How You Can Use Your Nintendo Wii for More Than Just Playing Games

Apparently, playing Nintendo's own Wii Sports game increases energy usage by 60kcal (250 kJ) per hour compared with playing other consoles. Yet experts say Nintendo Wii is no substitute for real exercise.


You can use your Nintendo Wii as a stereo to play your MP3 music collection.


More than just a game machine, Wii also provides information and entertainment suitable for every member of the family. Some of the channels available include:

• Mii Channel - Miis are cute little caricatures you create to use as characters in a variety of Wii software. Store Miis on your Wii or load them onto your Wii Remote and take them over to a friend’s house to use on their Wii.

• Everybody Votes Channel - The Everybody Votes Channel is packed with national and worldwide polls. Answer interesting questions and have your say. Up to six members of your family can vote. Just choose an answer and check in later to see the results.

• News Channel - Wii might be great for games, but you can also use it to get updates on the latest news from across the Internet organized into easy-to-browse categories.

• Forecast Channel - Your Wii can automatically update you on the weather from around the globe.

• Wii Shop Channel - Download the Opera web browser and access games from classic consoles from the past. All you need is a Wii Points account.

• Virtual Console - Every Virtual Console game you download from the Wii Shop Channel appears in the Wii Menu as a separate Channel ready to select and play any time you like.

• Wii Message Board - Leave or receive messages for other family members on the calendar-based message board or use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside your home.

• Internet Channel - Just download the Opera browser for 500 Wii Points and within minutes, you’ll be a professional sofa surfer, pointing-and-clicking your way around the web with your Wii Remote.

• Photo Channel - Show off all your digital photos on your TV. Just insert an SD memory card into your Wii and away you go.

• Disc Channel - The Disc Channel is backwards compatible with Nintendo GameCube, so you can play all your new Wii discs, along with all your classic Nintendo GameCube discs too!


Or

3. Make a low-cost multi-touch whiteboard with the Wiimote