Top 4th of July iPhone Apps

If you’re looking to make the most of the upcoming 4th of July weekend, you know it means breaking out the grill, cranking the tunes, and letting the drinks and good times flow. Here’s a set of great iPhone apps to aid in planning/throwing the perfect party for your family and friends.

The Weather Channel Interactive – FREE

Weather can make or break the perfect BBQ. Before pulling the cover off the grill, make sure to check out this official app from The Weather Channel. This great free app provides a much more intensive projection of the forecast than Apple’s built in widget-esque weather app. In addition to full screen radar maps, this app also provides detailed 10-day forecasts, helpful videos, and even pollen levels to help with those allergies. All of these features come packed in an appealing and easy to use UI. I’d highly recommend this app as an accurate alternative to the built in weather app on iPhone.

Weber’s On The Grill – $4.99

To ensure the best grilling experience possible this weekend, check out this awesome grilling guide from Weber. This app features a ton of awesome recipes ranging from rubs to marinades, and a great techniques section detailing how to prepare them. I’m also a huge fan of the “Grill Guide” section which suggests the perfect cook time for differing thicknesses of meat. You can select your preferred level of doneness and the app will adjust the cook time and recommended temperature accordingly. Of course the app also sports an onboard timer. I’d recommend buying this app sometime before this weekend as the “Groceries” portion is helpful when preparing to make a run to the store to grab the supplies for your gathering. While a bit on the pricey side, this app is definitely worth it once your friends bow before you as “Grill Master!”

Slacker Radio – FREE w/Optional Subscription Available

Picking the perfect music can be crucial in setting the proper ambience for your guests. Over the past few months, I’ve developed an affinity for Slacker Radio. As the name implies, Slacker is for well…slackers. Not pointing any fingers, but sometimes it’s nice when something does the hard work for you. While you can select a certain artist if you choose, Slacker’s strength is it’s built in genres. Users can select from a broad range of genres which all further subdivide into more specific categories. Under the Rock category for instance, you have about 20 different styles to choose from. Just tap one and the music starts right up. You’re allotted 6 skips per hour just like with Pandora. My only qualm with the free version of Slacker is that you have to put up with brief 30-second ads every half hour or so. If you choose to upgrade to the subscription based service you can do away with these ads entirely. The latest update to Slacker incorporates multi-tasking functionality, so it will run in the background on your new iPhone 4, iPhone 3Gs, or 3rd gen. iPod touch.

Hipstamatic – $1.99

If you need a way to document your 4th of July happenings, look no further than this next app. Hipstamatic is a brilliantly designed app which lends drab iPhone photos a vintage toy camera flair. This app has a great analog feel to it which harkens back to the days of Holgas and Polaroids. If you’d like to time warp your friends back to the 70’s and 80’s, then this is the app to do it with! Hipstamatic comes preloaded with 3 lenses, 2 flashes, and 3 different types of films. Via in app purchases, you can add additional items in all of these categories by buying packages which go for $0.99 a piece. This is hands down one of my all time favorite apps, and is a big hit with the SDE crew. We even have our own Hipstamatic themed flickr page! Check it out here.

Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List – FREE

This is a mobile version of the popular Epicurious website. There are an almost infinite number of recipes in the epi library ranging from snacks, appetizers, and entrees, to drinks, and deserts. There’s even a specific 4th of July category with some great drink and lighter fare ideas.