By Chris Scott Barr

Who’s ready to win something? Well, that’s probably a pretty silly question, and there are few people in the world who don’t feel like getting something for free. Well it’s time that we did another giveaway, and this time we’re not just giving away one thing, but we’re giving away three Smartfish Whirl Mini mice! If you don’t remember, these are the cool mice that actually tilt while you’re using them. I’ve spent a good bit of time with mine, and love it.

So what do you need to do? Just drop a comment down below, and we’ll select three winners next Friday. Unfortunately the contest is limited to those in the US only.

By Andrew Liszewski

They spend their days being pushed around and largely ignored, but Microsoft is hoping to bring a little style and recognition to the lowly computer mouse by enlisting the help of a series of renowned artists. Their Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 Studio Series already feature bright, colorful graphics, but they’re now taking things even further with six new designs that are sure to appeal to consumers, even if they’ve never looked at their mouse as a piece of art before.

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By David Ponce

Your computer mouse probably makes a clicking sound… every time you click. A Dutch company called Nexus has patented a mechanism that removes the sound. So what you have is a silent mouse. They figure you don’t really need the auditory confirmation that you’ve clicked, since you can see (on your computer screen) that you’ve done so. There’s a small one called the sm7000, meant for traveling. And now there’s a large 5-button sibling, called the sm8000. All 5 buttons are silent.

Uses for a silent mouse?

- Late night gaming.
- Late night… fapping.
- That’s it, really…

They’re $30 each and if you hit the jump, you can watch a video of the mouse not making any sound. And the links.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Rude Gameware isn’t the most well-known brand in PC gaming peripherals, but they are trying hard to make a name for themselves. They’ve recently released an update to their Fierce Gaming Mouse, dubbed v.2. When looking at the two, you can tell that they have made quite a few changes. So many, in fact, I hardly put the two in the same league.

Looks

Rude’s first foray into the world of gaming mice resulted in a rather generic and boring-looking product. This time around you can see that they’ve spend some more time on the presentation. Black plastic along the curves and silver buttons provide just the right accents to make it a little more noticeable. You’ll also find a braided cord and different colored LEDs under the middle button to indicate the current DPI settings. Overall, it isn’t the most flashy mouse, but certainly not one I’d be embarrassed to have next to my keyboard.

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By Andrew Liszewski

If you find a wireless mouse stuffed full of rechargeable batteries to be a bit heavy, or extra buttons too confusing, and are right-handed, you might want to check out Microsoft’s new Express Mouse. At $19.99 it’s the cheapest mouse you can buy that includes the company’s BlueTrack Technology for more accurate tracking, but it forgoes wireless functionality in lieu of an offset USB cable which makes it look like using the mouse on the left side of a computer might be a touch more difficult for south paws.

It’s of course got a scroll wheel and left and right mouse buttons, though the overall design seems to be inspired by Apple’s Magic Mouse, which is the one area where you don’t want to copy Apple’s design choices. Available starting in April in your choice of Flint Grey or Hibiscus Red, with four other colors joining the party in June including Turf Green, Dahlia Pink, Ultramarine and Coast Blue.

[ Microsoft Express Mouse ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Gaming mice. For years companies have branded specific mice as intended for “gaming.” I’ve gotten my hands on a number of them, and rarely am I impressed enough to continue using them for long periods of time. Honestly, I might use one for a couple of months before reverting back to one of my trusty Logitech mice that isn’t geared toward gamers at all. Why? Most of them just aren’t that comfortable for both gaming and everyday use.

I’m someone that uses my computer for more than 12 hours in a day, thus, comfort is key. If a mouse doesn’t fit my hand, then I couldn’t care less about all of the fancy macro buttons or customizable LEDs. So when the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 showed up on my doorstep, I was intrigued.

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By Andrew Liszewski

There are other 3D mouse/trackball solutions on the market already, like 3Dconnexion’s SpacePilot Pro, but I like what axsotic has done with their 3D-Spheric-Mouse. At first glance it doesn’t appear to do anything different than your standard trackball, which would also let you rotate a 3D model in any direction, but if you check out the video I’ve included below you’ll see that the sphere can also be pushed, pulled and even lifted to re-position a model in 3D space.

I also like that it allows a 3D artist to use both hands when texturing or modeling, though being ambidextrous would probably help a lot with such a setup. The mechanics of the 3D-Spheric-Mouse, which includes both springs and magnets, allows for 1,000 dpi optical precision when rotating an object, and 2,170 dpi when panning or zooming. It appears to work with the hundreds of 3D packages currently owned by Autodesk (and presumably 15-20 more since this article was written) plus others that haven’t been bought up yet. Pricing and availability haven’t been announced though, but you can register on their site to be one of the first to buy one if you’re already sold on the product.

[ axsotic 3D-Spheric-Mouse ] VIA [ GadgetReview ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Microsoft has managed to cram a lot of extra functionality into this Bluetooth mouse, including the ability to control a PowerPoint presentation or a home theater PC, a laser pointer for being ‘that guy’ in the meeting and a usable wireless range of about 30 feet. But I can’t help but feel that after just a few weeks of regular mousing the labels on those buttons on the underside of the mouse are going to get rubbed off, making it a crapshoot when it comes to figuring out which one does what. I mean for $79.95 the least they could have done is etched them into the plastic or something, but maybe I’m putting too much thought into this…

[ Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 ] VIA [ GadgetGrid ]

By Chris Scott Barr

PC gamers such as myself are always big on customizing our keyboards and mice. Generally that means mapping keys to specific functions and adjusting the sensitivity of the mouse. However, when given the ability, we love to take the customization to a higher level. In the past we’ve seen mice that have adjustable weights, which can make a difference.  However, Mad Catz has raised the bar when it comes to mouse customization with their new line of Cyborg R.A.T. mice.

The Cyborg R.A.T mouse is one of the craziest looking peripherals that I’ve seen. At first glance, it does not look like something that would be comfortable at all. However, after placing my hand on it, I found it to be exactly the opposite. In fact, thanks to the unique features it can become one of the most comfortable mice on the market.

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