Quick update

I'm still alive and enjoying the summer!

Some time ago I finally received the Xecuter NAND-X & JTAG Connection Kit and the other stuff I had been waiting (fuckings to Finnish customs office for delaying and messing up my package!). Now i just gotta find time to start working on the JTAG hack. Let's see what comes of it. I've already decided that I'll be using freeBOOT.

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Another thing I stumbled upon in the Internet which caught my attention!

Hacked PS3, could it be? Atleast the picture comes from "reliable sources". Maybe there's something bubbling under.

Remember to listen to http://www.whitenoise.fm/ ;)

Xecuter NAND-X & JTAG Connection Kit delayed again, mini laptop, broken elbow bone, C-64 babbling etc...

Well... As the topic says it has been delayed again. Due in Stock says: May 22, 2010, but you never know... Good things come to them who wait. :)

On the other hand one dude I know who read my blog saw that I'm into Xbox360 hacking said that he has a Xbox360 that has been in the closet for few years, because it was banned from Xbox LIVE (for DVD-drive hacking) and wants to give it for me for free! Yay \o/. So even if we break one of the boxes (*knocks on the wood*) we atleast will have one working JTAG'ed Xbox360 (*knocks on the wood again*). :)

I also got some other nice toys to play with, but I'll tell you more about it later. But one is a mini laptop I intend to turn into hackintosh, but more about it later. It has even nice touchscreen (here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1H_gmvnRaE). I hurt my rigth hand pretty badly during vappu weekend (labor day // may day... whatever) so it'll be useful.

We're also working on a X2010 demo with our C-64 demogroup svenonacid (http://noname.c64.org/csdb/scener/?id=10879). Let's hope that we'll get it ready in time. We have lots of cool ideas, some demoparts (ready, unfinished and in planning stage), musics and graphics. Also some well known sceners outside our group are helping as well (you know who you are, thanks for all the support!).

Also big respect to Nostalia for Toki +6DFHR... The people into C-64 know what I'm talking about. I also just visited CSDb and saw some new tewnz from Abaddon/Fairlight. Now I'm off to listening to them.

Enjoy the sun,
Toni

Xecuter NAND-X & JTAG Connection Kit delayed

Ugh... Damn. I was waiting for April release of NAND-X & JTAG CK, but it seems that the release date is slipping to May. This is the message from the retailer of  the product:

"We just got word that the JTAG part of the kit design has been improved so the date has been bumped a couple of weeks into May - it will be worth the wait though ! There is non-cased version of the NAND-X without the JTAG kit - We have been able to get our hands on a few of these - so if you have made a pre-order and have already done your JTAG hack and REALLY want to get your hands on a NAND-X right now - drop us an email and let us know (make sure you include your order number)".

Well I'm not that much in hurry. I still have reading to do how to use the equipment when it arrives.

Let's hope all this is worth waiting and I'll be playing around with the homebrew stuff atleast in a month. Knocks on the wood. :)

Xbox 360 JTAG/SMC hack part 2!

Ok! So *finally* I acquired Xbox 360 with manufacturing date: 17.09.2008.

Dash version: 2.0.7371.0
Kernel version: 2.0.7371.0
(BK: 2.0.1888.0)
I'll take camera shots probably later.

At quick look it seems to be a Falcon console with Lite-On drive. I've been running Jeff Minter's VLM with music for few days without problems! Go Yak and long live my Xbox360 (phukin' RRoDs!).

After reading what I need I ordered some stuff from http://www.modtraders.co.uk/. First I was going to get one LPT cable built for reading/writing NAND flash, but at these prices it's really not brainer if to do one yourself or buy a NAND USB programmer. :) So I ordered:

- Xecuter Unlock Kit V2 (to get the Xbox360 open easily. I hate the procedure getting the plastic covers open without damaging them atleast too much :) and this one also has all the other needed stuff to get it open.

- Xecuter NAND-X & JTAG Connection Kit (this is the main device I need: http://www.modtraders.co.uk/xecuter-nand-x.html for fast USB programming of the NAND chips etc... Should also be newbie friendly because of quicksolder pads :).

- Xecuter LT Switch v1.5 (I don't have to mod the DVD drive when doing JTAG, but I'll probably do it eventually at somepoint anyways so I decided to get this too, goddamn bitchy Lite-On drives).

Now I'm just waiting for the ModTraders package pack to arrive. :)

I'm also hoping VERY VERY VERY much that the CB version will be compatible with JTAG/SMC hack! If it is homebrew here I come! Otherwise i'll be back for hunting a exploitable box, blah! :(

BTW: Laptop is still b0rked. I'll send it to repair next week.

- Toni

b0rked laptop

My laptop's fan broke down so no using Internet at home for me (atleast more than very short sessions with window open, until I get new fan installed. I don't wanna break this machine). I'm using Linux (because it doesn't seem to heat the machine as much as Windows 7), but even on Linux I once accidentally let the CPU temperature rise up to 80 celsius. Ouch!

Well anyways that means more quality time with my Commodore 64's. I've already downloaded shitloads of stuff on MMC card to fullfill my data needs. Actually it might be good to spend more time on real oldsk00l machines instead of using the emulator and other stuff which make your life easier (maybe too easy :).

Transferring floppy disks

I haven't had time to update the blog because I've been transferring disks to Commodore 64. I've also been doing all kinds of stuff with C-64 and testing various things with it.

I'll update the blog soon with new material, go through the old blog texts and fix the spelling and grammar mistakes I spot (there's a lot of them).

Demoscene documentary series

Here's also something new to me which I read from http://demoscene.tv/.

The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) are creating (or maybe it's already finished?) a documentary series about demoscene. The page mentions it will be published mainly on Youtube during 2010. It mentions (probably PC scener called) Metapat aka. Patrick Bissinger from Demoscene.tv atleast being one of the people who will be heard in the series. I'm itching to see this documentary and I hope they also talk about other scenes than PC demoscene.

--- STILL I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO THE HORIZONTAL RULER ---

Here's a copy/paste from http://demoscene.tv/'s page:

Demoscene TV supports Altparty 2009 for a new Demoscene documentary series

Workshop: Demoscene documentary series

The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) will create a documentary series about demoscene. The documentary will be planned at the Nebula Club on Saturday at 14. Welcome to discuss and decide how the demoscene should be documented!

Metapat aka Patrick Bissinger from Demoscene.tv will start the session by telling his ideas of documenting the scene. After Patrick we will start working on the subject:
- How should the story of Demoscene be told to the audience that still lives outside the scene?
- Who are the most important people in the scene and which demos and turning points should be covered?

If you have an opinion or a killer story, please come and participate! The workshop will be filmed and the material will be used in the document, that will be published mainly on Youtube during 2010.

Conversation about the document: Twitter (#demoscene), Qaiku.com [Finnish] (#demoscene).