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I am writing this post with the new Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. The keyboard is small, really small. Surprisingly it’s very usable. Sometimes I get my "home keys" off and my touch typing goes awry, but it’s not too bad. I think the cause of this is that the home keys nubs and the flatness of the keys themselves. It just doesn’t feel like any keyboard you are used to. The keys are absolutely flat, and when putting your hands on the keyboard you just don’t feel the nubs at all.

Another drawback to the flat keys is that your fingers don’t seat in the keys, they kind of float on them, so it’s very easy to slide up to high and get your typing off on the wrong keys.

Despite these flaws, right now it’s right in my lap and even though it’s small, it rests well enough on my lap to type well. One great advantage of it’s thinness, is that it fits perfectly in my backpack. For those times when you can’t get your laptop right in your line of work, the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard solve that issue.

I haven’t had it long enough to determine the battery life, but range seems very well. Last night I carried the laptop into the bedroom and left the keyboard in the living room. I forgot to turn the keyboard off and it stayed connected. That’s some pretty impressive range.

Overall I like this keyboard. I got it at a discount open boxed at Best Buy so I can’t really complain about the price. It’s $79.99 regularly which is kind of pricey, but if you need it, it’s worth it. The one thing I find questionable is that this is the only wireless option from Apple now. It’s great for someone who wants a tiny portable keyboard, but for those of us who like wireless devices on our main desktop computers this probably won’t fit the bill. I am confused by the lack of a numeric keypad for that purpose. Admittedly not many people are doing number crunching and serious data entry on their Macs and if they are doing it on a desktop, a wired keyboard is still a viable option.

My last word however is a little different than my review:

I wouldn’t use this as a primary keyboard. The old white Apple keyboard and the laptop’s built in keyboard are both better and more comfortable to type on.

I am glad I have it, I think I will find use for it, but I would hardly call it my main keyboard.

I thought it was a great time to write a post about something that everyone loves. Sharing. In 2007, the spirit of cooperation is alive and well in technology and I am loving it.

Gadgets of every kind talk to each other in new and exciting ways from WiFi to Bluetooth to good old fashioned USB and Ethernet. So in that spirit, let’s take a break from all that is proprietary, and talk about some of the hottest ways that our gadgets are talking to each other this Christmas season.

WiFi is everywhere. If you are tech friendly, odds are you have at least one thing that speaks WiFi. In my geekbag I have five! My Laptop uses WiFi for Internet access at hot spots and creating Ad Hoc networks with my Cell modem. My Zune can share music with other local Zunes via WiFi. My Nintendo DS and PSP allow me to game with friends and strangers all over the world via WiFi and my iPod Touch lets me browse the web and use tons of web applications completely un tethered. Beyond that new digital cameras are allowing wireless syncing, digital photo frames allow your family to view your favorite moments, media extenders share movies, music and more….all over a convenient standard that nearly every new device speaks. I love it.

Bluetooth has been around for years but until recently it was most commonly used for cell phone headsets. Yesterday, I used it to share my cell phone’s Internet connection with my GPS to get weather and traffic information real time. Wireless headphones use it for music and many gadgets use it for printers, keyboards and mice. The technology has found it’s place and again, it’s standard enough that in most cases, if it says Bluetooth, it talks.

It seems like everything has USB these days. I am very happy that most cell phone companies have adopted the small USB connection as the standard for charging and syncing cell phones. Maybe soon we won’t have to juggle dozens of DC adapters for our devices. Think about some of the devices laying around your house that have USB capabilities…

• My Cable Box has USB and Firewire
• My Remote Control syncs with USB to stay up to date
• DVD players and TV’s allow firmware updates with USB or SD Memory
• The Nintendo DS and PSP both have USB

It’s a great time for gadgetry folks. These are just a few examples. I bet if you look around your house you will find gadgets you didn’t even know you could use this way. And it’s only getting better…