From the press release:
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Leading digital workflow specialist HELIOS has tapped into the power of the Playstation 3 platform. The games console is powered by the incredibly powerful Cell processor, which is needed to run games in high definition and amazing detail. HELIOS has customised a version of Linux to allow its server suite to run on the PS3 hardware.

The free installer will be available from the UK distributor's website from 1st of June (www.jpy.com). It utilises Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 as its operating system, and it includes a test drive version of HELIOS UB, the enterprise client server solution. It is believed that this is the first instance of the games platform being used for a business server solution.

The reasons for porting HELIOS to the PS3 are more than simply showing off programming skills of the HELIOS team. It is of course more usual to have the enterprise software running on much more expensive platforms, such as IBM blade servers or Apple Xserves. But the PS3 is capable of lighter duties, and will be used by the HELIOS sales team to demonstrate the software to customers. With fully loaded servers running into multiple thousands of pounds, a compact demonstration server for under £500 makes perfect sense.

The HELIOS bundle included on the disc image will run for four hours at a time, allowing users to see what HELIOS can do. Software bundled would cost over £10,000, and getting it to run on a £425 gaming platform is quite a feat.

Dr John Yardley, MD of HELIOS distributor JPY Plc, said "It might seem like a crazy idea, but pound for pound the PS3 offers amazing power. I expect plenty of Linux enthusiasts will find good uses for the installation, which includes powerful tools like EtherShare and WebShare. Getting HELIOS running on the platform is akin to cramming a Spitfire engine into a Mini!"

The Linux installer is customised to make the best use of the limited memory available on the PS3. The disk image installs Yellow Dog Linux in under 10 minutes, with a configuration designed to optimise performance offering 40% more memory than the standard config.

The PS3 uses a 64-bit Cell processor that runs at 3.2 GHz, is PowerPC compatible with 256 MB of main memory, and has performance comparable to a G5 single CPU. The PS3 comes with the NVIDIA RSX Graphics Processing Unit, has a 60 GB 2.5" swappable serial ATA disk and offers WLAN and Gigabit Ethernet for network connectivity. Terra Soft's Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 is binary compatible with its release for the former Apple PowerPC product line and concurrent support for the Mercury Cell products and IBM Cell and pSeries servers.

Advantages of the HELIOS PS3 Linux installation:
* Free download from HELIOS web site
* Easy installation, ready to run in a few minutes
* Excellent Linux on PS3 documentation from HELIOS
* Dedicated server operating system with optimized performance (40% more memory available)
* Java 1.5 runtime is pre-installed
* Easy maintenance shell from CD
* HELIOS services are pre-installed as a test drive
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Official Website: www.jpy.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From gamesindustry.biz:
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All three next-generation home consoles are performing well at retailer HMV, with the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 contributing to healthy sales at the start of the traditionally quiet summer months.

The PS3 is said to be exceeding sales targets, although the retailer expects a performance boost when Sony opts to lower the price.
"Sales remain in line with expectations, occasionally even exceeding them," commented Tim Ellis, head of games for the entertainment specialist.
"We're looking forward to further games releases, and when the time's right, a suitable price revision to take the console to its next level of sales."
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Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From mcvuk.com:
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SCEE has refuted suggestions that it is reducing production of PS3 - and has told MCV that there is no link between a potential price drop and any temporary change in manufacturing.

The news comes after a release from industry analyst Lazard Capital Markets this week, which stated that, ‘Reports from Asia suggest that Sony has reduced production of PS3s, at least temporarily, which may suggest that a price cut is less likely this year.'

However, Sony's director of corporate communications Nick Sharples told MCV:
"I'm not aware of any cut in production. We have our forecast for the year for PS3 of ten million and that still stands. Of course, production is adjusted according to stock levels and requirements of different territories. The normal seasonal uplift towards the peak season will happen, but that's completely normal.
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Full Story: mcvuk.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From gamesindustry.biz:
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Bank of America analyst Michael L. Savner has warned that a PlayStation 3 price cut may not be enough to boost "stagnant sales" of the console.

"Despite growing anticipation that a USD 100 price cut for the PS3 is imminent this summer or early fall, we do not believe such a move would meaningfully improve stagnant PS3 sales," said Savner, speaking to Business Week.

These factors, combined with the issue of a lack of exclusive PS3 titles, have led Savner to conclude that Sony should introduce a price cut of USD 200 - but he said that such a significant reduction is unlikely to to happen in the near future.
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Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From tversity blog
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As you may know Sony has released a new firmware update for the Playstation 3 which added support for UPnP AV / DLNA.

We are glad to announce that we already have a patch that takes advantage of this new functionality allowing playback of almost any audio and video files on the PS3, including Divx/Xvid and many other audio and video formats.

This patch also allows playback of some Internet radio/TV channels, albeit it is still somewhat limited in this area. A revised patch that can play all the channels TVersity can typically handle with other devices is coming soon.

To apply it please follow the steps below:
* Make sure you have TVersity version 0.9.10.2 installed, otherwise install it. Please note that this patch cannot be applied on top of older versions and is designed for 0.9.10.2 ONLY.
* Stop media sharing in TVersity (via the advanced menu or the tray icon)
* Unzip the patch file and copy its content over to the TVersity installation folder (by default it is \Program Files\TVersity\Media Server)
* Start sharing and try accessing your audio, video and photos from the PS3
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Official Website: www.tversity.com
Download: here
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com