The Elephant in the room... PS3 is designed to Hack your computer!!!

I just found out that I am going to be getting a Play Station 3 for Christmas. I am turning 29 this winter and haven't been much of a gamer, but since we are in a recession i have been spending more time at home and thought a gaming system would be a perfect remedy.

So I was looking at IGN to read the reviews of the best games that are out for the PS3 and I came across this article. I am a little more than Alarmed by what I read.


ps3.ign.com...


PlayStation 3 Used to Catch Child Pornographers Federal officials taking a liking to Sony's number cruncher.
by Jim Reilly

November 16, 2009 - "Sony's recent advertising campaign isn't an exaggeration. The console really can do everything. Even catch people trafficking child pornography. "





Ok, good thing they are catching child pornographers.

BUT!!!!


Who are else are they spying on??


This PS3 can process 4,000,000 password combination in a second.

PS3 has built in WiFi and can connect to ANY Network (local and WAN)!

PS3 is in 30,000,000 homes...


OMG... Is there any privacy left?

Come Christmas there will be a SPY in my living room.

***What I will have to do is make sure the battery is out of my Lap Top while I the PS3 is plugged in. But sadly, I dont feel I have anything to hide and know how lazy I can be and what a convenience I would be to be able to make Skype video calls while playing PS3***

If ever there is a new U.S Constitution I hope it includes the explicit Right to Privacy within your home...unless a judge declares a warrant based on just cause. I feel thats the way its supposed to be. Freedom and Liberty and all...


Somewhere an ex-KGB agent is drooling at the tactics the US government is using to keep tabs on its people.

[edit on 4-12-2009 by Where2Hide2006]

[edit on 4-12-2009 by Where2Hide2006]

This is really unfair. I realize I don't have to have one (which I just got) but still. They shouldn't make me pick between that. Oh well, I guess I can just never use the internet on it.

Another reason not to do online console gamming.
I unpluged my xbox from xbox live the day i saw what could be called a pop up on my xbox.

What they are doing is installing Linux on the PS3(old version) and using it's cell processor. As they explain it is because it's cheaper than the cell processors used in servers.

The PS3 off the self can't do the things they are talking about, it is only after they have installed linux on it and have them linked together to create a super-computer. It's way cheaper then buying a super computer which is okay in by book because that saves the taxpayer money.

reply to post by Where2Hide2006

If ever there is a new U.S Constitution I hope it includes the explicit Right to Privacy within your home...unless a judge declares a warrant based on just cause. I feel thats the way its supposed to be. Freedom and Liberty and all...

Well a wireless signal is not in your own home. Sending CP out of your home is illegal and no longer in "your home". Just like if your were to open your front door shoot your neighbor from inside your house and close your door the cops would have probable cause to search your house. So they cannot go around searching people's computer for illegal material they can put files with obvious kiddy porn type names on file sharing networks and trace who picks them up.

[edit on 4-12-2009 by zaiger]

federal officers have begun using Sony's PlayStation 3 to catch child predators by cracking encrypted passwords on seized computers and laptops.

Also what hastobemoretolife said.

They're using the hardware, nothing else; no abuse of rights, no illegal searches. Nothing.

[edit on 12/4/2009 by eNumbra]

That is sick..... I never would have thought the PS3 had that much processing power. It's literally a super-computer in your home. Way cool.

You don't understand. The PS3 is being used to CRACK PASSWORDS. It needs to have a physical connection between the target and itself, and to have a special, and illegal(unless your a government official) program to do that. A regular laptop could do the same exact thing that the PS3 could do, just slower.

reply to post by Where2Hide2006


I think you misunderstood the article.

They are not using the PS3 to 'spy' on anyone. They are using the PS3's processing power to crack passwords on computers that have been SEIZED from suspected child pornography traffickers.

They aren't monitoring your Internet usage; at least not with the PS3. They can do that without the PS3. They are simply using the very powerful processor inside the PS3 to do what much more expensive computers and servers do.

The only people they are targeting with this is people they have already caught, and they are saving taxpayers a hell of a lot of money doing it. For that, I'm all for it.

Originally posted by Where2Hide2006
PS3 has built in WiFi and can connect to ANY Network (local and WAN)!

I wish my PS3 would just hook itself up to any local or WAN network.

I spent 6 hours one day trying to get it up on my home network. After that failed I just hardwired it to the modem with an eithernet cable, and it proceeded to knock out my network. Couldn't get anything online for a week. Had to rebuild the network and reset everything on it once I got connectivity back.

Weird.

Unless you're big into online gaming its perfectly fun on its own. Then you don't have to worry about big brother. I transfer firmware updates with a flash drive, and they're even included in some games.

Depends on what you want to use it for. I've heard of guys installing linux and doing some pretty crazy stuff with it.

Just want to echo what others have said, namely you have completely misread the article.

They are using PS3's as a networked super-computer and this isn't the first time it has been done, they have used it in Astrophysics research and another supercomputer is being built with "normal" and cell processors: news.bbc.co.uk...

Also, a PS3 (or any device for that matter) can't just connect to ANY network it likes, whenever it likes.

If you have WiFi in your home and you haven't secured it, mind you, then it serves you right if someone goes round snooping on your PC. Personally, I don't have WiFi in my home, everything is hard wired on a gigabit ethernet LAN, much more secure, reliable and hassle free.

I'd also like to point out too, it is only the first versions of the PS3 that is capable of being turned into a supercomputer. The new versions have that feature disabled. I remember recently reading a story about how the Army just ordered a few thousands Old Version PS3's to add on to an existing cluster. If I had a few thousand dollars I would love to have my own personal supercomputer. I have no Idea what I would do with it, but I would find something. Maybe dedicate it to Folding@Home or something.

reply to post by Where2Hide2006



it seems to me you can set up monitoring equiptment on your laptop to see if the PS3 really is trying to access it or the Net through your modem/router. the wireless still goes through your modem through the phone or cable line I understand - Just unplug your modem then set up the laptop to monitor.

reply to post by JohnPhoenix


Just check your router logs, that's all you need to do. It will record all activity and log the IP address of the device doing said activity.

This is suspect. It's called folding@home

People seem to know what it does. I have yet to find an explaination. No worry, I'll probably find out, though.

There's a ton of stuff on the net, and some stuff on utube, but it's really vauge to me.
Maybe I just don't get it. Here's the link:
folding.stanford.edu...

This video is even more vauge.


Check out some of the videos on utube if you want to get more confused.
It can use all the cpu power on your ps3, and make it overheat as well. It's a stressful program.

Basically, You download a work unit, you complete it, then you send it back and then you get another one.

Here's another fine video.


Listen, go save the world. Good Luck. Any explaination will satisfy. I actually use it as an mp3 player as well, if that helps any.
Nice thread, unless I don't get it or something.

reply to post by 517.101


Folding@Home is just like Seti, except that it simulates the folding of proteins. It will help to find cures to diseases like Alzheimer's and stuff like that. You ought to read the other stuff on the Home Page it's really intricate and deep stuff.

Air Force Buys 300 PlayStation 3 for Research
gizmodo.com...

The Air Force has bought 300 PlayStation 3s for "research." Whether "research" means "let's play a massive Call of Duty 4 game" or "let's start building SkyNet with 300 PlayStation 3 nodes" or "let's create a giant black mecha with Blu-ray lasers" is yet to be seen. According to the Air Force, they need the cell processors for assessment

The place of delivery, acceptance, and FOB destination point is F4HBL1/Transportation Depot 2, 148 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4516.

The U.S. Air Force is using over 2,500 PS3 units linked together to conduct research on the future of supercomputing.
www.gamepro.com...

The U.S. Air Force has submitted a procurement request for 2,200 new PS3 units to supplement the 336 that are already employed at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY.

Both commercial and internally-developed software is being tested in an effort to discover possible military applications for a PS3 supercomputing network; so far the Air Force has had success employing the cluster to quickly process high-def video, compile multiple radar images into high-res composites and even create computers with human brain-like qualities, known as "neuromorphic computing."

They are building Skynet!

Nooooo, dont plug it in to the internet!

[edit on 5-12-2009 by conar]

Sounds like the PS3 is a pretty powerful machine.

Is it really that much better than the XBox 360.

A lot of Game Developers say developing games on the PS3 is more difficult.