A great mouse mat is a must for gamers, reducing wear on wrists during hours of intensive play. Many modern ones use chemical coatings or specially engineered surfaces to improve sensor accuracy or reduce drag?a boon if you?re doing repetitive motion that requires high accuracy.

(Don't mistake mouse mats for the smaller mouse pads, once an absolute necessity in the era of mechanical mice. Because optical and laser mice can work on so many different kinds of surfaces, the humble mouse pad has largely disappeared.) 

Plenty of mouse mat manufacturers exist, but few provide clarity or consistency in describing their products. For example, most don?t report how much friction you?ll encounter when using their mats with the most popular mice. To help you find the best mouse mat for your needs, we?ve tested several from a few different companies that represent a range of surface types (metal, plastic, or cloth) and usage cases (business or gaming).

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Saint?s Row?s Achilles heel was always combat. It hid this fact by peppering each game with a handful of absurd weapons, from a recliner that fired missiles to the Dubstep gun to the iconic purple dildo bat?still the weapon I most associate with the series.

But even armaments that creative couldn?t hide the fact that combat was often a by-the-book affair. Enemies were brainless, and each encounter involved simply trying to get through it as fast as possible without dying. It?s telling that most of the memorable moments in Saint?s Row had nothing to do with combat, be it the Tron-esque ?Deckers Die? mission, singing Biz Markie in a car with your friends, or an Aerosmith-backed rocket ride into space.

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Choosing a gaming keyboard is a matter of personal taste. One person could be into Cherry Browns and white backlighting. Another might favor Razer Greens and a rippling RGB glow. Gigantic wrist pads, compact shapes, numeric keypads, macro keys, volume controls?a plethora of keyboards exists because everyone wants a different mix of features.

To help you sort through the many options, we?ve sifted through the latest and greatest planks to come up with our top recommendations. All of these are mechanical keyboards, and for good reason?they?re simply more comfortable to use over the long haul. But we?re open-minded, so if we encounter an alternative that works well, you may see it appear on this list. We?ll keep updating it periodically as we test new keyboards.

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It turns out the third time isn?t the charm for Apple Watch. Early reviews for the Series 3 model with cellular have landed and let?s just say there are some concerns.

Most of the problems result from LTE connectivity issues, the major new feature on Apple Watch. While the woes weren?t universal, enough reviewers had issues that Apple is investigating a fix that will be included in a future software update. In a statement to the Verge, one of the outlets that experienced severe issues, Apple says it has pinpointed an issue where Apple Watch Series 3 joins unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks without adequate connectivity (like a public Wi-Fi hotspot), which in turn prevents the watch from using the cellular connection. With the first wave of shipments due to arrive Friday, here?s hoping that update arrives sooner than later.

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Successful holiday shopping is all about preparation, and right now you can start getting ready with a free one-year membership for ShopRunner. The only requirement is that you have a PayPal account, and sign-up for your ShopRunner membership using the same email address you use on PayPal.

This is a pretty good deal, as ShopRunner memberships usually costs $79.95 per year, though there are other ways you can get a free account. American Express and select Mastercard cardholders, for example, get complimentary access to ShopRunner as part of their credit card accounts.

If you've never heard of it, ShopRunner is a multi-retailer alternative to Amazon Prime. With ShopRunner you also get free, 2-day shipping, free return shipping, and members-only deals. ShopRunner service works with all kinds of retailers that include technology shops like Newegg, MacMall, and Staples.

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If you've decided to buy an Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular, it's going to cost you. For one, it's $70 more than the GPS-only Series 3 watch. But there's also a somewhat hidden cost: You're going to need a data plan.

Don't worry, you're not going to need a separate data plan just for your watch. But even though the wearable uses your existing wireless plan, LTE connectivity on Apple Watch Series 3 doesn't come free. No matter your carrier, you'll be paying a little extra in your monthly bill. So, before you commit to more charges, consider how much an Apple Watch data plan will cost.

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