When we learned that the Air Force was
buying 300 PS3s we knew it could mean only one thing: all-night
HAWX LAN party. But, when the order came through for
2,200 more, it seemed something more serious was afoot, and sure enough the armed force that aims higher was aiming to use them as a cluster for high-def video processing. Naturally that's quite dependent on the machine's Linux capabilities, capabilities that Sony has, of course,
since disabled. You might think this doesn't matter, since the units will never play games and so don't need the distro-disabling firmware update. But, hardware fails, especially when stacked as close as these units are and, according to the Air Force's Research Laboratory, Sony takes the liberty of applying the latest firmware even to refurb'd units. In other words, this is one cluster that's bound to fragment and not even Louis Gossett Jr. could bring it back together. Dramatic re-enactment after the break.
posted May 13th 2010 9:41AM
Just threaten Sony with Predator Drones.. is that so hard?
@gargle The same Drones that can no longer be controlled by the PS3's?
@gargle
sony, listen closely, don't f with the air force. those ps3 will be streaming your every move through the eyes of a drone. they'll see you updating their refurbs, and then pew pew, pew pew pew...yeah, it'll be that quick
@MrGoodCat pew pew pew pewwwwww
lmfao
just fix broken ps3 themselves, is that so hard?
@htd
Yes, when it requires proprietary chips and boards that only Sony permitted to order from OEMs.
@gargle
It's Simple Sony: Put the "FEATURE" that allot of us PAID for back and no one will be harmed.
@gargle I doubt it would matter with all the friendly fire. Maybe if they aim for themselves they might hit japan.
@gargle
It really doesn't matter how right Sony thinks they are....You know you did something wrong when you piss off the defense department.
Maybe this is the real reason Sony disabled the Linux support in the first place?
@MaltedVomit
Maybe. I know Sony sells Cell based servers for thousands of dollars a piece so the Air Force taking advantage of the PS3 hardware sell at/below cost and make up for it in games model. I want to know what contractor (because only a contractor would think to cut such a corner) is responsible for cutting the corner.
@gargle
fire the guy who thought this was a good idea. Relying on a japanese company? lmao
@gargle In a year, I'll be able to sell my old PS3 which I didn't update to the latest firmware for a high price.
@gargle This is pretty funny stuff.
@gargle
They first need a killstreak of 5.
@account5
Because relying on an American company (Microsoft) would be SO much better. O_o They would need twice as many xboxes and half of the xboxes would be sent back to M$ in the first week. Xboxes are weak-sauce.
@account5 Right! Serve's em right, lol
@Honis Either they try and save money and get accused of "cutting corners" or they buy it at full sticker price and get accused of being wasteful. You can't have it both ways - make up your mind.
Ouch. That's pretty unlucky.
@HikaKao
Ah FUCK! Who just updated the cluster firmware? downgrade downgrade!! go go go...
@HikaKao
I'm quite sure that the AF will get a custom firmware update if needed.
@jasonbot
Cluster-Fuck
LOL
Cluster-f*cked
@edoles
Seriously...how could so fudge up this bad? They should have made custom firmware for the Air Force from the beginning...which is why I'm a little skeptical about this story. That would be the stupidest move ever, lol
@edoles CHAAAAAAPPPPYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!
@Plazmic Flame
Back when the AF bought these machines, Sony was losing around $200 per unit still in subsidized costs to be made up later with accessory and game purchases. Clearly, the AF was not going to purchase games or accessories. So 2500x200=$500,000. I can't imagine Sony was happy about that.
@Kamokazi
Well, at least the AF bought the machines. Wasn't there an article where the ARMY (I think) wanted to buy a lot of XBOXs, but Microsoft said no?
Nowadays it seems like the consumer dictates how gadgets and technologies are used. Companies simply offer a product and then "typically" adjust based on how consumers use the tech.
But eliminating features is completely backwards from that. Not sure what business model they're trying to reflect.
@edoles
Its the "F-M N-D A**" buisiness model
@Kamokazi Sony tried to classify the PS3 as a computer as a tax dodge in the EU (which is probably one of the primary reasons the "Other OS" support exists). The EU laughed in Sony's face, and said "It's a game console, pay your damned taxes."
If Sony was trying to convince governments that it was a computer and not a game console, they can't really complain when somebody buys it to use it as... a computer.
........thats a lot of Playstations
Maybe they can hit up Craigslist for some used ones
@xJuice
unfortunately, if the previous owner happened to use the playstation's online capabilities even a little bit, it's most likely going to have the newest firmware. in which case it's completely useless to the US (ch)air force.
@MacAnkka har har har. What a clever pun. Oh you clever you. Would you like a cookie? You clever person.
Just pack the case full of dust. Then Sony will send them back without touching them! Oh... wait.... Yeah...
That video feels like the tutorial for a video game... :)
You see Sony, there ARE consequences to pulling a stupid fckin stunt like you did. Don't expect to get out of this one untouched.
they shouldve used dreamscasts.
2,500 PS3!?!? Holy shat!!! Let's play M.A.G bitches!!!
@Plazmic Flame Lol
It's a Sony! :(
so, USAF doesn't have in-house hackers to crack this? you gotta be kidding me.
Sony-apologists in 3...2...1...
@Hazdaz I hate Sony as much as the next guy, but remember that Sony's money comes from games, not from the consoles. Until a year ago, I think they were still taking a loss on these consoles, weren't they? Obviously the air force doesn't intend to buy games....
@MioTheGreat I'm sure the AirForce didn't buy these through retail channels (I don't even think they are allowed to) and they probably paid more then retail prices for them.
Great. Now I want to watch the rest of the movie.
Screw Sony.
Something wrong happens right now. Something about ownership. We used to think, that an owner can do anything with he owns. If I own a car I can rebuild it, I can swap in another engine, I can remove the engine, I can even remove the brakes (albeit I won't be able to drive it on public roads, but I can still drive it my backyard!!!!!! ), I can attach wings to it.
Electronics manufacturers and software companies are silently redefining the concept of ownership. First, Apple. Even if I develop my own application for iPhone I can no install it on my iPhone. Once again, my own application on my own phone. Or isn't this phone my own phone? Maybe it's still Apple's? But then, why did Apple charge me for that phone? If I pay the price, I expect to become the owner.
Sony with it's PS3 update does the same thing.
Sony, Apple and others must be stopped from redefining the concept of ownership. We need a grassroot movement to create a legislation enforcing the concept of ownership, so that companies like Apple or Sony won't be able to dilute it.
@stoffer This has nothing to do with ownership..Sony didnt suddenly change the PS3 into a rental model where ur renting the hardware. Its an issue of security. The % population of ps3 owners that actually used the "other OS" feature was so insignificant that it didnt make sense for a company to invest time and money to continue to support its development and testing to make sure it still worked with each new update to their PS3 os. Not to mention that it really is a big red X as a way to hack the system to play game copies. Current attempts to do so have concentrated on that method.
From a business perspective it was a logical choice. It had nothind to do with evil draconian issues or motives. They didnt want to leave a feature that most people didnt use and make their system more secure.
Hell if anything I think sony does a lot right. The ps3 is still one of the best bluray players out there...came with hdmi right off the bat..and their online service is free.
@stoffer You do own the phone. Not the OS. Jailbreak it and you can do whatever you want. Wasn't there a story on Engadget that mentioned someone's hacking Android onto an iPhone? See? You have the option with your phone, just not with the official OS.
@stoffer
Exactly once I buy it it is mine, if I modify it I support it.
@oddtodd Then we need to clarify the issues of software licenses, specifically EULAs. We need to fix that, because right now the customers are simply being screwed. The licenses are total madness. The licenses are one of the reasons why I try to stick to open source and why we at my workplace sometimes prefer to develop something in-house, rather buy a license for some software. If we have some software that does some numerical simulations and the results to not agree with experiments, we can try to fix it if we have the code. If we get a license we are given a black box. We have no understanding what it does and no way of fixing it. What is worse, the assumption of EULA is that we can not modify the software we pay for. In fact we do not buy software. Software is code. We only buy the right to execute the binaries. Most people do not understand that. You can say that you buy software only if you buy the source code, otherwise you only buy the right to execute compiled binaries.