PC Keyboard Connected to PSP

An anonymous reader writes "A hardware engineer has managed to successfully connect a full-sized PC keyboard to the Sony PSP handheld. It looks as if the hardware modification was done with several different xlink cable connectors modified to interlink with each other. Obviously, the software side of things is not complete, but this is still a very interesting modification." The real question is what killer apps will come out of all this PSP hacking. There has to be more than just MAME emulation.

Comments

Check out my masterpiece...

[A Dafa Disciple]

Mirrored just in case.

We apologize for the somewhat poor quality pictures... the creator of this masterpiece says that soon he will let us know exactly how he created this hardware modification, of course the software side of things is not fully functional."

So, basically what you're saying is that I can take anything with cables, connect it to a PSP adaptor with electrical tape, take low resolution pictures which show absolutely nothing definitive, declare that I've done a hack, and you will then declare it a masterpiece while posting it on the front page of your news section, thus somehow fooling someone (not to mention CmdrTaco) into thinking that this is material worthy of the /. community's attention.

Tempting...

--
I'm not a troll; I'm just a skeptic.

keyboard layout

[Anonymous Coward]

Now I can play all those First Person Shooters using WASD

Editors non-sequitor comments

[Rudeboy777]

Why would Taco even mention MAME emulation for a story about a keyboard hack? I appreciate the effort put forth to get this working, but there will be no "killer app" as a result of this. A full size keyboard sort of destroys the portability of the PSP, and I can already connect a full size keyboard to my PDA.

No as portable

[neonenergy]

Although a full sized keyboard would allow much more room for typing and stuff, id prefer the mini keyboard that someone has already hacked to work with the IR port on the psp. I cant access gaming stuff at work, so i leave it to you to find out more about it.

Fantastic, but..

[almostmanda]

Wasn't the PSP supposed to do all this neat shit to begin with? Why can't I browse the web with it, straight out of the box? I'm not a hobbyist or a hardcore gamer, but I was interested in this device until I found out how much Sony had crippled it. Call me in a year, when it's $100 cheaper and the hacking community has made it easy for me, the casual user, to enjoy the full potential of such a machine. Then, I'll pick one up.

Re:Fantastic, but..

[radish]

I don't see it as crippled. It's advertised and sold as a device for playing games, watching movies and listening to music. I can do all those things on mine, whether it be watching DVD rips, listening to mp3s, or playing (paid for) games. All this is from built in, Sony approved functionality. In addition, with a suitable proxy and a copy of Wipeout I can browse the web via wifi, although I'm not sure why I'd want to given the lack of keyboard.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that no, it's not easy to load your own apps on this device, but that doesn't make it "crippled". If you want some general purpose device go buy an ipaq or one of those Sharp linux things.

Call me in a year, when it's $100 cheaper and the hacking community has made it easy for me, the casual user, to enjoy the full potential of such a machine

If the hacking community continue their quest to make pirating games easier I doubt it will drop $100 in price, they may not even be being sold anymore. And besides, I really don't think you fit into the normal definition of "casual user".

This article makes my head hurt

[@madeus]

Indeed, just so everyone is aware, the PSP already has a straight forward (mini) USB interface (having bought an import model without any cables, I use a regular USB cable to mount it's Memory Stick on my PowerBook, for example).

So, this guy has plugged a USB keyboard, into a device with a USB interface. It still has no software support, but err, it fit's physically. Whoohoo!

This sort of thing really bites when you read all the great stories that never get accepted (though people posting them in comments, and though having interesting articles rejected in the past, only to see them get posted coming from someone else several days later, but with a brain dead write-up).

So, anyone got anything that might actually be interesting to share?

I saw this today, which I think is pretty cool:
http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/june2004hastings -mammatus.html

APRIL FOOLS???

[ferrellcat]

Hell, I know it's a slow news day, and heck, it's JULY, not APRIL, but WTF??? A guy PHYSICALLY connects a USB keyboard to a device that has a USB connector??? AMAZING!!! I know I'l probably be modded down for this, but this has to be the most fucking retarded "news" story I have EVER seen on slashdot! This would have been news if he had coded a driver or app to actually CAPTURE the keystrokes, but getting a news story for simply connecting it to a keyboard? COME ON! In fact...I'm going to copy this amazing feat right now... 1. connect USB-A to USB-MiniB cable to PSP 2. connect USB-A to USB-A adapter to cable. 3. connect USB keyboard to adapter. OMFG!!! I did it too!!! CAN I BE FAMOUS??? Coming soon to Slashdot: I connect a Hello Kitty USB vibrator to my PSP!