PlayStation 3 and Newfoundland Timezone and Loss of Linux Support

I’m a little ticked at Sony as I realized, again, that they haven’t updated their firmware for the PlayStation 3 to include the Newfoundland time zone. It is always 30 minutes off and that really bugs me. I’m wasn’t going to go into a diatribe about Linux but I think I will.

Anyway, here is the note I sent to Sony. Yes, I am sarcastic but after being out for so long Sony deserves it. Anyway, here is the note:

Hi Folks – when are you going to fix the Newfoundland timezone? You know, that one that is -3:30 (-2:30 in the summer)? It is quite annoying that the time is off by 30 minutes (no, we are NOT Nova Scotia nor New Brunswick nor Prince Edward Island – we are not part of the Canadian Maritimes).

Every other Java or Linux based system out there has their timezone information including Newfoundland – what is Sony’s excuse? This has been apparently going on since the PS3 was launched – and that wasn’t yesterday!

Thanks
Mike

I have to say that I’m a little saddened that Sony has dropped Linux support (a/k/a “Other OS”) from the latest firmware. Not that I used Linux very much at all on the PS3 (I use it a great deal on servers and my Dell Mini) but it was nice to have a choice. Here’s what the update said what would happen if you didn’t update to 3.21:

  • Ability to sign in to PlayStation Network and use network features that require signing in to PlayStation Network, such as online features of PS3 games and chat
  • Playback of PS3 software titles or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3 system software version 3.21 or later
  • Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under Settings)
  • Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21 or later

To further quote them

It will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, we’re now removing this feature.

Riiight. I can keep Linux and then I likely won’t be able to watch any Blu-ray discs that have update copy protection or that I won’t be able to watch any Blu-ray discs that need the updated firmware (which the studios owned by Sony will obviously need).

I think that this might be the result of DTCP-IP that is noted above.

From Webopeida:

DTCP-IP Digital Transmission Content Protection over Internet Protocol, a specification for copy protection of copyrighted content that is transferred over digital interfaces in home networks that adhere to IP. Under this specification, digital content can be shared securely between devices in a user’s home but not shared with third-parties outside the home network. Using an authentication scheme, DTCP-IP allows the user to designate devices in the home network as trusted destinations that can transfer data back and forth, but DTCP-IP will not allow the content to be transmitted over the Internet to be shared outside of the home network.

What I think is happening is that via Linux you can stream from the PS3 partition outside the outside home… …Or, maybe there is something with the Blu-ray copyprotection that having Linux on the system will break… …Or, maybe some aliens will come an capture the world. Anyway, I don’t know the reason for them dropping Linux or the security reasons but if I found out I’ll post.

About Mike Pelley

Let’s see… A little about me… I’ve been around information technology since 1983 with computers such as DEC Rainbows (weird machine – the standard DOS couldn’t format its own floppy disks – remember them? – and I had to format them on a friend’s IBM PC) to Radio Shack TRS-80 to Apple ][e and Apple //c in the beginning. I have programmed in 8-bit assembly language on 6502, FORTRAN and COBOL on IBM System/370 (and I still hate JCL), VAX BASIC and COBOL (and a weird and massive WordPerfect 4.0 macro) on DEC VMS (Alpha), C/C++ on Digital Unix (ALPHA), and C/C++, Perl (it may be powerful but I still hate it), PHP on Linux (Red Hat, Centos, Ubuntu, etc.). I have work with databases such as Digital RDB (later to become Oracle RDB), Oracle DBMS, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL on VAX, Alpha, Sun and Intel. Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn. See http://lnkd.in/nhTRZe I still think that Digital created some of the best ideas in the world: VAX clustering, DSSI disks (forerunner to SCSI) and the Alpha processor (first commercial 64-bit processor – Red Hat screamed on an Alpha!). DEC just could not seem to be able to give air conditioners away to someone lost in the Sahara Desert! VMware is one of the best ways to get the most out of an x64 server. And I have tried Oracle VM, Virtual Box and Microsoft Virtual Server. Outside of that I am a huge military history buff starting in the early 20th century. I love Ford Mustangs (my ’87 Mustang GT was awesome) and if I had the money I would have a Porsche 928S4. If I had a lot of money I would have a Porsche 911 Turbo. I also play too much AmrA 3 Exile mod. Over 5,000+ hours... I have a wonderful son, Cameron. I have a long suffering (Do you really need all that computer junk?) wife, Paula. I live in Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador.
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