If you're one of those people who like to carry their PSPs around with nary a protective PSP case, then you may have a broken UMD or two. But don't fret, there's still hope in fixing those broken UMDs using MMR's Replacement UMD Kit. Details in the full article.

PSPMagic has released Episode 3 of his PSPMagic Audio Cast. The audio cast includes mostly news about PSP such as the firmware update, Gangs of London and the Sony UMD Tools leaked on Internet. All that plus PSPMagic Audio Cast's regular homebrew review. He wasn't able to squeeze in a game review this time but he says there will be more of that in the coming episode.

In case you missed previous episodes of PSPMagic Audio Cast we have them here as well. Of course, the news content on PSPMagic Audiocast Episodes 1 and 2 are old but they still have pretty good homebrew and game reviews worth listening to.

Download: [PSPMagic Audio Cast Episode 3]
Download: [PSPMagic Audio Cast 1 & 2]

We just got a mail from a guy named Psycho regarding the "leaked" UMD Tools - we reported about it not too long ago. Until now, it still was uncertain if the tools came directly from Sony or the PSP's SDK. Psycho apparently claims to know a bit more than we all.

According to him, the UMD Tools package is authentic, it's the same software that is used by the big movie studios to make UMD Videos. He emphasized that the software is not able to do anything besides UMD Videos, and because of that, is not related in any way to the PSP SDK.

The software can create MPS files with multiple audio, subtitles and chapters, and generate the necessary XML files to make the menus work. Furthermore, the leaked version of the UMD Tools package is a late beta, v1.5 RC4. The legit software version studios can buy from Sony is now up to v2.0.

Psycho's knowledge comes from his participation in the beta testing phase of the program. He says that all of the leaked software is legitimate, although some programs seem to be missing, "RCOVIEWER" and "PlayListComposer", the latter being the most important as it is the program necessary for actually creating the UMD by creating the PLAYLIST.UMD file found on all UMD video discs. RCOVIEWER compiles and checks the .RCO files found in the RESOURCE directory, but it might have been incorporated in another part of the software in the RC4 and final versions of UMD Tools.

Finally, he states that there could be use for this program by the homebrew scene since it is able to create .PMF files. People have already successfully created true UMD video-formatted disc images, the program generates .IMG files which can be converted into .ISO.

As with the previous post, anyone who links to the files will be banned. This is leaked commercial software and its possession is obviously illegal. Nevertheless, feel free to continue to speculate and comment.

Somehow the PSP UMD Tools (also known as UMD Composer) used by licensed developers have apparently found their way onto the Internet this week. If you aren't sure what PSP UMD Tools are, they're the tools used by licensed developers in order to actually create PSP UMDs. The 10.8MB archive contains System File Editor v1.0, UMD Image Checker v1.10, UMD Image Generator v1.2.7, UMD Stream Composer v1.5, and UMD Stream Viewer v1.5. Although it is not yet been confirmed that these are the actual UMD Tools used by developers and not some non-Sony mock-up, it's pretty certain that the files have been leaked from the official SDK.

With these applications you can create both PMF Files, and MPS (UMD Video) files, but as most of the release notes and readme's are in Japanese, you probably haven't got a chance making a UMD for yourself. The files all come packaged with PDF files that act as the readme files with instructions on how to use each of the applications. As these tools are highly illegal, we cannot host or link to any sites with the downloads on, but you can be sure somebody from Sony will be getting a firm telling off for this if they are the real Sony deal.

Due to the nature of this piece of news, anybody posting links to the files in the comments will be immediately banned. If it becomes a problems, comments will be turned off. You can also discuss these tools in a thread on our forums that has been going on for the last day or so.