widgets can be added or dropped as new programs start or end, and they do not take up a lot of space, although the Secure Flight widget was prominently displayed on the TSA.gov site, the spokesperson said.
About the Author
Rutrell Yasin is senior editor for Government Computer News. Follow him on Twitter: @Yasin36.