Filed under: Software, Hacks, Odds and ends, Apple
DarwiinRemote
What do you get when you take a Mac and add the Nintendo Wiimote? Why, DarwiinRemote, of course. This little app, which is still rough around the corners, lets you use your Wiimote (that being the new controller that comes with Nintendo's next gen console, the Wii) and use it as if it were an Apple Remote (only on Macs that have an IR sensor of course).
[via Digg]
Useful? Not really. Cool? You bet.
Update: It would seem the Wiimote uses Bluetooth, so most Macs can join in on the fun. Thanks to everyone in the comments for correcting me.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Evan said 5:35PM on 12-05-2006
The Wiimote is bluetooth, not IR. I admit I haven't tried it (I will as soon as I get home from work!) but it looks like it will work with any Mac that has bluetooth.
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loren said 5:40PM on 12-05-2006
Yeap, what Evan said. Doesn't use IR yet, it's pure bluetooth. Just tried it and it works. Sweeet. You can control Front Row with it.
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Rolphus said 5:42PM on 12-05-2006
I'm not clear on why this would require a Mac with an IR remote sensor. The Wii's "sensor bar" is anything but; it's actually 2 infra-red transmitters, and the Wiimote itself is the sensor. As I understand it, the Wiimote is simply a bluetooth device, so any Bluetooth-equipped Mac should be able to use this, with the right IR light sources (I've heard tell that a candle works!).
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Grog said 6:32PM on 12-05-2006
Are you sure it requires an IR sensor? The Wiimote itself IS an IR sensor (which is how it does its pointer sensing), but it communicates with the Wii via Bluetooth. I would assume that the same principle would work for this.
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Michael May said 6:46PM on 12-05-2006
Yeah, from what I know it triangulates its position using IR sensors and emittors, its tilts and stuff using things inside the wiimote, and then communicates using Bluetooth. Hence why it's already been turned into a mouse for windows. Doesn't look like the Mac drivers are far behind... :D
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Zachary Hinchliffe said 7:19PM on 12-05-2006
Yeah, but the mouse for windows is terrible, and only uses the motion sensitivity. When are we going to see mouse drivers that use the pointer/IR functionality?
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Brock Batsell said 7:30PM on 12-05-2006
Why is the IR sensor required? The Wiimote uses Bluetooth to communicate. It uses the Wii IR sensor bar to determine "pointing" location, for games that involve pointing the Wiimote at a specific part of your television screen.
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mingistech@mac.com said 12:34PM on 12-06-2006
This is pretty fun to play around with but i can't wait for them to add the IR functionality. Being able to point through the OS instead of just tilt would be great.
Re: Zachary Hinchliffe
This already has a mouse driver in it.
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SOCOMRAIDER said 3:46PM on 12-06-2006
The software is quite buggy, but once you get it working (around the second time), it usually works fine.
The button layout is weird, but so is the Wiimote itself. It perfectly controls Front Row without a problem.
Using it as a mouse is difficult at first. The Wiimote has to be at a specific angle. Then from there you lift or lower the Wiimote to move the cursor up or down. Then you twist the Wiimote to go left or right. If you bring it back to the specific angle it will no longer move. Definitely takes some getting used to, but works none-the-less.
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nate said 7:52PM on 12-19-2006
if you have a bluetooth adapter, will the wii remote work with older macs such as G4 powerbooks or the old G4 powermac?
thanks
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