December 27, 2006
Going Wii beyond the console
Extra Wii remotes - accessories for the new Nintendo console – have been as hard to come by as the Wii itself this Christmas.
One good reason: hackers are finding lots more uses for the Wii-mote beyond game-playing on the console and causing structural damage and personal injury.
The device works like an infra-red TV remote, but also contains motion-sensing technology and Bluetooth wireless capabilities.
Using a Bluetooth adapter on a PC, the Wii-mote can become a wireless mouse, with unique capabilities such as the ability to soar around Google Earth. It also works with a Mac, controlling something like Front Row, Apple’s media centre.
Beyond computers, there is the Wii-mote controlled car and the Roomba, which graphically demonstrates how Nintendo can really clean up with its invention.
Chris Nuttall, San Francisco
