I was thinking the same thing almost, but the biggest problem with it is just that, getting a pointing device to have the same resolution and accuracy as a mouse. Because if the Wii is any indication we are a LONG way off from that. ...
It would work and it would actually be a pretty fun way to operate front row or apple tv menus, but to drag stuff around my desktop? Not unless my desktop was 640 x 480 resolution (hint, it isn't), and I was VERY patient. ...
If you've got a Wii, you must be a whole lot better than I am in a dark basement with no obstructions at 'typing' on the thing. Because for me, that is by far as painful as it gets. My kids wanted Opera on it, and I downloaded it, but it so painful to use that we don't even bother with it.
Except this isn't supposed to be a mouse replacement for sitting at a computer, it's replacing other TV remote possibilities. Ever type in a number or sentence using a standard TV remote or a game control pad?
There is no issue with resolution with the Wii mote. Accuracy is interesting. If you compare it to a gun game, you really need careful calibration because you will be lining up your eye with your target. That's irrelevant with most user interface stuff (like a mouse for instance) because you rely on a movement ratio between your hand and what you see on the screen.
If you are having issues pointing with your wiimote. Look into recalibrating. Some people don't realize that you can change the sensitivity to make it more accurate in a certain distance range.
Even though apple mentioned the accelerometer, I think the key benefit is the pointing which is COMPLETELY unrelated (and seems to get jumbled into this discussion in weird ways.)
I do like the "twist to fast forward" option. That would work pretty well. Incidentally, you don't need an accelerometer to measure twisting either.
A related technology that will likely get into the next-gen consoles (all of them? Just Nintendo?) is the zcam tech which actually measures a z distance for every pixel the camera picks up. This is pretty wild, but actually not very suited to "pointing" but more of the other types of motion and is far, far more accurate and responsive than accelerometers. There could be a combination of a device and this cam to take on the pointing and this easily sidesteps Nintendo's patents.
Apple's patent here does step directly on what Nintendo has going. It's likely an attempt by someone at Apple to hopefully get a chance at a tech Apple immediately realized it should have.
(oh, on the voice thing. Please think it through to the end. "Computer! Lower volume! Computer! Listen to me! Computer!!! LOWER VOLUME!!! Someone find the remote, it can't hear me." There are ways around that though, but it takes some training and probably involves a button and/or a wireless lapel mic.)
