Bumuckl from QJ's PSP Development Forums has been hard at work since the release of Bermuda CS 7 'patched' to bring us an update to his portable image editing studio for the PSP. Today that hard work has paid off with the hopefully bug-free release of Bermuda CS 8. Many new features have been added, including the option to add your own fonts and brushes in order to customize Bermuda CS.

However, bug fixes was the name of the game and along with the 'thousands' of bugs that bumuckl has fixed for this release comes a lot of code optimizations to make Bermuda CS run faster and more smoothly on the PSP. Let's just say it runs a lot faster than Photoshop does on QJ Office computers! Anyway, back on topic, here's the giant changelog:

• New interface GIMP-style Interface with new menu navigation
  
• Fixed bug that made the app crash during creating a new picture
• Improved menu-handling and code optimizations
  
• Grafitti-tool added
  
• Line-tool has been improved
• CPU speed an be changed to 333 mhz, 222 mhz and 100 mhz
• Fuzzieborad has been improved, now capital letters can be used as well
• New fonts and brushes added, as well as the option to add your own
  
• Added option to save your picture as a brush
• Small canvas preview with cursor positions
• Option to change default settings using the CONFIG.CFG file

If you are a graphic geek and enjoy manipulating or creating images on the move, then this app is for you. Catch the download below.

Download: Bermuda CS 8
Visit: PSP Development Forums

*UPDATE* The file uploaded earlier was the wrong size; we've updated the DL to the actual file (which is supposed to be in the neighborhood of 21MB). Thanks to those who've pointed out the discrepancy to us!

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The sheer number of versions of Winnydows' XviD4PSP on QJ may make you start to feel dizzy, but we're here to give you another update from one of the best free video converters out there. All you need to know is that as of today, this is the latest version. This converter will convert pretty much any video format into another, whether it be for the PC, PSP or iPod, so it contains all you could want in a 3-in-1 converter.

This application runs on Windows XP SP2 as well as Windows Vista and as with every single previous version of Xvid4PSP, a large changelog accompanies this release Here it is:

4.111 changes:

• Fixed many old and new bugs.
• ForceFilm work again.
• Now possible select subtitles from MKV and OGM.
• Sound extraction from MKV and OGM now work correct.
• Now possible fix aspect with changing window size.

4.110 changes:

• Fixed audio track selection.
• Fixed small bugs in DVD importing.
• MP4 PSP 3.10 OE format now support any resolution and aspect without black correction.
• Now video in MP4 PSP 3.10 OE format start play with correct aspect.
• MP4 PSP 3.10 OE now divided to two formats A and B.
• A - free level, free bframes, MAQXXXXX.MP4 name mask, 48000 khz sound, AAC LC, THM.
• B - level 2.1, bframes 1, any name, any sound rate, any AAC type, no THM.
• Added MP4 PSP 3.30 format.
• Added work with Custom Matrix for x264 (but files will be compatible for PC only!!!).
• Removed 32000 khz audio rate (unsupported by AAC).
• Removed DirectX dependency. Now DirectX used only for 3D GPU filter.
• Video player and THM creator now work over DirectShow.
• x264 updated to version 636.
• Fixed audio track selection in OGM files.
• OGM splitter replaced to more fast and stable (Gabest).

Thanks to Winnydows and Silver-Tiger for the tip!

Download: XviD4PSP 4.111 Final

  

If you, like most of the QJ writers, find it hard to get out of bed in the morning waking up to a days work - whether it be administrative, physical, or school work - then why not wake up to something a little more fun. Mexicansnake has today popped by our forums to tell us of a new release of his - the PSPirate's Alarm Clock. The difference with this alarm clock is that you're not only greeted by a friendly tune, but a video game as well.

Not satisfied with just waking you up in the morning, this application/game hybrid wakes you up to a mellow song, then starts up a single player game of PSPirates! This version includes animations, an analog clock, digital clock, date, PSP version spoof, battery level indicator, and much more. You can download the alarm clock and game from via the DL link below.

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Update: For those of you having issues with running this application on PC, this is because the application reads the flash0 of the PSP and therefore only works on the PSP. Do not try using it on Lua Player for Windows as you will just be greeted with an error message. And PSP users, this only reads the flash0 and does no flashing at all, so there is no chance of a brick!

Download: PSPirate's Alarm Clock v0.1
Visit: PSP Development Forum

As you've probably heard, Sony released firmware 3.30 yesterday in the latest of their attempts to add new features to the PSP, and in turn keep up with the homebrew hackers.

One of these new features was the "Use Wireless Hotspot" option under the PSP Settings menu. In Sony's latest ploy to convert more people to the do the evil upgrade which prevents access to homebrew games and custom firmwares, it sat down with cellphone operator T-Mobile to get free Wi-Fi for 3.30 PSP users.

All you have to do is use the T-Mobile Hotspot locator and find the nearest Hotspot, go there, and select the "Use Wireless Hostpot" option in the settings menu. T-Mobile HotSpots can be found in quite a lot of places like Starbucks coffeehouses, Borders Books & Music stores, FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Centers, and more.

The free Wi-Fi promotion runs for six months, however as we said yesterday, be wary about upgrading your PSP's firmware. It is possible that you could go for a very long time without homebrew or custom firmware.

  

If you're fed up of seeing those useless update icons in the XMB when you pop a UMD into your PSP then Team tOc have come to your rescue with their latest homebrew addition for the PSP - AntiUpdate v1.0. Rather than changing the UMD update icon to something else which just takes up more space, this plugin patches the PSP RAM so that the dreaded update icon isn't there at all.

Don't worry - this has been extensively tested by Team tOc and they confirm that UMD games and homebrew all function correctly after running this - it's like nothing ever happened to your PSP. If you have firmware 3.03OE-C, 3.10OE-A and A' or 2.71SE-C, then you can use this plugin as all have been tested and confirmed to function correctly in them.

If you have another version of a custom firmware, it is advised that you do not attempt to use this just in case, but the authors are confident that as it searches the memory for the specific bytes instead of relying in pure memory addresses it should work with all firmwares.

Remember, there's no risk of bricking this as it does not access the PSP's flash memory. Let's get rid of those nasty updates once and for all, what do you say?!

Download: AntiUpdate v1.0

  

Mhorphoex has passed by our forums today to inform us that homebrew developer Legend over at PSPlandia, and Italian PSP site, has come up with a new flashing application that runs not on your PSP but from the comfort of your PC. First of all, the application asks whether you would like to make a backup of your Flash0 folder before any flashing as a safety precaution, and then allows you to flash gameboots, fonts, icons, backgrounds, sounds, waves, icons, volume control styles, and more.

This needs the .NET framework 2.0 or higher to run and interfaces to the PSP via USB cable, so make sure you have it connected  before you attempt to backup your flash0 or start flashing. Other features of this flashing application include auto-renaming for files, the creation of recovery files in the event you flash something wrong, a tool for conversion of gameboots from MPS to PMF format, and much more.

Check out the readme for more info, but be careful as although a backup of flash0 is created it is still possible to brick your PSP while flashing so please be careful! Consult our PSP forums if you have any questions on flashing.

Download: PSPModKit v1.0
Download: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
Visit: PSP Development Forum

 

PSP owning Transport Tycoon fans will be happy to hear that the latest port of OpenTTD, the freeware version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe for the PSP now has come to a final version with OpenTTD 0.5.0. The good news is that unlike some of the previous release candidates this version is very stable and comes with a lot of changes. Here's the changelog:

• Feature: Add the ability to load newer TTDP games (the tile information for coasts has changed) (r8738)
• Feature: Selecting "end of orders" and deleting will delete all the vehicle's orders (shared mode unchanged) (r8685)
• Codechange: Call GetFirstVehicleInChain only for trains thus increasing performance in large games (r8744)
• Fix: Possible crashes, problems with aircraft and airport removal (r8921)
• Fix: Do not show the 'edit sign' window for spectators (r8808)
• Fix: Adhere order types for ship order insertion to determine destination type (r8802)
• Fix: It was possible to take over buoys by building a station next to them (r8794)
• Fix: Cloning unaware of articulated locomotives that could refit without refitting the front unit (r8777)
• Fix: Loading times for overhanging trains are miscomputed (r8709)

OpenTTD has been tested on and supports firmware 1.50 as well as 3.XX OE firmwares. Other firmwares/mods that are able to run 1.50 executables with kernel access should work too. Installation instructions can be found in the readme, and one thing to make sure of when you're playing this game is that you have enough battery life - it's quite addictive!

Download: OpenTTD 0.5.0 final
Download: OpenTTD 0.5.0 Source code

 

Sony's PSP may not have the best reputation in the classroom due to certain events involving the so-called "Playstation Pornable", but despite the reservations of some teachers, Sony today held a "PSP in Education National Launch" day at its 3Rooms brand space in London. Sony is trying to propel the PSP into mainstream education and promote its uses as an educational tool rather than just a games console.

Sony has already tried introducing its products to the education sector starting off with the Eyetoy and PS2 back in 2003. This time, Ray Maguire, Managing Director for Sony Computer Entertainment UK (SCEU) said that the expansion of Wi-Fi and the PSP's ability to connect using wireless internet expanded the PSP's uses in education even more. This wasn't just about how good the PSP is according to a Sony exec either, as Richard Owen from Maplesden Noakes school has tested the use of PSPs in the classroom and praised the console.

According to Owen, pupils responded well to being able to work at their own pace, rewinding audio if necessary so they don't miss anything. Relentless Software also took the opportunity to show off its Key Stage 2-themed version of Buzz! quiz game which has been designed for use in education.

Classroom trials for the Buzz! quiz KS2 game have allegedly gone well too - so does this mean we'll be seeing the PSP go into use in schools? Well, if it does they'll certainly have the backing of homebrew coders. There's already loads of calculators out there to freely download!

  

The XMB Team are back today with another release of their XMB Project Beta which transforms the PSP's XMB into a fully-customized one, with various menus replaced with more useful alternatives, such as launching homebrew applications such as Raf's PSPRadio straight away.

Other homebrew favourites included in this total XMB modification are Raf's Links2 browser, Jonny's PMP AVC, and Imageviewer by pensoffsky, among others.

When the last version was released, a few of you asked whether this was an XMB theme or a new XMB; and the truth is it's a little bit of both. This modifies the original XMB to launch homebrew applications instead of "useless" options such as Network Update, and it incorporates better homebrew apps into the XMB, while also applying the brightly-colored Blue Crystal Skin to the XMB. Here's the changelog for v1a:

• Solved the bug that caused to crash when selecting any of the apps
  
• Predefined homebrews under video, picture and music now customizable.
• When on a predefined homebrew there is no icon on the directory, it won't appear on the XMB so that it's cleaner and you won't see it.

The guys over at Team XMB have also created a nice tutorial for you guys to read through, which shows how to customize different parts of the XMB and how to add your own predefined homebrew applications to this XMB/homebrew interface hybrid. Catch the download and the tutorial below!

Download: XMB Project Beta Public Version #1a

 

Publisher Eidos is set to turn the PSP into a virtual music studio following an announcement at this year's Games Developer Conference in San Francisco. The game or software is called 'Traxxpad' will offer virtual sequencers, drum machines, and keyboards that could suit beginners, music lovers, and even professional DJs. Traxxpad will include a mixing and sampling feature so that users can record samples straight to the handheld and remix them on the go, with the ability to export creations as popular music types such as MP3s or WAVs.

The closest thing we have to this right now is the homebrew app PSP Kick v3.00 and development of this application is just starting up again. The question is, will the commercial application live up to the homebrew alternative? In case you're new to the scene, PSPKick has a bit of a following here at QJ. According to Eidos' Kevin Gill - "It's one thing to make a powerful music device, but it is truly impressive to make an application that allows someone unfamiliar with music to make something that sounds professional."

We can't make a judgment on this at the moment because we haven't yet seen anything of this Traxxpad. But sure enough, when screenshots and more details come through, the issue will be raised once more. For their sake, let's just hope Eidos will come up with something a little different, or this game/software will flop very quickly.