Wii fa ns, hold on to your hats Wiimotes (tightly). A couple of updates are coming down the fat pipes of the Intertube, delivered straight to your gleaming white console. First off, the Wii's Forecast channel will be available today, so you can finally figure out what the weather's like outside without tearing yourself away from that game of Twilight Princess to look out a window.
In addition, December 22nd has been announced as the drop date for the Wii-version of web browser Opera. This is the trial version—the final version comes out some time in the spring. Of course you can also learn all this in ninja comic strip form, if that's how you get your jollies.
I'm curious to know how the Wiimote works as a device for navigating the web—I'd imagine pretty well, but I'm officially deputizing our own Derik to bring us the full skinny. As soon as he comes back from wherever the heck he's disappeared off to. He better bring me back a doughnut like he promised though.
[via Joystiq]
Between the keyboard, mouse, and trackpad, computer users often have their hands full. But you have two other perfectly good appendages sitting under that desk, just waiting to tap and stomp their way to usefulness. And now that there's the Fragpedal Deluxe, that's just what they can do.
The Fragpedal features two separate polycarbonate, aluminum, and non-skid rubber foot pedals, each with two tough rubber membrane-switch buttons. You can program the buttons to execute commands on click, click and release, or even double click. One suggested use is to set these babies up for your frag sessions, so that your shots won't go wild when you accidentally jerk the mouse with a too-hard click—then again, I'm sure there are perfectly peaceful alternative uses as well. Like, er, page turning. Sure.
The $70 Fragpedal Deluxe is compatible with Windows, Linux, and OS X, with no special drivers needed. It connects via USB and includes an optional configuration utility for programming the devices.
[via Uber-Review]
Reports of straps breaking on the Nintendo Wii's remotes have spread across the web faster than paparazzi pictures of Lindsay Lohan. As we mentioned previously, it appeared as though Nintendo had quietly acknowledged this problem, shipping versions of the console in Australia and elsewhere that discarded the weak straps in favor of thicker, more resilient versions.
The big N has now taken a more vocal stance by offering to replace the straps for Wii owners the world over. All Wii owners have to do is fill in an official strap replacement form on Nintendo's website. That's it; no need to send in your own straps or anything of the like. Your new straps will arrive, delivered by cartoon plumbers, in 5-9 days. While the move will likely cost Nintendo quite a bit of cash, it's worthwhile as long as it fixes the problem.
[via BBC]
Sony, I'd really like to believe you when you say you've got all the manufacturing kinks out of the PlayStation 3, and that you'll be shipping a million units before the end of the year, but I've just been hurt too many times in the past. I need some time.
So far, you've reportedly sold just shy of 200,000 units, which is a mere fifth of what you're predicting. And now you say you can move four times that in the next month, which works out to roughly 200,000 units a week.
I'm not just certain I can trust you, Sony. You'll say anything to get into my wallet with your sweet, sweet Blu-Ray loving. And if I do break down, how will I ever be able to look at myself in the mirror every morning? Hm?
[via Engadget]
There are so many options out there for mice that it's hard to find one single metric to judge them by—when it comes right down to it, input devices are about as personal as underwear. Don't believe me? Ever been grossed out when you had to use someone's ganky mouse? Yeah, thought so.
The folks at ESReality instead decided to focus on which mouse was best suited to gaming—which, if you will, is the most fragalicious. They picked three categories: Perfect Control, Malfunction Speed, and Dots-per-inch. How did their testing work? Well, they cut a mousepad into a circular shape and placed it atop a turntable over which they clamped a mouse. Crazy? Yeah. Crazy dedicated.
The findings? Logitech's MX500, overclocked to 1000MHz took home the cake with the highest final ranking, as well as the highest "Bang4Buck" award. Of course, if benchmarks and mice float your boat, well, there's a 22 page report to read, so get to it.
[via Joystiq]
First-person shooters are usually my genre of choice when it comes to computer games. As such, I've usually been happy on the PC platform, but with the introduction of several top-notch FPSs for Xbox 360, including megahit Gears of War, I've been sorely tempted. But the one thing that still keeps me away is the control scheme: I'm no big fan of game pads.
XCM's XFPS 360 could cure me of my fear, but it's still only a prototype. The device hooks up to an Xbox 360 via USB, and allows you to plug in a keyboard and mouse via either USB or PS/2. As every true FPS player knows in their heart, the keyboard/mouse combo is the superior control when it comes to headshots, humiliation, and sniping. Accept no substitutes.
Price and availability are still missing, but XCM promises the XPS 360 "very soon." I await with bated breath.
[via The Gadget Blog]
Unless you're living in some sort of Biodome (and if you are, please ensure that Pauly Shore never ever escapes), you've probably heard about the Nintendo Wii's problem with the wrist straps on the Wii Remotes breaking during play. While it seems as though injuries to people have been so far avoided, many a television has not been quite so lucky.
However, it looks as though Nintendo has already started work on fixing the problem. They've introduced a thicker reinforced strap on units shipping to Australia and Europe. No news as of yet on whether new US and Japanese units, which went out the door earlier, have the new wrist straps included.
In related news, I still haven't been able to actually find a store selling the Wii, despite Nintendo's assertion that they would ship several million units before the holidays were up. I'll keep my eyes open.
[via Kotaku]
So you snagged yourself a Wii and you're getting into the swing of downloading vintage games to play on the Virtual Console. Some of them you can play using the Wiimote, and others you'll need to spend $20 on the Classic Controller. But wouldn't it be great to use those old NES/SNES controllers you have lying around? For a truly nostalgic turn?
RetroZone to the rescue. For $19 you can buy from them an adapter that plugs into the Wii's GameCube port (although the image above looks pretty clearly to feature a USB plug) and lets you connect one of those super hip NES or SNES controllers. Yes, we know the Wii's Classic Controller only costs $20, but it's hardly the same. The NES adapter goes on sale in January, with the SNES adapter following later in the quarter.
[via Joystiq]
Dan is rather impatiently awaiting my thoughts on the Nintendo Wii I got on launch day. Why haven’t I written anything about it yet? To be quite honest, it’s a lot more fun to play with than to write about. I took a series of pictures as I unpacked mine that are still locked away in my digital camera. I promise to put them up on Flickr soon.
The controller really makes the system. The Wii-mote and Nunchuk make what would be rather lackluster games (such as the ones on the included Wii Sports) into hours of fun. I even got my 70+ year old father to bowl on the system. It took him a little time to get used to it, but after a while, he and I were having a ball. My brother kicked my butt at baseball. The Nintendo Wii is the perfect system for any family. End of story.
I’m actually looking forward to playing with others again. Sure, I’ve been having a ball with Zelda (post forthcoming I promise), but it’s playing with others that really makes the Wii stand out. That and actually making you sweat, a very strange experience I have to say. I’m thinking that if I can round up Scott (from MacUser) and Dan, we’ll go through a couple dozen AA batteries.
Let me know in the comments if you’d like my Wii’s number so you can be my buddy.
