More and more games are adding support for haptic controllers, so gamers interested in the experience will have a lot of choices down the line. However, we are still waiting for the pistol grip add-on. Let's just hope that it makes it out of the gate by the end of the year. When it is finally released, the grip is expected to retail for $20. [Wired]

My first thought when this was announced last year was that I didn't need a piece of plastic to hold my Wiimote in place; I'd steer the controller by itself just fine. But last Thursday came around, and I approached the wheel cautiously, got comfortable, and even warmed up to the little white circle. While the game can certainly be played without the wheel, there's something that just feels right about holding it in your hands. There's more room to grip with your hands, and you're given a better frame of reference as to how much you're steering.

There is also an elongated, horizontal button on the back that acts as a mechanical proxy for the B trigger button on the underside of the Wiimote. Hitting the B button is a key part of the drift element in Mario Kart. Without the wheel, trying to hold the Wiimote horizontally in two hands while pressing the 2 button for gas and the B button for drift was a bit awkward. Not so much with the wheel in the hand.

However, the wheel took a little getting used to. I found myself oversteering at first, forgetting to steer later, and waving the wheel in strange directions (also exhibited in the above video by Kotaku's Michael McWhertor). But after awhile, I calmed down and found a sweet spot where I could play with a bit of skill. So the Wii Wheel may not be God's gift to racing control, but it doesn't make the experience any worse either. And as far as Mario Kart itself goes...go talk to Kotaku, they're the game freaks. [Mario Kart Wii @ Kotaku]

Yes, those brave police officers in Chicago will be patrolling high-priority locations, as they already do at O'Hare and Midway airports, on top of these mobile justice administrators, also known as the Segway. The city's police department is spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 on the crime fighting machines, which supposedly enable officers to cover more ground while on the beat, coasting at an order-maintaing 12.5 miles per hour. Police officers also enjoy the benefits of being taller than the average person, allowing them to catch troublemakers and agitators quickly and efficiently.

Of course, Chicago isn't the only city to experiment with the Segway. Bomb squads in Ventura, Calif. and Little Rock use the motorized scooters to escort heroic officers laden with heavy protective equipment into and out of flash points, righteously protecting citizens in the process. – Nicholas Deleon

Chicago Cops Crack Heads, Ride Scooters [Defense Tech]