Giant PSP Sign Back Up In New York

The giant PSP billboard in New York was taken down last week but a Kotaku reader has informed them that it is going back up and provided a picture! Too bad it's still the same color.



Source: Kotaku

Talismoon InTouch PSP Car Cradle Holder

PSP owners who spend quite a lot of time on the road might find Talismoon's InTouch PSP Car Cradle Holder very useful. This latest innovation keeps your PSP at reach while driving, or just sitting in the car. Of course, this does not suggest that you play your favorite game while you drive. There are a lot of other things the PSP can do, so just cross out playing while driving, all right?

Boasting of a simple "Stick and Play" installation, the PSP Cradle holder is ideal when you're stuck in traffic jams and when you want your kids (or buddies) entertained in the car. It's made of tough materials that ensure a rock-steady hold due to its super secure locking mechanism. What's more, it can be used at just about anywhere with a flat surface.

This versatile accessory may come in very handy when you want to watch movies or listen to audio while waiting for the traffic to move. Even more useful if you turn your PSP into a GPS navigation device.

The Talismoon InTouch PSP car cradle is available for \$19.95 in the US, and £12.95 in the UK.



Source: PSPUpdates

Activision Hits Remixed for PSP Announced

There certainly seems to be no loss of opportunities to play those classics games from yesterday (see EA Replay, Capcom Classic Collection Remixed, etc.), so now Activision got into the act by announcing Activision Hits Remixed. The game allows players to relive the glory days of Atari 2600 through over 40 of its biggest titles (more than any other compilation available today!) including Pitfall, Kaboom!, Chopper Command, Stampede, Keystone Kapers, River Raid, Demon Attack, and Laser Blast - just to name a few.

Activision Hits Remixed also includes WiFi Multiplayer, including a 'Game Share' feature that allows two PSPs to play together using just one copy of the game, a killer soundtrack from the 80's featuring songs 'Tainted Love' and 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and the ability to unlock timeless Atari 2600 TV ads, patches, and original game manuals.

Activision Hits Remixed is slated for a Fall 2006 release, carrying a RRP of US$19.99.








Source: PSPUpdates

PSP Camera and GPS Add-On Pricing, Approximate Release Date and Photos Released

Josh emailed me today about Sony's Japanese pricing for the upcoming PSP GPS and PSP Camera add-ons coming in the Novemberish Decemberish timeframe, quite a bit later it seems than the September originally announced by Sony. The Camera looks to go for about 5,000 Yen (about $43 U.S.) and the GPS looks to be running about 6,000 Yen (about $52 U.S.). It looks like games may take advantage of these new accessories, including Metal Gear Solid.

I may be going to Japan in October, so if they're not out in the U.S. by then, I'll just buy a few out there if possible and post images!

Here's the info from the Google translation of the site:

“Just a little shot” 'PSPJ-15003' * camera, private software bundled
2006 November 2nd (wood) 5,000 Yen in sale desired retail price (4,762 Yen in tax removal price)

“GPS receiver” 'PSP-290'
2006 December 7th (wood) 6,000 Yen in sale desired retail price (5,715 Yen in tax removal price)

<PSPR private software 'just a little shot Edit' commodity summary >

Using the PSP® private camera, “just a little” it stops, wanting to take the occurrence of every day easily it stops, it is the compilation software which wanting to fumble stops wanting to show, such a feeling makes.

Main function:
　　* Photographing section
　　　　Animated picture: To 480 ## 27,230 fps 15 seconds
　　　　Still picture: Resolution 480×272, 640×480
　　　　Animated picture: Intermittent photographing
　　　　　　　Scene taking photographing
　　　　Still picture: Timer photographing
　　　　　　　　Watch dog photographing
　　　　　　　　Frame photographing

　　* Album
　　　　Animated picture still picture with summary type perusal possibility
　　　　It is possible to group the plural data,
　　　　The animated picture data is written out in AVI type, possibility
　　* Playing back with PC by way of the memory stick is made possible the because of this.

　　* Slide show
　　　　Animated picture still picture with sliding show type perusal possibility
　　　　Acquiring pre-setting BGM3 kind, letting flow possibility (OFF yes)
　　　　It is possible to change the picture which it is indicatory by the fact that the button is pushed
　　* Also [purezen] which because of this used the picture of PSPR makes possible.

　　* Template
　　　　By the fact that animated picture is set in the templet compilation possibility
　　　　EX) It changes into the shocking confession image of wide show,…

　　* Compilation
　　　　The animated picture still picture which was photographed with this software compilation possibility
　　　　(After the photographing, data which is converted to AVI compilation yes)
　　　　It places telop and [hukidashi], acquires sound effect and BGM, postrecords
　　　　It is possible to do spinning fast and reversal playback and trimming,
　　　　Using 15 seconds, it makes CM, makes [omoshiro] image and so on.
　　　　* The still picture is a function which part is not corresponding.

Specifications:
　　* Still picture photographing (frame photographing)
　　　　Frame several 47 or more (as for frame all the pattern forms it is different)
　　* Templet
　　　　Templet several dozen (shocking confession image and mambo animated picture etc)
　　* Compilation
　　　　[huontotaipu] usually 1 plus it reads, 10
　　　　Effusion several 5 (size modification possibility)
　　　　Stamp several 103 or more
　　　　Effect several 74
　　　　[saundoehuekuto] several 36
　　　　BGM several 46
　　　　Wipe several 5
　　　　Fading several 4

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Pre-Order Bonus

EB Games, GameStop, and GameCrazy have a pre-order promotion for the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops which includes a Metal Gear Solid PSP hard shell case. The product listing shows a release date of December 1st but there appears to be some disgreement on this so don't be surprised if it changes. Check out the EB Games site for more information.





Via EB Games & PSPUpdates

PSP IR Keyboard Driver On The Way?

PSPUpdates posted a tip they received about a homebrew driver called PSPik that allows the PSP to receive input from an IR keyboard. As of right now there isn't a release of the software available but there is a video demonstrating PSPik in action. It's a little blurry but I think you'll get the idea. Check it out and see what you think.

Via PSPUpdates

Ubisoft Plans D-Day

Ubisoft has announced that it will unleash Brothers in Arms D-Day -- a new squad-based PSP exclusive -- to retailers this coming autumn. Putting players in control of Screaming Eagle sergeants Hartsock and Baker as they make their way to Carentan and St. Sauveur, the new BIA installment is in development by Ubisoft Shanghai in collaboration with the console production team at Gearbox Software.

Though details about the game are still only surface-level, Ubisoft has confirmed a couple of tidbits. PSP-specific additions, for example, include the ability to command a bazooka team, use an MG42, and fire mortar rounds. A co-op (Skirmish) mode has also been included, which will span 12 different missions via ad-hoc and support four different mode variations (which have yet to be announced).

Read the full text here...





Source: IGN

Replace Your Broken Analog Stick

Jdizzle over at the QJ forums has posted a nice little tutorial showing how to replace an analog stick that has fallen off of your PSP unit. All you need is your PSP, a pair of pliers, a pair of cutting pliers, a small saw, sandpaper, and a plastic tac. Below are some photos from the forum post illustrating how to perform this repair.

Check out the original post for all of the photos and intructions.











Via PSPUpdates

PSP Entertainment Pack Coming In September

Buy.com has listed the Sony PSP Entertainment Pack for $249.99 with a release date of September 20th. You can pre-order them now and the bundle will include:

• Sony PSP (duh...)
• Memory Stick Pro Duo - 1GB
• Game/Music/Movie video Sampler Disc
• ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails
• Lords of Dogtown UMD Movie

It's not too bad of a deal and the accessories are an improve over the Value Pack.

Source: PSPUpdates & Buy.com

Displaying Google Images In 2.80 Web Browser

If you upgraded to firmware 2.80, you might have noticed that Google Images do not display in the web browser. To remedy this all you need to do is disable Javascript.

1. Go to the PSP web browser
2. Press triangle
3. Go to Tools
4. Choose Settings and then View Settings
5. Change the Javascript option to Off.

Now Google Images should work. Of course if you choose to view anything that requires Javascript to function properly, you will need to re-enable this option.

Source: PSPUpdates

GTA-less Exploit Allows Homebrew On Firmware 2.0 - 2.80

Finally, it's here! As of today, the world of homebrew is no longer restricted to owners of Grand Theft Auto.

Following the publication of a new proof of concept TIFF vulnerability by NOPx86, a team of PSP developers has been working hard to turn it into an opening for homebrew on the PSP. We're pleased to announce that the wait is over, with the release of a Hello World demo that runs on all PSP firmwares that are capable of viewing TIFF images!

You can see a photo of it in action here. Alternatively, you can click here to download it and see for yourself!

To install, just unpack the ZIP file to your PSP's PHOTO folder, and then attempt to view hello_world.tif. Hello World will launch automatically. You may find that occasionally the full screen doesn't show - this is a known problem, just restart your PSP by holding the power button until it turns off, then open the image again. To quit, hold the power button until the PSP turns off.

So what happens next? This shows that we can run code via this exploit. It won't be too hard to develop an eLoader that can use this exploit on v2.0 - v2.6. v2.7+ will be harder, due to extra security, but will happen a little later. Kernel mode is unavailable on v2.8, but it is likely that a downgrader is possible on all other firmwares. But then, with the possibility of kernel homebrew running without the need for a game UMD, why would you need to downgrade?

Full credit is given in the Hello World, but repeated here: Thanks to NOPx86 for the initial proof of concept on the x86 processor, and psp250, Skylark, Joek2100, CSwindle, JimP and Fanjita for the PSP work. Thanks also to Ditlew, HarleyG and our families for general support during this work.



Source: Noobz.eu & PSPUpdates

QJ.net PSP Homebrew Competition Entries In

The QJ.net PSP Homebrew Competition has come to a close, the top 10 have been selected and now it's time for the readers tp decide who wins. They have a cool set of prize packages lined up for the lucky winners. Head on over to PSPUpdates to vote and show some support for these developers.

The top 10 entires are...

Boxed In

Interface Lua

Kart Racer Ultra

PSP Connect 4

PSP Party

PSP Snake

PSP Redneck

PSP Sudoku

Wedge Racer

Wordage

Receiving honorable mention...

2 Player Pong
Brewbot Battle
Drag Mini
Foam Wars
Game and Watch Attack
Snowball Wars

Source: PSPUpdates

Hacking Wireless Networks With The PSP

One doesn't often associate a child bearing a portable gaming console as a potential hacker, or, worse, a terrorist. We often disregard the PSP as a multimedia tool sincerely used for promoting happiness: watching movies, playing games, and listening to music. But how about using it for infiltrating top-secret clearance level data at some of the US's most prestigous intelligence agencies? The PSP has all the prerequisites. If homebrew programs can be made to emulate Nintendo 64, send phone calls, utilize GPS protocols, and more, with the measily, yet powerful 333 MHz CPU, what's stopping terrorists and malicious individuals from sending a child, armed with a PSP bearing a homebrew password brute forcer, to walk by the FBI Edgar Hoover building in Washington D.C. (who's wireless networks reach the public sidewalk alongside the building), and gather data which could be used to thwart the government which protects us? Is this one of the reasons why Sony wants to stop homebrew? There are so many possibilities.

Read the full article here...

Source: PSP3D

Cannon Fodder Blasting onto PSP

Codemasters has announced that its classic war-torn tactical combat game Cannon Fodder is set for resurrection on PSP in Spring 2007.

Promising all the hilarity and, er, death of the 16-bit original, Cannon Fodder on PSP sees players controlling their troop of grizzled soldiers, both individually and as a group, across a huge range of on-foot and vehicle based missions. As always, the aim is to create as much wanton destruction as is humanly possible.

Sporting a brand new - if unmistakably Cannon Fodder - visual style, Codemasters' is sinking a wealth of new features into the classic combat mix. Announced so far is the ability to call in air strikes and perform radar sweeps, alongside a bulging arsenal of new weapons, including flamethrowers and sniper rifles.

What's more, your movements on the battlefield will be reported live by the new FTV channel, offering a better view of the action. Cannon Fodder PSP will also offer four-player link play with deathmatch and co-op modes.

We'll have more on Cannon Fodder PSP as it scrambles out of the trenches.

IGN UK Staff
August 28, 2006



Source: IGN

PSP GPS Add-on in the wild???

You're probably getting pretty sick of toting around all those cables, adapters, and antennae required by the GPSP mod to get sat nav functionality on your PSP, so you'll be happy to know that Sony's official GPS add-on for its portable console has just been spotted in the wild. We've already seen pics (albeit crappy ones) of the wayfinding peripheral, but now we've got proof that it exists somewhere besides on a PowerPoint slide.

Source: Addict3D

News - Analysts say Sony's PS3 shipment estimates twice as high as reality

Sony's current plans are for two millions PlayStation 3 units to ship for launch, two million by the end of 2006, and six million by March 2007, which is the end of their fiscal year. If they go into production this week, that's about a million units a month.

But Japanese analysts Mitsubishi UJF Securities say those numbers are too positive--about 200% too positive to be precise. One of their analysts, Masahiko Ishino, says there simply won't be enough components to meet those shipment numbers. His voice adds to previous reports of potential shortages.

UJF Securities estimates that instead of six million by March 2007, Sony will have shipped three million. And that will result in a 3.2% drop in Sony's stock price.

If the analysts are right, we might only get one million PS3 systems in November for a worldwide launch. Make your preorders now.

Source: 1Up.com and GAF

More PSP GPS Receiver and Camera Pics

E-mpire has some more photos of Sony's upcoming GPS and camera PSP add-ons... GPS is due in October, and hopefully the camera will shortly follow.






Source: E-mpire

Fake PSP Gallery

Engadget has a good gallery of fake PSPs... So many manufacturers (particularly in China) are spoofing the PSP's design to try to make money from Sony's brand "good will." Enjoy!

    
   

View the gallery at Engadget here.

A Simple Memory stick PRO Duo Mod

In the mood for a memory stick pro duo mod? We were informed by Henry Eng (thanks for that!) about a memory stick PRO Duo mod that will allow you to use the Memory Stick PRO Duo on card readers that requires an adapter. This will be helpful if you lost your adapter or don't have or can't afford one. But before we go down to the nitty-gritty of things, you should know that you will take full responsibility if anything happens to your Memory Stick. So with that aptly stated, off we go to the procedures.

1. Cut off about 5 inches of scotch tape.
2. Tape one end, about half an inch, of the scotch tape on to the end of the Memory Stick PRO Duo.
3. Place the paperclip end to end with the Memory Stick PRO Duo on the tape.
4. Bring the remaining tape around the clip and tape it on the other side of the memory stick PRO Duo.
5. Take about 1 inch of tape and secure around the memory stick PRO Duo and the paperclip.
6. Use the paperclip and push the memory stick in, make sure it is align with the slot.

Just a few reminders:

• It might get stuck if you don't tape it right.
• It might crack and break your memory card, a slim chance but there is the risk.
• It will not work with cameras or any other device that requires a Memory Stick PRO.

Source: PSPUpdates & Wikihow

Flash Coding Contest from FITC and Silver Platter

A contest being ran by FITC and the indie UMD label Silver platter sees you - the ordinary flash coder - coding something amazing to utilize a PSP Keyboard which is coming to the PSP in Spring next year. Yes, a PSP Keyboard is finally on its way! FITC and Silver Platter have teamed up for a contest dubbed as 'Type This' to find the coolest Flash applications in order to give away an amazing stash of prizes.

The winning Flash application will be bundled with the keyboard and PSP on UMD, or downloaded using the PSP's WiFi connection. There are no limits to the amount of times you enter, as long as your Flash application is designed to fit on the PSP's screen and would utilize a PSP keyboard. Here's the list of prizes you could be in with a chance of winning:

1st Place winner

• Your Flash piece will be bundled with the new keyboard released for the PSP in spring 2007!
• The Action Pack, only from Silver Platter which includes:

            One (1) PSP and Three (3) UMDs

• One years Supply of new UMDs from Silver Platter
• Logitech PlayGear Amp Speakers, PlayGear PSP Headphones and PlayGear PSP Case (Customized with your APP!)
• Two full tickets to FITC Hollywood 2006 (or two tickets to FITC Toronto 2007)

2nd Place Winner

• One (1) year Supply of new UMDs from Silver Platter
• Logitech PlayGear PSP Headphones and PlayGear PSP Case

3rd Place Winner

• Five UMDs from Silver Platter
• Logitech PlayGear PSP Headphones and PlayGear PSP Case

This is a very unique opportunity to win yourself some great prizes, let alone the priceless prize of your application being bundled with a new PSP keyboard set for release next year. We've been waiting for one for so long so roll on the PSP Keyboard!

Source: PSPUpdates

EA swapping out bugged NCAA UMDs

A bug where the ball had been taken back to the spot of initial contact when you run past the defense in NCAA football 07 for the PSP has been angering gamers recently. As a result, worldwide publisher Electronic Arts are replacing the bugged NCAA UMDs for free. The new replacements are guaranteed to be bug-free and you can get your hands on one by sending the defective UMD to:


EA Customer Warranty
Attn: NCAA PSP
209 Redwood Shores Parkway
Redwood City, CA 94065

You also have to include your name, Address, E-mail address and Phone number somewhere in the package. It does take around 10 business days to receive the replacement disk, but in compensation EA are including coupons worth $15 off your next purchase at the EA Store as well as free shipping on that order for anyone affected. Obviously, EA's beta testing was a bit flawed for the game to get to the mass-production phase before this bug was noticed. We guess it could have been worse, at least the disk contained NCAA and not an adult movie.

Source: PSPUpdates & EA

0okm Releases More Info About the TA-082 Downgrader!

From PSPUpdates:

As D-Day for TA-082ers comes closer and closer, we're getting more info about how the whole process will work. 0okm has given answers for a small list of questions. I'll quote him first:

Will I be able to update to 2.0 and then down to 1.5 again to get a clean firmware? (whats the difference between clean and unclean 1.5 anyway?)
No, just like PSP-1007 can't run FW1.50 Update EBOOT.PBP, TA-082 can't run FW1.50 - FW2.50 Update EBOOT.PBP. And I don't want to release the "clean FW1.50 image file"(that is illegal !!). So i need time to make a "Write software" that can generate "clean FW1.50" :P

Will I be able to upgrade to 3.0 when PS1 emulator comes out?
Yes, TA-082 can run FW2.60/FW2.70/FW2.71/FW2.80 and above Update EBOOT.PBP files.

How do you intend to manually downgrade hundreds of PSPs if it takes 45 minutes to do each one?
I think each day I can help up to 5 TA-082 users to softdown :P

Alright, so the method is a bit cumbersome, and will take a bit of time. But you know what? At least all of you guys will get custom-made firmware images from  one of the best, erm, developers in the scene; you can't go wrong with them. Secondly,  one day, the image creator and clean firmware image might even leak onto the web. *hint*

First Glimpse of the PSP Camera, GPS Unit

Many of you thought you'd have to wait until next month to set your eyes on the GPS module for the PSP. Well wait no longer. It seems as though some pictures of the upcoming accessories have leaked onto the web. Pictured below is a pink PSP pictured with the camera and a black PSP with the GPS module.



Source: Gizmodo

Off Topic: UK spammer gets two months in bedroom

A UK teenager pleaded guilty on Wednesday to breaking the Computer Misuse Act by crashing the email server of his former employer.

David Lennon, 18, was then sentenced to a two-month curfew by a judge in the Wimbledon Magistrates court.

Lennon had originally been cleared of the charges in November 2005, after another judge ruled that it wasn't an offence to overwhelm an email server with millions of messages. This ruling was later challenged by the Crown Prosecution Service. In May 2006, the case was sent back to the Magistrates Court.

On Wednesday morning, the judge ruled that Lennon should be subject to a curfew, which means he must stay at home between the hours of 12.30am and 7am on weekdays, and between 12.30am and 10am on weekends. If he breaks this curfew, he risks a more serious sentence.

The curfew has been timed so as not to interfere with Lennon's work at a local cinema. The judge said it was a "happy coincidence" that it will end the day before Lennon starts college in September.

The prosecution dropped its demand that Lennon should pay costs amounting to £29,000, which arose from his attack on Domestic & General Group in which 5 million emails crashed its servers.

The defence argued that Lennon should receive a conditional discharge, given the confusion over whether the Computer Misuse Act outlawed the sending of masses of emails. The judge, though, argued that this was inappropriate.

"Even given his age at the time, this was a grave offence and caused serious damage, so I need to impose something to make him think again," the judge told the court.

The Computer Misuse Act, which was introduced in 1990, explicitly outlaws the "unauthorised access" and "unauthorised modification" of computer material. Section 3, under which he was charged, concerns unauthorised data modification and tampering with systems.

Lennon's original case was heard by a district judge, who ruled that massive amounts of email did not violate the Computer Misuse Act because email servers were set up to receive emails. As such, each individual email could be ruled to make an "authorised modification" to the server.

The Computer Misuse Act is now seen as insufficient to combat the rise of cybercrime such as denial-of-service attacks. A series of amendments are being introduced by the government to update it.

Colin Barker
August 24, 2006

Source: CNET.co.uk

The Skinny on interfaceLua

[Many] developers would claim that they had their humble beginnings coding in LUA, so it's no surprise that somebody will come and spruce up the player a bit. Putting the GUI replacement bit aside, interfaceLua by Glynnder, also functions as an image viewer as well as system stats display and of course Lua script execution. If all of this sounds vaguely familiar it's because interfaceLua is what has become of LuaMainFrame2.

Changelog:

V1.05: Added bmp support to image viewer, however it is very slow due to bmplib :p
V1.06: Fixed execFaveHb (Favorite Homebrew Execution) function in image, game and irfs
V1.07: Removed circle from sys menu, made cross also save options
V1.10: General RAM optimisation
V1.15: Added graphical help screen
V1.16: Having big issues with settings menu, sorted them.

Here are some highlights from Glynnder's exclusive with 7ech that might be of some interest to you. And if you're looking for the download link, sadly he still can't divulge it since it is currently participating in a competition. He promised that we'll have it soon enough though.

GAME:
Taking the place of the four buttons is a rectangle which displays a gamepicture for the lua scripts, similar to ICON0 for eBOOTS (why should C/C++ get all the fun)! This is set via a png file called displaypic.png in the root of the scripts main folder. The scripts icons are also displayed in the game menu. A quick tap of Square will take you back home.

IMAGE:
It will load up ms0:/PSP/Photo automatically, and supports unlimited folders inside PSP/Photo (unlike the PSP’s image viewer) for the moment the image viewer is fairly basic, however I am already working to improve it.

SETTINGS:
You can choose one of four skins from this menu. I have limited it to four for various reasons. I plan to add dynamic skin names though, which would mean the skins wouldn’t always display as “blue”, “red”, “green” & “white”.

IRFS:
From home you can go to irfs, which is currently incomplete.




Source: PSPUpdates & 7ech

PSP Radio 0.38.12 Released, Works With Devhook

Raf has released PSPRadio 0.38.12, and it has been patched to work under the DevHook environment on firmware versions 2.+. As many of you already know, PSPRadio allows you to stream music and listen to Shoutcast servers (WiFi Radio) from the comfort of your PSP.

According to the changelog, these are the changes since PSPRadio 0.38.11:

• (sandberg) Core: Implemented a direct VRAM version of Danzeff for use in Links2.
• (raf) Core: Now root of /PSP/MUSIC is also used in the local files screen. (It is shown as 'MUSIC')
• (mbf) Core: Patched to run under devhook
• BUG FIXES

Download HERE



Source: PSPUpdates

Video of PSP libtiff exploit in Action

From PSPUpdates:

Adrian (thanks for the tip!) has sent us word of a video that shows the PSP's libtiff vulnerability in action. For those of you who haven't heard of the libtiff vulnerability before, its a vulnerability which leads to the PSP crashing which could possibly lead to an exploit allowing homebrew to be run. Although Sony were supposed to have 'patched' firmwares 2.01+ for any image browser vulnerabilities, it appears that this one slipped the net. This means that although it hasn't been confirmed, this exploit could be present in firmwares up to 2.80.

The video put together by block10 shows the libtiff vulnerability crashing a 1.50 PSP DevHook-ed up to 2.71. As QJ's Jake said a few days ago: Even if this only works on lower firmwares, it will usher in the age of GTA-less homebrew for 2.01+ PSP's, which will be a welcome change for homebrew enthusiasts. Work on this exploit is continuing, and the guys you need to thank for finding this are NOPx86 (for originally finding this vunerability) psp250, Fanjita and Skylark for working on this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5IAJ_bMoh8

Everki's PSP Satchels Available Now

While surfing the waves of the world wide web, we cam across a pretty neat product for our beloved PSPs. We can't say it's perfect, but it's definitely not bad. Everki's Duel PSP Satchel has everything you need and more. You don't have to worry about your handheld getting scratched or dented inside the padded PSP nest of the sling bag. And to keep all your wires in place, it also has a power adapter pocket. It also features easy access accessory compartments, so you have everything at the tip of your fingertips. No nasty zippers or whatnot that could get in the way of your PSP and you. Made of durable nylon, it is priced at \$34.99.

The serious mobile gamer would find a partner in another of Everki's satchels. The Force PSP Satchel, just like the Duel has a cushioned PSP nest to store your PSP. Its power adapter compartment can also house plenty of media storage devices. Unlike the duel it has a sunglass and media player caches, because only a stylish gamer would carry a stylish bag. Easy access compartments come in the form of a mesh stash slot. Of course all the added features means additional dollars, this one is for sale at \$39.99.

Pretty pricey for a bag huh? It's quite cool but we didn't bother to get it; not that we don't want it, it's just that our PSPs are quite comfy resting in our palms.



Source: PSPUpdates & everki

Easy PSP analog stick mod

Mjw from the QJ forums has come up with an extremely simple yet very effective analog stick mod for your PSP in order to make it that little bit more bulky, a few millimeters away from the faceplate of the PSP. This isn't one of those pull-your PSP apart mods, it doesn't require a single screw, piece of glue or anything like that. All you need is your PSP and a piece of paper. It's so easy that we can't believe we didn't think of it before and you can rest assured that we will probably be using it in the future!

All you have to do is take a tiny piece of soft paper, remove your analog stick, place the tiny piece of paper in the hole on the back of the stick (As shown in the above image) and put it back on the PSP! It's as simple as that! This will take you about 10 seconds and could make it much more comfortable for you when playing your favourite game.








Source: PSPUpdates

QJ.net PSP Summer Homebrew Competition: The way things were...

From PSPUpdates:

Wow... apparently our attempt to make everyone happy has failed miserably. Maybe we were out of our minds, maybe we were completely wrong, maybe the whole thought of adjusting the rules to compensate for some confusing wording was based in insanity. But that aside, realize that we DO listen to our users, and the majority of you seem to think we've gone complete farbot.

So, in what is surely an even more confusing move, everyone should disregard the earlier message about the coding competition. We do have some very nice entries from developers who DID follow the rules - and rules are rules. We apologize to those who may have been confused by the rules as stated and released their programs elsewhere, but unfortunately those programs will need to be disqualified.

So - game on! Everyone who sent in a qualifying entry by last Sunday will be judged (if there are more than 10 entries that qualify) and the public polls will open on August 27th! Our thanks to EVERYONE who submitted, whether you qualified or not. It is all of you who keep the PSP Homebrew scene alive and well. Congrats!

However, the one guideline we will cheat on is that all entrants will be given Developer status on our forums which means Premium Membership... surely no one has a problem with that little smudge of the rules. ;)

Source: PSPUpdates

27 playable PS3 titles at Tokyo Game Show!

In a press release made by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, it has been confirmed that there will be twenty seven playable PlayStation 3 titles at the Tokyo Game Show in September.

A total of thirty five titles currently in development will be on display at the PlayStation 3 booth.

The announcement comes from SCE's Japanese division on the first day of Games Convention in Leipzig. Although Sony is due to hold a press conference later today in Germany, no playable titles are expected. It appears as though the company is waiting until TGS to really get the PlayStation 3 in full swing.

Admittedly, our Japanese isn't the best. But here are some of the PS3 titles that will be playable at TGS (full list has not been revealed):

Devil May Cry 4
Blade Storm: Hundred Years War
Mahjong Taikai
Coded Arms: Assault
Fatal Inertia
The Eye of Judgement
Warhawk
Gran Turismo Series
Genji
Formula One World Championship
Heavenly Sword
Everybody's Golf 5
MotorStorm
LAIR
Resistance: Fall of Man
Mobile Suit Gundam
Ridge Racer 7
Armored Core 4

There will also be sixteen playable PSP titles including Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Ratchet & Clank and Ace Combat X.

The PSP camera and GPS receiver will be unveiled, and a number of titles will demonstrate the latter. These being the navigation software, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (yes, we're not joking!), Planetarium and Everbody's Gold (again, we're not joking!).

TGS runs from September 22nd to 24th (countdown).

Bhavin Shah
August 23, 2006

Source: PS3 Land

Sony PSP getting Camera and GPS module next month

The Tokyo Game Show is the event all gaming buffs are waiting for starting at September 22, for the first time gamers can actually test the PS3 from a range of 27 titles. In Sony's huge booth you can choose from games like Warhawk, Ridge Racer 7, Fatal Inertia, Heavenly sword and many more. Apart from this Sony will also be showcasing the much talked about Camera and GPS receiver unit for the PSP. A navigation software will also be displayed not much is known about it but we are guessing there will be different versions with navigation data specific to each country. The booths will have special access points where you can download the trial version of new games on a Memory Stick and later play on the PSP.

Pricing and availability of the GPS and Camera module for PSP will be disclosed at the event itself.



Source: New Launches

The 4-1-1 on Leipzig

Numbers are a very reliable source of data because they have a fixed value. Like how the number one can never be the number two and vice versa. Using numbers, we can immediately tell how the Games Convention at Leipzig is going.

This year there are 32% more exhibitors; 13% more exhibition space; 200 World, European and German premieres; 150, 000 expected visitors and over 2,500 journalists from 30 countries. Needless to say,  Europe’s leading exhibition devoted to interactive entertainment, infotainment and edutainment is opening with some record-breaking figures. "Over the next four days we expect to welcome far more than 150,000 visitors from all over Europe." says Josef Rahmen, CEO of the Leipzig Fair.

In August 2005, 136,000 visitors came to Leipzig to size up 189 European and German premières presented by 280 exhibitors from 15 countries. GC 2005 certainly hit the headlines with some 2,000 journalists from 28 countries (up from 1,700 journalists from 21 countries in 2004) reporting from Europe’s leading public exhibition and trade show focusing on interactive entertainment.

Read the full text here...



Source: PSPUpdates

Here's What's Going Down: Original FW2.50 TA-082 Check & Dump v1.10

"maybe late i will make a software to let "FW2.50 TA-082" user to dump "NandFlash & DDR DRam" data to me than i can make the "FW1.00/1.50 NandFlash img" to help them SoftDown their TA-082 :P"

These are the words of 0okm that a lot of TA-082 owners have been hanging on to since he discovered a method SoftDown for FW2.50 TA-082 to FW1.00/1.50. The process may be a bit lengthy and complex, but it sure is worth your while. And as promised (but more of teased don't you think?) it is finally here. 0okm on his blog writes:

you can use this software to Check your PSP if your PSP is NOT Original FW2.50 TA-082 this software will Display "Sorry, This Software CAN'T Support Your PSP" if your PSP is Original FW2.50 TA-082
this software will dump your PSP's DATA to Folder ms0:O250082CnD

when i finish the Write software i will post how-to send me your PSP's DATA
than i can help you softdown your Original FW2.50 TA-082 PSP

NOTE :
Now the SoftDown method NOT SUPPORT Original FW2.60 TA-082 PSP
Also NOT SUPPORT FW2.70/2.71/2.80 TA-082 PSP

Now that you've checked your PSP and it passed with flying colors, here are some new words to hang on to, "when i finish the Write software." Doesn't that just reverberate in your head, like a haunting melody? All we can hope for now is that it will be soon.

Download HERE




Source: PSPUpdates

Confirmed libtiff PSP Exploit

Skylark and psp250, along with a dedicated team of developers & hackers, have been researching the possibility of using the same exploitable libtiff vulnerability initially discovered by NOPx86. This may potentially result in a GTA-less method to execute homebrew on 2.01 or higher, or conceivably open up the homebrew gates for 2.71/2.80; however, that’s yet to be confirmed. Nonetheless, with all the latest developments surrounding 2.0+ FW and TA-082, there’s a good possibility something will become available rather sooner than later - big things are brewin’, you feel it?!

The Fanjita Facts:

Alright, time for a brief update with the facts so far.

This exploit is definitely genuine, and usable.

It’s unclear exactly which firmwares it will be usable on, but so far 2.0 and 2.01 should definitely work. 2.5 and above are significantly harder to research. 2.7+ will take longer still. The signs are that it may go up as far as 2.8, but that’s not proven.

Just to put things into perspective, a combined team has spent at least 60 intensive hours working on researching this so far, and we’re at the point of being able to confirm that it will work.

It will take longer still to convert it into something that is actually in a demonstrable form, such as Hello World.

Credit so far goes to NOPx86 for discovering the vulnerability and proof of concept on the PC, and Skylark and psp250 for researching it on the PSP. I’ve helped a bit too, but those guys have done the bulk of the work.

Source: PSP-Hacks & QJ.net

Windows maps download tool for MapThis!

Since lots of people, had difficulties with cygwin, insane, has come up with a nice gui PC tool for generating the maps...It's still in development phase (as most of this project :-), so if you find a bug, please report it in this thread...

Download HERE




Source: deniska.dcemu.co.uk

A video walkthrough of the PS3's menu

Finally, a non-shaky cam/YouTube video of what the PlayStation 3 user interface will look like once you plug in the console. As you'll see, it's basically a ramped up PSP interface. We won't say much, but just let the IGN video speak for itself instead. Check it out here.



Source: Joystiq

With Vespa, PSP Means Something Else in Benelux

 Back in Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg), PSP does not only stand for Playstation Portable. It also means a cool, white motorbike as well.

Vespa PSP has Sony's signature all over the vehicle, as the handheld logos appear all through out its sleek body and a purchase entitles the buyer to a free white PSP value pack. A free white PSP? And now, we wonder just when Sony's coming up with this kind of bargains back here.

Known for making and dealing quality motor scooters, accessories, and lifestyle merchandise, Vespa just modified the original Vespa LX 50 to appeal to PSP fans and came out with the limited Vespa PSP. This scooter costs €2,699 or roughly $3,470 USD.

Anybody wants to visit Benelux?



Source: PSPUpdates & Vespa

Buy a T- Mobile Phone, Get A Free PSP!

Here's another sweet deal to think about as the weekend approaches.

Wolf Camera, a member of Ritz Camera Centers and one of the biggest chains of photography stores in the US, has recently announced a promo that can be availed at any of their stores.

They are currently offering to throw in a free Playstation Portable if you purchase T-Mobile authorized dealer phones from their selection. Considering that a PSP costs $199 a pop right now (more or less), this may not be such a bad deal. However, this offer is only available until the 26th of August. Yes, that would be by this weekend. So if you think this offer's for you...hurry and grab yourself both a phone and a very nice toy to go along with it!



Source: PSPUpdates & WolfCamera

QJ.net PSP Summer Homebrew Competition: Best Laid Plans...

From PSPUpdates:

...of mice and men often go awry. Or so the saying goes anyways, and apparently we are no exception. We received a great number of submissions to our Summer Homebrew Competition when the deadline came and went last Sunday. But due to some bad coincidental timing, there were complications. As many of you know, NeoFlash was also holding a competition that ended on the same day. As a result, just about every entrant ALSO released their entry on the NeoFlash forums. Our rules stated that entries had to be unreleased in order to eligible, but apparently that wasn't very clear and we apologize for it not being as obvious as it should've been.

So, instead of going ahead with the current plan which would eliminate over 75% of the entries, we've been trying to come up with a solution that is fair for everyone:

1. Two Week Extension: Entries must be emailed in by Sunday, September 3rd, 11:59pm PDT
2. Will Accept Versions: We will accept updated versions of existing programs, unlike the original contest rules which stated it must be a brand new program. Developers who have already sent in their submissions may send in updated versions as well.
3. Splash Screen: Each game or application must display this Splash Screen [ JPG or PNG ] prior to or during loading. You can be as creative as you want when integrating the image however it must be shown at least once.
4. Unreleased: The program must be unreleased to the public at the time of judging! It's no fun announcing a winner that is already "old news" because people have been playing it already!
5. Coding Language: This is a "no holds barred" competition, so you may use whatever programming language you choose. The only exception is that Flash Games will NOT qualify.

Unless otherwise stated above, all the other rules and judging details will remain the same. Contestants with eligible entries will then have a chance to win one of three great PSP prize packages that QJ.net and Lik-Sang have put together.

All contestants who submit a valid entry will be awarded with free premium membership with QJ.net. Including custom options and additional features in the forums, access to the Developer's Dungeon and no advertisements while browsing the site. Just another way of saying thanks for supporting QJ.net and taking a part in the PSP homebrew scene.

Again, we sincerely apologize for the confusion and complications, and we hope that this solution will please everyone involved, as well as allow you to get a little bit more work in on your submissions!

Source: PSPUpdates

Kevin Mitnick's Site Hacked

First Comcast, and now - Kevin Mitnick? Kevin's a great guy - my guess is his hosting provider screwed up big time.

If you don't know who Kevin Mitnick is - well, let's just say it's long been considered that the word HACKER and MITNICK are both one and the same.

Read the CNet article here.

Sony paints the PSP pink

Everything’s coming up roses for Sony as it unveils its second pink gadget today.

Now the PSP handheld comes in charming pink and is preloaded with a exclusive video tracks by singer Pink.

Bundled on the device is the limited edition Value Pack of UMD videos, including Stupid Girls, Who Knew, U + Ur Hand, and Crash and Burn, as well as an interview with her.

Headphones come with the PSP, as well as a pouch, wrist strap, and a 32MB Memory Stick Duo.

Look out for it to hit the shelves on 27 October at around £170.



Source: Pocket-Lint

XFlash Help Program Released

Linkinpark9812 and Branin, from [the QJ] forums, have released a new PC program that will help you with XFlash (PSP flashing program). The name of the program is XFlash Help Program, however the name of the ac