Downgrader for Firmware 2.5 & 2.6?

Until recently, every downgrader that is supposed to restore version 1.5 firmware to PSPs running firmware higher than 2.00 has been fake. At best, they've been false rumours, and at worse, they've been damaging software sold by people out to make some quick cash (hint: homebrew software is almost always free, and you should always get it from a reputable source). Now, though, it looks like there may be a ligitmate downgrader for firmware versions 2.5 and 2.6 available soon.

PSP Updates has news that homebrew programmer hitchhikr has found a way to unlock kernel mode in PSP firmware versions 2.5 and 2.6. This was a feat long thought impossible -- some homebrew is possible on these firmware versions, but the full range of homebrews could only be run on version 1.5, or version 2.00 machines downgraded to 1.5.

Another homebrew programmer, Dark_Alex, has released a "downgrader test" for 2.50 and 2.60 version firmware. This is not an actual downgrader for general use . . . yet. Currently, the people who have tried the test on 2.60 machines have ended up with bricked PSPs (it seems that this is certain to be the result with TA-082 version motherboards, especially), but the hope remains that downgrading may soon be possible for any PSP not yet updated to firmware version 2.7.