Happy 4th July weekend! Here in San Francisco we have our fingers crossed that the fog will co-operate and abate in time for the fireworks display – always a gamble in our temperamental summers. Luckily, and in this day and age, inevitably there’s an app for that. The Fireworks Deluxe Full app, featured here on Heavy.com lets you choose between one of five iconic US city backdrops and watch a firework display of your choice – any time you want.

In fact, there really does seem to be an app to enhance every aspect of the 4th July holiday. So we trawled the web, looking for the best and most innovative ones designed to inject some fun into the festivities.

4th of July History Quiz App (free) This quiz is aimed at younger children and is an entertaining way of keeping the kids amused while teaching them the true meaning of the day beyond fireworks and grilling.

Weber Grills App (free) and Weber’s On the Grill ($4.99) Speaking of grilling, get some inspiration from these great apps from the brand synonymous with grilling, Weber. The free app sends you an amazing 75 new recipes each week and also has other great features including easy email sharing, prep skills and grilling techniques – ensuring your guests will be sated and safe this 4th. If you want to drop $4.99 for the Weber’s On the Grill app, you pretty much get a virtual grill buddy. This app includes almost 30 short videos to watch so you can hone your skills. To keep you on track, you can time recipes from the grill timer, which launches directly from one of the apps 250+ recipes. Both apps are great examples of a brand having a holistic view of how their product fits into their customers’ lives, and engaging via this medium in a useful, relevant way.

Snapseed Photo Editing App (free) If like me your iPhone / Android photo skills sometimes leave a little be desired, help is at hand with Google’s Snapseed app. Snapseed is a fantastic, easy-to-use photo editing tool that lets you get the best out of your photos, long after the fact. You can amend brightness, contrast or saturation and even enhance specific object or areas of the photos with the ‘Selective Adjust’ functionality, making memories of this 4th even sweeter!

Finally on a far less festive note, our thoughts are with our friends in North Carolina and we hope everyone stays safe as Tropical Storm Arthur looms. North Carolina’s Governor Pat Cory is urging residents to download the free ReadyNC app which will provide the latest weather, traffic and hazard essential information. The North Carolina National Guard and North Carolina Emergency Management are also doing an incredible job keeping people informed via Twitter and Facebook. We’re thinking of you! July 4th – there’s an app for that