Slashdot Mirror
Sony Admits PSP Update is Genuine
sammykrupa writes "According to a story at The Register, Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation Portable (PSP) updater that leaked onto the web this past weekend is genuine. However, it publicly warned owners of the handheld console not to run the software as it will cause the PSP hardware to stop operating. The updater was "configured" to install a bunch of stuff including a text-to-speech utility, a calculator, web browser, email application and, weirdly, a word processor and spreadsheet tool. If you've already installed this thing and know have a broken PSP, you can send the malfunctioning PSP back to Sony for a repair but the company will charge you for the privilege."
That breaks your PSP, then charges you to fix your PSP after you use it. An ingenious way to reduce the money they are losing on each PSP sale!
I feel the PSP owners' pain :)
See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
flame me if you want but I ain't lying.
xBoxes outselling PS2s
xBox 2 outbefore PS3
iPod KILLING the Walkman
PSP getting barely any positive press compared to excellent reviews of the Nintendo DS.
Vaios and their higher end audio are what's saving them.
"It'll destroy you if you try to make it mean anything to anyone but yourself." - Henry Rollins
Was Sony bought by Microsoft or Something?
why do i get the feeling that somehow, some jerk out there is gonna find some way to blame his stupidity on sony, and successfully sue them for not making good enough software, thereby forcing him to download rogue software from the Interweb and install it... yes, its a conspiracy, and Sony is out to get ya!
Enjoy an e-piphany
Spreadsheet - Word Processor?
Guess what Sony - You just crossed into Microsoft turf, and if they were not planning on an handheld before, you can bet your ass they are now.
Not a smart thing to leak before you had a large installed base. Not smart at all.
They DID NOT realease it. Someone stole it and that IS NOT Sony's responsibility.
know have?
Who is going to send a PSP back to Sony? That person should just write a letter to the FBI saying "I am a software pirate". I would just sell the parts on Ebay if I ruined my PSP on pirated software. Better to cut my loses than get my PSP returned personally by the police.
It's reasonable to say that xBox systems outsold PS2 systems in the last quarter, but that's hardware sales. You know, where both companies lose money. MS loses more money per unit than Sony, although I lack the actual figures to determine who that puts ahead.
That said, try comparing Q4-2004 software sales. I suspect that, with both GTA: San Andreas and Metal Gear Solid 3 on its side, the PS2 pulls out a heavy lead over the xBox's Halo 2. All of which has null/void to do with the Playstation Portable.
Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
A search for the "Sony PSP" on amazon.com reveals the Nintendo DS and even the 1GB iPod Shuffle just released by Apple.
No expectant release date in the US? Or can I simply not find it at all on Amazon's website?
Informatus Technologicus
If you read (not even the article) the headline. It clearly reads "leaked" in other words "warez'ed" in other words "pirated" in other words "It could have been a damn virus destroying the entire PSP but these people were stupid enough to put it in!" Im surprised sony is actually helping those guys who obviously used pirated software in their machine.
I mean, if you illegally download longhorn (or whatever is called) and it destroys your machine (which is pretty probable) can you go to MS and tell them to fix it?! I dont think so! Can you go to ID and complaint about your leaked Doom3 beta not working? Sure! rigth before being taken to jail that is!
Sony fixing the problem its a good point for them. NOT bad. Im glad they are charging these silly pirates to do it.
Im modding the article as -1 Flamebait and Troll.
Go ahead MOD my day!
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
I looked at the Japanese pages where they had pictures of the update program.
I couldn't believe that it asked you to agree with the licence before it did the update!
READY.
PRINT ""+-0
Sony loaded it to their ftp download servers, most likely for testing purposes.
Some enterprising individuals figured out how the PSP locates these updates, and were able to use that information to locate this file.
They then downloaded this file and proceeded to experiment.
There were two primary classes of these individuals:
a. Schmucks who thought they were cool for getting in on some cool new app early and immediately installed it.
b. More intelligent folx who realized what they had, understood the risks involved, and accepted the fact in advance that they might royally screw their PSP. These people, those who installed it, were more interested in learning all of the ins and outs of that file.
Now, I happen to know 2 people of the latter kind who destroyed their PSP. They didn't complain or whine, but they were quite depressed with the result. They did no warezing nor would they, as the concept of warezing is rather obscene to them.
They DID check around to see if Sony would do something, since well, Sony has to have a way to handle bad firmware updates when real ones get released anyway. There was no expectation that Sony WOULD do something, but hey, one has to try, right ?
But to say the software was stolen is a bit incorrect. It was placed up on accessible servers for distribution onto the internet, and was accessible without any special security to prevent the downloads. It was merely not visible nor readily available to anyone who would expect any official release - only people determined to look for unofficial releases could find it.
Having said that, I say clearly my strong belief that Sony is not culpable in this regard. The only people capable of finding it were the two I described above, and neither had any right to expect any better result than what had happened. The responsibility for their actions are their own, not Sony's.
Indeed, it is quite kind of Sony to offer to repair these units. Given that this is a service Sony needs to offer anyhow for when REAL updates come out, Sony gets some early practice at repair.
I praise Sony, for releasing a fantastic product (it really is) and for being willing to fix a problem that was not their fault (albeit, for a fee, which should not begrudged to them).
False, it was placed on a server that PSP is NOT programmed to access. YOU have to program YOUR DNS to point to the other server. PSP does NOT access the site on its own, YOU force it to by spoof attacking it. It's not Sony's fault YOU pointed YOUR DNS at the wrong site.
TechniMyoko-san,
I think you misunderstood much of what I said.
I said that it required special effort to find this update. I also said it was the responsibility of the person who downloaded it. I did not blame Sony. I said very clearly, it is not Sony's fault. In fact, I said very nice things about Sony, and I blamed the people who downloaded it.
If you read my message, I say the same thing that you say, but with less technical detail, and less emotion.
I would argue that Sony's offer of repair services would be generous only if it was for free. With a fee, it's merely fair; the leak itself was mostly Sony's fault, so offering repairs to people who screwed up their PSPs with this patch would only be expected.
Rob (One would hope that Sony puts at least some of that money towards getting better security)
I do disagree the leak is mostly Sony's fault. The file was only able to be located by people who explicitly searched in non-standard locations as a result of examining how the PSP performs its updates. These people looked specifically for files that would be considered "unreleased".
:) But anyone else is simply out of their element and still must take responsibility for their action.
Leaked or not, the file was obviously pre-release and of unknown quality/status. As a firmware update, this is especially dangerous. People who understand the nature of firmware updates in general excercise extreme caution (as the two I mentioned who destroyed their PSPs anyway in the name of science
Full disclaimer: I am one of those who ended up with a "brick". I took this action knowing full well in advance I could end up with a brick. I do not hold Sony in any way responsible for my brick. Neither was I expecting the software to do as advertised or anything at all other than wanting to observe how the PSP dealt with the file.
ah, ok. *Appologizes and runs off*
I do disagree the leak is mostly Sony's fault. The file was only able to be located by people who explicitly searched in non-standard locations as a result of examining how the PSP performs its updates. These people looked specifically for files that would be considered "unreleased".
And how hard would it have been for Sony to put these files in a place that's not accessible to the PSP, or to the general public for that matter?
Rob
Very easy, considering that the place there were, was *not* accessible to the PSP's *or* the general public.
In order to access the file, one had to sniff a normal http transaction between the PSP and the servers to find what types of files it looked for. Then one had to modify strings to suggest obvious alternate servers and paths, using a normal web browser to download the files.
These files then could be later transferred to the PSP by two methods: using your PC to spoof a Sony server to the PSP, *or* simply copy the file to the memory card in a specific directory.
As I said, one had to work very hard to get these files. They were available, but *not* easily accessible (as in hidden out of sight, but not secured) to normal people.