Most of you will be aware by now of Folding@home, PS3’s latest venture in conjunction with Stanford University. For those who haven’t quite got their heads around it, here’s some further info:
Stanford University’s Folding@home (FAH) program utilizes distributed computing in an attempt to understand protein folding, misfolding and related diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer. PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) users now have the capability to connect their PS3 systems to the FAH network and assist in this protein folding research.
Because the protein folding process happens in about 10 one-millionths of a second, scientists must leverage computer simulations to study them. However, since a simulation and calculation this complex can take several years for one computer to observe, the FAH program sends small packets of information to millions of separate computers in the network. Once each computer tabulates its respective information, it sends it back to a central computer where all the results can be tabulated and viewed together.
In the past, the FAH program utilized primarily personal computers. However, a networked PS3, thanks to its powerful Cell Broadband Engine™, is roughly 20-30 times faster than a standard PC, allowing researchers to tabulate simulations much faster. What once took 5-10 years to compute can now take a few months.
To join the program, PS3 users can simply click on the Folding@home icon within the Network menu of the XrossMediaBar (XMB™). Then, when the PS3 is left on and reaches idle mode, it will automatically begin the simulations.
KEY FEATURES/FACTS
- A network of roughly 10,000 PS3s can accomplish the same amount of work as the current network or 200,000 PCs in the FAH program.
- The PS3 graphics chip allows for users to actually watch the protein folding that their particular PS3 is simulating on screen with vivid imagery and color.
- PS3 users are able to rotate the protein strand and zoom in and out through the use of the SIXAXIS™ wireless controller.
- PS3 users can view a “live” map of the world that identifies the specific locations where fellow PS3 users are connected to the FAH program.
- The PS3 FAH program will be available to users by the end of March, 2007.
I use this a lot because I don’t pay a separate electricity bill, think I’ve clocked in about 10 WUs. Anyone else use it much?
How about setting up a ThreeSpeech FAH Team?
Comment by Ben Furneaux — Apr 2, 2007 @ 2:41 pm
a 3speech team is a great idea - i’m in. what’s the official # threespeech.com?!
Comment by nexus3ooo — Apr 2, 2007 @ 3:00 pm
My PS3 keeps getting stuck on a work unit that can’t be uploaded. I had it trying to upload a work unit for 2 days until I gave up on it and deleted Folding@Home and then re-downloaded it.
I was then able to complete & upload one work unit but it got stuck on the next one again. I’ve read about PC users having problems like this and they can delete certain files to get it unstuck. But I can’t do that on the PS3, so I guess I’m just S.O.L.
Too bad, I would have liked to contribute more.
Comment by Travis — Apr 2, 2007 @ 3:14 pm
I’ve done a little less than 20 WU, but I am starting wondering where to put the break even point between the advantages for the Stanford research and the pollution required to produce the 200W eaten by the PS3 while calculating. Perhaps I am stupid.
Comment by Giacecco — Apr 2, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
“Most of you will be aware by now of Folding@home, PS3’s latest venture in conjunction with Stanford University.”
This sentence is a little misleading. FAH has been in action since about 2002 without PS3’s help at all. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that Sony’s gone through with this, but there’s an implication in the phrasing where Sony and Stanford are equal partners in the project. In actual fact Sony’s simply piggybacking on a longstanding existing project.
@Travis: I use BOINC on my PC to process F@Home and SETI@Home and it does frequently get jammed unfortunately, so it’s not uncommon no matter what system you use.
Comment by Bopper — Apr 2, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
HI GUYS…IM THE VERY HAPPY AS YOU LIKE OWNER OF A PS3!!! DAMN ITS GOOD!!! LINKIN MY PSP AS WE SPEAK!!
ANYONE WANNA ADD ME?? MY I.D IS…
seedaripper1973
(lowercase)
SEE YOU ONLINE GUYS!!!
(PS I GOT MOTORSTORM/RESISTENCE AND VF5!!)
Comment by seedaripper — Apr 2, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
LOLZORZ FTW ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!
*roll eyes…*
Comment by Ben Furneaux — Apr 2, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
I’ll be interested in joining the ThreeSpeech FAH team aswell. Any official # yet?
Comment by Ben — Apr 2, 2007 @ 4:28 pm
can anyone help me out here?? i try and set up a remote play settings with my psp but it says i need to upgrade the version??? im in the uk so i tried the uk site first and got 3.11….didnt owrk…so i went to the yank site and now have ver 3.30….stilll doesnt work??? anyone now if the feature hasnt been implemented into the uk version?? or any one else had problems??? pls let me know lads…
p.s when i goto the WWW tab on my ps3 it just goes staright to the ps3 site..i try search (as i do on my psp-and i get joy) but not on this??? when i say search for ign or msn its says not found??? can you access normal webpages via the WWW tab or do i need linux…..phewww…any help would be much appreciated…thanks
see
Comment by seedaripper — Apr 2, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
Giacecco, I have been thinking about the issue you wrote about and it’s really up to wether you feel more for the nature or more for helping with finding cures for the diseases. You can (at least in my country) select if you want your electricity to come from wind, water (and probably nuclear powerplants too) etc. so that should solve some of your doubts. Stay away from non renewable energy sources like coal, oil etc. and you should be fine.
Comment by Tomte — Apr 2, 2007 @ 6:44 pm
“In actual fact Sony’s simply piggybacking on a longstanding existing project.”
Now this kind of comments come from people who don’t actually want anything good to happen in this world.
Comment by mr. kulmanister — Apr 2, 2007 @ 7:19 pm
Sony isn’t piggybacking the project, they’re practically raping it (in a very good way, if good rape exists?!).
The PS3 is eight times more powerful than the average FAH machine spec and is already providing more WUs than all other operating systems together, even after less than a month. Incredible stuff if you ask me. Just imaging in 5 years when everyone and their gran owns a PS3 and they switch on for World Folding Day.
Cancers will be cured my friends, cancers will be cured…
Comment by Ben Furneaux — Apr 2, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Can we, as a community of a long standing industry at least sit down, see a piece of news, and agree on what the hell reality is.
If you can somehow find something wrong with a venture as helpful, selfless, and down right good as this, then pick up the phone and call your closest asylum. They’ve a padded room for you. That type of sadism HAS to be linked to insanity.
Comment by Kris — Apr 2, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
oh ok..maybe not then
Comment by seedaripper — Apr 3, 2007 @ 7:34 am
@seedaripper
This isn’t really the forum for such questions. Google for the UK PlayStation forums, or check the forums at any of the numerous console gaming websites.
However, yes you can access normal websites from the WWW browser on the PS3. Try pressing Start and typing in the URL using the on-screen keyboard.
As for the PSP, it’s tricky. Just keep trying different things and it might work - I can’t even remember how I got it to work. You have to plug the PSP in by USB first, and set the PSP to ‘USB Mode’. Then you can set up the Remote Play Connection. After that, you need to set the PS3 into Remote Play Mode, then go to Remote Play on the PSP and select the new WiFi connection that was created for the PS3 (has an odd name).
Good luck!
Comment by Rikki — Apr 3, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
cheers ricky…i realsie this isnt the place to start…just panicked…aaarrrgh i want it all to work nicely!
im gonna be tryin the forums now…(altho i tried this yesterday to no avail) but thanks for the heads up…
p.s tried evrything you said but doesnt recognise the psp?? also ditto with the ps3 browser?? but anyhow….im sure ill get it sorted
look forward to drillin ya with the auger in resistence…lol
love peace an hairgrease guys
Comment by seedaripper — Apr 3, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
You guys could always join the PS3Forums.com F@H Team #54376. We currently have over 460 members and are just about in the top 300. More info here: http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=63196
We’re all folding for a cure so contribute where you can.
Comment by nekon — Apr 3, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
Giacecco a PS3 for 6 days a week for 12 hours per day is about $65 a year of energy cost…
so not going to make a single impact on anyones environment anytime soon.
Comment by mark — Apr 4, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
When I changed my name from “PS3″ I lost about five work units. But now I have a better idea of my real contribution. I had to raise my PS3 with some Lego blocks and put a small fan on it to keep it from overheating. Once I did this, it’s run for days wiihout stop.
Comment by Torrid — Apr 5, 2007 @ 12:25 am
For anyone interested, I just heard on Insomniacs latest podcast that their Folding@HOME team is 61596.
Comment by Neil — Apr 5, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
Why nobody is talking about Ruba Duck which is available since yesterday eve on the store
Comment by Darkness — Apr 6, 2007 @ 6:02 am
Just a quick note for the people worried about the power consumption: 200W sounds like a lot, but it’s nothing compared to what your car is consuming.
One gallon of gasoline is 39kW/h (on a perfect engine, and no car engine is even close to perfect). Every time your car guzzles down one gallon, it’s equivalent to 195 hours (almost two hundred hours, more than 8 continuous days) of PS3 folding… so if you wanna be a good earth citizen, fold@home and use the car that little bit less.
Comment by John — Apr 8, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
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