Hardware keyboard support, send to a Wii friend
are key features of new release
Opera today announced Nintendo has started distributing the much-anticipated new version of the Internet Channel for Nintendo Wii. The Internet Channel now features new ways to share, communicate and enjoy the Internet Channel by adding support for a USB keyboard and enhanced ways to communicate with your Wii friends.
Hardware support for any USB keyboard makes typing both easier and faster. Simply plug any standard USB keyboard into one of the two USB ports on your Nintendo Wii and you are ready to write email, compose blog posts, comment in forums and much more. Also making text input more comfortable are several new keyboard-specific shortcuts to be used with the existing soft keyboard, such as using the "B" button on the Wii remote as a "Shift" button.
"We believe this new version of the Internet Channel is even more engaging and delightful for the users around the world than its predecessor," says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. "Nintendo has always brought a new perspective, fresh ideas and unwavering enthusiasm to our partnership. And today, our combined efforts have given users more reasons to be excited."
Send to a friend enables you to send links to your favorite Web sites - or the one you are currently browsing - to your Wii friends whom you have added in your Wii. You can also add a message to send along with the link. When your Wii friend opens the message, they can immediately visit the page in the Internet Channel.
The new Internet Channel for Nintendo Wii carries additional usability improvements. Users can now copy information from a Web page and paste it directly into the search field. Users may also store nine more favorites, bringing the total to 56. Visit the Wii Shop Channel to download the new Internet Channel today.
For Web Developers
The Nintendo Wii also embraces Web content and applications in a revolutionary new way with the debut of Widget View Mode in the Internet Channel. By surfing to widgets.opera.com users can browse Opera's collection of community-built, Opera-tested Web applications immediately ready to run on the Nintendo Wii Internet Channel.
Widgets available now include calendars, news readers, Internet radios and other fun applications. Users of Opera's desktop browser will immediately recognize their favorite widgets on this new platform. Web developers can publish widgets on Opera's website to make them available to Wii users. For more information on creating widgets, please visit widgets.opera.com
Availability
The Opera powered "Internet Channel" is available as a free upgrade for existing Internet Channel subscribers. For people wishing to subscribe, the Internet Channel can be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel menu for 500 Wii points.