Dropping by to greet everyone a happy new year is Art, and with the season's greetings, he's bringing in a homebrew update in tow: Powernoid is now on V4c, a version also dubbed as the New Year's Edition!

Download: Powernoid V4c (New Year's Edition)
Visit: QJ.NET PSP development forum

Homebrew Developer Art has come out with a new version of Audio Mechanica, the digital audio recorder for the PSP. Audio Mechanica v6e is a recompilation of the previous version which let the program run at a lower clock speed at 133/133/1 to save on battery power.

Download: Audio Mechanica v6e
Visit: QJ.NET PSP Development Forums

 

If you're looking for a clock for your PSP, then you've found the right application. Art has released Time Baby v4 and it further refines the previous version with multiple additions that make it perfect for everyday use.

The biggest change would be the implementation of adrahil's Alarm Library which handles the alarm where the PSP is either suspended, or in standby mode. You don't have to worry as much about your PSP's battery life with this new addition since you can have it in standby mode and still have the benefit of having it sound out an alarm.

If you've been using the previous versions, here are the other changes that were implemented in Time Baby v4:

• Implemented adrahil's Alarm Library to handle alarm where the PSP is either suspended, or in standby.
• Implemented a moon phase calculator with graphic moon display accurate to one segment.
• Removed Mikmod Sound Library, and implemented 6AM Sample Player to achieve CD quality sound.
• Implemented a time announcement mode where the time is announced every minute.
• Speech routine is no longer timer based. Samples are played end to end for fluid sounding speech.
• Underclocked PSP unit to 135/111/1 for battery conservation while used with the power on.
• Removed lap counter (bean counter) feature that was present from version 2.
• Images are now present in the executable, and are loaded from memory at program startup.
• Various other graphics fixes and improvements including calender display.

So download Time Baby v4 and try it out.

Download: Time Baby v4
Visit: QJ Development Forums

Here's something for the music fans out there, courtesy of QJ.Net Forum resident silmarilion. The PSP homebrew developer set up a thread earlier to announce the release of GameMusicGear_0.1.0. This homebrew application is actually a music player, and is capable of supporting several file types, including MIDI:

• Game_Music_Emu 0.5.2 [AY, GBS, GYM, HES, KSS, NSF, SAP, SPC, VGM]
• SexyPSF [PSF, MINIPSF]
• LibMad [MP3, MP2]
• Sidplay2 with Resid [Songlengths.txt support], [SID]
• Adplug Library [Adplug supported formats (Not all formats supported)]
• ST-Sound Libary [YM]
• Mikmod Library [Mikmod supported formats (Not all formats supported)]
• Atari ST and AMIGA SC68 Library [SC68, SND]
• Timidity Library [MIDI]
• Speex Voice Library (Using SDL_Sound) [SPEEX, SPX]
• Free Lossless Audio Codec (Using SDL_Sound) [FLAC]
• Ogg Vorbis (Using SDL_Sound) [OGG]
• Other SDL_Sound supported formats [RAW, WAV, VOC]

silmarilion further explained that this app was originally intended to be a video game-only music player, but with the addition of support for MP3 and MIDI formats, it expanded into a highly versatile music player. Updates the author expects to add in future versions include support for more formats and - more interestingly - support for zip/rar bundles.

There are two version available for use - one for PSP firmware 1.0, and one for PSP firmware 1.5. Just make sure to view the file readme in case you've got questions regarding this app, or head on over to silmarilion's thread over at our QJ.Net PSP Development Forums.

Download: GameMusicGear 0.1.0
Visit: QJ's PSP Development Forum

PSP homebrew developer Art has hooked us up with new updates about his homebrew creation, X-Flash (now on version 17b). Indeed, Art just made the day of most custom firmware aficionados who'll be having a ball over this. Well, what can we say? Time flies so fast nowadays.

So let's start with the basics. If this happens to be the first time that you're reading about this app, then we'll tell you now that you have a lot of reading and catching up to do. Just to give you guys a general idea, X-Flash is a firmware mod program that allows you to apply newly discovered firmware hacks.

But as we've said, you've got a lot of reading to do. No worries though, we have all the X-Flash related reports right here. Just click on the X-Flash tag and you'll get all the articles you need. Anyways, although Art's creation is generally considered as one of the safest app around, it's still important that you know what to do before using it. Very low the risks may be, but it can still brick PSPs. Crystal clear? Let's move along to the changelog, shall we?

V17b (12/12/06):

• Release to fix to name plate routine.

V17 (12/12/06):

• Added auto checking for incorrect PSP registry version at startup. User is kicked if a 1.50 registry is present in a 2.71 SE firmware installation, or vice versa. A prompt is given to restore regitsry settings in the XMB menu.
• Added custom coded '6AM Sample Player'. Sound effects are resampled louder and clearer. Sound sample files are biult into the program eboot file. Mikmod audio library is now used soley to play demo music.
• Startup file checking sequence is faster since there are less external files to validate.

Download: [X-Flash 17b]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]

Wasn't it just a few days ago that Art released v16b of the application, X-Flash? In fact it was just three days ago, but that seems so long ago - Art dropped by again today with a new X-Flash version, complete with several improvements.

In case there is someone reading this who is not on the same page with the rest (ergo, someone who doesn't have a full grasp of what this app does and how to use it), we suggest that you take a good look at the application's accompanying readme file. It's there for a good reason and that is for you to avoid doing something bad to your PSP. With that said, let's go to the changelog and other v16d details.

New for X-Flash v16d:

• Bug fix to v16c.
• Firmware detection routine was blocking firmware version 2.71 SE-B3, and possibly any SE version later than the original SE-B.
• This version will block firmware other than 1.50. 2.71 SE-B, or 2.71 SE-B3.

New for X-Flash v16c:

• Custom Coldboot Opening Sound (firmware version 2.71 SE)
• Custom Coldboot Opening Sound with Echo Effect (firmware version 2.71 SE)
• Built in Air Wrench Coldboot Opening Sound (firmware version 2.71 SE)
• Delete Coldboot Opening Sound (firmware version 2.71 SE)
• Apply Biult in Custom XMB Click Sound (firmware version 2.71 SE)
• Apply Biult in Custom XMB Error Sound (firmware version 2.71 SE)
• Allowed larger custom Gameboot Movie (619Kb Max) to support the Prince Of Persia (Blood & Claw) Gameboot Movie (firmware version 2.71 SE)
• Improved Biult In Plain Black Gameboot movie by DarkStone (black movie from V16b sometimes pixelates with 2.71)
• Fix to "ascii" nickname Easter Egg.
• Menu editor can now be started with Select button or from the menu to use the Easter Egg (firmware version 1.50)
• Implemented Real Time checking for low RAM condition caused by Mikmod loading the music module too many times in one session. This would probably never be an issue, since you would have to play the ASCII credits demo or Free Space very many times to consume all available RAM.
• Fixed "Hello Nickname" welcome screen for 2.71 SE.
• Various other minor fixes/enhancements.

Currently Disabled for 2.71 SE:

• XMB Menu Label editor.
• Firmware Version Spoofers.
• Plain Black PSP About Screens (may be fixed in a later version).
• Some Easter Eggs won't work because they rely on version spoofs, detailed name plate picture, etc.

Oh, and thanks to Appleseed629 and all our other friends for the tip!


Download: [X-Flash v16d]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]