The Fourth of July is almost here, and like with every summer celebration, you'll probably want to spend it outdoors with friends, most likely in front of the grill, with a beer in one hand and a spatula in the other -- a tale as old as time. But this is 2014, and there are some fun and useful apps and tech gadgets to make sure your Independence Day grilling is flawless this year.

Starting Charcoal, Hassle-Free

One of the most annoying things about charcoal grills is getting those coals started. Die-hard charcoal fans claim it's not hard, but give the rest of us a break! Maybe we don't grill every day, and maybe we need a little help getting those coals hot.

Luckily, there's BBQ Dragon. What started as a quirky KickStarter project last year is now quickly becoming a well-known gadget among charcoal grillers. It's pretty simple and useful, but it'll cost you about $60. Still, add up the cost of a charcoal chimney, plus the lighter fluid you would probably use frustratedly trying to get the coals hot, and it's probably worth it.

What is BBQ Dragon? A fan, basically. But it's heat-resistant, grill-clippable and wireless. Just get those briquettes on the grill, barely start them going and point the BBQ Dragon at your coals. Within 10 minutes, and without a chimney or extra lighter fluid, the BBQ Dragon will have you up and running.


Who Needs a Propane Gauge? There's an App for That

Propane is so much easier to use than charcoal, but the disadvantage is that if you don't have a physical propane gauge connected, you might abruptly run out of fuel in the middle of your second round of burgers.

You can get a propane gauge at the hardware store, but it usually runs at least $20. Luckily, you can keep track of your propane level without installing anything -- just use an app. Really. It's ingenious.

IPhone users can get the Propane Pro app for free. Android users will have to pay about $2.46 for a similar solution, BBQ TankMeter.

Both apps use acoustics to measure the amount of propane in your tank. They're really easy to use: Just activate the app, hold your smartphone about 6 inches away from your standard 20-pound propane tank, and while the app is "listening," tap the side of the tank with a metal object, like a quarter. The app will listen to the bell-like "ring" of the tank's metal exterior and use it to estimate how full it is.

One caveat: This will work only if you use a 20-pound tank; smaller tanks will throw off the measurements. Still, it's a simple, smart, low-cost solution to make sure you're still good to go halfway through the Fourth of July grill-out.

IGrill: The Next Generation of Probe Thermometers

If you're grilling or smoking a rack of ribs, a roast or any other big piece of meat this weekend, you'll probably want a probe thermometer that can keep track of the internal temperature. There are plenty of low-cost solutions to that, but do they work with your smartphone?

IDevices' "iGrill" Bluetooth thermometer line does. The iGrill, iGrill2 and iGrill mini are all Bluetooth-enabled, with a 100-plus-foot range, and come with apps to track meat temperatures on your smartphone, use temperature presets, set alerts and timers -- all while you carouse with your guests. And you know that with a name like iGrill, it'll work with the iPhone, and all variants of the next-generation thermometer have an accompanying iOS app.

Android users, get your hands on the no-longer-manufactured original iGrill (if you can) to use the Android app. IDevices says an Android app is coming for the iGrill2 and mini variants, but you'd think the company would have released it before such a grill-heavy holiday.

The iGrill or iGrill 2 will run you about $100, while the iGrill mini is only about $40. What's next? A grill you can fully control from your smartphone? Not yet, but you can always dream.