^ RE the firmware update. Seems rather obvious that you shouldn't do this but . . .
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/st...-u-update.html
A firmware update necessary for online gaming takes so long to download that some people are interrupting the process out of frustration — which in turn has led to some media reports of the device being "bricked," or broken irretrievably.
Los Angeles Times reporter Ben Fritz tweeted that when he tried to cancel a lengthy firmware update, he ran into problems. "Wii U has stopped functioning before I managed to play a single game," he tweeted. "I tried to stop an interminable software update and now … nothing. On a related note, anybody in the market for a big black paperweight?"