In May, we told you about Apple's patent for a Wii Remote-like object. Now, it's November, and we're telling you again. Why? Because another, improved patent for the device has turned up. This takes it from the realms of "oh, it's something Apple are exploring" to "oh, Apple are looking seriously at developing one of these". It's still using IR, and the same basic principles of the Wii Remote, except now it's going one better by (in theory) having the ability to differentiate between the IR it's meant to detect (ie the Wii Remote) and the IR it's not meant to detect (ie your house lights). As a reminder, this is important because, with App Store games doing brisk business for the company on the iPhone, there'd be nothing stopping Apple doing something similar with this Wii Remote-like peripheral on other platforms.

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Now that the fungineers at Nintendo have increased the smile efficiency of the Wii Remote via a brand new accessory, the Wii MotionPlus, what's in store for the vanilla Wii Remote? What if I don't want to purchase a reasonably priced copy of Wii Sports Resort, but want that 1:1 motion control the Wii MotionPlus promises?

Nintendo's corporate affairs VP Denise Kaigler confirmed to us earlier this week that the Wii Sports sequel is currently the only game that's confirmed to take advantage of the new sensor, but... what if? What if, say, Mario Teaches Sniping is coming down the line and requires the add-on? Will Nintendo release an updated Wii Remote, one integrated with the MotionPlus tech built-in?

Katsuya Eguchi, producer of Wii Sports Resort and MotionPlus subject matter expert, says the company is currently thinking about integrating it into the current remote.

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Xbox honcho Shane Kim is back with more talking! This time he goes on and on for something like four paragraphs talking about motion sensed. Does that confirm the rumoured Xbox 360 Wii-mote clone? "I've never heard of a motion sensing controller," he replies. According to Kim:

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Nintendo honcho Satoru Iwata, in an interview meant for an investment audience, says that if a rumoured Xbox 360 Wiimote clone in fact becomes a reality, by itself it's not much of a threat to the company's top position in console sales.

Innovating on that console is the key, Iwata explains. And if Nintendo can keep beating others to the punch on new ways to play new games, it will do just fine.

"What matters to us is whether or not we can continue to constantly create and offer new surprises one after another. If we can, then (other company's attempt to launch Wii Remote-like controller) should not be a big threat.

The efforts in this field to try to appeal to a wide variety of customers are something in which we saw potential early on and that we have been working on the longest, so there appears to be no reason whatsoever why we need to be concerned."

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I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say that Tristan is Kotaku's best and most trustworthy reviewer. His reviews were spot on for the 360 Wireless Wheel , SIXAXIS, and the Wiimote. However, because YouTube is densely populated with Nazi whores, you can't see Tristan's older reviews any more. Personally, I think he is one of the coolest kids around. Well, let me elaborate - Tristan's dad has one of the coolest jobs around and Tristan gets to reap all of the benefits. For example, Crecente took Tristan to the Mario Kart Driving School in Denver on Saturday where he got to try out the new Wii Wheel. Since I am the video intern, I had the distinct honour of capturing Tristan's review of the very thing we have all feared. The Wii Wheel, Nintendo's new gamble, could ruin Mario Kart forever. Luckily, Tristan lays it all down for us and puts our fears to rest.

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The Xbox 360 may be getting its own take on the Wii remote later this year, reports MTV News, with Microsoft said to have been knee deep in "X-remote" development since Summer of 2007. MTV cites an anonymous developer who alleges that a motion-sensitive controller is being developed alongside a Mii-like avatar system with the input of developer Rare, who is said to be late on delivering a "unified interface and look for the controller."

The unnamed source provided MTV with a sketch, which our hasty mock up to the left is based on and explains the copious amount of holes.

If true, it reminds us of that other Rare project said to be in the works, the Xbox Live Arcade title with Vision cam support.

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We're already well aware of the various health-related applications for the Nintendo Wii, but what about the military uses? The U.S. military, who were up until recently confirmed Xbox 360 fanboys, are now looking into the possibility of Wiimote-controlled robots. Scientists have created the Packbot, a Wiimote-operated robot armed with a machine gun, to be used in clearing mines and bombs. The military would generally use a standard remote for such purposes, but scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy say the Wiimote is more instinctive, allowing users to focus on date processing rather than which button to press. In my world the device would come with a screen so the soldier operating it could watch his Mii diffusing bombs and tip=toeing around land mines. My world is a much happier place.

Wii controls to defuse bombs [Metro.co.uk]

This summer, Hudson's bringing Tetris to WiiWare. Hudson's hooked up with Tetris Online to make the worldwide online WiiWare version possible, complete with up-to-six players. The game will also have Wii-mote specific controls as well, apparently. Hudson's hoping that the game is a smash — to the tune of a million downloads. Yeah, we can see that, no problem.

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The first thing that struck me as I started digging into Super Smash Bros. Brawl for my review, was the fact that this wasn't a game designed with the standard Wiimote controls in mind. The only time the motion sensing comes into play is when you shake the controller to activate your Smash Attack, and even then it's easier done with the control stick and a button. Me? I tried all the configurations, and finally settled with my trusty old GameCube controller. What's your weapon of choice?

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A wildly amusing set of three stress tests on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wiimote: how well do they hold up to gamer temper tantrums? The 'researchers' over at Insult Swordfighting set up rage-inducing scenarios, flung controllers, and looked at how both aesthetics and performance were impacted. An example? The SIXAXIS didn't fare so well after being hurled "in a shallow downward motion, simulating disgust and frustration":

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