Hacking the PSP Blog

Off Topic: Microsoft's Funny Money for Zune

Ok, a little off topic. The Zune, Microsoft's "iPod Killer" comes out next week. It really sounds incredible, even though it's not compatible with any music service currently on the market, including Microsoft's own Urge. But the craziest part of owning a Zune is that to purchase music you have to use Microsoft Points. Yes, the same Microsoft points the XBox 360 uses on XBox Live. Well, what's wrong with that? Well, two things: a Microsoft Point doesn't equal one penny, so it's like 79 points for a 99 cent (U.S.) song. However, I'm even more concerned about what I saw in their flyer... Check this scan out of the Microsoft Zune leaflet from Fry's... apparently $15, $25, and $50 all yield you only 1,200 Microsoft Points! It's obviously an error on behalf of the designer - or is it? As long as they don't start accepting Disney Dollars... -Auri



(click for the hi-res version)

PSP 3.0 firmware announced by PlayStation Japan

After months of speculation and hundreds of articles speculating about the big 3.0 firmware update, it seems that the Sony JP site has finally released about it. This update is related to the 1.1 firmware update for the PS3, which was covered by us just a little while ago. Here's our trusty old friend Altavista translating it:

"In addition, since selling in late November version it raises also PSP "PlayStation portable" Advanced Capability addition and strengthening of security are done via the version rise of continuous system software, in 3.00 and starts raising the cooperation function of PS3. As for everyone of the PSP user with the update to of version 3.00, for  PSP which is transmitted inside PLAYSTATION Store "of PLAYSTATION Network"besides the fact that it reaches the point where utilization it can receive the game software, the remote play function of PS3*to enjoy 3 also it becomes possible to receive, (in PS3 of the HDD loading of 20GB from the fact that it is not wireless LAN function, it is not possible to utilize remote play,* 4)."

Yes, it's a bad translation, but you can still see all the juicy bits there. It seems that the PSP's 3.0 firmware upgrade will come a few days after the release of the PS3. You will probably be able to get it from the PlayStation Store. The 3.0 update looks like it will be big on PS3-PSP interconnectivity. Also there seem to be some kind of "security updates" in there. Are we people missing something?

But think about it for a second. We seem to be missing something else too. Go on, we'll give you a moment to think... Where's the PS1 emulation?! Frankly, we don't know. Did Sony forgot to mention about it? Possibly. Has Sony forfeited that function? We don't wanna bet on that either. From the looks of it, we'll have to wait until the release date for more info. Stay tuned, we're gonna be covering every bit of it.

Source: PSPUpdates

Playstation 3 Firmware 1.10 Released!

Yes, you are reading the title correctly! Sony have just released version 1.10 of the PS3's firmware for any Japanese gamers who already have a PS3 through the use of the official Japanese PS3 site. As Japanese gamers queue up to receive their brand new PS3 consoles the big guys back at Sony have been refining the install method of the PS3's firmware update. With PS3 firmware v1.10 being released, gamers are half way between being able to interface their PSP's with a PS3 console. According to Sony's PS3 Japan site, this firmware update will provide "various functional additions and strengthening of security." Judging from the first bullet point in the overall system changes section, it looks like the Playstation Network couldn't be accessed in v1.00...my bad. Here's an translation from Sony's site detailing what version 1.10 features:

Whole (overall system changes)

• It reached the point where the service of PLAYSTATION Network can be utilized.
• With the picture keyboard of European language, it reached the point where it can do the letter input of single tap system.

Setting

• Music CD output frequency was added to music setting.
• ATRAC is made effective, added to substance setting.
• In type of keyboard of peripheral device setting, type of keyboard which can be selected increased.
• The “cross color decrease filter” was added to display setting.
• 5 minutes later option added to screen saver options in display settings.

Video

• When playing back the animated picture file which is retained in the hard disk and the record media with picture mode, it reached the point where full can be chosen.

Network

• Downloading music and the animated picture file with Internet browser, it reached the point where it can retain in the hard disk.
• PLAYSTATION Store - The following contents can be downloaded.
• PLAYSTATION 3 standard software
• PSP with the PlayStation standard software which operates (PSP system software version 3.00 or more is necessary)
• It corresponded to traditional form letter Chinese and simplified form letter Chinese indication with Internet browser
• The online manual was added.

Other

• In addition Calculation method of hard disk capacity was modified.
• As for empty capacity of the hard disk, the numerical value which calculated 1GB as the 1024×1024×1024= approximately 1,073,740,000 byte is indicated. Because of that, capacity than the numerical value which is stated as specification is smaller indicated in the instruction manual and the like. Setting the ⇒ [substance setting] the ⇒ you can verify the empty capacity of the hard disk, with system information.
• PlayStation of the part in PS3 and operational status of the PlayStation®2 standard software were renewed. You can now verify up-to-date operational status with the private search sight.

Check out the rest of the details here...

Download PlayStation 3 Firmware v1.10 (US)

Source: PSPUpdates

Lines Forming For PlayStation 3 Launch

Lines of gamers anxious to get their hands on the PlayStation 3 console from Sony Computer Entertainment have begun forming outside Tokyo electronics stores that plan to begin selling the machine on Saturday morning.

The first gamers began arriving outside Asobit City in Tokyo's Akihabara electronics district this afternoon, about 16 hours ahead of the launch, and this evening at Bic Camera in the Yurakucho district a crowd of around 200 people had gathered. Bic Camera will host the main launch of the console at 7 a.m. and Sony's president, Ken Kutaragi, will be in attendance to sell the first console.

Gamers Bend Rules
The store isn't letting gamers line up until about two hours before the launch. The rule was apparently made in an attempt to stop people arriving too early, but it's just had the effect of pushing the crowd on to the other side street opposite the store. The shop has 600 PlayStation 3 consoles available, according to a rumor that swept the crowd: quite how it will decide who out of the unorganized bunch gets one should there be a shortage is unknown.

Most other stores have resorted to a lottery system to decide who gets to walk away with the console. In most cases customers are being asked to turn up between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. to collect a ticket with sales for the lucky ones beginning at 11 a.m.

Sophisticated System
Boasting high-definition graphics and a Blu-ray Disc drive, the PlayStation 3 is Sony's first new games console in more than six years. The console will come in two versions: one with a 60G-byte hard-disk drive will also include wireless LAN support and will cost around $600, while a second version with a 20G-byte hard-disk and no wireless LAN will cost about $500.

International sales of the console will kick off on Nov. 17, with launches in North America, Hong Kong and Taiwan. European consumers won't be able to get their hands on a console until around March 2007, according to Sony's current plans.

Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
November 10, 2006

Source: PC World

256 MB Memory Stick Pro Duo free at Circuit City

Well not entirely free, there's a process you have to do, but the 256 MB Memory Stick might be worth it though. Okay, here's how it goes: if you can deal with mailing in a rebate you can get a 256MB stick for free. Here, check out a screencap of their website.



The Pro Duo stick works in a standard PSP and with the included adapter it can work with a 60GB deluxe Playstation 3. Sure it's only a fraction of the Mega-sized 2GB stick, but hey, it's free. Just in case you guys might appreciate an extra memory stick.

Check it out here...

Source: PSPUpdates

2.80 plays 480x272, if it's Motion JPEG

When PSP-Vault tooled with the video functions of Sony's Firmware 2.80 for the PSP, finding that its video playbacks were limited to a rather smallish 320x240 pix rather than the 480x272 the screen can handle, they missed out on something. zmcnulty found out just recently that 2.80 CAN play 480x272 vids without the need of homebrew. If the vid was encoded in Motion JPEG, that is.

Motion JPEG is a video made up of a flipbook of JPEG stills - literally. Many digicams still use Motion JPEG as their video capture format since, well, the camera's set to cap JPEG stills anyway. There is a big disadvantage to using Motion JPEG formats, however: they're huge. By way of example, zmcnulty converted a 40-second, 2MB XviD file into Motion JPEG, and it ended up taking 20MB. Guess we'll be needing more Memory Sticks...

And there's one other thing zmcnulty's wondering about: Why didn't Sony publicize this? He says,

That's an excellent question, and one I'm struggling with myself. Perhaps the same reason many speculate they have disabled the playback of 480 x 272 video in MPEG-4 or AVC/H.264: they don't want to hurt sales of UMD-Video.

Of course, there are reasons why some people won't update to 2.80+...



Source: PSPUpdates & PSP-Vault