Finally, the ever-popular CXMB has been updated to include support for CFW 4.01 M33. This is poisonhzkj's official release and is different from the CXMB mod that Miriam released earlier this week. The changelog and more can be viewed at the full article.

Download: CXMB v3.2

We're letting the readers know of the release of VSHmain Editor 3.90 v2.0, a PC-based application that will allow you to create your own themes on a PSP running on CFW 3.90. Further details regarding this app are available in the full article.

Download: VSHmain Editor 3.90 v2.0
Download: Tabctl32
Download: COMDLG32

pspZorba just managed to release his first ever homebrew application for the PlayStation Portable, the PSPlorer v1.3. From the name of the program itself, this particular application lets you explore the files in your handheld console and more. Find out more on this homebrew in the full article.

Download: PSPlorer v1.3
Visit:  QJ PSP Development Forum

Homebrew developer Red_Squirrel has updated the Alternative VSHMenu to version 4.0. This comes as a pleasant surprise to fans of this application considering it was previously announcemed that the Alternative VSHMenu v3.5 would be the last version released. More about this homebrew at the full article.

Download: Alternative VSHMenu v4.0
Visit: QJ.NET PSP Development Forums

Bad news brewing in the homebrew scene of the Sony PlayStation Portable: it seems that the nightmare of every coder out there has happened to PSP homebrew developer Auraomega, and it looks like it means the end of Project4. There's still hope, of course, but things are looking quite dire. Check out all the details in the full article.

Not long after Segher and Brushing demonstrated a savegame exploit on the Nintendo Wii, Team ICE came forward with an exploit of their own for the Sony PlayStation 3. Yet again it involves a .TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) file, but this time it invokes a specific error in the heap data area of Sony's next generation console. More information at the full story.

Some of us want to tinker with savedata to make our lives easier when playing games. However, the process has become much complicated, if not impossible, after PSP FW 1.5. Good thing though that homebrew coder Hellcat released a new plugin that addresses exactly that.

Called Savegame Deemer, this allows the PlayStation Portable to save any savedata in unencrypted form as well as the normal way. For more details, check out the full article by clicking the "read more" link below.

Download: Savegame Deemer
Visit: QJ PSP Development Forum

Patch 2.3.2 for World of Warcraft's Public Test Realms went live a month ago. The patch notes were released back then, but here now is another edition of the patch notes, collected from Blizzard posters in the forums. You may already be aware of the changes, but you may find one or two useful tidbits that you might have missed. Some of you may also want to view this list as a refresher course. Head over to the full article for the patch notes.

Based on a tip we picked up from Thomas k., it looks like the PSP Slim's hot-selling 1seg TV tuner attachment has been hacked to work on the PSP Phat. According to Thomas, he uncovered this possibility by way of a video demonstration and of a tutorial found on the web. We'll be posting the video first to give you an idea of how the hack looks:

Thomas was also kind enough to explain part of the tutorial, which was originally written in Japanese:

The tutorial says that we have to get the mentioned files from a dump of the firmware update (since in the phat PSP they are not installed) and throw in the flash0 memory. And the last file vshmain.prx should be hex edited to hack the "Network Update" icon on the XMB to activate the 1seg tunner.

While Thomas was unable to fully confirm the hack for himself (No tuner or air signals in Brazil), he stated that a fellow Brazilian living in Japan reports that the hack works, although the Phat has poorer reception than the Slim.

Our tipster further noted that he has also translated the Japanese 1seg hack tutorial into Brazilian Portuguese and posted it at the Brazilian Orkut community site. Those interested in checking out Thomas' full tutorial instructions can visit the site via the Read link provided below.

 

Now that the first true expansion to one of the biggest MMORPGs in the market has arrived, the world of Guild Wars created by NCsoft is bound to change with Guild Wars: Eye of the North. Or at least, the meta game should shift towards heavier competition with new skills to choose from.

In the latest issue of State of the Game, the focus is on skills that already appear in battle often, and those potentially deadly ones that may soon see the spotlight. For the backline, monks might want to look at Cure Hex for extra utility with added healing power. Smoke Powder Defense is also good for monk assassins who love to kite - blinding enemies while retreating back to safety is priceless.

Frontline warriors and dervishes could dish out more crippling if they squeeze Knee Cutter into their skill bars. For mesmers in the midline who always encounter hectic situations, Power Lock seems to be a good alternative to shut enemies down more effectively. Elementalists may look at Shell Shock for some armor cracking and more painful spikes.

As this State of the Game's author believes, necromancers haven't been as crucial as other mainstay classes in GvG. This could change though, if Defile Defenses is used against warrior-heavy setups. For runners, Signet of Mystic Speed proves to be attractive. Not only is it a signet with fast recharge, it also provides up to 33% faster movement speed if a couple of enchantments are on the user.

For more in-depth analysis of these new skills, click on the Read link below.