Well isn't this another big surprise? Earlier today we reported on the 3.40 OE reverse engineering development spearheaded by Team Wildcard. The goal of the project was to reverse engineer 3.10 and 3.40 OE, building a base for Team Wildcards future expansion of Dark Alex's Open Edition custom firmware which ended up getting leaked prematurely.

Due to this leak, Team Wildcard decided to made an official release of their source code. Which is now being followed up by a official build of their new PSP custom firmware, titled 3.40 LE (LE standing for Leaked Edition).

This release, which is an expansion originally based upon the reverse engineering of the 3.40 OE PSP custom firmware, brings all new features to the stalemate which Open Edition firmware was facing after Dark Alex decided to drop his PSP projects and development.

In addition to all the features previously offered by the 3.40 OE-A custom firmware, Team Wildcard brings us some great new features, such as:

• 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

It's also interesting to note that Team Wildcard mentions, "We were also working on a 3.52 custom firmware with even more features which luckily was not leaked. But after recent events, we can no longer be sure if it will ever see the light of day."

3.40 LE - Installation Guide
The installation overview should look very similar to the original OE firmware installation guide, thus installation should be a breeze for anyone who is currently on custom firmware. To view the full installation guide (and video, provided by xMATTx) please view the 'Full Article' or refer to the readme file.

Warning: You take complete responsibility for flashing your PSP's firmware. Be warned that an incorrect flash can damage your PSP or even render it useless (bricked). Make sure you read all information available (README) and follow directions to make sure you understand the risks and new features completely before flashing. Yada yada ;) So download the 3.40 LE PSP custom firmware and feel free to discuss or ask questions about Team Wildcard's latest release in their thread, located in our PSP Development forums.

PSP Development Forum: CUSTOM FIRMWARE 3.40* LE (Leaked Edition) - Team Wildcard
Download: 3.40 LE Team Wildcard Custom Firmware
Download: 1.50 PSP Firmware
Download: 3.40 PSP Firmware

Recently PSP Developer Dark Alex announced he was leaving the homebrew scene to pursue other endeavors, noting conflicting differences between Sony and developers who decide to expand their console to its full potential via homebrew in their spare time. This left many PSP gamers wondering what would happen with the OE aka Open Edition, the PSP custom firmware which he worked on. As it stood the Open Edition firmware source code had never been made public, which means that no further work could continue and no future custom firmware revisions in the Open Edition line would be released.

However, in an unusual turn of events Team Wildcard, who had been working on reverse engineering 3.10 and 3.40 OE firmware, in addition a new custom firmware has decided to release the source code to their work thus far.

"We had to release our work because of a leak done by a lame website which we wont name in order not to bring visitors there. This work was a full 3.10 and 3.40OE reverse done by us as well as new features for a future custom firmware which was meant to be closed source."

The perpetrator (who will remain unmentioned) used a exploit in another PSP website database to hijack one of the Team's accounts and gain access to the teams work, which then was posted on the perpetrator's website without the developers permission. Thus prompting Team Wildcard to make an official release of their work in progress for the rest of the PSP community to benefit from.

Shady PSP websites and drama aside, Team Wildcard's now official release contains source code which is sure to be of particular interest to anyone who dabbles in custom PSP firmware development or modification. In addition to the reversed 3.10 and 3.40 OE firmware, they have also released work on features which were to be built into a new custom firmware.

Team Wildcard's source code, which mathieulh informs us "The code is legit. It is a complete reverse of the OE and other stuffs." could possibly be used by PSP developers to further the Open Edition PSP custom firmware development unofficially or to create a new custom firmware using contributed code. Well folks, It looks like new custom editions (and additions) to the OE firmware might be back on the menu.

Note: Even if you know the website that was involved in leaking Team Wildcard's custom firmware development work DO NOT mention it in the comments and keep it to yourself. Not doing so may result in loss of commenting privileges and is also going against the developers wishes.

PSP Development Thread: Team Wildcard release
Download Source: Team Wildcard OE Reverse Source Code

If this isn't one of the biggest updates in awhile for PSP gamers then I don't know what you're waiting for - go get a DS. However on a serious note, some PSP gamers love their PSP and all the "great features Sony has to offer", so much that they update their precious system firmware as to not miss a beat. Updating your PSP's firmware to the latest firmware has come at a cost, as some are left stuck without the glory of homebrew. All thats about to change, as Archaemic and Noobz have made some major progress on bringing homebrew to the newer firmware PSP's.

Homebrew working on all PSP firmware (even 3.50) with a Lumines UMD and Illuminati exploit!

I couldn't believe it either. Many of us are sitting next to our favorite puzzle game Lumines right now. With this new PSP exploit, the blissfully sweet puzzle game can now be forged like a double edge sword. Giving PSP owners, on ANY firmware the ability to play homebrew applications, games and emulators till our hearts content or till we explode from nostalgia. So without further ado check out the simple steps for running the Noobz 'Hello World' app, which in the future will transform into HEN (Homebrew Enabler) and a downgrader. Amazing!

Noobz Guide for running the Illuminati Exploit:

• Check that you have an EU or US version of Lumines (ULES00043 or ULUS10002). Currently we don't have a version for the Japanese version, but we're working on it, as soon as we get hold of a Japanese UMD.
• Extract the contents of the 'MS_ROOT' folder from the ZIP file into the top-level of your memory stick. (HINT: If you wind up with an 'MS_ROOT' folder on the stick, you've done it wrong).
• Start the game, and as soon as it gets to the 'Press START' screen, press START. If you wait until the demo has started, the exploit may not work.
• The screen should go blank, and the exploit will start after a few moments. It doesn't do anything except look pretty at this stage - but feel free to enjoy the first homebrew on your v3.10 - v3.50 PSP
  

Download: Illuminati 'Hello World' Exploit for Lumines

Update: The Lumines based Downgrader for 3.50 PSP firmware has been released. Congrats to all that helped accomplish this amazing feat! Head on over to read all the details.

Encode360 is a video encoder and compression utility that allows you to convert video's to Xbox360 and Zune compatible WMV format. This application has recently had an overhaul and as a result now uses a new video engine. In the past, the widely used FFMPEG encoder engine was used which has now been swapped out with MediaInfo.

Dan, the author, was kind enough to give us some of their his change in video encoding engines. "FFMpeg really was just a stop-gap until something better turned up, and I’m glad to say MediaInfo is doing an impressive job on discovering the details of nearly every file format I throw at it. However, there’s no telling what new problems might be introduced as a result. I haven’t had any, but someone else might. I’ll tackle issues as they arise. Just remember, this is a beta."

Fixes

• Arithmetic error in timerPercentComplete_Tick would occur if WME couldn’t determine the source duration
• Default settings for 802.11b in an unconfigured environment were too high
• Numerous cosmetic and logging bugs

Click "Full Article" for the full list of changes including new additions and change log.

Download: [ Encode360 2.0b5 ]
Download: [ MediaInfo 0.7.4.3 Win Gui ]

Well as the title implies, within a ridiculously short time from from Sony's 3.00 Firmware release we were welcomed by 3.01 Firmware. Naturally everyone assumed that this was a small patch. Paired releases were somewhat common in the past, so it only made sense that they left a little hole that needed immediate patching. Really now Sony, is homebrew worth constantly wasting energy on this type of blockade?

Noobz must have our collective backs as they have whipped out a firmware dumper and decrypter for BOTH the new 3.00 and 3.01 PSP Firmwares. This handy application that was released only moments ago enables dumping of "all known firmware update PSARs" by a modified version of PSPPet's PSARDumper.

This amazing feat, achieved only a day after 3.01 was released, and two days after 3.00 hit the streets homebrew enthusiasts have to wonder, "Is Sony still trying...?". Now we have gained access to the new firmware files, one could guess that an updated version of Devhook supporting 3.00 / 3.01 Firmware emulation could be in our near future.

Download: [ 3.00 / 3.01 Dumper and Decrypter ]

For today! We just got word from badrix that the Playstation Portable 3.00 Firmware Manual has been posted up on Sony's site. The manual details some of the mundane details for your typical firmware update, however there are a few hot topics in there which demand attention. I'll tell you right off that there was no information in their updated manual regarding the PSP supporting homebrew with firmware 3.00, and this was a rather large disappointment. On the other hand, the few additions that were made were helpful, one might even say overdue, but these added pleasures were still bitter sweet.

Remote Play - Remote play is a new feature in Firmware 3.00 that allows you to remotely control your PlayStation 3 from your PSP. This also includes the display of PS3 content on the PSP. "You can display a PLAYSTATION®3 system screen on a PSP™ system and play content that is on the PS3™ system. To use this feature, you must adjust the necessary settings on the PSP™ system and the PS3™ system." Using this new mode of playback, one can control the Photo, Music, Video, and Internet Browser features of the PlayStation 3 from a remote location via their Playstation Portable.

Video Compatibility - In this updated version of the Playstation Portable firmware, you are also able to play a few new video formats. The Motion JPEG format (M-JPEG), is an "informal name for multimedia formats where each video frame or interlaced field of a digital video sequence is separately compressed as a JPEG image" (Wikipedia). The PlayStation Portable plays both the Linear PCM and the μ-Law versions of the Motion JPEG video format. In addition, you will now be able to access the Camera (functionality) from the photo option menus, for quicker easier access when taking photos or video. Another nifty function is the ability to finally turn off Auto Play for inserted UMD Discs via UMD Auto Boot. (Thanks zerojay)

PlayStation Games - Here's the big tip you've been waiting for. Finally, Sony is going to drop their highly anticipated PlayStation One emulator onto the PSP. From the manual however, there seems to be a unavoidable catch. If you don't have a PS3, your not going to be enjoying PlayStation One games emulating on Sony's PlayStation One emulator for PSP anytime soon. From the manual it states that you must connect to the Playstation Online store with your PSP connected to the PlayStation 3 in order to download and play the games. In addition, they mention that you can in fact share the games, but you must activate the other system in the Friends menu as a PS3 Network Account.

Now to top it all off right before posting this, I came across a tip submitted by Jordan. Which led me to a post made by 0okm and from the looks of things, it would appear the PlayStation Portable 3.00 Firmware will be out soon - as soon as Today! just a few days, on November 22 to be exact, according to Sony Asia's Managing Director Tetsuhiko Yasuda. Remember, Sony didn't mention anything about homebrew this time around either, so make sure you are aware that the current methods for playing unofficial games will probably not work. No matter the consequences it would appear that if your looking to get into some PlayStation One gaming on the PSP, for now, you know what you gotta do...

Update: Just got wind that PSP 3.00 Firmware is out now! We have obtained the file and are uploading it as you read. If you were thinking about updating, check your network settings, reports have come in it is up and ready via network update as well. With the Japanese 3.00 firmware update finally out on the net, we can only assume it will appear in stores on the shelf very soon as well.

Download: [ PSP 3.00 Firmware Update (jpn) ]

Every PSP owner has become accustomed to Sony's apparently never ending passion with firmware updates. Naturally, when new features such as the Web Browser and Flash were implemented a few gamers felt growing pains and had to make the decision to update to gain support for the PSP's new features (or wait until support with DevHook was enabled). With the talk about a new version of the PSP on the horizon, would-be PSP owners might be wondering if they should hold off until later.

With regards to the current version of our beloved Playstation Portable, not much has changed since the original release. The hardware has been pretty much consistent across the board save for a few subtitle differences with supply. Now with the release of the Playstation Portable Model K - there are some new noticeable changes.

Sony has done some hardware swapping with the network module in the newest version PSP (Model K). This modification has been deemed by a few members of the PSP scene as a fix for heating issues involving the previously substandard network module which is installed in all previous version PSP's. The old units suffered from a possible heating problem. Sometimes even enough to make it possible for the old wifi module to become "unfastened". A faulty system would display the connection attempts and wifi-ready light, however would be unable to connect to any other wifi devices.

If you open your PSP and check, you will notice that the older version boards displayed network modules from Hitachi, while the new versions are branded with the official Sony logo. While the problem has been less pronounced than, say, Sony's exploding battery charade, gamers who own a PSP that no longer connects to their other wifi devices may not agree. Image Note: In Spanish: Nuevo/a is "new" and Antiguo/a is "old"

Birdman1 has updated his handy font pack for the PSP. This new version includes over 175+ custom fonts for the PSP's Gui. This tool gives you the ability to change the default PSP font to your liking. With a custom background, and game loading screen, the font pack completes your custom PSP Dashboard experience. If you haven't played around with Fonts on your PSP it would be beneficial to completely read the included ReadMe.txt file and understand the steps required to run this application. If you enjoy this font pack make sure to leave Birdman1 feedback in his forum thread (link below) and tell him what you think.

This recently updated version includes:

• Over 175 fonts
• Registries for 2.0 - 2.8
• X-Flash for 1.5
• Fonthacker program for 2.0 - 2.8
• Devhook Instructions
• Methods for fixing your registries, restoring your personal settings.

Download: [ Birdman1's AIO Font Pack ]

Do you have an addictive personality? Playing Guild Wars all day and night, only taking a break only to shut your eyes for an hour or two before opening them again, reaching forward and flipping the monitor back to the on position. The Official Nightfall Launch Party for Guild Wars will be held in Seattle Washington on Tuesday, October 17th. Here you can mingle with 11 other lucky Guild Wars "Super Fan's", enjoying music, food and beverages.

Oh and don't forget, you will be one of the first to see the world premiere "The Making of Nightfall" and no doubt some hands-on time with the forthcoming release, 10 days ahead of when it will be available to the public! So what pray tell will you be required to do in order to make this trek with eleven other Guild Wars Fans? It's really quite simple this time my fellow gaming addicts.

Send a Email to [ contests@arena.net ] including the following information

Real Name (first/last)
Street and mailing address
Telephone number
Email address
Guild Wars user name
Date of birth

In addition you will need to include: "A statement—no more than 50 words, please—telling us why you think you are an exceptional fan of Guild Wars, and why your name should be on that exclusive guest list for the Nightfall Launch Party. Send us poetry or prose, song lyrics or simply an earnest declaration of Guild Wars devotion. We want to hear what makes you a special devotee of the game, why you want to come to the party, and why we should send you one of just a dozen coveted invitations!"

Well here we have a new deal on the block coming as a 4GB SanDisk Pro Duo Memory Stick , easily breaking the sub 100 dollar price barrier. This Sandisk Gaming Memory Stick could be waiting just for you, sporting transparent "race-car red" casing. Forgive me but it just breaks my heart thinking back to how many of us shelled out over 100 USD for a 1GB less than a year ago.

Think of all the great PSP applications and games you can fit on a memory stick of this size. Enough space to keep you busy on any trip. Fry's is offering this 4GB Memory Stick up for 89.99 USD after a mail in rebate. In addition to the already great price, shipping is included free. But hurry, the mail in rebate ends on orders placed after October 3rd. Click the Read link below to buy it at Fry's online (including Rebate PDF).