Apps to enhance your Super Bowl experience

Let the CBS Sports App add to your Super Bowl Sunday.. Credit: Newsday/CBS Interactive

By Peter KingSpecial to NewsdayFebruary 4, 2021

No one could have predicted that last year’s Super Bowl would be the last major sports event not played under the shadow of COVID-19. Sunday, the NFL hopes to get Super Bowl LV off without a hitch – despite the ongoing pandemic. These apps can add to your enjoyment of the Big Game.

CBS Sports App

(iOS, Android; free)

CBS is telecasting Super Bowl LV, which gives it the rights to stream the game via its CBS Sports App, so you can watch the game on your phone or tablet even if you’re not in front of a TV. Beyond the Super Bowl, use the app to stream all of CBS’ sports coverage, including the NCAA Tournament – assuming sports gets back to normal.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mobile

(iOS, Android; free)

Bucs quarterback Tom Brady is no stranger to the Super Bowl or to fans who watch football, but many of his teammates are. This app can get you up to speed on players like little-known Scotty Miller, who says he’s the fastest receiver in the NFL. There are profiles of the players and colorful coach Bruce Arians. With a Bucs' victory, the 68-year-old Arians will become the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl.

Chiefs Mobile

(iOS, Android; free)

One player who takes issue with Scotty Miller’s claim of being the fastest in the NFL is Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill. You can find out more about Hill and the rest of his teammates, including the Chief’s dazzling quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with this app, which features stats, rosters, news, videos and podcasts. You can also find updated injury reports that may impact the game.

Zoom Cloud Meetings

(iOS, Android; free)

Even though we’re all Zoom zombies from too many virtual meetings, a Super Bowl is about getting together — something you shouldn’t physically do this year. Set up a Zoom call and hold your party safely. Zoom has a 40-minute limit on calls, so if you want to keep the party going for the entire game, Google Meet (iOS, Android; free) is a better choice because it has waived time limits until March.

Ransom DDoS attacks on the rise

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) ransom attacks are increasing. Unlike typical ransomware that encrypts computer files, a DDoS attack overwhelms networks, making them unusable. Hackers extort a ransom by threatening victims the attack won’t stop until money is paid. In a new report, security firm Neustar said DDoS attacks “grew in persistence and sophistication” in 2020. In October, the Bay Shore school district was hit by a DDoS attack.

— PETER KiNG

A flood of streaming

Americans are shelling out for streaming. A J.D. Power survey found the average household spent $47 a month in 2020 on streaming services, up from $34 in 2019. The increase was spurred as new services Disney+, HBO Max and Peacock joined No. 1 Netflix in the streaming mix. Half the respondents subscribed to four or more streaming services, with 13 percent saying they paid for seven or more services.

— PETER KiNG

UN chief: Regulate social media companies

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for global rules to regulate social media companies like Twitter and Facebook. Guterres said he was concerned about the amount of information social media companies collect and the lack of control over how they use this data. “I do not think that we can live in a world where too much power is given to a reduced number of companies,” Guterres said. -