4 apps and gadgets for a fun Fourth of July

Fire up the grill, light up the sparklers and bring on the fireworks! To make your July 4 celebration sizzle, AT&T has a few suggestions for apps and gadgets.

Get the party started and your guests in the mood with the Ion Party Starter wireless portable speaker. This is a portable, wireless speaker that is easy to use – pairing quickly and easily with your smartphone or tablet. The speaker’s colorful beat-sync’d lighting turns any place into a party space! And this little speaker packs BIG, powerful sound into an ultra-compact design that fits in the palm of your hand. $49

Once things get cooking, then it’s time to fire up the grill. Have a hard time knowing just how long to keep the steaks on the flame? Or do you ever have to cook several steaks to different temperatures? Not to worry – that’s where Omaha Steaks Steak Time app comes in. The app has recipes for just about every cut of steak, and the app also has a Steak 101 section. All helpful, but the really important part of this app is the steak timer that allows you to cook multiple steaks to different temps, tells you when to add, when to flip and when to remove your steaks based on desired doneness and steak thickness. Grill on! It’s free for Android and iOS.

Have you ever had a BBQ and run out of propane halfway through cooking the burgers? The BBQ Tank Meter App will make sure that doesn’t happen again. Open the app, hold your phone close to the tank, and then give it a good whack with a spatula. The BBQ Tank Meter app listens to the resonance inside and acoustically measures the amount of propane in your tank. It’s also a good party trick. This is for Android only.

If the party is going to go into the night, then you just might need a flashlight. The iFrogz GoLite is not only a flashlight, but a pretty powerful portable charger as well. It’s compact and lightweight and can charge up to 4 smartphones at a time. Four LED lights across the top let you know how much battery power you have remaining. And it’s rechargeable, so it can be used over and over again. This is perfect for backyard BBQs, camping trips and road trips. $49