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Wii - now with bonus Bluetooth functionality? [update 1]
You'd think a company like Nintendo would hype up all the features of its new console to the point of abject sin, right? Well, all you savvy tech guys out there, there may be at least one Nintendo isn't telling you about.Some readers over at the Official Nintendo Forums are claiming an interesting ability of the Wii: it has the capability of receiving Bluetooth signals from various devices, including cellular phones. Apparently, one is able to go right into the Photo Channel of the Wii and immediately access pictures from a nearby Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, with no hassle or setup, as long as an SD card is inserted into the system. This is an extremely convenient way to view pictures from a cell phone on a larger screen, and would be a welcome addition to the functionality of the Photo Channel.With the Wii's apparent ability to receive and transmit Bluetooth to any generic device, might we see Bluetooth headset compatibility for voice chat in the future? Not having to buy a proprietary headset would be awesome, no?[Update 1: Alas, this has been proven 100% false. Why are people such jerks?][Thanks, Nick!]
Poland first to get MGM Channel in HD
While we're overjoyed to hear that some of our own are receiving additional HD programming out of the blue, we can't help but extend our congratulations to Poland on locking down yet another HD offering. The country's private television broadcaster, ITI Group, it teaming up with MGM Studios to launch an HD version of the MGM Movie Channel on the nation's "N" direct-to-home satellite television platform. Furthermore, this is MGM's first dedicated channel to be delivered in high definition, and will reportedly cover a smorgasbord of genres and eras while including films like "Raging Bull, Midnight Cowboy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Coming Home, Network and The Manchurian Candidate." Additionally, Poland's leading commercial television network (TVN) , as well as "third party cable operators" will be able to offer the new channel to those without "N." If all goes as planned, the folks in Poland can be enjoying their very own HD movie channel by the year's end.[Thanks, Arsenal]
Wii channels not yet fully operational
Most of the online functions of the Wii will not be ready when we start bringing the consoles home this weekend. According to a recent press release, the forecast channel will debut on December 20, while the news channel will debut next year, in late January. The shopping channel will be up and running, however, with twelve Virtual Console titles ready on launch day. The Virtual Console will be updated every Monday with new content, though the release did not specify if that would begin November 20, or the following Monday -- not that we have long to wait until we find out.The press release included no information about the forthcoming Opera browser other than that it would be downloaded to the console via the Wii Shop channel. [Via Joystiq]
INHD2 is dead, long live INHD1...err, Mojo
In Demand president Rob Jacobson confirmed the rumors we've been hearing about INHD, INHD2 will shut down January 1st and merge its programming with INHD1. There's also "a good chance" that the singular channel will adopt the name of its current primetime programming block, Mojo. The network is also considering adding additional nights of original programming to the Mojo block. More original HDTV shows, less Tour de Gorge should make everyone happy, we think.[Thanks, Chris]
The skinny on Wii Channels
The new interface of the Nintendo Wii is organized into "channels", each containing different services and functions. The English version of wii.com gives a nice summary of the initial channels. Here's what they do: The Disc channel is simply for playing games based off of optical media, i.e. Wii or Gamecube discs. Nothing fancy here. The Mii channel allows a player to create his or her own digital avatar. These avatars will most likely be your online "identity", but will also appear in certain software, such as Wii Sports. The Photo channel is a channel that allows you to view and share digital photos and movies from an external source. The Wii also contains an iPhoto-like functionality, allowing you to touch up, alter, and distort your photos to your heart's content. The Forecast channel will give you a look at local weather. You can also zoom out in a very Google Earth-esque fashion, and view data for pretty much anywhere in the world. The News channel is for, well, news. Various topics will be broken down into topical categories for your viewing pleasure. Remember, this and the weather service are free of charge. The Wii Shop channel is, as expected, the online marketplace for the Wii. You'll mainly be in here buying games for the Virtual Console, but you can also purchase Opera's web browser and whatever else Nintendo decides to charge. Hopefully, extra multiplayer maps and the like will remain free, but we suppose that's up to the publisher. The Virtual Console channels are the channels that allow you to play games from any of the various systems supported: NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and the TurboGrafx-16. The Internet channel allows one to surf the internet. However, this is not free; an Opera browser must be purchased for a currently unknown price. However, the browser supports Adobe Flash, AJAX software, and essentially every feature a major browser should; it's a nice step up from the DS version. The Message Board channel allows users to post messages on various boards, and send messages or photos directly to PCs or cell phones. This is also the service through which games will be updated and patched. And there you have it! Looks like we're gonna be doing some hardcore channel surfing when the Wii hits the streets.
