144w ago - Update: According to ConnectedConsoles.com, Sony's Japanese Web site reveals the additional PS3 Firmware 3.50 features as follows, to quote:

"Facebook connectivity will increase and will allow users (at least from what we can gather from the translation) to post what game they're playing on the social networking site.

Moreover, you can now report messages from the XMB which will be a much-welcomed feature for those of you who recieved spam over PSN."

Additionally, Made2Game.com now lists the rest, as follows:

• Support for Blu-ray 3D
• 'Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity' - New icon [Music]. Although this service is not yet available, the icon will be shown in this section.
• Control 'Direct Pointer' in the browser via PlayStation Move.
• PlayStation Plus User Interface in the PlayStation Store updated.
• 3D Display to warn of 3D content.
• Calibration of PlayStation Move motion control will be possible the menu [Game]
• Reports about users may...

147w ago - Spanish PS3 developer DemonHades has inadvertently leaked Sony PS3 and Blu-ray Service Manuals for the PlayStation 3 entertainment system as a result of his Web server's security being compromised.

Download: Sony PS3 and PSP Service Manuals

PlayStation 3 developer circles have had access to the documents for a few years so the information they contain is not new, however, the confidential SCE documents have just reached the public's eye today.

This news comes just under a week since word of the PS JailBreak PS3 modchip first surfaced.

Finally, below are the leaked file names for those curious, however, they are intended for use only by licensed developers.

• sm-bdd-0013e-01-0.rar - SM-BDD-0013E-01 - BDPT-1001 BPX-2001 - BD DRIVE SERVICE MANUAL 1ST EDITION
• sm-ps3-0013e-02-0.rar - CECHA00, A01 - SM-PS3-0013E-02 - PS3 60GB MODEL SERVICE MANUAL 3RD EDITION LEVEL 3
• sm-ps3-0073e-05-0.rar - CECHC02, C03, C04, C08 CECHE01, EO5, E11 Manufactured by ASUSTek - SM-PS3-0073E-05 - PS3 60GB/80GB MODEL SERVICE MANUAL 5TH EDITION LEVEL 3 FOR COK-002 BOARD
• sm-ps3-0093e-02-0.rar...

149w ago - Update: Team Jungle and C4E have now joined Team Hades to assist with their ongoing research to hack the PS3 entertainment system!

A few weeks back we first reported news of a PS3 Blu-ray 302R drive being successfully connected to a PC by DemonHades and examined by JaicraB, and today Team Hades reports that Calimba has managed to do it with a newer PlayStation 3 Blu-ray 304R drive as well.

To quote from their PlayStation 3 hacking progress update, roughly translated from Spanish to English:

"Well, I just woke up with this news, our mail Calimba has managed to connect the 304R model is one of the newest, and also ensures better to connect the PS3 Slim.

The way forward has been entirely empirical, so we do not try it because it does not show any information on the Internet.

Moreover, the good news is we already know to extract and decrypt the FW. I think that people who criticized...

150w ago - Spanish PS3 developer JaicraB has returned and is now assisting DemonHades in examining the recently reported PS3 Blu-ray drive and resulting PlayStation 3 Firmware dump.

Download: PS3 Blu-ray CDS FileSystem - Param.sfo - PS3Disc.sfb / PS3 Blu-ray CDS FileSystem - Param.sfo - PS3Disc.sfb [Mirror]

To quote, roughly translated from Spanish to English: "Well more information from the recent work done by the HadesTeam and Calimba, this time show photos of the connection and also how Windows shows the drive contents PlayStation 3.

JaicraB already returned from his vacation and is back operating on the computer to attack the reader.

As discussed, we work in parallel to exploit Other. We have access to BD reader as if it were one more unit of your PC.

EVEREST features as:

SONY PS-302R SYSTEM
Firmware Revision = 4151

150w ago - This weekend Spanish PS3 developers at DemonHades (linked above) have shared some details and pics of a PS3 Blu-ray drive successfully connected and recognized as a reader in a PC.

With the exception of the Lite-On DH-401S that can read PS3 game discs on a PC, this is the first time an actual PlayStation 3 PS-SYSTEM 302R drive has been reported as functioning on a standard PC.

Many may recall last year the DemonHades Team first Mapped the JTag Port on PS3 Blu-ray Drive, and prior to that GodzIvan shared schematics for the PS3 Blu-ray drive pin-outs.

To quote from DemonHades.org, roughly translated:

"Our colleague has managed HadesTeam Calimba of connecting the PS3 BD player to the PC, as you all know the communication interface that uses the reader is bd flex belt so you do not have any type of connector for this work, so we have communicated BD reader to the pc to start to investigate...