TOKYO--Sony Computer Entertainment has released a warning to the public not to install a file from the Internet that may look like an update patch for the PSP. When the patch is executed, it displays a window showing a variety of new functions that will be added on to the system, such as a Web browser and a calculator. However, once the patch is fully installed, the PSP will no longer work.

"This software is not an official release by our company and it will not function appropriately," Sony said. "By running and installing this data on the PSP, the PSP will no longer be functional. We ask that all users beware not to execute or install this software."

While Sony officials confirmed that the file is technically a patch released by the company rather than a malicious third party, they added that it was meant as a file for developers and includes dummy data that won't work with a consumer PSP.

However, Sony's admission that the patch is official confirms rumors that the company is planning a host of new functionalities for the PSP. Listed below are the function names that are displayed on the screen before the final steps of the patch's installation process, as reported by curious users who installed the patch and rendered their PSPs useless. While the list does not guarantee that these options will come to the PSP in the future, it suggests future multimedia applications Sony is considering for the handheld:

Artificial voice engine for reading text
SonicStage music download system
News download system
Calculator function
Voice chat function
Three internal PSP games
Shougi [Japanese chess game]
Big Bang Bang [alien-shooting game]
PSP e-mail software
PSP word processor
PSP Web browser
PSP schedule software
Bug fix 000
Bug fix 002

For the unfortunate users who installed the patch and turned their PSPs into expensive and rare pieces of trash, Sony announced that its warranty is still in effect and that the machine can be fixed--for a fee.