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Game Console Hacking

AcknowledgmentsTechnical Editor & ContributorContributorsForeword ContributorTechnical ReviewerForeword 2

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151 views3 pages

Game Console Hacking

AcknowledgmentsTechnical Editor & ContributorContributorsForeword ContributorTechnical ReviewerForeword 2

Uploaded by

david.zitta368
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction 1.

Hardware hacking. Mods. Tweaks. Though the ternfinology is nev~,


the concepts are not: A gearhead in the 1950s adding a custom paint
job and turbo-charged engine to his Che W Fleetline, a '70s teen con-
verting his ordinary bedroom into a "disco palace of love," complete
with strobe lights and a high-fidelity eight-track system, or a techno-
geek today customizing his computer case to add fluorescent lighting
and slick artwork. Taking an ordinary piece of equipment and turning
it into a personal work of art. Building on an existing idea to create
something better. These types of self-expression can be found
throughout recorded history.
When Syngress approached me to write Hardware Hacking: Have
Fun While l/biding~bur Warranty, our first book on hardware hacking, I
knew they had hit the nail on the head. Where else could a geek like
me become an artistic genius? Combining technology with creativity
and a little bit ofd~il! opened up the doors to a whole new world:
hardware hacking.
But why do we do it? The reasons might be different for ,all of us,
but the result is usually the same. We end up with a unique thing that
we can call our own imagined in our minds and crafted through
hours, days, or years of effort. And doing it on our own terms.
Hardware hacking today has hit the mainstream market like never
before. Computer stores sell accessories to customize your desktop
PC. Web sites are popping up like unemployed stock brokers to show
off the latest hacks. Just about any piece of hardware can serve as a
candidate to be hacked. Creativity and determination can get you
much farther than most product developers could ever imagine.
Hardware hacking is usually an individual eftbrt, like creating a piece
xxix
xxx Introduction 1.0

of art. However, just like artists, hackers sometimes collaborate and form communities of folks
working toward a similar goal.
The use of the term hacker is a double-edged sword and often carries a mythical feel.
Contrary to the way major media outlets enjoy using the word to describe criminals
breaking into computer systems, a hacker can simply be defined as somebody involved in the
exploration of technology. And a hack in the technology world usually defines a new and
novel creation or method of solving a problem, typically in an unorthodox fashion.
The philosophy of most hardware hackers is straightforward:

9 Do something with a piece of hardware that has never been done before.
9 Create something extraordinary.
9 Harm nobody in the process.

Hardware hacking arguably dates back almost 200 years. Charles Babbage created his dif-
ference engine in the early 1800s~a mechanical form of hardware hacking. William Crookes
discovered the electron in the mid-1800s~possibly the first form of electronics-related hard-
ware hacking. Throughout the development of wireless telegraphy, vacuum tubes, radio, tele-
vision, and transistors, there have been hardware hackers~Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell, to name a few. As the newest computers of the mid-20 ~h
century were developed, the ENIAC, UNIVAC, and IBM mainframes, people from those
academic institutions fortunate enough to have the hardware came out in droves to experi-
ment. With the development and release of the first microprocessor (Intel 4004) in
November 1971, the general public finally got a taste of computing. The potential for hard-
ware hacking has grown tremendously in the past decade as computers and technology have
become more intertwined with the mainstream and everyday living.
Hardware hacks can be classified into four different categories, though sometimes a hack
falls into more than one:
1. Personalization and c u s t o m i z a t i o n Think "hot rodding for geeks" the most
prevalent of hardware hacking. This includes things such as case modifications,
custom skins and ring tones, and art projects like creating an aquarium out of a vin-
tage computer.
2. A d d i n g functionality Making the system or product do something it wasn't
intended to do. This includes things such as converting the iPod to run Linux,
implementing a serial port interface on your PlayStation 2, or modifying the Atari
2600 to support stereo sound.
3. Capacity or p e r f o r m a n c e increase Enhancing or otherwise upgrading a
product. This includes things such as adding memory to your favorite personal dig-
Introduction 1.0 xxxi

ital assistant (PDA), modifying your wireless network card to support an external
antenna, or overclocking your PC's motherboard.
,
Defeating p r o t e c t i o n and security m e c h a n i s m s This includes things such as
removing the unique identifier from CueCat barcode scanners, finding Easter eggs
and hidden menus in a TiVo or DVD player, or creating a custom cable to unlock
the secrets of your cell phone.

Creating your own hardware hacks and product modifications requires at least a basic
knowledge of hacking techniques, reverse engineering skills, and a background in electronics
and coding. All the information you'll need is in the pages of this book. And if a topic isn't
covered in intimate detail, we include references to materials that do. If you just want to do
the hack without worrying about the underlying theory behind it, you can do that, too. The
step-by-step sections throughout each chapter include pictures and "how to" instructions. The
details are in separate sections that you can skip right over and get to the fun part--voiding
your warranty!
This book has something for everyone from the beginner hobbyist with little to no elec-
tronics or coding experience to the self-proclaimed "gadget geek" and advanced technologist.
It is one of the first books to bring hardware hacking to the mainstream. It is meant to be
fun and will demystify many of the hacks you have seen and heard about. We, all the contrib-
utors to this project, hope you enjoy reading this book and that you find the hacks as
exciting and satisfying as we have.
If your friends say "Damn, now that's cool," then you know you've done it right.

--Joe Grand, the hardware hacker formerly known as Kingpin


January 2004

www.syngress.com

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