New Wii Channels this Week
That's right my friends, the wait is finally over. On December 22nd, Nintendo is unleashing the raw power of the Opera web browser on unsuspecting Wii owners. The press release I recieved today stated that it is just a beta, and that the full version will be released in March... but it's free for now. The best part? It's flash-enabled so you will be able to view YouTube movies on your Wii. I will never leave my couch, now.
Also in the release, Nintendo officially dated the Forecast Channel, which is going to be available on the 20th of December. (Edit: Looks like it's already up!)
The Internet Channel provides an optimal Web browsing experience on people's home television. The Adobe Flash-enabled beta version of the Opera browser puts the Internet right onto owners' television screens and lets them browse with ease, enabling them to check sports scores, plot maps or visit their favorite Web sites. Multiple family members can gather around the television to plan a vacation or make online purchases. The pointing abilities of the Wii Remote(TM) allow users to click on links they want to see or to zoom into any part of the screen through the motion of the controller. In addition, the Wii Remote can be used with an on-screen keyboard to make text entry as easy as point and click.
Interestingly, from the press release it sounds like multiple people can use the internet channel together using all four Wii remotes. If this is true, it will make for a truly interesting web surfing experience.
