Hacking the PSP Blog

The PlayStation Experience Is Heading Your Town

This year, PlayStation fanatics get a treat they will never forget: Taking an ultimate PlayStation Experience in PlayStation Trucks loaded with 26 kiosks where they get close with the hottest software, hardware, and peripherals from PlayStation. Also inside the PlayStation Experience truck are big screens plus competitions and contests where winners take home sweet PlayStation prizes.

With the PlayStation trucks, fans can experience PSP with eye-popping graphics, a dazzling widescreen LCD, games, music, and movies located at the PSP Bar or get their body groovin' in the EyeToy Zone where body movements control the game. The Gran Turismo 4 Pit Stop will let you burn rubber in the simulated race streaming in a breathtaking 32-inch LCD screen. If you're feeling a need to show off your competitive streak, there's the Competition Stage, where big contest run all day long, with events showing on a 61-inch plasma screen.

Check out the schedule of The PlayStation Experience in the PlayStation site so you could plan a whole day of fun and ultimate gaming adventure. Here are some irresistible images of what to expect:







Source: PSPUpdates & Playstation

Firmware 2.81: Looming in the Horizon?

It has always been a cat and mouse relationship between hackers (or attackers according to FrSIRT) and Sony. And by cat and mouse by no means do we refer to Tom and Jerry, but the carnage that is Itchy and Scratchy and the nasty ways they've figured out to hurt or in this case outwit one another.

Take the case of DevHook. Some time in August the developer received a Cease and Desist Order from Sony that lead to the site's shutdown. But that little stint only caused developers to get even. Hence, the release of numerous downdaters/downgraders. While others like DreaDNoughT took the more comical approach by releasing a satirical game called Hackers vs Sony.

When FrSIRT reported that "A vulnerability has been identified in Sony PSP, which could be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary commands," it's like music to hackers' ears. We can only speculate that this urged Sony to take the defensive and release v2.81, with a v2.81 ad flashing across their site. However, it is so far only available in Europe as the US site still has v2.80 on their System Update page. Even the Sony's Official Japanese site doesn't have this release.

QJ Forum members have been so kind as to try and download the World Tour Soccer 2 with hopes that it's bundled in the game, but the experiment only confirmed that it is not coupled with the game. If you want to go see it for yourself you can bypass the YourPSP registration by entering in your PSP's serial number and putting "SB" at the front instead of the other letters you have, and by entering PSP-1003 as the code.

Which can only lead us to speculate, wait and speculate some more on what Sony is up to. At this point, we can only give you a friendly reminder: If you still want to play your homebrew, do not upgrade.

Since Scratchy has made his move, aren't you the least bit curious what Itchy will do?



Source: PSPUpdates & yourpsp

Sony And VH1 Team Up For Loco Roco Contest

To celebrate the US release of LocoRoco for the PSP, Sony and VH1 blog GameBreak have joined forces to sponsor a unique contest that can get the winner a copy of LocoRoco together with a 3-foot LocoRoco inflatable figure (shown above). So, what do you have to do in order to enter the contest?

The task is quite easy to explain...and much harder to execute. Sony asks: "If the cute, bouncy LocoRoco existed in the real world where would you expect to find them? And doing what?" and wants you to send in your picture of "LocoRoco in the real world" - Riding the train, eating in a restaurant, going to work...the possibilities are limitless.

The picture can be created in any way you want, be it Photoshop, yellow construction paper, cardboard cutouts, whatever you can come up with. You'll also need to add a short paragraph about what is going on in your picture - 150 words or less, as well as sign a copy of the Materials Release form, which you can get here. The jury will judge the pictures based on creativity, originality and entertainment value.

For more information about the contest, check VH1's page below. The total list of prizes is as follows:

Grand Prize:    One (1) copy of LocoRoco for the PSP and one (1) 3-foot LocoRoco inflatable figure
1st Prize:         One (1) LocoRoco T-Shirt
2nd Prize:        Six (6) LocoRoco PSP charms



Source: PSPUpdates & VH1