Reviews Blog

Shortly after I got my PSP I began receiving links from friends about a hack inside wipeout pure that would allow you to browse the web. However by the time I got around to getting the game and trying the hack the servers needed to run it had been taken down. Well being a bit of a hacker myself I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I found out that all you needed was a DNS server that would report a different ip for ingame.scea.com and then a web server setup to act like ingame.scea.com with the right directory structure and files. So the first thing I did was setup BIND on my Windows box. I usually would do this on linux but my only linux box is currently doubling as a poker bot server, but that’s for another post. The setup was fairly easy only because I had previous bind experience. First time users may find it a bit if a headache and it will probably take you half a day. Anyway once that was setup I setup a web server to think it was ingame.scea.com with the proper directory structure, which was basically a wipeout/index.html file. This is the file wipeout pure tries to grab when you select “Download” on the main screen. Once BIND was setup I setup a connection in my PSP to use my new internal BIND server. You set this connection up like any other wireless connection, except you choose Advanced for the address information and under DNS servers you put in the local IP of the machine where you just setup BIND. Once all three of these are done you simply fire up wipeout pure and select “Download” from the main screen. It will then try to access ingame.scea.com which you have redirected to your own server. The index file I setup was a simple start page with a link to Google and 2Jay:

You can even put google search boxes on there and the PSP browser will pop up a text input interface to input the search terms. From there I clicked through to 2Jay:

As you can see the PSP browser didn’t really understand our CSS only layout but I was able to read all the text on the page. Most sites layout well enough and graphics are supported. This fun little hack assures me that a better browser, natively supported is on the way from Sony. Why this wasn’t included in the release is beyond me. When they add IM and web browsing they can start working their way into the blackberry market, I know a few suits who wouldn’t mind being able to watch a movie or play a game or two on their communications device, plus the wide screen format is great for browsing. This hack is fun just to be able to do it, but not too useful when connecting to random wireless networks. Hurry up Sony and add native browser support!

Well, most of us don’t even have HDTVs in our homes yet, but the connectors that HDTVs and receivers use are already changing. There is a new HDMI connetctor that basically carries both video and audio signals where DVI only carries video. These new HDMI connectors are becoming standard equipment on many of todays new A/V receivers and HD televisions. But, there is good news, you can find HDMI to DVI adapters, HDMI cables and DVI cables that will do just about anything you want. I guess the real good news is that the information being sent is really no different, there is just a push to consolidate the number of cables and connectors that are being used to connect all of today’s audio and video devices.

Ahh yes, home theater. All I want in life is to be able to afford all of the home theater equipment I could ever want. Why? Well, if you don’t know the answer to that question, then you are probably not going to be interested in Home Theater Magazine. Home Theater is probably the oldest magazine dedicated to the home audio/video industry. HT provides everything from product reviews and recommendations to DVD reviews, industry commentary and much more. If you are simply looking for suggestions on what products to buy in your price range or want to stay up on the latest technologies like Over the Air HDTV, Home Theater Magazine is a great place to start.

While I am no PHP guru, I did pick up a great book for beginners on programming with PHP last year. It was pretty amazing how quickly I had a dynamically generated website put together displaying data from a MySQL DB with over ten thousand records. The book was designed for a complete PHP rookie like myself and covered some basics, supplied basic code and covered how to integrate your website with a MySQL database with PHP. In a couple of hours I had created a complete website that had over 10,000 pages with little effort. If you are thinking about learning a programming language like PHP, I would recommend you pick up a book designed for beginners like I did. You can read about a number of books desigened for beginners on our PHP book review pages.

Just picked up the best $20 accessory that I have probably ever purchased. I bought a iPod USB and Firewire connector to connect my iPod to my new Home Media Center PC. More on the home media pc in a minute. The connector is recognized instantly by Windows XP and installs the necessary USB drivers in a few seconds. Then it is off to the races. I transferred almost 40GB of music to my computer in about 20 minutes using the USB 2.0 connector. I wanted to try out the firewire connection as well, but my friend said that the firewire and USB 2.0 transfer rates are almost identical. Microsoft released a special version of windows called Media Center Edition. It is a Tivo, jukebox, photo album and video jukebox all in one. If you have not heard about it, you should take a peek over at Microsoft and check it out. They have an online demo that let’s you use the MCE interface…it is pretty slick.

Doyle Brunson, the man who won back-to-back World Series of Poker championships with a 10-2 combo, just relesed the follow-up to his famous Super System poker guide. The “bible of poker”, the Super System has been read by hundreds of thousands of poker players including all of the great poker players like Johhny Chan and Amarillo Slim. Old and young, they have all read it, and for good reason. The Super System will help even good poker players be better. Now, The Super System has been revised and brought up to date in what is becoming the fastest growing sport in the world…Poker. So, if you are new to the game or you are looking to improve your game play, the Super System is a must read.

I’ve owned every home game console ever made but I haven’t ever made the jump to the hand held gaming market. They just didn’t offer me the entertainment I desired….until now. Enter the Sony PSP

If you haven’t heard of the PSP then I don’t know where you’ve been. The buzz leading up to it and the hype around it’s release was well orchestrated by Sony. I did my best to fight the urge to buy the first generation, knowing that the second gen would fix many bugs and may add features. However when my laptop hard drive died on a recent trip the thought of a 12hr plane ride from Hawaii to Boston with no laptop pushed me over the edge. I’ve never been so happy to have a hard drive fail.

There were a few things I really wanted to see from the PSP before I bought it, namely web browsing, IM and GPS. Well it appears that PSP web browsing is now a reality even if it is a hack for now. This means that sony will likely come out with a browser and IM app for the PSP. Also a GPS has already been announced, so basically all my desires are coming true.

All the new features aside this is a great gaming device. The screen is superb and the sound with the included headphones excellent. I love the built in analog controller and the fact that the controls are the same as the PS2 made me feel right at home. The battery life was great for me. I got full game play from Hawaii to LA and then enough time in LA to charge it up again for the trip to Boston. Two kids sitting in the same row couldn’t keep their eye’s off it and mom didn’t seem too happy that their Gameboy Advanced no longer satisfied them. Setting up wireless networks was a snap and I was able to check the Sony web site for updates immediately. Tiger Woods golf has already given me hours of solitary game play and I can’t wait for the time when I am in an airport and can randomly challenge someone to a game of Wipeout Pure or Twisted Metal head on. I will be getting the GPS as soon as it comes out and add another review then. The only movie I have watched is the included Spider Man 2, which looked and sounded great, and I look forward to getting a memory card and compressing some flicks down for my next long flight.

Overall I am very satisfied with the PSP, both it’s current capabilities and it’s future expandability. I am not sorry I didn’t wait for version 2 (yet) but if it’s that much better I’ll just have to pick it up too. If you’ve never owned a handheld gaming system this is the one to finally buy. There is nothing like being able to get your guilt free gaming on in places where there’s no chance of doing anything else productive. PSP gets 5 stars in my book.

Looking for the best Bluetooth headset on the market? Then you need the Motorola HS810 Bluetooth headset. It is the best Bluetooth headset I have tried…and I have tried a lot recently. This headset is super light and comfortable. I wore mine for 3.5 hours straight yesterday and I can honestly say that it did not even begin to pinch my ear. The volue level is amazing. I have it on the lowest possible setting as it can get insanely loud…I am going to have to get one for my father…he can’t hear very well. But, seriously if you are in the market for a great Bluetooth headset, do yourself a favor and get the HS810. It worked right out of the box with my Nokia 6620 and my Nokia 6230 (yes, I am that big of a dork that I have 2 phones). It is easy to use, configure and the batter lasts a very, very long time.

It is funny how pop culture has really taken over our society, yet there are many people who have no idea who some of the latest millionaires and media “moguls” are. Take Jay Z for instance. Many people have no idea who he is, but for people my age and younger, we know Jay Z as a rapper/hip-hop artist. But, Jay Z is smarter than that and realized diversification of his business is essential to making sure he has money in the bank for the rest of his life. A few years ago, after success on the music charts, Jay Z started a clothing label called Roca Wear. Roca Wear catered to the “urban” crowd and I have one of their warm-ups myself. I have to say, it is super comfortable and is made of the softest velvet I have ever felt. And, it better because it wasn’t cheap. Now Jay Z is into all kinds of things including his own Vodka…but, the name escapes me right now. He also has a new album out entitled Reasonable Doubt. I am sure you can figure out where that title came from.