Slashdot Mirror
PS3 Downtime To Fight Disease
Aerenel writes, "CNN reports that Sony has teamed up with Folding@home to use the PS3 to study how proteins are formed in the human body and how they sometimes form incorrectly. From the article: 'Donating [a gamer's] PS3's down time to researchers could help cure Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or mad cow disease.' PS3 users will be able to download a software package that tracks when the PS3 is not being used. While gamers are in school, at work, or asleep, their system's Cell processor can be used to perform simulations for research organizations. The PS3, due in November, has gotten serious negative press in the past few months, and this refreshing good news may win back the hearts of gamers still undecided about purchasing the system."
Yes, like sony is going to get me to do this on there machine when i can do it on my PC.
You mad
I'm going to pay $600 so I can run a second copy of something that's already spinning away on my PC right now?
I don't think so.
This definitely seems like a good thing. But I wonder, will gamers really let that influence their purchasing decisions? Honestly, I have my doubts.
Basilisk Digital
In other words, your PS3 uses network bandwidth and electricity you paid for with your money to calculate who knows what and send it God knows where when you're not using it and anyone who tries to stop their PS3 from doing this is a horrible person who supports cancer.
Well, I guess when all else fails, they can always go for the pity angle. "Oh!! Please help us ingrain Blu-Ray! We're fighting DISEASE!"
Apology to Ubuntu forum.
will anybody trust Sony with usage-reporting software on their PS3?
That definitely changes my mind about paying $600 for a gaming console! Why didn't they do this from the start? The option to run F@H on my PS3 DEFINITELY makes up the 200+ difference between it and my other next-gen options.
Rex is 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
Do I have Alzheimer's, or did I read about this last month?
The PS3, due in November, has gotten serious negative press in the past few months, and this refreshing good news may win back the hearts of gamers still undecided about purchasing the system."
If I'm already ambivalent about spending that much money on a game system, the question "What will the game system, which I bought to play games, do when I'm not playing games on it?" is not likely to be a significant influence on my decision.
Well, this article is kind of a dupe but the CNN article has a lot of new information.
One of tidbits is that the researchers have to dumb down the PC distributed version so that it runs on even the slowest computer. In fact, they have to play to the lowest common denominator. With the PS3, it's standardized so they can inch out every bit of performance from the chipset. On top of that, they know there will only be on GPU so they can write the renderer for that and you'll see the protein folding on your screen. It will look all science-y and you can navigate around it. People might like this as a screen saver or conversation piece. The researchers are also hoping that it attracts people to also install it on their computers to aid in this endeavor.
My work here is dung.
So if we BUY a PS3, and we allow Sony to use the free cylces of my processor, does that mean that if there is a cure found for Alzheimers, other genetic diseases or stupidity, that we as a public will be able to access this new found cure for free? OR do we get our cut? For some reason I think not.
Please, be a Philanthropist. Let a large megacorporation or partnering pharmacuetical company benifit from this.
Or save the energy that would have been used for a much more worthwile cause. Powering a megahuge Cray system that could be designed to do it better and faster.
Why would my PS3 being kept turned on 24x7 win my heart and mind again? Because privately held research would like to use my PS3 for free and then make money from it when they discover something - without any intention to charge less $$ for the treatment / cure in exchange for all this free computing?
_Vishal www.squad9.com
I guarentee that it will be shipped on by default but have an option in the PS3 BIOS to use it during downtime or not. Besides, who leaves their consoles on at all times?
Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
Hot off of Ken Kutaragi's desk. "Wii to use down time to skin babies alive." Sony, helping cure diseases. Nintendo, skinning babies alive.
Home of the midwest loser - www.say-10.net
is that this might be a good idea, if the program doesn't contain a rootkit.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
I don't know how much power a PS3 pull at full whack, but I reckon it's got to be along the lines of 500W. If they get 10 million people running this during the day, that's an addition 5GW of load on the electrical system. If you own one, and let it run 18 hours a day for the year, then at 20c per kW/h you're looking at $750 on your power bill.
PocketGamer.org - For the gamer on the go!
... but this doesn't affect my opinion of the PS3 at all. It will be late and wayyyy overpriced. I guess it's nice that Sony is doing this, but anyone can do the same thing without spending $500+ on a gaming console.
-William Brendel
Even I know that this is a dupe.
I don't think I would buy a PS3 for myself unless it was going cure someone I knew of an ailment
"Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
OK. The other items make sense. However, Why do we need to "cure Mad Cow disses"?
This is an ailment which only arises when cattle is fed body parts of previously slaughtered cattle. After several generations of meat fed cattle eating meat fed cattle Mad cow disease pops up. This is why after an "outbreak" which the local authorities respond to by burning entire herds the disease seams to disappear for several months or even a couple years before popping up again in another location.
Cows are not like people or pigs. They were never designed to eat meat in the 1st place. Once we stop forcing cattle into cannibalism, mad cow disease will disappear on it's own.
--= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
...will be built using a cluster of PS3s.
This cluster will be able to help cure cancer AND allow Madden 2007 to play an entire season in three minutes.
The Plot thickens. Now we have a better idea of why the price is going to be so high! We're paying to cure cancer! Well, it must be worth it then! Here sony, take my $600 dollars and my CPU time!
If I had a PS3, it would have a lot of downtime whilst I play on my PC or Wii, so they are welcome to give me one for this important research. I will donate some electricity and bandwidth for this, with the added benefit that I won't have to run a heater this winter!
"Mom, please give me $600! I want to help cure cancer!"
"I think that God in creating Man somewhat overestimated his ability."-Oscar Wilde
"The PS3, due in November, has gotten serious negative press in the past few months, and this refreshing good news may win back the hearts of gamers still undecided about purchasing the system."
Yeah, I'm really going to shell out $600 for a video game system created by a company that has had a lot of problems with their recent technology and then leave that power-hungry video game system run 24/7 so that I can contribute a few CPU cycles for a good cause. I can already do this from my current computer and that is what I'll opt to do. I like the fact that the option exists for PS3 owners and that it will raise awareness of the Folding@home software, but I doubt that this option is going to sell more PS3 systems.
I'm waiting for the project that will have me use all of the spare time for my incredibly overpowered home CPUs (and with it ample amounts of electricity) to 'fight global warming'!
Enough about the $600+ linux box, blu-ray, cell processing, and other junk distracting from gaming. Just start making gaming fun!
"One of our best selling points is what we do with the machine WHEN IT ISN'T BEING USED." -- made up quote.
If I were the competition I'd answer this feel-good non-news press release with the statement, "Unfortunately our game console is so compelling there isn't enough projected downtime to impact world health with our product as there is with the virtually useless PS3."
Saving the world while idle...who comes up with these things?
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
It's nice to see Sony formalize something which was attempted informally on the PS2. Some distributed computing projects, like Distributed Folding enabled PS2 users to run distributed computing projects on their game consoles. But since users had to install Linux on their consoles and connect their consoles to the Internet consoles, not many users contributed to these projects.
Now with the PS3, users won't have to know how to install Linux on their console, and won't have to download any distributed computing project software. They can just enable the project software on the PS3 and let it do its thing (and they can watch the fancy screensaver and learn more about protein folding in the process). And if the distributed computing software can be updated, the Folding@home researchers (and hopefully researchers from other distributed computing projects) will be able to learn how to make the best use of the Cell processor.
Was that an intended pun? The Cell processor will soon be processing cellular structures. Yay!
Seriously, does *everyone* network their console? Because that's usually how these distributed clients work--they download whatever information they need, go to work on it, and then upload the results. So apparently this is only for people who have connected their PS3 to the internet in some fashion? We're not exactly at the point where everybody around can plug a cat-5 cable into something to get broadband, so it seems that this distributed application is only for a subset of PS3 users. Kind of a shame.
It's only a matter of time until they reveal their new slogan: "PS3. Won't somebody think of the children?".
--- witty signature
To participate, users will just download a program into the PS3's hard drive. Then they just need to leave the machine on when they're not playing. The Folding@home team will divide their complex calculations into manageable chunks and then send it to the participating machines. The program and data will take up 10 to 20 megabytes - or about the size of a handful of MP3 files, Pande said.
Well, at least it isn't a default, but it significantly reduces the number of people that are likely to use it, especially since the console has to be left on (not just come out of a low power state every few hours). I'm not planning on getting a PS3 but even if I did it would probably eat a lot of power. Plus, if it runs all of the time the reliability will take a hit.
Since I need to leave my home server on anyway, I'll just put folding@Home on that to crunch while idle.
You can also use your PS3's downtime to help Sony convince regulators the PS3 is a "computer" and not a "game console" so they get a tax break!
I would not mind getting a 200$ unit without the BLUE RAY(part that makes the most of the cost) just for that purpose. But lets be realistic, would sony really care?
But, but, but, Ken Kutaragi said that the PS3 not a console, it is a computer!
t ory=9642
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?s
That's the only way this 'news' could also appear here...
This isn't going to directly cause anybody (or at least a measurable number of people) to purchase this system as opposed to a competitor. But what it will do it cause the mainstream media to oooh and aaahhh over it a bit more which will help indirectly. It will get mentioned on CNN and such and contribute to a positive feel surrounding a story.
Lasers Controlled Games!
There are investors who think that the times when everyone is positive that things are in the shitter for sure is a great time to invest money. Reading this thread, it seems that nearly everyone thinks that the PS3 is going to flop, bit time, and be the next betamax, etc etc. With that being the prevailing wisdom, even a mild success will be great news for Sony. The bar has been set extremely low for the company that had the PS2. Yes, the console biz has a history of colossal failures, but how often has everyone predicted such colossal failure before sales even start? (I dunno... has it happened? It's easy to kick a dog once it's down, but before it's born?)
Who do you get to be an expert to tell you something's not obvious? The least insightful person you can find? -J Roberts
...but can i still play ridge racer?
If so, buying a PS3 could pay for itself over time. Seriously, I would signup, have them e-mail me CPU usage statistics muliplied by an industry standard rate as a reciept. They're happy to have CPU cycles, I'm happy to have the tax deduction.
Now if that's the case, can something similar be done with other CPU cycle donations to other projects? I have a multi-core server that spends most of its time idle. Might as well put to some use, eh?
We're all hypocrites. We all have hidden parts, it's the contrast between them that make us more a hypocrite than others
Oh whatever PS3, my toaster runs calculations to discover a cure for AIDs. My freaking alarm clock is working out the solution to the problems in the Middle East. And my gosh darn massage chair just got an invitation to give a speech at Harvard's graduation ceremony in 2007 on the subject of New Economics in the 21st Century.
Oh right but yeah my ps3 is working on cancer... whateva. Let me know when it starts mowing the lawn. Now that I could use in a gaming system.
Sure, it makes it harder to do protien-folding calculations and the possibility of curing mad cow disease, but it'll save you a good deal money in the long run. On the other hand, if you feel convicted by not running SETI or F@H, well, then run it. Just my 2 cents.
This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
You can make the same argument that it's almost 100% a disease contracted by behavior. If people would stop doing the things that the contract AIDS from, it would go away, right?
Considering the earlier article on power use. I find myself shutting down the 360 very frequently, except in the winter.
If people would stop doing the things that the contract AIDS from, it would go away, right?
Yeah. Damn those dirty babies being born with AIDS. Don't they know better?
If this was on by default and ran in the background while your games were doing non-CPU-intensive stuff (playing cut scenes, paused, selecting your character, etc), I bet they could get a huge amount of processing time just from the people that never even realized this was going on.
I think any corporation with the kind of market share of Nintendo, MS or Sony should consider doing this kind of thing. A tiny bit of spare cpu-time from a huge number of consoles adds up.
Pro: down time helps fight diseases
Con: increased polution, from increased coal burning, increases disease risk
So not sure whether to be happy or not.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
That I had some tiny bit to play in this. I posted this a year or so ago and it gets hits from search engines occasionally. http://abrij.org/~bri/my2c/boincps3.html
To bad it's not more general purpose a-la BOINC but if I get a PS3, which is a possibility, I'll definitely turn it on. At least in the winter when I have a use for the waste heat.
Someone had to do it.
Good news is if Sony says they're dropping the price from $600 to $400.
What about some decent games for when im not curing cancer?
"While gamers are in school, at work, or asleep, their system's Cell processor can be used to perform simulations for research organizations."
Clearly the PS3 will be so addictive that work, school and sleep are the only times its owner will be able to stop playing...
Yea..but all those fully powered up PS3's (that would be turned off) are using electricity.....
----slams troll on head-----
Quite frankly. If it helps keep my brain from becoming a pile of useless jello I'm all for it!
Well for one, as many people have mentioned, the electricity costs of having your PS3 running non-stop. In addition, the wear and tear on your PS3! If you are gonna spend $600 on a PS3, you are gonna want it to work for a long time. Many people leave their computers on 24/7, but I doubt console systems are designed to. Plus my computer stops spinning the HDs.
First post! (just in case I am...)
It's not novel. Any net-connected game system is just a new platform for any of the @home projects. They can build a client for download via xbox live or the wii as well.
;) ) is that sony's finally found an app that can effectively exploit the parallel nature of the cell processor. So if clients are released for the other systems, it will look like the ps3 has technological superiority.
The only really good reason for this (besides curing cancer
I figured they'd fight disease by being off, and not driving people into a rage who are thinking "I spent $600 for _THIS_ piece of crap!?"
Or maybe Sony wanted some positive press to counteract the rootkit that geeks are unlikely to forget for a very long time...
Is this kind of stuff driven by Sony's PR dept? I remember before the PS2 was released, there were stories on the evening news about the dangers of them being used for missile guidance systems by other countries, because it was SOOOOOO POWERFUL!OMGZ! Obviously everyone is all anti-war, so now they're playing the "PS3 IS SO POwerFUL IT cUrEZ DISEASES SO FAST!" route. It all seems a little odd to me.
great to see things like this available, I'd like my ps3 sitting at home doing this rather than my super-beef 500w water cooled pc chunking out folding packets all day.
So to win back the hearts & minds of potential users, Sony is donating our bandwidth & processor time to charity causes?
Charity is only charitable until it's mandatory, then it's a tax.
"I have an odd craving to whisper about those few frightful hours in that ill-rumored and evilly shadowed seaport of dea
We all know using your PS3 will likely cause it to fail within a year after the warrany period expires. This will obviously lead to even earlier system demises requiring you to fork over money to repair or replace your PS3 on a 6th month (or shorter) cycle. Another win for Sony at the cost of the consumer, eh?
Dragging people kicking and screaming into reality since 1996.
In the effort to fold proteins, we fill the air with extra SMOG and further pollute our water, because all of that extra electricity will come from burning coal. Bet they won't mention that part.
-d
"Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
(yes I know folding can help work on cancer)
Imagine the new ad campaign "600 dollar donation to cancer research, just plug this in!" Anything to avoid having to discuss the games in the first year.
Let's search for those SETI signal bogies! :)
Cancer! Pffft!
What's this "serious negative press" that the article claims P3 has gotten?
Sony is letting us build them one of the greatest distributed supercomputers the internet has ever seen! If only I had the capital laying around to allow all you Slashdot readers to build me a supercomputer (and finacially support its operation by paying the power bill)... What Sony isn't telling us is that they've also partnered with Folding@Home in hopes that this uber-network will solve their major financial woes.
A better idea... Buy a Xbox 360 or a Wii. (Buy em used after a couple of months!) Save yourself anywhere from $200-$400 and donate the money to cancer research, or the F@H project if you really like that project. No, you don't get to have the PS3, but, your $200 will go a lot further for research than your cycles will over a couple of years. Also, take the $25-$100 you'll save on electricity (or whatever people in this discussion have been calculating) and donate that. With the $500 or so you'll give to research over the next 3 years, you'll be able to say for sure that you helped out. And, you get to cut out the middle men (Sony getting cash on the hardware and the Electric Co for providing the electricity).
Added benefit: Tax write-off! I want to see you try to write-off the additional ~$100 in electricity you're donating.
Disagreeing with me does not mean you get to mod me troll.
What sort of applications would benifit from being distributed, and also being made to use Graphics/3d chip power for their calculations?
If this is a selling point for PS3; could something like it be a selling point for Physics chips, or that new AI dedicated processor?
No, the key to stopping AIDS is to disallow anyone with AIDS to do stuff that might transmit it. That means:
No sex;
No injections;
No reproducing (therefore no dirty babies with AIDS);
No bleeding on people's open wounds;
No getting cut on an object which may cut someone else;
etc.
Picture the scene, two Sony PR guys Joe and Bob are walking along the corridor and into one of the rooms in the engineering department:
Joe: "We have a problem."
Bob: "We have lots of problems, which one specifically."
Joe: "You know, the PS3 one."
Bob: "Ah, yeah. I was thinking that we could maybe start shouting about how the Wii is going to be a little more expensive than people were hoping. That might make us feel a bit better."
Joe: "I was thinking that too, but I just wish we could find something newsworthy and positive that we could spoon feed the press. You know, the tabloids that have no real idea about tech. Something that would make a good headline. Something involving babies, or cute animals, or people who are ill, and something that makes shelling out $600 for a games console when people are starving in many areas of the world, seem like a positive and socially responsible thing to do."
Bob: "How on earth are we going to do that? That just smacks of effort, and you know that anytime we try stuff it just goes horribly wrong. We end up making people hate us, and I've come to realise that it's just best we don't do anything else ever again. I say we just go throw rocks at the ducks in the park again. That was fun."
Joe: "Hey look at Bill, he's mesmerised. What's that on his screen?"
Bill: "Oh, hi guys. I'm just looking at this protein molecule rotating slowly on my monitor."
Bob: "Hey, that's purdy"
Joe: "What's it all about?"
Bill: "Well, you know SETI@home, well this is pretty much the same thing, but with fewer aliens and more proteins. You can download it for free, and whilst the only reason I have it is for the pretty pictures it makes on my screen, it's supposed to be helping clever people off somewhere understand proteins, and maybe help to one day cure some disease or something."
Bob: "Yeah, it is pretty."
Joe: "Hold on! I've got it!"
Bill: "What?"
Joe: "Well, ideally we need something that we haven't had to develop ourselves, 'cause, you know, we tend to screw up pretty much everything we touch these days."
Bob: "Aha."
Joe: "Well, we haven't developed this, and this is like, helping the world become a better place or something."
Bob: "Okay. Your point being?"
Joe: "We could hitch a ride on the development and infrastructure hard work put in by these guys, compile a version for Cell, ship it with the PS3 and get press release out saying we're saving the planet. And children, and animals."
Bill: "But, you'd have to keep the thing on 24 hours a day, and that would actually be damaging the planet by consuming large amounts of electricity."
Joe: "Shut up you and go get the coffees in."
Bill: "OK."
Joe: "Anyway, as I was saying........."
Games? Even without games they will sell 5 million PS3s, haven't you heard?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
When I can run GCC on it without using rare, expensive add-on hardware that Sony quickly discontinues *cough*PS2 Linux*cough*, then it's a computer. Until then, it's a locked-in console.
They're doing this so that their poorly built console dies even faster than it normally would.
--- Do you believe in the day?
by suggesting rootkits be installed into everyone's brains
Look at these things that the PS3 can do that I can already do WITH MY FUCKING COMPUTER!
WHICH COST LESS!
Cuba did essentially that.
Step 1. Create "HIV compounds" with work, educational, residential, recreational and medical facilities.
Step 2. Test the entire population for HIV.
Step 3. Move all infected persons to the HIV compounds and provide them, food, shelter, Medical care and training (where necessary) in one of the jobs that are performed at those locations.
Step 4. routine retesting of high risk groups, like Havana prostitutes (Winners go to step 3).
The end result is that Cuba has essentially stopped the spread of AIDS within it's borders. Also, as WTO and UNAIDS will tell you "Early detection + free medicine and adequate nutrition = Long life for HIV victims". They did it via the "backward measure" of imposing a quarantine.
Before you judge this "repressive action" consider the alternative in places like Haiti and Jamaica (Cuba's closest neighbors and the countries I know best).
--= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
Spend my money to benefit a corporation that supports the DMCA and getting DRM in media, using power from coal/nuclear sources, so that some pharma can make money off of what I have 'given freely'?
Yea, I'll take a pass.
Will it run Duke Nukem Forever?
This sig is licensed under the Free Sig Foundation License, you may re-distribute it as long as you retain this notice
There's no reason to call somebody an idiot just because they would rather not have something you want so badly. Folding at home has a good goal, but does use more power per calculation than it would were it run on a supercomputer. If this guy is satisfied with his computer and doesn't want to pay a higher monthly power bill, he's fine to not want it.
Considering that running dnetc on 3 machines at my place made about a $20 difference to the monthly powerbill vs having them idle at 0% cpu, I hate to think of the negitives of this with the added greenhouse gasses that this decision will create. Also it will mean that PS3s sitting in closed up TV cabinets will still be pumping out heat possibly leading to overheating since noone will want to leave the console sitting out. All up, stupid idea IMO
But if the PS3 Linux kernel is modified to use only those Linux executables that have been signed by Sony (as is the case on PSP), and the PS3 bootloader is modified to use only those Linux kernels that have been signed by Sony, then how do I make my own working executables without being a big enough corporation to become a Sony licensee?
You really think the Button Pounding Console Zombie masses will really care? People, we're talking about the Wii crowd here... people who want to swing a remote control looking device around in their living room.
It would take a few hours to explain how a PS3 would fight cancer.
(playing devil's advocate here, I'm about to get modded -5 Anti-BPCZ)
FLR
Heating/cooling cycles aren't bad for electronics! A hard drive spinning 24/7 will die much faster than one starting and stopping occasionally.
I would not like to use any kind of cpu time from any computer to help some guys to make a lot of money registering new patents from our hardware work. Is there any compromise to not use any discovered information in new patents?
If you ask me this is a pretty weak marketing ploy. Consider a few things. First off any console with Internet access could do this. Distributed computing is more about numbers than about individual machines being more powerful. Secondly, basically you're donating power and possibly the lifespan of your system away. What Sony's done is give you a convenient way to donate. If you really cared about cancer research then donate some real money to a Cancer charity. I'm sure some folks will do it but it kind of defeats the purpose of what the PS3 was meant for, a gaming unit.
Then how does Sony intend to recoup its research and development costs? If people start developing and distributing casual games compiled with the public version of GCC, this could cut severely into the PS3 console's attach rate.
The Linux® kernel is free software, but the bootloader isn't. Likewise, I'm 99 percent sure that the BIOS in your PC is proprietary software.
We are all dying from the heat and the ice caps melting, but we've finally figured out how proteins fold!
The PlayStation 3 (Japanese: 3,, Pureisutshon Sur?, trademarked PLAYSTATION 3,[2] abbreviated PS3) is Sony's seventh generation era video game console, third in the PlayStation series. It is the successor to the PlayStation 2 and will compete against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii. The PS3 is scheduled for release on November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America (excluding Mexico, where the console will be released in Q1 2007), and March, 2007 in Europe and will ship in two initial configurations, the main difference being a 20 GB or a 60 GB hard disk being fitted. Sony officially unveiled the PS3 to the public on May 16, 2005 during an E3 conference. A functional version of the console was not at E3 2005 or the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005, although at both events, demonstrations were held on devkits (e.g. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) and comparable PC hardware, and video footage based on the predicted PS3 specifications was produced (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundam).[3] It wasn't until E3 2006 that games were shown on actual PlayStation 3 systems. In preparation for launch, Sony has announced that there will be 27 playable PS3 titles on show at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2006 on final hardware.[4] On GameFly.com, PS3 games are available for rentals. Contents [hide] * 1 Overview o 1.1 System configuration o 1.2 Release data and pricing o 1.3 Game pricing * 2 Software o 2.1 Games o 2.2 Backward compatibility o 2.3 Software development o 2.4 Interface and operating system o 2.5 PlayStation Network Platform * 3 Hardware Summary o 3.1 Controller * 4 References * 5 External links Overview System configuration System Features Feature Basic Premium Upgradable hard drive Yes, 20 GB Yes, 60 GB Blu-ray drive Yes Yes Bluetooth controllers Yes Yes Flash card reader No Yes Wi-Fi adapter No Yes HDMI port No Yes Silver-colored logo and trim No Yes AV Cables Composite Composite Sony's initial retail strategy for the PlayStation 3 will involve two different configurations that are detailed in a Sony press release.[5] The "premium" version of the PlayStation 3 will come with an internal 60 GB Serial ATA 2.5" hard drive, Wi-Fi connectivity, and multiple flash memory card readers, and features a brighter cosmetic silver-colored logo and trim.[1] The second, alternate configuration of the console will have a 20 GB internal hard drive, but will not feature Wi-Fi, HDMI, or a memory card reader. The hard drive is upgradeable, and memory card and Wi-Fi support can be added through adaptors, but the HDMI support is not upgradeable.[6] The lack of HDMI output in the 20 GB model (as with any HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player lacking HDCP) could potentially cause problems with restricted output resolution on Blu-ray video. An ICT flag can be set by content producers, which forces non-HDCP video down to a pixel resolution of 960×540 (50% greater than DVD-Video at NTSC resolution, and 25% greater than PAL resolution). SCEA president Kaz Hirai stated that it is "too early to speculate at this point" whether movie producers will activate the ICT feature.[7] According to German publisher Spiegel, a behind-the-scenes agreement was made not to enforce the ICT flag on next-generation optical formats until at least 2010, or possibly even 2012.[8] Release data and pricing Release date and suggested retail price by region* Region Expected pricing at release Release date Basic Premium Japan Japan[5] JP¥59,800(US$512) Open price November 11, 2006 United States United States[9] US$499 US$599 November 17, 2006 Canada Canada[9] C$549(US$485) C$659(US$587) Mexico Mexico - - Q1 2007[10] Europe Eurozone[11] (excluding Finland) 499(US$639) 599(US$768) March 2007[12] United Kingdom United Kingdom[13] - GB£425(US$806) Switzerland Switzerland[14] CHF 749(US$608) CHF 899(US$729) Norway Norway[15] - 5000 NOK(US$875) Denmark Denmark[16] 4495 DKK(US$770) 5495 DKK(US$943) Swe
Maybe Sony can include a research program that searches for cures to diseases that are caused by obesity that are caused (in part) by kids sitting around all day playing video games instead of going outside and getting exercise. Just a thought.
"The PS3, due in November, has gotten serious negative press in the past few months, and this refreshing good news may win back the hearts of gamers still undecided about purchasing the system"
this marketing stunt is so lame i can't stand. Perhaps it'll cure cancer, but what good is that when hardware this powerful will also be used to control nuclear missiles from menacing countries?...
[sarcasm]
I don't feel like it...
I'll join the folding @ home project just as soon as the blue ray cracking @ home project figures out the keys...
FYI: solaris (Sun UNIX) allows you to set up a "custom scheduling class". you can define a process to get no more than X out of Y 'ticks' of the cpu , where you define both the 'X' and 'Y'.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the group in which Mad Cow Disease is from (prions I think) fundamentally incurable?
By my measurements using a Kill A Watt, an XBox 360 uses about 170 watts when running full tilt. Let's assume the PS3 will take about the same amount of electricity.
170W * (24 hours / day) * (365 days / year) * (0.001 KW/W = 1489KWh
The average cost of electricity in the US is approximately 10 cents per KWh.
1489KWh * $0.10 / KWh = $148.90
So essentially, to fold proteins on your PS3 will cost you in the range of $150 per year. Personally, I think this is a foolish application of money. If you want to cure disease then donate the money directly. The researchers can then buy their own PS3s if that's the best thing they can do with the funds.
If you aren't paying for the electricity, then it's up to you whether to donate $150 from your university, parents, etc to protein folding. Personally, I don't think that's a fair thing to do, but your karma is your own.
Idle time processing made sense ten years ago when processors were less efficient and generally burned the same amount of electricity whether they were running hard (e.g. playing quake) or "idling". In that case then sure, why not do something useful with the electricity (and cpu).
But with modern CPUs that power themselves down when idling it no longer makes sense to donate "spare" cycles. Donating spare cycles of a PS3 that would otherwise be off (an extreme form of idle) makes even less sense.
Then what should I buy? What platform without a lockout chip has titles designed to be run with four players' controllers in one machine? If you suggest using four PCs instead, what advantage would four displays give to a game like Bomberman or Ninja Turtles or NBA Jam or Smash Bros., the kind of games that might have appeared in arcades?