Just seen this information you should be aware of :-

Quote taken from dcemu.co.uk

"The guys over at PSP-Vault have uncovered some hidden secrets in Sonys firmware 2.80. Firmware 2.80 sends out detailed information about the PSP web browser including your PSP product code and your firmware! Its now even possible for websites to check your PSP firmware and choose whether or not to grant you access! Strangely enough, I don't remember any of these features being mentioned by Sony. Sneaky don't you think?" :thumbdwn:

So if you have one of these, you may want to think before you upgrade.

or register on the above to post a comment

I can understand the privacy concerns but all web browsers send information to the server when they connect...sending the product code does sound a bit odd though :(

Its typical sony...

Theres a big thing about their music cds installing a rootkit on windows PCs

Not really surprised if there are hacked firmwares out there that could allow you to play illegit games ?

This is their product after all, and how is this causing a privacy concern, it doesnt put your phone number/contact details generally in this upload ?

The rootkit was a totally different level of stupidity/madness on their behalf, there was (and is) just no excuse for having that as part of a music CD (imho of course )

The problem with not installing the updated firmware is that games released after a firmware upgrade are unplayable until the new firmware version is installed. Not that I care, it's not as if I can regester it properly anyway, as mines a Japanese version, or that I'll ever bother using the internet browser on it as it's too fiddly.

fail to see the problem myself. more than happy to post my serial number on here. its like its personal info or anythihng

I used the web browser once and it's a right pain, just as bad as using a mobile phone.

Shockingly, I use mine to play games and listen to music.

i use the browser at home via our wireless sometimes

I tried it and can't get on with the damn thing. I'm showing my age.

Maybe a keyboard, mouse and a bigger screen will make it easier.

Can anybody really use their PSP on the web ??? there seems to be a problem with internal memory, well there was the last time I tried and it keeps timing out and freezing, so it is totally impractical as a wireless web browser any way. So why worry, it can't connect long enough to send / receive anything.

I used mine to browse the site once....it's really like using a mobile phone...as has already been said.

Had no problem connecting to my router.

mine only runs out of memory if using a website with lots of pictures

Can anybody really use their PSP on the web ??? there seems to be a problem with internal memory, well there was the last time I tried and it keeps timing out and freezing, so it is totally impractical as a wireless web browser any way. So why worry, it can't connect long enough to send / receive anything.

Mine works great. Except theres no Flash plug-in. Copes with image-heavy pages a lot better than my phone too.

I used te net feature on mine before I got rid of it. I was sat there at my computer desk with the psp in my hand browsing a website on a tiny fiddly handheld , then suddenly thought how much of a prat I was as my pc was on and I was sat at it.

utterly useless "feature" if you ask me.

Surely if they send the firmware version that is akin to sending a browser identifier string. Eg what does this PSP support.

not a useless feature if you are out and about with your psp and want to check something on the net so use a wireless zone thingy

Thanks for the warning Steve.. sounds like something M$ would do.. oh wait they already are!

Not that bothered about my PSP reporting back though as it's all above board, it would be nice if Sony actually supported the homebrew community though as some of things look quite handy and surely it can only help sell more PSP's?

The browser is abit slow and awkward to use.. but it's not that bad considering the limited form of input available.

I've never understood this whole 'firmware' thingy?

Basically, you have to leave your PSP with the original version firmware on if you want to play shi**y home made games with crap graphics or use the PSP for a purpose for which it wasn't designed?

Or if you want to play all the latest games with the slick graphics that your GAMES MACHINE was designed for, you load on the latest version of the firmware that is supplied with new games?

Seems a bit of a no brainer to me, but then maybe i'm missing something?

Can you not also play pirated games with hacked/older versions of the firmware as well?

yep, thats the main reason why people do it.

they download the latest games and play them from their memory card via a bit of software installed on the machine.

not bothered myself as it seema pita tbh

I'll stick with 1.5/2.71 for now until they sort this out (however, I might add that I hardly ever use the browser as the out of memory thing is a pain... I'd rather use my PDAPhone to browse if I'm stuck without a PC).