Kotaku
This is super cool. Sony Computer Entertainment is teaming up with Stanford University to create a distributed computing network of PS3s to help study the causes of a number of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis and many cancers.
The next software update for the PS3, expected to hit at the end of the month, will include a new Folding@home icon for the cross media bar. To join the program you just click on the icon. You can also set up your PS3 to work on the application whenever the console is idle. This second option will require leaving the console powered on and connected to the Internet. Not sure if that could create a heat issue.
The Cell-powered PS3s will tap into Stanford's Folding@home program which has been in use on home computers since 2000 to work on studying disease by simulating the process of folding proteins. When performed on a single computer this simulation can tak up to 30 years, but Folding@home allows thousands of computers, and now thousands of PS3s, to work on the same simulation through distributed computing.
Sony says the Cell process inside the PS is about 10 times faster than a standard chip in a computer, so this will be quite a boon to researchers.
"Millions of users have experienced the power of PS3 entertainment. Now they can utilize that exceptional computing power to help fight diseases," said Masayuki Chatani, Corporate Executive and CTO Computer, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "In order to study protein folding, researchers need more than just one super computer, but the massive processing power of thousands of networked computers. Previously, PCs have been the only option for scientists, but now, they have a new, more powerful tool — PS3." "We're thrilled to have SCE be part of the Folding@home project," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "With PS3 now part of our network, we will be able to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world's most life-threatening diseases."
This is just the first use of the PS3 for distributive computing, according to Sony. The company said they will continue to support " a wide variety of academic fields such as medical and social sciences and environmental studies."
This is a very admirable thing that Sony is doing. Good for them.
Comments
Innarestin'.
So maybe all of that "the PS3 is a computer!" stuff they were spouting earlier isn't just crap after all...
Thats pretty cool. Not a Sony fan. but glad to see they're doing their part in helping. Judos.
Now let Jack Thompson put that in his pipe an smoke it.
another thumbs-up for Sony!
i am now seriously considering getting a PS3 as soon as the price is cut (given the recent announcement by IBM that they are making 65mm Cell cores, it's inevitable)
I'm betting that people around here will find a way to attack Sony for worrying more about making the world a better place instead of putting good games on the system
Whoa... This is weird, cool, confusing, and admirable all at the same time.
I'll do it for a little while. Why not?
what about the global warming?
Can you run this process while playing a game? I'm not sure if I can tell the answer from the post.
I can't see running my PS3 just for this purpose, but I'd definitely run it in the background.
awesome. i will be contributing
Dudes_McGee:
no, you can't play a game. it'll just have to be that process running
This is probably the only *useful* thing they've announced for PS3 yet. It'd be slick if MS and Ninny did the same thing, I'm certain it wouldn't be much of a challenge for either of them. Surely Wii's not as robust as PS3 or 360, but at the same time, every little bit helps.
Wasn't this the whole purpose of PS3 from the beginning? To create this huge processing farm?
@Dudes_McGee:
From what I can tell from the articles I've read, no. You can let the system crunch the numbers from an idle state though. The process use about a tenth of the processor's power. You can also halt the process (like to play a game) without destroying the progress made so far. Estimates suggest that one simulation can be completed in about an hour.
I'll be signing up for sure.
@Dudes_McGee:
I was wondering this myself, as I still like to play games on my game system. I can't imagine it wouldn't allow background operation, as the major update in this download is the activation of background operation of downloads, music (in game music, finally) and other X-Box influenced activities.
To make it background enabled would see it get very little use. But considering the miscalculations and missteps and mishaps on the part of Sony this launch cycle, I can't put it past them.
I'll also be a-helping out.
Good work, Sony.
Okay we knew the Cell chip could do this. I hope they use this to help our online games.I originally heard that if your PS3 was on but not using a game online. They would use some of your machine to help others who are online.
Uhhh hello? Has nobody used a PC in the last 10 years? This kind of thing is being done all around the world on millions of PC's and has been for about a decade now. SETI@HOME anybody? Not to mention the hundreds of other schemes like this.
Any other time Sony get shit for copying - so why the big change? Oh that's right, everyone sees a clumsy 3D Live rip-off and suddenly Sony are teh aw3s0me again. Give me a break.
@PapaBear:
@Dudes_McGee:
Never mind, then, people have already proven me full of shit. :P
It runs while the system is idle and requires your net connection. So powering down your PS3 while using this will simply stop it displaying images but continue to run in the background. No real danger of heat as the graphics chip is simply on standby and the hard drive will not really be doing much either. Could dramatically affect your power bill though if you do this for a year.
@MrXBob:
Wow, that was quick.
@MrXBob:
And you consider yourself a gamer, eh? Irrational hate, even in the face of something really good for the world community.
Get over it, and give props where props are due. Who cares if someone else did it before? It's still good that they are doing it now.
Nice one Sony, keep it up!
What the fuck MrXBob. You suck. As a person.
Great SONY.......Just great....
you can't get your Online Network to have a Unified friends list or real background downloading or download more than 1 thing at a time or have a steady stream of games worth the 600$ purchase (sorry Motorstorm doesn't cut it)...but you want us to leave our Hair Dryer heat level PS3s on for this???
C'mon......I know its desperate times but.....seriously.
I can't fault any company for making an effort to improve the world. And since there are long stretches of time that a console sits idle, why not harvest that for the greater good?
The question will be how long most households use it. Especially after a couple of months worth of power bills, since I hear the PS3 likes electricity.
Kudos again to Sony for taking a step in the right direction.
@ MrXBob
Maybe it might have something to do with it involving disease research and that this hasn't been done by a games console before.
Are you that obsessed by gaming and the flamewars that you would overlook the benefits of Sony helping out just because they're copying other initiatives? Any extra processing avenues for things like this can only be a good thing.
@GoonieGooGoo:
No one is forcing people to use the service. And if it's running in an idle state, there won't be any of these fabled "hair dryer heat levels" as a result.
MrXBob:
Yes we know this has been around for a long time, but the whole point is that the more people that join, the better.
After all these years, there are only 180,000 Folding@Home PC clients. If the PS3 can reach anything close to the install base of the PS2, it will be the biggest Folding@Home platform in the world. Actually, with 1 million units already in homes, the moment this firmware update hits, it will already be the largest Folding platform in the world.
This is good for everyone...it's good for HUMANITY.
I wish Microsoft and even Nintendo would follow suit with folding clients of their own. This is one cause I think everyone can get behind.
@gooniegoogoo
If that wasn't sarcasm, I don't even know where to begin on your apparent selfishness.
I'm betting that people around here will find a way to attack Sony for worrying more about making the world a better place instead of putting good games on the system
Nice straw man.
Anyway, you're wrong. Looks like people are giving Sony plenty of props for doing this.
Count me as one of them.
I don't care about this crap!
Where's E3-2005-KILLZONE!?!?!?!?
They said it was IN-GAME!!???!!??
WWWHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
And now GoonieGooGoo joins the chorus.
Just for kicks, remove the idea that you don't like Sony's game system. Look at it as purely a philanthropic effort. Isn't it a nice thing to do?
Now, let's get back to your shade of reality: This next patch is not only just this charity effort. It also adds background downloading, multiple downloads, all that fun stuff.
MrXBob why would you think they are copying? What they are doing is ADDING to the current base of people folding@home. This is a good thing for Sony and Stanford to be doing and it definitely does not take anything away from the PC side of the software. MrXBob if your such a distributive expert why are you not happy about this announcement, why must you jump all over Sony for this???
@MrXbox: Ever hear the woird capitalism..They are using it to get back in the console race.They are getting kicked by nintendo,these last minute changes sony is doing is sucking up to the customer so they can get back to their console war domination and keep ruling the console wars for all eternity.ppl call it copying,fans call it innovation.
@Warren DeMontague:
I wish you were right. No straw man needed, since GoonieGooGoo and MrXBob have put themselves up on that stick.
"Millions of users have experienced the power of PS3 entertainment."
Errrr.....which millions of users.....those 10 people who bought the console already in the US...????
Christ...now THAT is some corporate spin. Don't think for a second that Sony is doing it to benefit mankind. That's just a tertiary bonus for them.
Anything to help subtantiate the price tag and whitewash their ridiculous media bytes over the last fifteen months.
Now...when little Timmy wants his mom to buy a PS3, he can say.
"Sure mom, it's 'spensive but it's a soooper compooootar! They use it to cure the cancers in people. If it had come out a year earlier maybe gramma would be alive."
*sniffle*
It's been going on, on the PCs for years now. It's nice that Sony has worked that function into their architecture but they're not doing it be good citizens.
It's corporate spin and nothing more.
Anything for marketshare.
@mikemil828: so aren't you sorta attacking anybody that doesn't just give Sony a pat on the back for this?
I'm not saying this thing Sony is doing is bad to any degree, it's great. I just don't think it's fair to limit this forum to only praise by basically saying if it's not praise than your just a blindly-hating-on-Sony fool.
If you leave your PS3 on 24/7, it will cost you at least $100/year just for the electricity. In California, it's closer to $180.
Know that before you do this.
Now, additionally, I'm going to start rant mode.
When Universities make new drug developments, they patent them and make huge wads of cash off them. Why would I give my money to help research a drug that Stanford will use to line their coffers? Let them make a promise that will return some value to the public for any drugs developed (through folding) by the public.
@NinjaBall:
The PS3 has a good cooling system, but it doesn't use significantly less power at idle than at full bore. I have a power measuring device myself, and unless you turn it off, it only varies between 160W and 185W. That's only 10% difference. If you put it in an enclosed space, you'll hit "hair dryer heat levels" in almost the same time at idle as running a game.
@snahfu:
Of course it's good PR. To believe otherwise would be silly. But this time, good PR and good charity meet.
Just because it's PR doesn't invalidate the fact it's having a good effect.
I'll probably run it.
@RodmanSan:
Way to be a prick in a thread about something good being done.
Now Kutaragi can hold one of his trademarked Outrageous Claim press conferences and announce that the PS3 now cures diseases.
@giovonti
I find it difficult how you can not praise it. Sure Sony's going to get a lot of good PR and the press release aims to get people to buy the system but you'd have to be a stonehearted cynic to weigh Sony's corporate agenda more heavily against the benefits of PS3 (or any gaming console) actually having the potential to help benefit the world if it all goes to plan.
@MrXBob,
The fact is every little helps. It doesn't matter which platform it is on. Why do we need to drag console wars into something positive like this?
@MrXBob:
Dude slowly put down your bottle of PS3 hater-ade and take a step back. Are you serious? Some folded first so the Ps3 shouldn't. Your logic is so flawed and in so many ways it's amazing.
There are gamers and there are fanboys and you sir are a fanboy. I may be insulting fanboys actually calling you a fanboy. The PS3 is expensive. It's packed full of expensive hardware and is very well built. Just wait till you can afford one and shut your hole. :)
I stopped doing all of this computer time donation a long time ago because I like to keep my power bill down. It is already high enough as it is.
Now THAT is some corporate spin. If you think Sony is doing this inorder to be a contributing partner in society...you're mistaken.
It's one more attempt to justify the PS3 price point and nothing more.
It's one more way that they're trying to claw back market share.
THIS bullshit will sell consoles. The fact that it might actually help people is just a beneficial side effect.
Things of this nature have been available on PCs for probably close to a decade but Sony has done it, coupled with the HOME news byte at GDC and now Sony is "teh 4w350m3" again.
Now, when little Timmy wants a PS3, he can have this conversation with his mom.
"I know it's 'spensive mom, but it's a sooopar compooootar yanno! They're using it to cure the cancers in people. Maybe gramma would be still alive if the PS3 came out last year."
*sniffle*
Give kudos to Sony for being a ruthless corporate entity as that's what corporate entities do. They're ruthless. They are there to make a profit.
Rest assured, if they didn't have the market share problem with the PS3 that they currently have, "fighting disease" with the PS3 would have been far lower on their priority list.
It helps, and that's nice but please don't make Sony out to be this great humanitarian entity because quite frankly, they're not.