Dark Alex Releases 4.01 M33 Firmware For PSP 58
Croakyvoice writes "Dark Alex, the PSP hacker
from Spain, and his Team M33 have released a new version of the custom
firmware for the PSP, which now supports the very latest official
firmware from Sony. Benefits for the end user include the ability to play the many
hundreds of games,
demos, applications
and emulators written by the homebrew community for the PSP."
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I've been waiting for this. I haven't seen it on any of my other news sites.
News is news.
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Then you haven't been looking on the right news sites. Have you tried a PSP news site? Or even a gaming news site? It might not get coverage on a general gaming site, but it would get coverage on a PSP news site.
And yes, news is news. What is your point? Sports news is news, but you wouldn't see it showing up on Slashdot. Gaming news is news, and unless it's something big, it shouldn't really show up on Slashdot. See, if this were the very first custom firmware for the PSP, it would be big enough. But it's
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however, thank god for this news, downloading the update now!
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Toe!
... and? (Score:5, Interesting)
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Yeah, now you can run even more software on some locked hardware; Why isn't this newsworthy to you?
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Unless it's steak_and_blowjob(), that's mailing list announcement fodder. I mean, if I wanted freshmeat, I'd look at freshmeat.
Re:... and? The PSP is no niche product (Score:3, Interesting)
You are absolutely right that this story shouldn't be posted.
However, just out of curiosity I checked the PSP's sales and read up on on the PSP. The PSP is the eighth best [wikipedia.org] selling console of all time. It's surprisingly successful for a device that is often thought of as a failure compared to the DS.
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I guess it's because all japanese people already have a DS now so they had to buy something else and well, guess what? ;)
Nah but seriously I think PSP sales have raised quite a bit over in Japan the last year compared to the DS haven't they?
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I can understand new releases of major software... a new GIMP, new KDE, new GNOME, new kernel, new release of a distro or operating system being newsworthy... but an announcement of a cracked firmware bin for a portable game system?
Welcome to Slashdot. If you don't likes the Slashdot, you don't have to reads the Slashdot. Go check out Reddit or Digg if you wants only important news. :)
Because it's Sony. (Score:2)
You remember, the assholes that gave us rootkitted CDs? Why *NOT* make news that their proprietary junk is easily cracked to make it even more useful? It's still news, even though it's just a minor bugfix for a camera.
Re:i know there are legit uses but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Software development != Piracy, thanks!
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Although a troll, I think the parent post is also incredibly insightful. There is a common opinion in slashdot that EULAs are bullshit, and a common opinion that the GPL is not bullshit, and many here seem to hold both beliefs at once.
Why is one more valid than the other? I don't mean to imply that it isn't or that it is, I'm just honestly curious.
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The GPL, on the other hand, gives you the extra right to re-distribute software, providing you comply with it. You're free to ignore it, but then you would have no right to re-distribute it as normal copyright law would apply.
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A restriction on using something you bought has nothing in common with making a copy of something and redistributing it against the will of the author.
The people using the hacked firmware are just breaking a restriction on what they own. However, there's a case to be made that the people releasing hacked firmware are making unauthorized derivative works of Sony's firmware. Depending on how they developed their versions, that might even be true. However, reverse engineering and rewriting from scratch for sak
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There is a common opinion in slashdot that EULAs are bullshit, and a common opinion that the GPL is not bullshit, and many here seem to hold both beliefs at once.
Why is one more valid than the other?
The GPL grants you additional rights, which you don't have by default, in exchange for agreeing to its terms. Normally, you have no right to redistribute someone else's copyrighted software; the GPL grants you a license to distribute it, as long as you also include the source code, a copy of the license, etc.
On the other hand, an EULA attempts to take away rights that you already have by default. You don't need permission to install and run a piece of software that you bought, or to make backups: you have t
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You're displaying a fair amount of ignorance there.
Custom firmwares have many uses that don't involve piracy in any way, shape or form - including legal emulation, VOIP and messenger software and homebrew games and applications.
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just brings me back to the reasoning why i usually only read slashdot so back in the whole i go...
I guess you're referring to the terrible spelling and grammar, right?
Re:i know there are legit uses but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually you are the one that is completely, totally, and absolutely wrong.
It is impossible to perform the act of piracy by installing your own software on a Sony PSP when you BOUGHT THE PSP. You OWN the HARDWARE. It is YOUR HARDWARE. You have the ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO YOUR HARDWARE.
There is no such thing as hardware "piracy". Hardware "piracy" is actually theft of property which is completely different. You also cannot perform the act of piracy as it relates to the official Sony firmware, since you received that with your paid-for PSP in the first place.
Software Piracy would involve "stealing" somebody's software. That is not taking place here.
Modifying your PSP firmware is at best, a violation of an agreement between you and Sony. It is a breach of contract, which is not remotely the same as an infringement on copyrights.
Personally, I would consider it to be a form of civil disobediance. I don't think Sony, or any company, has the right to tell you what to do with hardware that you own. The specific language in the EULA should be deemed improper and unenforceable in court. I actually think it would be too and there is no case precedence that I am aware of.
Would Toyota get away with selling you a car and telling you that you can only drive it to certain locations? At certain speeds? On certain days? With specific radio stations turned on? What about after market modifications on most popular cars? Would those auto manufacturers get away with creating restrictions on the after market industry?
Of course not. You own the car. Well just the same, you own the PSP. The only exception for corporations, is to lease the hardware. That is done ALL the time, and allows those corporations to ethically and morally enforce restrictions upon the use of the hardware.
So the reality is that you are wrong. The flamebait and troll modifier is justified in your case since it is highly offensive to label owners of PSPs as "criminals" simply for wanting to use homebrew applications and custom modified firmwares on their own property.
Software Piracy is a very specific act and has nothing to do with "hacking" your own hardware. I even object to the use of the term, since I strongly believe that you cannot perform the act of "hacking" on your own property.
In the future I would suggest you think about what you want to say a little more carefully.
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I agree wholeheartedly EdIII , that is one of the most concise posts summarizing the truth about this I've heard , good job!
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If, and only if, the hacked firmware is based partly on Sony's original and not written from scratch for compatibility with it, then distributing it to third parties could be a breach of copyright.
Car companies do tend to void warranties if they have sufficient reason to believe you have been driving especially fast or have been racing in a street-legal general market car.
Other than those two particulars, I'd agree with your whole post.
Re:i know there are legit uses but... (Score:5, Interesting)
looks like Slashdot users don't like reality since i am right about this but i am getting flame baited and trolled.
No, you're being corrected because you are FLAT OUT WRONG.
An EULA does not and can not apply unless it is presented to you BEFORE consideration is exchanged (in the case of purchasing a PSP, this would be at point of sale, BEFORE you gave them your cold hard and the title of said PSP transferred to you.)
Consider an analogy: If i sold lawn mowers, for instance, and you bought one off me with the (IMO perfectly reasonable) assumption that you could replace the blades with any compatible brand, and then went to replace them and found that i'd placed an EULA sticker across the nut holding each blade in place saying "ONLY USE MICHAEL HUNT BRANDED BLADES. THIS IS A LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT," then you'd be pretty irate.
The fact that Dark Alex's firmware happens to allow playing of warez/backup games/imports/whatever is completely orthogonal to any argument you may or may not make RE: the legality of breaking an EULA. EULAs are not, and can not be retroactively binding. End of line.
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That said, it would sure look a lot more legitimate, to both Sony corporate and the people in this thread, if there was a custom firmware that just ran homemade software without loading pirated isos.
Then again, I don't know much about the PSP, so this may be impossible. I know in the DS scene this is usually the way legitimate homebrew software developers distance themselves from the pirates.
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PS, you're an idiot.
1.5 addon already available (Score:1)
Since this story was posted they've already released 4.01-m33-2 update along with a +1.5 addon. For those who care you'll know what this means, everybody else continue not caring...
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I have a release-day PSP which still has the 1.50 firmware on it. My lack of desire to "upgrade" to more restrictive firmware led me to put it away for a while... I haven't used it in over a year...
Now I want to pick it back up and try some of these new custom firmwares, and all of the documentation assumes you've been following the 'scene' the whole time. If you don't know what something is for already, you're left to either follow over a year of 1337-sp33k forum posts to get caught up.
So, no... You don't
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I agree actually. I spent months researching different things that could be done with my PSP. Then left it alone for several months. Then picked it up again. And found out you can run customized versions of the latest firmware (lots of fun new features, old homebrew for 1.5 doesn't work) in tandem with the 1.5 firmware (legacy homebrew). It does take a lot of patience wading through several different sources of information and outdated forum posts.
I did find some walk-throughs on YouTube. I recommend this h
Haha! (Score:2)
So, the question is. will sony continue to bleed themselves dry fighting the impossible, or will they give up?
win/win either way imho.
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While you're at it (Score:1)
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sure , you can get tons of legit free software at http://dl.qj.net/ [qj.net] :) ... seriously
If you want emulators and homebrew apps (Score:1, Insightful)
then don't fight Sony on their own turf. Get a gp2x or a gp32 and play games on a portable machine that's open from the get-go.
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Have they replaced that abysmal D-stick yet?
Wait... (Score:2)
Last I heard of the, Dark Alex was bowing out scene?
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Sweet. Maybe this one can play Dragon Warrior VII on the PSX emu...