homebrew
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Say hello to homebrew on 2.80 PSPs
Over the past few weeks, the homebrew community has been working hard on a new exploit in PSP firmware that would allow users of PSPs 2.0+ (including the recently released 2.80) run homebrew without Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. NOPx86, a team of coders, worked to take advantage of a flaw in libtiff. What that means is that the potential for homebrew is here: and it's easy as well. The team released a "Hello World" application as a proof of concept, and you can try it out yourself here. Just extract the image, place it in PSP's PHOTO directory, and then try to view the image. You'll see the homebrew message working, even on a 2.80 PSP!This is absolutely fantastic, especially because of how incredibly easy this is. Try it out, and who knows what kind of exciting new developments we'll see?[Thanks PSPFan]
A monetary incentive to make homebrew
Sony's trying to lure gamers away from the seduction of homebrew through firmware upgrades that provide new functionality. Homebrewers are trying lure developers through the power of cold, hard cash.PSP3D is running an interesting contest where developers of homebrew will be paid to submit an original piece of PSP homebrew. Theoretically, everyone's a winner, with the community voting for their favorites. Every vote that a piece of homebrew gets nets the developer 5 cents. With five votes, you could buy yourself a Little Debbie cake! They're only going to give up to $200, so only the first thousand votes count, but if you're a developer and you really need some spare change, you might want to start coding.(I bet more people would upgrade their firmware if Sony used the same tactic: give us money for upgrading! Never going to happen, but one can dream, right?)
Ultraviolet bread box preserves bread, freaks out friends
Contrary to appearances, this is not a device for creating giant mutant bread, it's actually a bread box designed to prevent mold from growing on your run of the mill unmodified loaf of carbs. Based on the same groovy kind of UV light used in food and medical sanitization, the breadbox should be relatively easy to build for anyone with minimal DIY skills -- and even if it didn't work exactly as intended, would be a stylish addition to any mad scientist's (or fantasy lad's) kitchen. But according to the folks at InventGeek, it actually does its job, increasing the shelf life of bread by about 50%, and preventing any mold from growing on the exterior of the bread (it may still grow inside, however). They didn't say what the bread tasted like after being baked a second time in UV, but you want to give it a shot yourself, the total cost of parts should only run you about $65.[Via MAKE: Blog]
Webcam + CD-ROM lens = instant microscope
Sure, you could just buy one of the many, more capable, ready-made, USB microscopes, but if you're lacking for geek cred, you can also build your own with nothing more than a webcam and a lens salvaged from a CD or DVD drive. This hack courtesy of Kalanda is about as simple as can be, just carefully remove the tiny lens from your optical drive and affix it in place on the webcam with some cardboard and tape (they apparently didn't remove the webcam's lens). The lens is able to double as a microscope because of its very short focal length, which proved to be just right for getting disturbingly close shots of the intrepid DIY-er's hand. We're building one right now, too, because we've been having a hell of time keeping track of our micro-dice during those regular after-work craps games.[Via Make]
PiMPstreamer homebrew streams video
One of things I wanted in the next official firmware upgrade was the ability to stream video. A reader by the name of Joel stated that "the PSP doesn't have a Core 2 Duo, it has 237 Megahertz. Live streaming video needs mmuch more."Well, looks like homebrew has proven you wrong. Very wrong. A homebrew application called PiMPstreamer has just been updated, and the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. The program lets you stream movies and music from your PC to your PSP. Movies can include traditional MPEG, AVI and even WMV files. It's only been tested on 1.5 firmware, so those of you that homebrew-compatible PSPs might want to check it out. For the rest of us, I think it's a clear indicator that the PSP is very capable of a video streaming function, and we should demand Sony implement it in the next firmware.[Via PSP Hacks]
Best of DS homebrew list
Over at Gaming Dump, a listing for the top homebrew applications and emulators on the DS has been compiled in what we assume is an attempt to get linked by DS Fanboy. Our links, they are like gold!But in all seriousness, the list manages to present the essentials, such as NDSMail, yet also manages to bring some cooler applications to the party, such as HelloDS, which allows VOIP communication on the DS. All nifty programs and perhaps a starting point for those of you looking to get into the homebrew scene.[Thanks Harold!]
Hawaiian Islands
This homebrew puzzle game was introduced as a part of NeoFlash's Summer Coding Competition and was created by Vincent (no not that one you silly FF VII fiend!). Hawaiian Islands is similar to Mahjong but has a few more twists and turns in it. You have to watch for lines and corners. A player must match a tile piece and connect them without crossing two corners. Sounds complicated and interesting and you can try it for yourself here. Take a look and let us know what you think of this in the area of homebrew stuff. This could end up being he next new downloadable hobby for homebrew fans or those new to homebrew in general. [Via QJ Net]
Control Winamp with your DS
The DS is a wonderful machine, capable of interacting with a PC in imaginative ways. Now, the clever homebrew community, has come up with a way for the DS to control Winamp. Should any of you DIY-ers out there wish to film yourself giving this a go, send us a link and like Doc Holliday, we'll make you famous. Now how about someone coming up with a way to stream music or video from Winamp onto the DS?
XNA: community arcade revealed
Doubtless, most of you caught this news over on Joystiq but it deserves mention here. Microsoft has announced the release of XNA Game Studio Express, a consumer version of its XNA development tools -- a beta version should be available on August 30th. This will allow homebrew developers to create games for both Windows and the Xbox 360, though a fee will be charged for the 360 functionality. The upshot of all this (surely, most of you are already there) is the ability of the 360 community to actually create the games we'll be seeing on Xbox Live Arcade.This initial XNA pack -- available for a $99 annual subscription -- will be followed next year with a professional version. The professional version should cost well under $1000 dollars, putting PC and 360 development within the grasp of even the smallest of would be game makers. Users of the XNA platform will also be given access to sample games (and perhaps allow users to trade?) to get the creative juices flowing.It will probably be a long time before we see your garage game hit the real Xbox Live Arcade, but the possibilities are very exciting. Any adventurous coders out there looking forward to this?[Via Joystiq. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]Related Items:Will Xbox 360 XNA succeed where Sony failed?XNA Game Studio Express FAQ not entirely worthless
More interviews with more homebrewers
A month ago, we showed you an interview with the popular PSP homebrewer ZX-81. DCEmu has continued their summer series of interviews with two other popular PSP coders: StrmnNrmn and Deniska. Both have very different goals with the PSP. StrmnNrmn is famous for his efforts in bringing "Daedalus," an N64 emulator, to fruition. You can read through the entire interview with him for more, but here's an interesting snippet:K: What do you keep on your own PSP?StrmnNrmn: About 100 or so roms Deniska works on bringing original games to the system, such as KETM. He also is working on a GPS device (see the YouTube video here). When asked what's on his PSP he had this to say:K: So what homebrew/apps do you keep on your own PSP? Deniska: Currently, I only have IRShell, PSPLink, Noiz2sa and KETM.Feel free to read the entire interview with Deniska for more. It's clear that there are two very different segments for PSP homebrew: one focuses on pirating games, while the other focuses on developing original applications and games. Sony's attempt to squash homebrew as a whole is spawned by their fight against piracy, but it's unfortunate to see coders of original programs get caught in the crossfire. What about you, homebrew-using PSP fanboys? Do you use it for emulating games or do you use it to find original apps?
DS-Xtreme gives drag 'n drop capability to your Nintendo DS
If you've tossed around the idea of modding your DS, but never bit the bullet due to the ridiculous amount of loopholes you had to jump through to get your homebrew game on, DS-Xtreme has got you covered. While the precise details of how this thing works its magic are a bit scarce, we do know that the company claims this wonder-working cart will allow you to not only run your favorite homebrew applications on your DS without any software / hardware hacks or workarounds whatsoever, but it also rocks a built-in GUI that interfaces with Windows XP via USB 2.0 for some remarkably easy drag 'n drop action. All this sounds mighty impressive, especially compared to the PassMe alternative that required a old fashion GBA flash card, linker, and a DS game just to get you up and running; the DS-shaped cartridge features 512MB (4Gb) of built-in storage space, USB 2.0 connectivity, a full sized onboard EEprom "complete with some serious custom engineering," and a snazzy GUI that apparently makes managing your apps a breeze. If you've been fantisizing over an easier way to get homebrew material on your Nintendo DS or DS Lite, the DS-X flash cart appears to a dream come true, but considering there's no specific release date nor price, we're forced to play the "wait and see" game on this one.[Via MaxConsole]
Get Doomed on your DS
We can't even clearly remember the last time we had to escape an outbreak of demons on Mars. Actually, it's happened to us so many times that we'd never want to experience such a thing again, the past experiences just one long blur of events in our memory. Nope, not even in video game form would we ever want to take part in such a boring activity again.In case you're looking to visit the Red Planet and battle some demons yourself, we won't try and stop you. If you're the kind of person who wants to kill demons on Mars instead with the ability to pause the battle and maybe grab a soda from the refrigerator, then this homebrew port of the popular PC game Doom might just scratch your itch.Man, we would've killed to have a flamethrower that last time.[Thanks MaHe and Randy!]
The Command and Conquer DS project
If it's one thing we crave more of on our dual-screened handheld, it's some good RTS action. Enter the Command & Conquer DS project, where the goal appears to get Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn running on the DS. The project looks to still be in its infancy, but is making some strides toward achieving the goal. Partly because we have a lot of love in our hearts (we aren't exactly human) for those vigilant homebrewsters who sit there coding away late into the morning with only the soft fizz of an open can of Mountain Dew and dim glow of the monitor to keep them company. Partly because we want to try the game. Well, maybe mostly, so do us a favor and try to help out any way you can. The faster it is released the faster we can...love you?[Via Gaming Dump; Thanks Randy!]
Sony fights back: their battle against homebrew
The battle between the homebrew community and Sony has been a long, bloody fight. With Sony finally playing the legal card against homebrewers, PSP 3D takes a retrospective look at the history of Sony's struggle. They claim that Sony has been getting more desperate, and a bit angrier, as seen by this quote from a Sony programmer: "Overall it's [homebrew] frowned on. Our tech guys have gotten madder and madder lately, and it does void your warranty."The complete article has tons of interesting tidbits. Of particular interest is the infamous GTA exploit which allowed for homebrew to be run even with the most recent firmware release during that time: "The GTA hack operated in a way which utilized the game's in-game SYSCALLs (system calls) in order to run arbitrary code. This is why kernal (full PSP hardware/software IO access) mode via the hack was impossible; you are only allowed to code as much as the SYSCALLs availability, therefore, advanced SYSCALLs, like those for VSH (update mode) or kernal mode were unavailable for use, simply because GTA: LCS didn't utilize them. This fact brought upon the problem of concern for Sony's engineers. They'd have to release a firmware update which jumbles up the method of loading SYSCALLs in order to prevent homebrew from being loaded. Not easy stuff, really, especially when you need to maintain the working status of all the retail UMD games already released and sold."[Via PlayStation.com boards]
Switching from the DS to the PSP: a homebrewer's perspective
A while ago, we ran an interview with a homebrewer that seemed pretty popular. Another one seems to have popped up on the great internets, this time at e-MSC.net and QJ.net. They had a chance to speak with LiraNuna, a prominent DS homebrewer that's now switching from the DS to the PSP. Here are some interesting quotes: "I didn't leave the DS cause I think the PSP is better. I find the systems to be equally great! DS is great for gaming, PSP is great for music and homebrew." "I enjoyed working on the DS since it's a low level machine. As far as I saw it, the PSP is a higher level handheld." It appears that LiraNura plans on playing around with the system and then jump into making some original games. Considering the popularity of his DS hombrew project, Tales of Dagur (pictured), we can all hope that his next project will be just as successful.
The not-so-portable portable GameCube
Ben Hartland's so-called handheld GameCube here isn't quite in the same league as the homebrew wonders from that other Ben, our hero Ben Heckendorn, (though really, what is?) but we've still gotta give him a few points for effort. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback is that it just ain't all that portable, basically consisting of a full-size GameCube console stuck on an over-sized but well-engineered controller and screen -- and made even less portable by the fact that you still have to plug it in. If you can live with that, following Ben's lead should cost ya about $370.[Via Joystiq]
T3 article teaches the common folk how to use homebrew
You know, homebrew can be pretty intimidating: it uses big scary technical terms and comes with the possibility that your PSP will be "bricked." You may be one of the many that looks at our extensive homebrew coverage and weeps, wondering: "Will I ever be able to do that?" Well, T3 magazine wants to help. Entitled "Turn your PSP into a SNES, Gameboy and more!," the feature describes the steps necessary to transform your PSP into a homebrew platform. It states that you need 2.0 firmware or less, but don't forget that there have been a slew of downgraders that can transform even newer firmwares.The scan can be found here. There are only 12 steps, and each comes with a handy picture to walk you through the process. Have fun, if this is the guide you've been waiting for before making the dive into homebrew. But make sure that you remember: it still can brick your PSP, so be careful.
Emulated 2.71: better than the real thing?
Steve reports that a new version of Devhook is available for you homebrewing folk out there. The latest version allows you to run homebrew directly from emulated 2.71 firmware, so there's less need to messily switch between firmwares. Now that you can run legal games and your illegal games original fanboy productions, it seems like the emulated 2.71 is better than the real deal.
Hackers vs Sony: the homebrew game
A new homebrew game by DreaDNoughT attempts to accurately chronicle the ongoing battle between Sony and the hacking community. The story begins as such: "Sony, previously considered a friend to the gaming community, has betrayed us... After some time Sony released the first plague: Firmware version 2.00... And now you must begin the quest to defeat the ultimate firmware."Uh... excuse me? Am I the only one that doesn't feel betrayed by Sony's firmware revisions? I, for one, do use the internet browser, RSS feeds, AVC, Flash and WMA support. Regardless, it seems like a notable effort by a fan, and might merit some playing for you non-updated PSP owners. And, as a bonus, the latest version lets you actually win.
Interview with a homebrewer
Homebrew is a huge part of the hardcore PSP scene. But, it's pretty obvious why Sony's trying to battle it as hard as they can. Sony would be in an even greater world of legal hurt if it allowed easy access to pirated material. Also, what kind of confidence would publishers have in the PSP platform if people don't actually buy games for it? While many can see the reasoning behind Sony's efforts, what's the inspiration behind the incredible dedication of the PSP homebrew community? DCEmu recently interviewed a coder that goes by the name of ZX-81, who is considered one of the most prolific coders of PSP homebrew. Some of the interesting points in the interview: ZX-81 started coding for the PSP when his friend showed him other homebrew applications running on the system. He believes the PSP scene is "fantastic," with an active, helpful international community. He has only bought one PSP game: Grand Theft Auto, in order to run homebrew. While the interview is interesting, it's also distressing to a gamer like myself. I didn't buy a PSP to illegally emulate games... I bought it for some high-quality portable gaming. If PSP gamers like ZX-81 don't buy games, do you think homebrew is helping... or hurting the PSP?
