As far as tech is concerned, a lot has changed since July 4, 1776. We have radios. We have TVs. We have computers. And more than half of us now have smartphones. So as you celebrate Fourth of July weekend, here are four tech tips you may find useful. From educating you about astronomy to helping you snap that perfect photo of the fireworks display, today’s technology can improve your holiday weekend:

Fireworks Photos. If you’re watching a fireworks show, chances are you’ll take a few photos with your phone. Some tips: Turn off your flash, avoid shakiness, don’t zoom in, tinker with your camera’s exposure settings, and try burst mode. If you aren’t satisfied with the features of your built-in camera, the Wall Street Journal has some good app recommendations, including Camera+ (iOS andAndroid) and Nokia Camera (Windows). Or, if you prefer to just take video, Vhoto is a cool iPhone app that finds the best photos in your videos.

Offline Maps. For those of us taking long drives through and to rural places without that quick 4G LTE connection, knowing how to access Google Maps (iOS, Android) offline can be super useful. First, you’ll need to have the latest update — 3.0 for iOS; 8.0 Android. Open the app and hit the profile icon in the top right of the search bar. Scroll to the bottom and click on the offline maps widget. Then, simply drag to the area you want saved — pan and zoom appropriately — and hit “save.” You can find your saved offline maps on your profile page. Alternatively, you can also enter “OK Maps” into the search box when you’re viewing the map. There’s one more way, too: You can bring up an address or place, drag up from the bottom information widget, and select “Save map to use offline.”

Star Gazing.  Once all that smoke from the fireworks dissipates, you may be able to see stars — especially if you’re in an area without much light on the ground. Sky Guide, which we featured last month, is a digital planetarium for the iPhone and iPad that makes it easy to see all the stars and constellations nearby. When users first fire up the app, they’ll be asked to let it access their location, and it will then show them a 360 degree map of all the stars and constellations around them. Users interested in learning more about a particular star or constellation can tap on it to pull out a drawer with plenty of facts. For Android users, Sky Map is equally great.

Digital Detox.  Maybe you are looking forward to spending Fourth of July weekend not having to constantly check your smartphone every five minutes — perhaps a digital detox is in order. If that’s the case, the simple and cheap way to detach from your gadget is to, well, stop using it. Disable your internet connection, put your phone on silent — heck, just turn it off if you really don’t want to be distracted. Or, if you’re just not disciplined enough to give up the device — perhaps you’re one of the people who would give up a best friend over a smartphone — the popularFreedom software locks you away from the Internet. However, it’s only available for desktop and Android. For iOS users, check out this guide from Lifehacker that helps smartphone addicts who want to enjoy the weekend without the distracting device.

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