Well I didn’t really feel like posting this news item because I’m growing kind of tired my self of all the PSP webtools maybe if the browser didn’t require wipeout pure I’d be a little more behind them. But it’s been slow for a couple days with any really good PSP Hacks so you might want to check out PSPWebBrowser.com they have taken the webbrowser exploit to another level by creating a PSP sized portal that includes PDA like calculator, calendar and agenda functionality.

Update: Alright, the time has come! PSP Hacks is proud to announce #8. MrCuddleMonstr 2 with 16 votes as the winner! This will become the new homepage logo.

Click to enlarge

We’d like to thank everyone or participating, there were some great submissions! You can check them all out here.

Personally we liked many submissions and you’ll see many different ones being used as banners for PSP Hacks and other portions of the site.

Thanks again for the great work!

We’ll be announcing the winner this evening for the PSP Hacks logo contest. This is your last chance to vote – send your pick to contest@psp-hacks.com.

View All PSP Hacks Logo Submissions

RIPCLAW, a fine member of the PSP Hacks forum, found an interesting article which lists and explains some potentially great features the consumers are requesting for the PSP. Some of the features may be implemented at some point, others may not due to current hardware and technology restrictions.

The PSP is definitely a versatile device and is capable of many more things we do not see with our current models. Will Sony show us what it is truly capabable of? Or will many of these features be taken advantage of in the psp hacks homebrew community once (and if) a PSP consumer SDK is released?

Sony PSP as PC Game Pad:
The Sony PSP connects to PCs via USB. So why not use it as Game Pad for PC games? A Sony U70 user would like to be able to use the Sony PSP as game controller on the go, saving the need to carry an extra game pad. From just looking at the PSP it makes sense. Technically and market-size wise I think there is not much chance this will happen.
Probability of becoming a reality: 20%

Sony PSP WebCam:
A USB video camera/microphone module that sits on top of the PSP for video chatting over Wi-Fi with AIM or other Instant Messaging systems would make sense. This feature request is more likely than the digital photo camera feature request below.
Probability of becoming a reality: 70%

Sony PSP Car Stereo Connector:
Users want to link up their Sony PSP to Sony Car Stereos and play stored MP3s from the PSP in the Car. In the light of MTV’s Pimp my Ride, where they always integrate a PS2 in every car, there might come the time a Sony PSP will have a connection kit for Cars.
Probability of becoming a reality: 75%

Sony PSP Direct Data Exchange:
The ability to exchange directly data stored on the Memory stick between two Sony PSPs via IR or Wi-fi. This would be a very useful feature. The Sony PSP is not USB Host enabled, so Wi-fi ad-hoc would I think make the most sense for this to work.
Probability of becoming a reality: 75%

Sony PSP TV:
The Sony PSP Screen would be also of course excellent to watch TV on the go. There are small USB TV Tuner even HDTV USB Tuners are out there that could be used if the PSP firmware would support them. On the other side of things TV Tuners are already inside mobile phones, so a future PSP console could have a TV Tuner chip inside.
Probability of becoming a reality: 50%

Sony PSP UMD Disc Writer:
That request is a controversial topic as it also of course touches on copyright issues. Because the PSP does not have a hard-drive and the memory sticks just do not provide a lot of storage being able to write music and videos on UMDs would be the solution. It is not any different from being able to record music on Sony Mini-discs. An UMD has 1.8GB of storage. On the other hand the new Sony Memory Stick PRO DUO announced in March have 1GB and 2GB capacity. Of course they will be expensive for a while.
Probability of becoming a reality: 30%

Sony PSP Touch Screen:
The PSP For text does not have any means for convenient text input. The rumored PDA like functionalities that supposed to come might be inefficient to use. A Touch-screen and soft-keyboard or text recognition could solve that. The Nintendo DS has a touch screen. So a future PSP console might sport a touch-screen if the versatility of the portable Playstation becomes a bigger topic.
Probability of becoming a reality: 20%

Sony PSP Keyboard:
If there is no touch screen a USB keyboard could be a solution. A Sony PSP Keyboard has already surfaced. It is not shipping yet. Telling from the photo it looks like it could work pretty well and as it also doubles as a screen protector it can be left on the console. I am just not sure if Sony has already a keyboard driver in the current firmware. So i set the probability not to 100%.
Probability of becoming a reality: 90%

Sony PSP Universal Remote Control:
The Sony PSP as a TV remote could be possible based on the presence of IrDA and IR Remote interfaces. Not sure what Sony’s plans are with those infra-red interfaces. A simple remote I could imagine. A powerful universal remote is maybe a bit tricky from a user interface perspective as the PSP has no touch screen.
Probability of becoming a reality: 50%

Sony PSP Bluetooth:
To interoperate with mobile phones the Sony PSP would need Bluetooth. The functionality of taking calls on the PSP, like with the existing Bluetooth MP3 Players, would be possible. A Bluetooth USB dongle could become available.
Probability of becoming a reality: 20%

Sony PSP TV-Out:
A TV-Out would make the PSP a portable Movie player. Additionally users could view photos stored on the memory stick directly on the TV. Not sure if game-play would make sense on the TV with the PSP, but actually why not. I do not know if an accessory could provide that or if a new PSP console would be necessary.
Probability of becoming a reality: 30%

Sony PSP Mobile Phone
I do not think Sony will go the Nokia N-Gage route in the future. Sony Ericsson does interesting products that work with there mobile phones, so maybe they come up with a interesting synergistic solution.
Probability of becoming a reality: 10%

Sony PSP eBook Viewer:
eBooks are already available on the PSP via converting text pages into images. Most likely Sony will bring a real text based eBook viewer for the PSP. Reading books on mobile phones is already a growing trend in Japan. Lots of new MP3 Players already have a text viewer. Sony also has the Librie eBook on the market.
Probability of becoming a reality: 100%

Sony PSP Instant Messenger:
There is already an IRC client for the PSP based on the Wipeout Pure web browser Hack. The writer of pspirc is supposedly working on an AOL Instant Messenger client for the PSP. As soon as the web browser is in the firmware many things will be possible through server-side applications.
Probability of becoming a reality: 90%

Sony PSP Digital Camera:
So users want a digital camera on their Sony PSP. Looks like its not enough to view photos copied onto a Sony Memory stick on the PSP. Theoretically a Digital Camera could be a future accessory for the PSP connecting via the USB or the Wi-fi interface. There are no indicators that Sony plans a Digital Camera as far as I know.
Probability of becoming a reality: 50%

Sony PSP Hard-Drive:
The Sony PSP could have challenged the Apple iPod, if it would have a built-in hard-drive. Rumors that Sony is working on a PSP with Hard-drive are already out there. This would mean users would need to buy a new PSP when it comes out. Which also means that it will be at least one or two years before Sony will bring a HDD PSP on the market.
Probability of becoming a reality: 80%

Sony PSP VOIP Telephony:
Well the PSP supports Wi-fi and the TCP Stack, how hard can it be to have a Skype client run on the PSP? Only problem I see is that there is no microphone on the PSP. Not sure if the headset connector could also be used for a microphone. Update: William B. tells me that the female headphone connector has three contact bands inside, not including the remote commander pins. This is historically the case for devices with a left & right audio out and single audio in.
Probability of becoming a reality: 40%

Sony PSP GPS:
A GPS receiver could be connected via USB. An UMD could carry the map data. Typing in addresses without a touch-screen and a stylus might be a hassle though.
Probability of becoming a reality: 30%

White Sony PSP:
Lots of people would like to have a white Sony PSP. Before the launch in Japan photos of a white PSP have been circulating on the web. It was a Gran Turismo branded PSP. Nintendo DS are already available in multiple colors. I am sure Sony will follow-up on that and issue special edition Sony PSPs.
Probability of becoming a reality: 100%

Web Surfing with the Sony PSP:
Surfing the web with the PSP is also a big thing for consumers. Sony already by accident distributed an update that had a browser included. Some smart people also recently hacked Wipeout Pure to use its web-browser to access the web. I am sure we will see a Sony PSP update that supports browsing the web and some other PDA like features soon.
Probability of becoming a reality: 100%

Share your thoughts, check out the PSP Hacks forum here.

Final Update: Fluff has taken the liberty in contacting the father of Mr. William Wharton and shortly after receiving a response, the dubayou.com domain no longer resolves. This concludes the THUG2 exploit/PSP Stumbler hoax. It is indeed fake; this kid has been defrauding people out of their cash, PSP’s and making a tonne of false claims. Sorry folks.

Update (1:50 AM EST): I have below an email directly from a licensed and very knowledgeable Sony PSP developer. Here are his thoughts:

“Greg,
An exploit like this would be a wonderful thing for the PSP. I want
to believe in this THUG2 exploit.

Here’s why I can’t…

1. According to Sony developer relations, the consumer version of the
PSP physically can’t process unencrypted code due to mandatory
hardware AES decryption. It’s not just the boot process you have to
bypass as it was with the PS2. At this point I highly doubt this has
been circumvented. Down the road it may be possible with a mod-chip or
a reverse engineered flash of sorts.

2. Interact has a highly skilled team that has been working to exploit
the PSP since it launched in Japan. They have tried these things
before with no success.

3. If you cause a buffer overflow on the PSP, in most cases it will
simply shut off.

William Wharton is the self-proclaimed creator of PSP-Stumbler. He is
a 16 year-old with a fake ID. His “Dubbayou Network” of websites
detract from his credibility.

See William’s fake ID picture here: http://dubayou.com/images/id.jpg

While it’s possible that William has made some breakthrough out of
pure luck, I wouldn’t count on it.

Thanks,
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx”

Update: I received an interesting phone call this evening from a licensed Sony developer – who will remain anonymous. They’re very interested in this possible exploit and experimenting themselves. However, by the looks of it and all the information I was given, chances are this is a hoax. Yet, the PSP Stumbler crew claim it still to be legit. Again, check back for updates and more information. I hope to be receiving an email from the developer with his insight on this story soon.

Update: The creator of PSP Stumbler left an interesting comment on our page here.

“We received a copy of a some what PSP SDK, the person wants to remain anonymous. We do plan on releasing proof in the next week or so.”

So apparently they have an SDK which in itself could be even bigger news than the THUG2 exploit. I’m sure everyone like me is anxiously awaiting their proof. Until then we can take this all with a grain of salt.

Update: After a little investigative work and all the feedback from our wonderful user base, we’re declaring this a complete fake, unless of course some evidence of the exploit is released.

Fluff’s Facts (taken from our forum):

• Claiming big things : Yes
• Show any proof : No
• Explain anything technically : No
• Post brief updates to questions : Yes
• Screenshots? : No
• Proof of concept release : No
• Any release at all : No
• Explanation of how they did it in detail : No
• Throwing around technical terms with no backing : Yes
• Asking for donations before they’ve shown us ANYTHING : Yes
• Paypal donate button right in your face on the site : Yes

Also, how would they develop a homebrew application without having the PSP SDK? All signs pointing to a complete PSP hacks hoax.

We’re not entirely sure how true this is, but apparently the folks over here have discovered an exploit in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 that’ll allow you to run some homebrew code. They’ve also developed the first PSP homebrew application called “PSP Stumbler” which will log interesting traffic about wireless access points that it discovers.

Nothing is open to the public yet as their first attempt managed to fry the PSP. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Again, this may be a complete hoax – we do not know. We will keep you updated as more information is released.

gotxp pointed this out to us, check out the forum here.

Update: Unfortunately no one was online when I attempted to play, guess the word hasn’t spread that quick yet. However I was successful in getting XBConnect to detect my PSP.

The popular tunneling software XBConnect now supports the PSP! Play your PSP Online now! It currently supports the following games:

• Ridge Racer
• ATV Offroad Fury
• MLB
• NBA
• NFL Street 2 Unleashed
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour
• Tony Hawk’s Underground 2
• Twisted Metal Head On
• Untold Legends
• Need for Speed Underground Rivals

And I’m sure many more will be supported as time goes on.

The custom hacked router firmware from AhMan, available in our downloads section, also works with XBConnect! Later this evening I will be testing this setup and I’ll let you know the verdict.

Download XBConnect

PSP Hacks

Well EA has shipped NBA Street Showdown and Fifa Soccer, both will be available to buy in retail stores this week. Both look like pretty good games leave comments with your review if you pick one up. On that note we will also be opening our user submitted review section for you. It’s almost done. Anyways here some info on the games:

Take your skills to a new level and challenge the greatest basketball icons to ever hit the court. With NBA STREET Showdown, tip off against the baddest old-school legends and today’s hottest players and rise above the rim with bigger-than-life moves. Defeat the best the streets have to offer with an arsenal of dunks, passes, dribbles, and tricks. Begin your journey to become a street legend with NBA STREET Showdown.

According to psp-vault.com the release date for Grand Theft Auto PSP has been delayed. Also no in-game artwork has surfaced as well as very little rumours linger about.

I started to realize this when I’ve spotted many game retailer sites providing a broad range of estimated release dates – none set in stone. :(

“This newest GTA release is tentatively confirmed to be set in Liberty City, home of the breakout hit Grand Theft Auto III. Rumors abound, including that the game unfolds during the 1970s.”

I wonder if there will be any multiplayer support?!

I know people have heard enough and are getting sick of all the PSP browser hacks/tricks/tips and all of the new portal pages spawning. However, monkeysnap from pspwebsites.com has crafted a very sleek looking PSP portal page with full customizable features – titles, colors, up to 20 personal quick links, images, and more. It’s definitely worth checking out and mentioning on PSP Hacks.

PSP Hacks

Also 3 new submissions have been added. Check them out!

Update: Votes thus far

1. #8. MrCuddleMonstr 2 -16 votes
2. #4. Jason Teves 2 – 15 votes
3. #11. Ryan – 8 votes
4. #10. MrCuddleMonstr 4 – 2 votes
5. #17. Robert Garcia (lol) – 2 votes
6. #19. Digitalkid 2 – 2 votes
7. #3. Jason Teves 1 – 1 vote
8. #12. Sam 1 – 1 vote
9. #2. Dinesh Dave – 1 vote
10. #20. Validus – 1 vote
11. #22. Karloz25 2 – 1 vote

The official PSP Hacks logo contest submissions are now up! Head over here to vote.

Because phpBB is restricted to a certain amount of Poll options I’m unable to post a live poll here – 17 is too many apparently.

So, to vote – send an email to contest@psp-hacks.com with the # of the logo in the subject line.

i.e., if you like Sam’s #5 submission, the subject line would simply be 16.

We’ll be accepting votes until Tuesday when we select the winner.

PSP Hacks Logo Contest Submissions – Vote here!

Thanks to all those who’ve participated. Great job guys!

Unconfirmed reports coming from Japan indicate that the recently released horse training simulation game, Derby Time, allows web browsing similar to that of Wipeout Pure. A number of features have been stated:

• Left Trigger is “Back,” Right Trigger is “Forward,” Triangle is “Menu,” and Square is “Reload.”
• Single byte Japanese characters still do not work
• On the screen, there is “a cell phone antenna icon,” “a spinning icon that shows loading,” and the date.
• Japanese text can be inputted
• The text color and background color default to black
• Though pages will display for an instant, users are soon taken back to the “normal” page.

At this point, it is not clear how the functionality of the Derby Time browser and the Wipeout Pure browser differ. We’ll be following this story, so expect an update in the near future. This story comes from PS3/PSP NEWS,(in japanese) who says it was originally posted at 2ch.

Thanx to psp-vault for this story in english.