My good friends at Lik Sang have informed me that the 4GB Hardrive for the PSP which also has a Double strength battery and software for encoding movies is down to $179 from $199, heres more info:

The X2 Battery is a direct replacement for your PSP's rechargeable battery, but offers double the capacity of the standard model. Now bundled with a 4GB HDD, it gives you plenty of space for your saves and files on the go.

The 4GB HD uses ultra-reliable Micro-Drive technology. The HD interfaces with the PSP by means of a flexible Memory Stick™ adapter which is plugged into the Memory Stick™ slot on the PSP.

Once connected, the body of the HD attaches snugly to the back of the PSP by means of two location posts which slot into corresponding holes on the back of the PSP. When used in conjunction with the X-2 double capacity battery the 4GB HD forms an ergonomic extension to the PSP which follows the neat lines of the handheld, fitting snugly in your palms. Once connected, you use the 4GB HD just as you would a normal Memory Stick™; you can playback video, MP3s, movies and images and save from inside your PSP games.

For full information and to buy one for yourself check out Lik Sang Here ...

Samstag has released the worlds first Vectrex Emulator for the PSP, heres the info from the readme:

This is a port of the Windows-based Vectrex emulator by Valavan Manohararajah known as VecX (http://www.eecg.toronto.edu/~manohv/vectrex.html). This version should run on any PSP with a firmware version of 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0.

Version 1.01 - 8 December 2005

*Added the Mine Storm rom.dat to the compiled code (to make the Eboot
stand-alone like the original console).
*Fixed the failure to display single-pixel and sub-pixel lines.

Version 1.0 - 3 December 2005

*Initial port from windows source.
*Modified original windows source for more cross-platform portability.
*Replaced Windows-specific interface code with PSP-specific code (file
handling, control input, display output).

Download Here --> http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/pspvecx.shtml ...

Placasoft has updated PSPsetX for v2.0 PSP. Here is the info of this release:

PSPsetX 0.2 out now?
With the safest downgrade function ever!!!

Just select downgrade, go to the PSP menu afterwards and start the 1.5 update!
The pmf for the gameboot video should not be bigger than 1,2MB. If your PSP crashes it's not my fault. If you got any problems just send me an email to pspsetX[at]placasoft[dot]de.

-- Change Gameboot
- Change Gameboot = copies the Gameboot.pmf from ms0:/Gameboot.pmf?into the flash
- Backup Gameboot = copies the Gameboot.pmf from the flash into ms0:/Gameboot.pmf
- Restore original Gameboot = Restores the old gameboot.pmf

-- Firmware Tweaks
- Set Version 1.00 - 2.5 = Sets your PSP Version to 2.5. You can now also play games which require 2.5

-- Change X-O-Buttons
>>>>>> Before using this please restore factory settings <<<<<<
- Set X as enter (US / EU) = now X = enter at the psp menu
- Set = as Enter (jp) = now O = enter at the psp menu

-- Stuck Pixel Cleaner
- Start cleaning = takes about 20 minutes

BIIIIGGGGG THX TO fanjita ... he is a really nice guy!!!!

Download via comments ...

Raf has released a new version of PSPRadio for the PSP.

PSPRadio is an internet radio streaming client for the PSP. Heres whats new:

BUGS FIXES:

(raf) Core: Logging instantiated in the heap instead of the data segment.
(raf) Core: Modifications to make it compatible with the latest pspsdk (r1542)
(raf) Playback: Corrected bug that caused app to crash when a stream failed.
(raf) TextUI: Made the title shorter so it fits no matter what font is used.
(sandberg) Updated the 3D UI so all options are fitted to the screen.
NEW FEATURES:

(raf) TextUI: Now files defined in playlists are displayed without the path, and the extension is only shown if configured to in the config file.
(raf) Compiled against latest pspsdk (r1542). There should be some speed improvements, as things like memcpy are now optimized.
(raf) Core/TextUI: Added support to print text using pixel coordinates
(raf) TexUI: Removed cleaning code that was unnecessary in the options screen renderer. This should speed it up a bit.
(sandberg) Added support for showing the time and the battery level on the 3D UI.

Download via Comments: ...

PacManFan posted at PS2Dev this tidbit of news concerning his Playstation Emulator for the PSP:

At this point, I don't really have anything else to show, however, I want people to know that I haven't given up. I've been working on PSPSOne yesterday and today, and I've made some real progress. I'm on my 3rd attempt at writing a recompiler, and I think the 3rd time is the charm. I've given up on the idea of being able to "filter" out the addressing scheme, and now I'm taken a more traditional approach to writing this recompiler.

I've got the recompiler executing the bios at this point, and I'm tracking down some issues with my branch and COP functions. I think I'll have something to show soon. ...

Ema has updated his text editor written in Lua:

New in Version 1.3:

added png/jpg view
optimized speed (always 60FPS)
current directory came to be restored after 'Exec LUA'
fixed some bugs
modified 'Function jump' more friendly
fixed 'Jump to...' command bug
added plugin handling
added sample plugin using WLAN service
moved some functions to plugin (search dialog etc.)

Download via comments ...

Groquick has created a version of Rush Hour for the DS with PAlib, heres what he said:

Hi all,

I adapted a puzzle game called Rush Hour using PAlib. I wrote the code and my girlfriend drew the graphics.

It runs on hardware and dualis (without sound, fade or save on the emulator though) and I tested it through the 160 levels.

I hope you'll enjoy it.

Screens and downloads via comments ...

birslip has ported Spout (Game) to the DS

Screenshot and download via comments: ...

Source C&VG

Today's the day that Championship Manager PSP hits store shelves, and, if you're a-clamouring for some handheld footie management thrills, you might want to check out the diminutive version of the long-running series.
We recently sat down with Gusto Games CEO Simon Phillips and talked all things Championship Manager PSP. From our brief hands-on with the game, it's looking like being on par with its console siblings - only this version's perfect for filling those few snatched moments of freedom from the family this Christmas.

What's different between the 'bigger' versions and the PSP version of Championship Manager?

Simon Phillips: The first thing to point out is that this is real Championship Manager - because it's on PSP a lot of people assume that it's cut down or watered down but this is full-on Championship Manager. One of the key development mantras was that if we couldn't make the game properly we weren't going to do it. It had to have all of the stats, all of the gameplay features, it had to have a proper match engine in there, all the AI in there and stuff like that.
And what's new in this version?

Simon Phillips: Basically, what we've done is we've taken the solid game from Championship Manager PS2, we've listened to the fan feedback, read the reviews, built on that and then started work on the PSP version of Champ Man based on the good features from the PS2 version. Rather than taking a PC game and trying to cut it down and slap it on to the PSP, we've started with a nice new bit of code and moved it to PSP, and that's allowed us to use the hardware properly because we haven't got to change mouse drivers into d-pad controls.

We've got decent controls, we've had a match engine that wasn't brilliant but now we've improved on that based on the player feedback - basically it's a big PSP version of the game. We've got over 30,000 players from 52 different nations, there's 12 playable nations in the full game with another six to eight in the challenge modes. Player profiles are a new addition as well - alongside the usual stats you can make your own player pictures by downloading them from fan sites or creating them yourself.

What else can you tell us about how you've changed the game to accommodate the handheld platform?

Simon Phillips: What we did at the end of the console version was read all of the reviews, be very critical of ourselves and find out all of the things that were annoying people. Things like not knowing where you're going when you're navigating, so on the player profile screen you can instantly put players on the transfer list, you can change what squad they're in - whereas before you'd have to go through menus to set their transfer status. It's all still there, so a hardcore Championship Manager fan will be familiar with it, but it's kind of softened up a bit with the extra options for new users.

We've also introduced help menus, because the thing about Championship Manager was that if you know it, you know it and if you don't, tough luck. Now on every page you can access help, get a list of controls and get specific help for each screen which shows you what you can do and how it all works. It can all be turned off if you find it annoying, but for new user it's vital. The control system is admittedly tricky at first, but after about 15 minutes of play it becomes second nature. You've got the quick nav button on triangle which jumps around certain menu aspects of the screen, you've got square which is secondary action - like right click on a mouse, and the start button goes to the continue button.

What kind of gamer is the PSP version of Championship Manager for?

Simon Phillips: With the PSP version we've got the Championship Manager player who wants the full-on hardcore Championship Manager mode that goes on for years and years, then you've got the kind of people who are only on the train for an hour so - they want a quick bite-sized chunk of Champ Man so we've also introduced challenge mode. Basically, Challenge mode gives you four kinds of categories like 'avoid relegation', and within that you chose a team. The challenges run anything from 6 months to a year, so if you haven't got time to get immersed in the full game this mode is useful for a quick game.

There's another mode in there called 'quick play' mode which is a no-holds barred Champ Man but for three seasons only. That way, if you've got a limited time to play it but you want an end to your game you can just jump straight in, play for three seasons, get a high score at the end of it and then start again.

So it was developed from the top down for PSP...

Simon Phillips: Yes, we've taken the core elements from the console version, but the actual code is PSP-specific from the ground up. It kind of shows from things like the loading times which use streaming technology. The controls as well have been totally specified for the PSP; the continue button for example has been tied to the Start button, so instead of constantly having to navigate ...