With the Lumia 830, priced at around $450, Microsoft looks to bring the metal frame and PureView camera branding of high-end Lumias down to the mid-range smartphone level. Of course, there's always the risk of making the wrong sacrifices when trying to lower the price, so did Microsoft shave too many corners off of the 830's aluminum body? I've spent the past week with the global version of the phone as my daily driver to find out.

While the lower-tier Lumia 735/730 handsets stick to tried-and-true polycarbonate bodies, the Lumia 830 follows in the aluminum-ringed footsteps of the Icon and 930. A solid frame of metal surrounds the 830's squared-off body, interrupted by two pairs of thin plastic strips on the top and bottom edges (for the radio frequencies to pass through). At 139.4 x 70.7 x 8.5mm, it checks in at 2.4mm taller, 0.3mm narrower and 1.3mm thinner than its higher-end predecessors. Its 150g weight puts it 17 grams lighter as well.

That metal frame is flanked on the front by a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 that rises slightly above the aluminum body. Thankfully, the display gently tapers at the edges, making for a smooth transition from the glass to the thin metal along the bezels. No sharp, abrupt borders here.

Around back, a removable plastic cover allows access to the swappable battery as well as the nano-SIM and microSD slots. The latter of which supports up to 128GB cards to supplement the 16GB of onboard memory. (Sorry, no 32GB or higher model here.) The backplate puffs out even further from the aluminum frame than the front display, creating a curved rear that makes the phone actually quite comfortable in my palm despite the flat-sided aluminum frame. Its matte finish feels nice to the touch, while also resisting greasy fingerprints. If you're not a fan of my review unit's orange hue, there other colors to consider -- though the selection in the US may differ from what's offered elsewhere. Microsoft is also offering various colorful flip cover shells (with wireless charging support) if you'd like some extra protection.

As for ports and buttons, the Lumia 830 mostly sticks to the standard set seen on many a Lumia over the years. On the right edge, you'll find a volume rocker near the top, a power key in the middle and a dedicated camera key toward the bottom. The headphone jack sits front and center along the top edge. I was somewhat surprised to find the micro-USB port up there as well (it's been on the bottom on most of my past phones). In regular use, I found that placement a bit tricky when I had the 830 mounted in a cradle in my car -- it was a bit odd to see a charging cable sprouting upward out of my phone. That said, there's always the built-in,Qi-compatible wireless charging if you find the charge port's location troublesome.

The most notable feature on the rear, of course, is the Lumia 830's PureView camera module, located in the top-center of the backplate. Here, Microsoft Mobile mimics the look of theLumia 1020's signature camera, with a black, circular panel surrounding the 830's 10-megapixel camera and LED flash. Of course, this is more "inspiration" than it is direct "imitation." You won't find the 1020's massive, Ritz cracker-size main shooter protruding from the back. No, we're dealing with more modest equipment here, so the disc on the 830's rear is much smaller than its ancestor's. What's more, the removable cover adds a slight ridge around the rear camera, providing a bit of protection.

Toward the bottom of the back panel is the 830's main speaker grille. While that location might not be as ideal as, say, the 1020's bottom-edge speaker, it's placed where the rear starts to taper, giving it a bit of breathing room when the phone is placed face-up on a table.

While the 830 matches the 5-inch screen size of the Icon/930 line, Microsoft shed some pixels (and helped lower the price) by opting for a 1,280 x 720 display instead of a 1080p panel. We're also dealing with an IPS LCD here, rather than the AMOLED unit found on its older siblings. Whether that's a plus or a minus likely depends on how much you enjoy/detest AMOLED's highly saturated colors. I find the 830's screen pleasing for the most part, with accurate colors and good viewing angles in most directions. However, I did notice washed-out colors while watching movies at extreme positions, especially toward the lower left and right in landscape mode.

Recent improvements to the Windows Phone OS have more or less put Microsoft's mobile offering on an even footing (as far as core features) with the likes of Android and iOS. The latest upgrades to WP8.1 include support for folders on the home screen, more options and languages for the Cortana voice assistant and faster browsing through Internet Explorer. In addition, Lumia models will be getting an update called "Denim," which tacks on camera improvements, more options for the Glance Screen feature and voice activation on certain Lumia models -- just say, "Hey, Cortana" to fire up the voice assistant while the phone's idle. On top of those additions, the OS also boasts a solid notification center, home screen wallpapers and swiping support in the keyboard.

The Lumia's Glance Screen, which offers the time, date and some notifications when the display is off, makes the 830 a perfect bedside alarm clock since it stays onscreen while the phone is charging. No more groggily trying to find your phone's power toggle in the middle of the night just to see how much time you got left to sleep.

Out of the box, my unlocked review unit came with the standard Lumia offerings (including Here Drive, Skype and Mix Radio), as well as a smattering of third-party apps like Facebook and Flipboard. Thankfully, if you're not interested in any of the preloaded options, they're easy enough to uninstall to reclaim some storage space.

Of course, it's not all great news. The continued additions to the OS (plus other, Lumia-specific features) have resulted in an unorganized and ungainly settings menu. The latest incarnation of WP's stock music player has you flicking upward on the album art to change tracks. After years of swiping right to left (since back in the Zune HD days), I'm finding this new gesture annoying and less intuitive. And then there's the app question. While the situation has greatly improved of late, there's still a chance your favorite app or game may not yet be offered on the platform.

Beyond that, Google still refuses to offer official options for services like Gmail, Hangouts and YouTube. So if you're deeply integrated in Google's ecosystem, but prefer the feel of Windows Phone, you'll need to resort to third-party options like IM+ for Hangouts or Metrotube for YouTube. Of course, Microsoft offers its own suite of tools, like Office, OneNote and OneDrive, that play quite nicely with Windows Phone 8.1.

You may consider alternative apps even when official support exists. Case in point: While there is a beta-tagged version of Instagram available, it lacks several editing tools seen on Android and iOS. Meanwhile, the third-party app 6tag offers some interesting options, like collages and letterboxing photos with wide aspect ratios to fit them in Instagram's square format.

Whether that app deficit actually affects you depends, of course, on your specific needs. Can you get by without dedicated Gmail or YouTube apps? Will you be satisfied with an official Instagram app that's not yet as robust as its Android/iOS counterparts? Comfortable with resorting to third-party alternatives? I can't answer that for you, unfortunately. So if you are considering Windows Phone, be sure to check the app marketplace to know what you're getting yourself into.

With the Lumia 830, Microsoft isn't bringing just the design language of the Icon and 930 down to a lower price bracket. It's also placing the "PureView" badge on a more affordable option as well. Sure, the 830 doesn't boast the resolution of the 20MP Icon or 930, much less the Lumia 1020's 41 megapixels. Instead, it stakes its claim to the PureView name via optical image stabilization and the promise of improved responsiveness.

Before I dive into the details, though, it's worth stating that my review unit didn't arrive with the Lumia Denim update. So, I was unable to test that firmware's biggest additions, including much-improved overall speed, a Lumia Camera app that replaces Nokia Camera and a capture mode that lets you merge the results of flash and non-flash versions of the same shot, letting you set a balanced look for the final image. I'll be sure to update my thoughts once I spend some quality time with the new features.

Even without those Denim improvements, I enjoyed my time taking photos with the 830's 10MP main shooter. On a daytime stroll through downtown Tacoma, Washington, the phone capably handled any shot I attempted. White balance in good light was accurate, though it occasionally took a few seconds to settle on the right color temperature. It did tend toward cooler (bluer) temps in low-light situations, though the Nokia Camera app's manual options let me fix that quickly.

Interestingly, the 830 also preferred bluish white balance when I tried to take orange-heavy photos of autumn leaves or pumpkin patches. For what it's worth, images of the same fall leaves taken with an iPhone 6 produced much more accurate colors, but that's admittedly competing in a completely different price bracket.

Quirky white balance aside, the camera's optical image stabilization let me take some solid photos in low-light environments, both indoors and out. Close-up shots of sushi in a dark restaurant and portraits of fellow passengers on a bumpy car ride produced relatively clean photos, though if your jitteriness is simply out of control, the 830 won't produce miracles.

Image quality starts declining when the light gets seriously low. A few interior shots of a dark, empty chapel showed a significant amount of noise, a loss of detail and muted colors, but not quite what I'd label as "unusable." Of course, what's unacceptable for a huge wall print isn't the same as what's unacceptable for an Instagram post. By that I mean, if you keep your expectations in check (e.g., using a mid-range phone for social network-worthy photos), you should be fine with the results in most settings.

The rear shooter's stabilization also applies to video recording (up to 1080p/30). Quality in good light is nice and sharp, though it tends to struggle in darker settings. It also takes slightly longer to adjust to different lighting levels than an iPhone 6. On the plus side, that stabilization feature does a respectable job smoothing out video, especially when you're on the move. We're not talking pocket Steadicam here, of course, but back-to-back videos of me jogging around with an iPhone 6 and the 830 resulted in steadier footage on the Lumia.

Unlike the selfie-targeting 5MP front shooter on the lower-tier Lumia 735/730, the 0.9MP unit we have here is strictly average. It's fine for quick snaps and Skype, but not much else. Fortunately, the available Lumia Selfie app lets you use the rear shooter for self-portraits (an audio cue signals when your face is in the frame).

For the most part, the Lumia 830 does the PureView name proud. It doesn't have the megapixel count of the 1020 or the Icon/930, so you'll have less leeway when it comes to cropping. But it's a mid-tier camera I would be happy to use on a daily basis. The auto white balance could be more reliable and the LED flash is simply average, but these are minor flies in a largely effective ointment. If the Denim update only improves things, I'll have even less to complain about at this price level.

For high-resolution photo samples from the Lumia 830, click here.

The quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 and 1GB of RAM powering the Lumia 830 may be decidedly mid-range, but its general performance doesn't leave too much to be desired. Apps launch and close swiftly, and general navigation around the Windows Phone 8.1 UI is fluid and stutter-free. Browsing mobile web pages was a pleasant experience, though there was a good bit of tiling when zooming in and out of desktop sites.In general, we're talking about a solid performer here. Push the phone hard enough, though, and you can see the limits of its mid-level hardware. In a fast-moving, 3D game like Asphalt 8, the Lumia 830 turns in merely adequate, and definitely not silky-smooth, frame rates. And if the game's graphics don't clue you in, the frequent audio breakup during races should be a clear sign this isn't going to be a mobile-gaming powerhouse.

Other games can give the 830 a workout as well. While endless runner Temple Run 2 stays smooth most of the time, certain turns, especially during water slide areas, cause things to slow down a bit. It's not just fast-moving 3D games, either. Strangely, frame rates in the relatively simple Jetpack Joyride dip noticeably whenever you hit a large patch of coins. You'd think that would make the frantic game easier, but it's really a bit jarring.

On the bright side, the Lumia 830 offers solid battery life with its removable 2,200mAh cell. In our standard video-rundown test, where we loop an HD video while email, Facebook and Twitter run in the background, the 830 managed 10 hours and 39 minutes before calling it quits. That's actually a bit longer than the 10 hours Microsoft estimates for video playback. In real-world use, the phone regularly saw me through full workdays filled with emails, social networking, lunchtime Instagrams, gaming and even a few actual phone calls.

Speaking of, voice calls featured clear conversations on both ends and the speakerphone performed admirably in my car. Even with the phone face-up on a table, the curved back allows enough clearance for sound to be heard without being muddled. That rear-facing speaker puts out voice and music at a decent level, though don't expect much, if any, bass to shine through

Overall, if mobile gaming is important to you, it may be worth investing in a phone with a bit more oomph to tackle current and future games. If you're mainly using your smartphone for more... serious pursuits, the Lumia 830 should handle those needs without breaking much of a sweat.

Since AT&T hasn't yet announced a US release date or price for the Lumia 830, it's a little tricky to size up how it'll fare against the competition here. That said, it is available elsewhere and in the UK, for example, EE is offering it on pay-as-you-go for £280 (about $450). Meanwhile, Amazon is offering an unlocked international version for around the same price. On EE, that puts it in roughly the same bracket as the 8GB iPhone 5c and the Ascend P7 (both listed at £300). I'd be quick to dismiss the 5c, as it offers less onboard storage (and no microSD slot) and what's essentially two-year-old hardware. The P7, on the other hand, represents a solid competitor at this price range. You won't get the Lumia's full-featured camera app, but it does boast a 1080p display and an 8MP front-facing camera.

If you can do without the 830's solid, aluminum chassis and stabilized camera, take a look at its lower-priced sibling, the Lumia 735 (around €219, or about $279). It offers the same Snapdragon 400 heart in a polycarbonate body, with a much better 5MP selfie camera on the front. Although, if you're looking in that lower price bracket, don't forget the Moto G ($180), which also features similar quad-core internals, along with official support for Google's ecosystem.

In the end, the Lumia 830 is clearly a "bridge" device. It's got the high-end looks and capable camera of flagship-level phones, along with the performance and display resolution of mid-range and budget models. Whether Microsoft Mobile made the right trade-offs really depends on what you want out of your smartphone. Does having a solid camera (that's due to get even better) trump average gaming performance? Does using an ever-improving voice assistant mean more to you than having official support for Google's ecosystem? Personally, I can live with most of the sacrifices that have been made. I don't think I'm missing much with the 720p screen and merely average front-facing camera. But the spotty performance in games and Microsoft's continuing struggle to land the latest and best apps give me pause.

It was not too long ago that tech companies were tagged as the companies of the future. Well, the future has arrived, and these companies are some of the most admired in the world. Tech companies are companies whose activities are connected either directly or indirectly to the information technology industry. These activities may include those that deal with computer hardware, software, semiconductor, electronics, the Internet, telecommunication, and other computer services.

Here is a list of the top ten tech companies in the world, based on annual revenues reported.

Who else would be on top but Apple? The company is based in Cupertino in California and is known for its groundbreaking designs and cutting edge gadgets. Everyone has encountered at least one of its items, be it the Mac computers, notebooks, iPad tablets, iPhones, or the iPod mp3 music player. Its software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems, iTunes, iLife, iWork and the Safari web browser. It has more than 70,000 staff that are employed on a full-time and permanent basis, aside from 3,300 temporary employees. Its annual revenue has more than doubled from 2010 when it only earned $65 billion. And you can expect this number to keep going up, as Apple’s product launches are events that the whole world waits for.

Samsung is a multinational electronics company based in Suwon in South Korea. It employs almost 221,000 people and has production and assembly plants and sales networks in 61 countries around the world. It is the largest maker of mobile phones in the world, the largest television manufacturer in the world, the largest LCD panel maker in the world, largest seller of memory chips in the world, and largest vendor of smart phones in the world. It is also the second largest semiconductor chip-maker in the world. It is currently involved in a legal tussle with Apple regarding copyright issues.

Hewlett Packard Company, or HP, is an American multinational company based in Palo Alto in California. It was the largest manufacturer of personal computers until 2012 when the Chinese giant Lenovo overtook it. The company is a provider of products, technologies, software, services and solutions to its customers. Its customers range from simple consumers to giant enterprises.  It also has clients in the education, government and health sectors.

Its full name is the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd, but it trades by the name of Foxconn. The electronics manufacturing company is based in Tucheng in New Taipei in Taiwan. It is considered to be the largest maker of electronic components in the world. It is involved in the production of such products as Apple’s iPad, iPod and iPhone, as well as Amazon’s Kindle, Sony’s PlayStation 3, Nintendo’s Wii U, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

The International Business Machines Corporation is based in Armonk in New York. It produces and markets computer hardware and software. It also offers consulting, hosting and infrastructure services in fields ranging from nanotechnology and mainframe computers. It has the record for most patents by a company, which it has held for 19 straight years. The company is also credited for inventing the ATM, the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic stripe, the Universal Product Code and the SABRE airline reservation system.

The company was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. It is based in Osaka in Japan. Konosuke Matsushita founded the company in 1918, and it originally sold only duplex lamp sockets. It has since grown to become the fifth largest manufacturer of televisions in the world and one of the 20 largest vendors of semiconductors in the world. It changed its name to Panasonic Corporation in 2008 to align it with its global brand name.

Toshiba is a Japanese engineering and electronics company based in Tokyo in Japan. It manufactures and markets electrical products for information and communications equipment and systems, internet-based solutions, power systems, household appliances, electronic components and industrial infrastructure systems. It is one of the largest vendors of semiconductors and personal computers in the world.

It is considered to be one of the most valuable companies in the world. It is also the largest software maker in the world based on revenues. The company was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, and has its headquarters in Redmond in Washington State. It dominated the personal computer operating system market from the mid 80s to the 2000s, even though there were frequent complaints on the system being buggy and vulnerable. It also held a practical stranglehold on the productivity suite market with its Microsoft Office brand of documents, spreadsheets and presentations. It has since diversified, and it now owns Skype Technologies. It also has a strong foothold in the video game market through its Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles.

Sony is a multinational corporation based in Tokyo in Japan. It has interests in various tech sectors, like electronics, games, entertainment and financial services. It is the third largest manufacturer of televisions in the world and is one of the 20 largest vendors of semiconductors in the world. Consumers may also be familiar with Sony because of the Ericsson brand of mobile phones, as well as the video game consoles of PlayStation and PSP. The company also has interests in music, publishing and the movies.

Dell is a computer technology firm based in Round Rock in Texas. It creates, develops, markets, sells, repairs and supports computers and its related products and services. It also sells data storage devices, network switches and other peripherals. It is considered to be one of the largest personal computer vendors in the world.

Even if you're comfortable with the iPad 2's on-screen keyboard and can happily tap out a status update or quick email, you might not want to use it for tasks like writing a lengthy report. One option is to ditch the tablet for a full-fledged laptop -- but it might be just as easy to add a wireless Bluetooth keyboard to the iPad.

The ideal wireless keyboard would offer a full-keyboard typing feel while still being light and compact, making it easy to carry. Unfortunately, that's a little like asking for a 25-in. monitor with brilliant display, light weight and low cost -- chances are, you'll need to compromise somewhere. Which features you're willing to budge on depends on personal preference, but in any case, it makes little sense to get an iPad keyboard that's no better than the on-screen version or that's so bulky that it makes travel with the iPad no better than lugging a laptop.

After that, your preferences will likely vary considerably depending on whether you are an accomplished touch typist or use just a couple of fingers to pound the keys.

I got my hands on five portable wireless keyboards for the iPad 2, judging them on several factors likely to be important to a mobile user.

For mobility, I considered weight, form factor and how easy it was to carry around (all but one of these keyboards fit around the iPad 2 to form a single unit; only Apple's wireless keyboard remains a separate unit).

With keyboard function, I judged how the keys felt and how they responded. And, in ergonomics, I considered how it felt to actually use the system. Did it feel cramped? Could I use it in a comfortable position?

With that in mind, here's a rundown of five portable Bluetooth keyboards for the iPad 2. (Note: A roundup of keyboards for Android-based tablets is coming soon.)

At first glance, the Apple Wireless Keyboard doesn't seem like much of a mobile option. At 11.1 in., it's quite a bit longer than the iPad, increasing the traveling form factor significantly.

However, the keyboard is lighter than it looks. With an affordable keyboard case (I like the $15 model from WaterFeild Design), I can easily pop it into my backpack when on the road. Two pieces can sometimes even be a plus while traveling, allowing you to use the iPad as a conventional tablet while in the plane, with keyboard packed away, and then more like a laptop once you reach your hotel.

Setup is a breeze, and the ergonomics are excellent. There's a reason this feels close to a standard keyboard: Itis one (except that it's missing the number pad and three normally unused function keys). Keys are spaced for conventional touch typing and are responsive to the touch: not too stiff to require pounding, but not so soft as to produce letters while fingers are just resting.

Note that this keyboard is powered by two AA batteries, while the other keyboards reviewed here recharge via a USB connection. This is also the only one among the group that was not designed specifically for use with an iPad.

However, if you're looking for something that lets you use the iPad for more serious content creation while you're home -- or if you're traveling where size isn't an issue (for example, if you're driving) and you're willing to travel with two pieces instead of one -- this is a good choice.

Apple Wireless Keyboard from Apple

Price: $69.00

Dimensions/Weight: 12.8 x 7.3 x 1.4 in./ 0.7 lb.

Mobility: Good

Keyboard function: Excellent

Keyboard ergonomics: Excellent

Best for: Touch typists who are less concerned about packing efficiency than typing comfort.

When Apple Anounnced Aluminium iMac in august 2007, the company also quietly released two new keyboards: the full-size, USB-connected Apple Keyboard and the smaller, Bluetooth-connected Apple Wireless Keyboard. Sporting a dramatically different look and feel from previous Apple keyboards, the new line featured an impressively thin design with MacBook-style keys, making the two keyboards unlike any other Apple had made—and unlike any other on the market, for that matter. Although Apple ships both the current iMac and current Mac Pro with the new Apple Keyboard, you can buy either on its own for use with your older Mac.

As with the current iMac line, both Apple keyboards are made of anodized aluminum. At just over a quarter of an inch thick—perhaps the thinnest models on the market—each has a white plastic base and thin, white keys that look and feel almost exactly like those on Apple’s current MacBook line.

At 16.9 inches wide by 5 inches deep, the standard Apple Keyboard features a full complement of standard keys (including a numeric keypad), full-size directional-arrow keys, and the traditional home/end/page up/page down/delete group—although instead of a help key, this group includes an fn key (a modifier key that gives some keys a dual purpose). Yet the Apple Keyboard takes up less space than most full-size models because it sports very little open space around the edges, as well as a key layout that uses smaller function keys (F-keys) positioned flush against the top of the number row. At the rear is a half-inch-thick bar, spanning the width of the keyboard, that hosts two USB ports and raises the rear of the keyboard slightly.

The Wireless Keyboard, at 11.1 inches wide by 5.1 inches deep, looks like Apple took the standard version and lopped off everything to the right of the return key—it’s missing the numeric keypad and end/home group, although the arrow keys have been moved beneath the right-hand shift key. While many a Mac user has lamented this decision, the design has two significant advantages over a full-size keyboard. First, the Wireless Keyboard is nearly ideal for using on your lap—with a Mac in a home entertainment center, for example, or when you want to move back a bit from your desk—because the main area of the keyboard is centered and there’s no unstable overhang. Second, the compact size, thin profile, and light weight (less than a pound) mean the Wireless Keyboard easily slips into a laptop bag, making it great for setting up a more ergonomic workspace on the go. And because the keys are full-size and spaced normally, you don’t suffer while typing, as you do with many other portable keyboards. Under the rear edge is a cylindrical bar, housing the keyboard’s AA batteries and Bluetooth circuitry, that elevates the rear of the keyboard approximately half an inch.

Many Mac users were surprised that Apple’s new keyboards abandon traditional desktop-keyboard dome-switch keys in favor of the same thin, flat, square keys found on the company’s current MacBook and MacBook Air( ). And as with the MacBook keyboard, some people will hate these new models for their keys alone. But it’s worth giving this key design a chance: I found that I liked it much more after a month of use than I did when I first tried it. Although the keys look smaller than normal, the tops are the same size as those found on traditional keyboards, and the keys are spaced normally. The low profile is comfortable; the travel—the distance you have to press a key for it to register—is very short; and the keys are easy to press, leading to less typing fatigue. The keys also provide good tactile feedback—it’s obvious, by feel, when you’ve pressed each key far enough to register.

On the other hand, this key design has some notable drawbacks, especially for touch typists. Whereas most keyboards use keys with a slightly concave surface to keep your fingers from sliding off, the top of each key on Apple’s keyboards is perfectly flat and very smooth. While typing by touch, and especially when typing quickly, I often found my fingertips sliding a bit—occasionally enough that I would hit neighboring keys.

Similarly, because most keys are exactly the same size and shape, even experienced touch typists may find themselves having to look at the keyboard to find various keys. I found that this was especially so with the function keys, which are mashed together in a single line (rather than in the traditional four-key groups) and placed flush against the keys in the main part of the keyboard. For example, I regularly pressed the eject key (F12) when I meant to press delete.

One other minor drawback to these flat, low-travel keys: it’s even more important to Keep out crumbs and other detritis. Because the keys and the keyboard are so thin, and the amount of key travel so small, even a small cookie morsel is enough to keep a key from registering.

As with Apple’s recent laptops, Apple’s standalone keyboards offer a number of special features via the function keys. On both keyboards, F1 and F2 control screen brightness when used with an Apple display; F3 is assigned to Expose’s All Windows mode; F4 toggles Dashboard; F7, F8, and F9 act as back, play/pause, and forward, respectively, for iTunes ( ), iDVD, iPhoto ( ), and several other programs; and F10, F11, and F12 function as mute, volume down, and volume up, respectively. To the right of F12 is a dedicated eject key. These special functions require no third-party drivers, although you do need to be running Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later with Apple’s latest Keyboard Software Update.

You can use the Keyboard & Mouse pane of System Preferences to choose whether these functions require you to simultaneously press the fn key, located to the right of the Delete key on the standard keyboard and to the left of the left-hand control key on the Wireless Keyboard.

One drawback to these special-function function keys is that you can’t customize their behavior. For example, I had no success using Keyboard & Mouse preferences to configure F3 to invoke Expose’s Desktop mode instead of All Windows mode.

As for the function keys themselves, the Wireless Keyboard stops at 12, due to space restrictions, but the wired model adds F13, F14, and F15 over the fn, home, and page-up keys, respectively, and F16 through F19 over the numeric keypad. These additional keys can be assigned various functions using Keyboard & Mouse preferences or a third-party macro utility such as QuicKeys, iKey, or Keyboard Maestro.

As someone who spends hours each day typing, I find the layout of a keyboard’s keys to be just as important as the overall design and key feel. For the most part, Apple’s keyboards pass the layout test, arranging standard keys in their proper locations and at their proper sizes. On the Wireless Keyboard, the right-hand command and option keys are a bit smaller, and the right-hand control key has been removed, to make room for the directional arrow keys—a common approach for small keyboards.

On the other hand, there are some questionable layout decisions here. I mentioned one already: the single line of function keys pushed flush against the number keys. Another is the location of the escape key, which is just to the left of F1 and just above the backtick/tilde (`) key; when trying to press command-`—the Mac OS X-standard shortcut for cycling through windows—I often accidentally pressed command-escape, which invokes Front Row. And on a full-size keyboard, I still prefer the approach of Apple’s older models, which placed volume, mute, and eject keys above the numeric keypad, making them easier to press without looking at the keyboard.

The standard Apple Keyboard connects to your Mac via USB and provides two USB ports, one on each side near the rear edge. These are low-power USB ports, which means that they’re designed for connecting additional input devices, such as a mouse or tablet, rather than hard drives or other peripherals that require a good amount of USB power. The keyboard’s USB cable is a short 34 inches, but an included USB extension cable lets you extend the distance between the keyboard and your computer.

The Wireless Keyboard connects via Bluetooth, which is standard on every recent Mac; you can add Bluetooth to older Macs via an inexpensive USB dongle. (I tested the keyboard using the built-in Bluetooth functionality of a Mac Pro and a MacBook Air.) Pairing the keyboard—connecting it with a specific computer via Bluetooth—is a quick and easy process, and once it was paired I had no connectivity problems, even after waking the keyboard from its power-saving sleep mode or after turning it on from a powered-down state.

The Wireless Keyboard runs off three AA batteries, which should last several months with daily use and much longer with light use—I’ve been using a Wireless Keyboard intermittently for ten months on the original batteries. (The Keyboard & Mouse pane of System Preferences displays remaining battery life.) The keyboard goes into sleep mode after a period of inactivity to conserve power, waking up quickly if you press any key. You can also turn off the keyboard completely by holding down the power button for several seconds.

When we say that the Apple TV isn't a TV in the normal sense of the word, because it doesn't feature free-to-air channels, or a digital video recorder to catch shows while you're away, it does offer what could be described as channels, and this content keeps on growing leaving us hopeful for a future where the Apple TV will include links to OnDemand services just like our iPhones and iPads do - think the iPlayer and 4OD apps and you're not to far away. 

Apple has made multiple updates to the Apple TV software over recent month, adding a number of new app-style TV channels, delivering new content to Apple TV users.

For some times Apple has offered UK Apple TV users access to Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo and Wall Street Journal Live alongside the iTunes content.                                Unfortunately despite the fact that apps exist for iPhone and iPad, you cannot stream from the 4OD app, or ITV Player, or any other UK channel's iOS apps, as they do not currently work with AirPlay.

Other 'channels' that are available on the Apple TV in the UK include: Qello, which lets worldwide users stream HD concerts and music documentaries on-demand; Crunchyroll, the leading global video service for Japanese Anime and Asian media; Vevo, more music video content; and some randoms, such as Korean TV.

In the US, the Apple TV includes Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Watch ABC, The Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, PBS, A&E, History, Lifetime, WatchESPN and more.

New channels in the US added in July include CNBC – as long as you log in with a Comcast or Time Warner password - and Fox Now, which includes programmes such as New Girl. Fox also requires you to log on with your cable password.

Other recent additions in the US include ABC News, PBS Kids, AOL On, and Willow.

In other news, Popcorn Time, known as the Netflix for pirated movies, will soon work with the Apple TV. Although we don't expect it to be around for long.               

The Apple TV is a stylish little black box that won't look out of place tucked beneath even the smartest HD TV. It's like a Mac mini, really, measuring 23x98x98mm and weighing a calorie-free 27g.

It's shiny black and curvy around the sides, and on the top is a matte black finish given relief by a shiny black Apple symbol and the word TV.                                      

If you are going to buy an Apple TV you need to know your own telly is compatible. It probably is. If you have an HD TVs with HDMI connectivity you can use the Apple TV as long as it is capable of 1080p or 720p output at 60/50Hz. You are unlikely to have any HD TV that doesn't fit this criteria, but your old CRT or a small, cheap flatscreen won't have HDMI in.

You'll need a broadband connection to access iTunes and the other content stores.       

Apple TV's user interface is simple and intuitive, as you'd expect from Apple, and will be familiar to all iPad and iPhone users as it utilises the bright and bold iOS looks.

The main screen delivers big icons for Films, TV Programmes, Computers and Settings, plus a small range of third-party options, including Netflix. The whole experience is very easy to use and stylish to look at.

You navigate the setup menus and input Wi-Fi network and password via the included Apple TV remote or using your iPhone and the Remote app. 

Luckily, the Apple TV Software Update 5.2 introduced a handful of useful new features that included the ability to pair the AppleTV with Apple’s own Wireless Keyboard – making use of Bluetooth hardware that has previously lain dormant within the AppleTV’s glossy little black box (Apple says that other Bluetooth keyboards “may also be compatible” as long as they match the layout of a standard Mac keyboard).

This simplifies the task of entering network passwords or using the search function when browsing the iTunes Store or the YouTube app. It’s not exactly revolutionary, but it does suggest that Apple is still trying to refine the AppleTV’s interface and make it easier to use in your front room.