These apps help ensure that you have a great Fourth of July.

The Fourth of July is among us once again, and you know what that means — fireworks, barbecues, and some drinks! This year may be slightly different with everything that’s going on, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t have a good Independence Day. Here are some apps to help you celebrate the good ol’ US of A.

TNT Fireworks
Weber Grills
The Liquor Cabinet
Fireworks Pro – Best Fireworks
American History App: Timeline
Climacell

TNT Fireworks

You can’t have a Fourth of July without fireworks! The TNT Fireworks app helps you find TNT firework stands, tents, and Supercenters around your area so that you can load up on some legal kabooms of your own. You can even get exclusive in-app coupons for some extra savings.

Once you have your favorite fireworks, you can use the app to scan QR codes on TNT products for video previews of performance. The TNT app is loaded up with the brand’s entire product catalog, so you’r…

Portable monitors are an excellent option for your MacBook if you’re looking for a second screen solution or if you’re interested in buying a primary monitor that’s easy to move. Whether for work or play, the monitors we’ve recommended below are available in different styles and price points. There’s something for everyone.

Multi-use

GeChic 1503H 15.6-inch IPS 1080p Portable Monitor

Staff Pick

Offering an LED backlight, the 15.6-inch portable monitor from GeChic includes built-in speakers. The best part – it only weighs 1.75 pounds!

$290 at Amazon$289 at Walmart$289 at Newegg

Gamers take note

G-STORY Gaming Monitor

The 15.6-inch G-STORY monitor has been designed for FPS/FTS gaming and features eye-care technology with flicker-free backlighting and blue-light filtering.

$329 at Amazon

Budget choice

Acer K202HQL 20-inch Monitor

With a maximum resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels, this monitor is a less flashy option, but the price is right. What’s more, it provides multip…

What you need to know

The new Polar Unite fitness watch is here.
It sells for $149.95.
Buyers can choose between black, white. pink, and blue colors.

There are matching silicone bands available, too.

Polar has announced its new fitness watch, Polar Unite, making it available for order now for $149.95. Buyers can choose between black, white, pink, and blue colors and can buy additional silicone bands for $22.95 as well.

The watch itself supports sleep tracking but its bread and butter is definitely in its fitness tracking via what Polar calls FitSpark. It’s a daily guide that helps wearers improve their fitness by taking part in unique, personalized workouts that claim to ensure they don’t overdo it.

It starts with FitSparkTM, a daily training guide that delivers on-demand workouts straight to your wrist. Unlike other fitness ”guides” on the market, FitSpark is truly personalized, taking into consideration your sleep, recovery, fitness level, and training history to recommen…

The sixth installment in the Paper Mario series releases this summer on Nintendo Switch!

I remember when the first Paper Mario game released on N64 back in 2001. It was such a massive change from the other Mario games of the time since it offered an RPG experience similar to my favorite SNES game, Super Mario RPG. I replayed that first Paper Mario game so many times, and to this day, it is still one of my favorites. I’ve also played each of the sequential titles in the series. Many of the latest ones have been lackluster, to say the least. But I’ve been holding out hope that another glorious Paper Mario would grace us.

So, you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I discovered that the sixth installment in the series, Paper Mario: The Origami King, is scheduled to release on Nintendo Switch during the summer of 2020. Here’s everything you need to know about this upcoming game.

Plumber’s Paper Cut VI

Paper Mario: The Origami King

$60 at Amazon

Defeat the origami invaders

Mari…

They work in iOS Product Marketing and user privacy software!

What you need to know

Rene Ritchie has sat down with Apple to talk privacy
He interviewed Cecilia Dantas and Katie Skinner.
They discussed iOS 14’s new Home Screen experience, Maps, and more!

Rene Ritchie has sat down with Apple’s Cecilia Dantas and Katie Skinner to talk about iOS 14, privacy, and more in the wake of WWDC 2020.

Cecilia Dantas works in iOS Product Marketing, and Katie Skinner is Apple’s user privacy software manager. In the 30-minute video, the trio discussed Apple’s new Home Screen experience including the introduction of Widgets and the App Library, Messages and Maps, and a deep dive into Apple’s vision for the future of Privacy.

On Widgets, Dantas said that iOS 14 would ”completely transform the core experience” on iPhone, making the Home Screen more personal and usable. She also highlighted Widget stacks, which can support up to 10 Widgets at a time, and use on-device intelligence to show you th…

Our friends at Pad and Quill are always hard at work in Minnesota creating premium leather goods that are unrivaled in quality and style. The team has been very busy this year and they’ve just released some amazing new products that we know you will love as much as we do! Keep reading for more details and to enter to win them!

First, we’d like to talk about the Copertina Magic Cases for iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9. The Copertina feels like you’re holding a real book in your hand. This ultra-slim durable case is made in the USA with archival quality linen buckram. This is one of the strongest book cloth materials on the planet, designed for the 2020 Magic/Smart Keyboard/iPad Pro combination, with a multi-angle self-propping stand built cleverly into the design.

Next, let’s look at the Contega Thin Case for iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9. This case actually feels like a real book, because it IS a real book made with traditional bookbindery techniques. Ultra Rugged but also very li…

What you need to know

Vizio today announced good news for Apple TV fans.
The app will be coming to Vizio TVs later this year.
AirPlay 2 support is included.

No later than the end of September, theoretically.

TV maker Vizio today announced that the Apple TV app will be coming to some of its televisions later this summer, giving users the chance to enjoy content like Apple TV+ without needing an additional box or streaming stick.

Equally as worrying as the vague timeframe is the fact that Vizio hasn’t mage it clear which TVs will get the update. But an update, there is.

Other top entertainment apps like the Apple TV app and Peacock are coming later this summer. Apps offering 4K content allow you to stream in spectacular 4K HDR with SmartCast’s support for all consumer HDR formats plus audio up to thrilling Dolby Atmos sound, bringing the ultimate cinematic experience right into the living room.

There’s support for AirPlay 2 thrown in as well, with users able to stream thei…

Philips Hue’s smart lighting line can give you everything you need from smart bulbs to smart accent lighting, but there’s one place where its product line fails to — pardon the pun — shine: Its smart light strip. There are alternatives, similarly priced strips that offer more functionality, and lesser priced strips that provide the same functionality. If you’re looking to save a little money while adding smart accent lighting to your home, check out these alternatives!

Best overall alternative

LIFX Z Smart Light Strip

Staff Favorite

The LIFX Z Smart Light Strip is easily the best choice for the best Philips Hue alternative. This 6.6-foot strip has eight individual zones, so instead of a single accent color, you can paint your wall or entertainment center with multiple colors, creating all kinds of fun looks. The LIFX Z works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, plus, it cranks out a whopping 1400 lumens of brightness with 16 million shades of whites and c…

Launching apps, editing text, and adjusting volume — Voice Control in iOS 13 can do it all!

Voice Control is a new accessibility feature coming to iOS 13 that lets you speak commands to your iPhone or iPad to do just about anything. From launching apps, adjusting volume, editing text, rebooting your iPhone or iPad, and many more commands, you can do it all with just your voice in iOS 13. Here’s every command you can use with Voice Control.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That’s why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final re…