New DSi Tidbits: Cart Hotswapping, Picture Calendar and More

A feature on Tiny Cartirdge has undearthed some DSi features that have yet to be made widely known. New tidbits on the unique features of the new Nintendo DSi include cart hotswapping, power button functions, daily calendar and more.

First off, it seems players will be able to hotswap cartridges with the new DSi console whilst in the main menu, a feature that previously would have caused a DS or GameBoy to go gaga and force a reset. With the DS having a main menu this attention seems to make a lot of sense, and for the non believers a short video of it in action:

The DSi’s power button seems to bring up the DSWare applications menu, much like the home button in current consoles – it’s also said to act as a reset button in DS games.

Those wanting some practical use of the builtin camera can use it as part of a daily calendar album that collates snaps taken day by day into a neat visual diary of things you've paparazzied on the move. On the music front, a pair of visualisations have been shown – tapping feat in time to your audio and a rotating globe and stars. Snazzy!

The DSi makes its way to hardware-hungry Japan on November 1st 2008 boasting bigger screens, better audio and improved application support.