Today we received word from Dutch site OmbouWnederland.nl (ConsoleWinkel) of a rumor that a Sony PS3 Blu-ray drive emulation PCB is currently in development which will allow users to unlock their PlayStation 3 console without the use of Custom Firmware or dongles.
Reportedly they have been in contact with ChinaDistrib.com who stated a team (possibly the Wasabi or Drivekey team) is working on the PS3 Blu-ray drive emulation PCB that is slated for release later this year.
They have also speculated via e-mail that the project has been kept under tight wraps due to Sony being unable to stop this new PS3 hack via Firmware updates, meaning once it becomes public Sony's legal team will be on the warpath in full force.
Below are some concept pictures (not actual finished product pictures) from their site and the details, roughly translated as follows:
PlayStation 3 drive emulation
No hacking, no flashing, no modding. Emulation is the future. A team is currently working on a new hack for the PlayStation 3.
The Blu-ray player, Sony's PCB has been cracked and costs can thus be gekloont. The team probably Wasabi or Wiikey team is currently working on this for the board to connect to an external HDD.