If you’re fond of souping up

your Wii, you might notice something missing in the D2B model. Apparently some of the pins have been cut, preventing the easy install of a mod chip (’course, this is nothing new - such things were reported in 2007). To wit:

…There are two technique for installing a mod chip in these systems, you can simply solder the small stub back onto the pad where it should go. Or you can grind away some of the top of the chip so that you can solder to the wires that are located in the chip.

“Here is how I handle these cut chips without grinding…

* Strip some 30gauge wire and flux it and tin it really well.
* Apply flux to the cut area on the chip.
* Steadily hold the wire vertically so that the wire makes contact with the solder pad on the board and the stub where the leg was cut.
* Apply your iron on the wire pressing it onto the stub/chip.
* Cut extra wire, install mod chip as normal and test.
* Once verified as working apply some hot glue just to make sure nothing moves.”…MORE…

Kinda makes me wish I had paid more attention in shop class (do they even have those nowadays?).

And if you’re looking for some Wii modding resources, check out:

• Wii Hacks
• HackAWii
• Wii Hacks II

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - looking for some nifty Wii mod tools? Enjoy:

SKY BLUE CHROME SKIN for Nintendo Wii system skins mod

Nintendo GameCube & Wii Remote Wiimote Nunchuk TOOL Mod

Holographic glitter NINTENDO Wii Mod SYSTEM SKIN kit

Wii Remote & Nunchuck Mods-controller mod Nintendo game

Mod Spare Parts Case Cover For Nintendo Wii Console NEW

Fire Emblem Wii RPG Game SKIN MOD for Nintendo DS Lite

Mod Spare Parts Case Cover For Nintendo Wii Console NEW

I’m sure you remember the Star Trek

TNG episode in which Wesley is the only person not to be seduced by a game that operates via brain waves?

Well, it’s coming along sooner than you’d think! To wit:

…

The next video game controller you use might be between your ears. A start-up company called Emotiv Systems has developed a helmet-like headset that, it says, lets users control game characters with their thoughts.

The device looks like something used for heavy-duty orthodontics, and it comes with receptors that read activity among the brain’s neurons. The player then teaches the device’s software to associate thought patterns with commands. According to the game news blog Kotaku, which got an early look, players could push and pull an object by willing it so or scare spirits away with a grimace.

Due out this year, Emotiv’s device offers one of the more far-out views of what the future of the gaming industry could look like….MORE….

Now if that isn’t just plain cool, I don’t know what is.

And you can read more at:

• Emotiv Systems Seeking Volunteers for Brain Research
• Emotiv Set To Deploy First Consumer PC Brain Driven Controller
• Brain control gaming from Emotiv
• You need to think in l33t
• Mind controlled games. Coming this year

What do YOU think?

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - current remote control goodies include:

Boeing 757 plane RC Electric Radio Remote Controlled

2 Fujinon EPT-5D-10D Remote Controlled Pan Tilt Camera

Yellow Hydro Radio Remote Controlled RC Speed Boat RTR

REMOTE CONTROLLED U COMMAND WALL E WIRELESS ROBOT NEW

Remote Controlled Electric Super King Sports Car 1 12

RadioRay GOLIGHT wireless remote controlled NO RESERVE

Boeing 757 plane RC Electric Radio Remote Controlled

Twin Speed Boat Set Remote Controlled GREAT FUN! K0606

This story from Kansas

does my heart good.

….Can a ninety four-year-old do anything a four-year-old can? One local nursing home activities director thought so after she watched her son enjoy the video game Nintendo Wii. They say a group of nursing home residents stay young by playing a game meant for their grandkids.

The activity room at the Ozark Nursing and Care Center is packed when it’s time for Wii. On Tuesday the crowd was tense. All of them hoping Nondis Payne would knock down two final pins. Applause erupts and Payne shouts, “Yes, yes. It’s my first time.”

The bowling competition at the skilled nursing home is fierce. Activities Director Flo Marcus says, “It’s pretty stiff.” She says it can also be fun. Residents all around the room say ‘good job’ as the nearly 94 year-old Elverdia Griffin gets another spare. Marcus says, “Our best is our oldest. She bowls fast and she got a 161.” Griffin has lots of skills but even more modesty when it comes to mastering a video game most likely made for her grandkids. Griffin says, “I’m not good. I thought that I’d never do anything with that game but with a little practice I’ve improved a little.”…MORE….

Love to hear the Wii is having such a positive impact in nursing homes. And if you’d like to know learn more about Wiihabilitation, check out:

• Doctors use Wii games for rehab therapy
• Wii and Wiihab

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - want some cool Wii accessories?

iShop2go Nintendo — Wii — PEGA 5 in 1 Laser Gun

Wii Fit

3 in 1 Sport Pack for Nintendo Wii Remote Controller

Nintendo Wii Sport Accessory Pack + Racing Wheel + Gun

HOT Boxing Glove for Nintendo Wii Remote Game Console

6 PACK CASE COVER BUNDLE ACCESSORY SET FOR NINTENDO WII

Mulit All Accessories game pack for Nintendo Wii system

6 PK CASE COVER ACCESSORY BUNDLE SET FOR NINTENDO WII

Nintendo Wii Sport Accessory Pack + Racing Wheel + Gun

This is really cool

the next homebrew that works via the Twilight Princess exploit has been released. It’s Tetris! Check out the video below.

Personally, I want to see Millipede, Cosmic Guerrila and Joust. But should you desire to conquer the world in Tetris, you will probably enjoy:

• Tetris Tips
• Tetris Forums
• Mastering Tetris

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - Want other Tetrisy goodness?

FAMILY TETRIS 2 PLAYER PLUG AND PLAY TV VIDEO GAMES NEW

FAMILY TETRIS 2 PLAYER PLUG AND PLAY TV VIDEO GAMES NEW

New Nintendo NDS DS DS Lite Game Tetris DS

TETRIS NINTENDO NES GAME ORIGINAL CLASSIC RARE PUZZLE

Tetris II Snes in Box w instruction booklet

Nintendo Nes Game Lot: Dr. Mario - Tetris - Othello Dr

TWO GAMEBOY GAMES TETRIS AND TETRIS2

Star Wars Clone Wars Tetris World combo pack (Xbox)

More and more information

is coming about what really went into developing WiiFIT. Here’s some snippets that involve the actual developers themselves:

…And so, because your repeated attempts to discuss your ideas with scales manufacturers were going nowhere, you decided to make the accessory yourselves. But then the focus switched from ordinary bathroom scales to an accessory that could even measure your balance, which I imagine was a major turning point for the Wii Fit project. Sawano-san, the hardware planner, mentioned in the last interview that the idea for a machine that could measure balance was inspired by the fact that sumo wrestlers weigh themselves on two scales placed side-by-side. When did you software developers first hit on the idea of implementing balance measuring?…

… I was doing a lot of Internet research when I discovered a Seitai³ therapy method for maintaining good posture that involved the use of two scales. Soon afterwards, I discussed the idea of measuring balance with Miyamoto-san….

I knew by then that ordinary bathroom scales couldn’t offer us anything more than they already did, so I spent a lot of time just thinking about what would make an accessory similar to bathroom scales look new and interesting, and in the process ended up with the concept of measuring balance. Next, as Miyamoto-san talked about in the first part of this series, we tested a program that would calculate the balance of a person standing on two bathroom scales and display the figure as two percentages on-screen. Everybody was really enjoying this test. It was really difficult keeping the balance at 50-50, which would have of course required zen-like concentration to achieve. We decided that this was the ultimate challenge, and we’ve kept it alive in the final version of Wii Fit as an Easter egg….MORE….

Easter eggs? Did someone say, Easter Eggs? Love those things. Here are some Wii Easter Eggs sites:

• Nintendo Wii Easter Eeggs
• Twilight Easter Egg

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

PS - until the WiiFit hits these shores, you can enjoy:

Faceplate Skin Skins fit Guitar Hero 3 Xbox 360 Wii PS3

Faceplate Skin Skins fit Guitar Hero 3 Xbox 360 Wii PS3

Faceplate Skin Skins fit Guitar Hero 3 Xbox 360 Wii PS3

Skins fit Guitar Hero Wii Guitar & Remote U pick Skin

Skins fit Guitar Hero Wii Guitar & Remote U pick Skin

FACEPLATE SKIN FITS GUITAR HERO 3 GAME FOR WII SKINS ZW

FACEPLATE GUITAR HERO 3 LESPAUL SKINS! Fits Wii Guitar!

Now, let me be

the first to say, Guitar Hero and Owlbert are two separate, distinct non-intersecting entities. But hey, that’s me.

Well, if you can’t get enough finger exercise, there’s now Teeny Tiny Guitar Hero! First mentioned by Technabob, it reads:

…. Basic Fun’s pint-sized Guitar Hero Caribiner game offers up a variety of rock tunes from both Guitar Hero I and II, including Smoke on the Water, Rock this Town, Cherry Pie, Killer Queen, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Miserlou, Heart Shaped Box, Message in a Bottle, Jessica, and Surrender. An LCD screen displays the notes required, and you simply tap on the color-coded buttons when you’re ready to jam. There’s even a miniature version of the all-important “whammy bar” so you can give your music some extra finesse….MORE….

I wonder if there’s some Barry Manilow tunes?

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - some cool Guitar Hero goodies include:

FACEPLATE SKIN FITS GUITAR HERO 3 FOR XBOX 360 SKINS PH

Sony PlayStation 2 9 Games Guitar Hero

Faceplate Skin Skins fit Guitar Hero 3 Xbox 360 Wii PS3

Faceplate Skin Skins for Guitar Hero 3 III Nintendo Wii

Guitar Hero 1 2 3 controler Wall mount stand Rock Band!

2 GUITAR HERO GUITARS W GUITAR HERO LEGENDS OF ROCK

GUITAR HERO III Sony PS3 WIRELESS Guitar Controller []

GUITAR HERO III 3 BUNDLE PS3 WIRELESS Legends Rock

Guitar Hero Aerosmith Xbox 360 Game & Guitar Controller

Brain wave interfaces!

It’s the latest in the technological developments of virtual gaming. To wit:

…The breakaway success of Nintendo’s Wii and games like Guitar Hero has game developers exploring new interfaces and inputs that incorporate full body motion, balance - and even thoughts.

A new generation of peripherals - including brain-activated headsets, 3-D cameras and a balance board from Nintendo - offer the potential to create new gaming experiences while broadening the industry’s appeal to mainstream consumers.

Many of the latest offerings will be on display this week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the largest industry-focused gathering for game professionals….

…In that vein, San Francisco’s Emotiv is expected to announce a new headset Tuesday that measures brain activity and turns it into game play. The headset, which features 16 sensors, allows players to levitate and turn objects and make them disappear. The headset is expected to go on sale this year bundled with a game, but can also be made to work with existing PC titles.

Users “train” the headset by leading it through a series of exercises. As it understands how you think about manipulating an object or executing a move, it remembers those brain wave patterns and allows you to call upon the same thoughts in the game….MORE….

Sounds great to me! And if you’d like to see what the 2008 Game Developers Conference has in store for you, check out:

• 2008 Game Developers Program Guide

• 2008 Game Developers Events Guide
• 2008 Game Developers Exhibitors

Something not to be missed, indeed.

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - want some great game programming resources?

NEW Game Programming for Teens, Second Edition …

NEW Beginning Game Programming with Flash …

PHP GAME PROGRAMMING with CD : Condition: BRAND NEW !

NEW Best of Game Programming Gems …

NEW Awesome 3D Game Development: No Programming Requ…

NEW Beginning Java Game Programming with CDROM …

NEW Professional Xna Game Programming for Xbox 360 a…

NEW AI Game Programming Wisdom 4 …

NO PROGRAMMING Software Create Your Own 3D VIDEO GAMES

So! You’ve heard about Wiis

and you want a Wii and you crave a Wii and yet….you just can’t find the darn Wii!

But not to fear! Thanks to Tekeeze, there are several tricks you can use to better your chances. To wit:

…

Use a Wii tracker. Websites like WiiTracker, Outastock, and Weebly track inventories at hundreds of retailers, such as Circuit City, WalMart, and Dell, and post notices as soon as new Nintendo Wiis become available at any of them.

Get cozy with store owners. Once they trust you, they’ll tell you when new shipments are expected in. I suggest subtle flattery, and bribes if you’re feeling confident. Also, check out smaller, less popular stores. There’s a lot more competition to find a Wii at Wal-Mart than at Randy’s Video Game Shack….MORE….

I’d also like to add, you can post at your local Freecycle.org in the off-chance your millionaire neighbors are cleaning their house and want to reduce their clutter.

And don’t forget the Wii Finder Widget! Add it to your MacOS dashboard.

Want some reviews?


Wii Fit

Feature: … Lean to block soccer balls, swivel hips to power hoop twirls or balance to hold the perfect yoga pose. As you stand on the Wii Balance Board, included with Wii Fit, your body’s overall balance is tied to the game in a way you’ve never experienced before; Wii Fit also uses the Wii Balance Board for daily tests. These evaluate two key measures that a household can track via progress charts -; Body Mass Index (BMI) - A weight evaluation based on a ratio of weight to height; Wii Fit Age - The Wii Fit Age is measured by factoring the user’s BMI reading, testing the user’s center of gravity and conducting quick balance tests; Wii Fit includes more than 40 types of training activities designed to appeal to all members of a household. Training falls into four fitness categories - …more
Customer Reviews — [1] Rating: 4 Date: 2008-06-22 Summary: Good investment … Game is fun - can keep track of exercising. Some of the comments made by the fitness “instructor” or the animated Wii board could be more positive, especially when you dont do so well. Variety of ways to mix up your workout. If you do any one exercise to music too many times the song does stick in your head but I guess that’s what they want. Overall, everyone using it is enjoying it. …more
[2] Rating: 5 Date: 2008-06-22 Summary: Couch Potato No More … I love the Wii Fit. I am working on losing weight after being a couch potato for most of my adult life. The exercises are fun and I really feel it when I am through. It may not be challenging for those who exercise routinely but it was a good starting point for me. My whole family loves it. …more
Editorial Reviews — [1] … Product Description | Get a great workout right in your home without going to the gym. Nintendo Wii Fit with Wii Balance Board turns your living room into a fitness center for the whole family. Family members will have fun getting a “core” workout, and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu. Aerobic Exercise - 10-minute exercises that are designed to get your heart pumping Muscle Conditioning - Controlled motions using arms, legs and other body parts Yoga Poses…more
[2] … Amazon.com | The active-play phenomenon started by Wii Sports now spreads to your whole body thanks to Wii Fit and the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board, which comes bundled with it. Used together players will experience an extensive array of fun, dynamic and surprisingly challenging activities, including aerobics, yoga, muscle stretches and balance oriented games. The focus of these activities is towards providing a “core” workout, a popular exercise method that emphasizes slower, controlled motions, but…more

Wii

Feature: … Plays two disc formats in a single, self-loading media bay; Features a processing chip from IBM and a graphics chip from ATI; Backwards compatible with all Nintendo GameCube games and most peripherals; Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gaming service; Wii Sports game included …more
Customer Reviews — [1] Rating: 5 Date: 2008-06-20 Summary: The Wii … We received our Wii bundle from […] yesterday and can’t get enough. We love it! I’m 51 and love it and I am not one for “video” games. My teenage girls think it’s great. We are waiting for the delivery of the Wii fit. It worked right out of the box and between my 17yo and I we had it up and running in no time. Well worth what I paid for it(which was a great price for I received). …more
[2] Rating: 5 Date: 2008-06-18 Summary: Wii, indeed … I was fairly skeptical about all of the enthusiasm regarding the Will — after all, how different could it really be from other platforms? All I can say now is, Nintendo — forgive me for having doubted you. It really *is* fun for the entire family. It really *is* easy to setup and use. It really *is* the most interactive video game experience I have ever seen. It is the best value in video gaming, and well worth the wait. …more

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - and of course, don’t forget about:

Just posted

on YouTube! Team Twiizers has managed a Hello World display using the exploit available of Zelda. Briefly in a nutshell:

“Once the Wii decrypts the save game, it checks its signature. Every Wii has its own private key which is used to sign save games, and when you save a game, the Wii actually saves three bits of data:

• The encrypted save game
• The signature for the save game (using your console’s private key)
• A copy of your console’s public key, signed by Nintendo.”

Check it out below:

And if you’re just learning about Zelda and the exploit, here are 2 great resources for you:

• Zelda Exploit - Run Unsigned Code w/o Modchip
• HomeBrew Wii Zelda Exploit

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - here are some cool Zelda goodies:

Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Nintendo Wii Game NEW

NEW SEALED Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Wii Game !

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

WII GC LEGEND OF ZELDA TWILIGHT PRINCESS STRATEGY GUIDE

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) Used

ZELDA NINTENDO WII CLASSIC GAME RETRO T-SHIRT

Combat Pack for Wii Games Zelda Red Steel -CLEAR STOCKS

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) + Booklet

The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition (Wii, GameCube)

I confess
Please click here to continue your search.

I just can’t get enough of WiiFIT especially after seeing the parody video. But I digress.

The president of Nitendo, Satoru Iwana, talked about his views of the WII Fit and ideas for the future. Utterly fascinating it is, too; here’s a snippet of the transcript:

…Sumo wrestlers are so heavy that when they weigh themselves, they need to step onto two scales laid side by side. I started thinking about this, and thought that it could be really interesting. So I told Yamazaki-san to bring me two scales that can transfer data to a computer, and we immediately started working on a prototype…

…Miyamoto-san had only told me that the idea for measuring balance came from laying two bathroom scales side by side, so I didn’t know about the sumo wrestlers at all. What a surprise! So, you began researching balance measurement next. …

…Which is all very well for bathroom scales, but useless for a game accessory. (laughs) After all, video games process 60 images a second. A game accessory that could send out signals only 4 or 5 times a second would make the controls feel sluggish, and it would be impossible to develop games operated by shifting your balance.…MORE….

Can’t wait for it to hit the US shores! And if you have one, let me know how much you like it.

Oh, and want to network with fellow WiiERs?

• Wii Users.net
• Wii Chat
• Wii Healthy Forum

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - need a great Wii console too?