The Academy Awards start at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and that means there’s still time for you to put together a viewing party, if you’re so inclined. Stock up on champagne, get your evening wear pressed, do some quick housecleaning, prep some snacks, and — OK, it’s actually quite a bit of work. Are you sure you want to do this? If so, here are some techy ideas to add some glitz to your event.
Text and Facebook both work for invites, but you can also use Paperless Post or Punchbowl for something a bit more formal. And what’s more formal than the Oscars?
The Oscars are airing on ABC, but if you don’t even get the basic networks on TV, you can stream them on ABC’s website or by using the network’s official mobile app and a login address from a cable provider. If you haven’t seen many of the nominated films, there are quite a few available to watch on Amazon, Google Play, and iTunes, including Hell or High Water, Moonlight, and Arrival.
In terms of of predictions, Amazon’s Alexa can give you her views on who will win Best Actress, Best Director, and so on. She had to flip a coin to choose between Denzel Washington and Casey Affleck, however, just in case you’re curious. The virtual assistant can also run through the nominees for several categories, and if you enable the Ultimate Hollywood Trivia Skill, Alexa will ask five questions in a row.
There’s also the official Oscar’s challenge you can sign up for, or you can scour Pinterest for bingo cards. Vanity Fair has a printable ballot, as well. If you need a little help, there’s supposedly an AI-backed pick you can turn to when it comes to Best Picture.
The company that gives out unaffiliated Oscar swag bags is notorious for the six-figure price tags on its loot. This year’s haul has a few tech items, from vaporizers to smart-home systems. If you can’t afford to give luxury vacations to your guests, just stick to candy, popcorn, and a ballot.
Francis Ford Coppola recently paired with Sun Basket, and the meal-kit delivery company hosts some of the iconic director’s recipes on its site, including Pizza Sofia, named in honor of his daughter and maker of our favorite champagne in a can.
Although it’s totally un-tech related, you can also go punny, and make food inspired by the nominees: Emma Stone Fruit Salad, Dev Pateled eggs, Zootopizza, Raviola Davis, and Hell or High Watermelon bites. For drinks, you could serve dark and stormies with Ryan Gosling’s ginger beer.
If you’re going to pour champagne instead of cocktails, a dedicated Buy at Amazon that keeps it at perfect serving temperature is a nice way to go. It works better than a bucket, at least.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.