The Noobz team, Team C+D, and Dark_Alex are well known names amongst PSP fans. They are the leaders of the homebrew community in many ways. They are the ones that make downgrading possible, and emulation available. These guys are the gods of cracking Sony’s code and the masters of homebrew programming. The BBC recently had a chance to sit down with these superstars in a tell-all interview. It’s really interesting to read their stories and opinions on piracy. Check it out.

Computer hackers have scored a victory in their battle against Sony and the way the company controls its PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld games console.
Sony sells its PSP with built-in software, known as firmware, which controls how the console operates.

The firmware locks many of the PSP’s capabilities, preventing enthusiasts from writing their own programs, known as homebrew, and running them on the machine.

It also disables its ability to play some films which are not bought on special Sony PSP disks.

But last month three hacker teams - Noobz, Team C+D, and a group led by PSP hacker Dark Alex - co-ordinating their efforts over the internet, found a flaw in the most recently released version of the firmware - version 3.03.

Using this flaw they devised a way to unlock all PSPs, regardless of their age or the firmware running on it.

This development has been a cause for celebration in the PSP homebrew community, but caused alarm at Sony because unlocked PSPs can be used to play pirated PSP games.

“The problem experienced here is not with homebrew applications, but with hackers who pirate commercial titles,” a Sony spokesperson said.

“Sony have never been in touch with me, so I am confident that what we are doing is legal” - Fanjita (David Court), PSP Hacker. “Piracy is illegal and we strongly oppose any acts which either aide or profit from it.”

But the hackers say piracy is not what motivates their teams to unlock the PSP.

“My aim is to enable as many people as possible to run homebrew programs,” said Fanjita, a member of the Noobz team. He added: “Everyone has the right to do what they want with their own hardware. Piracy does upset me, and because what we are doing opens the way to piracy it’s harder to justify it morally.

“But our stance on piracy is clear, and we hope to be role models. Sony have never been in touch with me, so I am confident that what we are doing is legal.”

Hackers unveiled

Fanjita - real name David Court - is very different from the popular hacker stereotype of the socially inept teenaged geek working all night in his bedroom.

A married man of 34, he is an accomplished professional programmer who writes server software for large telecommunications companies for a living. He spends an hour or two a night hacking PSP software in his Edinburgh home, and is also a martial arts enthusiast.

Dark Alex fits much more comfortably into the hacker mould.

A student from Spain, his hacker moniker derives from his real name, Alejandro, and a liking for all things gothic, he says. His interests are Japanese Manga comics and cats, but PSP hacking is his main hobby.

“I think it is up to users to make the correct decisions about how to use my software.” - Dark Alex, PSP Hacker. “It takes up a good part of my spare time, more or less what some other people may spend watching TV,” he said.

“I mainly do it because it is fun to research the internals of the operating system of a machine made by a big company. I am also against DRM (digital rights management - a type of electronic copy protection) in any of its forms, and against restrictions that make a device unable to show its true potential.”

Not just pirates

Dark Alex said that although his work makes piracy easier because it enabled PSP owners to play copied games, this was not his responsibility.

“I think it is up to users to make the correct decisions about how to use my software,” he said. “I believe in the presumption of innocence, unlike the media companies.”

There were many quite legitimate reasons why you might want to copy a game you own from its original disk, Dark Alex said.

“You can transport a number of games on a single memory stick, which is very convenient, and the games actually load faster. And most important for me, these games can actually be modified, allowing users to customise their games,” he said.

“I’ve seen great things done in this area, like people changing the music of games, or making full translations into their own language.”

Breaking the code

Whenever Sony releases a new version of its PSP firmware, the three hacker teams compete to see who can decode and examine it first.

They then collaborate to see if they can find any way of unlocking it.

This task has been made harder in recent months as Sony has introduced a new and more secure motherboard in the latest PSPs, and because Sony’s firmware has become increasingly sophisticated in response to the hackers’ efforts.

“When each new version of the PSP firmware comes out we can see that Sony are putting in countermeasures against the things we have been doing,” Court said.

In this case it turned out that a well known mistake in the way a PSP game called Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was written provided the hackers with a suitable “exploit”.

By loading the game it was possible to get access to a restricted part of the firmware called the kernel, and an oversight on the part of Sony’s firmware writers then allowed the hackers to run a special program of their own devising.

An upgraded ‘downgrade’

This “downgraded” the PSP to an earlier version of the firmware which allows homebrew to be used.

PSP FIRMWARE HISTORY
2.00 Added a web browser, 4:3 video playback, MP4/AAC playback, and photo transfer support
2.50 Added Locationfree streaming, copyright-protected video playback, and WPA wi-fi security
2.60 Added RSS support and WMA playback
2.70 Added support for Adobe Flash in the web browser
3.00 Added Playstation network/Playstation 3 support and camera support

The drawback of this early firmware is that it won’t run the latest games, but this problem was quickly overcome by Dark Alex, who wrote his own firmware, called Dark Alex’s Open Edition, with the help of a fellow hacker known as Booster.

With this firmware installed, the PSP is completely unlocked, but also has all the features of the latest firmware.

Within days of the release of the Noobz team’s downgrader and Dark Alex’s Open Edition firmware, Sony updated its firmware, fixing the flaw which makes unlocking possible.

Anyone buying a new PSP with this firmware installed will be therefore be unable to unlock their console - at least until Noobz, Team C+D and Dark Alex and his crew find another exploit and the whole cat-and-mouse game played by Sony and the hacker teams repeats itself.

via BBC.co.uk

Firmware 3.30 has now been decrypted thanks to Team C+D! Yes, this means that a 3.30 OE is now possible Below is the modified version of PspPet’s original PSARDumper with 3.30 decryption by Team C+D. We will post further info once it becomes available.

Download PSARDumper with 3.30 Decryption

WARNING: Too good to be true report coming right up. Now, as much as we ourselves are almost jumping for joy, we also can’t help but remain a tiny, little bit skeptical about it all. After all, it’s April Fool’s and we all know that the internet gets flooded with jokes, gags and hoaxes at this time of the year. Anyway, we may all want to just take this with a grain of salt for now, until DAX himself lets everyone know that he is indeed working his magic again on FW 3.30, or until 3.30 O-E actually shows up. However, we ARE crossing our fingers… on with the report!

When we string together Dark_Alex, 3.30, and O-Es, we can only only imagine the smiles this will be putting on the reader’s faces as they add these words up. Yup - PSPgen has just reported that DA has supposedly announced that 3.30 OE is coming soon.

It will be noted that this news comes in shortly after Team C D’s release of a firmware decrypter for v3.30. DA is reportedly using their decrypter to get working on on this new release, although he’s only begun. The good news is that DA has commented it won’t take too long to complete the work - expect a new custom firmware to be up and about soon.

There are no other details at the moment, except that this new firmware is expected to be larger than 3.10 - so have the proper amount of space ready, and hope for the best. Stay posted in case we pick up further details on this breaking news.

One of the biggest if not THE BIGGEST development in the PSP hacking scene has just unfolded. A collective group of hackers including the likes of Dark_Alex, Noobz and Booster have released a new piece of software which will replicate the exact functions of Sony’s Jigkick battery (even better) - that means it is now possible for homebrew enabled PSP’s to UNBRICK and DOWNGRADE their systems at their own will. The respective software will transform any regular PSP battery into one which can perform all the functions of the Official Sony JigKick which is used by Sony repair staff themselves. Even if your PSP is not homebrew enabled, you can just ask a friend who has a homebrew enabled PSP to run the software and transform your battery too! Read more on the software at the official release thread as launched by legendary hacker Dark_Alex HERE. Spread the word and DIGG THIS! And on a FINAL note, while the team is a bit too proud to apply pressure for DONATIONS, just do it even if it is just a dollar - ig390@msn.com via PAYPAL (Authorized by Dark_Alex, Noobz and all on the C+D development team).

Read More/Download: here

The Noobz team (www.noobz.eu), building on the previous Illuminati exploit, have released a new PSP firmware downgrader, which can safely downgrade any known PSP.

This is an amazing breakthrough, and gives the freedom to all PSP users to use legitimate homebrew software.

read more | digg story

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron will hit store shelves everywhere in fall 2007, says LucasArts. In development exclusively for the PlayStation Portable system by U.K.-based Rebellion, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron continues the immensely successful Battlefront series, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide since its introduction in 2004. The only original Star Wars Battlefront experience of 2007, Renegade Squadron delivers a new way for players to experience their favorite Star Wars battles any way - and anywhere - they want. The game presents new battles and missions found through a never-before-told story, as well as an unprecedented wealth of personalization and customization options. And for the first time on the PSP system, Star Wars Battlefront players can team up or compete online with friends all over the world.

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is the previously untold story of a ragtag ensemble of battle-hardened rogues and scoundrels assembled by Han Solo. Gathered to execute some of the most secretive operations in the Rebel Alliance’s war against the Galactic Empire, the Renegade Squadron participates in battles spanning the galaxy. From the Valley of the Sith on Korriban to a dogfight in space through the remains of Alderaan, Solo directs the team on missions of sabotage, rescue and retrieval.

In Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, robust customization options replace the class system seen in previous Star Wars Battlefront titles, allowing for millions of possible unique combatants. With weapons, equipment and abilities that players select themselves, no two allies will likely ever look or perform exactly the same.

The game also boasts expanded multiplayer options for the PSP system. Up to 16 players will be able to compete against each other over the Internet and eight via the PSP system’s ad-hoc wireless connection.

From the PSP homebrew gods, Noobz team has finally created an exploit to bypass any PSP Firmware, with the help of a Lumines UMD! Now you can run homebrew games, applications, and emulators no matter what system firmware you’re on!

read more | digg story

Took quite a while, but finally it’s here. The Sony PSP Firmware 3.40 first appeared in Korea, and was later rolled out to Japan. Well, we already got quite a glimpse of the changelog from both Asian official sites, but here’s a more English-friendly translation What’s new in PSP FW 3.40? Thought you’d never ask…

Game

• New for 3.40: Support for PLAYSTATION Network titles has been expanded.
• New for 3.40: Saved data from PlayStation format software can now be used on both PSP and PS3 systems.
• New for 3.40: [Certificate Utility] was deleted.
  • Information that was displayed in [Certificate Utility] can be checked by the following method.
  • Select the icon of the game you want to display information for, press the button, and then select [Information] from the options menu.
• New for 3.30: Support for Playstation Network titles has been expanded.

Network

• New for 3.30: Support for thumbnail images of items has been added under [RSS Channel].

Video

• New for 3.30:Support for thumbnail images of videos that are stored in the “VIDEO” folder of Memory Stick Duo media has been added.
• New for 3.30:The following types of files can now be played in the “VIDEO” folder.
  • – MPEG-4/H.264 AVC Main Profile (AVC CABAC) video files of the following sizes: 720 X 480, 352 X 480, or 480 X 272
  • *Depending on the data type, some files cannot be played.

Settings

• New for 3.30: [Use Wireless Hotspot] has been added as a feature under [Network Settings].

As we have previously mentioned, this PSP Firmware 3.40 has already been decrypted. To reiterate what we have said in an update of the South Korean site article, “apparently, the keys haven’t changed - this means that Team C+D’s decrypter for firmware 3.30 will work on FW 3.40.” Unfortunately there have been no other specific updates regarding this, and while there hasn’t been anything yet, just sit tight and click on the download link below.

Download: Sony PSP Firmware 3.40 (US)

Ever since the Sony PSP was released, industrious hackers across the nation have been working diligently to figure out new things to do with it. Here are some of our favorites:

Read E-books:

• Instructions from Team PSP
  
• PaperlessPrinter allows you to view a book as a jpeg slideshow
• Download free e-books at Project Gutenberg

Browse the web:

• Instructions at PSPHacks.net
• Also: Mobile RSS News Reader:

Play multiplayer PSP games using just one disc.

Make a DIY USB PSP charger.

Ive been seeing that alot of peole have been trying to get Pandoras battery to work but they are having trouble, so this is a little guide to help.

First I would like to thank the Noobz team and Team C+D for making this possible. All credit goes to them.

Requirements:
1. A hombrew enabled PSP (if your psp cant run homebrew it will not work)
2. The files you can get it from "HERE"
3. A memory stick Produo ( a 32mb non produo will not work)
4. A an extra battery not necessry but it is good to have one.

First you have to format your memstick with any tool. I use windows to format mines. So go to your psp drive letter and right click it and choose format. Then click start to start format. I dont know if its necessary but the readme states it so I do it.

Now it is time to run mspformat. The best way to run this is to make a .bat file. Open up a note or worpad and type in "mspformat X" ( replace X with the your psp drive letter.Then save the file as format.bat and place it where the mspformat.exe is. Now hook up your psp to your PC and double click the .bat that you just made. A dos window will pop up and ask you if you want to proceed. Type "Y" to and hit enter. It will take some time depending on the size of your memstick.

It should look like this.

After you are all done formatting, it is time to start putting files in the memstick. Extract the download that you downloaded if you have not done it already. Then go to your psp and make a folder called PSP. then inside of the PSP folder make a folder called GAME. After you are done go back to the download folder and open up the folder called "install" and take the 2 folder you see there and put it in the GAME folder you created. Then go to the folder called "battery" and take the 2 folders in there and put it in the GAME folder as well.

So your memstick should look like this.

X:\PSP\GAME\pbfirm_install pbfirm_install% and pandora_battery pandora_battery%

Now you must get the 1.5 EBOOT from "HERE". Unzip it and rename the EBOOT.PBP to UPDATE.PBP. THEN stick it in the root of your memstick. Then remove your memstick and put it back in.

After you got that done go to your xmb menu and run the Pandora installer. It should make all the files that it required including the msipl you will use to make the memstick bootable.

Ok after the installer has finish making all of the required files, it is time to run msinst.exe. Go back in to your psp and take the file msipl.bin that the installer created in your memstick and place it in the same folder as msinst.exe.. Open up notepad/word pad and type in msinst X msipl.bin(repace X with your psp driveletter). Then save it as msinst.bat and put it in the same folder as msinst.exe. Once done connect your psp to your PC and double click the .bat file you have made and a dos window will pop up and ask you to proceed. Type "Y" and hit enter.

It should look like this.

Now that you have all the files and are ready to make your battery. Go into your psp xmb and run Padora battery creator. When the screen finish loading it will give you some option like to create battery or return to normal and backup eeprom. I suggest you backup your eeprom just incase. After you have backup you eeprom, then run the creator program again and just press X on your psp and you are done!

NOTE: When starting up the battery make sure you dont have the AC charger plugged in.

If all goes well.
CONGRATS NOW YOU HAVE AN UNBRICKER BATTERY.