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![The Best Gadgets for Football]()
It's not nearly as much fun to watch the Super Bowl by yourself, so plan to have a bunch of friends and family over to join in the hooting and hollering. You could impress them by studying Roman numerals again to figure out which game this is, or you could start assembling some gadgets that will amaze your guests and make your Super Party the one they talk about, at least until next year.![Best_Seats_in_the_House]()
Projectors are an awesome way to get a massive, room-filling TV screen -- perfect for the big game. You can find several for less than $400 at Amazon and other sources. And if you've got a picture window in your living room or sliders that open onto a patio, you can go one better and treat your guests to a luxury box view of the game. Get a white bed sheet and hang it outside of your house so that it covers the picture window. Then set up the projector outside so that it shines the image onto the sheet. Use the settings menu to reverse the image for rear projection, and you'll be able to watch the game from inside, looking out the window. Play the sound through your home stereo and you'll be convinced that you've got front-row seats at the stadium.![This Brew's for You, Bud]()
You can't have a football game without plenty of cold drinks, and for many fans that includes brewed, bubbly adult beverages. You may have a hard time convincing your spouse to let you put a "kegerator" -- a refrigerator that holds a keg and dispenses beer -- in your living room, however. Fortunately, there's a down-sized alternative that works even for Manhattan studio apartments. Beer makers, including Heineken, are now making mini-kegs that hold five liters (about 1.3 gallons). And you can get a mini kegerator designed to hold them. In general they cost less than $200, such as the Krups B95 BeerTender, which lets you choose the desired temperature and has an LCD readout. It will keep your beer cold and fresh, and it will even tell you when the mini keg is getting low.![Fortell_the_Future]()
For those who aren't satisfied with a passive, sedentary approach to viewing the championship contest, even when fueled by mass quantities of high-caloric beverages and foodstuffs, consider the opportunity to foretell the outcome of the big game. Just set up your favorite gaming console (XBox 360, Wii, or PlayStation) with a big screen, fire up Madden NFL 10 and play the game to its inevitable conclusion before the real game's kickoff. I wouldn't recommend betting the house on the results, but it could be a lot of fun to find out just how close you came to predicting reality. Alfred Poor writes the daily "HDTV Almanac" about home entertainment technology, and spends the rest of his time surrounded by gadgets.![Pass That Pigskin]()
Sure, anyone can use a plain old remote control for your TV, but if you're going long on the televised SuperBowl hoopla, call your signals with a football-shaped remote control. Radio Shack carries a universal remote model from Excalibur for $24.99. It's about seven inches long, and can control up to seven different devices. The unit isn't programmable however, so your TV and other components will have to be supported in order for it to work. The user documentation is posted on the Radio Shack site so you can check the list before you buy.![This Brew's for You, Bud]()
You can't have a football game without plenty of cold drinks, and for many fans that includes brewed, bubbly adult beverages. You may have a hard time convincing your spouse to let you put a "kegerator" -- a refrigerator that holds a keg and dispenses beer -- in your living room, however. Fortunately, there's a down-sized alternative that works even for Manhattan studio apartments. Beer makers, including Heineken, are now making mini-kegs that hold five liters (about 1.3 gallons). And you can get a mini kegerator designed to hold them. In general they cost less than $200, such as the Krups B95 BeerTender, which lets you choose the desired temperature and has an LCD readout. It will keep your beer cold and fresh, and it will even tell you when the mini keg is getting low.![Fortell_the_Future]()
For those who aren't satisfied with a passive, sedentary approach to viewing the championship contest, even when fueled by mass quantities of high-caloric beverages and foodstuffs, consider the opportunity to foretell the outcome of the big game. Just set up your favorite gaming console (XBox 360, Wii, or PlayStation) with a big screen, fire up Madden NFL 10 and play the game to its inevitable conclusion before the real game's kickoff. I wouldn't recommend betting the house on the results, but it could be a lot of fun to find out just how close you came to predicting reality. Alfred Poor writes the daily "HDTV Almanac" about home entertainment technology, and spends the rest of his time surrounded by gadgets.Six Super Gadgets for Your Super Bowl Party!
Great gadgets can amaze your guests and make your Super Bowl party the one everyone talks about -- at least until next year. By Alfred Poor
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- Six Super Gadgets for Your Super Bowl Party!
