The PSP Emulator for Windows thats written in java gets yet another update:

Heres whats new:

Fix for "intBitsToFloat" problem in "Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep - US - ULUS10505"

http://buildbot.orphis.net/jpcsp/ ...

News via PSPIta

One of the main attractions of the change in the console, is the ability to customize every aspect. Thanks to the continued work of the coder, this was made possible by the latest HEN. Among all is certainly interesting project developer NightStar3 which takes its name ZeroRCO Patcher . This is a plugin for 6.20 TN that allows you to load custom gameboot and RCO, which is to be Flash0 Memory Stick (a useful tool to avoid ruinous brick). ...

News via PSPita

PataPork, has released a new version, 1.3, PSPBriscola, the homebrew game developed in-LUA bearing the same name on our PSP Italian card game. This new release fixes some bugs in previous versions, add the English translation of the program and introduces the Audio, but it is still in beta.
A complete changelog and follow the link to download.

Changelog v1.3:

Quote:

- Added "Table Base Purple" at the selection tables (Thanks to Brian User)
- Added "Table Base Blue" to the Selection Tables (Thanks to Brian User)
- Added "Table Base Green" for the Selection Tables (Thanks to Brian User)
- Fixate Cards Sarde, now appear well on the secondary tables (Thanks to Brian User)
- Fixed the Multiplayer menu, now no longer an invisible voice
- Fix Fixata description of Poker, is now described correctly
- Added language selection (Menu Options)
- Add English to languages
- Added Language selection start homebrew (only for the first time)
- Added sound when screenshots of win, draw and defeat in a game
- Added the 'Audio' (Menu Options)
- Added "Select Music" (Menu Options)
- Added "Super Mario Theme" Selecting the Music
- Added a "Relaxation Theme" Selecting the Music
- Added "No Theme" Selecting the Music
- Added a prototype for the AdHoc mode (On a totally non functional)
- Added the "Dream Table" to the Selection Tables ...

XCM USB Vbox2 Advanced
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from GoldenShop / Buy from Amazon.com
Price: $85.00

3x RCA RGB Component Video Splitter
Site: Buy from Amazon.com

3 RCA RGB Component Video Cable
Site: Buy from Amazon.com (3.3ft Monster Cable) / Buy from Amazon.com (6ft Generic)


Overview : Enable video game play on your laptop, netbook and desktop.

Fully Compatible with Xbox 360™, Wii™, PS3™/PS2™, PSP 2000/3000 series™, Xbox™ GameCube™ or any device with component output. You can record gameplay, movie or take a screenshot of the gameplay to the hard drive so you can edit, use it as a wallpaper or record your gameplay for analysis. Compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Feature :

• Crystal Clear Picture Screen.
• Supports USB 2.0. Plug and play. Does not require any configuration
• Supports Streaming Video. Can be stored in multiple formats including: (MPEG-1/MPEG-2/MPEG-4/AVI/VCD/DVD/SVCD)
• Supports multiple picture file formats such as JPEG and GIF.
• Supports multiple input formats such as (NTSC/PAL/SECAM)
• Auto playback allows you to store in game action to your PC/laptop)
• Display settings can be adjusted such as Brightness/Contrast/Image Sharpness/Fullness/Color
• Supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems

Quality/Usability : Whether you're a game reviewer or a gamer who just wants to record their gameplay to show off to friends, post on the web or even capture the greatest moments, you would need to point your camera at your TV or connect your consoles to a capture video card on your computer. XCM has released the Vbox2 Advanced. This is an updated version of XCM V-box for the Wii. The Vbox2 Advanced works not only for the Wii but for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP 2000/3000, Original Xbox and GameCube.

The Vbox2 Advanced comes in a well built, white shell and a fairly small adapter. The USB cord is approximately 3 feet long. In order for this to work and to set it up, your computer needs to be near the consoles or you can use a laptop/netbook. This will not work on MAC's as the software works only on Windows Vista, XP and Windows 7. The driver and software can be downloaded at here. Some other system requirements are support for Direct X9.0 or higher version of AGP video card, Pentium 4 1.8GHz or higher, Centrino 1.4 GHz or higher, 256MB RAM, USB 2.0, Harddrive space (200MB for software, 1GB or more for recording space depending on length of record and file format.

Installation is very easy. Its like any other computer program. Simply download the driver from the link above and save it to you desktop. Once downloaded, extract the file. Double click on the file named "Vbox2 Advanced DRIVER.exe". Follow the prompts and at the end, it will require to restart your computer. Once your computer has rebooted from the restart, now its time to install the software. Double click on the file named "Vbox2 Advanced.msi" which is in the same folder as the driver. Follow the prompts and at the end, it will require you to restart your computer again. Once the computer has rebooted and the installation has been installed, there will now be a new icon on your desktop.

The first time you plug in the Vbox2 Advanced to the USB port on your computer, it will pop up with a message showing "Found New Hardware - USB 28165 device" and than "Found New Hardware - Your new hardware is installed and ready to use". Typical for any USB device being used for the first time. Now that the device has been found and ready to use, you can double click on the new Vbox2 Advanced icon. Double clicking on the icon will load up the software and will display the Vbox2 Advanced splash screen and sound clip. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Before disconnecting your console from your TV, be sure to set the consoles resolution to 480i/576i or 480p/576p. This is the only way the Vbox2 will recognize the signal from the console. If you dont and you just plug the cables to the Vbox2 Advanced, you'll get nothing but static or black screen.

Once you have set the correct resolution on the console, you can unplug the component cable from your TV and plug it into the Vbox2 Advanced. To display your console on the software, you will need to click on the camcorder icon (Switch to Media Viewer Mode) under viewer. A new set of toolbar icons will show underneath. Under "Select" click on "Device Options". This will show a window with "Video Format...", "Video Setting...", "Video Source", "Audio Format..." and "Audio Capture Pin...". Select "Video Source", it will show another window with "PAL", "NTSC", "480i/576i" and "480p/576p". From here, you will select the resolution of your console.

There are so many things you can do such as record your gameplay, take snapshots of your gameplay, play in full screen. You can even save a profile with your settings.

Videos below is to show you how to set up the Vbox2 Advanced with many consoles:
...

XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from Divineo China / Buy from Divineo France / Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from Amazon
Price: $79.90-120.00


Overview : Connect any Component Video source to any VGA monitor for the best resolution possible! Supports up to 1080p HDTV resolution! New sleek design.

Features :

• Supports PC video display resolutions up to UXGA (1600 x 1200 @ 75 Hz) or HD TV (up to 1920 x 1080)
• Supports 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p
• Display pictures from your console (Game Cube, Playstation 2, Xbox, PSP Slim, Wii , Xbox 360, Playstation 3) on your PC monitor (up to 1600 x 1200) or HDTV (up to 1920 x 1080)
• Supports SDTV, HDTV, XGA, SXGA, and UXGA video formats.
• Works on both PAL & NTSC systems.
• Easy Plug and play installation.
• Connect any compatible YPbPr (component video) device to your VGA monitor via Integrated YPbPr to RGBHV converter.
• Applications: TFT LCD monitor, CRT monitor, Set-top box, Display projector
• Works on LCD TFT monitors
• Video output: VGA
• Automatic video source mode detection (film/graphic)
• Motion-adaptive interfiled de-interlacing
• Uses the power from your USB port, no extra power supply needed!

Quality/Usability : I dont like to have lots of wires dangling or have to constantly plug/unplug cables so I opted to use the XCM Multi-Console Component Cable v3. The XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box is housed in a sturdy chrome casing with component cable input, VGA input and output, stereo speaker input and USB power input. The top of the XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box contains a SOURCE button as well as directional pads. The SOURCE button lights up when in use (blue for component and green for VGA) and allows you to switch between your computer/laptop or consoles. The directional pads allows you to change resolution and frequency on your monitor.

Below is a video of the Mega Cool VGA Box being used with the Multi-Console Component Cable.


I connected my PSP Slim, Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Dell computer to the Mega Cool VGA Box and to my Dell 24" 1080p Widescreen monitor. All worked flawlessly without a problem. Pictures displayed just like it would on a TV/monitor. There were no lags or distortions. I liked that you were able to change the resolution and refresh rate from the VGA box rather than going through all the menus on your monitor/TV. What I dont like however is that it only supports 1 component cable. Luckily, I have the multi-console cable but others might not and this may be an annoyance.

When switching devices, it does not remember the display resolution. So you'll have to go and change it each time. Its not a big problem but would be nice if it remembered the previous setting. I like the fact that it gets it power through the USB. Having multiple consoles, TV, satellite box, computer and other devices plugged in, I am running out of sockets in the surge protector. So using a USB port from either the Xbox 360, Wii, PS3 or PC is a PLUS in my book. If you're not using that device that the VGA box is connected to, it wont be powered. So you'll have to turn it on.

Conclusion : Overall, the XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box works great but as mentioned, it only allows for one component input. So if you have a PS3, Wii and Xbox 360, you can only connect one. If you want to play a different console, you'll have to unplug the cable and insert the other one. If you're like me and want to make your life easier, I suggest looking into XCM Multi-Console Component Cable v3. One cable that has all the connections for all consoles. When you want to use that console, just move the switch to that corresponding console and you're ready to go. No unplugging or plugging needed.

Would be nice if this was extended to incorporate additional component cables and turned into maybe a selector?

Images via comments ...

Talismoon Overlife Universal Charger
Manufacturer: Talismoon
Site: Buy from Divineo US
Price: $30.99

Universal Travel Charger (for non-EU users)
USB Power Travel Charger with Plug Converters / Travel All-in-One Universal AC Adapter with USB Power / Universal Travel AC Adapter Plug


Overview : More than a universal all in one charger, the Overlife will store energy to reload any devices independently. It is your ideal nomad companion. Overlife is a small, black shiny design nomad battery.

Just plug it to any USB port or wall plug, and you can directly charge any Motorola - Samsung - Nokia - Sony Ericsson - Samsung - iPhone - iPod - Mini USB - NDSL - NDSi and all PSP models. You can also store energy in, so you can charge any of your devices on the go.

A blue LED indicator shows you the level of charge and the charging status.

This perfect nomad companion will avoid you traveling with numerous bulky chargers, and provide emergency power in any situation.

Features:

• High capacity Lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack style
• Charge anywhere, recharge anything - standard USB input and output
• Inter-changeable connector heads charging different mobile phones, MP3/MP4 player, iPod, iPhone, PSP, NDS, etc.
• Power indicator LED shows battery capacity level.
• Impressive 2500mAh storage (recharge your devices and gadgets several times)
• None memory effect, short circuit protection
• Powerful power supply is enough for even the most power-hungry mobile devices.

Specifications:

• Battery Type: Lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery
• Capacity: 2500mAh
• Input Voltage: AC 100V-240V/50Hz-60Hz DC 5V / 1A
• Output Current: 1000mA (Max)
• Output Volts: 5.4V (+/-0.2V)
• Output Current: 1000mA (Max)
• Charging time: 3 ~ 3.5 Hours.
• Cycle Life: At least 500 times
• Operating Temperature: -10°C / 40°C
• Storage and Transportation Temperature: -20°C / 50°C
• Dimension: 92.5 * 57.3 * 13.8 mm
• Weight: 80g

Quality/Usability : Sometimes I forget to charge my PSP, DS, iPod and most importantly, my Blackberry cellphone. Its worse when you're not near a wall outlet, computer or have your charger on you. These days, majority of portable devices can be charged via USB. Talismoon has developed a product to help give you enough power to beat that boss on the last level or to help you get through you long commute with your music/movie or even that last minute call to your wife/mother.

The Talismoon Overlife Charger has a nice piano black gloss casing but can be a potential to be a fingerprint magnet and scratches. The front has a "CHECK" button. Around this button are 4 LEDs. When you press the "CHECK" button, blue LEDs will light up that will display whether the battery is LOW, HALF or FULL. If Overlife is fully charged, all three blue LEDs will be lit up. As the charge slowly dissipates from charging other products, the LED next to FULL will get dimmer and dimmer. As more charge is drained from Overlife, the LED will get dimmer until it is fully discharged. The fourth LED is when the Overlife is in use (USE) and lights up blue as well.

I personally dont know why Talismoon choose this method of display when you check the status of battery. I would of preferred a single LED to tell me if its full, half or low. Having the LEDs dim can get a little confusing considering its a little hard to tell by the brightness of the LEDs. Or even a single LED that changes color to let me know how much power is left.

The charge time on this is a little disappointing. It takes about 3 hours from a drained Overlife to a fully charge Overlife. I can live with 1.5-2 hour charge but 3 hours is a very long time. To charge the Overlife, you can use the included USB cable. However, this USB cable has two purposes...one is to charge the Overlife and one is to charge other devices. Simply connect the USB cord into the USB out port at the top of Overlife, attach one of the heads to the other end of the USB cable and start charging! The USB out port has a rubber cover to protect it. Unfortunately, this cover doesnt come out or pull out. You will have to pull it back. Sometimes, this can get in the way. Would have been nice if it came out further.

I've tried charging a completely dead Sony PSP using the interchangeable head and Overlife, the charging indicator on both the PSP and Overlife constantly blinked on and off. I charged the PSP and at 10%, the Overlife still blinked and the power status light on the PSP didnt change orange but stayed green but you can slightly see orange blink. Despite the LED indicators, the PSP's power source now stated "external" but was not charging (when PSP is turned on). So it seems that Overlife is not powerful enough to charge a completely dead PSP since it probably requires more power in the beginning. You only get a steady orange light is if the PSP is on, you connect the charging cable and you put the PSP to sleep. If you turn on the PSP, it turns on and than turns off. You'll have to unplug the charging cable in order to turn ...

XCM HDMI Blaster Converter
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from Divineo China / Buy from Divineo France / Buy from Amazon
Price: $99.99


Overview : The XCM HDMI Blaster will allow you to connect any Component Video Source to your HDTV via HDMI inputs to save those valuable Component Video Inputs for other devices or for use with sets that do not have component video inputs but do have HDMI inputs.

Features :

• Finally an HDMI converter for older (hdmi-less) consoles that brings the analog signal into the digital age.
• Converts your old analog signal to the new High Definition standard digital signal (HDMI).
• Compatible with Wii, PS 2, Original Xbox consoles, Gamecube, PSP Slim and more.
• Also compatible with any component (YbPbR) signal (ie: DVD Player, DVB, Cable Box, Satellite Receiver, etc).
• Experience the Brilliant, Colorful and Sharp video output on your HDTV.
• Supports any device with VGA output. Input resolution for vga is 800x600, 1024x768.
• Works on any HDTV or Monitor with HDMI or DVI inputs.
• Fully automatic power supply management. When there is no input signal, the power supply will shut off automatically for energy savings.
• Includes DVI to HDMI adapter.

Quality/Usability : XCM has been pumping out a lot of audio/video adapters for video game consoles whether it be VGA or DVI/HDMI. The newest product from XCM is the HDMI Blaster. The HDMI Blaster lets you converter analog signal to digital signal. It claims to be compatible with the PS2, Original Xbox, GameCube, PSP Slim and many more. However, older consoles dont have HDMI so you'll need a YPbPR (Component) cable. Since older consoles never came with these, you would have to purchase them separately whether they be OEM cables or XCM Multi-Console Component Cable v3.

In the package, you'll get the HDMI Blaster, HDMI Male/Male cable, HDMI to DVI Converter, Power cord and supply and instruction manual. Since I rarely read the manual to any of my electronics, hooking up the HDMI Blaster was pretty much straight forward and simple. You simply plug the component cable to the HDMI Blaster, plug the power to the wall and turn on your video game system and HDTV. The top of the HDMI Blaster contains a switch. This switch lets you toggle between Component output and VGA.

Component signals are outputted at 720p and resolution of 1024x768 on VGA. Although low even though you might have a display/console that can output 1080i/p, the quality is excellent. Since I got rid of my launch PS2 and original Xbox, I had to go and borrow one from a friend who actually likes to keep everything. I did however, have some games left since the PS3 and Xbox 360 are backwards compatible.

The colors were vibrant. From a normal and distant distance, the quality looks great. Of course, if you look up close, you will see jagged lines and pixels. Some will say that component will give just as good of a visual but if you're connecting component cable to the HDMI Blaster and connecting it via HDMI to the monitor, the quality is actually improved and better.

Since I was testing some older consoles, I thought I would try the Wii since it outputs at 480p. Yes, I can use component but wondered how it would look. After connecting the Wii to the HDMI Blaster, the quality was a lot better just like the older consoles. I was impressed. The PSP also produced great quality but was hampered with the length of the cord so you would be sitting close to the display.

Those looking to use VGA on this or computer monitor, I would not recommend this option. Using VGA would result in the quality being blurry and stretched out. If you're looking for a VGA adapter, I suggest taking a look at XCM 1080p Mega-Cool VGA Box. I would solely use the HDMI Blaster for component and DVI/HDMI.

Here is a video of the HDMI Blaster Converter in action...


Conclusion : Overall, the XCM HDMI Blaster is a great product for those looking to connect their old consoles and Wii via HDMI. Consoles connected via component will look great coming out of the HDMI Blaster. Unfortunately, the highest output for the HDMI Blaster is 720p and resolution of 1024x768 on VGA regardless if your console or monitor can display 1080i/p. Hopefully, XCM will release a 1080p version of this.

Images via comments. ...

News via pspita

New release for PSP3D. anmabagima developer plugin developed by introducing the effect on our PSP stereoscopic 3D anaglyph red / cyan. This new version, which bears the prx to version 0.2, adds support for four new games and adds Compatible with the other two types of glasses: green / magenta and blue / yellow.
A complete changelog and follow the link to download.

Changelog v0.2:

Quote:

- New supported games:
• Metal Gear Solid Portable OPS
• Star Wars Battlefront 2
• Death Jr.
• Tomb Raider Legends

- Support for the following glasses: green / magenta and blue / yellow ...

XCM Multi-Console Component Cable v3
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from Divineo China / Buy from Divineo France
Price: $39.99


Overview : Finally a single cable to connect ALL your consoles to your TV! No more switchbox's needed, this cable can handle it all. Finally you can free up those extra inputs on your TV for other devices!

Features :

• Fully Compatible with Xbox 360™, Wii™, PS3™/PS2™, PSP Slim™, Xbox™ consoles.
• Built in switch prevents interference of other consoles while in use.
• High quality shielded cable.
• Supports Component Signals (Stereo).
• High Quality and High Speed of Transfer Signal.
• Supports Dolby Prologic.
• Supports DTS 5.1 Channel System.
• Supports DOLBY Digital Surround Sound.
• Supports Stereo Sound.
• Supports Optical Signal on Xbox 360™.
• Compatible with Surround Sound Receiver or Integrated Amplifiers.
• Supports CRT, Plasma, LCD or any HDTV System
• Supports D2 (480i/480P); (720i/720P) & D4 (1080i/ 1080P) technology.

Quality/Usability : XCM has released another multi-console component cable but unlike v2, v3 supports not only Xbox360, Wii, PS2, PS3 but now PSP and the original Xbox! This is an all-in-one cable for your whole entire entertainment center.

There are five plugs for your console: PSP, PS2/PS3, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360. On the other end are the component cable inputs that connect to your TV. On the "switcher" itself, you have six switches: PSP, PS2/PS3, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360HD and 360SD. So just switch to the system you are playing with.

The quality of the cable is sturdy and very durable. The visual quality that the cable outputs is on par with that of the stand alone cables. I did not see any ghosting or any lag. The colors were bright and crisp from what I have seen during the testing. Switching between consoles only took a couple of seconds for it to be displayed. However, switching between consoles on the switcher can be a little annoying. Sometimes you'll "overshoot" the switch that you want. So you'll have to slowly push the switch.

In my original review of the Multi-Console Component Cable v2, I mentioned that the cable from system to system is fairly long. Its long enough if your system was near or next to each other. But after upgrading my entertainment center and having my systems in different locations, the cables were not long enough especially if you have them on different shelf heights. The cable from the TV to the switcher has a decent length to it.

Below is a video on how to connect the Multi-Console Component Cable v3:


Conclusion : Overall, the XCM Multi-Console Component Cable v3 works great like its predecessor. Quality and build is sturdy. Visual quality is great as well as the color. However, the length of the cables from system to switcher and to other systems isnt long enough if you have systems in different locations or on different shelves. If you have majority of the systems and they are near each other, you wont have all those cables dangling and it frees up your AV slots. However, if you only have 1 or 2 systems, this is not worth the cost. The price tag of $39.99 is fair but $29.99-$34.99 would be the sweet spot.

Images via comments ...