It's the Wii laptop! We spent the last few weeks (including much time spent over the holidays evading relatives) slaving over this bad boy and finally it's complete. Check out the features:

• 16:9 widescreen LCD, 7-inch diagonal.
• Stereo sound
• Gamecube controller port
  
• Built-in short range Sensor Bar
• Ports for using original Sensor Bar and A/V output jacks (for use on external display)
• Built-in power supply and compartment for power cord
• Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.7 x 2-inches
  

Starting next Tuesday we'll be doing a multi-part How-To with detailed instructions for building your own Wii laptop, as well as loads of photos of the construction process. But for now check out the gallery for more detailed photos of the unit, and click on to see some video of the Wii laptop in action.

[Big ups to our man Ben Heckendorn! -Ed.]

For The Video

Look at the pretty lights: Wiimote modded up purty

Chalk another one up for "interesting things to do with your Wiimote that most assuredly void the warranty." Leet hax0r "sir crx" of the MaxConsole Forums just got LED happy in his Wiimote, but unlike lame-o attempts by his predecessors, crx did his one up right, with a different LED color for each controller "port." The blue, red, green and yellow colors denote players 1-4 and make for quite the show -- in a complete Wii fanboy sort of way, naturally.

Woman dies trying to win a Wii

With all the hysteria and violence surrounding the PlayStation 3 launch, we were almost positive that it would be the pursuit of Sony's hard-to-find console which would lead to the tragic death of a hopeful gamer. But even though there were numerous scuffles and injuries in the race to secure a PS3, the first and only casualty in the next-gen wars turned out to be a woman trying to win a Wii for her children -- and she lost her life in much more bizarre circumstances than the retail madness we witnessed in late November. 28-year-old Jennifer Strange of Rancho Cardova, CA was found dead inside her home on Friday afternoon after competing in a radio station-sponsored competition which pitted hopefuls against one another for the prize of Nintendo's latest and greatest. Instead of competing on the playing fields of Wii sports or the Japanese streets of Red Steel, however, contestants gathered inside the studios of Sacramento's KDND The End to see who could drink the most water without urinating. The ridiculously-titled "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest had entrants imbibe eight ounces of water every fifteen minutes for 90 minutes, after which they were given larger portions until a winner emerged. Ms. Strange -- who did not win -- left the studio in tears, and she was last heard from by her employers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento complaining of a terrible headache. Autopsy results released yesterday showed signs of water intoxication, wherein the body's electrolyte levels are dangerously unbalanced due to a rapid intake of the seemingly harmless liquid. A spokesperson from The End came out with the usual sob story following news of Strange's death, but at least one of her coworkers thinks the station should have done more to prevent this tragedy; it's probably a pretty safe bet that a lawsuit is forthcoming.

More ways for Wii to fly off the handle

If Hong Kong-based Brando were a little kid, he'd be the one in the back row of the classroom getting everyone else in trouble. That, at least, is what the gadget maker seems to be doing (wittingly or otherwise) with its "Sports Pack" of accessories for the Wii.

The innovative "Wiimote" of Nintendo's new game system has gotten the company in some legal trouble with people who blame the device for gaming-induced injuries. Now Brando comes along with a set of attachments to the wireless remote, including pint-sized versions of a tennis racket, golf club and baseball bat, of all things. (Remember the De Niro scene in The Untouchables?)

Web apps start hitting the Wii

Now that Nintendo's coveted Wii is equipped with an Opera browser, the gaming console is now capable of all kinds of Web-based fun! One of the cool gimmicks that I'm pretty pumped about is the fact that you can now control iTunes with your Wii remote. It's possible thanks to the Dot.Tunes application, which can stream music from your iTunes library to any number of devices: other computers, Web-enabled cell phones, and PSPs. On the Wii, you can use the Opera browser to access Dot.Tunes, which has a Flash interface that you can navigate with the Wiimote.

Keep in mind, however, that Dot.Tunes is not freeware: it'll cost you $30 once your 15-day free trial expires. But I'm anticipating that we'll be seeing more tie-ins between popular webware and the Wii browser within due time. And, optimally, a few of them won't cost you an extra cent.

Dot.Tunes on the Wii
(Credit: Listening Post)

Note that I didn't implement the corny term "Wiitunes" a single time in this post. One, it's a bad pun. Two, Wired's Listening Post blog got there first.

Next-gen console shortage could linger into 2007

Shoppers are standing in lines to snap up Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii video game consoles as they become available, and some analysts do not expect shortages to ease until March or later.

Shoppers are finding lots of PlayStation 2s and Microsoft Xbox 360s, expected to do well as substitutes for the newest machines that are in short supply.

One employee at a Target store said the retailer issues a memo a couple of days in advance of Wii and PS3 shipments and passes the information on to shoppers, who sometimes stand in line to secure their booty.

As he spoke, shoppers snapped up PlayStation Portables and Apple Computer iPods.

American Technology Research analyst Paul-Jon McNealy said that since Sony shipment numbers include units in transit or in warehouses, the company's target of 1 million could translate to 600,000 to 800,000 units at retail by year end.

McNealy said investors and game makers tempered their forecasts for the PS3s since initial numbers fell short. He added that the PS3 will likely remain scarce through the June quarter.

"They have to launch in Europe, and they're stretched," said McNealy.

Wii shortages could ease in the March quarter, he said.

Workers at a dozen Southern California stores, including Best Buy, GameStop and Target outlets, said PS3 shipments were small and sporadic this shopping season, ranging from as few as 1 or 2 to 25, and that shoppers snapped up consoles as they arrived.

"We get 1 or 2 every week to week and a half," said a weary Los Angeles GameStop employee. Nintendo's Wii was selling out fast but reaching stores in greater numbers than the PS3, store clerks said.

The $250 Wii, known for its motion-sensitive controller that can be swung like a tennis racquet or a sword, and the high-end $600 PS3 both launched in the United States in mid-November and take on the year-old Microsoft Xbox 360 in the new generation video game console battle.

Sony's PS2, which has sold more than 106 million units globally, is expected to be a top seller this season.

Toys "R" Us said its 587 U.S. stores expected more than 6,000 PS3s, thousands of Wiis and over 30,000 Microsoft Xbox 360s in the week leading up to Christmas.

Interlink sues Nintendo over Wiimote

California-based Interlink, a company that manufacturers remote controls and other devices for business presentations, is suing Nintendo over an alleged patent violation involving the Wii's motion-sensitive remote control. Interlink filed the complaint in the US District Court in Delaware (where their corporation is legally formed), claiming that their 2005 patent for a "Trigger Operated Electronic Device" (US Patent 6,850,221 B1) was violated by the Wiimote.

The patent depicts an image of Interlink's "Trigger Operated Electronic Device" which looks oddly like a Star Trek: The Next Generation phaser and comes with a couple of buttons on top and a small vertical IR sensor that sits next to a computer monitor. The legal filing does not disclose the exact nature of the infringement, but it does not appear as though the patent covers the kind of full motion sensitivity found in the Wiimote. Careful reading of the patent itself reveals that the pointer simply acts as a mouse replacement, with the user moving a pressure-sensitive pad around on the remote and the computer tracking this motion as mouse movement through the IR connection.
Interlink's remote
Interlink's remote

On the surface, the patent infringement claim sounds ludicrous, especially the claims that the "Plaintiff has suffered damages, including but not limited to, loss of reasonable royalties, reduced sales and/or lost profits as a result of infringing activities." Hands up who has cancelled their purchase of a business presentation pointer because they just bought a Wii game system. Anyone? Anyone? Still, the results of the Immersion lawsuit against Sony and others shows that video game companies can lose patent lawsuits against companies that do not manufacture video game systems (although Immersion at least makes components used by game manufacturers).

So will Nintendo settle with Interlink or fight them? The consequences for losing can be severe, as Sony found out when they lost to Immersion and found themselves holding a bill for over $90 million. We have argued before that this ultimately resulted in the company deciding to remove rumble features from the PlayStation 3 controller rather than pay royalties. Obviously Nintendo cannot afford to lose the unique features of the Wii's remote, as the motion sensing ability is the defining feature of the Wii console. Interlink may be banking on Nintendo's vulnerability with their lawsuit.

Nintendo and Microsoft have both settled lawsuits of this type before—the companies both paid a licensing fee to Immersion for the use of "rumble" technology in their video game controllers. Will history repeat itself? We doubt it, this time.

Nintendo Wii launches in Japan

According to our row of clocks in the Engadget situation room here at Engadget HQ, it's now past 9:00AM, December 2nd in Japan, which means the Wii has been out and about in its home country for around two hours by now. We just got some pics from a friendly tipster at the Yodobashi camera store in Shinkjuku, Japan, where the line stretched several blocks and the console quickly sold out. Apparently the scene was very calm, with most people picking up an extra Wiimote along with 2-3 games, before heading on their merry way home to partake in unboxing rituals and a weekend of Zelda fun. There are purportedly 400,000 consoles available at launch in Japan, and at this point we're guessing just about every one of 'em is either sold or spoken for. Happy Wii-ing Japan! Keep reading for some more pics of Japanese launch "mayhem."

Nintendo hails Wii sales success

Nintendo says it has sold more than 600,000 of its new Wii game consoles in the first eight days since they became available in North America.

As the latest "console war" hots up ahead of Christmas, the figure tops the 400,000 PlayStation 3 units that rival Sony initially sold in the US.

The Wii went on sale in the US and Canada on 19 November, two days after the PlayStation 3 deputed in the US.

They are competing against a third console rival, Microsoft's Xbox 360.

While the Wii and PlayStation 3 are only now hitting the shops, the Xbox 360 first went on sale in the US a year ago.

'Gotta-have' product

Nintendo says it will ship four million Wii units across the US and Canada by the end of the year, while Sony has a target of one million.

"Even with sales already in excess of 600,000 units, demand continues to exceed supply, as it's clear this is one of the 'gotta-have' products for the holiday season," said Nintendo's US president Reggie Fils-Aime.

"We've shipped retailers several times the amount of hardware the other company was able to deliver for its launch around the same time - and we still sold out."

At $250 (£128) in the US, the Wii is about half the price of the PlayStation 3.

UK customers will be able to get hold of the Wii console on 8 December, retailing at £179.

The European launch of the PlayStation 3 will not take place until March next year, with prices yet to be released.

Niendo says get ur ass on the ground and become thin....

it's Wii-Day+8 and gamers around the country are simultaneously discovering one thing: they're wildly out of shape. Yup, it seems that many gamers have gotten a bit more than they bargained for regarding how vigorous playing the Nintendo Wii is. One girl described it as "harder than playing basketball" while another complained of sore muscles. You know how Nintendo responded to these complaints?Essentially, "work out more, fatsos." A Nintendo PR rep said, "If people are finding themselves sore, they may need to exercise more." Wow, how's that for motivation. You know you're out of shape when a Nintendo PR rep tells you to hit the gym. The rep also said that the Wii is not Jenny Craig and should not be viewed as such. Ouch.

Wii glove -- sweaty palms be gone

If you're having a Pete & Pete / Pitstain moment up in here with some overactive sweat glands causing balmy palms, resulting in cracked, broken, or otherwise no longer functional household items or consumer electronics, we've got something for you. The Wii skid proof glove may not be any different from your regular old classic Michael Jackson cutoff-finger glove, but it'll compliment your controller nicely, and more importantly, it proves our theory about Wii controller paranoia spawning a quick cottage industry of "peripherals."

Get your skins on: Wii, PS3, Zune, Xbox 360, PSP

Cookie cutter gadget? Passe. It's all about skins, even the kind that may or may not ruin the shiny new finish on your valued consumer electronics. Submitted for your approval: tons of skins for your rare and lustworthy devices. Ok, so the 360 isn't much of a skin, but we find the literal use of the term rather amusing, and when was the last time you saw a fake-fur faceplate?

P.S. -Big ups on the Xbox 360 and Eames-inspired PS3 and Wii skins above.

Nintendo to bring 2 million Wiis to U.S. by year's end

Nintendo will bring approximately 2 million Wii game consoles to the U.S. by the end of the year, a wave of machines that could help the company gain ground in the console wars.

All 2 million aren't in the U.S. right now. However, Nintendo plans to restock U.S. distributors and retailers on a weekly basis, according to the company. The console will next launch in Japan on December 2 and in Europe on December 8. Earlier this month, Nintendo said it would ship around 400,000 consoles into Japan this year.

Nintendo will bring approximately 2 million Wii game consoles to the U.S. by the end of the year, a wave of machines that could help the company gain ground in the console wars.

All 2 million aren't in the U.S. right now. However, Nintendo plans to restock U.S. distributors and retailers on a weekly basis, according to the company. The console will next launch in Japan on December 2 and in Europe on December 8. Earlier this month, Nintendo said it would ship around 400,000 consoles into Japan this year.

Last year, Microsoft found itself short of Xbox 360 consoles. Rumors of new waves of supply would cause lines to form at certain retailers. Some Web sites reported that using specific code words with in-store sales reps could get them to bring out a console from the stock room.

Supply, though, improved after that and Microsoft says that, by December, a cumulative 10 million Xbox 360s will have shipped. Microsoft, though, is still having trouble gaining traction in Japan.

While availability can't guarantee success, it can help. Back in the late 1990s, Hewlett-Packard enjoyed a surge of consumer PC sales because it included recordable CD drives in PCs just as MP3s were taking off; Apple lost ground because it didn't.

CNET NETWORKZ

Wii dudes! broke smashing a TV yaa!!!!!!!!!

So there's this dude who was playing Wii Sports bowling, as his story goes, and his pal rolls a Lebowski and the next thing you know the strap breaks from the force of the swing; his slippery hands let loose, and the Wiimote flies like a missile and cracks his pal's TV. Believe it or not, having played Wii Sports bowling, this is totally something we can imagine. But you can take one of two positions here: 1) dude or his friend weren't using the wrist strap, as is recommended before every game starts, and the controller flew out of his hands and smashed the set; dude(s) cut the strap and put it on display for internet pity points (and possibly a new TV courtesy of an anxious Nintendo). Or 2) somehow the Wiimote strap -- which, for the record, we think feels sturdy enough -- does break mid-game and this guy really is out a 60-inch TV thanks to Nintendo's fabric engineering team. But we know one thing for sure, that's a helluva crack and something tells us it won't be the last.

Update: ENGADGET spoke with Jon Leonard, the guy whose TV is now cracked worse than a Mad mag knockoff. He insisted to ENGADGET there was zero foul play going on here and that he's not out to get Nintendo to replace his TV, nor is he ready to pursue legal options. Just that his pal got carried away bowling and the strap broke under somewhat normal circumstances. (ENGADGET asked if they were spinning it around or anything of the like and he said no, it was all normal, non-abusive use.) Nintendo hasn't contacted him yet -- we assume they're just about now shuffling into the office up there in Washington -- but I'llkeep you posted.


ENGADGET

Wii FAQ: answers to your Wii questions

1. How loud is the Wii?
   
   We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.
   
   
2. Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?
   
   Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.
   
   
3. Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?
   
   Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.
   
   
4. Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?
   
   If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.
   
   
5. Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?
   
   The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.
   
   
6. When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?
   
   Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.
   
   
7. What are the load times for the games?
   
   Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.
   
   
8. Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?
   
   Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.
   
   
9. How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?
   
   Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.
   
   
10. Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?
    
    Not at all. It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.
    
    
11. How decent is the callibration for the Wii?
    
    Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.
    
    
12. Is the sensor bar really that distracting?
    
    Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.
    
    
13. What happens if you put a disc in upside down?
    
    Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.
    
    
14. In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?
    
    That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand support.
    
    
15. How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?
    
    They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two months from now.
    
    
16. What does the Sync button do?
    
    It allows you to sync wireless peripherals (Wiimote, etc.) to your system, like an Xbox 360. Nothing more or less.
    
    
17. Is the Wii controller REALLY Bluetooth-compliant, or is it simply RF? What happens if you try to pair it with a Bluetooth 2.0EDR capable PC?
    
    It is indeed. And unlike the PS3, since it has that sync button you can make it go into discoverable mode. We tried and found the Wiimote, but we were unable to pair with the device. For those curious, its Bluetooth device name was Nintendo RVL-CNT-01 -- different from its official model number RVL-003.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
18. Was there a "Wii Startup Disk" included in the box?
    
    Nope. It works right out of box -- for us. We actually got an email this morning from reader Mitch, who says: "I got a Wii this morning. Waited 32 hours in a 24-hour Wal-Mart to do it, but I did it. I get it home, set it up, and it asks me for a setup disc. But there wasn't a setup disc in the box. [As with ours. -Ed.] When I called Nintendo, they said it was something they'd been contacted about on a small number of units, and are shipping new ones for free to those who call in. Like me." Ouch, that sucks.
    
    
19. How long are the standard composite AV cables? Component cables? Sensor bar cable?
    
    Composite: 94-inches
    Component: 94-inches
    Sensor bar: 138-inches
    Wii to power brick: 38-inches
    Power brick to wall: 62-inches (power cable length total: 100-inches)
    
    
20. Does the Wii's sensor bar limit you from what kind of TV you can hook it up to? For example, a 60" projection TV that sits on a pedastal -- can you put the sensor bar above the TV or does it have to go below? How about for setups where the gamer does not sit directly in front of the TV but perhaps off to the side?
    
    Not as far as we know, no. You don't have to be dead on with your TV (of course it helps), but you do have to be within a reasonable angle of it. We'd estimate it was about a 145-155 degree angle on both sides that you could play within -- more than enough for getting four people going on the system. It is IR though, so if there are any obstructions the Wiimote won't cursor properly (although the motion control will still work).
    
    
21. How steep is the learning curve on the Wii? Is it worth the time investment to learn a new way of gaming?
    
    Not very steep, most of the motions and gestures come naturally. Which is kind of the point -- they wanted to make gaming less about button combos on a 20-button controller, and more about natural, intuitive movements that people of all ages can understand and play with.
    
    
22. Is the blue light always on during gameplay?
    
    Nope, only when loading games into the drive.
    
    
23. Are there any screws outside of the Wii allowing you to open the unit?
    
    The screws are all well concealed, but no doubt about it, the Wii can be opened one way or another.
    
    
24. Does the sensor bar not function properly when it is exposed to sunlight from outside or from many reports, when somebody points a laser pointer on it?
    
    We can't possibly imagine why anyone would be shining a laser pointer at the Wii sensor bar. But since you asked, we did just that and saw absolutely no problems with cursor movement. As you might imagine, we've also had no problem playing in a well lit room.
    
    
25. Does cursor speed change when playing in a totally dark vs a well lit room?
    
    No, not that we can tell. Although the Wii does have a cursor sensitivity setting in options
    
    
26. Does the Wii support WPA?
    
    Yes. The Wii supports WEP, WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA-PSK (AES), and WPA2-PSK (AES). Pretty surprising!
    
    
27. How do the graphics of the games for the Wii compare to that of the previous generation consoles?
    
    Previous generation consoles? Well, it's better than the GameCube. Just not by as much as we'd have liked. Compared to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 it's kind of pathetic. But if you're a GameCuber and haven't really dabbled with Microsoft's and Sony's latest offerings, you'll probably be happy.
    
    
28. Can you use Wii game save slots for GC games?
    
    We don't see why not. We didn't see any messages in the system that would lead us to believe we couldn't save our games to SD or internal memory, but we couldn't confirm for sure. Why? Good question. Our copy of Wind Waker started ok, but it wouldn't even let us get to the main menu without a classic controller. We really wished they'd have prompted us to plug one in (like the way it prompts you to plug in a nunchuck for some games) before we had to shut down the looping Zelda title and restart the system.
    
    
29. When you save Wii game save data, do you get a choice of saving it to the internal memory or SD card, or can game save data only be saved to the internal memory?
    
    You can save your game data and even downloaded games to your inserted SD card. The files are stored in \private\wii\title\FAKE and RSPE folders as either content.bin (ours was 2.7MB) or data.bin (80-200KB) files. We weren't really able to do anything with those files, although it stands to reason you could back those up (or hack them to pieces).
    
    
30. Does the sensor bar have to be in the exact center of the display, or can it still be accurate if its a little bit off.
    
    Not at all. We put ours completely off to the side and it was still totally accurate. We have a feeling when you've got a bunch of people around you'll want to try to keep it centered, but you definitely don't have to bust out the measuring tape during the install.
    
    
31. Does Excite Truck indeed support custom soundtracks off of the SD card?
    
    Yep, and it worked perfectly -- as long as they're MP3s. You can play in order, or set to shuffle.
    
    
32. Does Wii support SDHC cards? MMC?
    
    Actually, MMC didn't work. We can't 100% confirm it won't take SDHC cards, but given the fact that we're seeing 2GB Wii cards -- and not 4GB+ cards -- we're assuming that SDHC isn't supported right now.
    
    
33. Are the battery contacts coiled springs, or bent metal?
    
    They're spring-engaged bent metal, actually. Some of the nicest battery contacts we've ever seen in a came console, to be honest.
    
    
34. After playing with the Wii for a few days, do you feel that your interest in the Wii will last? Or is it a gimmick?
    
    We'll save that for a full review, but basically that's up to the game developers. If they can make the games feel right with the motion sensing and continue to come up with new, interesting ways of using it, then no, not gimmicky at all. But if all these games are just going to be use your Wiimote to aim an onscreen cursor like the new Mario and Zelda, that might get old after a while. Still, for now it's all very fresh and fun.
    
    
35. What input does the power brick take, just 120v, or right up to 40v? Also how many watts?
    
    Our adapter reads 120V only, not 120-240v; it's rated at 53 watts, and 3.7 amps.
    
    
36. Is the Wii multi region?
    
    It stands to reason that because of the power supply, you probably won't be able to (easily) import your Wii. Even still, Wiis are supposedly quite certainly region-locked. Sorry, gamers.
37. Does the Wii have HD capabilities?
    
    If you define HD as being 720p or higher, then no. The best we could do was get ours going with extended def, 480p.
    
    
38. Can you turn it on and off remotely with the controller like you can with the Xbox 360?
    
    Yep, absolutely.
    
    
39. Can I put DVDs in the Wii?
    
    You can, but it won't read them. Watch out for a DVD-reading Wii next year.
    
    
40. Do I have to sync the Wiimote every time I want to play?
    
    No way. But you do have to sync it if you bring your Wiimote to a pal's house. Also, your Mii can be saved to your Wiimote, so when you play at a friend's place you don't have to do anything weird to transport it.
    
    
41. Is the Wii's sound similar to some GameCube games in the sense that they are MIDIs on steroids (think: Metroid Prime)?
    
    No, for the most part our Wii audio experience has been pretty good. Excite Truck has real, honest to goodness lame rock music. The sound coming out of the Wiimote, however, is another story entirely. It's pretty awful. We're not sure if that's due to Bluetooth bandwidth restrictions or a really awful speaker, but man does it remind us of a Game Boy trying to make real audio sound effects.
    
    
42. Is there a hard switch to turn off the WiFi on the Wii?
    
    Nope, not that we can tell.
    
    
43. How does the Wii's browser do on the ACID2 test? Have you seen any problems with page rendering?
    
    Sorry, as we wrote last night, the Wii browser isn't available yet. However, since it's Opera based, and Opera performs well on the ACID2 test, it stands to reason that it will render it properly.

LINKS FROM ENGADGET
POSTED BY ENGADGET ON THE ENGADGET BLOG BY RYAN BLOCK

Wii hit by a ErroR..screw the firmware

While so far Sony's PS3 launch seems to have gone off relatively error-free (I am talking hardware here, crime still doesn't pay, kids), Microsoft's 360 was notoriously plagued by errors at launch, and it doesn't look like the Wii is going to escape unscathed either. Reports have been coming in on the official Nintendo forums that after the initial firmware/software update that is downloaded during your first attempt to use WiiConnect24, some users are experiencing a "110213" error code, which bars them from using WiiConnect24 completely. Some people are conjecturing that the update is frying a necessary component to connect to the service, possibly being caused by corrupt downloads due to the incredible demand on the update servers currently. Whatever the cause, Nintendo phone support is apparently calling this a "fatal error," and replacing the units for free, including pre-paid shipping labels to make the process as smooth as can be -- of course, "smooth as can be" is little solace to launch day junkies who are halfway through Zelda already and will have to start over on a fresh box.

From Engadget

Nintendo confirms DVD-enabled Wii in '07...

We were a bit skeptical when we first heard of the possibility of a "premium Wii" with DVD playback coming to Japan next year -- why would Nintendo announce such a console now and risk cannibalizing their sales? Well, Nintendo, who just confirmed just such a console for both Japan and North America in 2007, is spinning it exactly so: "If DVD movie playback is so important, people can wait for the later model next year. For most consumers it'll be about the games, so they'll likely not want to wait to purchase the new system." That way nobody is bitter about a 3x sexy console mere months after the original... not like that ever happens. As much as we'd love to gripe about the current absence of this fairly common-sensical feature, and though we still can't figure out why Nintendo didn't at least figure this out as a firmware-update (they're still citing cost concerns for the current exclusion), we can't really see this standing in the way of most Nintendo fanboys and their unabated Wii lust. We suppose we'll find out soon enough.
Links by Engadget

South Florida GameStop nabs first Wii demo kiosk

Ah, well as expected the Wal-Mart doesn't have the first Wii on the game Zone but GameSpot have it and are letting people play the Excite Tuck a new version of the Excite Bike anyway just thought I'd post it in....