Wii: Play Dii Vii Dii's

WARNING! As of November 17, 2008, Nintendo has released version 3.4 of their System Software.
This release kills the Twilight Hack, and may possibly remove any unauthorized software.

Additionally Nintendo has revised their privacy policy granting themselves permission to install or unistall software on your Wii without your consent!

It is strongly suggested that you disconnect your Wii from the internet until a solution has been found.

The update is voluntary now, but clearly it won't be for long.

More information here: http://wiibrew.org/wiki/System_Menu_3.4


Today we investigate tuning your Wii into a DVD player! Hard to believe, but its true!

First, you must have the Homebrew Channel (aka HBC) installed on your Wii. If you don't, go back to my last post to find out how.

Now the easiest way to get the software you need is to install the Homebrew Browser. To use this option, you must have your Wii hooked up to a wireless network. Go to the main site CodeMii to download the latest version.

http://www.codemii.com/

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Homebrew_apps/Homebrew_Browser

Using a card reader, extract the files to a directory in the "apps" folder of you SD card that you used in the setup of the Homebrew Channel. Now simply put the SD card back into the Wii. Now, go to the Homebrew Channel and the Homebrew Browser should be ready to launch. Here are the controls:

A Button = Click Button
B Button = Cancel Download
D Pad Left/Right = Change category
Minus/Plus Button = Previous or Next 6 homebrew applications
Home Button = Return to loader

All software that is downloaded in the Homebrew Browser is ready to go right away, and can be uninstalled via the Homebrew Browser as well.

Now, back to playing DVD's. Search through the applications under Utilities and download "DVDx Installer v1.0" and "MPlayer libdvd Edition".

Now return to the Homebrew Channel and run "DVDx Installer v1.0". This installs required files on the Wii to read DVD's. Follow the installer's instructions based on if your Wii has had a MOD chip installed or not. Once the installer exits, you don't need to run "DVDx Installer v1.0" again, unless you wish to remove the installation. Simply deleting it through the Homebrew Browser does not uninstall the files it installed.

Now simply run the MPlayer program, and put a DVD in the slot.

See this page for a summary of controls.

Now get out there and watch some DVD's. Don't forget to explore the other software titles available via the Homebrew Channel.

"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"

Wii: Run Homebrew on Your Wii!

WARNING! As of November 17, 2008, Nintendo has released version 3.4 of their System Software.
This release kills the Twilight Hack, and may possibly remove any unauthorized software.

Additionally Nintendo has revised their privacy policy granting themselves permission to install or unistall software on your Wii without your consent!

It is strongly suggested that you disconnect your Wii from the internet until a solution has been found.

The update is voluntary now, but clearly it won't be for long.

More information here: http://wiibrew.org/wiki/System_Menu_3.4


Well the Wii has finally succumbed to the hackers. It seems that a bug in one of the first games for it, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, has a bug in it that will allow someone to load their own custom software. This has come to be known as the Twilight Hack.

Normally you have to perform the Twilight Hack each time you want to run custom software (homebrew), but some enterprising programmers have written "The Homebrew" channel for the Wii, so that you can just launch stuff straight off of your SD without having to start Twilight Princess each time.

What the Twilight Hack is is a specially modified saved game file, in which the name of the horse is too long. This crashes the game, and causes the Wii to boot off the card.

You will need the following:

1. A copy of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
2. An empty SD Card
3. A Card Reader
4. WinRAR to extract the files (download here)
   
5. The Twilight Hack (download here)
   
6. The Homebrew Channel (download here)

Now follow these steps:

1. Unzip the Twilight Hack to the SD Card. You can delete the README file.
2. In the private folder are three file paths: /private/wii/title/rzdp/data.bin, /private/wii/title/rzdj/data.bin, /private/wii/title/rzde/data.bin
3. Keep one of the paths, and delete the others. If you are in Europe or Australia, keep /private/wii/title/rzdp/data.bin. If you are in Japan, keep /private/wii/title/rzdj/data.bin. If you are in Canada or the US, keep /private/wii/title/rzde/data.bin
4. Extract the Homebrew Channel rar file to your desktop. In the resulting folder you will find a file named "boot.dol" copy this to the root of the SD card (the root of the card is the first level of files you see when you double click on its icon in "My Computer"). You can delete the folder from your desktop.
   
5. Now, if you have a Zelda game in progress, save a copy to a different SD card as we will need to delete the copy on the Wii.
6. Put your SD card with the Twilight Hack into the Wii.
   
7. If you have never played the game before, then start the game and go through the process of starting a game. You don't have to actually play it, you can cancel during the opening cinematics.
   
8. Now go into the saved game section of the Wii, and delete the Zelda save file.
9. Now switch to the SD Card and copy the Twilight Hack to the Wii.
10. Once complete, exit back to the main Channel screen.
11. Start playing Zelda. You should see a saved game that has almost all the hearts. Select it. If you are in Canada/US there will be two saved games. Pick the first one, if it doesn't work then restart the game and try the other one.
12. When the game starts, you will see a person. Walk up to him and talk to him, the game will proptly crash and you will see text on the screen.
13. Follow all the instructions, and the Hombrew Channel installer will run, then the Wii will reset.
14. When you get back to the channel screen, you will see The Homebrew Channel.
15. To run homebrew, create a folder in the root of the SD Card titled "apps". You can now create seperate folders in the apps folder for each piece of software. To find Wii software, go to the Wiibrew Wiki.
    

If you've saved the software correctly, just run the Homebrew Channel as you would any other channel, you will then get a list of programs that are on the SD Card. Click on the program to run it.

Once the Homebrew Channel is installed, you can delete the Twilight Hack from your Wii, and either copy your saved game back, or start a new Zelda game.

In a future post, I will introduce you to several interesting pieces of software, including a Super Nintendo Emulator!!!!

Until next time, get a Wii and keep having fun!

"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"

Building Your Own Hammock

Ahhhhh! Swaying gracefully in the breeze on your own rope hammock. It's a relaxing picture isn't it? Heck, the Skipper and Gilligan slept in them every day for the 16 years that they were stuck on that island.

But look on the internet, and a good-quality rope hammock will run you over $200! Plus shipping and handling!

But right here, right now, I've resurrected a set of hammock making instructions from my now-defunct first website.

It is a scan from the book "Hammock: How to Make Your Own and Lie in It" by Denison Andrews. It was first published in 1978 and is since out of print. So here is a scan of the chapter "The Twin Oaks Hammock" it works great, I've built two of them myself.

One of these days I'll track down a full copy of the book again, and get the missing pages. Until then, here is the chapter in PDF and MS Word formats.

I truly swear that it is as comfortable and fun as it looks on Gilligan's Island!


"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"

Extract Audio from Video

Did you ever watch a YouTube video and think "I wish I could download that song"?

Well now you can. In fact, if you can download the video, chances are you can get the song from it.

First, you need the audio extraction software.

Go to AOA Media and download AoA Audio Extractor, it's freeware, so you don't have to pay for it. If any other software catches your eye, by all means purchase it. In the meantime we will move on.

Install "AoA Audio Extractor".

The software will convert AVI, MPEG, MPG, DAT, FLV (Flash Video), WMV/ASF, MOV, MP4, 3GP to MP3, WAV, and AC3.

Now get your video. If it is from YouTube, go HERE to download it. Copy the exact address of the YouTube video you want the audio from, and paste it into the box and hit "Get Video". The video will download as "get_video". You should add ".flv" to the end before saving.

Then run AoA Audio Extractor to extract the audio.

Voila! Done!

Further audio editing can be achieved with Audacity.

Here are a few jingles I was able to capture from YouTube, as an example.

Mini-Wheats Vanilla Commercial
Mini-Wheats Strawberry Commercial
Mini-Wheats Cinnamon Commercial



"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"