Picking the best mouse is a personal decision, but there are some stand-out models that are more likely than others to be recommended. This week were taking a look at five of the best desktop mice.

Photo by Erik Charlton.

The Performance Mouse MX ($129.995 RRP in Australia) is Logitechs flagship non-gaming mouse. The MX Revolution, its immediate predecessor, and the MX1000 before that all share the same basic features and design, but the Performance Mouse MX was the first to roll them all into a neat and tidy package. The MX sports a Darkfield sensor on the bottom that can track on reflective and glass surfaces, a thumb-switch that activates Expose in Mac OS X and an Expose-like app in Windows that Logitech ships with the mouse, a charging system that lets you use the mouse while its charging, a long-lived battery, and a tiny Unifying Receiver thats designed to just be left in a USB port. Its pricey, but its the mouse of choice for most of us at Lifehacker HQ because its so comfortable and has the right number of buttons.

The MX 518 ($79.95 RRP in Australia) is a model that stands out on its own. Many gamers consider the MX 518 the peak of Logitechs gaming mice, and while Logitech has been trying to push it aside in favour of the Logitech G400, the MX 518s incredible popularity keeps it on store shelves in a number of places. Its 1800dpi sensor has been outmoded by newer models, but its on-the-fly resolution switching and completely smooth design have earned it a cult following. Its not going to win on features, but I cant count the number of gamers especially FPS fans who just prefer the feel of the MX 518 over the newer G series. Grab it while you can.

The G500 ($149.95 RRP in Australia) descended from the G5 (which descended from the MX 518, mind you) and the G700 ($159.95 RRP in Australia) descended from the G7 (itself a wireless version of the G5). Still, the G500 and G700 feature Darkfield-enabled laser sensors with switchable resolution up to 5700dpi. The G500 is wired, and the G700 can be used wired while charging or completely wirelessly. Both models feature programmable buttons and on-the-fly dpi switching. They also come with a weight tray and an array of small weights so you can tune the heaviness of the mouse. The G700 sports a few extra programmable buttons on the surface, as well as large and smooth feet that glide across your desk.

The Razer Naga ($109.95 RRP in Australia) turned heads at first because it seemed to have a ridiculous number of buttons on the side. But it caught on quickly with MMO fans and productivity nuts alike. Both groups adore the dozen-plus programmable buttons on the side of the mouse that can be programmed to in-game macros or complex actions in almost any application. The Naga also features interchangeable side panels for a comfortable grip and a 5600dpi laser sensor with switchable resolutions. If the Naga isnt enough for you, you can always pick up the Naga Epic ($179.95 RRP in Australia), a wireless version with a slightly altered grip, or the Naga Hex ($109.95 RRP in Australia), which is a version of the Naga with its side buttons arranged in a hexagonal pattern designed for multiplayer online battle arenas.

If youre looking for a mouse that you can completely customise and tweak to fit your specific hand, the Cyborg R.A.T. line (prices vary) is for you. Each model gives you some control over how the mouse is shaped, with a number of dials and toggles that let you extend a thumb-rest and change the overall length of the mouse. It sports a set of weights that you can use to change the heft of the mouse, and a precision laser (variable dpi based on the model you buy) sensor with switchable dpi settings built in. The mouse ships with interchangeable palm rests and grips, programmable buttons and programmable mouse-wide settings that you can switch with the touch of a button. It may look scary at first glance, but its an incredibly powerful and customisable mouse.

Honourable mentions this week go out to the Logitech MX1000, which is no longer widely available. If you want an experience like the MX1000, pick up the Performance MX or MX Revolution the two mice that came out directly after the MX1000. Also worth noting is the Razer DeathAdder, which many of you praised for its affordability, comfort and availability in both left-handed and right-handed models. Trackball fans weighed in with support for the Logitech Wireless Trackball M570, perhaps the best if not one of the few richly featured trackballs still widely available.

Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favourite? Have your say in the comments below.

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Five Best Desktop Mice

Vernon Hills, Ill. (PRWEB) August 06, 2012

A new series of Techne Prime Thermal Cyclers from Cole-Parmer expands options for lab professionals. Also known as PCR machines or PCR thermal cyclers, these units are used to amplify DNA segments through the polymerase chain reaction process. They employ the Peltier effect, a chosen method for the most trusted thermal cyclers on the market. Their heated lids prevent condensation in samples. Additionally, their colorful touch screen operation enables quick setup and easy programming with intuitive software.

Choose from this reliable and robust selection of thermal cycling options based on specific lab needs: The 3 Prime Base Thermal Cyclers offer a small, space-saving footprint and versatile interchangeable block format. Ideal for research and educational laboratories. The 3 Prime X Thermal Cyclers include the same features as the base unit plus expanded sample capacity. Design flexibility allows these units to be upgraded to include gradient cycling capabilities.

The 3 Prime G Thermal Cyclers build on the features of the X-series with thermal gradient. Their 48-well block format offers eight columns for annealing temperature optimization and six rows for optimizing reagents. The Prime Large-Format Thermal Cyclers supply high throughput and maximum flexibility when processing a large number of samples in parallel. Instantly visualize your experiment status in real time via the graphical display. Available with thermal gradient from 30 to 80C.

For more information, call 800-323-4340 or visit ColeParmer.com/19385.

Cole-Parmer has been a leading global source of laboratory and industrial fluid handling products, instrumentation, equipment, and supplies since 1955. Our product lines, including popular brand names such as Masterflex, Oakton, and more, are sold through company-owned customer channel outlets and a strong network of international dealers. We also feature an ISO-17025-accredited metrology lab for instrument calibration and repair. Cole-Parmer responds with excellence to customer needs, and offers application expertise and technical support. For more information, contact Cole-Parmer, 625 East Bunker Court, Vernon Hills, IL 60061. In the US, call 800-323-4340. International customers, call 847-549-7600. Visit us at http://www.coleparmer.com.

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All New! Techne® 3 Prime Personal and Prime Large-Format Thermal Cyclers from Cole-Parmer

Indonesia's ( IDX , quote ) largest producer of home and personal care products, Unilever Indonesia is reporting robust revenue growth following an increase in spending on market research and successful advertising campaigns.

The subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever ( UL , quote ), Unilever Indonesia is reporting the firm's revenue hit $1.2 billion during the first half of 2012, an increase of 17% over the same period last year. Net income reached $247 million during the first half of the year, up 13% year-over-year.

"The growth in revenue was the result of innovation of our products, both home and personal care as well as food and ice cream segments," Unilever director Sancoyo Antarikso told the Jakarta Post .

With Unilever's 27 brands of home and personal care products ubiquitousthroughout the archipelago, Indonesians are quite familiar with the company's wares. For many, they are the only name-brand option. For Indonesians who were already loyal Unilever customers, an advertising campaign that encouraged customers to use Unilever body lotion up to three times a day further boosted sales.

According to Andrew Argado of PT eTrading Securities, Unilever's performance was unsurprising. "It is in line with the expectation of growth between 15% to 20%. The company has a large presence, therefore, a 16% increase in the range is okay as it means trillions of rupiah," Andrew said.

Unilever's growth in its home and personal care products however, which comprised 73% of its Indonesian sales last year, may be plateauing .

"I think the company also sees that the home and personal care business has entered the maturity point. Population growth, advertising and an increase in selling prices will drive this segment's growth," Andrew said.

Consequently, Unilever may expand its food and beverage business in Indonesia as it looks to continue to grow. Ahead of Eid celebrations later this month to mark the end of Ramadan, Muslims are expected to buy more food and beverage products for family festivities.

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Unilever: personal care products driving Indonesian growth

South Melbourne, Victoria (PRWEB) August 06, 2012

The team at Revolution Personal Training Studio in Melbourne announced today that they will offer a free fitness bootcamp for local residents who are looking to get fit in and have fun.

"We specialize in group personal training and weve decided to offer a free bootcamp every Saturday starting next week, said Luke Scott, managing director for Revolution Personal Training. The best thing about it is that any money donated will go toward a different charity each month."

Scott explained that the company provides studio personal training in a boutique setting within its South Melbourne personal training studio as well as group personal training and corporate fitness programs.

Our Group Personal Training is a great way for you to get involved at a lower cost with an effective and fun workout, Scott stressed.

The managing director explained that what makes the free fitness bootcamp so different from all of the other bootcamps, gyms and fitness places in Australia is that its training center where the free bootcamp will be held is not a gym at all.

Therefore we are set up perfectly for personal training and small group personal training sessions, Scott stressed. Our studio is only attended by people working with a personal trainer at all times.

This free bootcamp will benefit everyone who participates in it, and the groups are always small with a maximum of 10 participants being allowed at a time, said Scott. This ensures you never get lost in a crowd and will always be working hard. There is a great social atmosphere about each session with everyone pushing each other along to help them achieve their best. You will need to book yourself into the session however to ensure numbers are kept to a maximum of 10.

For more information about Revolution Personal Training, please visit: http://www.revolutionpersonaltraining.com.au/services/group-personal-training and http://www.revolutionpersonaltraining.com.au/services/mobile-personal-training

About Revolution Personal Training

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Revolution Personal Training Studio to Offer a Free Fitness Bootcamp

TORONTO (Reuters) - Coaches at the 2012 Olympic Games in London have harnessed a new set of tools to land a coveted spot on the podium -- mobile apps.

Gymnastics, diving and swimming coaches are using apps to analyze form, execution and timing to improve performance.

John Geddert, head coach of the U.S. women's gymnastics team and personal coach of Olympian Jordyn Wieber, likes SwingReader and Coach's Eye, apps available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, to record gymnasts' routines and play them back in slow motion, frame-by-frame.

"You can see form and execution errors, legs apart or knees bent," explained Geddert, adding that the apps helped him diagnose why a gymnast at the Olympics was not being credited for an element in a routine and make immediate adjustments.

The U.S. swim team uses an underwater camera to take video footage which is reviewed poolside in slow motion with an app called VideoPix, available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

National performance advisor Russell Mark said it helps the swimmers master aspects of their technique such as their starts and turns.

Aaron Dziver, one of the coaches behind Canadian synchronized diving bronze medalists Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion, is also a fan of VideoPix.

"We can look at the actual technique we're trying to modify in the diver and very quickly show them what they're doing and have them try to focus on a corrected execution," he said.

The coaches also use apps to superimpose different dives on top of each other to compare differences in execution.

"Every single country uses an iPad on deck and captures the dive as soon as they do it," explained Drew Johansen, head coach of the US diving team.

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Olympic coaches fine-tune performance with mobile apps

Lolo Jones attempted to console Jamaica's Brigitte Foster-Hylton following her fall in the 100-meter hurdles preliminary heat.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

LONDON -- The heartbreak was written all over Lolo Jones' face, except it wasn't her dreams that were shattered this time. In the sixth preliminary heat of the women's 100-meter hurdles, it was Jamaica's Brigitte Foster-Hylton, a former World Champion, who tripped over a hurdle and saw her last shot at a medal slip away. At age 37, Foster-Hylton was running in her fourth, and likely last, Olympic Games.

At the finish line, Jones quickly rushed over to Foster-Hylton and tried to put an arm around her. But Jones knew very well there was nothing she could do or say to ease the pain. Four years ago, she clipped the ninth hurdle in the final and dropped from first to seventh place because her lead leg came over a barrier a fraction of an inch too low.

Monday morning at the Olympic Stadium in East London, everyone was reminded once again just how cruel the 100-meter hurdles can be. It can cut a world champion down in less than 13 seconds flat, rendering four years of work into a puddle of tears. Few know the feeling as intimately as Jones.

"My heart breaks for Brigitte," Jones said moments after she qualified for Tuesday night's semifinal with her season-best time of 12.68 seconds. "I'm just devastated for her because she's been so dominant, and for her not to have an Olympic medal, I'm devastated for her.... I tried [to console her], but honestly, the emotions were outpouring from her. If she would've punched me, I totally would understand because... we work so hard for this."

Her voice cracked and tears appeared to well in her eyes, as if she was reliving her Beijing blunder all over again. In 2008, her misstep garnered a mountain of coverage, particularly because she had been the gold-medal favorite heading into Beijing. She handled the utter disappointment with grace, speaking with reporters and seeing out her responsibilities before convulsing with tears inside the Bird's Nest. It's a race that continues to haunt her -- and not just on the track.

The attention she received that night in Beijing, and in the subsequent years since, has become the hot topic of the moment. Jones is not the favorite to win gold in London on Tuesday night, but she has received more media coverage and marketing opportunities than Australia's Sally Pearson, the 2011 world champion who led qualifiers after running 12.57 seconds, or U.S. teammate Dawn Harper, the reigning Olympic champion. In part because of her physical beauty and her relative openness about her personal life and struggles, Jones has become a popular and accessible subject for news outlets -- both sporting and otherwise. But now, that openness has bred backlash.

A New York Times story published last week suggested that Jones was actively capitalizing on her misfortunes for attention. "Essentially, Jones has decided she will be whatever anyone wants her to be -- vixen, virgin, victim -- to draw attention to herself and the many products she endorses," the story read.

The Times suggested her image far outsized her performance, comparing her to former Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova, who once ranked in the Top 20 but gained most of her fame for a pretty face despite having never won a WTA title. But while Jones may not be a favorite tomorrow night, that's not to say she never was. She hasn't won an Olympic medal, but she is a two-time Indoor World Champion in the 60-meter hurdles and has run the 100-meter distance as fast as 12.43, when she cruised through the semifinal in 2008. Only Pearson has run a faster time since. And though Jones' performances this season have been relatively meager, they should also be taken in the context of a recent hamstring injury and an August 2011 spinal cord surgery that left her essentially bed-ridden for weeks.

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Sarah Kwak: Lolo Jones' openness with personal life has bred unfair backlash

NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Personal Protective Equipment in the U.S.

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0944030/Personal-Protective-Equipment-in-the-US.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Chemical_and_Material

SBI estimates the U.S. market for personal protective equipment (PPE) will top $13 billion in 2012. As the economy begins to heat up, U.S. PPE sales should exceed $14.1 billion in 2013, which represents an 8.2 percent increase over the 2012 figure. The strengthening global economy should increase the growth rate in 2015 with PPE sales in the U.S. anticipated to hit $16.7 billion.

The Personal Protective Equipment sector is comprised of a group of products that are designed to protect users from occupational hazards, injuries and illnesses. Categories covered include:

Body Protection and Protective Clothing

Hand and Foot Protection

Head and Face Protection

Respiratory Protection

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Personal Protective Equipment in the U.S.

Consumers who have become accustomed to the customer-focused practices adopted by hotels, banks and retailers increasingly are judging physicians by those standards, according to consulting firm PwC.

The firm examined consumer opinions of health care customer service and compared it with other industries, using data from the firms 2012 Experience Radar survey. PwC surveyed 6,000 U.S. consumers online between May and July 2011.

PwC advises physicians and hospitals to try to win over customers with convenient, personalized, warm service not only because it makes patients happy, but also because pay is at stake. Medicare and other payers now include patient satisfaction scores in pay-for-performance programs, and some insurers global payment contracts include bonus pay that is dependent not only on clinical quality scores, but also on how patients rate their experiences.

Physicians skeptical of tying pay to satisfaction scores have argued that what consumers want is not always what is best for patients. Doctors say basing pay on the happiness of patients creates incentives to do things like overprescribe antibiotics or run unnecessary diagnostic tests that patients demand.

Only 8% of patients rank price as the top factor in choosing a doctor or hospital.

But Mark Friedberg, MD, a Boston-based internist and researcher at RAND Corp., rejects that argument. There is no reason physicians cant deliver the best care while also trying to give patients the best possible experiences, he said.

I dont think its unreasonable to ask clinicians to meet multiple goals, he said. It is possible for highly trained professionals to be excellent in all respects.

Even when it isnt tied to pay rates, customer satisfaction plays a huge role in attracting and retaining patients at a physicians office or a hospital even more so than price, which is the top consideration for customers in other businesses. PwC found that only 8% of consumers ranked price as the top factor in choosing a doctor or hospital, compared to 50% for health insurance, 55% for retail business, and 69% for personal travel.

Satisfied patients also spur additional business, to a greater degree than happy customers do for hotels, airlines or other vendors. The PwC survey showed that personal recommendations were 2.6 times more likely to influence a purchase in health care than in other industries. Nine out of 10 patients were willing to recommend a physician or hospital after a positive experience. Multiple studies by other researchers have found that online physician reviews most often are positive.

However, the PwC research also showed that an unsatisfactory experience what the firm refers to as a negative moment of truth is harder to reconcile in health care than it is in other industries. An apology and acknowledgement of a mistake or problem would be more likely to pacify customers who were angry about a bad hotel stay or purchase than a patient upset about a bad experience with a hospital or physician.

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Satisfaction scores seen as crucial to physician success

More than 30 million U.S. viewers have been tuning in to the London Olympics each day, and many more are catching Gabby Douglas and Ryan Lochte online. If you've been paying close attention to the winners' facial expressions, body language, and comments, it's possible you've noticed an odd phenomenon: The bronze-medal winners may seem happier with their achievements than those who grabbed the silver.

At least that was the conclusion of a 1995 academic paper by Victoria Husted Medvec, Scott Madey, and Thomas Gilovich, which was the subject of a a recent report on NPR. The study's authors examined the facial expressions of Olympic medal winners on the podium during the 1992 competition in Barcelona. Even after controlling for other factors, their hypothesis held up: Bronze medal winners seemed more content with their prizes than those who took home the silver.

The researchers chalked up these findings to a phenomenon that social scientists call framing--the tendency to respond to events based on our own experiences and cultures. The silver medal winners framed their performance relative to the gold medal winners, and berated themselves for not being able to emerge victorious even though doing so was close at hand. The bronze-medal winners, meanwhile, didn't judge their success alongside the gold and silver winners, but relative to the many athletes who will leave the games without winning any medals at all.

The concept of framing has been an important one in the realm of money and finance, too. In one famous study by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, shoppers said they would drive 20 minutes to save $5 on a $15 calculator, but wouldn't drive the same distance to save $5 on a $125 calculator. The savings were the same in both instances, the frames were not.

The Olympics study, meanwhile, has particularly rich implications for how investors view their own performance. By framing our success or failure relative to the wrong yardstick, we risk not only making ourselves miserable, but undermining our financial well-being at the same time. Here are some ways to ensure that you're using the right frame of reference when evaluating how you're doing.

MYOBThe obvious takeaway from the Olympics study is one we probably all got from our parents at an early age: mind your own business. Just as mentally healthy athletes know that the real gauge of success is how well they've delivered on their own expectations for themselves, the true measure of your investing performance is whether you're getting closer to your goals as the years go by, not whether you're beating Warren Buffett or your boastful brother-in-law. Yet it's easy to see how so many investors fall into the silver-medal trap: They start buying stocks and funds without stopping to think what will constitute personal success or attempting to quantify what they'll actually need for financial goals such as retirement.

Online tools such as T. Rowe Price's Retirement Income Calculator and Morningstar's Asset Allocator can provide a rough gauge of whether your current investments and asset allocation, combined with your planned future contributions, put you on track to reach your goals on an inflation-adjusted basis. Revisiting your progress toward your goal should be the linchpin of any portfolio checkup, as I discussed in this midyear checkup presentation, and can help you stay focused on what factors you actually control.

Be Honest About Your AbilitiesEven though your progress toward your financial goals should be the main measure of how well you're doing, that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep track of how good your investment choices have been. Are you adding value relative to an inexpensive, plain-vanilla benchmark or subtracting it?

To find out, I advise creating a custom benchmark that matches your own portfolio's asset allocation, saving it in our Portfolio Manager tool, and using it to gauge your investment-selection acumen on an ongoing basis. I discussed the specifics of setting up such a benchmark in this article (http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=357708). If your stocks and funds underperform a benchmark consisting of simple, inexpensive index funds over time, it's wise to ask yourself whether you might not better off investing in such a cheap, low-maintenance index fund or exchange-traded fund portfolio instead.

Don't Get Hung Up on 'The Best'Finally, too many investors, like the dour-looking Silver medal-winning Olympians, have an unhealthy preoccupation with "the best"--they want to buy the best stocks at the lowest possible prices, and they want their funds to be at the top of the heap at any given point in time. That's a misplaced effort and one that will almost certainly lead to misery and too much trading. Rather than obsessing over obtaining the lowest possible price for a stock or engaging in the impossible task of finding a fund that will always be on top, your best bet is to stack the deck in your favor by keeping your asset allocation sensible and practicing smart portfolio-management techniques like dollar-cost averaging and rebalancing. Those strategies all but guarantee your performance won't be "the best," but they also greatly improve the odds that it will be far better than average, as I discussed in this article (http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=396889).

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Your Investment Performance and the Silver Medal Trap

by Dan Bickley - Aug. 5, 2012 04:19 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

WIMBLEDON, England -- The old scouting report on Great Britain was simple: Put its athletes on a bike or in a boat, and they're dangerous. They have a knack for sports that require sitting down.

But give them Olympic home-field advantage, and it's bloody hell.

Andy Murray became the latest toast of London, demolishing the great Roger Federer on Sunday with shocking ease (6-2, 6-1, 6-4) in the men's tennis final. The triumph carried great personal significance.

It marked the long-awaited breakthrough for Murray, who is 0 for 4 in grand slam finals. It atoned for his loss to Federer on Centre Court just four weeks ago, where Murray's tearful concession speech turned him into a sympathetic figure.

How often does one get a second chance so quickly?

But there is a much bigger story in play. Murray's triumph came less than 24 hours after Great Britain's greatest day ever in the Olympics. Three track stars won gold medals, turning a Saturday evening into a massive Brit party, a night when BBC commentators gushed like unabashed homers.

Pubs were crammed. In one of them, a viewer was transfixed with the medal count on the screen, beaming with national pride that Great Britain was actually in third place, behind China and the U.S.

That energy was the story at Wimbledon, where Federer seemed to wilt under its force, where the Brits couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"I watched the athletics last night, and it was unbelievable ... it gave me a boost coming into today," Murray said. "The momentum the team's had the last couple of days has been good."

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London's local success in Olympics raises question: When does U.S. want back in?