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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.
Maybe we'll get mice next... then the FPS games will actually be playable!!
OMG SOEMOEN SI H4X0RING MAI B0X3N!1!
Mirrored just in case.
/. community's attention.
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
Tempting...
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I'm not a troll; I'm just a skeptic.
Falun Dafa is good!
This story will probably garner a few comments along the lines of, "What's the point?" The interesting thing to me in this case is that the usual geek response of "Because it's there" applies, but there's also a bit of the gaming spirit at work.
If Sony hadn't invested so much time and effort in DRM etc., the PSP would be a much easier hack. But because they installed all these roadblocks, the hobbyist community has had to work hard for each success.
In a way, it's like a well-balanced game. It's challenging to make progress, but when you do, it's satisfying because of the work you put into getting tangible results. A game that hands you all the solutions is not much fun, but a game that offers well-balanced challenges can be a good time for a long while. Seems that Sony unintentionally created a pretty sweet "game" with the restrictions built into the PSP itself. Even if you're not in on the actual hacking, it has been fun to watch the hackers steadily proceed to the next level, and the next.
The only real point to this is to show that it "can be done," which isn't a bad reason to play around with things. But as for any real "killer apps," the keyboard attachment sort of kills the PSP's original "killer app" of portability in the gaming arena,...
Now all we need to do is figure out how to connect a Monitor, a Printer, and a scanner. Oh, and a mouse too. And then build a full sized case that it can go in with usb ports, audio and flash ports and such... Now THAT would be the killer app.
I have created a PSP mod (no swapping needed) that will allow you to browse old posts on Slashdot.. on the FRONT PAGE!! Brilliant!!
What? You can already do that? With any browser? Sheesh..
/. spaztech
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.
From hell's heart I fstab at /dev/hdc
$1100 up for grabs for someone who makes a tcp/ip interface for the PSP. Wow.
It seems people are having more fun hacking the poor thing than actually playing games on it.
Only a matter of time before I can Linux on it.
insert inflammatory anti-microsoft comment here
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.
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).
s -mammatus.html
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/june2004hasting
Mofication
Main Entry: mofication
Pronunciation: "mo-f&-'kA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : ones transformation into a Bad Mofo : see Pulp Fiction
More
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!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
If you can find a killer app for a portable device connected to a non-portable keyboard, consider me Miles Davis.
The PSP's USB port is a slave port. It could not by default supply power to an attached keyboard. It has been surmised that the port CAN be used as a master to talk to an attached device or peripheral; to prevent any damage to a computer or the like attached when this is done, the port is likely unable to supply power. The screw terminals on either side of the USB port are reported to supply power to an attached peripheral (or the peripheral can use its own internal power supply)
This configuration as shown relies on the PSP's USB port being able to supply 5V to the keyboard, which is highly unlikely according to people who know a lot more about it than I do. If the guy wanted to make a better 'fake, he should have run some dummy wires over to the screw terminals or mentioned something about supplying power to the keyboard or talked about USB master vs slave.. The absense of him addressing any of these problems makes the thing smell very much like a crappy hoax.
The only reason people do this stupid stuff is because idiotic editors REPORT IT.
Look, I duct-taped an oscilloscope to a poodle! Of course there's a lot to be done on the software side, but in the meantime it's a very interesting canine modification!
Try this peripheral.
Mofication ain't no country I ever heard of! They speak English in Mofication?
---k--
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