Hacking the PSP: Cool Hacks, Mods, and Customizations for the Sony PlayStation Portable (ExtremeTech) Reviews

• Making other PSP books obsolete

  
  By A2OSRL40RZJQY5 on 2006-03-29
  With the complexity of today's gaming consoles, it's no surprise we need books like Hacking the PSP. The amount of things that can be done to this little handheld is astonishing, and there isn't another book out there on this console that covers this much. The flashy, foil cover isn't just for show. It's there to grab attention away from the other books on the same topic because they're nearly rendered useless.
  
  Hacking the PSP is a 300+ page book that offers something for anyone who owns the console. The basics are here, from simple things like getting video onto the console to playing around with photos. The extensive coverage of the web browser is by far the most well written guide on this feature yet. The layout is simple, easy to follow, and the pictures clear enough in black & white to understand.
  
  That's the type of thing covered in other books and the manual though. To make this stand out, Auri Rahimzadeh digs deep to offer some remarkable things to do. He goes above and beyond the call by including a chapter on basic C and C++ programming to get simple code up and running. It would have been expected to toss the code out there for the people who understand it, but Rahimzadeh takes the time to explain the origins of the code, how it works, and why you would want to do this in the first place.
  
  Little tips strewn throughout the book offer tiny tidbits that are useful and possible without any hacking. All of those game save pictures on the memory stick can be changed to your liking, something not covered in Sony's manual. It's not the easiest process (and it's arguable that it's not even worth it), but it's here in plain English if you want to give it a shot.
  
  The side bars, like the explanation of widescreen and various resolutions is informative, not just filler. Rahimzadeh tosses in some light commentary at times too. This breaks up the guide and offers something different than instruction.
  
  Hacking the PSP covers things away from the internals of the system too. If you want to build a cheap car stand for your console, the deeply involving guide is more than enough to do so. It may not look pretty, but it seems functional. There is plenty of information on keeping your battery going, even going as far building an external battery pack if your addiction has gone way over the point of no return and you cry if the included battery dies.
  
  The only complaint here isn't against the author, but time. There's zero coverage on newer firmware updates, and while the hundreds of links provided will guide you in the right direction, it's now history to be discussing the 2.0 firmware. The speed of PSP development is simply too fast to keep up with in a book like this.
  
  It's the same problem with the other PSP-based books too. We'll never see a definitive guide until this console is dead and gone. Until that finally happens, we have Hacking the PSP, and aside from the web, it's all we need. O'Reily's PSP Hacks, while a solid book on its own, pales in comparison to how comprehensive this is.
  
  

• Great book

  
  By A35XBB9Q2TXQ7H on 2006-04-15
  I managed to get a copy of this book directly from the author, for review on psp-hacks.com (a site I admin). I've been using the PSP for over a year, and knew pretty much all there was to know.
  I didn't think this book would cover everything it should, but amazingly enough, it did. It also covered things and explained them in such great detail that I was shocked. The book covers stuff I haven't seen before, such as building a mount to put in your car, and making your own adapter to use other memory stick format types.
  
  If you are new to the PSP scene, I very highly suggest this!
  
  

• Useful book

  
  By A8TH0J3QMX8RJ on 2006-06-11
  I recieved a PSP for christmas, but until I got this book I had no idea what a powerful machine it is! This book will teach you how to do anything you have ever wanted to do, including; build a battery pack, revert your firmware (without bricking your psp!), turn a one player game into a two player game, write your own homebrew applications, watch Tivo, take documents with you, teach your PSP how to read, instant message, and tons of other cool hacks! The accomompanying website is also a great help, since it is filled with homebrew applications! I also highly suggest his other book, Geek my Ride.
  
  

• Not for programmers

  
  By A3EQ61ES6HQ090 on 2007-03-14
  Despite the obvious reference to programming in the title (alas, the term "hacking" has been used for much less worthwhile pursuits lately), the book contains very little with respect to writing applications for PSP. Instead, it's largely devoted to electronic and aesthetic "hacks" - like making a PSP holder for your car.
  The book barely touches on development, only mentioning the toolkit and a few installation steps, which makes its title a lot less meaningful.
  
  

• A PSP Must Have!!!

  
  By AAME7CRJ4BOW4 on 2006-01-14
  Anyone who truly wants to harness the power of the PSP needs this book. The book detalis many audio, video, e-book, and game hacks, while also having an indepth step-by-step section on downgrading a PSP. The downgrade enables users to run many different applications. The illustrations and steps allow very easy use with great results. The author also has a web page and e-mail address listed in the book in the case more help is needed. All of this info. makes "Hacking the PSP" the Holy Grail of extreme PSP use.
  
  
• great psp accompaniment!!!
  By A1532OD4KEZCUN on 2006-04-29
  I received a Sony PSP as a mother's day gift and wanted to gain more intell than I found in the owner's manual. I purchased Mr. Rahimzadeh's book and found it extraordinarily useful! I recommend HACKING THE PSP to anyone who wants to take full advantage of all the cool capabilities of their new toy.
  
  
• Extreme Fun!
  By A2ZCTQE0PVFKU on 2006-02-02
  This makes a PSP even more fun to enjoy. It enjoys being easy to read while going deep into detail. The downgrade section was something totally new to me. The illustrations and steps allow very easy use with great results. I appreciate the author putting in contact information even though you probably won't need it since the book is well formatted and illustrated. Well worth the investment!
  
  
• Auri Auri Auri...
  By A3VY5071H6JM3R on 2006-02-06
  Mr Auri,
  
  So pleased that you released this book and was very open about the Mac as well as the PC which means a lot to me.
  
  Very well presented and a nice shiny cover to blind people in the bright sun :)
  
  I have nothing bad to say apart from keeping me up until 3am reading your book.
  
  Thanks Mate your the best
  
  From
  
  Wally AKA Ben
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Hacking the PSP
  By A29QIP7IY45OXO on 2006-02-26
  the book, Hacking the PSP, is awesome! I'm new to psp and i have found this book to be very well laid out, extremely informative and a great read. Excellent job Auri Rahimzadeh!
  Would be the ultimate asset for anyone owning a psp to have and especially for those who want to know more of the possibilities that psp has. Auri has a fantastic site too with lots of goodies.
  8)
  
  
• Wonderful book for any PSP owner
  By A3GMORPBPLQPYZ on 2006-02-03
  This book is worth all the money you pay for it. Even if you are "teh l33t h4x0r", I am sure you will learn something new out of it. It is nearly flawless and the author put up a website for it, a forum, and also his email address and IM names. I even got more help from him over AIM last night and he actually talks to people and helps when I didn't understand some of the terminology. that was a cool experience.
  
  All chapters that make up the 300+ pages have some great stuff. While I am currently at the firmware version that doesn't have homebrew compatiblility yet, which homebrew apps are the cream of the crop of hacks, I can still do a lot with my 2.6 PSP.
  
  Auri does a great job of putting in all the necessary pictures and then some, as well as keeping it in a personal tone to avoid what plagues most manuals and related books. It didn't bore me and I want to do so much more out of the book.
  
  
  Sheen rates it at 5 stars
  
  
• GREAT BOOK
  By A3VJ26457MHV0N on 2006-02-04
  This book was really good. It shows a whole ton of good hacks and ways you make things such as your own battery pack, a car stand you name it. The even better thing was it explains it really easy well now im not to smart and I actually understood this. If there were more than 5 stars I would definately put more. I reccomend you buy this book.Also the website Auri made is really helpful to hackingpsp.com
  Anthony Arellano
  
  
• The best book for hacking the PSP
  By A3VXB5Q0MXD2CF on 2006-04-18
  I got this book a few days ago and I could not put this down. The first day I put a couple of home brew games on my psp and it worked fine. This is a Great book!
  
  
• Awesome book!
  By A29QIP7IY45OXO on 2006-02-26
  I found the book of Auri's to be outstanding! Very well laid out, colourful cover, tons of useful information and links, and
  a truly great read especially for psp owners who want to learn of all its possibilities. A must read for users visiting IRC channels to learn more. I highly recommend all Auri's books and wish the best for all Auri's future endevours, God Bless!
  
  
• Best PSP Hacking Book to Date
  By A3QHEOOVWL2EM on 2006-03-14
  This is by far the best PSP hacking book I have ever read. I have read others but none were as good as this one. With its shiny cover and a great looking layout this makes a perfect gift & a good read to anybody who is not sure were to start on PSP's. I learned so much from this book, It covers just about everything. There are lots of picrtures to aid you in your hacking adventure. I highly recomend this book.
  
  
• PSP Hacking Book
  By A2NI8Y74XRRNN8 on 2006-11-04
  This is an alright book depending on how much you are into your psp. I would recommend it to an extreme psp player, but not an everyday average psp player.
  
  

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