Gearfuse

Sony has gone on the record saying that the piracy is affecting PSP game sales. That’s a givein; if it’s free, take it. This time around, a peripheral manufacturer called Datel has cracked the PSP 3000 by forcing it into service mode. Datel did some silicon hacking on a chip level to find out how it could force the PSP to run arbitrary code. You’ll be able to buy a battery called LITE BLUE TOOL battery that will enable service mode on PSP 2000 and 3000s, including yours. It’ll be a measly $30 when it hits North America later this month.

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In your neighborhood, you may have noticed that the street lights can be almost as horrendous looking as the telephone lines. Designer Jongoh Lee must’ve been disgusted by the intrusion on mother nature for having come up with these solar powered street lights that imitate leaves, called Invisible Streetlight. The lights are comprised of a double injection of silicon, aluminum materials and a photocapacitor, which keeps it glowing all night long.

While it’s by no means a bloomin’ dildo light source, it’ll at least fit in with the other leaves on the tree. Though we’re more impressed with leaves that want to be lights rather than lights that want to be leaves, the Invisible Streetlight is a fine alternative to power wasting street lights.

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From Melbourne, Australia comes a Silicon-based chip that might one day help scientiests and doctors with the early diagnoses of Parkinson’s disease. Melbourne scientists have started diagnostic testing the 17 genes they believe to be causes of the neurological disorder.

If tests show to be successful, the $500 genetic test could make previous measures obsolete, which were also a lot more expensive. The new technology relies on a gene-sequencing chip less than half the size of a matchbook and should one day be able to tell the patient how quickly their disease will progress and what treatment would work best for them.

Current tests cost more then $4000, but the new chip could predict childrens risk of acquiring the disease for a mere percentage of that price. Scientists also hope to further narrow down or expand on the list of 17 genes they believe to be involved. Roger Norton, chief executive of Parkinson’s Australia, who himself has the disease says “It can be alarming because you’ve got the shakes and your arms and legs don’t work properly and you don’t know why. A test that can help with diagnosis is a marvelous development.” Indeed it is. — Andrew Dobrow

Aussie first for Parkinson’s disease [News.com.au]