What is ISO?

An ISO image is an archive file of an optical disc using a conventional ISO format that is supported by many software vendors. ISO image files typically have a file extension of .ISO but Mac OS X ISO images often have the extension .CDR. The name ISO is taken from the ISO 9660 file system used with CD-ROM media but the term ISO image can refer to any optical disc image.

- Wikipedia

Usage

The usage of ISO extension file is wide but the main purpose of me creating images is to backup the files. I find that it is quite easy to organize files and folders by ISO images.

For example, if you have tons of photos from your previous trips to various places such as Paris, Japan, US and Malaysia, then you can create different images to identify the photos or even group them altogether into one ISO image but different folders.

Example 1 – Different image to categorize

In this case, you will have Paris.ISO, Japan.ISO, US.ISO and Malaysia.ISO. What you will see from your hard drive is only four ISO files and all the photos are stores inside.

Example 2 – Only one image file

Create only Photo. ISO but have four different folders as Paris, Japan, US and Malaysia

My article about Backup and Restore Your Hard Drive Using ISO has described that you do not have to go through the installation process if you compile an ISO image of your hard drive.

For your information – PSP

ISO images are also used in PSP. The games are extracted from UMD disc and compiled into ISO or CSO files. CSO is a compressed format of ISO. Playing games from ISO is much faster than playing from the UMD drive.

Purpose

Having one ISO file is like having a mini hard drive. You cannot read ISO files just by double-clicking it. Daemon Tools is a popular tool where you can mount the ISO files as another drive.

For example, if your C and D drive are hard disk drive and E drive is you DVD-ROM, then you can mount your ISO file as F drive or G drive and so on. Once mounted, you can view your files in the ISO file through the drive you have assigned to.

ImageBurner

ImgBurn is a freeware that allows you to burn ISO images into CDs or DVDs. You can also create ISO images using the software. Do not worry. If you use the image burn function, the software will extract all the files in your ISO images and burn the files into the CDs or DVDs. However, if you use the normal copy function, the CDs or DVDs will only show your .ISO extension files.

Nero does the same but I find that it installs quite a lot of craps.

Pros

• Files store in ISO files cannot be deleted or moved easily like your files in your hard drive
• Once you mount the image drive, you can drag the files to your hard drive

Some little problems

• To add files into your ISO images, you need to re-compile
• If you delete the ISO file and remove from recycle bin, that’s it

Please visit My Ideas 4 You and How I use ISO Images.

Author: KH Tan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

As the years slip away, video games companies continuously give us new games to look forward to. But what if we want to play an older game? Unfortunately, consoles do not last forever and as we get older it seems that we simply lose the ability to play the games that entertained us as children (this statement ignores the Wii’s Virtual Console, of course). However, emulators provide a solution to the problem… Project 64 roms give us the ability to replay full Nintendo 64 games. Read on to learn more.

What are Emulators?

Emulators are light-weight programs that act as functional substitutions for gaming consoles. They not only allow you to play existing video games, but also hack games to create new levels, challenges, etc. Emulators are mostly used for older consoles, such as the NES or the SEGA Genesis, but can used for newer consoles (though they are generally in serious need of improvement).

How do Emulators Work?

Basically all you need to know (unless you want to make your own emulator) is that the emulator program is able to open files known as ROMs or ISOs. ROMs are images of games that originally used cartridges (SNES, N64, etc.), and ISOs are images of games that were originally on discs (PS, Dreamcast, etc.). However, one emulator cannot play all ROMs or ISOs. To play a SNES ROM, you need an emulator that acts as a SNES. To play a PS ISO, you need a PS Emulator. To play 64 roms, you need an emulator like Project 64. Make sense? Good.

What are the Benefits to Using an Emulator?

Emulators allow you to enjoy a seemingly infinite number of games free-of-charge on your own computer, they take up a very insignificant amount of space on your hard drive (unless you’re using an emulator for a new console), and they allow you to save your game whenever and wherever you see fit. I (Xalo) own the original Chrono Trigger for the SNES. However, I imagine many of you guys grew up with an N64 or even a later console, completely missing out on a legendary game. Once a console has lived out its lifespan and the only alternative is to buy it again to play on another console (which will again be replaced in about 3-5 years), what are you supposed to do? Emulators offer the only solution for gamers who just want to relive the classics they grew up with.

So They’re Perfect, Right?

Well, nothing is perfect. The ESA has made it illegal (and often times impossible) to download some ROMs, making it difficult to find the game you’re looking for. They make it illegal on the grounds that the Wii’s Virtual Console is designed to let you relive your childhood by selling you yesterday’s technology at today’s prices. Also, many download sites look a little sketchy and should not be trusted immediately. Oftentimes the companies that made these original games are no longer in existence and are definitely not making any more money from sales of the game itself. So, buy the game on virtual console if you wish, but we prefer the comfort of our computers. There’s nothing quite like the ability to save your state at any point in the game with a Project 64 rom. Also, if you don’t want to get frustrated or have your hands burst in flames, we recommend you purchase a USB controller. They are around $10-$15 new but are definitely worth it if you plan on playing any fighting games (see Street Fighter).

So Which Emulators Should I Download?

We recommend the following emulators:

+ RockNESX – NES emulator

+ ZNES – SNES emulator

+ Visual Boy – Advance, GB, GBC, and GBA emulator

+ Project64 – N64 emulator

epsxe – PSX emulator

The author is an administrator of http://gameruckus.com a gaming site that revolves around emulators, roms, and retro games.

Author: Jirnik Hylian
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

If you have an Xbox 360, or if you are thinking of getting one, you have probably heard about mod chips. In fact, if you have anything to do with games consoles these days then you will have heard of mod chips, modded systems, chipped systems and mods. They all refer to the same thing – a chip which is created to make changes to the way a games console works.

Xbox 360 mod chips are like any other mod chip, they designed to take control of your Xbox 360 system and remove specific limitations which were put on by the manufacturer, Microsoft. So the chip is able to access specific functions of your xBox 360 that have been blocked or restricted. This often means things such as playback restrictions. You can import, back-up, hack, homebrew and bypass all kinds of security features or other limitiation.

Mod chips can be used to play games which the system itself has been engineered to reject. Although this isn’t their only use or only function. For the same reason as people like to pimp their car, their bike or their computer, Xbox owners like to pimp their box! Modchips expand the capabilities of your console

Gaming consoles like the XBox 360, Play Station 3, Nintendo Wii and Gamecube are designed by the company to play specific types of disk, from local regions only. These machines have region codes, just like like DVD players have so, for example, someone in the US can’t play a Japanese or Australian version of a game on their American box. In the case of the XBox 360, you can’t play anything that isn’t licensed by Microsoft, including your own creations, back ups, or customised games. A mod chip can allow you to get around this so you can play your own customised games, disks, backed up games, and games bought in countries other than the one where you bought your Xbox.

Of course, the main reason for these security features is to protect against pirating games and protect against code which might damage the system. Unfortunately, in their efforts to secure the machines, the console manufacturers enforced restrictions whcih many of their customers find to be unnecessary and obstructive. And let’s face it, whoever pimped a car thinking about safety?

For more about the Xbox 360, and links to more detailed discussions about Xbox 360 Mod Chips – including reviews of the best mods available and where to find them, visit [http://www.xbox3l33t.com/xbox-360-accessories/all-about-xbox-360-mod-chips.html]

Author: Phil Dubrowski
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

So you just got back from Best Buy or Circuit City with your new PSP or it just arrived in the mail after you ordered it online. It’s not every day that you spend that kind of money on a cool new toy, so now it’s time to get some cool games for your new toy. The only problem is that you are a little confused about where to go and get some games so you can get started playing. Maybe you even picked up a game or two at the store where you bought the PSP. You soon realize that buying games for your PSP is going to cost more than you think, because you are always going to want the latest titles. Not to mention the need to watch movies on the PSP if you ever travel. So how can you possibly afford to use this new to it’s fullest?

You’re so frustrated that you even consider returning it to the store for fear you will get in too much debt trying to keep up with all the latest games out there. Well don’t fret! There are tons of websites all over the internet that offer plethora of PSP game downloads. Not to mention these same websites offer free music and movies for your new PSP device.

Okay, so where do you find these nice sites? It’s as simple going online and opening up Google or any other search engine and running a search for free PSP games. From there you can begin comparing some of the different services available to find which is best for your PSP. Good luck deciding on the right one and there are tons and tons to choose from. You probably had no idea.

Since you’re bank account is hurting after your purchase of your new PSP, you will probably be looking most at the sites offering free PSP game downloads. After all, what’s better free or paying for something? I hate to break it to you but the free sites are not your best bet source when it comes to getting these games. Once you download a game there is a huge risk that its files will be hacked into. These sites can bring harmful spyware, malware, and viruses to your computers as well as your PSP device. Trust me, you want to avoid these sites. Free is great, but some things will really hurt you in the long run if you don’t pay for quality.

So you really need to do your homework and choose a site from a trusted source. One that has been in business a while and thousands of satisfied users. One that is secure and virus free. If you follow those guidelines you should be fine. Most of these types of sites will offer free PSP downloads after you pay a one time membership fee that is usually about the price of a single game. Well worth the money and the peace of mind.

Chris McCann is an avid gamer who is crazy about the Sony PSP. He has reviewed dozens of websites for PSP downloads and has uncovered the top 3. You can view his findings at his website. http://www.shop4coolstuff.com/PSP.html

Author: Chris Mccann
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Despite the popularity of the WII gaming console system, the XBOX has it’s own swarm of raving fans that stick to the XBOX as their gaming console of choice.

So when you have raving fans and a loyal customer base, you have repeat users, especially since we all know that some games just play better on certain gaming consoles than others.

Due to the loyalty factor of some gaming console users, there has been a need to provide more support for them, but the main evidence of loyalty amonsgt gaming console users is the popularity of their cheats guides.

With each new game and gaming console that comes out, there are new hacks, or cheats that people come out with to help game the gaming console.

The XBOX gaming console is no different and there are plenty of XBOX Cheats to be had.  If you want to figure out how to advance further into moreadvanced levels, then you need to get a cheats guide or get the cheats codes for that game or gaming console.

Where to get XBOX Cheats and Xbox Cheat Codes [http://xboxcheatscodes.org]?

Before getting an XBOX cheats codes or XBOX cheats guides, you need to know what you want it for. 

Do you want a cheats guide for the console system itself or for something more specific like Call Of Duty or World Of WarCraft?

Once you know why you want the XBOX Cheats, then it’s just a matter of learning the hacks and cheats to step up your play. 

Jimmy is a gaming nut who runs an XBOX Cheats site at http://xboxcheatsguides.com

Author: Jimmy James
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Over the past year or so plenty of hype, mystery and controversy has been raised over the new Nintendo Console. Systems like the Xbox have taken the lead in gaming with offering capabilities such as online multiplayer. When Nintendo showed off their new system at the E3 Expo they showed gamers that they truly intend to revolutionize the video game community once again. But until Nintendo “officially” gives us the details, we can only speculate and wait.

The Hype and the Mystery

No one really knows too much about the Nintendo Revolution [http://www.nintendorevolution.ca] . What will it look like? What kind of power will it “actually” have? What games are in development? Nintendo is, for the most part, keeping a lid on things. We don’t even really know when the official release date will be. It has been reported that March of 2006 will be the “unofficial” date.

Living in an online world, it seems everyone has “the inside scoop” on the new console. Members of blogs and forums are saying everything from holographic imaging to new methods of image processing where a developer could create hyper realistic vistas at a fraction of the current processing cost. The bottom line is, with limited facts, speculation is rampid, which creates plenty of misinformation and hype..

What we do know…or think we know?

Nintendo Revolution Technical Specs

[http://www.computerandvideogames.com/screenshots_library/dir_285/vortal_pic_142858.jpg]

• Stylized shell about the thickness of three DVD cases stacked flatly on top of each other

• May come in five different colors including a sleek, glossy black and an Apple-white

• Backward compatible. Plays both GameCube optical discs and proprietary 12cm discs, the latter of which may be dual-layered for upward of 8GBs storage capacity

• Slot-loading drive with stylized blue light

• One proprietary component/digital out located on the rear of the system

• Two USB 2.0 ports located on the rear of the system

• No Ethernet jack; Revolution connects to the Internet using 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi wireless

• GameCube docking station features inputs for four GCN controllers and two Memory Packs

• Two front slots for 512MB flash memory, likely SD Card compatible
• Utilizes wireless controllers

• Custom-built IBM CPU, codenamed Broadway; speed and architecture undetermined at this time

• Custom-built ATI-GPU, codenamed Hollywood; speed and architecture undetermined at this time

• MoSys-developed 1T-SRAM solution; unknown amount of memory at this time

• Nintendo download service: connect online and download classic NES, S-NES and N64 games

Conclusion

As it stands right now, the new Nintendo console will most likely be available early to mid 2006, along with the release of the new PS3 and the Xbox 360. What can we expect? I think it would be naive to think that Nintendo is going to release a system that will be inferior to the competition. They have been around too long to make another big mistake. The new Nintendo gaming system will enter the market as a greater or equal to the competition, enhancing the next generation gaming system. Nintendo Revolution hopes to live up to its name when it hits stores in 2006.

Ron is the CTO for Dice Ventures Inc an internet holdings and development company. For more great gaming information and discussion visit our Video Game Forum or check out this great Nintendo Revolution [http://www.nintendorevolution.ca] resources

Author: Ty Magnum
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

“Downgrade Psp?” you ask, what the heck is that? Well if you have had your Psp for a little while now you might have heard of a downgrade or downgrading you Psp. When referring to a downgrade you are talking about returning your PSP firmware to an earlier version which has exploits that certain smart people could take advantage of, in this case we are talking about firmware version 1.50.

When Sony found out that there were exploits that could enable people to play games that weren’t released by Sony themselves they released Firmware Updates (this was known as Upgrading your PSP) in the hope that this would make PSP users only purchase Sony UMD Games and Sony UMD Movies. Much to the annoyance of Sony once they started releasing firmware updates people started to try and find ways to hack the firmware so they could return the PSP back to a 1.50 which would once again allow them to play other games.

These other games and applications are known as “Homebrew” and are developed by programmers who want to release these games and applications free of charge to other PSP users around the world. This is the big attraction of a PSP Downgrade and is why people take the risk of downgrading their PSP. Currently there are 100’s if not 1000’s of homebrew games and applications available to download for free. Not only are there homebrew games available for the PSP user who has gone through the PSP Downgrade process but there are also 1000’s of “old school” games that you can play on you downgraded PSP, games like Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers and more.

“So can you downgrade any PSP?”, well at the time of writing you can downgrade any PSP that is firmware version 3.03 and below, this includes PSP’s with the TA-082 motherboards which up until a short time ago were not able to be downgraded with ease. Unfortunately those with a PSP that is higher than 3.03 cannot downgrade as of yet but it is only expected to be a matter of time before a downgrader is made for those particular models.

All you have to do if you have one of the PSP’s that can be downgraded is find the correct downgrader. You must make sure that you use the correct downgrader or you risk bricking (rendering inoperable) your PSP. Once you have found the appropriate software to downgrade it, make sure you follow the instructions exactly as they are printed. If you do not follow those instructions exactly you will again brick your PSP. Once you brick your PSP your only option is to get it Mod-Chipped which would cost you around $100 or use it as a rather expensive paperweight.

The benefits of doing a PSP downgrade are numerous, the free games and applications, the DVD collection that you can back up and watch on you PSP all make the risk worth the reward.

We suggest you find out how to downgrade your PSP today!

Terry Dunn is webmaster of http://www.PspVideoGuide.com the only resource online that shows you how to Downgrade PSP step by step using video and shows you how to turn your Psp into a fantastic multimedia centre.

Author: Terry Dunn
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Just because you went online, searched for websites where you can find downloadable PSP games, and downloaded them, means your PSP can run those games. What most of these websites don’t say clearly is that, after you pay some kind of membership fee, you need to change something in your PSP to play those games. Also, you don’t always get the best deals on websites that offer downloadable PSP games from them. If you want to know your way around PSP game downloads and how to look for the good websites where you can download them, this article serves as your guide.

Downgrade your firmware

What most of these websites don’t mention is that you need to downgrade your firmware to 1.50. The Sony Play Station Portable (PSP) has been hacked and firmware upgrades are designed to reduce the capacity of hacked programs or homebrew applications from being played in your PSP. This is understandable, as companies don’t want to encourage downloading games that don’t earn them revenues. But you can hardly care about this.

So, after you downgrade your firmware you can run most of the stuff from the downloadable-PSP-game websites you must have visited. Now that your PSP is ready to run free PSP games, and even emulator programs that allow you to run old games, like those from the SNES and others, you can choose which website with downloadable PSP games.

Choose your websites well

The catch word you use when you type search words on search engines is ‘free.’ As is free download of PSP games. Naturally, websites that pretend to be free even though they’re not will use those words so that your search engines will find them. There are three kinds of websites that allow allegedly free downloadable PSP games.

The first one is filled with pop up ads and banners, allows slow download, and sneaks in adware and spyware after your download finishes hours or days later. The good thing is that you don’t pay anything. It’s really free downloadable PSP games. Good luck with the spyware, and hopefully you have the patience to wait for the download to finish.

The second one doesn’t have spyware and adware, is less peppered with ads and pop ups, has got a decent download speed, but asks that you pay a joining fee and monthly membership fees. So be prepared to shell out an initial joining fee, and be happy you’ll only be paying a monthly fee while you avail of the download services.

The third one is the best of the three. It takes off from what the second one has and cuts down the payment to a one-time joining fee. After that you pay nothing monthly and there are no hidden charges. You can have fast access to all the downloadable PSP games you want.

There you have it, a quick guide that matters. Now you know your way around downloadable PSP games.

More information on this topic is available, just click PSP GAME [http://www.squidoo.com/pspgame_downloads]

Author: James Trent
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Console systems like XBOX 360 PS3 and PS2 are extremely fun ways of spending your time. But the games on these consoles are ultra expensive and are provided in normal disks. These disks are susceptible to being scratched broken or spoilt. So it is always a handy option for you to just be able make backup copies of games and share them and play them on your console. This tutorial tells you how to.

Why cant I just copy these games directly using nero/alchol 120%?

The problem is that XBOX 360 PS3 and PS2 have a very good security system in place. The boot sequence to the game disks is hard coded and burnt onto the disk itself! So we cannot just copy the disk. After years of research we finally found there is hack to break this code and burn the boot sequence onto a normal disk!

Does this method need a mod chip or disk swapper like swap magic of action replay?

NO. This method does NOT require you to hardmod your console and void your warranty. This method is perfectly legal. It is a software based solution to all your game copy problems. Now all you need to do is use this software called easy backup wizard to copy your games. The software will write the boot sequence into block 0 of the disk and the rest of the game after the boot sequence. So the console will boot up WITHOUT any mods of cogswap or any of those cryptic dangerous illegal things!

Easy backup wizard is a simple looking software that performs all its work behind the easy to use front end. Copying or making XBOX 360 PS3 and PS2 disks and playing them on your console has never been easier. Just insert original disk or load the downloaded ISO image of the game. Select copy, insert a new disk into your disk burner and let it burn away to glory!! after this all you have to do is insert this new disk into your un-modded console and VOILA! the game plays like a genuine disk without any quality changes!

DOWNLOAD the software from this link and copy as many games as you want to!

*This software has been tested on the PS3,XBOX 360 and PS2(both fat and slim) and works PERFECTLY. Absolutely no problems playing any game. PAL or NTSC.

Click here for more info on how to backup games.

Author: Jack Mashall Strauss
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

One Time Pad

OTP in 1 line of perl:

John Allen

<allen@grumman.com>

shortened my previous perl implemenation by 11 chars. He also has
this even shorter perl5 specific version:

Paul Leyland wrote one in 1 line of C :

main(i,c)int*c;{for(c=fopen(c[1],"r");i=~getchar();putchar(getc(c)^~i));}

What is a One Time Pad?

A one time pad is the only currently known unconditionally secure
encryption system. Other encryption systems are cryptographically
secure which means that they have a cost associated with breaking,
this cost will be very high, but it would theoretically be possible to
break if enough compute time could be gathered.

OTPs are provably unconditionally secure, this means that you can not
break them with any amount of compute time. It is
mathematically impossible to break a OTP.

Okay, so a OTP is a marvelously secure crypto system, so why isn’t it
more widely used? This is due to convenience, in order to use a OTP
you have to trade pads with each person you wish to communicate with.
The pad should be a truly random number, so you would ideally want a
radioactive decay card or something to generate the pad. The system
will critically depend on the true randomness of the pad, and of
course on keeping the pad known only to you and the recipient.

This is where the inconvenience comes in, you must somehow trade pads
with your intendend recipient securely, this means meeting in person
or using a trusted courier.

How does it work

Basically you have your random OTP, which both you and your intended
recipient have. You have a message M, and you compute the ciphertext
C by XORing the message with the OTP:

C = M xor OTP

You send the ciphertext to your recipient, the recipient knowing the
OTP also can recover the message by computing the reverse, XORing the
ciphertext C with the OTP:

M = C xor OTP

You must never re-use the OTP, other wise it wouldn’t be a
“One-Time” pad anymore, and it would loose it’s unbreakable properties
as information would start to be leaked.

One Time Pad in 1 line of perl

#!/usr/local/bin/perl

open(P,$ARGV[0]);print pack(C,unpack(C,$_)^unpack(C,getc(P)))while$_=getc;

Save as otp and mark as executable:

% chmod 700 otp

One Time Pad in 1 line of C

main(i,c)int*c;{for(c=fopen(c[1],"r");~(i=getchar());putchar(getc(c)^i));}

by Paul Leyland. Just compile with a
K&R or ANSI C compiler:

% cc -o otp otp.c

Using the OTP

You must create and exchange a OTP with your recipient. We call the
OTP file “pad” here, the message to exchange “msg”, and the encrypted
ciphertext “cipher”.

To encrypt, do (same usage for C or perl versions):

% otp pad < msg > cipher

Now you can send “cipher” to your recipient in the clear, just email
will do fine as you will be the only two people who will ever be able
to decipher the message.

To decrypt your recipient does:

% otp pad < cipher > msg

to recover the message.

Generating OTPs

It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to have a truly random
OTP. Just using the random() function provided with C
libraries is nowhere near good enough, these typically have a seed of
one 32 bit word, so that even if you used the millisecond of your
clock as a seed the whole system could be broken with a brute force
keysearch of all possible seeds. In cryptographic terms a 32 bit
keyspace is tiny, and would take a negligble amount of compute time to
break.

Basically if you use pseudo-random number generators they are going to
be the weak point in the system, unless you have external input like a
radio-active decay card, or timings of the milliseconds between
keystrokes with proper entropy estimation as used by PGP.