DS browser demoed...in Japanese

As of today, Nintendo still hasn't set a date for the US launch of the Web browser for its wildly popular DS handheld. The browser, which is being codeveloped by mobile-Web-application company Opera Software, will allow DS owners near a wireless Internet hotspot to surf the Internet via Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection.

In June, Nintendo announced that the DS browser would go online on July 24 in Japan, and this week, a Japanese-language video surfaced on YouTube showing the DS browser in action. The two-minute clip shows off the various features of the browser, including handwriting recognition, a touch-screen keyboard, and a zoom function that lets a user enlarge a section of a Web page. The demo shows a user looking at both Nintendo's official site and the Google search engine.

Roughly translated, the narrator of the DS browser demonstration says the following:

"You can surf the Web on your DS! The top screen shows an enlarged view of the page you're browsing, while the bottom screen shows a zoomed-out view. You can also reverse the screens. Links can be opened by just clicking them with the touch pen. You can also toggle the display so that the Web page is shown across both screens [that is, the two screens act as one long screen]. This is handy for sites with a large amount of text."

"There are two input modes: handwriting and keyboard. The search function supports both Web-wide searches and searching contents of the page being displayed. It includes all the standard browser functions such as browsing history, bookmarks, etc. Includes a password feature, and a service that allows you to block harmful Web sites."

North American gamers who prefer written, English-language instructions for the DS browser's features can find them on the official Opera Web site. The site also includes tips and tricks on how to use the application.