Team Wildcard has released a update to their Custom Firmware 3.40 LE. The update is a patch that fixes some issues with the initial release of their firmare, including support for __SCE__/%__SCE__ homebrew naming style. See below for a full list of fixes and changes.. The patch needs to be run from 3.40 LE in order to work so do not attempt to install the patch on any other firmware version.

Changelog:

• Removed non-functional File Manager option in the Recovery menu
• In recovery, detects ms0:/PSP/GAME/RECOVERY/EBOOT.PBP and only launches it if it exists
• Fixed problems that kept UMDs from loading properly
• Added support for __SCE__/__SCE__ homebrew naming style
• Re-enabled the use of GAME150 and GAME340, though you DO NOT need them.

[Download Custom Firmware 3.40 LE v2]

Team Wildcard has released their own custom firmware, based on Dark_AleX’s OE custom firmware. The team reverse engineered Dark_AleX’s custom firmware and then added a few new features to bring you a new custom firmware. Custom Firmware 3.40 LE (Leaked Edition) has all the features of Dark_AleX’s Custom Firmware 3.40 OE, but also included a few extra features such a improved recovery menu. Check out the full list of features below.

Custom Firmware 3.40 LE includes:

• Everything you know and love from 3.40 OE-A
• A sexy new SCEP-style recovery menu
• In-XMB configuration menu
• Auto-detection of the kernel needed for homebrew – no need for GAME150 and GAME340; just put it all in GAME

Instruction on how to install the custom firmware are included in the zip package, but we have also included it below.

3.40 LE – Installation Guide

1. Look inside the ZIP file for the folder that corresponds to your current firmware – either Custom Firmware or Firmware 1.50. To install 3.40 , you have to be on one of these. If you’re not already on one of them, what are you waiting for? Downgrade!
2. Copy the CONTENTS of the MS_ROOT folder onto the ROOT of your memory stick. This means the place where the ‘PSP’ folder is. It’ll probably tell you that it has to overwrite the PSP folder. This is OK; just click Yes.
3. Download the 1.50 and 3.40 firmware EBOOTs. ( included below )
4. Rename the 1.50 EBOOT to 150.PBP.
5. Rename the 3.40 EBOOT to 340.PBP
6. Put both of them in the folder “X:\PSP\GAME\Wildcard All-in-one Flasher”, alongside the EBOOT.PBP file. (X: is your PSP’s Windows drive letter.)
7. Go into the PSP’s Game menu, under Memory Stick, and run “3.40 All-In-One Updater”. The installer will build the 3.40 DATA.DXAR file, then launch the flasher to install it. Follow the instructions on the screen TO THE LETTER and you’ll be safe.

[Download Custom Firmware 3.40 LE]

In a recent interview with MTV, John Koller, head of Marketing for SCEA revealed a number of things related to the future of the PSP, as well as current issues. In the interview, Koller reveales that the new model PSP is codenamed PSP 2000, while the current model is called PSP 1000. He also talked about a GPS device for North America and about hacker Dark_AleX.

Koller said that a TV tuner for the PSP is not possible in North America due to the cost of over-the-air signals. As for the GPS device, the software is currently being “tweaked for North America” for release in the next 10-12 months. A camera like the one released in Japan and Europe will also make it to North America, althought “there may be some changes to the spec sheet” before it’s released.

Earlier this year the world’s top PSP hacker, Dark_Alex, announced he was leaving the PSP scene. According to Koller, Sony did not shut him down or hire him. Koller said “I think he’s taking a hiatus.” With relation to hiring hackers, Koller said “It’s not even a hiring thing. They come in and actively talk to us.”

[Via: MTV]

XTREME PSP Magazine Issue 26 is now available to download. Issue 26 is packed with over 100 pages of content including a number of PSP game previews and reviews. In addition, you will find a new music review, some of the top news stories from last month and a new competition. Check out the full content list below.

• Previews
  • Coded Arms: Contagion
  • Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice
  • WipEout Pulse
  • PaRappa the Rapper
  • Warhammer 40,000
• Reviews
  • Tony Hawks Project 8
  • Rainbow Six: Vegas
  • Final Fantasy I
• Music Review
• Tips and Cheats
• PSP Wallpapers
• Competition

[Download XTREME PSP Magazine Issue 26]

Japan’s PSP Video on Demand service, P-TV, for the PSP and PlayStation 3 is about to end, according to a statement found on the company’s official site. The reason for stopping the service was not mentioned, however, it is likely that the service suffered from poor subscription rates. The service has been around since July 2005 and allowed users to download videos for their PSP.

In related news, Sony isn’t abandoning the idea of VOD services. Last week, we reported that SCEE and Sky are teaming up to bring VOD services to UK and Ireland consumers, and will later be made available to Europe. The P-TV service will end on August 30th 2007 at 5 PM.

Team M33 has updated their Custom Firmware 3.52 to version 2. This update addresses some major issues in the firmware and fixes several bugs in the software. The previous versions did not support both Chinese and Korean languages in XMB and caused the both the homebrew and recovery to crash, this issue has now been resolved. In addition, the no-umd driver has been updated once again to offer better compatibility and the recovery menu has been updated. See below for a full list of changes.

General Changes:

• Document.dat files from PSX games were broken due to some important changes in popsman.prx and is now fixed.
• Now document.dat does not need the same gameid as game which is being played.
• The compatibility issue with IRShell loading PSX games in USBHost/NetHost has been solved.

Changes in recovery:

• Removed the advanced config option “use isofs on UMD inserted”.
• Added “Format flash1 and restore settings” in Advanced.
• Added speeds 20 and 100.
• When in USB mode inside recovery, it is impossible to turn PSP off.
• M33 driver: improved compatibility.

[Download Custom Firmware 3.52 M33-2]

A recent filing for a PSP related patent turned up with Sony’s name, and involves an idea to dock controllers to the PSP. The idea is that a controller would be made dockable onto the PSP using some kind of “control docking apparatus”. This would prove beneficial to gamers since it would could mean an extra analogue stick or even rumble if the PS2 controller could be docked.

The SIXAXIS could also play a part in the new device, since the patent mentions that “the electrical interface can be a wired or wireless communication link”. You can check out the patent application here.

SCEE and Sky have announced the formation of a Joint Venture company to deliver on-demand entertainment content to PSP owners in the UK and Ireland. The company will initially provide a wealth of video and film content to the more than 2.3 million PSP owners in the UK and Ireland. More information on the service will be announced at Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany on Wednesday 22nd August.

The two companies are already in discussions with entertainment content providers across Europe to facilitate future introduction of the service to European PSP owners. Sky is the UK?s leading entertainment company and operates the most comprehensive multichannel, multi-platform television service in the UK and Ireland. Look out for an update next month.

[Via: SCEE Press]

Team M33 has cracked Sony’s new PSP Firmware wide open and released a new version of their Custom Firmware. Custom Firmware 3.52 M33 includes all the improvements made by Sony as well as incoperating all the features from the previous releases of Custom Firmware M33. M33 has also fixed a number of bugs including better no-umd compatibility. Check out the list of improvements below. Instructions on how to install the custom firmware are included in the ZIP package.

Changelog:

• Now uses 3.52 Kernel
• M33 NO-UMD: fixed problem with Simple 2500 Series Portable, The IQ Cube
• Fix a bug which made Go!Cam, GPS and sceKernelLoadExecVSH not work in game mode.
• PSN downloaded PSX games support wasn’t working in 3.51 M33 (didn’t work in latest OE’s either). Now it is working again. If an original PSN game still doesn’t work, we recommend to delete the KEYS.BIN file if it exists, and copy the game again from PS3 to PSP.

[Download Custom Firmware 3.52 M33]