Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to
Reverse Engineering by Andrew
Huang
Peerless
This--this being the attitude encapsulated in Andrew bunnie Huangs
Hacking the Xbox--is why a lot of people got into the computer industry in
the first place. These people liked taking things apart and figuring out how
they worked, then making them serve purposes they werent originally
designed for and sharing the new discoveries with others of like mind.
Sure, Huangs book is about how to how to turn Microsofts game console
into a high-performance, general-purpose personal computer with a small
price tag, and it contains lots of details about the how the heavily
advertised gizmo is put together. But you can get the technical material on
the Web. Whats valuable about Huangs work is that he communicates the
pure joy of taking the Xbox apart, figuring out how it works--despite its
many designed-in anti-hacking features--and making it do new things. This
book reads like the journal of a seventeenth-century voyage of discovery.

Theres a wealth of information in these pages about how to disassemble
and reverse-engineer electronics, and Huang is careful to show you what
tools you need, and how to use them (dont worry if you dont know how to
use a soldering iron--thats covered here). There also are step-by-step
guides (complete with photos) to a couple of projects, and interviews with
key figures in the Xbox-hacking community. --David Wall Topics covered:
How to enjoy a Microsoft Xbox game console without the mindless tedium
of playing video games. This book shows you how to open an Xbox, make
modifications to it (from a cosmetic LED color change, to putting in a new
power supply, to adding a USB connector), and make the changes needed
to get Linux running on it. In the process, readers get an education in
reverse engineering electronic circuits, as well as in basic electronic
techniques (soldering, crimping, etc) and in the intellectual property law
that governs hacker activity.
Personal Review: Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse
Engineering by Andrew Huang
This is an absolute MUST BUY for everyone who likes to tinker with
electronic devices - it's like porn for hardware hackers :)
Bunnie's description of how he and the XBox hacking community came to
circumvent the XBox's security infrastructure is a wonderful tale in itself.
The fact that Bunnie describes the methodical approach taken, with its
several false-starts and failures to its eventual success is a great lesson for
hackers everywhere - a systematic approach (plus a smidgen of luck and
more than a little inspiration) is generally the only way to overcome
significant odds.
But this book offers far more than just the story of how the XBox was
hacked and the ... ahem ... wonders of the DMCA - it is an invaluable guide
to anyone interested in creating their own devices. The sections on
soldering techniques, board manufacturing, etc., equipment suggestions,
etc., is a boon to anyone who has an urge to create something rather than
just dream about it.
I have been hacking hardware ever since I was 7 and I took apart my
record player trying to work out how they managed to fit all four of the
Beatles into such a small space! I have obsessively dismantled practically
every electronic device I've ever owned and built several electronic devices
from scratch more than I can count. I have a degree in Computer Science
& Microelectronics and have worked on teams building missile guidance
and weapon aiming technologies. And yet, I've learned more practical skill
(as opposed to theoretical knowledge) from this book than my entire 1st
year at college.
So, if you're interested in tinkering with hardware or are interested in how
others do it, do yourself a favor and order this book now. You won't be
disappointed :)

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