Wiimote control for Google Earth

If air drumming or imaginary light sabers aren't your thing, then perhaps the familiar territory of Google Earth will be enough to get you to pull your Wiimote away from Zelda long enough to run a few scripts on your PC. There's nothing too complicated going on here, with just the requisite GlovePIE software (the Wiimote's new best friend) and the Google Earth script written by the star of today's video, J. Coulston, needed to take the world in your hands. Once you've got that up and running, you'll be able to impress your friends and navigate the globe with the flip of your wrist. Just don't get too excited when you spot your neighborhood. You know what can happen.

[Thanks, Jesse E.]

[Verity @ Dec 13th 2006 1:49PM]

This is getting ridiculous. Okay..so they're finding every conceivable use for the WiiRemote - but who cares that if it can be used as a remote mouse AND a google earth pointer?!. Are engadget going to report on every time someone comes up with a "new" use for this thing?. Tomorrow's big story - WiiRemote successfully used to control iTunes!!. Whoop.Dee. Doo. You've been able to do this kind of crap with bluetooth remotes for ages. Before bluetooth remote's you had things like Packard Bell's RF remote - controlling in this context is olllld news.

[shmengie @ Dec 13th 2006 1:54PM]

you took the words right outta my mouth!

[XSportSeeker @ Dec 14th 2006 11:44AM]

People who has WII cares. And you're not paying nor being forced to read these.
This also opens a discussion on more ways to use WIImote for other stuff than playing WII games. What Engadget might do releasing stuff that are being made with the WIImote might give ideas to more interesting stuff.
Engadget always supported hacks, and this is just great.
Tons of senseless acessories for iPod and cellphones are released here.
What really is ridiculous is people complaining there's too much info on a specific gadget on a Gadget blog.

Wanna tip? Just get yourself a good RSS reader and don't read or delete every news that has "WIImote" on it. Or just open the ones that has updates on the whole "WII destroyed my home" issue, if that makes you happy.

[[e-mail] @ Dec 13th 2006 1:53PM]

Thanks for the credits Engadget!

I'm still waiting on some news about how good that Wireless sensor bar is before I start trying out alot of the Wii-mote business goin around. I'm a little leary of the website. Could be a scam. Anybody do business with them yet?

[g_stewart @ Dec 13th 2006 1:57PM]

The sooner a Wii remote can be configured to flush a toilet the better.

I want to be able to take a Pee and use my Wii.....

As far as a Wii remote being used to control Google earth.... yawn

[minus_273 @ Dec 13th 2006 2:17PM]

Regarding GlovePIE , it should be noted that the explicitly licence forbids jews from using the software. Written by a charming fellow im sure.

[jdplala @ Dec 13th 2006 2:30PM]

While not actually saying Jews can't use the software, it does ban all use in Israel, among other odd restrictions. From the README:

This software is copyright.
By using this software you agree to obey the following license conditions:

* You can't make money using this software as part of a baseball simulation. This is for contractual reasons. But you can make as much money as you like using it for anything else.

* You may not use this software directly or indirectly for any military purpose. This includes, but is not limited to, training, research and development, controlling military hardware, directing military personel, or troop entertainment. You may not use this software anywhere on a military base or vessel. This applies to all versions of PIE.

* You may not export this software to Israel, or use it in Israel (including the occupied territories), until Israel has ended its occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, and anywhere else it may occupy. If you try to run it in Israel it will give you an error.

* Missionaries may not use this software. It may not be used for any missionary purpose. Or any other genocidal purpose.

* You may not use this software to cheat at online or multiplayer games. What constitutes cheating depends on the game and the server. Just using a different input device shouldn't be considered cheating, but complex scripted actions to make things easier may be considered cheating. Don't get GlovePIE banned, or you will hurt everyone who wants to play with a VR glove. But feel free to cheat at single player!

[Leoedin @ Dec 13th 2006 3:29PM]

Those are great - Obviously the author has some moral standards. It hardly bans jews from using the software.

[Tech^Cellfish @ Dec 13th 2006 2:40PM]

Great!

[jonathan @ Dec 13th 2006 2:58PM]

I like those restrictions. Makes sense to me.

[Dan @ Dec 13th 2006 9:51PM]

Sure it doesn't blanket ban jews.


"Missionaries may not use this software."

But that doesn't bother you?



I've got to agree with the criticism of the license. It's the worst license I've ever seen, including Vista's :p

I can't wait for someone less in love with his own opinions writes software to do the same thing. I'll use it faster than Carl can say 'peace man'

[Jeremy @ Dec 13th 2006 4:01PM]

I think he's just young and confused. But you can go here http://tinyurl.com/scahl and get a closer look at who he is and what he supports.

[seanchk @ Sep 17th 2007 5:48AM]

Thanks for the link, that guy is a wacko and having seen that site I think I'll develop a game where you are an Israeli soldier with a baseball bat and you get to run around hitting 'the enemy' and give it away free to everyone in Israel.

[Richard @ Dec 13th 2006 4:36PM]

Don't you mean 'The' Google Earth?

[John @ Dec 13th 2006 4:48PM]

The only thing i'm still excited about is WiiCade.com. I want to play flash games on my Wii, and that site looks pretty kickass.

[Mr. Picklesworth @ Dec 13th 2006 6:16PM]

This would be impressive if, any only if, it rotated the globe based on how the controller is rotated.
As demonstrated from the very beginning, it is possible to recognize exact rotation on some of the sensors thanks to the Earth's gravitational pull, so it is quite possible.
Building on that a bit more, how about zooming by pushing the remote forward and backward?

Right now, this is hardly imaginative.

[Babau @ Dec 13th 2006 7:58PM]

If the Wiimote was just any other remote control then yeah, this would be useless news. However, the Wiimote contains sophisticated accellerometers and an as-yet-still-enigmatic IR locator system. This means that it's well poised to be a homebrew 3D mouse, which is very cool.

[Sean Benton @ Dec 13th 2006 8:51PM]

Meh. Wake me when they figure out the IR.

[Leoedin @ Dec 14th 2006 9:29AM]

Nope - perhaps the author, who owns copyright, has decided that forcing your religion on others is not something he wants to happen in the world, and so he is reflecting that by disallowing missionaries to use his software.

I personally would not hesitate to license software in the same way.

[hydertop @ Jan 15th 2009 1:51AM]

how can i get the maps that related with almuthana airport in iraq (baghdad)

[zhok @ Mar 23rd 2009 2:16PM]

you can find lots of amazing and weird google earth spots at

http://caughtfromabove.com

I hope you enjoy ;)