fourth of july
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The best AirPod deals you can get for Independence Day
Several Apple AirPods models are on sale during the July 4th weekend.
A self-emptying Shark robot vacuum is half off right now
Shark makes some of the best robot vacuums around and you can currently save quite a bit on a self-emptying model. The device is 50 percent off as it has dropped to $300 at Amazon.
The best 4th of July tech sales we could find
This week's best tech deals include discounts on Google Nest WiFi routers, Solo Stove fire pits and Blink security cameras.
Sonos' latest refurbished sale knocks $360 off the Arc soundbar
A bunch of refurbished Sonos speakers and soundbars are on sale, including the Sonos One SL for $119.
Anova's Precision Cooker Nano drops to $99 at Amazon
Amazon knocks 34 percent off Anova's Precision Cooker Nano sous vide machine, bringing it down to $99.
Solo Stove's fire pits are up to 45 percent off for July 4th
Solo Stove knocks up to 45 percent off fire pits for July 4th, bringing the cheapest of the bunch down to $200.
Massively's Fourth of July weekend MMO event roundup
It's Independence Day in the U.S., the day when gamers scarf down BBQ and try to flee family events so they can log back into MMOs. What? You know you do it. Here's a few of the events and sales and promotions MMO players can look forward to this weekend. If you know of one we missed, shout it out in the comments! Marvel Heroes is boasting a "Red, White, and Loot" boost to rotating game modes, including increased loot drops. Neverwinter has unleashed the Celebration of Lliira event, complete with fireworks and rewards. Star Wars: The Old Republic is granting double experience all weekend. The Guardians of Gaia event returns to The Secret World in honor of its anniversary. EverQuest II features a summer rebate sale on holiday items and more; classic EQ turned on double XP last night. Age of Wushu has 10 different events going on this weekend. TEN. TERA's gone live with a double-drop weekend. World of Tanks celebrates Canada Day and Independence Day with discounts on cash-shop stuff and experience bonuses. Fallen Earth is running sales and a new summer combat patch. Champions Online has introduced Stars Tights and new Liberty Grav Bike. Vrooom. The Brits behind RuneScape are hosting an in-game BBQ and offering Uncle Sam hats. Enjoy a holiday bonus weekend in Dark Age of Camelot. Black Gold Online has dedicated an in-game monument and promises streams and contests. War Thunder offers discounts and RP boosts for USA victories. DUST 514 is running an accelerated SP week. Dungeons and Dragons Online has a double bonus point promotion in the official store. SMITE still has the Ramerica eagle skin we can't stop giggling over. Wheeee. Pirate101 has a Red, White, & Blue sale going on mounts, pets, and teleporters.
Marvel Heroes has great plans for you this Fourth of July weekend
Do you have a few days off this weekend for superhero action? Marvel Heroes has a trio of events lined up for players this weekend who have an abundance of time on their hands. The main event this weekend is a "Red, White, and Loot" boost to rotating game modes. Marvel Heroes will increase loot drops between four game modes depending on the time of day. There will also be BBQ-themed drops all over the game (because HULK LOVE HOT DOG!) and an extended Soccer Showdown event that neatly coincides with the World Cup.
World of Tanks celebrates July 4th via a big tank tournament
Tomorrow is the fourth of July, and if you're not aware, in the United States that date is kind of a big deal. So the staff behind World of Tanks decided that the best way to celebrate America's independence day is by having a bunch of armored vehicles take potshots at one another for big prizes. A tournament is running through the weekend for Tier III through Tier X tanks, with a big package of microtransaction cash going to the winning teams. All teams will be paired up into groups, fight other teams in the same group, and be scored according to victory or loss. Battles will be limited to 10 minutes maximum. The big winners will be the teams with the highest score after the dust settles. If this sounds like it's your sort of celebration, there's still time to gather your team and register; if you'd rather just play the game, there are also plenty of promotions running over the holiday weekend just the same. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Five apps for your Fourth of July fun
Tomorrow is Independence Day in the US, which means it's time to participate in your local parade, grill up some burgers on the BBQ, and watch a whole lotta fireworks with your friends and family. To help you enjoy this upcoming Fourth of July, we have selected five apps that'll let you adorn your holiday photos with some Americana, teach you about the Revolutionary War, and even let you take part in it if your choose. If you have any other suggestions, please add them in the comments below. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July! Holiday Picture It! (Free) Holiday Picture It! is an image editing app that lets you overlay your photos with borders, themed icons and other festive images. The app was recently updated to include a 4th of July theme so you can adorn your Fourth photos with some stars and stripes forever. Macy's 4th of July Fireworks (Free) If you're attending the Macy's 4th of July fireworks this year, then you'll want to grab this official app from Macy's. The app has several features, including a guide to local attractions, subway maps, and weather forecast, that'll make your trek to the fireworks enjoyable. Show details, performer biographies and up-to-the-minute transit information make sure you see what you want to see and make it there on time. 4th of July Finger Painting ($1.99) 4th of July Finger Painting is for those idle moments on this summer holiday. The app includes a handful of images that your little one can color with their fingers while they wait for the parade to begin. It's good, clean fun and will keep them busy for short time. And parents, while you wait, you should check out this quick guide to photographing fireworks. It might come in handy for those end-of-the-day holiday fireworks. The Revolution: Interactive Guide (Free) Yes, the Fourth of July celebrates American independence, but do you know all the events that led up to Revolutionary War and how it ended? If not, you should check out this interactive guide to the American Revolution. It's created by a high school senior who loves history and is chock full of information about this period in American history. The app includes maps, audio guides, biographies of important historical figures, quizzes and flashcards to test your knowledge. The Patriots ($0.99) Ever want to defend the Capitol from an army of approaching British Redcoats? You can get your chance with The Patriots game from Deadmans Production. Set during the Revolutionary War, the fixed gun defense game lets you pick sides in a battle for the US Capitol. You can play as the invading British soldiers or the defending American army. It's available for 99-cents and is great way to pass some time this Fourth of July.
Battlefield 3 players get double XP this week
While many Americans plan to celebrate their country's independence on July 4 with some cold brews and succulent BBQ, EA is making a case for staying indoors and playing Battlefield 3. The XP faucet is being turned on for Premium subscribers all week, and non-paying members get a bonus too.Premium folks get the best part of the deal, naturally – all points earned will be doubled until July 8 at 11:59pm PT. Standard Battlefield 3 players may only enjoy the doubled end-match points until July 4 at 1pm PT, which actually turns out to be pretty decent timing. That's usually when Uncle Hank comes over with the real fireworks.
Hyperspectral imaging reveals Declaration of Independence rough draft dubbed citizens 'subjects'
Imagine, if you will, Thomas Jefferson sitting down to pen (or quill) a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence early in 1776... you know, when the colonies that would become the United States of America formally explained their decision to become independent states, and thus not be a part of Great Britain any longer. Imagine him writing the words "our fellow citizens" -- but know that, thanks to hyperspectral imaging, the Library of Congress has confirmed that he originally wrote "our fellow subjects" -- but then scrubbed it out and replaced it with the word "citizens." Personally, we feel pretty happy with the knowledge that the founding fathers chose their words so carefully -- after all, "we hold this stuff to be super obvious 'cause all dudes are like, basically the same" just doesn't have the same ring to it, now does it? Hit up the Boing Boing source link for far more photos.
World of WarCrafts: Cook up a Well Fed Buff
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself; email lisa@wow.com with your not-for-profit, WoW-inspired creations. The Fourth of July. Fireworks. Barbecued Buzzard Wings and Ogri'la Chicken Fingers, Oronok Tubers, Rock-Salted Pretzels and some Delicious Chocolate Cake. Or maybe Mok'Nathal Shortribs, instead, and a cold beer. Or something even frostier to drink, like a tall glass of Essence Mango. Oh, and chocolate: freshly dipped Tauren Toenails, or maybe some Maiev's Grudge. If you're not hungry for this holiday weekend to arrive, we have no idea why. We couldn't even manage to hold this installment of World of WarCrafts until its usual Monday slot -- it's time to celebrate, and we demand to be Hugely Well Fed! Join the party with recipes from the archives of World of WarCrafts and the retired Well Fed Buff (now a part of the World of WarCrafts column). It's festive and fun to share good food with friends -- and it's even more special when the recipes offer WoW-inspired strats all their own. Enjoy -- we'll see you all next week! %Gallery-96798% World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself by emailing lisa@wow.com with your not-for-profit, WoW-inspired creations.
Impulse drops prices for the Fourth of July
Not to be outdone by Steam and its dangerously generous sale this week (you do own Torchlight by now, right?), Impluse is running its own 4th of July sale, with 68 different downloadable PC games given prices set to move, some even better than Steam. If you want some quality RTS action, the Company of Heroes pack is a great deal at $29.99, Command and Conquer 4 is $24.99 and the Sins of a Solar Empire expansions are $5 off. Not quite as much variety as the Steam sale, but what's there is well-priced. PC gamers, you have no excuse to bother with any of the "going outside" or fireworks this July 4th weekend -- not when there are all these great cheap games to play!
Global Agenda mo-caps U.S. soldier before he deploys for tour of duty
We hope our U.S. readers have been enjoying their Independence Day celebrations. Clearly most everyone working in the MMO industry has been chowing down on BBQ as there hasn't been much in the way of major gaming news stories breaking during the holiday. However, we did come across a Global Agenda story that we think is fitting for the 4th of July weekend. Hi-Rez Studios VP of game operations Stew Chisam writes that the Global Agenda team received this from the wife of U.S. Army Captain Chris Ficquette: "My husband is in the United States Army and will be re-deployed for his second tour of duty this summer. To date, I have not yet found a bigger fan of video games than him. Is there any way that I could have my husband involved in motion capturing so that he could be immortalized in your video game?" It turns out Hi-Rez Studios was willing to oblige.
Enter to win some loot cards from WoW.com and WoWTCG.com
Is it just me, or have we had lots of EU-only contests lately? First, Lesley gives away some loot cards for the EU, and then Turpster gives away some more. This is July 4th, and it's about time we served the North American side of the globe! (Canada, we missed Canada Day, so we'll throw you in the mix, too). Courtesy of our good friends over at WoWTCGLoot.com (be sure to visit them if you need to know anything about the TCG Loot cards), let's give away some loot codes!We've got 10 in total that we'll give away to ten random commenters on this post before tomorrow night, Sunday July 5th, at midnight. There's an Epic Purple Shirt, two Sandbox Tigers, three Papa Hummel's Pet Biscuits, and four Party Grenades up for grabs -- to enter, just leave a comment on this post, and since it's Independence Day, how about telling us what your favorite kind of firework is. I was always partial to the black snakes -- most people though they were boring, but I knew how the big ones blew up, and I never really understood just how those darned snakes worked.One comment per person in the US and Canada only, please, and do be sure to use a real email address when you comment (that you check often) so we can get in touch with you ASAP if you win. Good luck to everyone, and happy Independence Day!
Celebrate July 4th with adorable Kodu fireworks
Today is the day of independence for Joystiq readers in the United States, which also means it's a day full of aerial explosions of light. You know, fireworks. For those not lucky enough to be in an area where one can witness this colorful spectacle, we figured we'd bring the explosive excitement to the internet, for all to share, with the help of the recently released Community Game, Kodu.Enjoy the show and have a boom-tastic July 4th!
Happy Fourth of July from WoW.com
It's that time of year again -- Summer is in the air, baseball is well underway (I'm still pulling for the Cubs, even though it's a rollercoaster as usual), and things are grilling on the, um, grill. Here in America, today is Independence Day, and we're celebrating our independence from you EU folks -- don't take it personally, but we'd had it up to here with your taxation without representation, and we just wanted to spend some time on our own for a while. So while most of our bloggers are relaxing and lighting explosives on fire, posting might be a little slim around here today. Just in case you need something to read, you can always catch up on all the amazing Patch 3.2 details, dream about going to BlizzCon (or just ogle the costumes), or finish up your Midsummer Fire Festival achievements.And if the last few years are any indication, there'll be some celebrations in Azeroth this evening as well (yes, even on the EU servers), with fireworks aplenty (we're pretty sure they do them on the hour every hour this evening -- Booty Bay always has a nice display, not to mention that the bruisers are drunk there today), and free beer and food outside the capital cities. So if you're here in America with us, be sure to have a very happy and safe Fourth of July from all of us here at WoW.com!
Three games to light up your 4th
The founding of a nation is pretty significant and well worth getting excited about. The best way to display said excitement is, of course, with massive, colorful airborne explosions, a.k.a. fireworks. Tomorrow night, towns across the USA will be putting on fireworks displays, big and small -- but why should you have to wait for it to get dark? The games you'll find after the break will let you get all explode-y from the comfort of your living room, without the charred mess and frantic 911 call. So, put on your favorite patriotic tune (it's "The Stars & Stripes Forever" for us) and make with the clicking! [Image]
Want to BBQ with the iPhone? You don't even need an app
Not really -- if you really are planning to grill up some meat (or mushrooms and pineapples, they're good too) today or this weekend, you'll need a little more heat than your iPhone will give. But it's true, Apple's little handheld can get nice and toasty when it's really working*, and illustrator Chad Covino made a little Fourth of July BBQ-themed sketch about that very subject. We love it -- very nice work!My iPhone does get hot, but not so hot I can't pick it up -- usually when I'm running 3D for a longer stretch of time or when the phone is doing some serious calculating like audio or photo editing, I start to feel the heat coming off the back. Batteries are to blame for some of the more extreme problems, however, and that's not a huge surprise, given that batteries in any mobile device have their issues. The good news in that case, however, is that the phone is unlikely to actually explode -- the repair guy Wired talks to says that "a little bit of smoke eventually is probably the best bet." Not that a smoking iPhone is a good situation at all, but you can at least be sure that your iPhone is not quite as hot as the fire under your burgers this weekend.[* Note that the Apple KB article referenced here about temperature warnings/"don't leave the iPhone in the glove compartment" for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is not a new post, nor is the temperature alert screen unique to the 3GS; the KB was simply updated to include the newer device. Jim Dalrymple at The Loop has a solid rundown. FoxNews incorrectly reported that the support article was specific to the 3GS, but then did cite PC World's Melissa Perenson and David Coursey with personal stories of wicked-hot 3GS units. If your 3GS is overheating, check in with Apple support or your local AT&T store. -Ed.]
