One of my colleagues, Matthew Rogers, at Lifehacker found something so delicious today that I had to share with the world: namely proof positive that what a number of gamers have been saying for years is absolutely true: you can be more productive with a gaming mouse! The more buttons, the better – especially if they’re programmable and can be used for more applications than just your video games.

After all, people learn keyboard shortcuts for a reason, and programming your extra mouse buttons to match up with commonly executed commands when you have your hand on a mouse can save you tons of time and energy. Matt says:

Gaming mice aren’t just for gaming, they can be put to use outside the battle zone, too. A gaming mouse usually has better tracking (makes smoother cursor movement) and several customizable buttons, so why not take all that and apply it to regular computer work?

My sentiments exactly. That’s why I tend to rock multi-button mice at work and at play. It doesn’t hurt that I like the way they feel better than standard office mice, too. I just chalked it up to being a gamer through and through, but maybe there’s something more to it.

[ Lifehacker :: Use a Gaming Mouse to Be More Productive While Working ]

Regular old mousepads when you’re gaming are so passe: what you really need is a good, solid mousing surface that won’t make your desk all dusty, won’t clog your mouse’s sensor with dirt or grime, and won’t hinder you moving your mouse across its surface.

Sure, you could grab a roll of wax paper and make this mousepad, which is arguably one of the greatest, but if you’re willing to drop some cash, try this teflon and steel model from Rude Gameware. Called the Fierce Teflon and Steel Mouse Surface, it’s probably the closest thing you’ll get to a frictionless mousing surface this side of a physics problem with real-world constraints removed.

The only downside is that it’ll set you back $30 bucks plus shipping, but hey – if you spent an easy $60 on your mouse, it might be worth it for that competitive edge.

[ Rude Gameware :: Fierce Teflon and Steel Mouse Surface ]

Over at Unplggd, they have a roundup of PC cases – I know, it sounds borning unless you’re a DIY or computer-building enthusiast, and since I’m the type of person who builds his own computers, it naturally drew my attention. Where it’ll pick up your attention however is in how pretty these cases are.

A few years ago, PC cases used to largely be translucent, covered in LEDs and lighting, and usually had clear walls and fronts. More modern PC cases feature more sleek and streamlined designs – brushed aluminum and steel, attractive but subtle edges and design across the front or back of the case body but clean lines. The kind of cases that make you want to pull the guts out of a perfectly good PC and install it all into something new and shiny like these.

I’m particularly fond of the NZXT cases – like the H2 shown above. Head over to Unplggd to see the all of the featured models.

[ Unplggd :: Stylish PC Cases For Your Tired Looking Tower ]

I’ll be the first person to tell you that I abhor blog posts about why bloggers haven’t been blogging. My philosophy is that if you have words to say, something for your readers to enjoy, just do it – don’t talk about doing it or not doing it or why you haven’t been doing it.

That said though, I think you guys deserve to know where I’ve been the past couple of weeks, and I hope the shot above gives you an idea. I’m moving! Not only that, but keeping things going with the gigs over at Geek.com, ExtremeTech, AppScout, and of course, Lifehacker all take their toll, but they pay the bills.

So don’t you worry. As soon as I’m moved (moving day is this weekend!) and into my new digs, things will get back to normal here at Gears and Widgets, I promise. Stay tuned, I’ve got plans, and I’ll make the wait worthwhile!

In the interim, why not follow me on Twitter? If you talk to me, I’ll talk back – promise.