PSP Hacks

PSP Hacks

by C. K. Sample
Released January 2006
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9781491915943

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Sure, it's just what you've been clamoring for: an ultra slick, portable version of the most popular console gaming system in the world. But Sony's new PlayStation Portable (PSP) isn't just a handheld gaming device. Beyond its killer graphics and spectacular widescreen LCD for unparalleled game play, it also sports wireless connectivity and a variety of multimedia features, including video, music, and digital photography. Your wildly versatile, endlessly powerful PSP practically begs you to hack and repurpose it to your liking.

To save you the trouble and show you how to make the PSP do more than you ever imagined--and more than Sony ever intended--PSP Hacks is one succinct volume of 50 of the coolest, most useful, up-to-the-minute hacks for this amazing device. You'll learn how to open your PSP's hardware and what to safely plug into it. You'll explore and put to good use every hidden feature of the device. You'll be able to move all sorts of multimedia onto your PSP and find ways to extend its wireless capabilities. And you'll find out how to get the very best experience out of online game play.

With PSP Hacks, you can accomplish a whole lot more than good gaming on the PSP. You'll quickly learn to surf the Web with a PSP, chat in IRC, and use the PSP to read web comics, ebooks, and RSS feeds. Other expert tips and tools allow you to sync an address book to your PSP, watch UMD movies, fool iTunes into thinking the PSP is an iPod Shuffle, and much more.

The innovative hacks, tweaks, and how-tos in this essential guide make it easy to customize your PSP, take full advantage of features, capabilities, and functionality far beyond what's listed in the PSP user manual, and make your PSP perform countless tricks that only an all-in-one portable entertainment unit as remarkable and revolutionary as this one could.

Publisher resources

View/Submit Errata

Table of contents

  1. Special Upgrade Offer
  2. Foreword
  3. Credits
    1. About the Author
    2. Contributors
    3. Acknowledgments
  4. Preface
    1. Why PSP Hacks?
    2. How This Book Is Organized
    3. Conventions
    4. Using Code Examples
    5. Safari® Enabled
    6. How to Contact Us
    7. Got a Hack?
  5. 1. The Basics
    1. Hacks 1–11: Introduction
    2. Quit a Game Quickly
    3. Manage Your Saved Games
      1. Saving Game Progress
      2. Copy and Delete Files
      3. Manually Copy Game Data to Your Computer
        1. Connecting your PSP to your computer via USB.
        2. Connecting your Memory Stick to your computer via a card reader.
        3. The Mac OS X Terminal.
        4. The Windows Command Prompt.
      4. Automatically Copy Game Data to Your Computer
        1. iPSP.
        2. PSPWare.
      5. Hacking the Hack
    4. Exchange Files with Any Computer
      1. Things You’ll Need
      2. The Basics
      3. Keep Things Organized
      4. Think Security
    5. Change the Background Color on Your PSP
      1. Charting the Color Calendar
    6. Get Your Wireless Network On
      1. The Basics
      2. 802.11b
      3. Security
      4. Conclusions
      5. Hacking the Hack
    7. Troubleshoot Your PSP
      1. UMD Game/Movie Won’t Load
        1. Check for a clean disk.
        2. Check the clear plastic cover on the disk.
        3. Is it a bad disk?
        4. Check your PSP.
      2. Can’t Read the Memory Stick
        1. Check the physical parts.
        2. Check the data.
      3. PSP Won’t Turn On
      4. Miscellaneous Problems
      5. Hacking the Hack
    8. Keep Your PSP Clean
      1. Prevention
      2. Cleaning
      3. Keep the Screen Smudge-Free
    9. Take Your PSP Apart
      1. The Tools of the Trade
      2. Critical Suggestions
      3. Taking the Top Off
      4. Removing the LCD
      5. Removing the LCD Tray
      6. Removing the Main Circuit Board
      7. Removing the Wireless Network Card
      8. The End Result
      9. Hacking the Hack
    10. Reassemble Your PSP
      1. The Large Print, etc.
      2. Installing the Network Card
      3. Installing the Main Circuit Board
      4. Installing the LCD
      5. Putting the Buttons and Shell into Place
      6. Turning It On!
      7. Hacking the Hack
    11. Repurpose a Dead PSP
      1. Use Your Dead PSP to Get a New PSP
      2. Uses for Your Dead PSP
    12. Downgrade Your Firmware
      1. Everything in the Right Place
        1. EBOOT.PBP.
        2. MPHDowngrader pieces.
      2. Trigger the Overflow
      3. Run the 1.5 Updater
      4. Set up Your PSP
      5. Hacking the Hack
  6. 2. PSP Gear
    1. Hacks 12–20: Introduction
    2. Make Your Own PSP Case
      1. Why Cardboard?
      2. Things You’ll Need
      3. Designing the Case
      4. Cutting, Folding, and Fitting
      5. Building the Box
      6. Screen and Controls
      7. Finish the Case
      8. Hacking the Hack
    3. Repurpose Everyday Objects as UMD Cases
      1. Altoids Circular Tins
      2. Pringles Short Stack
      3. Intec Game Cases
      4. Pelican Disc Jackets
      5. Which Case Is Best?
      6. Hacking the Hack
    4. Make an Articulating PSP Stand
      1. Things You’ll Need
      2. Disassemble the Lamp
      3. Add the PSP Adapter to the Stand
      4. Mount the PSP
        1. Mount Version 1.0: cardboard.
        2. Mount Version 2.0: metal.
      5. Hacking the Hack
    5. Make a Battery Pack for Your PSP
      1. Things You’ll Need
      2. The Theory Behind the Hack
      3. Setting Things Up
      4. Assembling the Pack
      5. Hacking the Hack
    6. Amplify Your PSP
      1. Things You’ll Need
      2. Assemble the Circuit
      3. Test the Amp
      4. Problems and Easy Improvements
      5. Hacking the Hack
    7. Add an External Wireless Antenna
      1. Finding a Replacement
      2. Out with the Old
      3. In with the New
      4. Testing the Mod
      5. Hacking the Hack
    8. PSP Hands Free
      1. Things You’ll Need
      2. The Theory Behind the Hack
      3. Setting Things Up
      4. Assembling the Holder
      5. Hacking the Hack
    9. Turn Your PSP into a Radio Station
      1. Making It Work
      2. Finding Power
      3. Reassembling and Final Steps
      4. Using the PSP’s Interface to Change Frequencies
      5. Hacking the Hack
    10. Make a USB-Powered Charger
      1. Hacking the Hack
  7. 3. Multimedia
    1. Hacks 21–35: Introduction
    2. Watch UMD Movies
      1. Setting up and Starting the Movie
      2. Navigating the Movie
      3. Use the Control Panel
        1. Use subtitles.
        2. Frame Advance.
        3. A-B Repeat, Repeat, and Clear.
        4. Display.
      4. Cutting Down on the Glare
      5. Hacking the Hack
    3. Get Video on Your PSP
      1. Get a Bigger Memory Stick
      2. The Basics
      3. Videos Online
        1. PSP Connect.
      4. Convert Video to PSP-Compatible MPEG4
        1. iPSP and PSPWare
        2. PSP Video 9.
        3. ffmpeg
        4. Kinoma Producer.
      5. Hacking the Hack
    4. Get Music on Your PSP
      1. The Basics
      2. Automate the Process
      3. Firmware Version 2.0
      4. PSP as MP3 Player
      5. Hacking the Hack
    5. Convert Text to Audio for Your PSP
      1. Get the Text
      2. Text to Speech
        1. Windows.
        2. Linux.
        3. Mac OS X.
      3. Converting Your Speech File
      4. Hacking the Hack
    6. Automate Mac OS X File Transfers
      1. PSP Playlist2PSP
      2. Movies2PSP
      3. Audiobook2PSP
        1. Choose a text file.
        2. Convert the text file to an MP3.
        3. Move the MP3 to your PSP.
      4. Hacking the Hack
    7. Store Digital Photos on Your PSP
      1. Put Images in Your PSP
      2. Navigate the Photos on Your PSP
        1. Slideshow.
        2. Photo view.
      3. Hacking the Hack
    8. Use Your PSP as an E-Book Reader
      1. Manga
      2. PSP Magazines
      3. Free PSP E-Books
      4. Hacking the Hack
    9. Read Web Comics on Your PSP
      1. Downloading the Comics
      2. Finding the Images
      3. Convert the Images to JPEG
      4. Put the Comics onto Your PSP
      5. Viewing the Comics on Your PSP
      6. Hacking the Hack
    10. Create Your Own PSP E-Books
      1. Print Documents to PDF
      2. Converting PDF to JPEGs
        1. Adobe Acrobat.
        2. Preview.app.
        3. Image-editing programs.
        4. PDF 2 PSP.
        5. iPSP.
      3. The Results
      4. Hacking the Hack
    11. Create a Portal for Your Memory Stick Files
      1. Install the Dependencies
        1. Windows.
        2. Mac OS X.
        3. UNIX/Linux.
      2. The Code
      3. On Your PSP
      4. Hacking the Hack
        1. More tags.
        2. Automate it even more.
        3. Add some more links.
        4. Take the Web with you.
    12. Portable PSP Speakers
      1. Things I Used
      2. Putting It Together
      3. Attaching the Ghetto Blasters
      4. Hacking the Hack
    13. Listen to Podcasts on Your PSP
      1. Downloading Podcasts
      2. Transferring Podcasts to Your PSP
    14. Read RSS Feeds on Your PSP
      1. Version 2.0 and Later
        1. Online.
        2. Offline.
      2. Version 1.0/1.5xx
        1. Online.
        2. Offline.
    15. View Maps
      1. Offline with MapQuest or Google Maps
      2. Hacking the Hack
    16. Turn Your PSP into a PDA
      1. Address Book
        1. Turn addresses into pictures.
        2. Address book through the Web.
        3. Address book via homebrew.
      2. Calendar
      3. To-Do List
      4. Notepad/Portable Office Documents
      5. Email and Beyond
      6. Hacking the Hack
  8. 4. Games
    1. Hacks 36–40: Introduction
    2. Play Multiplayer on the PSP with Only One UMD Disk
      1. How It Works
      2. Sharing Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 Remix
      3. Hacking the Hack
    3. Play Games over the Internet
      1. Things Needed
      2. The Way It Works
      3. Set up your PSP
      4. On Your Computer
      5. Connect to XLink Kai
      6. Wash, Rinse, Repeat
      7. Game Play
      8. Other Systems
    4. Throw a PSP WiFi LAN Party
      1. Find the Spot
      2. Getting the Word Out
      3. A Brief Tutorial in Wireless PSP Gaming
      4. Hacking the Hack
    5. Create an Infrared Peripheral Interface
      1. Things You’ll Need
      2. Types of Gamepads
      3. Setting up the AVR
        1. Power supply
      4. Creating the Circuit
      5. Sending Data to the PSP
      6. Writing the PSP Application
      7. Hacking the Hack
    6. Run Homebrewed Software
      1. Spot Your Firmware
        1. Out of the box
        2. In the box
      2. Homebrew and Emulators
        1. Split your EBOOT.PBP files
        2. Where to find homebrew and emulation applications
        3. PSP Chess
        4. PSP Rhythm Composer and DJSP
        5. Games and emulators
      3. Browser-Based Homebrew
      4. Hacking the Hack
  9. 5. Networking and the Web
    1. Hacks 41–47: Introduction
    2. Find Yourself a PSP Web Browser
      1. Version 1.x Firmware
        1. The history behind the hack.
        2. The Wipeout Pure browser.
        3. Redirecting the browser.
        4. PSP Web Portal by fujimax.
        5. PSP browser by Nomad.
      2. Firmware Version 2.0
        1. Basic controls.
        2. Tabbed browsing and JavaScript.
        3. File menu.
        4. Bookmarks.
        5. View.
        6. Tools.
        7. Offline Browsing
      3. Hacking the Hack
    3. Create Your Own PSP Web Portal
      1. The DNS Server
      2. The Web Server
      3. Configuring Your PSP
      4. Hacking the Hack
    4. Use Your PSP to Control Your Home
      1. Setting up the DNS Hack
      2. Controlling A/V Equipment
      3. Controlling Winamp
    5. Control iTunes from Your PSP
    6. Generate Dial Tones
      1. Charting the Tones
      2. Hacking the Hack
        1. An overly concise (and therefore inaccurate) history of phreaking.
    7. Add a JavaScript Keyboard to Your PSP Web Portal
      1. The Code
      2. Hacking the Hack
    8. Develop for the PSP
      1. PS2Dev.org
      2. ScriptScribbler PSP Programming Tutorials
      3. LuaPlayer
      4. JavaScript
      5. Hacking the Hack
  10. 6. Eye Candy
    1. Hacks 48–50: Introduction
    2. Hack the PSP’s Background Images
      1. Things You’ll Need
      2. Prepare Your Images
      3. Everything in Its Right Place
      4. PSPersonalize
      5. View the New Backgrounds
    3. Hack the Color of the PSP Activity LEDs
      1. Things You Will Need
      2. Opening the Case
      3. The Mod
      4. Testing Your Work
        1. Test the Memory Stick Activity LED
        2. Test the WiFi Activity LED
      5. What If It Still Doesn’t Work
      6. Reassembly
      7. Hacking the Hack
    4. Hack the Color of the PSP’s Hold Indicator
      1. Things You Will Need
      2. Opening the Case
      3. The Mod
  11. Index
  12. Colophon
  13. Special Upgrade Offer
  14. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: PSP Hacks
  • Author(s): C. K. Sample
  • Release date: January 2006
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9781491915943