Placed in a kitchen or family room, it can play TV, video and music and host video calls while offering easy access to the Web.

FORBES: Acer Goes After Asus

In an increasingly competitive market for streaming video, Netflix needs House of Cards to be a hit if the service is going to set itself apart from Amazon, Crackle and the many other companies offering easy access to entertainment these days.

FORBES: Can David Fincher Save Netflix?

Offering Sky customers easy and convenient access to up to 43 channels live and on demand through both 3G and WiFi connections, Sky Go is available across a range of internet-connected devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and selected Android smartphones.

ENGADGET: Sky+ app update brings remote control features to iPhone, iPod touch

That said, colleges and universities often partner up with credit card companies, offering cards that carry the school logo and giving the card companies easy access to the students.

FORBES: Student Credit Cards: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

For all the hoopla, the cloud is a work in progress, with different companies offering variations in what they store, and how easy it is to access and share content.

FORBES: Apple's iCloud and the Dilemma of the Walled Garden