PSP Hacks | O'Reilly Media

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You've probably played a few games on your PSP, placed a few music files or pictures on it, and perhaps even gone so far as to watch a movie. Basically, you've taken advantage of the information provided in the manual. If you happened to throw your copy out, grab a new PDF version online for reference (http://www.us.playstation.com/psp/Manuals.aspx). You may even want to convert that PDF to JPEGs for viewing on your PSP [Hack #29] . Now, however, it's time to think outside the basic uses for which the PSP was originally intended.

The hacks in this chapter will cover some of the basics about the PSP, while taking them a step further: giving you a breakdown of the different technologies involved. Along the way, we'll give you a few useful tips and tricks and try to cover some topics and ideas you might not have thought of when using your PSP.

Did you know that there are multiple ways to back up your saved game data? Did you ever think of using your PSP as another place to back up important files? We did, and you can.

You're in-between projects, waiting for a response from one of your coworkers, so you pull out your PSP and start up a quick race in Wipeout Pure. Knock-knock. The boss walks in. Here's how to quickly get out of game play, saving both your game and your job.

In designing a portable PlayStation platform, fortunately, Sony did a good job of accounting for the on-the-go nature of PSP game play. The power button on the right bottom corner of your PSP can be pushed up quickly to power down the PSP without harming the game you are currently playing. A quick movement of the power button up and then back down to the locked position should become rather habitual when the phone rings, it's time to switch buses, your favorite TV show comes on, or the boss walks in.

The only thing you need to make sure of is that the PSP is not writing to the Memory Stick Duo Card when you need to quickly power down. Check for a flashing orange light on the bottom-left corner of the device. If there's no light, then you're in the clear to simply power down. That's it. Simple.

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You've probably played a few games on your PSP, placed a few music files or pictures on it, and perhaps even gone so far as to watch a movie. Basically, you've taken advantage of the information provided in the manual. If you happened to throw your copy out, grab a new PDF version online for reference (http://www.us.playstation.com/psp/Manuals.aspx). You may even want to convert that PDF to JPEGs for viewing on your PSP [Hack #29] . Now, however, it's time to think outside the basic uses for which the PSP was originally intended.

The hacks in this chapter will cover some of the basics about the PSP, while taking them a step further: giving you a breakdown of the different technologies involved. Along the way, we'll give you a few useful tips and tricks and try to cover some topics and ideas you might not have thought of when using your PSP.

Did you know that there are multiple ways to back up your saved game data? Did you ever think of using your PSP as another place to back up important files? We did, and you can.

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You're in-between projects, waiting for a response from one of your coworkers, so you pull out your PSP and start up a quick race in Wipeout Pure. Knock-knock. The boss walks in. Here's how to quickly get out of game play, saving both your game and your job.

In designing a portable PlayStation platform, fortunately, Sony did a good job of accounting for the on-the-go nature of PSP game play. The power button on the right bottom corner of your PSP can be pushed up quickly to power down the PSP without harming the game you are currently playing. A quick movement of the power button up and then back down to the locked position should become rather habitual when the phone rings, it's time to switch buses, your favorite TV show comes on, or the boss walks in.

The only thing you need to make sure of is that the PSP is not writing to the Memory Stick Duo Card when you need to quickly power down. Check for a flashing orange light on the bottom-left corner of the device. If there's no light, then you're in the clear to simply power down. That's it. Simple.

Now, to quickly hide the PSP from your boss, I recommend keeping a bottom drawer of your desk open and one of its hanging folders filled with cotton. When the boss walks in, quickly (but calmly) put the PSP into power-save mode, drop it in the drawer (see Figure 1-1), close the drawer, and say, "Hi, boss. Just filing away a report. What can I do for you?"

Remember: practice makes perfect. Try several dry runs, so you'll be ready for the real deal.

Figure 1-1: PlayStation Portable being filed away

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Save your game progress on the PSP, move these saved games to a computer, and share saved games with others.

Games: you love them. You like to have multiple concurrent sessions of the same game, as if each slightly different character or choice were but one manifestation of you in the multiverse.

Most hard-core game players know that having multiple file saves can be the key to progressing effectively through a game. We've all experienced that sinking feeling when you discover in level four that you cannot defeat the boss without the magic cap that you didn't find in level three, and it is much less frustrating to start over from level three than it would be to start over from the beginning or spend a lot of time backtracking.

If you haven't been able to track down that 1GB Memory Stick Duo card that you've been looking for, the 32MB stick included with your PSP is probably feeling a little cramped. This hack will discuss various options for managing your saved game files and moving them between your PSP and your computer.

You know how to quit a game quickly [Hack #1] , but if you actually want to save your game progress, either to switch to another game, watch a movie, or listen to some tunes, all you have to do is press the Start button. A menu will pop up, providing you with a variety of options, including Save Game (Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-2: The Start button brings this menu up on Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade

Not all games will allow you to save your progress in the middle of game play. Several games require you to save at special places along the way called save points, so make sure to glance at the manual that came with each game to find out which saving mechanism the game uses.

For example, Wipeout Pure will only let you save your progress in between races and via a save dialog provided within the game.

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You know that you can put music, pictures, videos, and saved games on your PSP's Memory Stick Duo. Did you ever think you could also use the PSP as a makeshift USB drive for backup and easy portable storage?

While you are carrying that little gaming wonder around in your bag, why not keep some of your important documents saved on the Memory Stick Duo card for easy access via any computer with a USB connector?

While working on this book, I kept backup copies of all the documents involved on an encrypted, password-protected disk image, zipped and sitting on my 1GB Memory Stick. Easy and secure access.

A PSP
A USB mini to USB cable (preferably one with a built-in charger for the PSP)
A Memory Stick Duo card with some free space (for files)
Some files to store
A computer with an available USB port

In "Manage Your Saved Games" [Hack #2] , you learned the basics of connecting your PSP to your Mac/PC via USB to copy game files to your computer. This essentially works the same way. Simply plug a USB mini to USB cable into your PSP and the computer you will be using. Navigate to Settings (see Figure 1-12), USB Connection, and hit the X button.

If you are connected to a machine running Windows XP, the PSP's Memory Stick will show up as a removable USB drive under My Computer, and it will be assigned an available letter in the alphabet (most likely E:, F:, or G:, depending upon how many drives you have connected to your computer). When you first plug it in, a little notice will pop up in the System Tray saying that a new USB device has been detected.

On Mac OS X, the Memory Stick will mount on the desktop and will most likely be named Untitled, unless you have changed its name at some previous point in time.

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Do you hate green, but love blue? Find out you how to keep your PSP's background set to your favorite color.

This is a simple trick to keep the background color in your PSP's main interface set to whatever color you like best. If you are running Version 2.0 of the firmware, you can set your background color by navigating to Settings → Theme Settings, hit the X button, select Theme, hit the X button again, and select a color from the menu that appears on the right. The colors will change as you scroll through the list. If you choose Original, then the color will change each month. Hit the X button to make your selection and you are done.

If you are running an earlier version of the firmware [Hack #11] , you lack this function, and the background color is solely determined by month. You just have to have a correct charting of the different colors according to month, and then reset the PSP's date to the corresponding month for the color you'd like. Sure, you have to remember to update it once a month, but this shouldn't adversely affect your PSP in any way (although your saved games will all be dated incorrectly to whichever month you choose).

If you want to discover things on your own, it's a rather simple process:

In the PSP's main menu, simply navigate to Settings → Date & Time Settings → Date and Time.
Hit the X button and move the date ahead one month.
Hit the X button again, and you will see the color change to whatever color goes with the next month.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you've charted the full year.

To make things easy for you, you can look the colors up in Table 1-1.

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Set up a wireless network at home so that you can connect your PSP to the Internet for upgrades, faster infrastructure, LAN parties with more players, and even browsing the Internet.

If you want to connect your PSP to the Internet to download a few new race-tracks for Wipeout Pure, to browse the Web [Hack #41] , or to play with other PSP owners over the Internet [Hack #37] —in short, if you want to use the wireless capabilities of your PSP to do anything other than simply play games in ad hoc wireless mode with your local friends—then you are going to need to set up a wireless network environment that works well with the PSP.

If you don't already have a wireless network set up, you'll need to get your hands on some equipment.

Even if you are still working off of a dial-up connection, you can find wireless routers that plug into your phone line. For example, Apple's AirPort Extreme Base Station (with Modem and Antenna Port) has a 56k modem built in, and will still connect to a DSL or cable modem if you decide to upgrade in the future.

Wireless routers are relatively cheap these days, especially if you are going for the slightly slower 802.11b variant, which will play very nicely with the PSP (see the next section). As an Apple user, I'm a big fan of AirPort, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express. The latter of these solutions is a nice, portable wireless access point that simply needs an Ethernet connection to your DSL/cable modem and an open electrical plug. However, all these Apple-branded solutions are rather expensive, as they all run in the over-$75 range.

If you have a desktop computer that is plugged directly via Ethernet cable into your broadband modem, and no other computers are in need of a wireless solution, your best bet may be to get an internal wireless card for your computer, and set your computer up as a wireless access point via which you can connect your PSP.

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What to do when the PSP freezes, a game consistently skips, a game won't load, or if a memory stick isn't showing up.

You're stuck. Your PSP isn't acting the way it once did, and you're not sure why. Here are some common problems you may encounter, along with a few ideas for troubleshooting those problems.

This is one of the most common problems you will run into with your PSP. You've just placed your favorite UMD game in, but the PSP doesn't seem to recognize that it is there. Here are some things to do.

Section 1.7.1.1: Check for a clean disk.

First, simply remove the disk and put it back in. Maybe it wasn't firmly seated the first time you tried. If that does nothing, remove the disk again and make sure that it is clean. If you've been out in the summer heat and have come indoors to some cool air-conditioning, check for condensation. If that's the problem, play another game while you wait for the moisture on the disk to dissipate.

If there are any particles or dust on the disk, try blowing these particles off. Consider using a compressed air can to blow particles from the inside of the disk; you can find these cans in any computer or electronics store.

If you have smudged the disk via the little open window compartment on the UMD disk, then you are going to need to wipe that smudge off. Try to rotate the disk by pushing in the middle with your index finger and turning your finger, as shown in Figure 1-14. Do this until the smudged part of the disk is lined up with the open portion. Now, clean the smudge just like you would clean a CD/DVD or a camera lens. Breathe lightly on the disk to get a slight fog on it and then use a soft non-abrasive cloth (see Figure 1-15) to gently wipe from the inner ring of the disk outward. If the smudge extends to other parts of the disk, continue to rotate the disk, working section by section until it is fully clean.

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Tired of seeing smudges, dust, dirt, and grime on that gorgeous PSP screen? Here are some tips to alleviate the dirt and the glare.

In both "Watch UMD Movies" [Hack #21] and "Troubleshoot Your PSP" [Hack #6] , I touch upon how the PSP, as a portable gaming console, would seem to be some sort of magical dirt and smudge magnet. This brief hack will cover some basic ways you can help cut down on the filth and get rid of any built-up grime.

When dealing with dirt, the best offense is a good defense. As clichéd as this bit of advice sounds, it's the most overlooked bit of common sense. If you don't want your PSP to get dirty, keep it in a dirt-free environment. Don't leave it lying around your home. Whenever you aren't using the PSP, either put it away in a case [Hack #12] or in the sleeve that came with your PSP. If you want to keep the PSP itself clean, make sure that you keep all of the PSP peripherals clean as well. Keep your UMD disks in cases [Hack #13] and only use clean USB cables to connect your PSP to your computer. If you find an old USB cable sitting in the corner of a drawer that, for some unknown reason, had cookie crumbs all over the bottom, take the time to make sure any dust or bits of cookie that were in the drawer are carefully cleaned from the connectors before shoving it into your PSP.

In addition to keeping the PSP and all of the PSP's peripherals clean, make sure you keep yourself clean. If you find yourself regularly complaining about greasy smudges all over your PSP's screen and controls, you have to look no further than your own greasy hands for the culprit. Wash your hands. Make sure they are clean, dry, and grease-free when you want to play. If you don't want smudges on the screen, don't touch the screen.

Use the soft cloth that came with your PSP to wipe off the screen whenever it becomes smudged. If you ever get more than basic smudging on your PSP, unplug the PSP and turn it off. Use a damp cloth to clean off the casing. Do not use any cleaning products, since they could harm the PSP.

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This hack is a step-by-step guide on how to take your PSP apart, from top to bottom, from case to wireless network card.

There may come a point in time where you will need to take apart your PSP. For example, your keypad may stop working, or perhaps you will need to remove a stuck Memory Stick. Regardless of the reason, this hack will provide you with the blueprints needed to successfully take your PSP apart. And yes, before we go any further, my PSP still worked even after it was spread out, exposed, and naked before me on my work desk.

I realize many of the readers will want to jump right in and start dismantling their device, but please heed the words of warning spread throughout this hack. Too much enthusiasm is not a good thing when dealing with electronics. A steady hand and some patience can go a long way when dealing with tiny and fragile components. That said: please do not feel threatened. Even the most inexperienced "hacker" can accomplish this hack. Just follow the instructions, and all should go right! For your convenience, the disassembly process has been broken down into several different sections.

In order to take your PSP apart, I recommend that you have the following supplies on hand. You do not have to use them all, but things can go much more smoothly with these items available and a few minutes of preparation:

Paper for screw placement notes
Pen/pencil
Small flat head screwdriver
Small Phillips head screwdriver
Needle nose pliers (handy for picking up dropped screws)
Flat and clean white surface (easier to see parts)
Digital camera for snapping photos along the way (use these photos to help you remember how it goes back together and to post cool photos on your weblog)

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If your PSP is in pieces, you'll no doubt want to know how to put it back together again.

Taking apart your PSP [Hack #8] is really only half of the puzzle. In fact, many have said that taking something apart is easy; putting it back together again is what really separates the wheat from the chaff. So, in this hack, I am going to provide you with the necessary instructions to get that torn-apart PSP back together again. Assuming you have not caused any permanent damage from spilt soda, four-foot drops, or a frustrated fist, when reassembled, your PSP should turn on and work as originally designed.

At this point, you know your warranty is worthless and all bets are off as to what will happen when you finally put the battery pack back into the PSP and turn it on. However, that doesn't change the fact that you need to be cautious and use a delicate hand. Before continuing, please review "The Tools of the Trade" and "Critical Suggestions" sections in "Take Your PSP Apart" [Hack #8] .

This step is fairly simple, with the only tricky part being the correct insertion of the WNIC (wireless network interface card)/Memory Stick circuit board. Be sure to take advantage of the many guide pins included in the PSP to ensure that you insert this component, and others, correctly. Figures 1-32 and 1-33 provide illustrations of the following steps.

Figure 1-32: Inserting the wireless network card

To install the network card:

Insert the small circuit board, wireless network card side down, into the PSP by placing the bottom of the circuit board in first at an angle. Be sure that the wireless antenna is wrapped around the side of the board.
Lay the metal grounding separator in, with the long end at the top. Align the guidance pins and the circuit socket to be sure the separator is in the correct location.

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You were trying to play Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix on the PSP, while actually skating, and now you're left with a broken PSP. This hack will walk you through what can be done with your shattered PSP, as well as how to recoup as much of the original cost of the PSP as possible.

You're past the denial stage where you sat rocking back and forth in the corner of your room, cold and alone for hours, clutching it close to your chest, repeatedly switching it on and off, removing the battery, replacing the battery, plugging it in, hoping that suddenly your PSP would turn back on. You've followed all the recommendations in "Troubleshoot Your PSP" [Hack #6] . You took it to a friend skilled in the art of soldering. He opened up your PSP, gently reconnecting all the aged connections, perhaps even replacing the USB port. You tried new batteries and even an odd voodoo ritual that you discovered online. Nothing has worked. You've finally come to grips with the dreadful reality of it all: your PSP is dead.

Although everything has seemed hopeless during your futile attempts to resurrect your PSP, don't throw that PSP away in frustration. There are several different things you can do with it, and this hack will discuss some of the possibilities.

You're already in serious withdrawal from the games, the videos, the pictures, and the music you were used to enjoying via your little digital friend. You need to replace your PSP. Here are three ideas for ways to recuperate some of the money you invested in your dead PSP, either to help in the purchase of your next PSP or to simply pad the wallet:

Repeat after me: eBay (http://www.ebay.com) is the seller's friend. If you have a broken PSP, chances are that there is some cocky technician obsessed with buying things on eBay who will be willing to spend some money on your PSP just to see whether he can resurrect it. A quick search on eBay for "broken PSP" will turn up lots of people just like this. If you filter your search results to include completed auctions, you can see what people were willing to pay for these.

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If you have purchased a PSP running Version 2.0 of the firmware, complete with browser, you can downgrade to Version 1.5 with a few easy, albeit somewhat risky, steps. When you are done, the entire world of homebrew will be open to you.

Fortunately, some industrious hackers discovered a buffer overflow error that occurs when loading an appropriately created image file through the PSP's Photo menu. Then, someone realized that the buffer overflow allowed for a modicum of code to be run. Finally, the pieces fell in place when someone thought to overwrite the PSP's System Information during this error, so that a PSP running Version 2.0 of the firmware would be fooled into thinking that it was running Version 1.0. A simple substitution of a 1 for a 2, and suddenly you are able to run the 1.5 Software Update to replace the Version 2.0 firmware, effectively downgrading your system to a more hacker- and homebrew-friendly version of the firmware.

Keep in mind that working with firmware is always risky. Having the power supply cut in the middle of a regular Sony authorized firmware upgrade could very quickly turn your $250 PSP into a $250 doorstop. Such an error in a normal firmware upgrade, though, would be covered under Sony's warranty. Anything that goes wrong with this hacked downgrade won't be covered, so make sure you follow these steps carefully, and consider yourself warned. Proceed at your own risk. Also, be careful where you grab your copy of the downgrader and the 1.5 updater used in this hack; there have been reports of malicious packages posing as these two items that can actually destroy your PSP.

Download the MPHDowngrader from either http://www.chez.com/mph/, http://www.psp-hacks.com/downloads/MPHDowngrader.zip, or http://www.alden0186.freeserve.co.uk/MPHDowngrader.zip. You will also need a copy of the original 1.5 firmware update. I found my copy via Shockzone (http://shockzone.free.fr/PSP/Tool/EBOOT_1.50.zip). Once you have downloaded the necessary files, unzip them. You will find a Read Me file included with the MPH downgrader that you can follow if you don't want to read through this entire hack; however, the Read Me is a little confusing. So unless you are fluent in "I'm a hacker too busy coding to write a Read Me" shorthand, I suggest you read on.

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This chapter covers different peripherals available for the PSP, alongside homebrew projects for making your own peripherals. It also covers manipulating the PSP's interface and ways of repurposing the PSP for other uses.

There are plenty of third-party cases available for the PSP, but why not make your own?

You've eyed them in stores and online. Yet none of the commercially available PSP cases that you have seen manage to blend individuality with the coolness of the raw PSP in the necessary ratio to warrant their purchase. You want something to protect your PSP, but you also want something that maintains the coolness factor and makes your PSP definitively yours. The only option left within easy reach is to design and make your own PSP case. This hack will walk you through the necessary steps to make your own PSP case out of cardboard.

The short answer: why not cardboard?

The longer reply is that cardboard is a good choice for a do-it-yourself PSP case because of many of the same reasons why it is one of the most common forms of packaging. It's cheap, strong, impact-resistant, easily replaceable, bendable, and although it can be rigid, it still has some give. And, perhaps most importantly, you can probably find a suitable piece of cardboard for this project lying around your house or place of work.

If you are a recycling maniac and just sent the cardboard out yesterday, nicely stacked in the little blue bin that will transport it to cardboard heaven, never fear: there are many places where you can find free cardboard in good shape. Try your local bookstore or liquor store. They are very familiar with people asking for boxes when moving, so your request for a box won't be met with any looks of surprise or disgust. If you just bought your PSP, consider that you could use the cardboard in which the PSP was packaged. The only downside to this is that the PSP box is made of a very rigid and thin cardboard, so it won't provide as much cushion when you inevitably drop your PSP. Ideally, I recommend snatching the top of a case of paper from work (make sure that your boss knows you are only taking the cardboard top, and not the entire case of paper). For this hack, I am using the box that my copy of Mac OS X Tiger came in. This cardboard isn't quite as thick as I'd like to use, but it's thicker than the PSP box's cardboard, and it's what I have on hand.

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This chapter covers different peripherals available for the PSP, alongside homebrew projects for making your own peripherals. It also covers manipulating the PSP's interface and ways of repurposing the PSP for other uses.

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There are plenty of third-party cases available for the PSP, but why not make your own?

You've eyed them in stores and online. Yet none of the commercially available PSP cases that you have seen manage to blend individuality with the coolness of the raw PSP in the necessary ratio to warrant their purchase. You want something to protect your PSP, but you also want something that maintains the coolness factor and makes your PSP definitively yours. The only option left within easy reach is to design and make your own PSP case. This hack will walk you through the necessary steps to make your own PSP case out of cardboard.

The short answer: why not cardboard?

The longer reply is that cardboard is a good choice for a do-it-yourself PSP case because of many of the same reasons why it is one of the most common forms of packaging. It's cheap, strong, impact-resistant, easily replaceable, bendable, and although it can be rigid, it still has some give. And, perhaps most importantly, you can probably find a suitable piece of cardboard for this project lying around your house or place of work.

If you are a recycling maniac and just sent the cardboard out yesterday, nicely stacked in the little blue bin that will transport it to cardboard heaven, never fear: there are many places where you can find free cardboard in good shape. Try your local bookstore or liquor store. They are very familiar with people asking for boxes when moving, so your request for a box won't be met with any looks of surprise or disgust. If you just bought your PSP, consider that you could use the cardboard in which the PSP was packaged. The only downside to this is that the PSP box is made of a very rigid and thin cardboard, so it won't provide as much cushion when you inevitably drop your PSP. Ideally, I recommend snatching the top of a case of paper from work (make sure that your boss knows you are only taking the cardboard top, and not the entire case of paper). For this hack, I am using the box that my copy of Mac OS X Tiger came in. This cardboard isn't quite as thick as I'd like to use, but it's thicker than the PSP box's cardboard, and it's what I have on hand.

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Although there are some commercially available sleeves and cases for your UMD discs, there are some homebrew options you should consider as well.

You've probably noticed the gaping hole in the back of the UMD disks. Why Sony didn't make a little cover over that spot is anyone's guess. You need some sort of case for your UMDs to cover that hole, and you don't want to carry around the cases your games originally came in because they are nearly the same size as the PSP itself. In this hack, I'll cover four ideas for some handy and inexpensive cases for your UMD disks.

Shortly after the release of the PSP, several people realized that the small, round metal tins in which Altoids Curiously Strong mints and sours are sold make a curiously effective case for holding a nice little stack of UMDs. The metal makes it a tough case that will protect the disks from basic impact damage. The tins are designed for being carried easily, so the case is small enough that you can carry it around in your pocket. They are also sturdy enough that they won't collapse upon the UMD disks, whether in your pocket or in your backpack, scrunched under your laptop and a stack of papers.

Since the tins are metal, simply dump out the contents and remove the little paper discus in the bottom of the case. Then rinse it all in water to remove the Altoids dust (wouldn't want to get that in your UMD disks!) and dry thoroughly with a clean towel. Stick up to three UMD disks in the tin and check out the fit (see Figure 2-13). The first two fit nicely, while the third fits in, but skewed diagonally.

Figure 2-13: Three UMD disks per Altoids case

Now, if you have a large collection of UMDs that you'd like to take with you, you could simply purchase multiple Altoids tins and divide them in threes. This option would ensure that your UMDs remain in good condition, even if you have them crammed in your pockets. If you have a messenger bag or backpack to work with, however, you might find that a short stack can of Pringles works better.

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Take an old desk lamp and turn it into an adjustable stand, complete with PSP charging capabilities.

When you're watching a UMD movie on your PSP, don't you just hate having to carefully balance your PSP in your hands without accidentally hitting either the L or R trigger? Me too. So I decided to design and build a PSP stand to hold my PSP in place while I sit comfortably at my desk. If you like the sound of this, but you want something a little more portable, check out "PSP Hands Free" [Hack #18] .

Figure 2-17: Two Altoids tins bolted together

Several of the items on this list can easily be replaced with something else. This is the list of things I used:

A PSP and an AC adapter for the PSP that you don't mind tearing apart and putting back together.
An inexpensive desk lamp with an adjustable arm. You could try to build your own version of this from scratch, but I had an old desk lamp from Ikea lying around that fit the bill perfectly. The Ikea lamp I am using is the Tertial ($6.99 USD from http://www.ikea.com/).
A sharp-pointed knife or wire strippers.
A small Phillips head screwdriver.
Scissors.
Duct tape.
Electrical tape

If you opt for the cardboard mount design:

A small, rectangular piece of some stiff and strong cardboard
Some large rubber bands

If you opt for the metal mount design:

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This hack will build an external battery pack for the PSP to extend the internal battery pack's life from the just-a-bit-too-short three to six hours.

Sure, you could plop down a load of cash for some company's prepackaged external battery for your PSP if you need to extend the battery life of your PSP while you're on the go. Lik Sang (http://www.lik-sang.com/) offers both the third-party External 3800mAh Battery Pack for PSP for $24.95 USD (http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=307&products_id=7027) and the third-party Clip-on 1800mAh Battery Pack for PSP for $14.95 USD (http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=307&products_id=7026). If you speak Japanese, you could probably figure out how to order the My Battery JET for PSP (http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20050603/jtt.htm), and if Chinese is your cup of tea, the DragonPlus Rechargeable Handle Pad, which turns your PSP into one big controller (http://www.chinapsp.net/Default.aspx?tabid=888&DocType=ArticleView&ArticleID=990).

And, of course, you could always invest in another Sony battery for the PSP and swap them out while you are on the go.

As I write this hack, these are just a few of the commercially available options to extend the battery life of your PSP. There will surely be more and more options in the weeks and months to come.

But, you're reading PSP Hacks. You want to do something "hackish." Wouldn't you rather just grab an old AC adapter and some other odds and ends from around the house to hack together your own battery charger for the PSP? Me too.

My sister-in-law, Maggie, just recently received her Biomedical Engineering B.S. with a concentration in electrical work from Columbia University, so I enlisted her help for this hack. Overkill? Of course.

This is the ugliest way possible to hack together an external battery pack for your PSP. Maggie and I decided to make it intentionally basic, using parts we found lying around the house so that I could talk up possible improvements you can make along the way if you want to improve upon this hack. I recommend that you do.

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Want to bring the noise with your PSP, but your speakers don't quite manage the bump that you need? Time to learn the basics of audio amplification and apply them.

The speakers on the PSP are okay, as are the headphones, but wouldn't you like a little bit more oomph to your audio? Sure, you could spend some money and buy a nice audio amplifier, but wouldn't it be more fun to build your own?

This hack walks you through putting together a very basic audio amp for your PSP. Since I'm using a solderless breadboard to make all the connections clear, this isn't a permanent solution. However, if you can follow along with these instructions to get the amp up and running, it won't be that difficult to purchase a small circuit board and, with some careful soldering, put together a smaller version of this that could easily be shoved into a rather small container (such as an Altoids tin [Hack #13] ). Once you've tested the waters with this hack, a quick Google search will turn up various other audio amp instructions that have materialized online, such as the CMoy Pocket Amplifier HowTo (http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutorial/).

Most of these instructions tout themselves as beginner DIY projects, but still have a learning curve that will scare away some beginners. This hack will avoid the shock factor and ease you slowly into the world of audio DIY.

Before you get started, make sure you have all these components handy:

Basic 8 ohm speaker for testing (RadioShack 8-ohm Mini Speaker 273092, $2.59 USD; small, portable speaker, but not the best sound)
Audio amp (RadioShack part #LM386, $1.39 USD)
4–12V DC source
Solderless breadboard
Some wires for connections

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This modification will not only increase the range and strength of your wireless signal for better online gaming, but it also will earn you major geek points when you pull out a foot-high, omnidirectional antenna at the next PSP-a-thon.

The PSP comes with built-in wireless networking support that allows you to connect to other players for true multiplayer action [Hack #5] . In addition to this, your PSP can also be used to surf the Net, serve up web pages, and more. For all this, you need to be sure your wireless connection is strong and solid.

Unfortunately, the internal wireless antenna is limited by both power and size. As a result, your connection weakens rather quickly the further you get from the access point. To help overcome this weakness, I have worked out the details and steps you need in order to upgrade the PSP wireless abilities by adding in an external antenna that not only gives you extra range and strength, but also turns your PSP into a device that won't be overlooked.

The first step in this process is to find a viable replacement antenna that will make your signal stronger, without tying you to a large and weighty antenna that you need a suitcase to carry. This will require you to deal with various acronyms and cryptic terms, since the FCC has made it annoying to upgrade wireless antennas on any particular device.

First, on the network card, you will find a U.FL connector. Fortunately, these are fairly standard and you can easily find an antenna with a matching U.FL connector that will just plug into the PSP WNIC. However, this is not the best method, even if it is the one I use for this particular hack.

The reason I mention this is that once the hack is in place, you will not be able to easily remove it. That said, if you purchase and install a single component wireless antenna-pigtail-U.FL connector, you will be forced to lug the entire contraption around wherever you take the PSP. Therefore, I recommend you first purchase a U.FL to N Male pigtail, then purchase an omnidirectional antenna with an attached N Female connector. This two-part solution not only allows greater portability, but if you desire a satellite dish antenna upgrade (35+ mile range) at a future date, it is as easy as disconnecting the omni-direction and screwing the N Female pigtail on the dish. In general, a U.FL to N Male pigtail should run about $10 USD and an N Female omni-directional antenna should run $15+ USD, depending on size.

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Build a low-cost, hands-free holder for your PSP in a short amount of time.

Movies, movies, movies. You love movies, and so do I. Watching movies on the PSP is a great feature. The only problem is that you have to hold the PSP for the length of the movie, due to the size of the screen. Sure, you could buy a low-cost DVD player for around $150 USD with an LCD, but that's not the point. You would need to carry around a second device, when you have a fantastic and very portable screen with the PSP.

One day, while researching how to repair a gas line at the house, I found myself in the piping area of a large home improvement store. There were numerous types of pipes: copper, steel, black, white, drain, gas line, and water pipes—you name it, it was there. I got to thinking: you could create a lot of things from simple PVC pipe. You could buy straight pieces, cut them, and connect them using elbows. One thing led to another, and I had an epiphany at the store. I suddenly grabbed a handful of half-inch PVC pipe off the shelves (both angle pieces and straight pieces) and mixed and matched until I had assembled what I thought would be enough pieces for this project.

PSP Stand (http://www.joytech.net/)
One 4-foot length of white PVC pipe
Two S-shaped PVC pipes
Six PVC pipe elbows
Cleaning compound
Black enamel spray paint
PVC pipe cutter or hack saw
Blowtorch
Gorilla PVC glue

The PSP is a great entertainment center. For movie viewing, that means having to hold the unit continuously. One option is to use the simple dock solutions that are available, but then you would not be able to watch your movie while you did other things around the house, or while lying in bed. And, of course, there wouldn't be this hack. The dock also requires you to be very close, bent over in an uncomfortable position while trying to watch the movie.

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What happens when a PSP and Griffin's iTrip get together?

The iTrip is an FM transmitter designed for the iPod. It allows you to listen to your iPod via an FM radio (87.9 MHz to 107.9 MHz).

There is a good reason for using the iTrip instead of a normal FM transmitter that plugs into the headphone jack. A standard FM transmitter uses switches or a large LCD screen to change frequencies, whereas the iTrip uses digital tones played by the PSP's MP3 player to change the output frequencies. Therefore, with no switches or LCD screens, the circuit board is very small and doesn't get in your way.

To make this work, you're going to need to gut the iTrip (see Figure 2-53) and fuse it into your PSP. Removal of the iTrip's circuitry is simple: take an Xacto blade and separate the two plastic halves that sandwich the circuit board between them, as shown in Figure 2-54.

This hack involves disassembly of your Sony PSP [Hack #8] . Use your digital camera to take many photos throughout this process so that you can refer to them later.

After disassembling the PSP, put the iTrip transmitter between the outer case and audio/WiFi card (you'll recognize this card when you see that the headphone jack is fixed to it). This is an ideal place for it, because it is near the audio points that you have to solder wires to.

Figure 2-53: iTrip

Figure 2-54: iTrip removed from its casing compared to the PSP's battery

The iTrip was never intended to be placed inside of a Japanese handheld gaming console, so you'll need to make some adjustments. With the iTrip in place, you'll see that the crystal oscillator (a subcomponent of the iTrip used to define the frequency range of the transmitter) will not fit. Using a handheld rotary drill (a Dremel, for example), make an oscillator-shaped hole in the back side of the plastic casing—the oscillator will fit into the hole to allow clearance.

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The PSP ships with the usual bulky charger, needing to be plugged into the walls to get its juice. With a simple mod, you can make your own USB charger and charge the PSP with your computer.

To build your USB charger, you'll need everything shown in Figure 2-58. In addition to your PSP, you'll need a USB/USB mini cable and a 5V charger (I used one from an old CD player). Wire cutters and electrical tape will also be a big help.

Figure 2-58: The ingredients for this hack

I usually keep a box full of old gear, power chargers, and especially USB cables; they always come in handy for projects like this.

To get started, chop the USB cable in half, spreading and stripping all the wires. You should have four wires: red, black, white, and green.

Some USB cables may have different colored wire, in which case, a little trial and error may be required. I use a voltmeter to determine which wires carry power and to determine their polarity (+ or–). This eliminates the other two wires (data, which we don't care about for this hack). Here's what your wires probably look like:

USB Ground is the black wire.
USB +5V power is the red wire.
USB Data + is the green wire.
USB Data–is the white wire.

Twist the white, green, and black wires together as shown in Figure 2-59.

Figure 2-59: Connecting the USB wires

Make sure the power cable is unplugged, and chop the tip off the 5V power cable to expose the wires, as shown in Figure 2-60. The wire with the white writing or lettering usually is positive (+), but examine the power charger you are cannibalizing or use a continuity test to verify that the center of the charger is positive (there's a small diagram on the PSP itself showing the polarity of the power plug; check this to be sure you know where the positive should go).

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All the power that goes into making stunning games is there for other purposes, too. Whether you're watching movies, showing off your photos, or listening to music, you'll find that the PSP's graphical and audio capabilities are taken full advantage of by games and multimedia alike. And if you've upgraded to the Version 2.0 firmware, you'll have the pleasure of using a powerful web browser whose graphics are every bit as stunning as the rest of the system's.

Cut down on the glare without ruining the sharpness of the screen, navigate through your movie with ease, and keep track of where you were in SpiderMan 2 before you took that break to play Metal Gear Ac!d .

Watching UMD movies on your PSP is very similar to watching DVDs on your home system in a lot of ways. However, there are drastic differences that make the experience a little more akin to watching a DVD on your laptop. Even this comparison falls short because you can take the PSP with you anywhere. Portability makes the pauseability of the PSP as a movie-watching medium more important than in other movie-viewing situations. Just as in "Quit a Game Quickly" [Hack #1] , Sony did a good job of accounting for the on-the-go nature of PSP movie watching. You can simply put the PSP to sleep at any moment, and continue watching later with a few clicks of the X button.

This hack will cover the basics and some tips and tricks for making the most out of viewing UMD Movies.

When you first insert a UMD Movie into the PSP, you simply have to navigate to Video → UMD in the PSP's main interface. Keep the UMD icon selected for a moment, and the background of the PSP will change into a graphic for the movie, and a small preview window featuring a repeated video clip from the movie, most likely with some accompanying music, will replace the generic UMD icon. See Figure 3-1.

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All the power that goes into making stunning games is there for other purposes, too. Whether you're watching m

Table of Contents

Section 1.7.1.1: Check for a clean disk.