stick available to a PC via USB. The XMB may be accessed at any time in a game by pressing the "Home" button on the console. The PlayStation Portable's default background color is defaulted to change depending on the current month of the year, as follows: January – Silver February – Yellow March – Green April – Pink May – Dark Green June – Purple July – Aqua August – Sky Blue/Blue/Dark Blue September – Violet October – Gold November – Light Brown December – Red Firmware 2.00 and greater allows the user to manually pick a color theme (though one can still set it to change color by month) or specify a background image from any stored photo on the PlayStation Portable memory stick. A variety of homebrew programs allow users of older firmwares to change the PlayStation Portable's background image but only of a limited dimension. User skins for the UI may also be made available through online downloads or on UMDs as extras. [edit] Firmware Each PlayStation Portable runs a particular version of the PSP firmware, which comprises the device's operating system and additional core functionality. Firmware updates can be obtained in three ways: Direct download to the PSP over Wi-Fi. This can be performed by choosing "Settings" "Network Update" from the XMB. Download to a PC, then transfer to the PSP via a USB cable or Memory Stick. Included on the UMD of some games. These games may not run with earlier firmware than the version on their UMD. While firmware updates can be used with PlayStation Portables from any region, Sony recommends only downloading firmware updates released for the corresponding region. The current firmware version is 2.81. Updates so far have added support for features such as: WPA-PSK encryption for wireless communication built-in web browser (NetFront) ability to save audio and video from RSS channels LocationFree Player keyboard input mode for Web input audio switch function 4:3 mode for Memory Stick video playback AAC, ATRAC3plus, WAV and WMA audio playback from Memory Stick AVC video playback from Memory Stick GIF, BMP, PNG, and TIFF image viewing custom wallpapers image sharing Chinese (simplified & traditional) fonts and encoding higher security against various exploits and vulnerabilities Future updates are expected to add support for such features as: [20] VoIP o voice chat PSP EyeToy camera support o video chat GPS receiver support additional languages and supporting fonts official PlayStation emulator One of the possible reasons for an increase in firmware updates is to prevent homebrew programs for the PlayStation Portable from being executed. [21] Some of these programs encompass ISO loaders as well as emulators for older Nintendo [22] or Sega consoles. [edit] Homebrew development Main article: PlayStation Portable homebrew In May 2005, it was found that PlayStation Portables using the 1.00 version of the firmware (meaning original, first launch Japanese-only PlayStation Portables) could execute unsigned code. What this meant in practice was that these PlayStation Portables could run homebrew software, as the mechanism for checking to make sure that software has been approved by Sony had not yet been activated. Later exploits have allowed for PlayStation Portables using later versions of the firmware to run homebrew applications, and development of both new exploits to bypass restrictions and new restrictions to limit unauthorized programs is ongoing. [edit] Criticism [edit] Design problems In March 2005 G4TV reported that several of the initial units were shipped with dead pixels and defective square buttons. They also declared that several of the features of the PlayStation Portable, such as mp3 playback, were weak offerings. Finally, they complained that the requirement of a larger memory stick to use the device's full capabilities was a large hidden cost. [23] In March 2005 IGN cited battery life and load times as its primary criticisms of the PlayStation Portable. [24] Report have emerged of broken Analog nub becoming common for early model PSP's [[3]] though It only seems to affect a small amount of PSP's [edit] Ad campaign On July 5, 2006, news spread out that an ad released in the Netherlands showed a white woman holding a black woman by the jaw, saying "PlayStation Portable White is coming."[4] Some found this to be racist because of the physical violence and portrayal of a white woman subjugating a black woman in the ad, reminiscent of slavery. There were two other variants of this ad, one had the two women facing each other on equal footing in fighting stances [5], and the other had the black woman dominant on top of the white woman. [6] Sony claims that the point was to contrast the white vs. black versions of their machine available for sale. Critics claim that these alternative advertisements were created for plausible deniability, and that Sony was counting on the free publicity the "racism" charges would stir up. Sony had stated that these ads will not be released in the rest of Europe nor North America. Sony has recently announced that the controversial ads that have so far only been released in the Netherlands will now be pulled from that country. [25] [edit] Notes and references Handheld game consoles Early units See Microvision and Handheld electronic games Nintendo handhelds Game & Watch | Game Boy | Game Boy Color | Game Boy Advance (SP | Micro) | Nintendo DS (Lite) Bandai handhelds WonderSwan | WonderSwan Color | Swan Crystal GamePark / Holdings handhelds GP32 | GP2X | XGP | XGP Mini | XGP Kids SNK handhelds Neo Geo Pocket | Neo - Geo Pocket Color Sega handhelds Game Gear | Nomad | Mega Jet Sony handhelds PocketStation | PlayStation Portable Other handhelds Atari Lynx | Gamate | Watara Supervision | Game.com | Gizmondo | N-Gage | TurboExpress | Pepper Pad | GameKing | iRiver G10 Comparison 1. ^ a b c d e Cumulative Production Shipments of Hardware / PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). Sony. Retrieved on 2006-03-18. 2. ^ Jeff Haynes. "PlayStation Portable Price Lowered to $199:New basic bundle for Sony handheld due later this month", IGN, March 15, 2006. 3. ^ Chris Roper. "PS Biz Brief 06: New PlayStation Portable Package, Pricing, More: US and Europe to see reduced-cost packages; more white PlayStation Portables in Japan", IGN, March 14, 2006. 4. ^ David Jenkins. "PlayStation Portable Worldwide Shipments Hit 10 Million", Gamasutra, October 21, 2005. 5. ^ Matt Martin. "10 million DS sales in Europe by end of 2006 - Nintendo", GamesIndustry.biz, September 15, 2006. 6. ^ SCEA announces that PSP Greatest Hits are available for purchase. SCEA. Retrieved on 2006-08-04. . ability to save audio and video from RSS channels LocationFree Player keyboard input mode for Web input audio switch function 4:3 mode for Memory Stick video playback AAC, ATRAC3plus,. through online downloads or on UMDs as extras. [edit] Firmware Each PlayStation Portable runs a particular version of the PSP firmware, which comprises the device's operating system and. January – Silver February – Yellow March – Green April – Pink May – Dark Green June – Purple July – Aqua August – Sky Blue/Blue/Dark Blue September – Violet October – Gold