http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337

February 14, 2006

by: Eric Topf

CONFIRMED: Nintendo announces several add-ons, games, and more at a DS
Conference in Japan.

Advanced Media has received word that one of several new announcements
to be made at a Nintendo DS conference in Japan will be the unveiling
of a new Web Browser for the dual-screen handheld. Early reports
indicate that the browser will be powered by Opera Software technology.

Several other exciting announcements are expected to be made at the
conference and Advanced Media will be updating throughout the day on
further breaking news and information coming out of Japan.

______________________________________________________________________________





older C&VG article that -pre-dates- today's conference where DS browser
was announced

http://tinyurl.com/c6xch

 DS PRIMED FOR DUAL-SCREEN WEB BROWSING?

Reggie Fils-Aime talks up DS web browsing - but are you likely to be
surfing the 'net with your DS any time soon?

12:03 With its two usable screens and handy touch-screen interface
we're surprised that a Nintendo DS web browser is yet to hit the scene.
By the looks of it though, Nintendo's vice president of sales and
marketing, Reggie Fils-Aime, is just as surprised at this omission as
we are - and plans to do something about it.

Speaking to American games mag EGM, the Fiks-Aime explained, "We
thought a licensee (third party) was getting into that area, and once
we heard that we backed off", adding that Nintendo might develop the DS
web browser itself. "If we end up seeing that nobody's really going to
enter that space, it may be something that we'll go back and look at. I
know that Mr. Iwata has talked about it."

_____________________________________________

video-game dude wrote:
> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
> 
> [snip]
> 


Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for now...

it's very true and very official

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/dsconference2006s/page13.html

video-game dude wrote:
> it's very true and very official
> 
> http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/dsconference2006s/page13.html
> 

in which case, I take it back, and add RAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

more confirmation for you!

http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2006/02/15/

Giving gamers two windows to the Web: The Opera Browser for Nintendo
DS™
Oslo, Norway - February 15, 2006: Opera Software today announced that
it will deliver the World Wide Web to Nintendo DS users in Japan.

In Opera's agreement with Nintendo, Nintendo DS users will now be able
to surf the full Internet from their systems using the Opera browser.
The Opera browser for Nintendo DS will be sold as a DS card. Users
simply insert the card into the Wi- Fi enabled Nintendo DS, connect to
a network, and begin browsing on two screens.

Earlier this year, Nintendo reported that 13 million Nintendo DS
systems were sold to consumers around the world within just 13 months
of its debut in November 2004. Nintendo DS combines unique dual
screens, touch screen, voice recognition and wireless and Wi-Fi
communications capabilities. According to an independent market
research company in Japan, Nintendo DS has become the fastest selling
video games machine to top the six million sales mark in Japan in just
over 14 months since its Japanese debut, breaking the old record held
by Nintendo's Game Boy Advance.

"The incredibly popular Nintendo DS is already Wi-Fi enabled to support
real time gaming, so adding Web browsing capabilities was a natural
evolution for this device," says Scott Hedrick, Executive Vice
President, Opera Software. "Gaming devices are growing more advanced
and a great Web experience is becoming a product differentiator for
gaming manufacturers. Opera is excited to work with Nintendo to deliver
a unique dual screen, full Internet experience on Nintendo DS."

With an on-screen keypad and stylus, users can easily navigate the Web
from their Nintendo DS with PDA-like functionality. Based on the same
core as the Opera desktop browser, Opera delivers superior speed and
rendering of Web pages on the Nintendo DS.

"Within just five seconds of turning on the system, the Nintendo DS is
already fully operational. This makes it the ideal device to enable
people to swiftly obtain the latest information from the internet,
wherever they are," says Masaru Shimomura, Deputy General Manager of
Nintendo's R & D Department. "Opera exceeded our expectations with its
user friendly interface, quick access to all your favorite sites, ease
of use and, most importantly, in making the best use of the Nintendo DS
system's unique double screens and touch screen features. Opera is an
important partner for Nintendo in our efforts to further expand the
users of the Nintendo DS."

Nintendo Co., Ltd. held a presentation today in Tokyo, Japan, to
announce updates for the Nintendo DS. Information on the availability
of the Opera browser DS card has not yet been announced.
For further information contact:

Opera Europe PR staff
Berit Hanson  24 16 42 14, berith@opera.com
Tor Odland  24 16 42 42, toro@opera.com

Opera US PR staff
Michelle Valdivia, work phone  786 312 1717, mobile  786 208 6072,
michelle@opera.com

Nintendo Europe PR staff
Simon Watts  (0) 207 307 3175
Michele Newberry  (0) 207 307 3173
About Opera for Devices

Opera provides an optimized implementation of Internet technologies for
handheld devices, digital TV and other devices, with innovative and
powerful features that seamlessly adapt the Internet experience to suit
varying screen sizes and input devices. In addition to being a full
Internet browser, Opera is a high performance execution environment for
Web applications and dynamic user interfaces based on interoperable
open Web technologies such as AJAX.

Read more about Opera for Devices
About Opera Software ASA

Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web
browser technology, targeting the desktop, mobile, digital TV, consumer
electronics and other devices. Partners include companies such as IBM,
Nokia, Motorola, Adobe, Nintendo, Symbian, Sony Ericsson, Kyocera,
Sharp, Freescale, MontaVista Software, Sigma and AMD. The Opera browser
has received international recognition from users, industry experts and
media for being faster, smaller and more standards compliant than other
browsers. Opera's browser technology is cross platform and modular, and
currently available on the following operating systems: Linux, Windows,
Windows Mobile, Mac OS, Symbian OS, BREW, QNX, TRON, FreeBSD, Solaris
and Mediahighway. The Opera browser is also available as a Java based
(J2ME) browser solution called Opera Mini for the world's 700 million
Java enabled mobile phones.

Visit www.opera.com
About Nintendo

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive
entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and
markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video
game systems. To date, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video
games worldwide and more than 360 million hardware units globally,
creating such industry icons as Mario® and Donkey Kong and launched
franchises like The Legend of Zelda® and Pokemon®. Nintendo
manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular video
game systems, including the Nintendo GameCube™, Game Boy Advance, and
Nintendo DS™.

On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:05:01 GMT, Vitani <moc.tfosxft@inativ> wrote:

>video-game dude wrote:
>> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
>> 
>> [snip]
>> 
>
>
>Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for now...

i dont get the appeal, at all.

the DS screens' resolution isn't exactly huge, so webpages will be
about 4 screens wide.

all i can see it being is a pain in the arse.
-- 

gamertag: Chrisflynnuk
http://live.xbox.com/member/Chrisflynnuk

Chris F wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:05:01 GMT, Vitani <moc.tfosxft@inativ> wrote:
> 
>> video-game dude wrote:
>>> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
>>>
>>> [snip]
>>>
>>
>> Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for now...
> 
> i dont get the appeal, at all.
> 
> the DS screens' resolution isn't exactly huge, so webpages will be
> about 4 screens wide.
> 

It looks from some of the shots that you get a sort of thumbnail view on 
the bottom screen and a zoomed view on the top.

Stewart
-- 
You are about to enter... The Scary Door...

On 2006-02-15, Stewart Smith  wrote:
> Chris F wrote:
>> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:05:01 GMT, Vitani <moc.tfosxft@inativ> wrote:
>> 
>>> video-game dude wrote:
>>>> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
>>>>
>>>> [snip]
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for now...
>> 
>> i dont get the appeal, at all.
>> 
>> the DS screens' resolution isn't exactly huge, so webpages will be
>> about 4 screens wide.
>> 
>
> It looks from some of the shots that you get a sort of thumbnail view on 
> the bottom screen and a zoomed view on the top.

And you'll be able, presumably, to drag the expanded view about by using
the stylus on the touch screen - magnifying glass-stylee. Which will
work quite well, i think.

Choobs

-- 
Sir Chewbury Gubbins 
"Streaming through the starlit sky, travelling by telephone" - Syd Barret 1967

http://www.nelefa.org - Game Diary, Fiction, and Ramblings           [ESC]:wq

On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:24:32 +0000, Stewart Smith 
wrote:

>Chris F wrote:
>> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:05:01 GMT, Vitani <moc.tfosxft@inativ> wrote:
>> 
>>> video-game dude wrote:
>>>> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
>>>>
>>>> [snip]
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for now...
>> 
>> i dont get the appeal, at all.
>> 
>> the DS screens' resolution isn't exactly huge, so webpages will be
>> about 4 screens wide.
>> 
>
>It looks from some of the shots that you get a sort of thumbnail view on 
>the bottom screen and a zoomed view on the top.
>
>Stewart

yes, but being as i dont read books with a magnifying glass, i don't
particularly want to do the same with websites.

this isn't a criticism of nintendo/opera's browser, just more a
problem i have with most mobile web browsing, i just don't see the
point.
-- 

gamertag: Chrisflynnuk
http://live.xbox.com/member/Chrisflynnuk

Chris F wrote:
> 
> yes, but being as i dont read books with a magnifying glass, i don't
> particularly want to do the same with websites.
> 
> this isn't a criticism of nintendo/opera's browser, just more a
> problem i have with most mobile web browsing, i just don't see the
> point.

Stop press: Chris F seen accessing the Internet while out and about:

http://www.phantomcastle.it/phantom/varie_file/stupidaggini_file/Pc%20portable.jpg

Followups set.

Tim (tm)
-- 
tim (at) economic-truth.co.uk
http://www.gamerwiki.com - the videogame encyclopedia
http://xexyz.blogspot.com - Tim's Gaming Diary

"Chris F"  wrote in message 
news:75h6v1pv7k8u5apggipl62flp2206lst6f@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:24:32 +0000, Stewart Smith 
> wrote:
>
>>Chris F wrote:
>>> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:05:01 GMT, Vitani <moc.tfosxft@inativ> wrote:
>>>
>>>> video-game dude wrote:
>>>>> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
>>>>>
>>>>> [snip]
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for 
>>>> now...
>>>
>>> i dont get the appeal, at all.
>>>
>>> the DS screens' resolution isn't exactly huge, so webpages will be
>>> about 4 screens wide.
>>>
>>
>>It looks from some of the shots that you get a sort of thumbnail view on
>>the bottom screen and a zoomed view on the top.
>>
>>Stewart
>
> yes, but being as i dont read books with a magnifying glass, i don't
> particularly want to do the same with websites.
>
> this isn't a criticism of nintendo/opera's browser, just more a
> problem i have with most mobile web browsing, i just don't see the
> point.
> -- 

Unless the web page you are viewing is optimised for mobile browsing it is a 
frustrating experience. I'd guess nintendo will have some pages optimised 
for the DS.

As for general browsing, I'd rather wait until I can get to a device with 
reasonable display dimensions.

erics wrote:
> 
> Unless the web page you are viewing is optimised for mobile browsing it is a 
> frustrating experience. I'd guess nintendo will have some pages optimised 
> for the DS.
> 
> As for general browsing, I'd rather wait until I can get to a device with 
> reasonable display dimensions. 
> 
It's more to do with the way the page has been coded.  If the page is 
set up well using CSS, it can be easily degrade to view on a small 
screen.  The BBC's website, and the Guardian's, work really well in this 
way.

Followups set.

Tim (tm)
-- 
tim (at) economic-truth.co.uk
http://www.gamerwiki.com - the videogame encyclopedia
http://xexyz.blogspot.com - Tim's Gaming Diary

Chris F wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:05:01 GMT, Vitani <moc.tfosxft@inativ> wrote:
> 
> >video-game dude wrote:
> >> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
> >>
> >> [snip]
> >>
> >
> >
> >Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for now...
> 
> i dont get the appeal, at all.
> 
> the DS screens' resolution isn't exactly huge, so webpages will be
> about 4 screens wide.
> 
> all i can see it being is a pain in the arse.

If it was your primary machine; but it's decent for limited use (more
people using computers in a wifi house than available computers when
someone just wants to do a little browsing, checking out a site at lunch
when you're at a wifi hotspot, killing time at an airport with wifi,
etc.). It's a nice feature on the PSP, and while display will probably
be worse on the DS, text entry will be vastly improved.

Chris F  wrote in
news:75h6v1pv7k8u5apggipl62flp2206lst6f@4ax.com: 

> this isn't a criticism of nintendo/opera's browser, just more a
> problem i have with most mobile web browsing, i just don't see the
> point.

Well I use the PSP browser for watching my server webadmin, looking up 
movie times & other quick things. For serious web work I stick to my PC but 
for some things portable browsers can come in handy.

On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 17:34:23 GMT, "Paul C." <Paul_C_NB@yahoo.canospam>
wrote:

>Chris F  wrote in
>news:75h6v1pv7k8u5apggipl62flp2206lst6f@4ax.com: 
>
>> this isn't a criticism of nintendo/opera's browser, just more a
>> problem i have with most mobile web browsing, i just don't see the
>> point.
>
>Well I use the PSP browser for watching my server webadmin, looking up 
>movie times & other quick things. For serious web work I stick to my PC but 
>for some things portable browsers can come in handy.

i use my phone for cinema times, etc, mainly as it doesnt require
finding a wifi spot first.
-- 

gamertag: Chrisflynnuk
http://live.xbox.com/member/Chrisflynnuk

On 2006-02-15 06:56:17 +0000, "video-game dude"  said:

> 
> 
> Advanced Media has received word that one of several new announcements
> to be made at a Nintendo DS conference in Japan will be the unveiling
> of a new Web Browser for the dual-screen handheld. Early reports
> indicate that the browser will be powered by Opera Software technolog

Need wireless, satellite TV, t'internet and a phone on my Micro.. pull 
your finger out Nintendo
-- 
gt: redsmartie
www.redsmartie.com

"Game experience may change during online play"

video that has a couple quick glimpses of the browser

http://ghardhentai.hp.infoseek.co.jp/nintendo_wbs.avi

Ted wrote:

> 
> 
> Chris F wrote:
>> 
>> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:05:01 GMT, Vitani <moc.tfosxft@inativ> wrote:
>> 
>> >video-game dude wrote:
>> >> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337
>> >>
>> >> [snip]
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >Hmm, I hope this is true, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt for
>> >now...
>> 
>> i dont get the appeal, at all.
>> 
>> the DS screens' resolution isn't exactly huge, so webpages will be
>> about 4 screens wide.
>> 
>> all i can see it being is a pain in the arse.
> 
> If it was your primary machine; but it's decent for limited use (more
> people using computers in a wifi house than available computers when
> someone just wants to do a little browsing, checking out a site at lunch
> when you're at a wifi hotspot, killing time at an airport with wifi,
> etc.). It's a nice feature on the PSP, and while display will probably
> be worse on the DS, text entry will be vastly improved.

Here's hoping it will be better than the PSP browser.  Whilst it initially
looks good, throw it a big web page and it will say "Out of memory" on that
page and virtually every other page you try after that until you restart
the browser.  It can be really annoying to try to scroll around the screen
with the analogue nub thing as well as it's too sluggish a lot of the time. 
Given that it's based on the existing Opera core and that they've already
produced a lot of browsers for small devices I think it should be a winner.

I use Opera as my main browser on my computer so I'm really looking forward
to this! :)

Tim Miller  writes:
> http://www.phantomcastle.it/phantom/varie_file/stupidaggini_file/Pc%20portable.jpg

Is that a sub-woofer?

-Miles
-- 
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.  [George Carlin]

Miles Bader wrote:
> 
>> http://www.phantomcastle.it/phantom/varie_file/stupidaggini_file/Pc%20portable.jpg
> 
> Is that a sub-woofer?
> 
I don't know, but I think he's barking mad.

Tim (tm)
-- 
tim (at) economic-truth.co.uk
http://www.gamerwiki.com - the videogame encyclopedia
http://xexyz.blogspot.com - Tim's Gaming Diary

"video-game dude" wrote in message ...
>
> http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3337

Certaintly welcomed and while I admit that when I first saw the NDS prior to
release, and noting it had built-in 802.11 (legacy), one of the immediete
things that came to mind was web and email, but I think its too optimistic
to think the DS browser is going to live up to expectations.

I've been using portable web browsers since 1998: P/PC's, BE300, PocketPC,
Sony PSP and a handheld Jornada 720 that I just picked up recently.  The
thing with portable web browsering is that html (and extensions) are so
dynamic and constantly changing that as soon as a particular browser
(including any of Microsoft's PIE's) are no longer supported, they become
less and less functional rather quickly. I'm also questioning how capable
the DS's rather limited hardware will hold up.   I have several much more
capable devices that don't hold well (including the PSP).  The good news,
though, is that Opera is behind the browser -- if anyone can wedge an
efficient browser into the DS, it is definetly Opera.

Eventually, web browser will be embedded into just about everything like MP3
players are now, but we are still in transition.

There are still some things that would work very good with the DS though.

- An email client.  Thats a given.  Email clients are low overhead.
Standard POP3.

- MP3 player.  It could even be do-able to stream MP3's from a local file
share, or even the internet, over the DS's wireless.  I use my BE300 all the
time to stream MP3's.  Experimenting, I even forced the wireless card to
connect at only 2 Mbs, and found streaming (128 Kbs bitrate) MP3's worked
fairly well.  Nintendo, being Nintendo, could even a release a PC frontend
software (for streaming) program for the kiddies as well.  The kiddies would
just drag and drop their MP3's into the program and it would do everything
else for them, including security.

-  Web?  I have a better idea.  Something that would allow you to retrieve
information, just like http, but much more efficient and geared more towards
embedded uses.  Its the same approach I take to piping data, from the
internet, to LCD screens.   Its nothing "new", just a better and more
efficient approach.  RSS!  The DS should easily be able to handle not only
text (and light graphic) RSS, but perhaps even RSS audio ("podcasts").

Just my thoughts...

"Eric"  wrote in message
news:DHHLf.124700$Q11.116809@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com...
>
>> - An email client.  Thats a given.  Email clients are low overhead.
> Standard POP3.
>
> - MP3 player.  It could even be do-able to stream MP3's from a local file
> share, or even the internet, over the DS's wireless.  I use my BE300 all
the
> time to stream MP3's.  Experimenting, I even forced the wireless card to
> connect at only 2 Mbs, and found streaming (128 Kbs bitrate) MP3's worked
> fairly well.  Nintendo, being Nintendo, could even a release a PC frontend
> software (for streaming) program for the kiddies as well.  The kiddies
would
> just drag and drop their MP3's into the program and it would do everything
> else for them, including security.
>
> -  Web?  I have a better idea.  Something that would allow you to retrieve
> information, just like http, but much more efficient and geared more
towards
> embedded uses.  Its the same approach I take to piping data, from the
> internet, to LCD screens.   Its nothing "new", just a better and more
> efficient approach.  RSS!  The DS should easily be able to handle not only
> text (and light graphic) RSS, but perhaps even RSS audio ("podcasts").
>
> Just my thoughts...


Oh, add another "no brainer" to the list as well.

- Instant Messenger.  Combined ICQ,  AIM, Yahoo, MSN, ect.   (There is one
supposibly under development by a third party though.)

I'm hoping that DS2 has a web browser built in standard (like DS has
Pictochat) and has more capable hardware  (much faster CPU, more RAM)
that is able to keep up with rapidly changing standards, and that Opera
constantly releases updates downloadable over WiFi.