If you are still an old-skool PSP user, running an older firmware version that doesn’t have the Sony standard RSS reader installed, you may be interested in work being done on the
Devour RSS Reader.

This handy utility is a homebrew RSS reader for those PSP’s running firmware 1.5. Very much a work in progress, the utlity show some promise and once the bugs are irnoed out, should be a handy application for PSP owners unwilling to upgrade to the latest firmware version (2.6).

It may be that now that Fanjita and co. have created the eLoader for firmware 2.6, the incentive for people to stay on version 1.5 of the firmware is diminished, and as the supply of PSP’s are now coming with 2.01 or 2.5 firmware as standard, the number of people to whom homebrew written for version 1.5 is required is going to get smaller and smaller. At some point those people still developing homebrew for the older PSP firmware versions will have to decide to stop concentrating on creating applications that are provided for within the standard firmware updates.

Gadgets On The Go have a great photo of the latest PSP clone, spotted in Australia. Not only is this fake PSP cheap, at $12USD, but its also strikes a remarkable resemblance to the Sony PSP, right down to the inclusion of a PSP logo.

Looks like this example is for playing a game called The King of Fighters, a rather dubious looking monochrome game. Its the sort of rubbish that parents buy for their kids, which just leads to disappointment when they realise that its not actually a PSP but a really bad 1980’s designed game wrapped around a bad quality PSP cloned case.

Great news for all Chess fans, apparently Konami of Europe are resurecting the classic PC game Battle Chess for the Sony PSP. One of my favourites from the early days of the PC, Battle Chess was notable for its splendid animations each time a piece was taken off the board.

The game may not retain the Battle Chess name, but it is flagged for a third quarter 2006 launch. Fingers crossed that the game retains its original slightly tounge-in-cheek animation backed up by a fairly solid chess game engine.

The possibility of playing wirelessly will no doubt excite the chess geeks amongst you!