The release comes with an App card with deep linking, which allows users to tap a link and view more content within an application. Cards also offer the option to download an application directly from a tweet, so developers receive more traffic to their apps on Twitter, and users receive a richer browsing experience.

Essentially, the card promotes applications and more engagement from consumers. In addition to the app card, Twitter created another card based on its photo card, which includes smaller thumbnails of up to four images. Called the “gallery card,” users can preview a larger gallery of photos straight from Twitter without exiting the tweet.

The most interesting newcomer has to be the product card. Until now, Twitter users could tap on a product link URL, but product information was sparse.

Now, merchants can choose which details to display in a tweet, such as price, stock, etc., and embed the information in the tweet. In effect, it creates product pages in tweets. The product card can also be paired with the app card, so users see product information and then are directed to an app to make their purchase. This creates the potential for Twitter to become a product discovery tool and shopping tool, similar to Pinterest.

Combined with Twitter’s promoted tweets, cards present unique advertising opportunities for brands and developers. According to Twitter’s developer site, cards can increase followers and drive traffic, while giving developers more control over information customers see and engage with. Although the company plans to increase its offerings, for now, Twitter offers a summary card, a photo card, a gallery card, an app card, a product card, and a player card for audio and video.

Features

Although similar visually, Keep has little in common with Evernote. Both services use audio notes, memos, checklists, and photos in their applications, and both provide online storage options and syncing. One important feature Google touts in its blog post is audio transcription.

Both applications offer audio transcription in some form, but Evernote converts the audio note into text and saves a version of the original file, whereas Google Keep only converts the text if you’re using an Android version lower than Jelly Bean.

Keep also lacks Evernote’s “notebook” feature, so users will not have the same work space options they would have in Evernote. Keep works seamlessly with other Google apps, such as their online storage app drive. Notes and audio files will sync with Google Drive from where notes are pushed to other devices. One important consideration is tagging; one of Evernote’s most popular features is its tagging system, which provides users with a way to easily locate notes and make edits. Keep allows users to archive a note, but categories and tags are two features Google decided to forego.

What’s the Verdict?

Although Google Keep has many of the same features Evernote does, Evernote has more to offer to the devoted note-taker with categorization options like its notebook feature. Google Keep might be preferable to Google adherents who just need basic functionality with a note-taking app. Currently, Google Keep is only available on Android devices, but according to Google, an official iPhone application is in the works.

The top prize of $50,000 was split between two finalists who created filtering technology to note and block robocalls before they go through.

Winning submissions

The most notable winner was Nomorobo, a tech solution created by Aaron Foss and now sporting its own Web site. The technology behind Nomorobo is similar to an intelligent answering machine. By working with phone service providers, users set up a call forwarding sequence for whatever type of phone connection they have, be it a landline, VoIP, or a cell phone.

Once the call forwarding is in place, every call made to the phone will first make a stop at Nomorobo software. The call is briefly searched for telltale signs that it may be a robocall and not a real person, including a basic number entry test. If the software is not sure, it passes the final decision over to the user. The end goal is to create a blacklist of the numbers and sources responsible for the robocalls and pass the information along to the FTC for further legal action.

The other winning solution, created by Serdar Danis, offered a similar setup, but his tech featured more high-level concepts than concrete design, with plans to make either a mobile app, an electronic device to use in a home or office, or a feature that phone service providers would offer and take care of on their end. Other submissions used a variety of cascading filters, user-based blacklisting, and similar technologies.

One of the primary challenges in creating any robocall blocker is the current regulations instituted by the FTC, which does allow certain organizations, such as various nonprofits, to use robocalling as part of their outreach services. This means that for every blacklist that is created, a “whitelist” of allowable robocalling must also be formed.

Ideally, the next robocalling solution will be an easily downloadable app or Web service that takes care of the annoying calls with minimal user interaction. This is one reason that the cloud-based services of Nomorobo received so much attention and why popular designs featured an extra provider feature that would be offered as part of a general wireless package. The prizes offered by the FTC will serve as seed money to help make such solutions a welcome reality.

A Skydog router not only puts you in control of family Internet usage, but it also lets you do it conveniently from your smartphone. PowerCloud, the manufacturer of the Skydog router, designed its hardware with convenience in mind.

The router’s menus and settings keep you and other family members safer, while you determine when, how much, and which selections are available for all or individual users on your family Internet service. This router also helps you maximize home network quality and increase productivity.

Router Features

At the heart of PowerCloud’s family network management package is the Wireless 802.11n Skydog router. This dual-band equipment operates on both the 2.4- and 5.0-Ghz communications systems. It supports data throughput speeds up to 300 megabits per second. With its five-port gigabit switch, the Skydog router allows you to selectively create zones that you assign to specific equipment, individual users, or internet functions, such as downloading files or streaming content. You can use the Skydog router alone or as a supplement to your existing networking hardware.

Management Dashboard

A cloud-based dashboard controls the settings of the router’s family Internet management panel. Skydog’s management is a home version of PowerCloud’s successful enterprise hardware and software package, used by corporations and small businesses.

It provides real-time analytics and instant access to your home network status data and settings. Built on HTML5, the cloud-based management system is multiplatform; it works with tablets, PCs, smartphones, and iOS devices. Using the cloud interface, you can conveniently provide assistance to extended family or friends who have Skydog routers by remotely troubleshooting settings and network status.

User-defined settings include the option to specify data usage and priority for your family internet, using timers for individuals or limiting access to the Internet at certain hours for individuals or zones. Control guest access to your network using settings that automatically keep them outside your firewall. Analyze service outages to determine if the source of the problem is your hardware or service provider.

Considerations

PowerCloud beta tested its Skydog family Internet management package in 75 homes before making it available to the public. It is currently available only by signing up as a pledge supporter at Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform.Early adopters have the option of getting Skydog by pledging $79 for routers already in stock.

These pledges count towards the company’s funding goal of $75,000. If the project does not meet its goal by May 14, 2013, all Kickstarter pledges are void.

Buying a tablet requires a choice between Wi-Fi-only and 3G/4G data plan versions. Tablet Wi-Fi options need a nearby wireless Internet hub to go online; otherwise, you only have access to the data stored on the tablet itself. The 3G or 4G version of the tablet allows you to pay for a data plan (just like a phone data plan) that allows you to go online anywhere with cell service.

Common Wi-Fi-enabled tablets include the iPad, Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Google’s Nexus line of tablets, most Samsung Galaxies, and the Nook Touch, and nearly every brand has a Wi-Fi-only option to appeal to the customer that is worried about cost.

Being limited to a specific manufacturer is not a concern. The concern is with usability: Will you lower the usefulness of your tablet by purchasing a Wi-Fi-only version? The answer requires a closer look at what this genre of tablets can and cannot do.

Advantages to tablet Wi-Fi

The most obvious benefit to tablet Wi-Fi-only options is the money you save, not only at the time of purchase but also on the monthly data plan afterward. This amounts to around $100 (typically) at the time of purchase and a monthly bill afterward that can rise to $30 or more depending on how much data you choose.

Another more subtle advantage for such tablets is the worry-free environment. Even if you choose a $50 monthly rate with plenty of data, every time you leave a Wi-Fi zone you have to mentally start that countdown as you watch shows or listen to music. Online connections may be more limited with Wi-Fi-only, but you never have to stress about how much data streaming you have left.

Disadvantages to tablet Wi-Fi

If you like using a tablet when traveling or in places where there is no Wi-Fi (a park or a rural area), then Wi-Fi-only versions will lock you out of the Internet at times when you want it most. If you only use tablets at home or in the office, then you never have to worry about data plans. If you take your tablet to more exotic locations, wireless connections will let you down and a 3G/4G plan will treat you better.

A Wi-Fi-only tablet will also let you down if you have a poor Internet connection at home or work. Slow speeds, dropped connections, or contract limitations may all make a 3G/4G tablet a more attractive option even in the face of a wireless connection.

In Absence of the Internet

If cost is your main concern, but you want to use your tablet away from wireless, technology may have a few answers for you. The right phone plan could allow tethering, where you use your phone service data plan to give your nearby tablet Internet access (this still eats into your monthly phone limits). You could also consider using a mobile hot spot, which is a separate device that taps into cell data service to broadcast a limited Wi-Fi signal wherever you are.

The technology behind portable solar chargers for mobile devices is simple.

How it works

A small panel of solar cells on a flat surface gathers energy when it is exposed to sunlight, preferably direct sunlight without any glass or clouds getting in the way. Through an adapter, the solar-powered charger passes the electrical charge into the phone battery.

Efficiency and functionality vary, but with this eco-friendly addition, you can receive around 30 minutes of extra talking time for an hour or two in the sun. Naturally, this makes the solar charger an ideal option if you spend a lot of time in the park, on the road, or outside in general (although even lunch breaks can net some extra battery life for you). Most chargers come in three different varieties:

1. Cases: Solar charging cases are primarily designed for smartphones and tend to be model specific, typically with a small solar panel in the back of the case that users can turn to the sun. These models are the least obtrusive option for solar charging and dispense with annoying adapter wires or plug-ins. Versions such as the Snow Lizard SLXtreme 4 combine solar charging with rugged/waterproofing features ideal for the rougher types of travel and sport. Keep in mind that cases tend to have slow recharge times because of the small solar panels they use.

2. Dongles: Dongles are small, flat chargers that tend to be about the size of your phone and connect to batteries using wires and adapter heads. While dongles are not as convenient as cases, they have their own set of advantages. Most come in small kits with a variety of adapter heads that can be used for different types of phones, tablets, cameras, and other rechargeable devices. Because they are separate devices, it is also easier to leave them out in the sun. Dongles offer a variety of styles, colors, additional features (like LED flashlights), and ways to attach them to keychains or carrying bags.

3. Fold-Outs: Fold-out solar-powered chargers, like this Earthtech example, can also charge your wireless devices but require slightly more maintenance than dongles. On the plus side, fold-out panels can absorb much more sunlight at a faster rate, giving you more battery life in a shorter amount of time. They also tend to be lightweight and easy to store in backpacks or travel bags. Many come with their own cases for quick transport.

What is a wireless gateway?

Wireless gateways are hybrid devices that take care of multiple aspects of your home-based wireless networks. They serve as access points, routers, and security services at the same time. An access point is simply any point in a network where you can get Internet access; a WAP, for example, is a wireless access point in any form. A router, meanwhile, is a specific device that manages the access point, forwarding data packets from the WAN (the wide area network where you draw your connection from, such as cable, DSL, or fiber optic networks) to the correct devices around your home.

In the first years of wireless Internet service, these devices stayed separate. Wireless gateways combine the access point tech, router capabilities, and layers of wireless security in one device. Gateways are so common these days that the term is often considered interchangeable with “wireless router” because most people assume routers have full gateway capabilities. Popular brands and advances in the gateway field today include the following examples.

Cisco Products

Most Cisco routers are full wireless gateways, offering access, routing, and security as part of the expected package. From the small Valet brand to the larger Linksys products, the company offers easy-to-use routers for home users. Interestingly, Cisco is also using the term “broadband wireless gateway” to describe its latest WiMAX devices for citywide wireless access.

AT&T U-Verse

U-Verse is designed to offer wireless services for multiple entertainment devices and content all at once. To help manage this service, AT&T offers its own wireless gateway. Wireless gateways can be an ideal solution for these providers, allowing them to create a router that taps directly into the services they offer.

Sierra Wireless AirLinks

Sierra Wireless has made a name with its rugged gateways, such as the LS300, an intelligent all-in-one router designed to be used in the field and for more difficult projects. Gateways are especially suited for these all-in-one, portable functions, like a fully enhanced hot spot.

Arcadyan’s Multiservice Gateway

Verizon has posted Arcadyan’s LTE gateways as a solution for home offices and small businesses. This version of a gateway is designed with multiple capabilities, high speeds, and a wide variety of compatibility options. Because of their multiple functions, gateways also make ideal powerful solutions for these link-dependent scenarios.

Automakers are choosing two different paths for car Wi-Fi.

The first, and admittedly easier path, is automatic links with a smartphone that pull Internet service from the phone, making a mini Wi-Fi hot spot with the data connection.

The second and most interesting method is selling a mobile hot spot device designed specifically for a vehicle, or including Wi-Fi capabilities in the integral car systems straight off of the production line.

The field of wireless for cars is still new, but many companies are busy bringing products to market and seeing how they do. If you are interested in equipping your car with independent Wi-Fi devices, here are a few of the latest separate and built-in models hitting the market.

Autonet’s CarFi Devices

Autonet’s business model revolves around in-car Wi-Fi, making their devices some of the more common on the market. Their website advertises several devices that can provide an Internet connection 150 feet outside the car.

The company offers two basic options: One model is designed for families that have multiple cars and includes a docking station that easily can be switched in and out. The second version is a more permanent option designed for just one car.

These devices run on Autonet Mobile’s own network, so it is worthwhile to read up on their coverage limitations before making a choice.

BMW’s LTW Wi-Fi Devices

BMW announced late in 2012 that the company would be creating an LTE Wi-Fi accessory. It is designed to fit into the phone dock that most BMW models come with and immediately provides wireless connections using NFC (near-field communication). The BMW model is notable not because of its pricing or availability (availability has not been announced for the US) but because of the approach. Expect other car companies to follow suit with their own brand devices that work as an aftermarket wireless solution for those who want Internet access in their car.

Audi’s 2013 A4 and A5 Models

Both the A4 and A5 Audi 2013 models come with integrated Wi-Fi thanks to a partnership with T-Mobile. The built-in modem will only be 3G, but it can connect up to eight devices. These built-in devices, like other car hot spots that do not “borrow” Internet connections from tethered phones, come with their own monthly costs.

The 2013 Dodge Dart

Dodge’s 2013 Dart model also comes with Uconnect built-in wireless technology via a Mopar addition. This customizable option plays it safe by only offering Wi-Fi for those who want to pay extra for the luxury feature. This integrated Wi-Fi solution provides mobile access at a range of 150 feet.

FrontPoint Security’s primary offering includes a free app, enabling users to control all aspects of their system remotely from a smartphone as well as look up monitoring data so that customers not only receive updates in case of a break-in but also consistent information on all system activity. There is an additional feature that allows users to view live streaming video if they have bought the required technology.

FrontPoint also placed first because of its pricing plans. Base systems start at $99 with a three-year monitoring agreement, with the cellular monitoring option costing around $35 extra. The company lets users try out a 30-day trial version of systems with a 100 percent money back guarantee, and the equipment comes with a two-y ear warranty. The monitoring package includes fire, flood, freeze, smoke, carbon monoxide, and medical monitoring, all at no extra charge.

The review on the Security System Reviews website is largely glowing. “After a short consultation with a FrontPoint Security Consultant to determine your needs FrontPoint pre-programs your security system and ships it straight to your door – free of charge. Following the simple set up guide will have you plugging in your GE Simon XT Control Panel, peeling and placing your sensors and calling to activate your new security system in under an hour. No wires, no waiting, no hassle,” reports the reviewer.

This high regard for simplicity and ease-of-use has been a mantra of FrontPoint for some time. In a February 2013 statement on five predictions for the home alarm industry in 2013, FrontPoint forecasted that DIY and simple automation systems would conquer the market. Consumers, according to the company, will soon prefer to set up their own systems and customize their settings and updates (a model fully supported by the current FrontPoint products). The firm also believes that the time has come for even more smartphone monitoring and overall growth in interactive services that combine home automation with devices that consumers already use.

Current FrontPoint products are divided into intrusion detection, cameras with live feeds, and environment sensors, all primarily designed to be installed by users without any expensive or difficult wire installations. In addition to making the installation process more customer-centric, this friendly peel-and-place approach also allows long-term renters to set up security systems in their homes.

Please note: Wireless speeds, especially in hotspots, tend to vary considerably. This is why few reviews or official descriptions offer details of upload or download speeds.

1. Verizon JetPack: The latest 5510L model of the Verizon Jetpack offers 4G wireless speeds, hosting for up to 10 different Wi-Fi devices at once (down to five in non-4G areas), and a handy on-device screen that shows you information on the connections. It also comes with around eight hours of battery life…but has a hefty $200 price tag if you do not want to enter a contract plan.

The other Jetpacks are also notable. The 4620LE, for example, is an excellent device for global travelers, since it comes with GSM capabilities that offer data services for more than 200 countries and full 3G services for more than 160 countries.

2. FreedomPop Photon: FreedomPop alone is a unique service, with its beta business model offering free 4G wireless Internet through WiMax and LTE channels. When combined with the hotspot Photon device, FreedomPop becomes a formidable option for those who need mobile Internet. The FreedomPop website explains the offering in more detail.

There are a couple caveats to the Photon plan. First, it’s not for international travelers. If you want to use your hotspot outside of Canada or the U.S., choose other mobile hotspots, such as a JetPack or an XCom MiFi device. Second, the “free” part of the plan only applies to the first 500 MB that you use per month. The Photon is designed to last for around six hours of use and can handle up to eight devices at the same time. It requires a $90 deposit.

3. T-Mobile Sonic: The T-Mobile Sonic devices offer 4G hotspots for multiple devices and is a very strong general hotspot solution no matter what your needs might be. For example, it can be used as a tethered modem for a particular device, it can process extra images or information with its SD card port, and it can last for around four hours of continuous use.

T-Mobile recently announced the release of the Sonic 2.0, a $30 upgraded device (with a $5 per month two-year plan) that offers a few new features. While the old version could only support up to five different devices, the new version allows up to eight devices. Battery life is upgraded to up to seven hours “talk time,” and a small LCD screen has been added for more direct control.