Whether you're counting down to 2011, mixing cocktails, or finding a ride home, these four apps will help make you (and your iOS or Android phone) the star of your New Year's party.
Photo remixed from an original by Joe Shlabotnik.
Count Down to the New Year with the Official Times Square New Year's Eve Ball App
Instead of just watching people party in Times Square, New York, you can join in on the fun with the official Times Square countdown app. The front page of the app has a continuing countdown to midnight, while you'll also be able to view a live stream of Times Square. You can also send "kiss postcards" and other emails to your friends from the app, as well as view New Year's fun facts and history.
The Official Times Square Ball App is a free download for iPhone and Android.
Official Times Square Ball App
Flex Your Bar Tending Muscles with 8,500+ Drink & Cocktail Recipes
There's no shortage of drinking apps in the App Store, but it's hard to argue with the sheer number of drinks in this app's database. You can browse by category if you're looking for inspiration, favorite the ones you like, and even pick a drink at random (though I wouldn't recommend that for the faint of heart).
Probably the coolest part about the app, though, is the search by ingredient function. If you've got a few different types of liquor around and want to know what you can make with them, you can punch them in the app and let it narrow down the database for you by what you have. You can also share drinks via Facebook, Twitter, and email, so if you have a friend at another party, you can send them the recipe of that awesome drink you've discovered.
8,500+ Drink & Cocktail Recipes is a free download for iPhone, iPad, and Android. There is also a $0.99 version on the iPhone that contains all the same features, but is ad-free.
8,500+ Drink & Cocktail Recipes
Find a Nearby Hotel with HotelPal
After midnight has passed and the party comes to a close, it's time to crash. No matter where you are, though, driving back home probably isn't the best idea—even if you're completely sober. New Year's is one of the most dangerous nights to drive on the roads because everyone else is drunk, so your best bet is to find somewhere nearby to stay. If you don't have a friend's pad at which to crash, free app HotelPal will find you something suitable in a jiffy.
When you start up the app, it will find your location and present you with a map showing all the hotels close to you. By hitting the buttons at the bottom, though, you can sort them by both price and distance from your current location. You can view more info and see photos of any given hotel, as well as get rooms and rates right from the app. It's perfect for making that last-minute booking, especially if you don't know where you're going to end up by the end of the night.
HotelPal is a free download for iPhone and Android.
Grab a Cab with Cab4me
If you absolutely have to drive but aren't exactly in a prime mental state, Cab4me will determine your location and let you know what cab companies are nearby and able to pick you up. Each company has user ratings, so you know who's the best, and you can call them straight from the app. It also has a handy feature where you can copy the cab companies number to the clipboard, so you can easily text it to a friend if they need a cab too.
Cab4me is a free download for iPhone and Android, though there is also a $1.99 pro version for the iPhone that includes a trip calculator that will estimate your fare.
Honorable Mention: Toast the New Year and Exchange Contact Info With IKEA's Skål
Sure, we usually make fun of gimmicky apps like this, but we'll make an exception one time this year. First, the app prompts you to pick a glass, after which it fills it up with fake champagne that moves around according to your phone's accelerometer. A neat trick, and probably really, really cool after a few glasses of real champagne.
After that, though, you can bump two iPhones together running the same app to "toast" your glasses. When you do, it'll snap a picture and exchange the contact info of the two phones, so you can find that special someone you met the next day. Check out the video above for a demonstration.
IKEA Skål | iTunes via Gizmodo
There you have it—just a few ways you can use your favorite tech toys to make this year's party a blast. Have fun out there, be safe, and if you've got your own last-minute party tips for us, share them in the comments!