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ps3 posts

Filed under: Games, Mozilla, Browsers

Proper web browsing on a console: Firefox coming to the Sony PS3?

Firefox/PS3 mash-up. Stolen from CNET, who stole it from Gizmodo.It seems the age of humdrum, crippled browsers on consoles might finally be coming to an end! Though the details are very slim, with the only source being an unnamed insider very close to Sony, it is exciting news indeed if it turns out to true.

Games consoles have always had feeble browser offerings, with PS3's default browser generally considered one of the worst and most unreliable. Porting Firefox to the PS3 would make a lot of sense, especially if Sony intend to inroads against the competing XBox Live service. Or perhaps they need a proper web browser for their newly-announced iTunes-killer...?

Obviously this is very much a rumour, but it would make a lot of sense -- and it will probably appear quite soon, considering how hard Sony are pushing for a larger slice of the console market at the moment.

I wonder if Flash and the ability to stream videos from sites like YouPo YouTube will be included....

[via CNET]

Filed under: Internet

Torrent Relay for times when you just need to download

Kevin Kowalewski of Seneca College wanted to build something for the summer. Instead of the usual tree house or go kart he decided to build a BitTorrent client, in a browser.

Torrent Relay's interface is pretty easy to figure out and works with all the mainstream browsers including those found on the PS3, Wii or iPhone. Either upload or paste the url of the torrent file and let the site do its thing. After a bit, you're taken to another page to initiate the download.

Keep in mind that this is a summer project so don't be surprise if you get a lot of "server busy" messages and are asked to donate or click an ad. Currently downloads over 400MB are not permitted, so no Kubuntu downloads for you.

We can see the value of a service like this once cloud computing really takes off and everything lives in the clouds. This way we're still able to get our weekly fix of Bleach.

Filed under: OS Updates, Linux

Install Ubuntu 7.10 on a PS3 so you can play Super Mario 2

Ubuntu with video player
Sure, that expensive Playstation3 video game console in your living room can play DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, downloaded videos, and video games with killer graphics. But haven't you always wanted to install some old-school Nintendo and Atari games on there? OK, we're seriously hoping that's not the only thing you do if you decide to load Linux onto your PS3, but it's one of the many possibilities once you have a fully functional computer operating system on your game system.

The folks over at SoftPedia have put together step by step instructions for installing Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon on a PS3. The best thing is, you can install Ubuntu without removing your PS3's native operating system, meaning you'll be able to choose between playing video games and using your game console as a multimedia-friendly computer.

You'll need a USB flash drive (or hard drive), a USB keyboard, and an installer CD. Oh yeah, and a lot of time on your hands. Installation takes about 4 times longer on a PS3 than on a typical PC. You'll also probably want an HDTV if you plan on using your PS3 to do any serious computing. Otherwise you'll be stuck with an extraordinarily low screen resolution that makes it hard to fit more than one window on your screen.

[via Digg]

Filed under: Internet, Video

Sony to launch video download store

Sony Bravia logoJust days after Sony announced it was pulling the plug on the Connect music download service, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony plans to launch a video download service to compete with iTunes.

Sony may have the goods to pull this off. Apple developed the iTunes music store in order to sell content that would make you want to buy an iPod. The hardware and software are made to work together. Sony already has the hardware (the Playstation3, the Playstation Portable, and Bravia television sets) and the content (Sony Pictures movies and TV shows).

Now imagine media service where you can go online using your computer, PS3, PSP, or even your TV remote control, buy a movie or a complete season of a TV show, and automatically download it to a device for viewing. No $300 AppleTV required.

Of course, in order to succeed, Sony will need to sign distribution deals with other TV and movie producers. But while Apple holds onto its number one position in online music sales with a strong grip, there's not clear leader in video downloads. So whether Sony can take the lead is kind of beside the point right now. We're just happy to see someone else moving into this space.

Filed under: Games, Hardware, News, Linux, Open Source

Buy a PS3 preloaded with Linux


If you're jealous of all those mad scientists who've been loading up Linux on their shiny new Sony PS3, TerraSoft thinks they have the answer. They're taking pre-orders for PS3's pre-loaded with Yellow Dog Linux's Playstation distribution. Now, even if you don't know a kernel from a colonel, you can smile brightly when your friends and foes drop jaws to the ground while your expensive console boots the most advanced open source OS on the planet.

Your Linux laden PS3 will set you back $650 credits dollars and TerraSoft isn't making any promises on when your new pride and joy will arrive. If you've already got your hot little hand on the third generation of Sony console, IBM's got a helpful guide to squeezing Yellow Dog in alongside Sony's own proprietary OS. The only caveat? Sony's partial opening of the platform comes with a tiny string attached; You'll get no accelerated graphics capabilities when running Linux.

Filed under: Linux, Open Source

Debian on your PS3

debian on ps3Wellsiree, that Debian proves it has the moves to wiggle onto any platform, doesn't it? Debian shakes up the dance floor with a live distro capable of running on your PS3. Because, clearly, the PS3 makes a low-cost alternative to that PC you were gonna build out of spare parts, huh? Well, it's always nice to see Linux being so adaptable, and goodness knows the PS3 hardware might do some nifty stuff with a real OS inside. That said, I'd really like to see someone make Blu-ray playback work on there... Note that Linux on a PS3 isn't exactly a new idea.

[via PS3 fanboy]

Filed under: Games

Folding@Home on PS3

PS3 Folding@Home beta screencapI've never been a big console gamer; my last console was an Atari 7800. One of my big gripes has always the complete lack of value in consoles: they cost a tremendous amount of money for what is essentially a unitasking machine. Put a second rate processor and a mediocre video card in a box, cripple it by tying it to a proprietary cartridge or disc format, call it a video game console and sell it for six times what you get for it if you called it a computer. Clever marketing ploy, to be sure, but there are plenty of games I like that run on hardware I already own. It follows that I normally ignore most console news and announcements unless they involve doing something useful, like cracking firmware and booting up Linux on the stupid things.

This news from Sony, though caught my eye. Apparently, they're working with the Folding@Home project to let gamers get in on the distributed computing fun and help cure cancer and a host of other diseases. They've even announced a beta application even before the PS3 itself is ready. Now that's an idea I can get behind. Most PS3s will sit around idle for the vast majority of their lives; why not put that processing power to good use? No word yet on whether they're planning to support two of my favorite distributed projects, SETI@Home and FightAIDS@Home, but this is a great gesture on Sony's part and I hope everyone who buys a PS3 gets involved. Why not do some good with all those processor cycles you're not using anyway? As long as we're on the subject: are you running a distributed computing client for a worthy project on your computer right now? you should be.

[via BoingBoing]

Filed under: Games

Download Squad welcomes PS3 Fanboy to the family

PS3 Fanboy

Keen readers may have noticed the little dogear up in the corner linking to Weblogs, Inc.'s newest blog, PS3 Fanboy. You may think we have our obsessions here at Download Squad, but you haven't seen obsession until you visit the fanboys (and girls!) over there. They couldn't be more excited about Sony's Playstation 3, and if your enthusiasms run along the same lines, do yourself a favor and check it out.

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The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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