The PlayStation Portable isn't the only Sony gadget running wild in the rumor mill this week.  Talk of a Nintendo Wii-type remote controller for the PlayStation 3 is starting again and today it's Variety's turn to tease.  This latest heaping of speculation goes into detail on how Sony's remote might work:

A good source saw a working prototype several months ago that largely fit what was in the patent. Sony's controller apparently used LEDs (light emitting diodes, essentially little electric light sources) and a small webcam to track the device's movements. Because the camera can read different color lights and the shape and angle of each light, it's much more accurate than the Wii-mote. It can track precise movements, including along the Z axis (pushing toward and away from the TV; something the Wii is really bad at) as well as velocity.

As Kombo.com reported last month, Sony is apparently reaching out to select developers and publishers to get some early software coming.

Well, that's intriguing.  It uses a webcam?  Sony will have us all buying PlayStation Eye cameras yet.  New controllers are only as useful as the games they support are fun, so we'll have to wait and see how this works out (if it is actually true).  This is all too expensive to be part of the casual invasion, but it could make for a nice "gateway drug" to ensnare family members in a PS3-equipped home that do not currently use the console.