Alva Review-Courier -

NEW YORK (AP) — It's rare that a new gadget these days serves a true need. Rather, it creates a want.

You certainly don't need the Facebook Portal, whose primary purpose is to let you make the types of video calls you can already make on Facebook's Messenger app. And given the company's poor record on user privacy, do you even want it? Or a similar device from Amazon or Google?

The Portal is part of a new category of gadgets best described as screens for making video calls, listening to music and responding to voice commands for tasks you can also do on your phone. Unlike tablets, these microp...