Okay, we're making this one a two-for-one package of using your Wiimote on something that's not a Wii (or a console even). These are the latest updates for the Mac-based DarWiinRemote and the Windows-based WiinRemote, each bringing in new bonus features and functionalities.

Let's clear Windows first. New to WiinRemote v2006.12.13b is the implementation of the IR sensor in the program. While no further details were released with the program package's Readme - or the source site itself - we can probably take this to mean that now, not only does the program track the Wiimote's motion, it will also track position through the Wiimote's IR sensor. WiinRemote itself remains easy to activate - get the Wiimote Bluetoothed to the PC and run the program, then plug away.

Now for DarWiinRemote. The first big change you'll notice is Hiroaki splitting off the program into its two components: the DarWiinRemote application-actual and the WiiRemote Framework (not to be confused with the Windows WiinRemote). This is for devs who might want to use the Framework part separately. v0.3.1 corrects a few bugs from the last release, and now adds a battery status function to tell you when it's time to swap out the batteries.

Download: [WiinRemote v2006.12.13b]
Download: [DarWiinRemote v0.3.1 (app)]
Download: [DarWiinRemote v0.3.1 (source)]
Download: [WiiRemote Framework v0.3.1]

This is why open-source rules. Collaborating with Ian Rickard, Hiroaki has been able to further tweak DarwiinRemote to do a little bit more this time around, and it's interesting to see how far this new Wii-Mac mod project will go.

DarwiinRemote is a Mac application that lets you use the Wiimote on the Mac for specific programs. While the current set of things you can do with it is limited, making it a rather nifty toy or virtual mouse, it does show the potential for further use in everything from games to presentations.

For instance, imagine doing a slideshow on Mac using your Wiimote to direct the flow of your presentation. You can keep your presentation fluid without prompting someone to move to the next segment of your show or having to go back to the mouse every few minutes after stating your point. That's the kind of cool future we can envision from DarwiinRemote. It might not be immediate, but we're sure that Hiroaki, Rickard, and other members of the open source development community will make it happen.

In related news, Hiroaki's thinking of expanding the code for others to use:

I plan to divide Wii Remote Framework from DarwiinRemote.app. By using the framework, you might be able to use Wii Remote in your projects easily. It will include some additional functions such as various analyzing method like gesture recognition.

If PC users want to see a combination of DarwiinRemote and WiinRemote in the future, then this would be the best way to see the project expanding beyond its original scope into becoming something everyone can use for just about anything they feel like doing on their computers. Enjoy the download, and give the two guys some props for what they're doing, alright?

Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.3]
Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.3 (sources)]

If you want to see the changes in v0.3, click on "Full Article".

Let's say that you want to use your Wiimote on your PC, so you can play games on it or what-not. Well you can get the GlovePIE, but that sort of only lets you use the Wiimote's tilt sensing to handle mouse movement. This makes playing FPS games a bit awkward.

Alternatively (although it's Mac only), you can use Hiroaki's DarwiinRemote on your Mac. IR-based mouse movement might be a bit easier for you (if you're the FPS kinda guy), as the DarwiinRemote involves a lot of pointing. And pointing would be a natural motion for all you twitch-action FPS shooting addicts out there. Now if only there were more games of that type on the Mac.

Although there are no reports yet of this being used in a game (unlike the GlovePIE), at the very least this is a good sign. We wonder how soon it will take for people to figure out how to get home computers to sense both tilt and pointing capabilities of the Wiimote?

Anyway, here's what Ian Rickard, the guy who tweaked this app called the DarwiinRemote, had to say:

Still kinda buggy with the setup but once it's working it works good. If you have problems getting mouse mode to work, try turning the IR sensor off and on a few times and make sure you're pointing at a strong enough pair of IR sources AND you're far enough away from them (but not too far - 5 to 10 times the distance between them should work good). I worked a little bit on the random crashes, but couldn't come up with much. At least it shouldn't crash when it quits now.

To get started:
1. turn your Wii on with the Wii Remote (to power up the sensor bar)
2. start DarwiinRemote
3. Open the Wii Remote's battery compartment and hit the sync button, DarwiinRemote should report "Wii Remote Found".
4. Turn on the IR sensor (click the button)
5. Turn on Mouse Mode
6. Point the Wii Remote at the TV, as if your were controlling the pointer on your Wii
7. If the mouse doesn't start moving around, try turning the IR sensor off and back on (click the button twice).

Download [ DarwiinRemote 0.2a ]

Download [ DarwiinRemote 0.2a Source ]

General rule of thumb: if it doesn't work, quit it and re-open it.

Now that we've established that the Wiimote is somewhat easy to modify for different control uses, what else can use the darned thing? According to this video, the Wiimote can also control a synthesizer.

We've had a couple of different hacks done to let people use their Wiimote differently. On the silly side, there's isnoop's WiiSaber that lets people use their Wiimote to make lightsaber sounds. To control operating systems, the DarwiinRemote is currently being developed by Hiroaki and Ian Rickard to control Mac applications. The WiinRemote, on the other hand, lets you use the Wiimote as a mouse on Windows and has also spawned different ways of using it, such as Winamp control through Wiimote usage which can be seen here.

This next video shows off someone using the Wiimote to control a Nord Lead synthesizer. One thing we wish the video would show is the placement of the lights that help triangulate the Wiimote's position. Heck, is it even needed in this case? We'll definitely need to get out hands on the plans for that device as soon as possible. Mostly because we want to see if we can get it to control our video editing software like something straight out of "Minority Report".

You know, if we knew a little more about Mac programming, this would be a pretty cool app and source code to mess around with. Hiroaki made a Mac application that can potentially allow users to control other programs using your Wiimote.

Called the DarwiinRemote, it's an app that sends and receives data to and from the Wiimote. Currently, the DarwiinRemote can only support single mouse and AppleRemote modes, but Hiroaki is hoping to put a lot of other features in future versions of his work. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 and above and Universal Binary though, so make sure you have those as well before testing this.

Of course, he does remind you that this is called DarwiinRemote v0.1a for a reason. It's new, experimental, and probably unstable, so you'd best use caution when tweaking stuff on it. If you'd like to see the basic instructions for getting the app to work with your Wiimote, as well as the key mappings and plans for future revisions, we've also listed them for you. Be sure to send Hiroaki some love over at his blog as well!

Enjoy the download, and let's see if Hiroaki's DarwiinRemote v0.1a can bring about an evolution in Wiimote use.

Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.1a]
Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.1a (sources)]