Kinect hacked to work with PlayStation 3, plays Killzone 3 badly

Microsoft's Kinect, the fastest-selling gadget ever, has now been hacked to work with the PlayStation 3.

The Kinect isn't directly plugged into a PS3, though (that would be too awesome). Instead, it's plugged into a conventional PC laptop, where PrimeSense's first-party drivers are used to interface with Kinect. The data from Kinect is then converted into a format that the PS3 can understand, and output directly to the console using using diyps3controller, which lets the laptop USB controller interface with the PS3.

There's a video of the developer logging in and playing Killzone 3 on his PS3 using the Kinect after the break. Well, attempting to play Killzon 3, we should say. It seems like the hack has a little way to go before it's actually usable...

Lag-free Wii on PSP episode II: Mario Kart strikes back

It looks like our favorite PSP Fanboy, Obiwan222222, is up to his old tricks once again, and his latest video shows that he has finally eliminated the lag problem that plagued his first attempt to play Wii on a PSP four years ago. Using a Wii emulator on a PC, some custom firmware, and a program called PSPDisplay, he has managed to stream video and sound to his PSP Go in real time. He also mapped the Wii controls (Wiimote waving excluded, we presume) to the handheld to complete the full Wii-on-PSP gameplaying experience. To see the slick mod in action, check the video after the break.

Source:Engadget

iPhone headset socket hijacked to power DIY peripherals (video)

Hijacking Power and Bandwidth from the Mobile Phone's Audio Interface - Integrated Prototype from Thomas Schmid on Vimeo.

Apple's proprietary dock connector may keep would-be peripheral manufacturers at bay, but if you want to build your own iOS companion devices, there's another way. You might have noticed that the Square credit card reader uses Apple's 3.5mm headset jack to transmit power and data at once, and gadgeteers at the University of Michigan are busy open-sourcing the same technique for all the DIY contraptions you can dream of. Project HiJack has already figured out how to pull 7.4 milliwatts out of a 22kHz audio tone, and built a series of prototype boards (including working EKG, temperature, humidity and motion sensors) that transmit data to and from an iOS app at up to 8.82 kbaud -- using just $2.34 worth of electronic components. See the basic principles at work in the video above, and -- as soon as the team updates Google Code -- find out how to build your own at the links below.

Ars Technica

Project HiJack

Holy reverse KIRF Batman! Meizu M9 ROM ported to HTC EVO 4G

Some industrious hackers have created a port of the Meizu M9 ROM for the HTC EVO 4G, bringing a little KIRF flavor to Sprint's favorite jumbo phone. The port is still in the developmental stages, but most of the M9 functionality appears to already be working, with only the port from GSM to CDMA and tweaks to screen resolution left to do. After a little spit-shine to make sure the build is stable, EVO owners can finally see what the Meizu M9 fuss is all about without having to actually buy one. Of course, why you'd actually want to do this to your perfectly functional Android phone is a question that may never truly find a legitimate answer.

Via:Engadget

Ali Waqas

MIUI-Developers, xda-developers

Massive co-founder worries effects of PS3 piracy could be worse than handhelds' plight

Wondering why there's such a hullabaloo over that PS3 security breach? According to Martin Walfisz, who co-founded Massive Entertainment (but left the company shortly after its purchase by Ubisoft to focus on development of new DRM strategies), it's because it's the end of the world. Well, okay, maybe it's not that bad -- but Walfisz paints a pretty grim picture for Sony, telling GamesIndustry.biz, "If that hack works as reported, I don't believe that Sony can regain any control."

Walfisz predicts that Sony could employ a system similar to Microsoft's anti-piracy measures through Xbox Live, blocking hacked PS3s from connecting to the PlayStation Network; though if the hack works as reported, and doesn't require a mod chip to function, Walfisz worries Sony won't be able to detect which users are playing pirated games -- though Sony claims it can and will shut down "jailbroken" consoles. What's worse, Walfisz adds, "I would assume that pirated copies can be stored on the HDD as well, making it so easy to use that PS3 piracy, given time, might even surpass the handhelds." Piracy is pernicious enough on exposed systems, but super convenient piracy? Yikes.
Source: GamesIndustry

PS3 trophies threatened by jailbreak tool

The PS3 jailbreak threatens to wreck havoc on the PlayStation ecosystem in ways beyond just piracy. The integrity of the PS3 trophy system hangs in the balance, as hackers have supposedly created an app that unlocks trophies in games automatically. CVG reports that the tool has been used to unlock trophies in BUZZ! and the notoriously challenging PAIN. Oddly, the tool apparently doesn't work in games like Resident Evil 5 and Batman: Arkham Asylum, meaning it isn't quite foolproof yet.

Obviously, a compromise like this undermines the entire point of the trophy system. Sony's Eric Lempel explained to us that the PSP couldn't support trophies due to the unsecured nature of that platform. "If people can artificially inflate their rankings ... it kills the whole [Trophy] system," he explained. Unfortunately, it appears Sony now faces the same issue on the PS3.

"We are aware of this, and are currently looking into it," a SCEE representative commented. "We will fix the issues through network updates, but because this is a security issue, we are not able to provide you with any more details."
Source: CVG

HTC HD2 gets its very own Windows Phone 7 ROM (video)

While its original OS might be yesterday's news, the 4.3 inch HTC HD2 with 1GHz Snapdragon processor still has plenty of life in it thanks to the industrious efforts of the global development community. A new Windows Phone 7 ROM has just been released by DFT (Dark Forces Team) for your flashing pleasures. While it's said to be working at nearly 100 percent, it does come with the caveat of lacking access to any Windows Live services. As such, you won't be downloading apps or media from Marketplace or setting up your avatar on Xbox Live -- pretty serious omissions for a WP7 device. Nevertheless, if you're an HD2 owner just aching for a taste of Microsoft's newest OS then now's your chance. Video of the ROM in action after the break.

[Thanks, br0adband]

Report: Sony could remotely disable jailbroken PS3s

With PS3 open territory for hackers and pirates, many have been wondering what action Sony will take to secure its system. The platform-destroying piracy rampant on PSP makes it clear exactly how much is at stake. To date, Sony's response to the jailbreak has been limited to mandatory firmware updates and revoking PSN access to those that refuse to use official system software.

However, a report by Digital Foundry claims that Sony can take far more drastic measures. Even if you've never signed up for a PSN account, your console will communicate with Sony servers every time it boots up. That initial load process is used to upload error logs, download updates to the "What's New" module, and a list of recently-run applications, including any unauthorized backup manager software.

Sony has yet to ban any consoles for taking advantage of the jailbreak, but the terms and conditions of the PlayStation Network make it clear that Sony has the authority to carry them out. Thanks to the system's constant self-reporting feature, "the company even has the means to irrevocably disable your console should it so wish," rendering affected PS3 consoles unusable, online and off. But will Sony ever use such a drastic measure? And if so, how will the hacker scene retaliate?

[Thanks, Vallanthaz]

Modder changes iPhone tilt controls to joystick controls

We've seen modders and peripheral manufacturers alike try to make gaming on the iPhone's glossy, contextless touch screen a bit more tangible, but we've never seen anything quite like this. Shane Wighton of Mechanically Inclined has managed to turn an ordinary Arduino, a webcam, some motors and a metal frame into a ... well, we're not sure if there's a name for it yet, because "Remote Gyroscopic Movement Controller Suspension System" seems just a tad wordy.

The device allows you to tilt your iPhone with precision using a remote controller, which would hypothetically not only change your strategy when you're desperately grasping for that high score in Tilt to Live, but also change the title of the game entirely. Again, we'd need to workshop a new title, as Remote Gyroscopic Movement etc. to Live doesn't exactly drip right off the tongue. Wighton hopes to program the machine to play the game by itself, which we think we can all agree is terrifying. Until then, check out a video of this clever, verbose mod after the jump.