On May 10, sites like PSP Hacker reported that a Japanese hacker known only by the name Mr. Mirakichi had developed a program called RIN that let the PSP play software written for the original black-and-white Nintendo Game Boy system.
Emulators like RIN, programs that let a computer run software intended for a different platform, have long been popular among fans of classic video games who want to play the games of yesteryear without having to deal with aging hardware. While emulators themselves are freely distributable, the files that contain game data are protected by copyright. This has barely slowed their popularity.
But the development of emulators for a new operating system is usually a slow and laborious process, so the speed and accuracy with which anonymous Japanese hackers have mastered the PSP has been surprising. New, tweaked versions of RIN appear almost daily, and other emulators that run games for different classic systems like the Sega Genesis and Nintendo Entertainment System have appeared as well.
Some of the programs, like a Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulator, are in early stages of development and run games very slowly if at all. But some, like an emulator that runs games from NEC's TurboGrafx-16 hardware, are nearly flawless, featuring full sound, full speed and the option to stretch the game's graphics to fill the PSP's wide-screen display.
There is one catch -- so far, the hackers have only found a way around the security of the original firmware that was installed on the first batch of Japanese PSP systems. Later units, including every one released in the United States, contain version 1.5 of the firmware, which tightens up security.
When it became available, Sony made the version 1.5 upgrade available to users via download, encouraging them to update their systems. Those who did not upgrade are the only PSP users who can run the emulator software, as well as all other PSP "home-brew" applications such as original, user-created games.
Even without knowing that such software was on the horizon, some PSP owners decided not to upgrade. "I'd had previous bad experiences with the PSX (Sony's PlayStation-branded digital video recorder) firmware," said David Coyles, a Tokyo-based software engineer. "A couple of friends and I were suspicious that some functionality might be lost in a firmware upgrade.
"The PSP is very open for a Sony product, and the fear we had was that perhaps its open nature was by mistake and not design. We'd decided we'd always hold off from upgrading until the full effect was documented," said Coyles.
Alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but then again, neither does milk.
Damien said I should make a donate page, we only need another £20,000 tio keep this site up and running so please donate what you can 
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(though it's better than nothing)
