[Baffling update: Hatena announced that the site and the software are available in the US and Canada today, which is totally not a Monday!]

One of the DSi's killer apps will finally be available outside of Japan. Nintendo announced that Flipnote Studio, the DSiWare animation tool, will be released in Europe this Friday, for the price of zero DSi Points. The app, called Ugoku Memo-chou in Japan, allows users to draw "flip-book"-style animations, add sound, and share them via a special site, "Ugomemo Hatena," run by Japanese blog service Hatena.

Delightfully, the site has already been relaunched as "Flipnote Hatena" for European users -- we were a bit worried that not all aspects of the service would make it, but you'll be able to upload your animations and watch and rate others' right away!

For more on the development of the game and the Hatena connection, check out the "Iwata Asks" interview with staff from both Nintendo and Hatena, and a special Iwata Asks with animator Yoichi Kotabe. And after the break, see a Flipnote animation based on Rhythm Heaven's DJ School.