Make your tailgate party rock with these tips.
Sarah Tew/CNETAh, football season. There’s only one thing that could make it better: gadgets. Here are some tech ideas you can use to elevate a tailgate party to the next level.
1. Take advantage of Google Assistant
Google Assistant at home or on your phone can get you ready for Sunday. For example, it can help you plan what to wear to the stadium by asking it, “Will I need a jacket this Sunday?” Weather information will pop up on your screen, letting you know if you’ll need your coat — or a pair of shorts.
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Google Assistant can make game day a little more awesome.
Screenshot by Alina Bradford/CNETYou can also use it to find out when and where the next game will be. Just ask it, for example, “When will the next Cowboys game be?”
At your tailgate party, keep yourself and your crew entertained by asking the assistant on your phone, “Show me football bloopers,” or “Let’s play sports trivia.” You can also say, “It’s game time,” and the assistant will play songs to amp you and your friends up.
It can also help you know when it’s time to leave the parking lot and head into the stadium. Just say something like, “Set a kickoff timer for one hour from now.”
When the timer goes off and you head into the crowd, tell the assistant, “Remember where I parked.” The assistant will save a map of your current location. After the game just ask it, “Where did I park,” and it will show you the location of your car on the saved map.
2. Make a speaker for your phone
Of course, you want everyone — especially the people cheering for the other team — to hear your fight song. If you’re on a budget, no need to buy an expensive speaker to boost the sound coming from your phone. Try one of these DIY solutions and then spray paint it in your team’s colors.
3. Show a highlights reel
You can turn your vehicle into a movie screen to show last season’s highlights (or your own highlights from high school). Hang a white sheet on the top of your vehicle with magnets and let the sheet drape down the side. Smooth out the wrinkles, then set up your projector in front of the sheet. Easy entertainment.
Just make sure to pull up when removing the magnets instead of sliding them off to protect your car’s paint job.
4. Make it cooler… with a cooler
Even in the fall and winter it can be a little warm in the southern states. For a cool blast of air, make this portable air conditioner. All you need is a cooler and some simple tools.
5. Get your apps on point
No one wants to miss any fun while they make a visit to the porta-potty. Make sure your phone is ready for the trip by downloading some football-tastic apps.
Here are few to get you started:
- NFL Mobile has all of the latest news about teams and lets you livestream games if you’re a Verizon customer. It’s available on Android and iOS.
- If you’re expecting to — ahem — take a while, you’ll need some long-term football entertainment. I suggest downloading Madden by Electronic Arts (iOS and Android) and starting your own road to victory.
- The ESPN app (Android and iOS) is great because it will alert you to breaking news — like if your favorite player has an injury. It also provides live score updates for when you’re at concessions.
6. Use a fancy football to up your game
When you’re in the parking lot tossing the pigskin around, make things just a little more interesting. The Wilson X Connected ($200) is a smart football that can measure your throw speed, spin rate, distance and spiral efficiency, and give you the stats on its app. This is a great way to compete with your buddies before the game.
