Contrary to reports, there really is no recall of the Wii Remote. A representative for Nintendo stated that Nintendo will be more then happy to replace Wii Remotes that are already broken, or Wii Remotes that users think are about to break, with Wii Remotes that have a wrist strap twice as thick. Nintendo is willing to replace Wii Remotes due to some users complaints of the wrist straps breaking, and Wii Remotes flying into television screens. Nintendo is not recalling the remotes because they have tested the remotes, and as long as they are used sensibly, there really is no issue. The guidelines released by Nintendo for proper Wii Remote usage...

• Always wear the wrist strap while playing.
• Keep a firm grip on the Wii Remote at all times.
• Make sure people and objects are out of the range of movement before play begins.
• Players should keep at least three feet/ one meter from their televisions and dry their hands if they become sweaty or wet for any other reason.
• Remember that the Wii Remote is responsive enough to detect minor movements - so excessive and forceful actions are not necessary. Therefore we recommend not to use excessively rapid, violent or wide swinging motions while using the Wii Remote during game play.

Update- All new Nintendo Wiis have controllers come with the new wrist strap. If you would like a controller with an updated wrist strap, please fill out the request form here.

The Greek organization IISA (Independent Information Security Authority) has fined Vodafone for wiretapping. The IISA is accusing Vodafone of tapping the conversations of around 100 people, including Greece's prime minister, cabinet, journalists and activists. This is not the first time Vodafone has been fined for wiretapping. The last time was during the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Vodafone claimed that it found the problems (illegal software), and cleaned them. Vodafone claims that the same illegal software is to blame for the current accusations, however the alleged wiretaps happened after all illegal software was removed from Vodafone's systems.

Nintendo set to recall "dangerous" Wii strapsNintendo claims that this isn't a recall because their straps are safe, but it certainly seems the best word to describe this. In an announcement earlier today, the company offered to replace 3.2 million Wii remote straps after a number of incidents leading to injuries and damage to property. It looks like you need to go here to fill in a form and then Nintendo will send you a replacement. Nintendo also announced this morning that it will be recalling 200,000 AC adaptors for the Japanese DS and DS Lite.

Any creative readers who believe they possibly just thought up the best idea ever can now search over 7 million US patents in the same way they search the web. Featuring scanned versions of the original patents, Google now lets users take a look and find if their idea already has a patent. This service can already be obtained via the US Patent and Trademark Office, however users may enjoy the more familiar face of Google. Admittedly this list of patents is not complete, so further research will be needed, but at least it will let you know if your idea definitely has been taken. Give it a try here

MP3 to FM transmitters broadcast an MP3 player's signal over a radio frequency, allowing people without expensive car stereos to listen to their devices on long road trips. These transmitters have been unbanned in the United Kingdom, after a year long battle for the right to use them. The only condition of the unbanning: the transmitter must carry the CE mark. Griffin Technology's iTrip was given the CE mark this Spring.

Back in July, we reported a bill was passed that would fine webmasters for hosting porn and mislabeling it as "GI Joe" or "Barbie". Senator John McCain wants to take that law one step further, and make all multimedia violating sex offender laws deleted, and then either reported or fined. The Stop the Online Exploitation of Our Children Act would require reports sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of any and all illegitimate images. If a webmaster deletes and reports posted illegal content, they would be free from any and all persecution, assuming they kept records of the incident for at least six months. However, if a webmaster intentionally holds back reports and does not delete illegitimate content, they would be fine-able for $300,000 per image. The new law would require all sites that allow users to post content to submit reports. This includes social networking sites such as MySpace, message boards such as the TechPowerUp! Forums, and sites that allow for user profiles, such as Amazon.

USA Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman have long been advocates of the ESRB's video game rating system. Hillary Clinton worked very hard to get Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas re-rated to Adult Only due to the "hot coffee" mod, and Joe Lieberman forced the gaming industry to adopt a rating system in the mid 1990's. The senators are starting a campaign of public service announcements to get parents to understand the rating system, and are working hard to make stores not sell games to minors without parental consent. Best Buy and Gamespot have already agreed to not sell an M rated game to anyone under 17 years of age without parental consent.

The FCC certainly had fun when they gave the new controller an ID code. The latest Wiimote has the FCC code POO-WC45.

According to the Inquirer, NVIDIA, ATI and AMD could be in trouble for apparently conspiring to keep prices high. Allegedly executives of the companies have met to discuss the price of graphics processor units and therefore have received a summons by the Department of Justice, being asked to present data going back into the 1990s.

The new gadget from Apple, the iPhone, should be available sometime in January. However, Apple may run into some serious patent/copyright issues. Several Canadian and American businesses have already trademarked iPhone, and Canadian service Comwave has offered it's iPhone service for a long time. How Apple will react to this, and what Comwave's reaction is, only time will tell.

NVIDIA Corporation has received a subpoena from the San Francisco Office of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with the DOJ's investigation into potential antitrust violations related to graphics processing units and cards. No specific allegations have been made against NVIDIA. NVIDIA plans to cooperate with the DOJ in its investigation.

AMD has received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division in connection with the DOJ's investigation into potential antitrust violations related to graphics processors and cards. AMD entered the graphics processor business following the company's acquisition of ATI Technologies, Inc. last month (October 25, 2006). The DOJ has not made any specific allegations against AMD or ATI. AMD intends to cooperate with the investigation.