Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Free Stuff For The Christmas Season

Free Xbox 360

- With stocks of 360's more rare than DoDos, this may be one of your last hopes of getting yourself one (or even upto 3 Xbox 360's) for free before the new year.
- Visit the Xbox 360 Conga page to see details on how to get them.


Free iPod Nano

- iPod's of all types have been selling out too. 1GB Shuffles will not be available until January now, and the Nanos could be going the same way.
- Same deal as the 360. Visit the iPod Nano Conga page for help on getting a free one.


Free Sony PSP

- Don't forget we also have a Free Sony PSP Conga page too! Stocks of these are almost as bad as the 360 in some areas! Try and get one for Christmas with our Conga.


Free iPod with Video

- With the iPod with Video Conga you have a choice of 30GB or 60GB models in black or white or a PayPal payment of $300! Useful for Christmas shopping since the payment is instant.
- Remember, these offers are completely cost free and risk free. That picture of the PSP above is mine that I earned doing this and now I am trying to help readers of this site do the same by not wasting potential referrals.
- Enjoy your free stuff. Thanks!

NeoFlash PSP Memory Card Adaptor

- NeoFlash Team have also announced a new product for using differnet media instead of just Sony's Memory Stick Pro Duo's.

"The Neo 2 in 1 Mini-converter for PSP is a perfect add-on to your PSP for user that require memory space Use multiple cheap memory source like CF card, Microdrive or Micro HD via this converter on your PSP!

Product specifications:
* Acts as a CF card, Microdrive and Micro HD converter all-in-one. You can use any type of card/drive just like you will use a standard Memory Stick!
* CF/MicroDrive/MicroHD/Memory Stick auto detect and auto run: Plug and play! - Support up to 4GB memory size on PSP. * Built-in PSP Ready/Busy/NULL, 3 states status indication. - The 2in1 Mini-converter can exchange data between PC and PSP through any standard PSP USB cable. It supports direct CF/MicroDrive/MicroHD/MS formatting on PSP.

Operating instructions:
[1] plug the soft cable into your PSP;
[2] Plug one SD or Mini-SD or MMC or RS-MMC or CF or MicroDrive or Micro HD or Memory Stick to the corresponding slot; [3] Turn on PSP and play!"

- This goes alongside their previously announced product which was the 5-in-1 handgrip style media adaptor.
- Lik-Sang has more on both of these products, plus another in-between version. The links below are to the individual product pages, or read this comprehensive comparison guide which even takes Datel's HDD into account:

- Compact Flash Adapter (Neo2in1)
- Compact Flash/SD/MMC Adapter (Neo4in1)
- Neo5in1 Pad (CF/SD/MMC + AA Battery)

NeoFlash Coding Competitions

- NeoFlash Team have announced the details of thier next coding competitions. Here are the PSP division details (there is also a Nintendo DS division):

"NEO spring coding contest 2006 for PSP
* PSP APP division
There will be 10 winners for psp apps too. No restriction of coding except to add the "NEO spring coding contest 2006 for PSP" splash screen in your app.

The top 10 prize for PSP contest are:
The No.1 : MicroSoft X-BOX 360 deluxe version whole set
The No.2 & No.3 : Neo-PSP 4in1 mini convertor + 4GB HD whole set OR Neo-MAX 16Gb whole set (winner can choose)
The No.4 ~ No.10 : Neo-PSP 4in1 mini convertor whole set OR Neo-MAX 1Gb whole set (winner can choose)

NEO spring coding contest 2006 close time : 20th.Feb 2006
Winner prize send out time : 30th.Feb 2006"

The Monkey Board

- Genius. (Posted by PSP Updates.)

"The Piposaru Academia 2 official website has updated with a theme board - "The Saru Board" (Saru = monkey). The purpose of this board is to split the screen of the PSP when 2 players are playing a game that requires screen splitting.
How to use:
* Download the saru board
* Print 2 copies and stick them back to back
* Cut the blank part with scissors and fold it to the final shape"

Know Your PSP Firmware Version Before You Buy

- PSP Updates updated their post on identifying the firmware version of a PSP from the barcode on the box.
- Basically there is a single letter in the top right of the barcode area, which matches up to the following firmware version:

"No Letter = 1.50 (North-American release) Confirmed
A = 1.50 Confirmed
B = 1.51 Confirmed
C = 1.52 Confirmed
D = 2.00 Unconfirmed
E = 2.00 Unconfirmed (Most likely 1.52)
F = 2.00 Confirmed
G = 2.01 Confirmed"

GTA Cheat Device v0.5a

- Edison Carter has gone crazy with some of the new features in his Cheat Device, (Video Recorder! Record what you do in game to an animated GIF on the Memory Stick!) but here is a list of all the features for those that have missed it up until now:

"v0.1:
Infinite health and armor
Edit wanted level
Edit time
Edit weather + Snow
Spawn anything
Display coordinates and speed
v0.2:
Teleport
Step through walls
Power jump
v0.3:
Activate spawn cheats with one button
Screenshot
Edit car colors
Never fall off your motorcycle
v0.4:
Firmware 2.6 support
Your car is indestructible, always steaming, smoking, or on fire
No reload
v0.5:
Video recorder
Change CPU speed to 333MHz (fw 2.0-2.5 only)
Battery percent, voltage and temp (fw 2.0-2.5 only)
Heavy motorcycle
Turn while power jumping
v0.5a:
Frames per second meter added to coordinates display"

Madden 2006 UMD Replacements

- EA have finally stepped up to announce a replacement program for those of you with copies of Madden 06 that crashes your PSP. This post on thier forum has the details on where to send your buggy copy to get a shiney free new one.

Coding Competition

- On Christmas vacation with nothing to do? Don't forget PSP News and Lik Sang are having a Coding Competition until 1th January.
- The prize is a Datel 4gb Hard Drive and X2 Battery, so get cracking.

TV Adaptor Reviews

- Lik-Sang take a look at the PSP2TV and come away fairly impressed, but confused as to the whole point of the product really. The install seems a little dangerous for the average person, but the image is pretty good.
- IGN look at the Blaze TV Adaptor giving it a fairly average score, though it sounds like the image is pretty crappy. This one wins for not having to bust open the PSP though.

Friday, December 02, 2005

WipeOut Pure USA Delta Pack 2

- Delta Pack 2 for the USA version of WipeOut Pure is now available from the official website.
- From Sony:

"Completing the Delta League are the final two tracks enclosed within the Hub complex; Koltiwa and Kara Descent, at 5k and 4.5k respectively. The official skins from the militaristic Triakis operation and the legendary AG Systems team are also contained in this download."

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Homebrew WiFi Library

- Homebrew coder Liquid8d has been working on a WiFi client / server library for the PSP.
- This is a work in progress, but he has released an alpha version of PSPLink.
- Grab it from his website.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Possible v1.50 To v1.00 Downgrader?

- PSP Updates have posted this earlier:

"Rumors have been flying around of a Firmware v1.50 -> 1.00 downgrader for the PSP. For those of you who don't know, the original PSPs which were sold in Japan came with Firmware version 1.00 which doesn't require any digital signed Sony signature to run homebrew. If a downgrader to 1.00 is created successfully, this could open the doors to custom firmwares that could allow for both the features in the newer versions (2.00, 2.50), as well as running homebrew.

Please also know that there have been some reports of users bricking their PSPs while using this downgrade method. Hackers are speculating that only virgin 1.50 PSPs (PSPs that have never been upgraded/downgraded) will be able to successfully downgrade from 1.50 to 1.00. To put it another way; If your PSP was bought in the store as a 1.50 and has never been upgraded to 2.00 and then downgraded back to 1.50, the downgrader is reported to work. Of course all of this is still speculation, so please approach this with caution! We will keep you posted immediately as more information surfaces."

PSP Firmware v2.60 Plays 480x270 Video

- Engadget posted the following early this morning:

"It seemed as though Sony glossed over any sort of new video functionality with 2.60 firmware for the PSP, but it turns out that's not entirely true. In addition to the Podcast and Windows Media Audio support that was added, Sony threw in compatibility for "Copyright-protected video data provided by a content provider or other services." ...

Back when 2.00 firmware was announced, So-net (Sony Communication Networks) quietly launched a PSP-centric video distribution service in Japan called Portable TV. At launch, the service featured only free content, but gave the promise of rental-based content in the near future. It turns out that future is now: Sony held a press conference yesterday in Japan to unveil the "new" version of PortableTV, which is fully compatible with the PSP's browser, thus eliminating the need for a PC to get video from the service. Fire up your PSP's browser, navigate to the site, download videos directly to your Memory Stick Duo, and oogle at the sexiness that is the H.264 codec.

What's more? Some of the rental videos are available at a resolution of 480 x 270, dispelling the rumors floating around that such video resolution wasn't possible from a Memory Stick Duo. Don't expect to see video encoders capable of creating compatible video at this resolution anytime soon, though - not only are the videos distributed by Portable TV heavily encrypted with Sony's DRM technology (which itself requires firmware 2.60), they've made no announcements about updating their PSP Media Manager software to incorporate these new capabilities. Still, we'll keep our fingers crossed."

GTA:LCS Trainer Update

- Edison Carter, creator of the trainer for GTA:LCS has updated it to v0.1c which now works on PSPs with firmware v2.5!
- There are also more weather choices.
- Check out this site to download it, along with a save file with a helicopter in the garage, and a load of cheat codes, images and videos of the crazy stuff this guy does with his copy of GTA.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

PSPAdvance Now Freeware

- PSP Updates have announced that PSPAdvance has now been released as freeware.
- PSPAdvance is a PSP Media Player with lots of functionality, way beyond just playing media.
- Download it here.

EBOOT Loader v0.8.5 By Fanjita

- Fanjita is still working on his EBOOT loader for v2.0 firmware PSPs.
- This app is great, and the only way to get homebrew working on a PSP with firmware v2.0 without downgrading back to v1.50.
- Some EBOOTS have stopped working in this release, but you can have multiple versions of the loader on your MS until this gets resolved.
- Fanjita's aim right now is to get as much compatability as possible, then go back and get all of the EBOOTS working with just one version of the loader.
- New Working applications in this release:

- SNES9xTYL 0.2c
- TCGS Car
- ASTC (Another Silly Tetris Clone)
- Moppi's Flower Demo
- Tail Tale
- Scrabble Assistant - loads but hangs?
- PSP Revolution
- Heretic PSP
- SMS plus 1.2
- Crystallise 1.0
- Binary Clock
- A-Blit demo

Talkman - Translate, Speak And Learn English / Japanese / Chinese / Korean

- Lik-Sang have a long review of Talkman, the language translation and speech recognition "game" for PSP.
- The finish up saying:

"In conclusion, it can be said that Talkman is a great, versatile piece of software that offers a lot. It comes absolutely recommended for those travel situations, where you are at a complete loss of words due to the language barrier. Talkman has the power to really help you out there, bridging the gap between people of different nations and tongue and sure is a fun way to meet new people and practise your skills as well. Do never let a cute girl walk away from you again in the streets of Tokyo, just because you couldn't say something nice about her charming smile in Japanese ;"

F1 Grand Prix Update Pack

- yourpsp have released an update pack for Sony Europe's F1 Racing game.
- Included is a stat update and a new classic car.

MPH Firmware Launcher v1.3.0

- MPH released a new version of MPH Firmware Launcher for the PSP a few days ago, v1.3.0.
- It allows you to launch any PSP firmware from the memory stick.
- The firmware must be extracted and not in eboot.pbp format, (use psardump01to convert.)
- Before you get too excited, (like I did) you should read the following from Claude, a PSP Updates reader:

"Okay, so I read mph forum and learned that I had to "restore system settings" before copying the flash1 files.

firmware 2.0 will boot, but it won't load GTA:LCS or ANY game for that mater(even 1.5 and below games). Of course the webbrowser doesn't work as stated in the readme.

Wallpaper function works but only if the image sits in the theme folder under vsh directory.

Nice to see that it actually runs 2.0, but just not full fledge to perform much.

CheatDevice v0.1 for GTA:LCS

- CheatDevice v0.1 is a trainer for GTA:LCS and it looks awesome.
- PSP Updates has it and quote the author:

"Here it is! The first and only cheat device for Liberty City Stories!

I implemented a few basic cheats to start with. There's much more to come!

Infinite Health and Armor
Set Wanted Level
Set Time
Set Weather
Spawn Anything


Yes, the Hunter is in the game! To fire the chain gun, press SQUARE+X. Be careful with the spawn choices, some of the silly stuff to spawn like Ferry, Train, and the later Dodo choices will crash your game. Dodo 164 is the one that works. I left the full list in so people can have their own go at trying it. Maybe the boat spawns only work near water, for instance.

I don't have a UK/Euro version yet. I have to wait for the UK copy I ordered from Lik-Sang.

It looks like this currently only works on FW 2.0. So far everyone trying it on 2.5 is reporting failure. Someone who has FW 2.01 needs to try it. I should be able to fix it for 2.5 in a future version.

Unzip the archive to your memory card so the files go in PSP/SAVEDATA/ULUS10041S0. This replaces the first save on the card.

To start CheatDevice, simply load it like a saved game. Do not load CheatDevice again when it's already running! Your game will probably crash!

You're supposed to be able to load another game save while CheatDevice is running, but it sometimes crashes. At least you can load the CheatDevice save and play around in there. For me at least, I can load another game save once after loading CheatDevice, then if I need to load again, I press L1+R1+UP to unload it, then load it again.

Disclaimer: THIS CAN CRASH YOUR GAME, SO USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. Don't use this for doing missions or when you're planning to save your game."

Firmware v2.60

- Sony has released another firmware update for the PSP, v2.60.
- Added in this release are WMA music support, RSS, and Chinese language support in the web browser.
- Note that there is no known way to run homebrew on (or downgrade from) any firmware above v2.00 so make sure you want this before downloading.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Xbox 360 Released

Free Xbox 360

- The time has come. At midnight last night, the Xbox 360 was released, making its debut in the USA.
- We've got one and it is awesome, but if you didn't manage to get one after spending the night in line, why not get yourself upto 3 Xbox 360's for free!
- Visit the Xbox 360 Conga page to see details on how to get them.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

OT: We Support Firefox

- A little off topic, but we just wanted to announce our support for Mozilla Firefox.
- On some of the pages of this site you will see a Firefox button as part of a banner across the top of the page, but only if you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer.
- If you haven't tried another browser other than IE, you might want to check this out.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Modchip Coming Soon?

- Rumour is that a Modchip is in the works for the PSP, but all we have to go on right now is a blurry image of a PCB being soldered.
- Read posts on PSP Updates, Joystiq and PS2NFO

TV Adaptors

- Looks like there is even more choice in the PSP-TV adapter world:
- Blaze PSP to TV Projector
- Also, Lik-Sang Reviews PSP2TV and Team Xtender Releases Intallation Video Of PSP2TV

Congas!

Free Xbox 360

- With two weeks until the Xbox 360's release, we have just opened a third 360 conga line. Get yourself upto 3 Xbox 360's for free!
- Visit the Xbox 360 Conga page to see details on how to get them.


Free iPod Nano

- Those of you working towards a Free iPod Nano should be happy too. The little black and white wonders are proving hugely popular and you should be getting excited about slipping one in your pocket soon.
- Same deal as the 360. Visit the iPod Nano Conga page for help.


Free Sony PSP

- Don't forget we also have a Free Sony PSP Conga page too!


Free iPod with Video

- With the iPod with Video Conga you have a choice of 30GB or 60GB models in black or white or a PayPal payment of $300!
- Enjoy your free stuff. Thanks!

Homebrew Update

- A whole host of interesting homebrew software has appeared recently, so here is a list for you to check out:
- PSP E-Mail Client v0.01 Download POP email onto your PSP.
- PSP GBA v1.1 Source code now released.
- File Assistant++ v1.0 Plays all kinds of media files and even launches things like LUA scripts.
- Fired Up Browser Web browser ripped out of the game Fired Up.
- LuaPlayer v0.12 Play homebrew games written in Lua.
- Scrabble Needs Lua Player from the link above!
- PSP Millionaire v1.02 Now no longer needs Lua Player!
- SMSPlus v1.2 Master System and Game Gear Emulator.
- UMD RIPPER v1.0 Tool to help shrink ISOs to fit on smaller Memory Sticks.
- PSP Starter Pack v1.0 Contains all of these PSP apps to make things easy:

-PSP Radio
-Doom PSP
-PSP PDA
-LuaPlayer
-DGEN (Genesis Emulator)
-Philips Remote
-Sony Remote
-SnesPSP (Super Nintendo Emulator)
-DualTetris
-NesterJ (NES Emulator)
-LUA Button Mashing Revolution
-PSP Media Centre
-PSPersonalize

Carry GTA Cheats With You

- PSP Updates have two post about convienient ways to keep cheats for GTA with you while you carry your PSP around.
- The first is a collection of PSP formatted images with the cheats on.
- The second is a collection of audio tracks, that you can use as custom music, reciting the cheats.

Game Delays

- Gran Turismo 4 Mobile was supposed to land during Spring 2005, but Sony now list the release during 2006 in Japan. Thats nice and vague.
- The Sims 2: Dr. Dominic’s Conspiracy has slipped from 22nd December to 12th January in Japan, while the USA date of 6th December still seems to be set.

Japan Gets Budget Range Of PSP Games

- Top PSP titles in Japan are to be repackaged and resold under the "PSP: The Best" label, according to GamesIndustry.biz

"Hit titles will be repackaged and resold at the lower price point of 2800 Yen (just under 20 Euro) - full price PSP games currently retail for around 5040 Yen (24 Euro). The first batch of games will be released on November 17, and will be comprised of Metal Gear Acid, Minna No Golf Portable, Vampire Chronicle, Mojipitan, Ridge Racer, Lumines and Armoured Core Formula Front.

The next wave of titles - Need for Speed Underground, Derby Time, Dokodemo Issho, Poporo Crois Monogatari, Tales of Eternia and Rengoku - will follow on December 1."

WipeOut Pure Downloads

- European players can download a new Omega Pack for Wipeout Pure right now.

"The eagerly anticipated Omega packs are finally here. Access to these European-exclusive downloads and you’ll get a Wipeout experience with a surreal twist. Some of Europe’s most respected visual artists - Jon Burgerman, Mark James, Neil McFarland and the Parisian collective Scien - here offer you their own intriguing takes on the future of racing. Each one has provided a signature circuit, race craft and designer skin - get ready to race through the freshest in contemporary art at 600-kph. A bizarre new league awaits you…"

- Players in the USA get a new Delta Pack too!
- This pack includes two new tracks, Iridia and Anulpha Pass, plus two new skins, Assegai and Harimau.
- Get the packs from the Official WipeOut Pure Website

Friday, November 04, 2005

GTA Update

- So GTA came out a few days ago, (sorry for this late post, still having connection issues,) and we got ourselves a copy on the day of release, (I tried to pick up a copy at midnight from Wal-Mart but they told me it would be on the morning shipment, so had to wait until later in the day.)
- It turns out this game came with the v2.0 update, which is not so bad since you can downgrade from it.
- Worse news is that the game actually does REQUIRE v2.0. You cannot fake your firmware version due to the game's use of some of it's features, which means ISOs of GTA cannot be booted either.
- PS2NFO says that The Hustle: Detroit Streets has the same problem.
- A patch has been released for the game by Rockstar allowing for custom soundtracks. The catch is that you have to rip tracks directly from a CD, (so you would have to burn MP3s first and re-rip them or at least fake an image of a music CD.)
- IGN has the files you need for that.
- If you want to use MP3s directly instead of ripping from a CD, PSP-Hacks were sent a nice method of doing so.
- PSPUpdates has you covered for cheats.
- GTA was delayed by a week from the original date of 28th October to 4th November, (today,) in the UK for unknown reasons.

PSPPOP Email Client

- curly on the PS2Dev forum has created PSPPOP, an email client that lets you download email from a POP3 server over your PSP's WiFi connection.
- Get it here.

Darkplanets Offer

- Darkplanets.com have just emailed me an offer of free delivery on your next order.

"We are offering FREE delivery on your next order!

Simply enter the voucher code: MLFREE when checking out and the website will offer you FREE postage.

It doesn't matter what you are buying, large or small, you will still get free postage!"

- Could be a good time for readers in the UK to pick up a Datel 4GB HDD and 2x Battery kit for your PSP!

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

iPod with Video Conga Open!

- Thank You to those of you signing up for our Conga Lines here at PSP-Files.com. (If you haven't signed up yet, check out the links below!)


Free Xbox 360

- With less than one month until the Xbox 360's release, you should be getting excited about getting your hands on one.
- This is just an update to see if we can help you get that Green verified symbol on your account, getting you one step closer to your Free XBox 360. Once you complete a listed offer on the site you signed up for, you can be queued on our Conga. That means you will be next to recieve all the referrals coming into the Conga lines until you have enough for that prize, with no effort.
- Visit the Xbox 360 Conga page to see details on how to get credited for an offer you may have already completed. Otherwise, head to the site you signed up for (or sites... we have more than one 360 offer and there is no reason to not sign up for them all!) and choose an offer soon to get a better position in the Congas!


Free iPod Nano

- Those of you working towards a Free iPod Nano should be happy too. The little black and white wonders are proving hugely popular and you should be getting excited about slipping one in your pocket soon.
- Same deal as the 360. Visit the iPod Nano Conga page for help.


Free Sony PSP

- Don't forget we also have a Free Sony PSP Conga page too!


Free iPod with Video

- The big news today though is the opening of our newest Conga line, the iPod with Video Conga.
- With this offer you have a choice of 30GB or 60GB models in black or white or a PayPal payment of $300!
- Enjoy your free stuff. Thanks!

Location Free Review

- A user on The Official Sony PlayStation Message Board has posted a quick review of the Location Free service added to firmware v2.5 for the PSP.
- Images are up too, so if you don't know what Location Free is yet, this may help explain it.

SonyxTeam Releases

- SonyxTeam have been a busy bunch recently, putting out the following PSP Apps:
- SXT Version Changer V2.02

"Yoshihiro and SXT are proud to bring you The First Firmware Trickz for Gamez that need Firmware 1.52 2.00 or 2.X to run on your PSP and Cant Run UPDATER 1.52 or 2.X. The System think it's a PSP v1.52 ,v1.0 ,v2.0, V7.50 and not the v2.50. Why ever wait a new version for update the changer :=) even if its a v1.5 or 1.0."

- SXT Firmware BFM v0.2 Beta

"Yoshihiro and SXT are proud to bring you The most advanced Firmware loader ever created for psp. It's been tested to boot successfully :
- firmware 1.0 debug unit (the bogus 1.0 update from sony), 1.0 retail,
- 1.5 retail and 1.52 retail.
Firmwares 2.0, 2.01 and 2.50 do not boot yet on this version because the flash1 is corrupted when the firmware 2.X boot. This version is useful to devlopers and firmware hackers.
What's new compared to existing FW loaders :
- 1.52 can now load flash1 correctly (there was a bug on the BFM 0.1 beta that had been fixed)
- Totally coded from nothing by Yoshihiro from SXT. (although the original idea of running a firmware from a memory stick comes from MPH)
- Unlike other loader that patches like 3 prx, BFM (the SXT version) patches them all !! It means unlike other fw loaders BFM does NOT load prx modules from the flash unit but only from the memory stick ! It also means less risks of freezing, and no chances of bricking your psp while playing with your tweak fw (or untweaked ones)
- prx modules are patched on the fly !
- Improved stability"

- They are also extending their Skin Design Contest to end on October 31st 2005, so you still have time to enter.

F.E.A.R. Downloads For Your PSP

- While searching for the patch for newly released PC title F.E.A.R. (a fantastic game by the way!) I came across the following download on Vivendi Universal Games' website: PSP Gear - 77MB

"The F.E.A.R. PSP Gear contains PSP wallpapers; the F.E.A.R. hi-def trailer, the F.E.A.R. Director's Edition trailer, and all four episodes of P.A.N.I.C.S. for use on the PSP; and inserts templated for use with the Logitech® PlayGear Pocket™ case.

For some features to function properly, owners should be using the PlayStation® Portable firmware version 2.5 or higher. For instructions on installing the latest firmware update, please visit http://www.playstation.com."

- If it is mostly just movies, I don't see how firmware v2.5 will be necessary, so try getting it anyway if you are interested. They are probably just talking about switching out your wallpaper.

Warning: Fake PSP Unbricker

- A user named "new psp movies" on The Official Sony PlayStation Message Board posted the following:

"This rumor has been spreading fast in the scene, so we decided to post this warning.

I got up this morning and saw an “unbricker” email lying in my inbox. I was impressed and followed the link to the post.

A guy named “12step” posted in the forum saying his method and Eboot would unbrick the accidentally bricked PSP, no matter what the reason and version it was. What a salvation!!! A couple of guys were yelling that this thing worked. This thing seemed really promising!

But after I downloaded it and checked the Hex code… “4D 5A” for the first 2 bytes… I wonder when PSP started to support Windows executive. You can also see the typical “This program cannot run in DOS mode.” I was curious and renamed it to .exe and… A winamp installer revealed its form.

We believe that one day a REAL unbricker will be done. But now liars, just stop hurting the unlucky users who has a bricked PSP even deeper. Let them rest in peace… or repaired for a 2.50 one"

Quake 2 Being Ported

- Hurricane Wilma knocked me off the Internet for a day and a half right in the middle of a site update, so sorry about that. Let me just finish off what I was doing.
- McZonk, a member of Team Emergency Exit, is working on porting Quake 2 to the PSP. - Here is what he had to say:

"I'm working on a port of Id Software's Quake 2 for the PSP. It's far away from being finished, but the biggest part of the work is already done. The only thing is missing, is the graphics port. I hope I can release a first preview within the next two or three weeks which allows single player gaming. Not all graphic effects will work at this state. Sound and multi player will definitive come, but later. It's possible to start a game in single player mode at the moment, but you have no output, because I hade to rewrite the graphics port completly (I tried with pspgl, but there are to many problems with it). The 2d stuff is working (menus, console, etc) and I will try to render a 3d model preview in the player options menu next and play cinematics and demos. This will be a big step forward. I will post another news if something interessting happend."

- It must be Quake season! Quake 1 has already been ported, 2 is on the way, id released the source to 3 and 4 just hit store shelves for PC!

Monday, October 24, 2005

Sony Tries To Make PSP Trendy In London

- PSP Updates have posted some images of some new stores that have been popping up around London to promote the PSP.
- They seem to be temporary locations setup for Christmas in a kind of boutique style similar to other shops in the area.
- I really can't imagine how effective something like this must be since the PSP is not a fashion item, despite what Sony may imagine. What kind of person are they hoping will walk into one of these "galleries"? It can't be that cheap an exercise.

10 Million PSPs Shipped

- Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI) announced a few days ago that they have shipped 10,000,000 Playstation Portables around the world.
- So far, shipments have hit the following in each region:

* Japan and Asia: 3,000,000 (Release Date: 12th December 2004)
* North America: 4,470,000 (Release Date: 24th March 2005)
* Europe: 2,530,000 (Release Date: 1st September 2005)
* Total 10,000,000

- Not these numbers are shipping quantities, not the amount purchased by players.
- Sony plans to sell around 3 million PSPs in its first North American holiday season, Kaz Hirai, the head of SCEA, said.

"We're going to try to double the installed base between now and the end of the year."

PSPGBA v1.0

- Coder psp298 has released a new Game Boy Advance emulator for the PSP, aptly titled PSPGBA v1.0.
- psp298 says:

"PSPGBA is a GBA emulator for PSP with GUI for game management like RIN and optimized for speed. Although not 100% as fast as GBA but with playable speed for some of the games."

Friday, October 21, 2005

NeoFlash PSP Memory Card Adaptor

- NeoFlash have posted the final specs for their memory card converter for the PSP.
- It will be called the "NEO-MS 4in1 PSP Pad" and will support the following functions:

Use the following Memory Cards:
* Any Sony MS
* SD/MMC
* CF/MicroDrive
* Up to 4GB

Battery:
* Optionally Use 4xAAs
* Can recharge batteries
* Charge through AC/DC or USB

Also:
* Ergonomic PS2 style grip
* Kickstand
* Car mounting bracket

- IC2005 have them available for preorder right now for $99, with an expected release date of November 2005.

Coding Competition

- Not sure if I mentioned this already, but there is a PSP Coding Competition going on right now over at DCEmu.
- The contest will end 11.59pm GMT, November 7th 2005.
- The winner will receive all of the following:

Logitech PlayGear Amp
External 3200mAh Battery Pack
Power Charging Cradle
Hori Portable Pouch Style (Ash Black)
Airform UMD Pocket (Black)
USB Transfer/Recharge Cable (2in1)
Liquid Crystal Filter

Movie Website Designed For PSP

- Joystiq mentioned a few days ago that Paramount have launched 50psp.com, a website for 50 Cent's new movie "Get Rich or Die Tryin'".
- What makes this news relevant s that the site is specifically designed for the PSP, which is apparently a first.
- Download trailers and wallpapers right now. Webisodes are supposedly coming soon.

More "PSP on TV" Details

- PS2 Cover now have the PSP on TV available for preorder for $100.
- They also have some images up, showing Lik-Sang's artist impression was a pretty good one.
- The device actually works using mirrors, so I can't imagine the quality being too high with something like this.
- Team Xtender, who are creating a similar product named PSP2TV, posted a response on their site.

Web Server Running On A PSP

- PSP Project nave been serving a web site from a PSP.
- Unsuprisingly, its down right now.

Video Of PSP Being Bricked

- Anti-Virus company F-Secure have made a video of themselves bricking a PSP by using one of the trojans floating around out there on that Internet thing.
- Watch the video here.
- Now you don't have to do it yourself, saving you about $250. Be safe.

PSP Giga Pack

- Sony will start selling a new PSP bundle next month titled "Giga Pack" for $299.
- It includes:

* 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo
* Battery pack
* AC adaptor
* USB cable
* PSP stand
* Firmware 2.0

- You should save yourself a little bit of money buying this pack rather than buying a 1GB stick separately, plus you get the bonus of the stand and USB cable.

Cracking v2.5

- Efforts to crack the v2.5 firmware continue. SonyXTeam have been taking a look at it and have issued the following warning to other would-be crackers out there:

"SonyxTeam News We want to warn any team creating version changer programs that the 2.50 index.dat encryption pattern has changed, therefor you have 100% chances of bricking your psps if you try to use it in your flash.
That’s also why we are not using it on our version changer.

The reasons why sony would do such a thing are

- To prevent people from creating version changers (they failed to do so, since we know how to create our own index.dat)

- To prevent people on 2.50 from downgrading using an earlier index.dat version

- Because they think we are dumbasses that would brick some of our psps in the process (that’s too bad since we didn’t brick any of our psps as we tested the 2.50 index.dat using BFM firmware loader).

Also Sony wouldn’t imagine us sniffing in their IPL and figuring out that the Version information is now located into the 2.50 IPL whitch means that the index.dat is now useless and has just the purpous to fool us (yeah $ony just failed mouhahaha, we are way smarter than they imagine, next time I do hope for their sake that they do better….)"

New Trojan Warning! PSafeP Updated

- Dark Killer has put a new version of PSafeP out on the web to combat a new trojan floating around.
- The trojan claims to be a program named DPixy that will cure dead pixels. What it really does is turn your screen off. To get it working again you will have to get to the System Restore option in the PSP OS without being able to see it.
- PSafeP v1.2 includes the following updates:

* Improved flash read/write detection algorithm (flash0 access for wlan drivers isnt detected as suspicious anymore)
* Added Drag & Drop support
* Bundled COMDLG32.OCX (fix "missing dependency" error)

Basilisk II PSP Macintosh Emulator

- ChaosKnight has ported Basilisk II to the PSP, calling it Basilisk II PSP Macintosh Emulator.
- Basilisk II is an open-source 68k Macintosh Emulator which will run systems 7.5.5 through 8.
- P-Sprint support is in there for keyboard input and there is varying sensitivity for the mouse input too using the D-Pad or the analog stick.
- You need a legal copy of mac.rom to run this however.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Another TV Adaptor - This One Without Modification To PSP

- Lik-Sang also mention a new TV adaptor for the PSP from the people that made the TV de Advance (the TV adaptor for the GBA.)
- This one requires no modification to the console, unlike Team Xtender's version.
- This one seems to have a camera film the PSP's screen? Strange.

Lik-Sang Review Datel 4GB HDD

- Import gaming web store Lik-Sang, have a review of Datel's 4GB HDD for the PSP.
- They have an unconfirmed price of $200 listed right now.
- Pictures are included of the packaging, the unit itself, connected to the PSP, busted apart and how the PSP reacts to it (3803 MB free space!)
- They say it is small and quiet, but transfer and loading times are considerably longer than from a regular MS Pro Duo. It also seems to consume more power, but it comes with the 2x Battery, so that is taken care of.
- Replacing the MicroDrive inside with any other Compact Flash card will work, but format it on the PC first. Other MicroDrives will work too, as long as they are not bigger than 4GB.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Firmware v2.5 Out Now

- Firmware v2.5 is now available from the PSP's Network Update option.
- This release actually adds some decent features, including the Location Free Player which lets you stream TV over the Internet (from a Base Station you have to buy separately).
- Sony's JAP website and the Sony's USA website both have the update available to download if you would prefer.
- Don't forget, this new firmware is not able to run unsigned code, so you lose access to all emulators etc. so be sure you want to update.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Updated Details On Datel's 4GB HDD

- An update on Datel's upcoming HDD attachment for the PSP:

"We can now confirm the following:
It is a physical hard drive (Micro Drive) not solid state/flash memory.
It does connect with a small cable to the memory stick slot.

More details and updated pictures here"

Friday, October 07, 2005

PSPHelp v1.0

- pud from the PSP Updates Forum has created a help file for Windows (a CHM file) titled PSPHelp v1.0.
- PSPHelp details how to get things done with/on your PSP, which is especially useful to beginners in the PSP homebrew world.
- pud obviously put alot of time into this, explaining things such as:

- Transferring files to the PSP
- Understanding PSP folders
- Video in firmware 1.50
- Network setup
- Homebrew, and how to use it

- Grab it if you have questions about your PSP.

Conga Line Reminder

- Just wanted to let new readers know about our Conga Lines. Conga lines allow you to earn free gifts from trusted companies like FreePay much faster than trying to get them on your own.
- Join our congas to earn the following gifts:
- Free Xbox 360 Conga Line. Get it for launch day! In fact, we have 2 up for grabs and you can get both!
- Free iPod Nano Conga Line. Apple cannot keep up demand for these things!
- Free PSP Conga Line. Mine came preloaded with firmware v1.50!
- You can sign up for all the lines we offer, you are not limited to choosing just one, so go crazy and earn them all!

Remove Background Lines In PSP OS

- PSP-Hacks have put up news from Fluff (a.k.a. NaoNeo).
- He/she has shown a way to remove the wavy lines animating in the background of a PSP, so that you only see a picture:

"It's a lot of hype over a single byte change?, i can'’t beleive that crap, anyway if you feel like removing the wavey lines from your background, all you have to do is go open this file:

flash0:\vsh\resource\system_plugin_bg.rco

Go to offset 0x—00000646 and change the value from 35AF to 37AF, simple!, basically what it does is break the code for the actual lines, thus disabling them, but as with all firmware 'mods' i highly suggest you only do this using MPH'’s firmware loader or with Flash0 emulation enabled in umd emulator 0.8, Flashing edited files to your firmware can brick your psp, so do the sensible thing okay people? :)

Now why on earth, after telling canti exactly that, does he/she go around like it'’s some sort of special discovery?..

You can download the original video of the file modification in action right here.

Going into greater detail, thar be basically two versions :

Fluff'’s : Go to offset 0x—00000646 and change the value from 35AF to 37AF
pyro's : Go to offset 0x00001B74 and change the value from CCBC to 00BC

While the edits are indeed in difference places the overall results remains the same, you could do a simple byte edit in a thousand places of the file and it would break the lines just like the two above edits! how dull.

Enjoy either way ~"

PSP Media Player Now In English

- sHard>> has been working on the source code to PSP Media Player v0.0.5 (PMP).
- He says the following:

"Hey guys, just wanted to let you know I skinned up a nice version for end users until I can get this thing to compile smoothly (almost there) and help out on the programming end. Check it out if you want a more "polished looking" version. I also whipped up a nice little readme with more complete control information. It's in English, and uses jockyw2001's updated source.

Binary: http://nerisoft.com/psp/PMP_skinned.zip
Source: http://rapidshare.de/files/5913386/pmp-sourcecode.tgz.html

Enjoy while you wait for new features!"

- PMP is originally a Korean app from JiniCho. You can open AVI (DivX and XviD), OGG and WMA files.
- The best thing about this media player is that DivX AVI files can be played at 480x272. That full screen resolution on the PSP finally!

More Emulators

- Team XBOS have released an Apple II Portable Emulator, appropriately titled Apple II Portable v0.1 for PSP.
- c64PSP v0.1 is a port of Frodo C64, a Commodore 64 Emulator.
- PSPVice v0.2b is another (better) Commodore 64 emu.

Python Ported To PSP

- After the Lua port come news of a Python port for PSP.
- Python is a scripting language which is very popular for quick and robust coding.
- PSP Updates have a demo of a rotating, shrinking and coloured sphere written in Python if you want to check it out.

Launchers For Small v2.00 EBOOTs

- toc2rta's v2.00 exploit has been used by abu to create a new EBOOT loader for v2.00 PSPs.
- AstralDragon from PSPri.it has posted another app which appears to do the same thing.
- It is nice to know you have a choice for your v2.00 EBOOT launching needs :)

Symantec Name Fake Downgrader "Trojan.PSPBrick"

- Symantec, makers of Norton AntiVirus, has labeled the recent release of the fake PSP downgrader "Trojan.PSPBrick" according to a story on ZDNet News a few days ago.
- Someone already beat them to the punch of releasing antivirus software for this threat however, as mentioned previously.

Put A D-Pad Over Your Buttons

- PSP Updates posted a nasty looking hardware mod which puts a D-Pad from an old NES controller over the Circle, Square etc. buttons.
- The creator did it to help him play Ghost In The Shell, so others may be interested.
- I wouldn't be suprised if a commercial addon appears sooner rather than later since alot of people complain about sticking Square buttons.

P2P Network For PSP

- More old news, (I'm catching up,) Team Zero created a P2P Networking for the PSP called XChange, which uses a browser on the PSP.
- No illegal content is allowed and this is moderated to be sure not to happen. You will be banned if you upload anything illegal.
- The site seems to be moving around since it is still a WIP, but try this link: XChange

Serve iTunes To Your PSP Via WiFi

- An old hack I never got round to posting, but if you want you can serve your iTunes library to your Sony PSP using WiFi and the Internet.
- The method listed requires a Mac running at least OS X 10.3, a shareware application called Dot Tunes and a PSP with v2.00 firmware (or other means of running a browser such as the WipeOut hack.)

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Datel Create 4GB HDD And 2x Battery Combo

- I found a listing on dark planets for a new product from Datel, creators of the Action Replay/ GameShark.
- And I quote:

"Up until now, the largest storage that has been available to PSP owners was the 1Gb Pro Duo Memory Stick. Then within the last week or so, we have seen the emergence of the 2Gb Memory Sticks, with their large price tags!
...
[Datel] have gone one step further! 4GB of storage and an X2 battery combined! That’s right double the storage and double the playing time. But wait there’s even more! Believe it or not, they are even throwing in one of their other ground-breaking products for the PSP - the Get Connected Media Cable and it’s media software."

- Price is still to be confirmed but is currently listed at £149.99 for preorder, with an expected release date of 20/10/2005.
- Action Replay/ GameShark is also available for PSP and comes with code and media manager software, a USB cable and a 64Mb memory card.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Macintosh System 7.5.5

- Neisha Stadelhofer has gone through the painful process of getting Mac OS 7 on the PSP.
- It runs via the Bochs emulator, running vMac in FreeDOS... so thats:

"an x86 emulator running a 680x0 emulator on a handheld gaming console"

- Boot time is around four hours so, I wouldn't bother doing this yourself!

Antivirus For PSP Files

- Dark Killer has released PSafeP, a program for Windows which scans Sony PSP executable files (EBOOT.PBP) for suspicious code.
- Use it to check out files you download before running them on your PSP.
- The author notes the following however:

"Important Note: Due to PSafeP scanning for any and all access to the flash memory, some legitimate software (ex: LUA Player, PSPInside) that accesses flash0 to load certain prx modules will fail the scan even though they are 100% percent safe."

IGN Has Hands On With Multiplayer GTA On PSP

- IGN got a chance to play some of the multiplayer modes in GTA for PSP.
- It sounds good to me. A bit of a shame it doesn't work over WiFi routers and only allows ad-hoc, but if you can find 6 players it would be great fun I'm sure.
- Please Sony, don't put firmware v2.xx on the disc!!

Workaround For Madden Crashes

- Tiburon, the Florida based EA company that produced Madden 06 for PSP, have posted a workaround on their forum to fix the problem some users have experienced with game crashes.
- Looks like the games will not be recalled then. Here is what they said:

"Guys,

Here is the work around I just got from Tiburon. Please post if you have tried it and are still having issues:

We have thoroughly investigated the shutdown-issue re: Franchise mode that some of our users have experienced with Madden NFL 06 for the PSP. While this isn't a widespread problem, we have identified the following work-around for the issue:

1. Clear all memory sticks of any saved Franchise files where the problem existed.

2. From the Franchise Main Menu select Play Week.

3. The user is then presented with the options of Weekly Schedule, Team Schedule, Standings.

4. Select Team Schedule and proceed into game from there.

Upon exiting any game, the user will be taken back to the Weekly Schedule. The user will then need to select the "back" button (triangle) to bring them back to the Play Week options. From here the Team Schedule can be selected again and the user can continue with the game scheduled for that week.

In summary, the user should enter any game they wish to play within Franchise mode from the Team Schedule option menu.

While not widespread, we are sorry for the inconvenience that this issue has caused and hope that this solution will allow you to enjoy Madden NFL 06 for the PSP. We greatly appreciate your continued support of our products."

Firmware v2.01 Now Released In USA

- Sony have put firmware v2.01 on thier US Website now.
- It was previously available via the Network Update feature on the PSP itself, or from the JAP website.
- In any case, you should not download this update. All it does is block the v2.00 exploit and does not add any features.

More WipeOut Pure Content

- WipeOut Pure Classic Pack 3 is now available from the in-game browser.
- The following goodies are inside:

* Vohl Square (Track)
* Icaras (Ship)
* Icaras (Skin)
* Classic Tunes 3 - Cold Storage - Messij
* Classic Tunes 4 - Cold Storage - Operatiqu

PSP-PDA

- Notepad by Rob_PSP has been renamed PSP-PDA thanks to all the added functionality in the program now, including music player, image viewer, address book, calendar, and calculator.
- PSP-PDA v1.0 replaces Notepad version 1.3 and adds the following:

* Added: Calendar
* Added: Calculator - a mathematical expression evaluator
* Added: Bookmarks are auto-loaded and saved
* Added: Music plays while viewing pictures, but scaling and rotation is disabled.
* Added: MOD and XM support, TGA
* Added: Keyboard Settings - select analog, digital, and 2-cursor keyboards Change cursor and button sensitivity
* Added: Cursor can be moved in text fields with the pad. Text fields can be selected with the pad.
* Fixed: Toggle Bookmark crash

Monday, October 03, 2005

DevKitPro Adds PSPSDK Docs

- devkitPro Updater 1.1.0 adds the PSPSDK Doxygen Documentation to its list of downloads.
- Go and get it if that is how you installed your SDK.

PSP-Files.com Starts Coding

- I've finally had a chance to sit down and try coding some stuff for the PSP.
- So far I'm just tinkering with the demos that come with the SDK and have successfully got a textured cube moving and rotating around at your command by combining two of them.
- I've been moving the code around into a more manageable format to make it easy to start new projects when I want to, without having to reinvent the wheel each time.
- I'm trying to mess around with the texturing abilities right now, but hopefully I'll get a chance to write some small tutorials and post up the code when I get a little further down the line.
- Just mentioning that since updates here may be a little slower while that stuff gets worked on.

Subway Map Images

- Joystiq have a nice post up linking to subway maps from around the world formatted for the PSP.

Barcelona
Berlin
Boston
Chicago
Frankfurt
Hamburg
London
Mexico City
Milan
Moscow
Munich
New York City
Nuremberg
Oslo
Osaka
Paris (Metro + RER)
Rome
Santiago
Stockholm
Stuttgart
Sydney
Tokyo
Washington DC Metro

Firmware v2.01 Now Released

- Don't go and install it since you won't be able to run any unsigned code anymore, but Sony have put out a new firmware which prevents the v2.00->v1.50 downgrader from working.
- PSP Updates have pictures up of the user agreement you have to accept when installing the firmware.
- In related news, there is apparently a fake downgrader floating around... "PSP Team patcher." Don't use it unless you want to have your PSP transform into a paperweight.

Friday, September 30, 2005

Analysts Keep Speculating on HDD PSP

- It seems another technology analyst has predicted a new version of the PSP to be released sometime next year with a Hard Disk Drive built in.
- The reasons for doing so are said to be:
- A stop-gap before the PS3 release,
- To compete with media players like the iPod, (or even better, Archos media players,)
- In case Nintendo release their new GameBoy.
- They sound like good, solid reasons, but is it true?
- In other, semi-relevant news: Sony announced yet another Memory Stick format, the Memory Stick Micro M2.
- Out sometime in the first half of 2006, they are 15 x 12.5 x 1.2mm compared to a Pro Duo's fatty 20 x 31 x 1.6mm.

NYC Subway Map - That You Shouldn't Download

- This blog has a link to a PSP formatted NYC subway map image... that you should not download and use to help you get around for legal reasons.
- Similar images have been made for the iPod before on ipodsubwaymaps.com, but, as a recent post points out, the MTA wants a $500 license fee paid to allow hosting of those images for free download. That means you should not expect the PSP version to last long.

New Firmware v2.01 On The Way

- It looks like Sony are preparing their next update for the PSP.

""[Running homebrew] is not...what the device was designed for," said Patrick Seybold, a spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment America. "We plan to deal with this issue with the next system update." He declined to say when that update would be ready."

- And don't expect any grand new features like the web browser in v2.0 either.
- Also interesting was the following quote. How the hell would they know?

"Running unauthorized software will void the warranty."

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Commodore 64 Emulator

- A new release today from urchin; a Commodore 64 Emulator for PSP titled c64PSP v0.1.
- It is a port of the Frodo C64 Emulator, but right now it is just an early release. It displays video and plays sound, but control is limited joystick 2 and disk loading is not implemented.
- Some good news however is that pressing "Start" will load the file "snapshot.fss" from the c64PSP directory so replace that file with a snapshot saved from a desktop version of Frodo to play a game from where you left off!
- PS2NFO had the news.

Cheap 2GB MS Pro Duo

- OnSale.com have SanDisk 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Gaming Cards available for $136.99 + $7.86 shipping = $144.85
- This is the cheapest price I have found for a 2GB MS Pro Duo, especially since J&R just raised their prices.
- The status says to call them, so I did. They said the would be in stock mid-October and that ordering now secures the price.
- Other shipping rates are available but this is 3-7 day UPS Ground, the cheapest they had.
- Good luck all!

How To Downgrade v2.0 To v1.5

- It has finally happened and a tutorial is up already. Head on over to Hack-A-Day's "HOW-TO: PSP 2.0 to 1.5 downgrade."
- It is possible to upgrade and downgrade your system as much as you want. Just do it right. Don't go bricking your PSP!

Monday, September 26, 2005

Skip Firmware Update With UMD Swap

- Emmanuelle pspmexico has come across a method to play games that require a firmware update without doing the update.
- It is confirmed as working and can be performed like this:

You need:
* A PSP with 1.0 or 1.50 firmware which you donÂ’t want to be updated.
* A game does not require system update to play. (Disc A)
* The game you want to play but requires a system update. (Disc B)

Method:
In the XMB interface, put Disc A into the PSP, then start the game. While in the white screen, swap Disc A with Disc B. Then the game will continue to load.

PDF Reader v0.2

- Someone was looking for a PDF viewer for PSP a while ago and was given a file which allowed him to do just that. As long as the file was named "a.pdf" the PDF would load with the program and open. The sources were also provided.
- Now, da5id has modified the code to include the following functions:

- File browser
- Zooming support
- Remapped buttons, triggers to page up/down, circle/cross to zoom, triangle/square to page up/down 10 pages
- Use Dpad or analog stick for movement

- The source is also released for this version, so does anyone else fancy adding some more features?

More Coke WipeOut Content

- Another Coca-Cola themed add-on pack for the Japanese version of WipeOut Pure is out in the wild.
- Start WipeOut Pure, enter the download section and enter the password [] X O /\ (Square, X, Circle, Triangle).
- For your efforts you get "Original Menu Graphic 3" and "Special Course 1".

Firmware v2.0 Dumper

- Fancy dumping a copy of your v2.0 firmware? Well, some clever old soul has gone and coded something that does just that.
- It works with the known exploit. Go here to download it.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Firmware v2.0 Exploit Found

- First some older news:
- An exploit has been found in Sony's PSP firmware v2.0. They use the "libtiff" code for the Image Viewer which has a known bug that allows a small peice of binary code to be executed from an image file.
- It seems all you have to do is have the specially formatted image on your Memory Stick and open it in the Image Viewer. Right now, all that happens is the screen is filled with blue since this is really just a proof of concept. Even so, this is still the first homebrew code running on a v2.0 PSP and is a sign of things to come.
- And now some newer developments:
- The same people who found the v2.0 buffer overflow exploit have developed a way to execute a binary file from the Memory Stick root directory.
- "Binary Loader v0.2 For PSP 2.0" is the name and it will load binary files up to 64k, which means it won't load homebrew ELF files yet.
- Two other bits of code have turned up: "Hello World v1 For PSP v2.0" by groepaz and a "Scrolling Starfield Demo For 2.0 PSP".

Metal Gear Acid To Be Budget Title

- Konami announced at the Tokyo Game Show that they will re-release Metal Gear Acid for PSP under the "Best of Konami" range.
- It will be coming out on November 17th, about three weeks before Metal Gear Acid 2 ships on December 8th.
- The re-release will be priced at 2,100 Yen ($19 USD)

PSP2TV Out In A Month

- Team Xtender have released some more details about the soon-to-be-released PSP2TV device.
- It will be completely solderless, will come with a PSP faceplate, works on ALL televisions (not just HDTVs etc.), allows the user to switch from 16:9 to 4:3 and has S-Video out.
- The tentative date of shipment is between October 20th to October 30th.
- The launch "VALUE BUNDLE" will contain the following items:

1 X PSP2TV docking Station
1 X Deluxe AV + S-Video Cable
1 X Silver Face Plate
1 X Crystal Blue Face Plate
1 X PSP2TV complete installation kit

Thursday, September 22, 2005

PSPRadio - Stream MP3s Over The Internet

- A guy named Raf has been working on a few PSP projects, the most promising of which seems to be PSPRadio.
- A work in progress version has just been released which lets you listen to MP3s on your Memory Stick and listen to MP3 streams over the Internet.

Some Homebrew Being Published?

- According to PSP-Hacks, some PSP homebrew coders are being approached to publish their work on real UMDs.
- We'll have to wait and see if these rumors turn out to be true, but this is not unheard of.
- A few projects in the GameBoy Advance scene eventually got published. Remember those GBA Video carts? The codec was a homebrew project.

UMDGEN - UMD ISO Creator

- www.UMDGEN.com is the place to head to for a new piece of software for PSP homebrew coders and ISO rippers, PSP UMDGEN v1.00.
- From the website:

"Welcome to UMDGEN.COM- Create PSP "Universal Media Disc" compliant iSO images. If you head over to the UTiLiTiES page, you can grab the initial release- UMDGEN v1.00!

PSP UMDGEN currently supports importing FileList.txt files and exporting iML/iMS files. Future updates will likely include features such as File Relinking (ie: you can drop an entire game into the window, relink Pad0 to Pad1, and it will immediately show the smaller total size) and also the ability to Save/Load Projects along with support for 'hidden' files. $ony will likely start doing this in future PSP titles, so the ability to add files to the iSO that don't show up in the TOC may indeed prove useful at some point.

Finally we will review feedback on the UMDGEN Forum from users and resolve any open issues or fix any bugs reported, as well as consider upcoming version feature requests."

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Change Text On PSP Interface

- PSP Updates were emailed a tutorial on how to change the text on the PSP user interface in a non-destructive manner from Naoneo.
- Naoneo has been working on a way to flash this information to the PSP ROM, but this is a much safer way of doing it if you are interested.

Device Hook Launcher v0.22

- PSP-Hacks has posted news about another launcher release: Device Hook Launcher v0.22 from BOOSTER.
- This app works in conjunction with UMD Emulator v0.8, does not require a UMD to be in the drive, and has the following features:

* added open/close ISO file at each UMD access.
* supported suspend/resume.
* added ISO search directory "fatms0:/UMDEMULATOR/ISO"
* UMD EMULATOR 0.8 compatible.
* added "UMD Disc"” item and removed "“UMD MODE" menu.
* with bypass version check.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Off Topic: Nintendo Revolution Controller Unveiled * Update*

- *Update* My faith seems to be rewarded. After finding a webcast from the Tokyo Game Show Keynote Speech from Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, in which he reveals the controller to the world, I understand what the whole thing is about. If it is used as well as they hope, this will be an awesome controller.
- View the 50min stream of the recorded webcast here. If you want to skip all the stats at the begining, go to 28mins 45secs to see the controller stuff. It really is impressive. Just don't let us down now Nintendo!
- Quick notes: The console comes with the "Remote" and the "Analog Stick" controller parts as standard. Expansions will be made available to play older games (since Revolution will emulate all of Nintendo's back catalog from all consoles.) It was unclear whether you plug in older contorllers into this expansion, or if the expanisions are whole controllers themselves. *End Update*

- I know this is a PSP site, but I'm sure more than a few of you would be interested in the news that Nintendo have finally lifted the lid on the controller for the upcoming Revolution console.
- Gamespot have images hosted, the most interesting of which I think are these two:
- Clearly designed with left handers in mind.
- Making things a little more traditional.
- I'm fairly sure this is nothing like what people were expecting... so is it good? My first reaction is no, but there must be a good reason for it to have this design so I'll try and keep an open mind until I can try one out.
- It just seems odd that Nintendo say they are focused on gaming, but take inspiration from a TV remote.

Off Topic: Xbox 360 Dated

- Microsoft have given the following dates for the Xbox 360 release: USA 22nd November, EU 2nd December and JAP 10th December.
- Want one for free? Join our conga lines and you could have two of them!
- Here is what FreePay, the most trusted company providing Free 360s, had to say:

"It's official, Xbox 360 will be hitting stores on November 22nd, less than 2 months from now. Some folks will be saving their dollars for the big day, but with FreePay you don't have to - it's not too late to pre-order yours on our website and get one totally FREE. What's more, you'll get the full Premium Edition with wireless controller, detachable hard drive and headset all part of the package. It's not too late to sign up at FreePay Xbox 360s and be ready for November 22nd!"

- Join the Conga and Earn a Free Xbox 360.
- Don't forget you can also earn a Free iPod Nano and a Free PSP.
- You can sign up for all the lines we offer, you are not limited to choosing just one, so go crazy and earn them all!

PSP2TV - Display PSP Image On A TV And Use PS2 Controller

- Team Xtender, well know XBox scene hardware hackers, are close to finishing their latest product, PSP2TV.

"This easy to use product feature a docking station for the SONY PSP so that its image can be displayed on a TV (plasma, LCD and HDTV). It also allow you to use your Sony PS2 dual shock controller on your PSP!!!"

- A picture speaks a thousand words. More available on their website.

Metal Gear Acid 2 "Solid Eye" Revealed

- PSP Updates has an image of the device to be bundled with the upcoming Metal Gear Acid 2 game.
- As suspected, the device straps around the PSP which you use as a pair of binoculars.
- The image on screen is split in two, with both halves presented to each eye being slightly offset, causing what you see to appear 3D.

PSP Emulator Halted

- More news of project stoppages hits us, but this one should not be much of a surprise.
- News was spreading of an upcoming PSP emulator which could be ported across various platforms, including Windows and XBox. PSP-Files.com did not report on this until more evidence could be provided, especially when it seemed the author was a school child.
- Regardless, word from the "author", Matt Fazzer, is that the project has stopped due to a cease and desist letter:

"hello guys, I'm having serious trouble with my host. I have also received an important email, threatening court action for the production of my playstation portable emulator. I therefore, cannot continue my work with PSPemu I am very sorry for all the inconvenience this may have caused the PSP community. I would just hate to get into serious trouble. Thanks alot to all the people who were there for me throughout the project, and thanks to all the people on the psp-hacks forums for supporting me and participating in the logo competition.

mattfazzer will be re-opening in October, offering news,reviews,previews and ISO release lists. I will also be working on brand new JavaScript apps on top of various legal homebrew applications. Once again i am very sorry for the sudden end to this
project...and I also apologize to Sony.

People are welcome to contact me using the following:
Email:mattfazzer@gmail.com
MSN Messenger:matt_farrow62@msn.com

Thanks Again
Matt"

- I'm not sure putting your email and MSN address out like that was such a good idea...

PSP-DEV And WAB Split - No Downgrader

- According to PSP-DEV, their relationship with WAB has dissolved and the downgrader project has halted.

"We want to announce that the colaboration between the two groups has been completly finished without success. We also want to announce that WAB has been disolved. The relatioship between the two groups were vanishing days ago (some of our members were banned from their server) and there is no progress with the colaboration.
In addition, the downgrader project (never finished) is immediatelly cancelled (it is not an excuse, we can’t explain our reasons, but are enough to do this)."

- I can't help but question whether the project was ever real, but this is sad news none the less.
- At the time of posting, WAB's website was also down.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Metal Gear Acid 2 Includes 3D Peripheral?

- Gamespot recently posted news that the sequel to the PSP card-battle game, Metal Gear Acid, will employ the "Solid Eye" visual add-on.
- The news comes from Famitsu, the well respected Asian game magazine.

"By attaching the peripheral--which looks like a set of binoculars that matches the PSP's body color--gamers will be able to see portions of Metal Gear Acid 2 in 3D. The attachment will be bundled with Metal Gear Acid 2."

- So does that mean you wear it, or it straps around the PSP itself? Intriguing.
- Metal Gear Acid 2 will also have a WiFi multiplayer strategic battling mode.
- The title should be released in the US on November 15th, then Japan on December 8th.

Movie/Game Hybrid UMD

- Did anyone see the movie Stealth? No? Unsurprising since it looked like a pile of poo and rightly bombed at the box office.
- So how will Sony try and get the UMD version to sell? Package it with a custom version of like Wipeout Pure, that's how!
- Wipeout Pure: Stealth Edition includes the first three levels of Wipeout Pure and a new "Stealth" track featuring the AI Jet from the movie.
- The game is a bonus feature on the movie UMD which will also include the v2.0 firmware upgrade.
- While most UMDs cost around $20 or less, this hybrid will retail for $39.95. Ouch. Die hard Wipeout fans only please.

2GB Memory Stick Prices

- In the market for a new Memory Stick (like me)? Check out these two preorder links:
- JR.com - SANDISK 2GB Gaming Memory Stick PRO duo - $149.88
- PCMall.com - Sony 2 GB High Speed Memory Stick PRO Duo - $157.99 Includes MS Pro Adaptor.

TALKMAN - Sony Speech Recognition Game With Microphone

- The TALKMAN, announced by Sony Computer Entertainment of Japan (SCEJ), will become the first (and I would have to guess, only) speech recognition device for the PSP.
- The TALKMAN will connect a microphone to the USB port of the PSP and come with software to translate four spoken languages; Japanese, Chinese, English and Korean.
- It is thought there will be a game involved, helping people learn a new language.
- More info will be known at the Tokyo Game Show tomorrow, with an expected release on November 17th. It unknown if it will be a worldwide release, but I would suspect not. Pricing is said to be 5,800 Yen (about $53US), including the USB microphone.

White PSP Released

- PSP Updates have images sent from a reader of their new Ceramic White PSP.
- Go and drool.

Text Reader Underclocks PSP, Extends Battery Life

- pppwww has released yet another text file reader for the PSP.
- What sets this one apart however is the fact that it runs the PSP's processor at only 1mhz, resulting in a huge saving in power requirements, letting your battery last longer.
- eBook fans may want to check this one out before their next flight/road trip.

PSP UMD Emulator v0.8

- Humma Kavula has done it again. After the success of PSP Fastloader comes PSP UMD Emulator v0.8.
- This app makes the PSP think an ISO is actually a UMD, so all releases should work.
- It seems to redirect the UMD drive to point to the Memory Stick slot since it also has the following feature: "possibility to redirect flash0: (kernel data) and flash1: (user config) to memory stick"
- Below are the steps to get it going, which should give you an idea of how it works:

"1) Once PSP UMD Emulator v0.8 is installed per the included instructions with your .ISO file in the \UMDEMULATOR\ISO directory of your MS, then launch it as you would any PSP homebrew application.

2) Select the PSP .ISO that you'd like to play from the list and then press X (with any UMD in the drive, if you have none in then add one after pressing X). The utility will then bring you back to the PSP's main Memory Stick menu screen.

3) Finally, move your cursor from "Memory Stick" up past "Game" until you reach the "UMD" selection and presto- your .iSO image is now emulated as an 'original' PSP UMD disc and is fully playable by pressing X to launch it!"

Piracy Protection

- Winning Eleven 9 Ubiquitous Evolution (JAP) is the first game to require the v2.0 firmware.
- Don't worry too much though since there is already a PPF Patch released by MUPS to allow the DMU ISO to work using PSP Device Hook Launcher v0.21
- Also, Codemasters (who have introduced new copy protection schemes on other platforms before) have used a new type of copy protection on thier new PSP title Colin McRae Rally 2005 Plus (EUR).
- MUPS, a release group, have looked into it and found that dumping to a larger Memory Stick than usual (a 2GB in this case,) will fix the problem. Just don't try and split the dump into sections.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

eBay Exploiters

- It annoys me to be searching eBay (for a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo... damn Sony, lower the prices already!) and seeing people trying to sell the work of other people.
- It isn't even as good as that. They are just selling links to places to download emulators and making it sound like this is all official, (like Nintendo would really release Mario 3 for the PSP.)
- Then again, if you are stupid enough to pay for one of these auctions, you deserve to lose your money.
- Support developers, people. Buy your games.

AloneTrio Of WAB Arrested

- Strange goings on over at WAB. A few days ago it was reported AloneTrio was arrested in Paris and it was assumed this was for PSP hacking activities. It has now been revealed that AloneTrio was indeed arrested, but for a minor personal matter.
- The downgrader is still on the way and a new hi-res video has been released.
- Now behave AloneTrio! Be good!

3DChess For PSP

- mofig has sent his first version of a 3D chess game, aptly titled 3DChess, to PSP Updates.
- There is no AI as yet and no "rules" but its a nice start. And 3D homebrew is always impressive :)

PSP Magazine Launcher v0.1

- Do you enjoy reading the various PSP formatted magazines out there? Then this may be for you.
- dTMSr has created PSP Magazine Launcher v0.1. With this you open a magazine from a list on your Memory Stick and listen to a custom music playlist while you read.

GTA: Liberty City Stories - Website Now Live

- Visit the Official Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories website today.
- You can find screenshots, a trailer and some funny back story content including a message from Citizens Uunited Negating Technology.

PSPSet v0.6 - Customization Tool

- Team Emergency Exit have released PSPSet v0.5, a customization tool for the PSP.
- Using this tool you can change the PSP boot video, but be careful not to ruin your PSP since this does alter the Flash ROM.
- This version fixes a problem with the PSP's WiFi caused by switching the X and O buttons in previous releases.
- It also includes these functions:

* Backup and restore the original gameboot.pmf (boot video file)
* Change wallpaper
* Restore original wallpapers
* Fake the firmware version - similar to WAB’s version changer
* Swap X-O buttons
* Backup and Restore Settings

ZX Spectrum Emulator - PSPectrum

- PSPectrum v0.1 is a new ZX Spectrum emulator for the PSP, bought to us by HexDump.
- About 95% of 48K/128K games will run, but sound only works with 48K games at the moment.
- .Z80 and .SNA ROM images are supported right now.

Friday, September 09, 2005

New iPod Nano Conga

- We have started a new conga line for Apple's newly announced iPod Nano.

Free iPod Nano

- Join the Conga and Earn a Free iPod Nano.
- Don't forget you can also earn a Free XBOX 360 and a Free PSP.

Free iPod Nano

- You can sign up for all the lines we offer, you are not limited to choosing just one, so go crazy and earn them all!

This Weeks News Roundup

- So it turns out not much has happened recently anyway, so I'll just do a summary post to catch up.
- GOOD: PSPHacking101 released Episode IV: A New Host. They discuss video conversion and how to get internet access on PSP via a cell phone.
- BAD: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe vice president Phil Harrison, speaking at Game Developers Conference Europe, says the portable will see "premium content next year." The free downloads of Wipeout Pure were a test case and Sony will be moving to a pay-per-download model for extra content next year.
- GOOD: Yoshihiro from WAB released a new version faker, Wab Version Changer V2.5:

"Yoshihiro and WAB are proud to bring you The First Firmware Trickz for Gamez that need Firmware 1.52 to run on your PSP and Cant Run UPDATER 1.52 or 2.0 The System think it's a PSP v1.52 ,v1.0 ,v2.0 even if its a v1.5 or 1.0."

- BAD: Trying to run a firmware update on a PSP that has faked its version number using WAB's tool is dangerous. So don't do it, (change back to the version number that is really on your PSP first.)
- GOOD: A new sword skill for Tenchi No Mon is now available for download via your PSP. Get the password from the official site.
- GOOD: WipeOut Pure addon packs will be made available to PAL users on the following dates: September 1st (Gamma) & 16th (Delta) and October 3rd (Classic 1) & 16th (Classic 2). Also, an Omega pack, exclusive to PAL territories and not available in the US or Japan, will appear after that as the last pack, (apart from tie in packs, such as a PUMA one.) All of these downloads together will have doubled the size of the game.
- GOOD: Tetsuya Mizuguchi of Ubisoft will host an hour long chat session, open to the general public, giving Lumines fans a chance to ask the creator of the game their burning questions, (e.g. about the game, developing for a new console etc.) Time: 7th September 2005, 2pm GMT. Place: http://chat.ubisoft.fr/ - channel: lumines, Irc Network: irc.ubisoft.com - Public Irc Channel: #lumines
- BAD: The chat is already over, but a log of what was said is here.
- GOOD: NeoFlash are working on NEO-MS - A flash card converter for PSP. To be released before Christmas this year it will support SD / MMC / CF cards allowing you to use them instead of Memory Stick Pro Duos.

Lack Of Updates

- Apologies, dear readers, that there have not been any updates for the past few days.
- Our host has been having some issues recently that prevented us from uploading anything, so we could not post any updates.
- There may still be some interruptions, but we can at least get something up for now.
- Thanks for visiting PSP-Files.com.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Download WipeOut Pure Classic Pack 2

- USA users can now head on over to www.wipeoutpure.com to pick up Wipeout Pure Classic Pack 2.
- This time, two tracks are included: Odessa Keys and Porta Kora.
- Two skins too: Tigron and Van Uber.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

PSP DosBox v0.60

- After Bochs comes PSP DosBox v0.60, a x86/DOS Emulator for PSP from Crazy C. Use it to play your old DOS games on the PSP, although at this point it is not exactly running lightning fast:

"This patch, when applied to dosbox 0.60 and linked with these library functions, arwin's p-sprint and SDL (with 8-bit surface patch), gets dosbox running on the psp. Later versions use an array too large to fit in the PSP memory for indexing memory pages while this version has high level emulation of dpmi. I've tested simcity 2000 and tie fighter and they run although very slowly, a lot of optimization will be need if this will be usable. Note that stat fails if the root of the memory stick is what is being checked therefore it cannot be mounted. Mounting ms0:/psp works fine though. Also there is currently no mouse or joystick support."

CaSTaway Atari ST Emulator

- skeezix has released an alpha version of his PSP port of the Atari ST emulator, CaSTaway.
- It is an early version, by his own admission:

CaSTaway/PSP
------------
Crappiest first alpha (for PSP). Don't expect much yet, except for updates to come quite quickly over the next little while.

Although the emu is missing any form of finesse, it does run pretty well -- for many or most games, it'll run full speed with no frameskip (which is good since I didn't implement frameskip yet ;) During 'heavy math' operations it'll run slower, so unpacking Dungeon Master takes a good minute or two probably... but running Xenon 2: Megablast and it'll run a little too fast until I add speed throttling.

- Go and get it.

UK Release Hours Away

- The PSP will finally be available in a few hours to UK buyers. Australia are also waking up to the world of PSP gaming this morning.
- Some notes to UK buyers though. The units ship with firmware v1.52 installed and firmware v2.0 on a UMD in the package. There is also a notice saying the demo disc MUST be used when you first use the unit. This is of course a lie and a way to get users to upgrade their firmware.
- Both versions of the firmware block homebrew use, but PSP-Files would recommend not upgrading (at least leaving you the option to upgrade later,) until a hack is known for either version. v1.52 seems more likely to have a workaround sooner than v2.0. This is of course only if you want access to homebrew code, otherwise v2.0 is a better bet since you get the web browser.
- PSP Updates have some pictures up of the UK stock and also have the following interesting note, (though I'm not sure what to make of it... it could be some sort of miscommunication.)

"Also, you have a network access code in the box for the UK PSP. This means, that even if you have bought UK games, you will need an access code to play them, So this might not work on USA and JAP PSPs. Without a hack that is. Consumers are directed to the website http://yourgamename.com to register their access code and get a gamer tag. Yikes!!! (Website not yet live)"

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

PSPide C++ v1.0 Final

- Milhouse Dev-Group have put out PSPide C++ v1.0 Final.
- In case you didn't know, this is a programming environment for PSP coders allowing you to write code, compile it and transfer it to your PSP via KXploit.
- The download and install includes PSPSDK v1.0, KXploit and PSPide, which is everything you need to get coding.
- It also has English, Spanish and Catalan translations, but if you want to help the developers out, why not make some more INI language files. I'm sure they would appreciate it.

How To Run Multiple VMs From One Memory Stick

- Squidly1 has done a neat little job of running multiple copies of the Bochs port by Matan from a single Memory Stick.
- That means you can have a copy of Linux and Windows on the same memory stick, for example, and boot them both.
- Details of the Bochs port can be found on Matan's Site.
- Squidly1's hack is found on schleppingsquid.net.

Make Notes On v2.0 PSPs

- A simple idea this. RaiderX from the PSP Updates Forum has let us know that those stuck with v2.0 firmware that need to make notes on their PSP can use the bookmarks feature of the web browser.
- Just make a new bookmark then edit the title to say anything you want. There seems to be no limit on the length of a title, so go nuts and write all the memos or essays you want.
- Once back on a PC, just find your bookmarks on the Memory Stick and copy the title into a text editor/word processor to keep working on it.
- Do the reverse by creating and renaming a bookmark on a Memory Stick on a PC to view on a PSP later.

Donate For Firmware Downgrade

- PSP Updates is holding a donation drive for Yoshihiro of Team WAB.
- They are trying to pay for him to get a v1.52 European PSP at launch this week for him to test his Firmware Downgrade application, which won't be released until all bugs are ironed out. He doesn't want anyone to fry their PSP using this software.
- Yoshihiro has already got his app working in downgrading a v1.52 Japanese firmware to v1.50, so this is not an empty promise from an unknown.
- Yoshihiro has already contributed hugely to the PSP Hacking scene with the creation of a Sega Gamegear emulator (SMS), PSP Skin Changer, Pad Region Swapper and the PSP Version Changer and more.
- Head over there and donate, even if it is only a few pennies/cents.