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The Wiimote has been used for plenty of non-gaming needs, including tidying up the house and controlling robots. Even the US military got in on the action, using the Wiimote to defuse bombs in Iraq. And let's not forget the groundbreaking work done by Johnny Chung Lee -- a man who just happens to have inspired the creation of the setup you see above.

See, a team of scientists in Luxemburg (via Wired) figured out that using the sensor-filled gutty-works of the Wiimote would -- through some tinkering -- be a good way to measure water evaporation. See, this type of measurement usually requires sensors that can cost up to $500 a piece, making the $40 Wiimote quite the attractive alternative. This has applications outside of just measuring water evaporation, the team said -- including measuring the speed at which a structure collapses.

[Via Gizmodo]

Along with its many software announcements, Nintendo of America made one small hardware announcement this morning. The blue and pink Wii Remotes, first announced for Japan in October, are on the way to North America on February 14. Unlike the awesome black Wiimote, neither the included MotionPlus peripheral nor the Wiimote jacket will be in a matching color.

Still, as Nintendo reminds us, this is your first chance to have a different-color Wiimote for each of four players. Unless you've already solved that "problem" by sticking one of your friends with the (perhaps undeserved) stigma of being Nyko Wand Guy.

When the holidays roll around, the gamers who buy everything they want throughout the year might find themselves stymied asked for a wish list. Today, we put the Nyko Charge Base IC through its paces, and it looks like a great way to pad your list to Santa. The Wiimote charger uses induction, which not only alleviates the need to plug everything in, but -- as you'll see in the above video -- also looks really slick.

Also, to help justify this video's existence, we teach you how to make butter cookies.

In the dilapidated, war-torn streets of the gaming industry, the Console Wars™ have taken their toll on not only the landscape, but also the inhabitants of this once peaceful land. With war mongerers Sony and Microsoft preparing their next wave of battle tech -- motion control devices like the "PlayStation Motion Controller" (rumored: 'Sphere') and Project Natal, respectively -- Nintendo's battle general, Reggie Fils-Aime, recently continued his criticism of rivals by commenting to wartime reporters at Gamasutra that Nintendo isn't really shaking on its Balance Board.

General Fils-Aime said that Nintendo will "applaud anything that will further expand the market of game players" and that the expansion of this kind of technology is really "in everyone's best interest," even though he admits Nintendo could lose some of its marketshare as a result. However, he does feel confident in Nintendo's "head-start of over 51 million controllers."

So, you've gotten yourself a fancy Wii remote charger, but you're tired of having to remove both MotionPlus and the rubber jacket before each recharging session. What's a dedicated fanboy to do? Run out and buy Sanyo's new Eneloop charging station. The device is powered by the Wii's USB port, accepts two Wii remotes and has room for both the MotionPlus add-on and its accompanying jacket. For those who haven't taken the MotionPlus plunge yet, the stand will also work with the standard Wii remote and jacket.

Best of all, the charger has no actual contacts, so you just have to pop the remote into the cradle to start charging, no connection required. It's even licensed by Nintendo. The only problem: Thus far it has only been announced for Japan. Until Sanyo decides to offer it elsewhere, savvy importers can pick one up for about $80.

[Via Engadget]

During a retailer conference, Nintendo of Japan announced intentions to release Wiimotes in blue and pink on December 3. GAME Watch has posted images of the chromatically enhanced controllers, which reveal a blue that looks similar to, if a little darker than, the lovely, limited Wii Sports Resort Wiimotes given away in Japan.

When these are released, Nintendo will have achieved a milestone: a different Wii Remote color for each of four players. Currently, no announcements have been made outside of Japan, but with the black Wiimote on the way to North America, and the black system and Classic Controller Pro announced for Europe today, it seems like only a matter of time before all Wiimote variants are available everywhere.

If you've been holding off on inviting friends over because you've been waiting to pick up some cool black controllers, good news! You'll be able to remove yourself from multiplayer exile and play some Wii Sports Resort next month.

On November 16, Nintendo will release the black Wiimote and MotionPlus bundle for $50, and the matching black Nunchuk for $20. From then on, it will be a race to be the first person to reference Wesley Snipes' signature line from Passenger 57 in multiplayer games. Of course, you'll then also have to win or you'll sound stupid.

The subset of people who really want motion control on their PS3s yet refuse to wait for Sony to actually add it is pretty small, but never let it be said that peripheral maker Blaze is willing to leave money on the table. The company has just announced the Motion Freedom 3D controller for the system, and it looks unmistakably like a Wiimote for the PS3.

The release promises the "all new device opens up unthinkable gaming possibilities," which we're taking to mean that no one actually thought to make any games for it.

Okay, fine, Blaze says it at least works with Sega Tennis and Tiger Woods, but we can't imagine that such a retrofitted solution would be worth investing in before Sony's official offering arrives.

[Via Engadget]

Nintendo of Japan held a retailer conference during which it announced some new products and dated important releases for the Japanese market. The biggest new game announcement is Pokepark Wii: Pikachu's Big Adventure, coming out in Japan on December 5. This action game features your Pokemans performing in events at a theme park. Examples include a Sky Race and Marine Slider event, which offer advantages to Pokemon of flying and water types.

Other announcements for Japan include hardware bundles for Tales of Graces and Samurai Warriors 3. The Graces bundle will be out on December 10, and includes a white Wii, Classic Controller Pro, and the game for ¥27,800. Samurai Warriors 3 will be sold with a black Wii, Classic Controller Pro, and post card set for ¥27,300, or with just the controller for ¥8,715, or alone for ¥7,140. Don't need a Wii but still want to drop a bunch of money? Pick up the Treasure Box edition, with the game, the controller, a figurine, a soundtrack, and an artbook for ¥11,865.

Also announced: new blue and pink Wiimotes, to be released on December 3, just in time for the newly-announced Japanese release of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks will be released on December 23.

Nintendo just announced that you'll finally be able to get a new color for your Wii ... mote. Black. This holiday season the company will be making a black Wiimote bundle available with the Wiimote and Wii MotionPlus, including a black Wii jacket, which is very slimming. However, you'll have to buy your black Nunchuk as a standalone, also available Holiday 2009.

According to the presser, "The Black bundle is the first new color for the Wii Remote and Wii MotionPlus," so let's hope this means a rainbow of colors coming down the pipeline next year. Right now this has nothing to go with, especially since the Wii won't be available in black over here, only in Japan. No mention of new console colors, nor of the blue Wiimote, seen recently at the World Hobby Fair. Will this be a case of having to chase down colors and accessories in different regions?

Nintendo is also bringing new DSi colors to North America, in the form of pink and white, available starting September 13. So we'll now have black, blue, white, and pink DSi ... why no funky colors like Japan? They get all the cool stuff.

Despite the interesting "Trans-Port" technology and the lower price, we'd have to say that the defining characteristic of the Nyko Wand is its ugliness. The four new colors for the device, in our opinion, help ameliorate that ugly factor. It could be because the red and blue buttons are gone in favor of a more monochrome look, or it could be because it's slightly harder to compare these to the stock Wiimote. These four color options will be available in North America and Europe this holiday season. They have already launched in Japan, along with many other colors.

Nyko also announced the Charge Base IC, an induction charging dock that uses magnets to hold controllers in place, and also features a USB port for charging other items.

Nyko announced today that its two Wand controller bundles, which include the company's weird-looking Wiimote and extension controllers, have shipped -- a bit late of the original June date, but at least they made it out before spring 2010. The Action Pak includes a Wand and a gun controller, which uses Nyko's "Trans-Port" function to include operable buttons on the gun itself (and not just a lever that hits the B button). The Core Pak includes a Nunchuk-alike with rumble.

The company also announced that it has knocked five bucks off the price of the standalone Wand controller, now offering the device for $29.99. That seems like a boon to Wii owners in a hurry to acquire a full complement of four Wiimotes.

Don't even start weaving conspiracies about how Nintendo's recently released Wii MotionPlus peripheral was supposed to be incorporated in the initial Wiimote design. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, such a nickel-and-dime plot is absolutely impossible -- and as we all know, Miyamoto never lies. Look at him, with those pinchable cheeks! Those are not the cheeks of a liar.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Shiggy explained the MotionPlus was only possible due to technological innovations "which took place after Wii launched." Actually, he says the technology was around, but it would have been impossible to use at such a "compact" size and low price. So, did you want Wiimotes to cost $200 and weigh as much as toddlers? No? We didn't think so.

[Via IGN]